Sell Dunya, Win Aakhirah and Dunya

O son of Adam!  Sell your current life for your latter life, and you will win both.  Do not sell your latter life for this life, for you will lose them both.  The period of stay is short, and the righteous ones went away before you, so what are you waiting for? By Allah, it is about to come, and then the latter ones will join the former ones among you.—Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī [d 110H/728CE]

Sincerity for Allah

“Sincerity is not combined in the heart along with the love of being praised by the people, and being commended by them, and also having greed for what the people have, except like water being combined with fire.”[Imam Ibn al Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah RahimahuAllah]

Constantly Conscious of Death

Those who were before you used to often consider the nearness of death. One of them would often take water for purity, fulfils the call of nature and perform ablution, fearing that Allah’s Command (death) might come to him while he is not in a state of purity.—Al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī [d 110H/728CE]

Desiring Good For Others

I have never spoken to anyone without wanting success for him, and desiring that he be directed to the right way, be helped and have protection and preservation from Allah Almighty.—Imām al-Shāfi‘ī [d. 204H/820CE]

Medicine of the heart

دواء القلب خمسة أشياء

The medicine of the heart is five things:

قراءة القرآن بالتفكر

1) reading the Qur’aan along with contemplation and pondering

وخلاء البطن

2) having an empty stomach

وقيام الليل

3) praying at night (qiyaam al-layl)

والتضرع عند السحر

4) beseeching Allaah at the time of suhoor

ومجالسة الصالحين

5) keeping in the company of the righteous people

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[* As mentioned by Yahyaa ibn Mu'aadh (radiyaAllaahu 'anhu)]

Develop Good Through Patience

“You are going to face something difficult, and nothing can save you from it except the truth. Accustom yourself and those who are with you to doing good, start everything with good, and remember that for every good habit there is a means to develop it. The means of developing good is patience. If you are patient in bearing everything that befalls you or happens to you, you will gain the fear (taqwa) of Allaah.”~‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (advice to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas)

Fill your heart with the love of Allah

“As long as the tongue is occupied in dhikr, it will be safe from unbecoming speech and lies, because it never keeps quiet. Alike it is with the heart, if it is not occupied in love of Allah then it will love the creation.”--Ibn al Qayyim