excerpts from al-`uzlah: it has reached me from al-Hasan raHimahu’llâh that he used to repeat words, he had memorized from the torah: “the son of adam, when content, becomes wealthy; a recluse, is in safety; renounces his lust and becomes a free man; renounces jealousy and becomes chivalrous; remains patient for a short while shall taste comfort for long. -- “a recluse is spared the agony of witnessing a vile thing which he cannot stop or change” -- it is said a mishap befell yûnus ibn `ubayd; he was asked: ‘ibn `awn [your friend] doesn’t come to you?’ replied he: ‘as long as we are certain of our brother’s love, it is no harm if he doesn’t come to us’. -- irD bi’llâhi SâHiba, wa dhari’n nâsa jâniba qallibi’n nâsa kayfa shiyta tajidhum `aqariba be pleased with the company of Allâh and leave the men at one side, examine the people as you wish, you will find (most of them) scorpions. -- zamânuka dhâ zamâni luzûmu bayti.n wa HifDHuka li’l lisâni wa khafDi Sawti.n your age, is the age of staying in homes and of safeguarding your tongues and lowering your voices. -- fa idhâ SâHibta fa’S’Hab SâHiba.n dhâ Hayâ’i.n wa `afâfi.n wa karam qawluhû fi’sh shayyi lâ in qulta lâ wa idhâ qulta na`am qâla na`amif you want a companion, find one who is modest, virtuous and generous if you say ‘no’ for something he agrees and if you say ‘yes’, he does likewise. -- lâ tas’allanna bunayya âdama Hâjatin wa sali’lladhî abwâbuhu lâ taHjabu Allâhu yaghDibu in tarakta su’âluhû wa bunayya âdamu Hîna yus’alu yaghDibuask not the children of adam, when in need, ask Him instead, whose doors are never closed Allâh is displeased if you stop asking him, and the children of adam are angry if you keep asking them. -- among the virtues of reclusion are that one is spared the maladies of sight – of gazing upon the adornment of the world and it’s flowers; protection from that, which Allâh has condemned: its ornamentation and deception, which is its mighty flaw. in reclusion, the self [nafs] is saved from learning of the worldly [pleasures] or considering it noble and praiseworthy; or from imitating the dwellers of this world or rivalling them.
