The one who is [truly] imprisoned is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.
Ibn TaymiyyahRead
Make tawba not just for sins you've committed, but also for obligations you haven't fulfilled.
Interpretation
Repentance should include not only wrongdoings but also neglected responsibilities.
This quote emphasizes the importance of sincere repentance (tawba) in a holistic manner. It suggests that one should reflect not only on the mistakes they have made but also on the duties they have failed to carry out, thus fostering a deeper sense of accountability and growth in their character and spiritual life.
In practice
During a motivational talk about personal development, you can use this quote to highlight the importance of accountability.
The one who is [truly] imprisoned is the one whose heart is imprisoned from Allah and the captivated one is the one whose desires have enslaved him.
The sign of the people of bidβah is that they do not follow the salaf.
Whatever is not done by the permission of Allah will not happen, and what is not done for the sake of Allah will not benefit or remain.
Remembrance is to the heart what water is to the fish. And what is the state of a fish that leaves water?
The more humble, needy, and subdued you are before Allah, the closer you will be to Him.
If you do good in secret, Allah will shower His good on you in public.
When a shepherd goes to kill a wolf, and takes his dog to see the sport, he should take care to avoid mistakes. The dog has certain relationships to the wolf the shepherd may have forgotten.
All human states are organic brain states - happiness, sadness, fear, lust, dreaming, doing math problems and writing novels - and our brains are not static.
We must want for others, not ourselves alone.
God is God; you are but one of His creatures. Your only joy is to be found in obeying Him, your true fulfillment is to be found in worshiping Him, your only wisdom is to be found in trusting and knowing Him.
Trying to exhaust himself, Vaughan devised an endless almanac of terrifying wounds and insane collisions: The lungs of elderly men punctured by door-handles; the chests of young women impaled on steering-columns; the cheek of handsome youths torn on the chromium latches of quarter-lights. To Vaughan, these wounds formed the key to a new sexuality, born from a perverse technology. The images of these wounds hung in the gallery of his mind, like exhibits in the museum of a slaughterhouse.
When a whole nation is roaring patriotism at the top of its voice, I am fain to explore the cleanness of its hands and the purity of its heart.
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