Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292–1350) was a prominent Islamic scholar from Damascus, Syria, known for his extensive contributions to theology, jurisprudence, and spirituality. A disciple of Ibn Taymiyyah, his influential works include “Al-Wābil al-Sayyib,” “Zād al-Maʿād,” and “Madārij al-Sālikīn.” Associated with the Hanbali school, he is recognized for his profound understanding of Islamic sciences. Ibn Qayyim’s writings emphasize spirituality, Islamic philosophy, and the inner dimensions of worship. His legacy endures through his impact on Islamic scholarship and his works, which are studied globally, transcending sectarian boundaries. He remains a revered figure, and his insights continue to guide scholars and practitioners in their understanding of Islam and spiritual development.
Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya Quotes
1. “The hijrah to Allah includes abandoning what He hates and doing what He loves and accepts.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
2. “Wasting time is worse than death, because death separates you from this world whereas wasting time separates you from Allah.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
3. “The perfection of Tawheed is found when there remains nothing in the heart except Allaah.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
4. “A real man is one who fears the death of his heart, not of his body.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
5. “If a heart becomes attached to anything other than Allah, Allah makes him dependent on what he is attached to. And he will be betrayed by it.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
6. “As long as you are performing prayer, you are knocking at the door of Allah, and whoever is knocking at the door of Allah, Allah will open it for him.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
7. “Sins have many side-effects. One of them is that they steal knowledge from you.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
8. “The heart will rest and feel relief if it is settled with Allah. And it will worry and feel anxious if it is settled with the people.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
9. “This wordly life is like a shadow. If you try to catch it, you will never be able to do so. If you turn your back towards it, it has no choice but to follow you.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
10. “If the heart becomes hardened, the eye becomes dry.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
11. “Love of Allah is the power of the heart, the sustenance of the heart, the light of the heart.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
12. “When Allah tests you it is never to destroy you. When He removes something in your possession it is only in order to empty your hands for an even greater gift.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
13. “Beware of every hour and how it passes, and only spend it in the best possible way, do not neglect yourself, but render it accustomed to the noblest and best of actions, and send to your grave that which will please you when you arrive to it.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
14. “Whoever desires to purify his heart, then let him prefer Allah to his desires.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
15. “There is no joy for the one who does not bear sadness, there is no sweetness for the one who does not have patience, there is no delight for the one who does not suffer, and there is no relaxation for the one who does not endure fatigue.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
16. “Women are one half of society which gives birth to the other half so it is as if they are the entire society.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
17. “A person’s tongue can give you the taste of his heart.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
18. “Happiness is attained by three things: being patient when tested, being thankful when receiving a blessing, and being repentant upon sinning.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
19. “Be sincere in your aim and you will find the support of Allaah surrounding you.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
20. “The keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Quran, being humble before Allah in secret, and leaving sins.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
21. “Speech remains as a slave to you, but the moment it leaves your mouth, you become its slave.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
22. “Allah will never humiliate the one who takes his Lord as friend and patron.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
23. “If you knew the true value of yourself, you will never allow yourself to be humiliated by committing sins.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
24. “One of the most beneficial of remedies is persisting in du’a.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
25. “There are six stages to knowledge: Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner. Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively. Thirdly: Understanding well. Fourthly: Memorising. Fifthly: Teaching. Sixthly- and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
26. “Beware of preoccupying your heart with what it has not been created for.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
27. “How strange! You lose a little from you and you cry. And your whole life is wasting and you’re laughing.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
28. “If you wish to check how much you love Allah, then see how much your heart loves the Quran, and you will know the answer.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
29. “Patience is that the heart does not feel anger towards that which is destined and that the mouth does not complain.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
30. “When there is money in your hand and not in your heart, it will not harm you even if it is a lot; and when it is in your heart, it will harm you even if there is none in your hands.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
31. “Sitting with the poor and less fortunate people removes the ego and pride from your heart.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
32. “When a person spends his entire day with no concern but Allah alone, Allah will take care of all his needs and take care of all that is worrying him; He will empty his heart so that it will be filled only with love for Him.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
33. “Be to Allah as He wishes, and He will be to you more than you can wish for.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
34. “And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill his emptiness.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
35. “If a man’s patience is stronger than his whims and desires, then he is like an angel, but if his whims and desires are stronger than his patience, then he is like a devil. If his desire for food, drink and sex is stronger than his patience, then he is no better than an animal.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
36. “Every love that leads away from His love is in fact a punishment; only a love that leads to His love is a heartfelt and pure love.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
37. “Ibn Taymiyyah lived poorly. He was imprisoned and threatened. But I have never seen anyone as happy as him.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
38. “The sinner does not feel any remorse over his sins, that is because his heart is already dead.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
39. “O people who take pleasure in a life that will vanish, falling in love with a fading shadow is sheer stupidity.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
40. “A slave stands infront of Allah on two occasions. The first during salah, and secondly on the Day of Judgment. Whoseover stands correctly in the first, the second standing will be made easier for him. And whosoever, disregards the first standing, the second standing will be extremely difficult.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
41. “A tear that runs down a believer’s cheek is more beneficial than a thousand raindrops on the earth.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
42. “Whoever mocks his brother for a sin they repented from will not die till he himself falls into the same sin.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
43. “He who keeps his heart near God will find peace and tranquility, whilst he who gives his heart to the people will find restlessness and apprehension.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
44. “The soul will never become pious and purified except through undergoing afflictions. It is the same as gold that can never be pure except after removing all the base metals in it.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
45. “Whoever prefers Allah to all others, Allah will prefer him to others.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
46. “There are no means of attaining faith and certainty except through the Qur’an.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
47. “And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allah will never find anything to replace Him.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
48. “A true believer does not fear physical death, rather he fears the death of his heart.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
49. “O you, who spends his lifetime disobeying his Lord, no one amongst your enemies is wicked to you more than you are to yourself.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
50. “If the heart is fed by love, the greed for pleasure would disappear.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
51. “As long as one is following the right way, one should never be concerned about the reproaches of those who like to find faults.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
52. “Every gulp of air that goes out in a cause other than the cause of Allah will turn to sorrow and regret on the Day of Judgement.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
53. “Losing time is harder than death, as losing time keeps you away from Allah and the Hereafter, while death keeps you away from the worldly life and people.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
54. “Doom comes about because of neglecting to evaluate one’s self and because of just following one’s whims.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
55. “Everything that is loved, if it is not loved for His sake then this love is nothing but distress and punishment. Every action that is not performed for His sake then it is wasted and severed. Every heart that does not reach Him is wretched; veiled from achieving its success and happiness.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
56. “The sea of pleasures may drown its owner and the swimmer fears to open his eyes under the water.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
57. “As you can taste a pot full of food with a spoon likewise someone’s tounge can tell you about his heart.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
58. “In the case of performing the regular prayers this is due to laziness and love of comfort in its nature, particularly if this attitude is coupled with hardness of the heart, its blockage by sins, inclination to follow desires and mixing with heedless people. With such obstacles at work, the servant will exhibit little interest in performing the prayers. If ever he does perform them he will be doing it reluctantly, with his mind elsewhere, eager to finish it.”
— Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya
