The 0.5 Second

When the inward is good the outward is also inevitably so, for the outward always follows the inward, whether good or evil.- Shaykh Al-Habib 'Adullah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad qs

When someone criticizes or disagrees with you, a small ant of hatred and antagonism is born in your heart. If you do not squash that ant at once, it might grow into a snake, or even a dragon. - Ash-Shaykh Jalal'uddin al-Rumi qs [Mathnavi]

If you are aware of your humility, then you are arrogant.- Shaykh Ibn 'Ata'Allah al-Iskandari qs

Till man destroys "self" he is no true friend of God.- Ash-Shaykh Mawlana Jalal'uddin al-Rumi qs

People count with self-satisfaction the number of times they have recited the name of God on their prayer beads, but they keep no beads for reckoning the number of idle words they speak.- Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali qs

Listen to your heart and not your ego. Your ego prompts you to boast of vain assertions to obtain the glory of this world. Turn away from vanity and seek Him in the recesses of your heart and soul- Ash-Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani qs [Fayuz E Yazdani]

The Righteous Salaf were as fearful of their good deeds being squandered, or not being accepted, as the present generation is certain that their neglect would be forgiven.- Imam Hasan al-Basri (radiAllahu 'anhu)

Whoever is offered an apology from a fellow Muslim should accept it unless he knows that the person apologizing is being dishonest.- Muhammad (salAllahu 'alayhi wasalam) [Mishkat al Tabrizi, Vol III Hadith no. 5052]

Cease to sin, because you will not meet Allah with anything [as valuable] as few sins. - A'isha (radiAllahu 'anhu)

There is only one virtue and one sin for a soul on the path:virtue when he is conscious of Godand sin when he is not. - Shaykh As-Sayyed Muhammad Abu Hashim Madani qs
If sins had an odour, then nobody would be able to sit with me.- Muhammad ibn Wasi' (radiAllahu 'anhu)

If sins had an odour, would you be sitting alone?
I complained to Waki' about the weakness of my memorization, so he instructed me to abandon disobedience;He informed me that knowledge is a light,and the light of Allah is not given to a sinner.- Imam Ash-Shafi'i (Rahimullah)

Someone who seeks to travel the path of Allah should begin with a sound repentance from all his sins.- Shaykh Al-Habib 'Abdullah ibn 'Alawi al-Haddad qs

There is no change away from sin, Nor power to remain firm on good, except through Allah Most High and Almighty- Imam Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi (Rahimullah)

The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah (repentance) and protection [from transgression] . It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity is obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is al-Taqwa.It becomes hungry and thirsty as the body becomes hungry, and its food and drink are knowledge, love, dependence, repentance and servitude. - Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah qs

Fight against your ego with the four swords of training: eat little, sleep little, speak little, and be patient when people harm you... Then the ego will walk the paths of obedience, Like a fleeing horseman in the field of battle.- Shaykh Abu Zakariya Yahya ibn Mu'adh al-Razi qs

If you remember the creation (gossip about such and such a person), then remember Allah the Most High. Remembering Him is the medicine for remembering His creation.- Shaykh Fudayl ibn 'Iyad (rahimahullah)

Does money upset the hearts of learned men?He answered, "men whose hearts are changed by money are not learned"- Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali qs

Do to me, O Allah, what is worthy of Thee; And not what is worthy of me.- Saadi al-Shiraz [Gulistan]

This life is not real. I conquered the world and it did not bring me satisfaction. - Muhammad Ali (Boxing champion)

A pirate was captured and brought before Alexander the Great.Alexander asked the pirate: 'How dare you molest the people?' The pirate replied: 'And how dare you molest the entire world? I am called a thief because I do it with a little ship only. You do it with a great navy and you are called an Emperor!' - from Mutma'inaa's Collected Pearls of Wisdom

The True Ascetic abandons the three 'I's. He does not say "for me," "with me," or "my property." He must not attribute anything to himself. - Shaykh Ibn al-'Arabi qs

The heart, in its journey to Allah, Majestic is He, is like that of a bird; Love is its head, and fear and hope are its two wings. When the head and two wings are sound, the bird flies gracefully; if the head is severed, the bird dies; if the bird loses one of its wings, it then becomes a target for every hunter or predator.- Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah qs

