Content Soul

A collection of words of wisdom and excerpts from the spiritual gatherings of Shaykh Abu Yusuf Riyadh ul Haq

February, 2019

  • 7 February

    Manners and Respect

    We all want to learn about our religion. But, ilm cannot be gained without ādāb; without respect and without good, beautiful manners. Ibn Wahab, a famous scholar who was one of the students of Imam Malik says that we learnt, quoted and conveyed more about ādāb from Imam Malik رحمه الله than we did of knowledge. Even the companion Anas …

January, 2019

  • 10 January

    Relieved of the World

    When a person departs from this realm in to the realm of the hereafter, either they are relieved of the world or the world is relieved of them. When a good person passes away, they are relieved of the fatigue, pain and trouble of the world. When a bad person dies, then we learn from the hadīth that not only …

  • 3 January

    Calmness

    The life of the Prophet ﷺ was one of calmness: calmness and patience in everything even when things did not go to plan. He was accepting, tolerant and patient. 

December, 2018

  • 27 December

    Strange Love

    In a famous poem, Imam Shafi رحمه الله says: You express the love of AllāhAnd yet You disobey Him This is very strange indeedIf your love for Allāh was true then you would have obeyed himFor indeed the one who loves, obeys the beloved [This excerpt is based on a talk delivered by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq on 7th November …

  • 20 December

    Tolerance not Vile Hatred

    To be true believers our love of Allāh and His Rasūl ﷺ should surpass everything else. We should love that which Rasūl ﷺ loved. One of the things that Rasūl Allāh ﷺ loved was his ummah. That love means that we must tolerate each other, accept each other and love one another. No one is perfect and no one will …

November, 2018

  • 15 November

    Stopping at the Door

    The exterior teaching of religion is the key to the door to the inner world of spirituality. The interior (spirituality) cannot be achieved without the exterior but the danger is that we stop at the door and do not move forward.

October, 2018

September, 2018

  • 27 September

    A Dangerous Weapon

    Apparent knowledge in itself is a weapon. Ilm creates arrogance and without the necessary tools is extremely dangerous. Ilm is only beneficial when it comes accompanied with adab, spirituality and fear of Allāh. Rasūl Allāh ﷺ used to supplicate “O Allāh, I seek refuge (and protection) in You from ilm which does not benefit” [Reported by Muslim and others]. Students …

  • 20 September

    Popularity

    If we want popularity, let us seek popularity with Allāh.

  • 13 September

    Humility before Arabic

    We were taught humility before we were taught Arabic.

  • 6 September

    Adab before Ilm

    We learnt adab before we learnt ilm from our teachers. [A saying of scholars of the past].

June, 2018