Inspiration and Spirituality

Be Like the Bee

Published

July 28, 2007

by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

As people are content with the world, so you should be content with Allah. As they are delighted by the world, so you should be delighted with Allah. As they are intimate with their loved ones, so you should seek intimacy with Allah. As they desire to know their kings and their leaders, and to draw near to them in order for honour and status to be conferred on them, so you should come to know Allah and seek His love: this will lead to the utmost honour and distinction.

Said one of the ascetics (zuhhåd): “I can never imagine that someone could hear about Paradise and Hellfire and can still waste an hour without performing any act of obedience to Allah; neither remembrance, prayer, reciting Qur’an nor an act of charity or kindness.” Someone said to him: I weep profusely. He replied: “That you laugh while confessing your sin is better than weeping yet being puffed-up with pride because of your deeds. For the deeds of a conceited person will never rise above his head.” The person then requested: Please counsel me. So the ascetic replied:

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“Leave the world to those who hanker after it, as they leave the Afterlife to its seekers. And be in this world as the bee: it eats only good, produces only good, and when it rests upon anything it neither ruins it nor deflowers it.”

FOOTNOTES
* Al-Fawa’id (Riyadh: Maktabah al-Rushd, 2001), 187; trans. Surkheel Sharif.

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10 Comments

Mujahideen Ryder

July 29, 2007 at 12:05 AM

I love the ‘ulema of tasawwuf! MashaAllah. JazakAllah khair!

Reply
Moiez

July 29, 2007 at 1:30 AM

Nice!
Jazakallah Khair!

Reply
Umm Reem

July 29, 2007 at 1:00 PM

I didn’t understand the last part…

“and when it rests upon anything it either ruins it nor deflowers it.”

Typo: it should have been “Neither” not “either”. -MM

Reply
Niamah

July 29, 2007 at 10:06 PM

MR, what does this have anything to do with tasawwuf? and ibn Qayyim is scholar of tasawwuf>

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SaqibSaab

July 29, 2007 at 11:40 PM

I love the ‘ulema of Ahl-Sunnah! MashaAllah. JazakAllah khair!

=P

Reply
Bint Amina

July 30, 2007 at 1:29 PM

SubhaanAllah, I need to get this book.

BarakAllahu Feek.

May Allah ta’ala have mercy upon the ‘ulamaa of Ahlus-Sunnah and grant them Firdaus. Aameen.

Wa Salamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu

Reply
abu ameerah

July 30, 2007 at 10:28 PM

@ Niamah

“…what does this have anything to do with tasawwuf?”

I was wondering the same thing myself.

Reply
Faiez

August 1, 2007 at 3:43 PM

Isn’t ibn Qayyim a student of ibn Taymiyyah?

Reply
Amad

August 1, 2007 at 4:10 PM

Yes Faiez, he sure was.

Reply
Kishwar Sheikh

August 20, 2008 at 7:01 PM

speechless….

there is so much wisdom in each and every word of this great thinker
May Allah guide us and bless us with His love

thanks for sharing this with us

Reply