Happiness is attained by three things: being patient when tested, being thankful when receiving a blessing, and being repentant upon sinning.
Ibn Qayyim Al-JawziyyaRead
O you, who spends his lifetime disobeying his Lord, no one amongst your enemies is wicked to you more than you are to yourself
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes that self-destructive behavior is the most harmful form of wickedness one can experience.
Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya highlights the profound impact of one's actions on their own life, suggesting that when a person neglects their moral and spiritual duties, they inflict greater harm upon themselves than any external enemy could. The essence of the quote is a reminder of the importance of self-accountability and the dire consequences of straying from the right path.
In practice
During a motivational speech about personal growth, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of overcoming internal struggles.
Happiness is attained by three things: being patient when tested, being thankful when receiving a blessing, and being repentant upon sinning.
The keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Quran, being humble before Allah in secret, and leaving sins.
As long as you are performing prayer, you are knocking at the door of Allah, and whoever is knocking at the door of Allah, Allah will open it for him.
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.
One of the most beneficial of remedies is persisting in duβa.
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.
Don't worry about what you can't control. Our focus and energy needs to be on the things we CAN control. Attitude, effort, focus- these are the things we can control.
Lukewarm people will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.
Values spoken without actions taken are merely slogans.
What people most need now is to apply their conversion skills to those things that are essential for their survival. They need to convert facts into logic, free will into purpose, conscience into decision. They need to convert historical experience into a design for a sane world.
The Buddhaβs principal message that day was that holding on to anything blocks wisdom. Any conclusion that we draw must be let go. The only way to fully understand the bodhichitta teachings, the only way to practice them fully, is to abide in the unconditional openness of the prajna, patiently cutting through all our tendencies to hang on.
I do take my work seriously and the way to do that is not to take yourself too seriously.
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