One of the most emphasized subject in the Quran is that of thinking and reflection. Allah (swt) tells us again and again to reflect on His signs, to ponder deeply. Those exemplary Muslims who do exactly that and come up with gems of wisdom are few. Here are some quotes from some of them.

>> Understand the Quran in as little as 10 minutes/day. Click here to learn more

Contemporary Muslims

Shaykh Akram Nadwi

“ God says He does not love that men say what they do not do (al-Saff). This means two things. (a) Be careful of the language you use. Don’t be like those poets who say things that sound very impressive but are impossible to do. Put simply, don’t speak for effect; speak simply and from the heart. Also, don’t be like those philosophers, theologians or moralists who formulate things very precisely but abstractly, so that what they say does not connect with the realities of life. (b) Be careful of the gaps between what you say and what you do. Commend to others only those actions and lifestyles which you would commend to yourself and which you uphold in your own actions and lifestyle.” (Al-Salam Institute Blog)

Nouman Ali Khan

“Human beings weren’t just made beautiful physically [but also] morally, spiritually, ethically, in their personalities [and so on]. And when you engage in an illicit relationship, then some of that beauty that you had is gone…. The body is beautiful, but the rooh that Allah put inside of you, that is actually what makes you more beautiful than any other creation of Allah. And shaytan knows [this]. He’s going to exploit the physical beauty of human beings to make the inner beauty ugly. That’s his goal.” (How Shaytan Ropes You in)

“Greed isn’t just about money. [It is] about wanting more than your share in life, in every matter.”

Yasir Qadhi

“The Prophet (sa) was also a person who was blessed with a great sense of humour. Having humour shows your humanity. It shows your down-to-earthness.” (Seerah episode 2)

Umm Zakiyya

“Obeying Allah, she realized, was to the soul as food was to the body. Eating one’s daily food did not guarantee perfect health, but not having it at all certainly guaranteed the body’s malnourishment – and ultimate degeneration. It was like the concepts of life and death. Obedience ensured spiritual life. Disobedience ensured spiritual death. Yet the health of spiritual life depended on the purity of the heart.”

“When we speak of the earliest Muslims as being the best generation, son, we too speak of a Golden Age of Islam. But we speak of the gold in their hearts. Not in their lifestyle, worldly accomplishments, or geographical borders. This is the Islam we wish to emulate…. No Golden Age in history can contend with the gold that lay in their breasts, son. And don’t let anyone, no matter how knowledgeable or studied, tell you any differently. If they do, they do not understand Islam.”

Related: Some quotes from Islamic history.

Muslims in History

Ibn Taymiyyah

“What can my enemies do to me! My garden and my paradise are in my breast, wherever I go they are with me. If my enemies kill me, I become a martyr and if they banish me from my country, I go abroad as a tourist; and by imprisoning me, they allow me to have solitude (so that I can worship Allah).” (qt in Al-Qarni, Don’t Be Sad)

Zamakhshari

“The sleepless nights I spend in learning the sciences, are more beloved to me than the company or caresses of the enchanting woman. My rapturous exhilaration when understanding a difficult concept, is more delicious to me than the most exotic drink…. O he who tries to attain my level by wishful thinking, how much difference there is between the one who finds the pain of climbing to be too much and between the one who climbs and reaches the summit. Do I toil through the night, while you sleep through it, yet you hope to surpass me?” (qt in Al-Qarni, Don’t Be Sad)

Allama Iqbal

If Self of man perfection gains

Devoid of rest his heart remains

Even in the niche of grave

Presence and Absence he must brave.

The Moon and stars shine like a spark,

For moments few and then the dark

The rapture caused by Ego’s wine

Is as eternal as things divine.

If your Ego is ripe and mature,

Your life from Death becomes secure:

Death’s angel may earthly frame contact,

But can not harm your soul, in fact. (Poem: DEATH)

Rumi

“The armies of the day have chased the army of the night, / Heaven and earth are filled with purity and light. / Oh! joy for he who has escaped from this world of perfumes and color! / For beyond these colors and these perfumes, these are other colors in the heart and the soul.“

“If thou wilt be observant and vigilant, thou wilt see at every moment the response to thy action. Be observant if thou wouldst have a pure heart, for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.”

Related: Some Quran quotes addressing you.

Related Video: 24 Beautiful One Line Islamic Quotes

>>>Are you tired of not feeling a close relationship with the Quran? Click here to strengthen your relationship with the Quran.

Related posts: