Muhammad ibn Abi al-Qasim reported: Fudyal ibn ‘Iyad, may Allah gave mercy on him, said,

“By the measure of how small a sin seems to you, such is it enormous to Allah. By the measure of how enormous it seems to you, such is it small to Allah.”

Source: al-Tawbah li-Ibn Abī al-Dunya 64

عن مُحَمَّد بْن أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ قَالَ فُضَيْلُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ رحمه الله بِقَدْرِ مَا يَصْغُرُ الذَّنْبُ عِنْدَكَ كَذَا يَعْظُمُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ وَبِقَدْرِ مَا يَعْظُمُ عِنْدَكَ كَذَا يَصْغُرُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ

64 التوبة لابن أبي الدنيا

Al-Awza’i reported: Bilal ibn Sa’d, may Allah have mercy on him, said,

“Do not look at the smallness of the sin, but rather look at the One you have disobeyed.”

Source: Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 5/223

عَنِ الْأَوْزَاعِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ بِلَال بْن سَعْدٍ رحمه الله لَا تَنْظُرْ إِلَى صُغْرِ الْخَطِيئَةِ وَلَكِنِ انْظُرْ إِلَى مَنْ عَصَيْتَ

5/223 حلية الأولياء لأبي نعيم

Ibn al-Jawzi reported: Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, may Alla have mercy on him, said,

“Your hope in the mercy of the One you refuse to obey is nothing but delusion and foolishness.”

Source: al-Muqliq li-Ibn al-Jawzī 1/29

عن ابن الجوزي قال مَعْرُوف الكرخي رحمه الله رَجَاؤُكَ لِرَحْمَةِ مَنْ لَا تُطِيعُهُ مِنَ الْخِذْلَانِ وَالْحُمْقِ

1/29 المقلق لابن الجوزي

Abu ‘Ubaydah reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

“No prophet among the prophets experienced distress but that they would seek aid with the glorification of Allah.”

Source: Amālī Ibn Samʻūn 162

عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بن مسعود رضي الله عنه قَالَ مَا كَرَبَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ إِلا اسْتَغَاثَ بِالتَّسْبِيحِ

162 أمالي ابن سمعون

Abu Talib al-Makki reported: Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy on him, said,

“I was deprived of the night prayer for five months because of a sin I committed.” It was said, “What was it?” Sufyan said, “I saw a man weeping and I said to myself: This one is showing off.”

Source: Qūt al-Qulūb 1/75

عن أبي طالب المكي قَالَ سفيان الثوري رحمه الله حُرمت قيام الليل خمسة أشهر بذنب أذنبته قيل له ما هو قال رأيت رجلاً بكى فقلت في نفسي هذا مراء

1/75 قوت القلوب في معاملة المحبوب

Abdur Rahman ibn Jubayr reported: Abu Darda, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

“Give up your reputation for the sake of Allah. Whoever abuses you, insults you, or fights you, leave him to Allah. If you do a bad deed, then ask forgiveness from Allah.”

Source: Tārīkh Dimashq 47/180

عن عبد الرحمن بن جبير عن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه قال هَبْ عِرْضَكَ لِلَّهِ فَمَنْ سَبَّكَ أَوْ شَتَمَكَ أَوْ قَاتَلَكَ فَدَعْهُ لِلَّهِ فَإِذَا أَسَأْتَ فَاسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ

47/180 تاريخ دمشق لابن عساكر

Abu Najih reported: Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

“I am certainly amazed that a man can be with his family like a child, but if he is called forth, he is found to be a true man.”

Source: Shu’ab al-Imān 7851

عَنِ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ قَالَ قَالَ عُمَرُ رضي الله عنه لَيُعْجِبُنِي الرَّجُلُ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ كَالصَّبِيِّ فَإِذَا ابْتُغِيَ مِنْهُ وُجِدَ رَجُلًا

7851 شعب الإيمان للبيهقي فصل في التواضع وترك الزهو والصلف والخيلاء والفخر والمدح

Abu Mu’awiyah reported: Ja’far ibn Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, used to supplicate,

“O Allah, honor us by obedience to You and do not disgrace by disobedience to You.”

