Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya Quotes

The ibtilaa' (testing) of the believer is like medicine for him. It cures him from illness. Had the illness remained it would destroy him or diminish his reward and level (in the hereafter). The tests and the trials extract these illnesses from him and prepare him for the perfect reward and the highest of degrees (in the life to come).

If a heart becomes attached to anything other than Allah, Allah makes him dependent on what he is attached to. And he will be betrayed by it.

There is no joy for someone who has no sorrow.
There is no pleasure for the one who has no patience
No bliss for someone with no misery
and no rest for the one with no fatigue.
When someone is a little tired,
he has long rest.
When he endures the difficulty of steadfastness for a time,
that leads him to eternal life.
All that the people of eternal bliss
are in is steadfastness for a time.

Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that can not be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.

Every gulp of air that goes out in a cause other than the cause of Allah will turn to sorrow and regret on the Day of Judgement.

Allah will never humiliate the one who takes his Lord as friend and patron.

Every love that leads away from His love is in fact a punishment; only a love that leads to His love is a heartfelt and pure love.

Love of Allah is the power of the heart, the sustenance of the heart, the light of the heart.

If you wish to check how much you love Allah, then see how much your heart loves the Quran, and you will know the answer.

As long as one is following the right way, one should never be concerned about the reproaches of those who like to find faults.

We should know that Allah has created us to live an eternal life with no death, a life of pride and ease with no humiliation, a life of security with no fear, a life of richness with no poverty, a life of joy with no pain, a life of perfection with no flaws. Allah is testing us in this world with a life that will end in death, a life of pride that is accompanied by humiliation and degradation, a life that is tainted by fear, where joy and ease are mixed with sorrow and pain.

Repel the thought, for if you don't, it becomes an idea. So repel the idea, for if you don't it will become a desire. So fight against that(desire), for if you don't, it will become a determination and a passion. And if you don't repel that, it will become an action. And if you don't replace it with its opposite, it will become a constant habit. So at that point, it will be difficult for you to change it.

Beware of every hour and how it passes, and only spend it in the best possible way, do not neglect yourself, but render it accustomed to the noblest and best of actions, and send to your grave that which will please you when you arrive to it.

A person's tongue can give you the taste of his heart.

The heart will rest and feel relief if it is settled with Allah. And it will worry and feel anxious if it is settled with the people.

Wasting time is worse than death, because death separates you from this world whereas wasting time separates you from Allah

He who keeps his heart near God will find peace and tranquility, whilst he who gives his heart to the people will find restlessness and apprehension.

When there is money in your hand and not in your heart, it will not harm you even if it is a lot; and when it is in your heart, it will harm you even if there is none in your hands.

Satan rejoiced when Adam (peace be upon him) came out of Paradise, but he did not know that when a diver sinks into the sea, he collects pearls and then rises again.

Women are one half of society which gives birth to the other half so it is as if they are the entire society.

Be to Allah as He wishes, and He will be to you more than you can wish for.

The sea of pleasures may drown its owner and the swimmer fears to open his eyes under the water.

Whoever mocks his brother for a sin they repented from will not die till he himself falls into the same sin.

Beware of preoccupying your heart with what it has not been created for.

A real man is one who fears the death of his heart, not of his body.

There are no means of attaining faith and certainty except through the Qur'an.

The soul will never become pious and purified except through undergoing afflictions. It is the same as gold that can never be pure except after removing all the base metals in it.

Had Allah lifted the veil for his slave and shown him how He handles his affairs for him, and how Allah is more keen for the benefit of the slave than his own self, his heart would have melted out of the love for Allah and would have been torn to pieces out of thankfulness to Allah. Therefore if the pains of this world tire you, do not grieve. For it may be that Allah wishes to hear your voice by way of Dua'a. So pour out your desires in prostration and forget about it and know; that verily Allah does not forget it.

And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill his emptiness.

When Allah tests you it is never to destroy you. When He removes something in your possession it is only in order to empty your hands for an even greater gift.

If you knew the true value of yourself, you will never allow yourself to be humiliated by committing sins.

Ibn Taymiyyah lived poorly. He was imprisoned and threatened. But I have never seen anyone as happy as him.

A tear that runs down a believer's cheek is more beneficial than a thousand raindrops on the earth

The hijrah to Allah includes abandoning what He hates and doing what He loves and accepts.

This wordly life is like a shadow. If you try to catch it, you will never be able to do so. If you turn your back towards it, it has no choice but to follow you.

Imaan is of two halves; half is patience (Sabr) and half is being thankful (Shukr).

Whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others.

Whoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires

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.

And to have spent the night sleeping and awoken regretful, is better than to have spent the night standing (in prayer) and awaken impressed with oneself!

O people who take pleasure in a life that will vanish, falling in love with a fading shadow is sheer stupidity

There is no captive in a worse state than the one who is captivated by his worst enemy (Shaytan) and there is no prison which is tighter than the prison of hawa (desire) and there is no bond/fetter more strong than the bond of desire. How, then, will a heart which is captivated, imprisoned and fettered travel unto Allah and the Home of the Hereafter?

Patience is that the heart does not feel anger towards that which is destined and that the mouth does not complain.

The perfection of Tawheed is found when there remains nothing in the heart except Allaah

Sitting with the poor and less fortunate people removes the ego and pride from your heart.

There is no joy for the one who does not bear sadness, there is no sweetness for the one who does not have patience, there is no delight for the one who does not suffer, and there is no relaxation for the one who does not endure fatigue.

As you can taste a pot full of food with a spoon likewise someone's tounge can tell you about his heart.

Happiness is attained by three things: being patient when tested, being thankful when receiving a blessing, and being repentant upon sinning.

And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.

Sins have many side-effects. One of them is that they steal knowledge from you.

A true believer does not fear physical death, rather he fears the death of his heart

A slave stands infront of Allah on two occasions. The first during salah, and secondly on the Day of Judgment. Whoseover stands correctly in the first, the second standing will be made easier for him. And whosoever, disregards the first standing, the second standing will be extremely difficult.

There are six stages to knowledge: Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner. Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively. Thirdly: Understanding well. Fourthly: Memorising. Fifthly: Teaching. Sixthly- and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits.

From the perfection of Allah's ihsan is that He allows His slave to taste the bitterness of the break before the sweetness of the mend. So He does not break his believing slave, except to mend him. And He does not withhold from him, except to give him. And He does not test him (with hardship), except to cure him.

If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry.