Hasan al-Basri’s Pearls of Wisdom

 

“Bury yourself and the desire to be known.”

       

“Food was Adam’s trial and it is your trial until the Day of Qiyama.”

       

“If we were able to see the Muslims who fought at Badr, we would think that they were madmen because of their disregard of the world. “

But if these Companions saw the best of you they would say, ‘These people have no character.’

 

And if they saw the worst of you, they would say, ‘These people do not believe in the Day of Judgment.’”

       

“If a man swore by Allah that Hasan’s actions are not those of someone who believes in Day of Judgement, I would say, ‘sadaqta, do not expiate your oath because it is true.'”

 

 A man asked Hasan al-Basri to whom he should marry his daughter to? Al-Hasan replied, “To someone who fears Allah. If he loves her, he will honour her. And if he detests her, he will not mistreat her.”

 

“Do not be deceived by the hadith ‘A man is with whom he loves’ when [you suffer from] distraction, illusion and the desertion of good works, for the Ahlul Kitab love their Prophets but are of certainty not with them.”