Some quotes by Salaf (the pious predecessors) are as follows:
Some of the Salaf said:
“Whoever jokes a lot, his/her dignity is eaten like the fire eats the wood.”
One of the Salaf said: “No one is saddened and hears Sūrah Yūsuf except that he will feel at ease.” – [Tafsīr al-Baghawī, 2/434]
One of the salaf said: “No shy or arrogant person will ever seek knowledge.”
So shyness should not stop you from asking questions about Islam. And arrogance is harmful in this world and in the Hereafter; one of its harmful effects in this world is that it keeps a person from asking and learning.
One of the Salaf said: “I worshiped Allah for fifty years, and I didn’t find the ‘sweetness’ of Ibadah (worship) until I did three things:
a. I abandoned pleasing people; and worked on speaking with the truth.
b. I abandoned bad company and friends; and found good friends instead.
c. I abandoned chasing after the beauties of this life and worked on acquiring the beauty of the next life.
One of the Salaf said: “If one of you do not wish to fulfil his brother’s needs by sharing his worries or by making invocations (du’a) then do not ask: “How are the things?” because it is considered hypocrisy.”
One of the salaf (righteous predecessors)said: “If I disobey Allah, I see that in the attitude of my riding beast and my wife.”
one of the Salaf said, “One of the punishments of bad deeds is more bad deeds, and one of the rewards of good deeds is more good deeds.”
One of the Salaf said, “Take refuge with Allāh from hypocritical khushū’.” When asked what is was, he replied,”That you see the body humble and submissive while the heart is not.”
One of the Salaf (pious predecessors) said: “A promise is a cloud and fulfilling it is rain; the best of appointments is one that is fulfilled by rain.” – (Iltimaas As-Sad fi Al-Wafa’ibil-Wad)
One of the Salaf said: “They (the companions) used to dislike useless gazing (from which there is no benefit), useless talking.”
One of the Salaf said: “Whenever Allaah allows your tongue to supplicate and ask Him, know that He wants to give you.” This is why the promise is true: “Indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me.” [2:186]
One of the Salaf said: “If You Desire Allah to be persistent in granting you the thing you love, be persistent in doing the things He loves”
Some of the Salaf said, “If one does something in secret that he is shy from doing in public, this means that he means nothing to himself.” – [Madarij As-Salikeen, 2/353]::
One of the Salaf was once asked, “How much Qur’ān should we recite?” He said, “It depends on how much happiness you want.”
One of the Salaf (righteous predecessors) was asked about what a sinner should say when supplicating, so he replied: “They said, ‘Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.’” [7:23] – Aadam and Eve. // A supplication for sinners:
One of the Salaf (pious predecessors) said: “We used to leave this worldly life behind us (stop thinking about it) at the place where we took off our shoes.” / / Submissiveness during prayer
One of the salaf said: “Do not expect a response when you have blocked the way with sins.”
One of the Salaf said, “I supplicate to Allah and If He answers me, I am happy once. However, if He does not answer me, I am happy ten times. This is because the first was my choice and the second is the choice of He who is more knowledgeable of my situation.” // Allah knows what’s best for you, just trust Him..
Ibrāhīm an-Nakha’ī Raḥimahullāh (one of the Salaf) said: “Fasting one day of Ramadan is better than fasting a thousand other days.”