Source: Ḥilyat al-Awliyā’ 3/196

عَنْ أبي مُعَاوِيَةَ كَانَ مِنْ دُعَاءِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ رحمه الله اللهُمَّ أَعِزَّنِي بِطَاعَتِكَ وَلَا تُخْزِنِي بِمَعْصِيَتِكَ

3/196 حلية الأولياء لأبي نعيم

Khazim ibn Husayn reported: Malik ibn Dinar, may Allah have mercy on him, said,

“To weep over a mistake will dispel sins just as the wind dispels dry leaves.”

Source: al-Riqqah wal-Bukā’ li-Ibn Abī al-Dunyā 25

عَنَ خَازِمِ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ رحمه الله قَالَ الْبُكَاءُ عَلَى الْخَطِيئَةِ يَحُطُّ الذُّنُوبَ كَمَا تَحُطُّ الرِّيحُ الْوَرَقَ الْيَابِسَ

25 الرقة والبكاء لابن أبي الدنيا

Thabit ibn al-Hajjaj reported: Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said,

“Hold yourselves accountable before you are held accountable and evaluate yourselves before you are evaluated, for the Reckoning will be easier upon you tomorrow if you hold yourselves accountable today.”

Source: Muḥāsabat al-Nafs 2

عَنْ ثَابِتِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ قَالَ قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ حَاسِبُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُحَاسَبُوا وَزِنُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُوزَنُوا فَإِنَّهُ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْحِسَابِ غَدًا أَنْ تُحَاسِبُوا أَنْفُسَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ

2 محاسبة النفس لابن أبي الدنيا

At certain stages in your life, these questions may have occupied your thoughts. Allah ﷻ says,

Thus, if there is one word that would capture the purpose of our life, it is ʿibādah.

ʿIbādah, often translated as 'worship', is a comprehensive term for every action and utterance that Allah ﷻ loves and is pleased with.

ʿIbādah consists of:

1. Actions of the limbs, or physical acts of worship.

2. Actions of the heart, or inner acts of worship. These include: firm belief (īmān), knowledge of Allah (maʿrifah), sincerity (ikhlāṣ), piety and mindfulness (taqwā), trust in Allah (tawakkul), hope (rajā’), fear (khawf), gratitude (shukr), patience (ṣabr), love (ḥubb), yearning for Allah (shawq) and certainty (yaqīn).

Every act of worship in Islam consists of both an outer manifestation (‘action of the limb’) and an inner reality (‘action of the heart’), which is its essence and core.

The outer manifestation of ṣalāh consists of rukūʿ and sujūd, whilst its essence is khushūʿ.

The outer manifestation of fasting is to stay away from anything that invalidates the fast, whilst its essence is taqwā.

The outer manifestation of ḥajj consists of ṭawāf, standing in ʿArafah and the pelting, whilst its essence is to honour the symbols of Allah ﷻ.

The outer manifestation of duʿā’ is to raise the hands and utter words, whilst its essence is humility and an utmost need for Allah ﷻ.

The outer manifestation of dhikr is to utter Subḥānallāh, Alḥamdulillāh, Allāhu Akbar etc. whilst its essence is loving, fearing and having hope in Allah ﷻ; and contemplation upon His creation and blessings.

Whilst we often focus on the outer and physical acts of worship, we often neglect the inner dimensions and spiritual elements of these same acts. In other words, we do not pay enough attention to our hearts.

Imām al-Ghazālī explains the inner reality of worship and the centrality of the heart: “The honour and excellence of the human being, by which he surpasses all other creatures, is his ability for knowing Allah ﷻ. Knowing Allah ﷻ is the human’s beauty, perfection and glory in this world; and his provision for the hereafter. He is prepared for such knowledge only through his heart, and not through any other organ. For it is the heart that knows Allah, works for Allah, strives towards Allah, and draws near to Him. In contrast, all the other organs are mere subordinates and instruments that are employed by the heart … For it is the heart that is accepted by Allah ﷻ when it is free from everything except Him. And it is veiled from Him when it becomes immersed in other than Him … Thus, knowledge of the heart and the reality of its qualities is the root of religion and the foundation of the path of the seekers.”

“There is no soundness in the hearts until the knowledge of Allah (maʿrifah), His greatness, His love, fear of Him, awe of Him, hope in Him and reliance on Him are established in them and they are full of that. This is the reality of tawḥīd and it is the essence of the saying, ‘There is no god worthy of worship except Allah.’” - Ibn Rajab