Consideration to Recollection

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Abu al-Faraj ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Ali ibn al-Jawzy (r.a.) wrote, in Thib ar-Ruhani, that thinking is needed to remember what was forgotten, and to think about future benefits.  However if thinking is about that which is not fruitful, it will be harmful, and if it is excessive it will exhaust the body. 

The hypocrites say, “Scholars should leave thinking for some time, lest they exhaust their bodies.”  However, a wise person should not stop thinking about what he can attain.  However when a layman thinks of becoming the caliph, that he is as knowledgeable as Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit (r.a.) or Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi’i (r.a.), that he is an ascetic exactly like Shaykh Bishr ibn Harits al-Hafi (q.s.) and Shaykh Abu Mahfuzh Ma’ruf ibn Firuz al-Karkhi (q.s.), to have the wealth of Sayyidina ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn ‘Awf (r.a.); these thoughts exhaust the body, especially if he is only thinking and is idle. instead of working hard to achieve what he wants.  A person should, rather, think about that which is possible for him to achieve, and what he can attain from good deeds.  He should also think about his struggle against evil.  For many sinners reflected on their consequences and repented, many kings reflected on the vanity of this life, to became ascetic. 

Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (r.a.) said, “Praying two rak’at with contemplation is better than praying all night while the heart is heedless.” 

Sayyidatina Umm Darda’ al-Kubra (r.a.) was asked, regarding her husband, Sayyidina Abu Darda’ Uwaymir ibn Zayd (r.a.), “What was the best deed of Abu Darda’?” 

She replied, “Contemplation and thoughtfulness.” 

Shaykh Malik ibn Dinar (r.a.) stood on his feet praying until dawn and said, “The people of the hellfire, in their chains and iron collars, kept presenting to me until dawn.” 

Some wise men used to say, “Warding off thinking brings blindness.”