Hamza Yusuf Motivational Quotes
“This is the difference between someone whose heart is purified and sound and one whose heart is impure and corrupt. Impure people oppress, and the pure-hearted not only forgive their oppressors, but elevate them in status and character. In order to purify ourselves, we must begin to recognize this truth. This is what this book is all about — a book of self-purification and a manual of liberation. If we work on our hearts, if we actually implement what is suggested here, we’ll begin to see changes in our lives, our condition, our society, and even within our own family dynamics. It is a blessing that we have this science of purification, a blessing that this teaching exists in the world today. What remains is for us to take these teachings seriously.
“Somewhere on earth there is a door reserved for each soul, and one day each of us will walk through that door never to return to this life again. Where that door is and when we will walk through it are unknowns we must live with and prepare for. Upon death, all of this — this whole world and all of its charms and occupations — will become as if it were all a dream.”
“It is a privilege to be in a position to offer charity and an honor to fulfill a divine obligation.”
“It is of the extraordinary insights of Imam Malik that the first section of his Muwatta’, which precedes even the section on ritual purity, is on the times of the prayer. It is the times of prayer that obligate purity. Observing the times of prayer is the first thing we do when we wake and the last thing we do before retiring to bed; it is done in the middle of the day and in its decline. It is an unrelenting reminder of to whom we belong, why we are here, and where we are going.”
“The Prophet said that whoever recites everyday the chapter of the Qur’an called al-Wāqiʿah (QUR’AN, 56) will be protected from financial calamity.”
“The Prophet once said to his Companions, “Do you want to see a man of Paradise?” A man then passed by, and the Prophet said, “That man is of the people of Paradise.” One of Companion of the Prophet wanted to find out what it was about this man that earned him such a commendation from the Messenger of God , so he decided to spend some time with this man and observe him closely. He noticed that this man did not perform the night prayer vigil (tahajjud) or do anything extraordinary. He appeared to be an average man of Medina. The Companion finally told the man what the Prophet had said about him and asked if he did anything special. The man replied, “The only thing that I can think of, other than what everybody else does, is that I make sure that I never sleep with any rancor in my heart towards another.” That was his secret.”
“mam Mawlud says that abandoning a good act out of fear of ostentation (رياء) is worse than engaging in ostentation itself. A person should not abandon, for example, going to the mosque because he fears ostentation as the motive. One should not submit to an irrational fear that is perhaps inspired by evil whisperings, and thus deprive himself of the blessing of congregational prayer in a mosque. It is better to continue with one’s good deeds and to continue to keep one’s intentions pure and sincere”
“Meanwhile, life passes on and time runs out. The culture of wanting more simply for the sake of more can occupy a person for an entire lifetime. But in the end, life is over. It terminates for the beggar and the affluent just the same, whether one is old or young, rich or poor, happy or sad.”
“Desire is an attempt to feel the void.”
“In essence, what is forbidden to do is likewise forbidden as an object of reflection. Included in this is thinking about the weaknesses or faults of others, whether they are present or not. The Prophet said, “There is a tree in Paradise reserved for one
whose own faults preoccupied him from considering the faults of others.” Spending time thinking or talking about other people’s faults is foolish. Time is short and is better invested in recognizing one’s own shortcomings and then working consistently to eradicate them.”
“The Prophet said, “Contentment is a treasure that is never exhausted.”
“People say to you, ‘you’ve changed’, or something like that. Well, I hope, for the sake of God, that I have changed, because I don’t want to be the same person all my life. I want to be growing, I want to be expanding. I want to be changing. Because animate things change, inanimate things don’t change. Dead things don’t change. And the heart should be alive, it should be changing, it should be moving, it should be growing and its knowledge should be expanding.”
“if we want to change our world, we do not begin by rectifying the outward. Instead, we must change the condition of our inward.”
“Whoever has not thanked people, has not thanked God,” said the Prophet Muhammad”
“When the Prophet says “brother,” we should interpret this as universal brotherhood, which includes Muslims and non-Muslims.”
“People say to you, ‘you’ve changed’, or something like that, well, I hope, for the sake of God that you have changed, because I don’t want to be the same person all my life. I want to be growing, I want to be expanding. I want to be changing. Because animate things change, inanimate things don’t change. Dead things don’t change. And the heart should be alive, it should be changing, it should be moving, it should be growing, its knowledge should be expanding.”
“anything that we see in creation is due to reflected light. And all light comes from God.”
“None of you has achieved faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
“The heart also needs to breathe, and the breath of the heart is none other than the remembrance of God.”
“I’ve had thousands of problems in my life. Most of which never actually happened.”
“I’ve had thousands of problems in my life. Most of which never actually happened.”
“Everybody wants to change the world yet no one wants to change themselves.”
“Reality of things is hidden in the realm of the unseen”
“The cure for hatred is straightforward. One should pray for the person toward whom he feels hatred; make specific supplication mentioning this person by name, asking God to give this person good things in this life and the next. When one does this with sincerity, hearts mend.
If one truly wants to purify his or her heart and root out disease, there must be total sincerity and conviction that these cures are effective..”
“Without discipline, Religion would be impossible”
“Language is the crowning achievement of human beings, and that is something Muslims have always known and revered. We are a literate people whose miracle is a Book from an unlettered man, peace and blessings be upon him, who was the most articulate and eloquent human being who ever lived. We honor our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, in honoring language that he loved so much and used so well.”
“We live in the age of Noah (a.s.) in the sense that a flood of distraction accosts us. It is a slow and subtle drowning. For those who notice it, they engage in the remembrance of God. The rites of worship and devotion to God’s remembrance (dhikr) are planks of the ark. When Noah (a.s.) started to build his ark, his people mocked him and considered him a fool. But he kept building. He knew what was coming. And we know too.”
“Hypocrisy is wretched because the hypocrite says with his tongue what is not in his heart. He wrongs his tongue and oppresses his heart. But if the heart is sound, the condition of the tongue follows suit. We are commanded to be upright in speech, which is a gauge of the heart’s state.”
“Everyone’s a believer when things are going fine. The real faith is when one becomes patient with tribulations.”
“The weak are dominated by their ego, the wise dominate their ego, and the intelligent are in a constant struggle against their ego.”