Oh Beloved, take me. Liberate my soul. Fill me with your love and release me from the two worlds. If I set my heart on anything but you let fire burn me from inside. Oh Beloved, take away what I want. Take away what I do. Take away what I need. Take away everything that takes me from you. - Ash-Shaykh Mawlana Jalal'uddin al-Rumi qs

When light engages the heart, it causes an illumination of the path, a purification of the consciousness, an enlightenment of the intellect and an establishment of the foundations of dhikr and shukr and of beautiful worship.- Shaykh Al-Habib 'Umar bin Hafiz qs

When you resolve to become pious, the devil in your nature cries out at you, "Tread not those paths, O confused one; distress and poverty will overcome you. You will be despised, let down by friends, you will regret it." Dread of the devil has bound their souls; the cries of the devil are the drover of the damned; the call of the Lord is a guardian of the saints.- Ash-Shaykh Jalal'uddin al-Rumi qs [Mathnawi]

Purification of the heart was once described by a scholar: He gave the analogy of a man who didn t has a bath for a whole year. So to make himself look clean and presentable, the dirty man decided to put on perfume and wear expensive clothes. Obviously his actions would be futile. He would still reek and smell, right? Similarly, if we have dirty hearts and we focus on external actions (e.g. Salah, fasting etc) our actions would be futile. Hence, tasawwuf and purification of the heart. If we do not focus on the importance of purifying our hearts, all our external good deeds will be in vain. - from Mutma'inaa's Collected Pearls of Wisdom

The spiritual warrior is he who breaks an idol; and the idol of each person is his Ego.- Imam Abul Qasim al-Qushayri qs [al-Risala al-Qushayrriya]

We have come to free the slaves of Allah from the slavery of the creation. Purifying the heart is equally if not more important then external ritualistic worship. It is something that we should not neglect. - from Mutma'inaa's Collected Pearls of Wisdom

I know of nothing more useful to you than four matters: surrender to Allah, to humbly entreat Him, to think the best of Him, and to perpetually renew your repentance to Him, even if you should repeat a sin seventy times in a day.- Shaykh Ibn 'Ata'Allah al-Iskandari qs

This Qur'an guides you to the recognition of your illnesses and to their remedies. Your illnesses are your sins, and your medicine is seeking Allah's forgiveness. - Qatadah (radiAllahu anhu)
Who does greater evil than he who is reminded of the signs of the Lord, then turns away from them? - Qur'an [32:22]

Whoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires- Shaykh Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah qs

The glance is a poisoned arrow of shaytan. Whoever lowers his gaze for Allah, He will bestow upon him a refreshing sweetness which he will find in his heart on the day that he meets Him.- Muhammad (salAllahu 'alayhi wasalam)

Never do I argue with a man with a desire to hear him say what is wrong, or to expose him and win victory over him. Whenever I face an opponent in debate I silently pray - O Lord, help him so that truth may flow from his heart and on his tongue, and so that if truth is on my side, he may follow me; and if truth be on his side, I may follow him.- Imam Ash-Shafi'i (rahimullah)

What hurts the soul? To live without tasting the water of its own essence.- Ash-Shaykh Mawlana Jalal'uddin al-Rumi qs

Come to HIM Now!
Do you feel HIS Presence?Here!
Through, around you;
Praise be to HIM:
ALLAH!
The Subtle, the One!
Purify the Soul,
And receive HIS boundless blessings
Through purified Hearts:
Laa ilaaha ill-ALLAH...
HULaa ilaaha ill-ALLAH...
HULaa ilaaha ill-ALLAH...
HULaa ilaaha ill-ALLAH
Muhammad-ar- Rasulullaah
Astaghfiru-ALLAH (100 times)
Laa ilaaha illaa Anta, subhaanaka innii kuntu minaz zaalimeen"There is no god (no idol nor "me") but You, Glory be to You, indeed I (my ego) have wronged my self."
Allahummaghfirlanaa yaa Ar-hamar Raahimeen."O Allah, forgive us (our ego and our self), O the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."{Jakarta, Ramadhan 1428H}