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Inspiration and Spirituality

Be Like the Bee

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bee_by_kmaisch.jpgby 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.

Keep supporting MuslimMatters for the sake of Allah

Alhamdulillah, we're at over 850 supporters. Help us get to 900 supporters this month. All it takes is a small gift from a reader like you to keep us going, for just $2 / month.

The Prophet (SAW) has taught us the best of deeds are those that done consistently, even if they are small. Click here to support MuslimMatters with a monthly donation of $2 per month. Set it and collect blessings from Allah (swt) for the khayr you're supporting without thinking about it.

Abu Aaliyah is the founder of The Jawziyyah Institute, a leading institute for Islamic moderation and contemporary thought in the United Kingdom. Sidi Abu Aaliyah has been in involved in Dawah and Islamic teachings since 1986. He has translated a number of books from the Arabic language into English such as "The Exquisite Pearls". Abu Aaliyah's written works and audio lectures can be found online.

10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. Mujahideen Ryder

    July 29, 2007 at 12:05 AM

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

  2. Moiez

    July 29, 2007 at 1:30 AM

    Nice!
    Jazakallah Khair!

  3. 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

  4. 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>

  5. SaqibSaab

    July 29, 2007 at 11:40 PM

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

    =P

  6. 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

  7. 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.

  8. Faiez

    August 1, 2007 at 3:43 PM

    Isn’t ibn Qayyim a student of ibn Taymiyyah?

  9. Amad

    August 1, 2007 at 4:10 PM

    Yes Faiez, he sure was.

  10. 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

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