Hasan Al-Basri said, *“Allah is not worshipped with anything greater than long-lasting sorrow (tūl-al-huzn)”*

We often hear people say that if you have faith you will never be sad or anxious. But then how do we understand this aphorism from one of the great tabi’un?

Are Muslims immune from the midlife crisis ? Or quarter life crisis ? Is it possible that you are a believer but feel nihilistic ?

As you know I dislike platitudes and cliches…let’s explore these questions at a deeper level as we continue our reflections from Kitab Zuhd wa Ar-Raqa’iq by Ibn Mubarak.

Umar bin Khattab said, “*Sit with those who have repented, because they have the softest hearts”*

The believer with a past can feel so many different emotions - guilt over their sins, overwhelming gratitude for guidance, imposter syndrome, shame, happiness all together.

Can a righteous believer still be heart broken? Can a repentant Muslim who lost his friends feel lonely?

Maybe your sins were a blessing in disguise to make you humble and not arrogant. To make you soft hearted and not harsh hearted.

These are themes we will explore in Kitab Zuhd wa Raqa’iq this week - we’ll call it: “Righteous Sadness: A Believer’s Grief”

When Wolves become Shepherds

Kitab Zuhd Wa Raqa’iq by Ibn Al-Mubarak.

- ⁠Pitfalls of Preaching & Activism

- ⁠The Art of Da’wah in the West

- ⁠Knowledge & Power

Time waits for no one

We start to go through the narrations in the book, Kitab az-Zuhd wa Raqa’iq.

The key theme of the beginning is about the passing of time and how a believer’s attitude should be toward the finiteness of his life span. This is a reality we often ignore - time is certainly running out, and where are we going?

Ibn Mubarak chooses this narration to start his book:

The Prophet SAW said, “there are two blessings which many people are deceived in: health and free time”