Ibn al-Qayyim’s Astounding Humility: Calling Himself Bankrupt Instead of a Shaikh

Ibn al-Qayyim wrote a priceless book on patience called Uddatus-Saabirin wa Dhakhiratush-Shakirin, out of his humility, he said the following about it and himself:

“Despite that, this book is the effort of someone who lacks the means [i.e., lacks knowledge], the output of someone bankrupt, in which he warns others against the disease even though he is among the ranks of those who suffer from it, in which he has outlined the remedy even though, due to his injustice and ignorance, he didn’t have the forbearance to use it himself, but he hopes that, through this advice which he is imparting to His believing slaves, the Most Kind and the Most Merciful will forgive the way he has cheated himself.

And so whatever in this book is correct is from Allaah, Alone, for it is He who is the Commendable, the One who helps, and whatever mistakes are found in it are from its author and the devil …”

Uddatus-Saabirin, p. 11.

A Benefit from Ash-Shaykh al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him, regarding the meaning of Envy and Jealousy:

The Second Chapter: Mistakes which are Compulsory to Beware of

Firstly: Envy and Jealousy

“It is unhappiness for what Allah has bestowed upon others of bounties, whereas it does not (merely mean) wishing the blessing to be removed from others rather it is just by a person disliking what Allah has bestowed upon others of bounties, so this is envy, whether he wished it (i.e. the bounty and blessing) to be removed or to remain whilst disliking it for him. As this has been affirmed by Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, where he said: envy is the unhappiness of a person for what Allah has bestowed upon others of bounties while the human-souls are mostly not free from envy, meaning the soul could be forcefully disposition upon it however it came in the hadeeth ‘if you envy then do not transgress and if you have an (evil) thought then do not implement it’ meaning that it is obligatory upon the person if he sees from his heart any form of envy for others then he should not transgress whether be in speech or actions, for verily that is from the traits of the Jews, those who Allah said regarding (them):

: {أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مُلْكًا عَظِيمًا} [النساء: 54]

“Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His Bounty? Then We had already given the family of Ibrahim the Book and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah), and conferred upon them a great kingdom.

Hence the envious commits several forbidden acts:

Firstly: His unhappiness of what Allah has decreed, for verily his displeasure for what Allah has bestowed this person with of bounties is actually a dislike for what Allah has decreed to occur and an opposition to the preordainment of Allah azza wajal.

Secondly: That envy devours goods deeds as the fire devours pieces of wood because generally the envious transgresses the envied by mentioning some of that which he dislikes and by distancing the people from him and by degrading his value and the likes of that

Thirdly: What befalls the heart of the envious of sorrow – while the hell-fire will devour him severely -, so whenever he sees this blessing upon this envied one he would become distressed and depressed whereas he begins to observe this person, (so) every time Allah bestows upon him any bounties he becomes sad and distressed and depressed throughout his worldly affairs.”

Reference: The Book of Knowledge, page 54.

Some benefits from Imam Ibn Qayyim’s Book al-Fawaaid

Imam Ibn Qayyim rahimahullah said:

من عرف ربه اشتغل به عن هوى نفسه

Whoever knows his Lord, he will be busy with Him instead of the desires of his soul

[al-Fawaaid pg. 57]

He also said:

الدنيا جيفة والأسد لا يقع علي الجيف

The worldly life is a dead carcass and lions do not eat from a dead carcass.

[al-Fawaaid pg. 51]

And He also said:

اشتر نفسك؛ فالسوق قائمة، والثمن موجود

Buy yourself, for the market is established and the price is present

[al-Fawaaid pg.41]

He also said:

استوحش ممالا يدوم معك، واستأنس بمن لا يفارقك

Be away from what does not last with you and accompany the one who will not leave you

[al-Fawaaid pg. 50]

Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan