Allamah Sha’raani Rahimahullaah writes, “One of the qualities of the pious predecessors was that they would feel great regret and would weep due to their inadequacy in fulfilling the rights of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo, so that perhaps Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo may have mercy on them. Abu Bakr RadhiAllaahu Anhu, Umar RadhiAllaahu Anhu and Abu Dardaa RadhiAllaahu Anhu possessed the highest level of this character. Due to excessive weeping, two black lines could be seen on the face of Umar RadhiAllaahu Anhu. This was also found on the faces of Abdullah ibn Abbaas RadhiAllaahu Anhu, Umar ibn Abdul-Azeez Rahimahullaah, Yazeed Raqqaashi Rahimahullaah, Fudhayl ibn Iyaadh Rahimahullaah, Bishr Haafi Rahimahullaah and Ma’ruf Karkhi Rahimahullaah.
When Yazeed Raqqaashi Rahimahullaah would go home, he would weep. When food was placed in front of him, he would weep.
When sitting with friends, he would weep and make them weep. He would say, “Hell has been made for people like us.”
Fudhayl ibn Iyaadh Rahimahullaah said, “Crying with the eyes is not real crying. True crying is the crying of the heart because at times the eyes cry but the heart is hard, for the tears of a hypocrite flow from his head and not from his heart.”
Sufyaan Thawri Rahimahullaah said, “There are ten portions of crying – one is for Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo and nine are for show. If in a year just once that portion comes which is for Allaah’s sake, then in-sha-Allaah, this person will be saved from the Fire.”
Saalih Maree Rahimahullaah said, “Sin corrodes the heart. It cannot be removed without tears.”
Dhahhaak Rahimahullaah used to cry so much every evening until he would become unconscious.
He would say (on awakening), “I do not know whether my evil deeds of today have been forgiven or if it is still recorded in my book of deeds which I will see on the Day of Judgment.”
Makhool Damashqi Rahimahullaah said, “When you see anyone crying, then cry with him, and do not think of him to be showing off, because I once thought of this for a certain man due to which I was deprived of crying for a whole year.”
After visiting anyone on his deathbed, Hasan Basri Rahimahullaah would not eat and drink for many days. He would continuously sob and cry.
He would say, “It is not appropriate for a believer to forget three things:
(1) the world
(2) its destructive power
(3) death.”
Sufyaan Thawri Rahimahullaah once cried so much he fell unconscious.
People enquired, “Why do you cry so much?”
He answered, “Before, we used to cry over our sins. Nowadays, we cry with this fear that we must not leave Islam.”
He said, “A person worships idols, but in the sight of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo, he can be fortunate. A person can be generally obedient, but wretched in the sight of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo. I do not know in which group I am included.”
Fudhayl ibn Iyaadh Rahimahullaah on the day of Arafah would hold his beard and whilst standing would cry from mid-day until sunset, saying, “If only my sins would be forgiven.”
Mughirah ibn Habeeb Rahimahullaah said, “Once I saw Maalik ibn Dinaar Rahimahullaah standing and crying, whilst holding his beard in front of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo from Isha till Fajr, and he was saying, “O Allaah! Have mercy on the old-age of Maalik.” (Tambeehul-Mughtarreen)
Maulana Thaanwi Rahimahullaah said, “At times, Haaji Imdaadullah Rahimahullaah would go into Sajdah after Isha. He would recite the following poem the whole night and continue crying,
O Allaah! Do not disgrace this servant. Even though I am full of faults, do not make apparent my faults in front of the creation.
Moulana Shah Abdul Ghani Phoolpuri Rahimahullaah used to cry for a long time whilst making istighfaar after every two rak’ats of Tahajjud. In his majlis, when he would begin mentioning some matter regarding Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo, then as soon as Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo’s name was taken, tears would emerge and settle on his blessed face.
Then Moulana would rub these tears onto his beard and face with his two hands.
He used to say, “I had seen my spiritual mentor, Hakimul Ummah doing likewise.” (Kashkol-Ma’rifat of Moulana Shah Hakeem Akhtar Saheb Rahimahullaah)
Muhammad Ibn Munkadir Rahimahullaah used to rub his tears over his face and beard. He used to say, “This narration has been conveyed to me that the fire of Jahannam will not touch the area where these tears have reached.”
To be continued In Sha Allaah.
مَوْلَاىَ صَلِّ وَ سَلِّمْ دَائِمًا أَبَداً عَلىٰ حَبِيْبِكَ خَيْرِ الْخَلْقِ كُلِّهِمِ