"A group of religious leaders came to Rabi’a. She asked one of them: ‘Why do you worship the Lord?’ He replied: ‘There are seven levels of hell, which I regard with great fear and dread; I wish to avoid passing through them.’ She asked another man the same question. He replied: ‘There are many levels of paradise, where there is much joy; I wish to dwell in one of the levels.’ Rabi’a said: ‘It is wrong to worship God from fear of punishment, or from hope of reward.’"
- Attar, “Rabi’a”
"The sun that rises sets; the flowers that blossom wither.
High buildings crumble, and all those who are born finally die.
O self! You are like a wasp going from one flower to another
You are full of greed and you are tempted by the worldly pleasures
Know that this world is a four day dream
And you will finally return to dust"
"A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret."
"Stay away from five kinds of people:
1. A liar, as he will also betray you
2. A witless person, as he will try to benefit you, but will always cause you harm
3. A miser, for he will cause you intense loss in order to gain even the slightest benefit
4. A coward who will leave you in distress during a difficult situation
5. A man who is involved in illicit dealings, for he will sell you for one morsel and will still be hopeful of even less than that."
- Imam Jaffar Sadiq
"God enjoins you to treat women well, for they are your mothers, daughters, aunts."
"Consider those who deny the last judgment. They are people who turn away orphans, and are indifferent as to whether the poor are fed. They pray, but they never think about the meaning of their prayers. They make a grand display of their piety, but they give nothing to the destitute. They are doomed."
- Qur’an, Al-Ma’un, Surah 107:1-7
"Take to compassion and abstain from oppression and obscenity. Compassion is grace and the lack of it a disgrace."
- Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم
(as reported by Aisha bint Abu Bakr)
"Consider the way for ordinary people. They should believe in the unity of God. They should expel from their minds all ideas of other gods, or other beings which are similar to God; they should know that God has no equals. Yet equally they should realize there are spiritual forces which are opposed to God. They should trust God, and fear all that are opposed to him."
- Junayd of Baghdad, “Tawhid”
