Al-Ghazali Quotes

It is related that Satan came before Yahyâ . The latter saw that Satan had plucks of everything on his body. He asked him: “O Satan! What are these plucks?” He replied: “These are the desires with which I hunt mankind.” Yahyâ asked: “Do you have any of my plucks there?” He replied: “Perhaps you ate a stomach full which caused you to feel heavy and uncomfortable in offeringsalâh and remembering Allâh .” Yahyâ asked: “Is there anything else?” He replied: “No.” Yahyâ said: “I take an oath that I will never fill my stomach with food.” Satan said to him: “I take an oath that I will never advise a Muslim.” Among them is the love to have beautiful utensils, clothing and to adorn and decorate the house. When Satan sees that this quality has overpowered the heart of a particular person, he settles down and establishes himself in that person’s heart. He then continually invites him towards building the house, beautifying its roofs and walls, expanding it, etc. He also invites him towards beautifying himself with clothing and animals. He causes the person to undergo losses throughout his life in fulfilling all these demands. Once he gets him involved in all this, he does not have to go that person a second time because these very demands [and desires] lead him to fulfil other demands. This continues till his death. He thus dies in the path of Satan and in following his desires. An evil destiny is thus feared from all this. We seek refuge in Allâh

المطلب أنفس وأعز من أن يدرك بالمنى أو ينال بالهوينا

فالكِبر والعُجب داءان مهلكان، والمتكبّر والمعجب سقيمان مريضان، وهما عند الله ممقوتان بغيضان

إعلم أيها الحريص المقبل على إقتباس العلم، المظهر من نفسه صدق الرغبة، وفرط التعطش إليه أنك إن كنت تقصد بالعلم المنافسة، والمباهاة، والتقدم على الأقران، واستمالة وجوه الناس إليك، وجمع حطام الدنيا؛ فأنت ساع في هدم دينك، وإهلاك نفسك، وبيع آخرتك بدنياك؛ فصفقتك خاسرة، وتجارتك بائرة، ومعلمك معين لك على عصيانك، وشريك لك في خسرانك، وهو كبائع سيف لقاطع طريق.

matter with you, Commander of the Believers?’ To this he would reply: ‘The time has come for a trust which God offered to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to carry it; they were wary of it, but I have taken it on.

"…a man should say to his soul every morning, "God has given thee twenty-four treasures; take heed lest thou lose anyone of them, for thou wilt not be able to endure the regret that will follow such loss.

الْإِدْرَاكَاتِ صَارَتْ مَحْصُورَةً فِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَالْعِلْمِ أَوْ فِي التَّصَوُّرِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ وَكُلُّ عِلْمٍ تَطَرَّقَ إلَيْهِ تَصْدِيقٌ فَمِنْ ضَرُورَتِهِ أَنْ يَتَقَدَّمَ عَلَيْهِ مَعْرِفَتَانِ أَيْ: تَصَوُّرَانِ فَإِنَّ مَنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ الْمُفْرَدَ كَيْفَ يَعْلَمُ الْمُرَكَّبَ وَمَنْ لَا يَفْهَمُ مَعْنَى الْعَالَمِ وَمَعْنَى الْحَادِثِ كَيْفَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الْعَالَمَ حَادِثٌ، وَمَعْرِفَةُ الْمُفْرَدَاتِ قِسْمَانِ: أَوَّلِيٌّ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي لَا يُطْلَبُ بِالْبَحْثِ وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَرْتَسِمُ مَعْنَاهُ فِي النَّفْسِ مِنْ غَيْرِ بَحْثٍ وَطَلَبٍ كَلَفْظِ الْوُجُودِ وَالشَّيْءِ وَكَكَثِيرٍ مِنْ الْمَحْسُوسَاتِ، وَمَطْلُوبٌ وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَدُلُّ اسْمُهُ مِنْهُ عَلَى أَمْرٍ جُمْلِيٍّ غَيْرِ مُفَصَّلٍ وَلَا مُفَسَّرٍ فَيُطْلَبُ تَفْسِيرُهُ بِالْحَدِّ، وَكَذَلِكَ الْعِلْمُ يَنْقَسِمُ إلَى أَوَّلِيٍّ كَالضَّرُورِيَّاتِ، وَإِلَى مَطْلُوبٍ كَالنَّظَرِيَّاتِ.
وَالْمَطْلُوبُ مِنْ الْمَعْرِفَةِ لَا يُقْتَنَصُ إلَّا بِالْحَدِّ، وَالْمَطْلُوبُ مِنْ الْعِلْمِ الَّذِي يَتَطَرَّقُ إلَيْهِ التَّصْدِيقُ وَالتَّكْذِيبُ لَا يُقْتَنَصُ إلَّا بِالْبُرْهَانِ، فَالْبُرْهَانُ وَالْحَدُّ هُوَ الْآلَةُ الَّتِي بِهَا يُقْتَنَصُ سَائِرُ الْعُلُومِ الْمَطْلُوبَةِ.

القلب مخلوق لعمل الآخرة طلبا لسعادته، وسعادته معرفة ربه عز وجل.

الحمد لله الذي تلطف بعباده فتعبدهم بالنظافة، وأفاض على قلوبهم تزكية لسرائرهم أنواره وألطافه، وأعدّ لظواهرهم تطهيرا لها الماء المخصوص بالرقة واللطافة، وصلى الله على النبي محمد المستغرق بنور الهدى أطراف العالم وأكنافه، وعلى آله الطيبين الطاهرين صلاة تنجينا بركاتها يوم المخافة، وتنتصب جنة بيننا وبين كل آفة.
كتب أسرار الطهارة

Siapa yang melakukan ma'siat bererti ia menghitamkan hatinya dan siapa yang menyusuli kejahatan dengan kebaikan tidak menggelapkan hatinya tetapi mengkaburkan cahayanya sama seperti cermin yang dihembuskan dengan nafas kemudian dilap, dihembuskan nafas dan dilap, maka ia tidak lagi sejernih seperti asal.

طلبنا العلم لغير الله فأبى أن يكون إلا لله

We attest that He is the Willer of all things that are, the ruler of all originated phenomena; there does not come into the visible or invisible world anything meager or plenteous, small or great, good or evil, or any advantage or disadvantage, belief or unbelief, knowledge or ignorance, success or failure, increase or decrease, obedience or disobedience, except by His will. What He wills is, and what He does not, will not; there is not a glance of the eye, nor a stray thought of the heart that is not subject to His will. He is the Creator, the Restorer, the Doer of whatsoever He wills. There is none that rescinds His command, none that supplements His decrees, none that dissuades a servant from disobeying Him, except by His help and mercy, and none has power to obey Him except by His will.

A person of good character is he who is modest, says little, causes little trouble, speaks the truth, seeks the good, worships much, has few faults, meddles little, desires the good for all, and does good works for all. He is compassionate, dignified, measured, patient, content, grateful, sympathetic, friendly, abstinent, and not greedy. He does not use foul language, nor does he exhibit haste, nor does he harbor hatred in his heart. He is not envious. He is candid, well-spoken, and his friendship and enmity, his anger and his pleasure are for the sake of God Most High and nothing more.

And how can someone be described as flawless [or protector] who is not freed from his lower self

قال الخليل بن أحمد : الرجال أربعة، رجل يدري ويدري أنه يدري فذلك عالم فاتبعوه، ورجل يدري ولا يدري أنه يدري فذلك نائم فأيقظوه، ورجل لا يدري ويدري انه لا يدري فذلك مسترشد فأرشدوه، ورجل لا يدري أنه لا يدري فذلك جاهل فارفضوه.