Makki ibn Ibrāhīm related: It was said to Ibn Adham, “To what extent does the believer’s honor reach?”
He replied, “He can say to a mountain, ‘Move,’ and it moves.” The mountain thereupon moved, but he said, “It is not you I meant.”

Ibrāhīm ibn Adham also said, “Any king who is not just is on a par with a thief; any scholar who is not God-fearing is on a par with a wolf; and anyone who humbles himself before other than Allah is on a par with a dog.” (1)

Aḥmad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Julūdī and others told us that ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Lattī informed them, saying: Jaʿfar ibn al-Mutawakkil reported to us, Abū al-Ḥasan ibn al-ʿAllāf reported to us, al-Ḥammāmī narrated to us, Jaʿfar al-Khuldī narrated to us, Ibrāhīm ibn Naṣr told me, Ibrāhīm ibn Bashshār narrated:

“I heard Ibrāhīm ibn Adham say: ‘What a religion this would be—if only it had men! Whoever seeks knowledge for Allah finds obscurity dearer than prominence. By Allah, life is no guarantor that one might rely on its repose, nor is death an excuse that one might feel safe from its claim. Why, then, the negligence, the shortcoming, the complacency, the delay? We have been content, in place of deeds, with mere notions; in place of seeking repentance, with procrastination; and in place of the enduring life, with the life that passes away.’ ”

With the same chain, Ibn Bashshar said: “We spent an evening with Ibrāhīm when we had nothing with which to break our fast. He remarked,

‘O Ibn Bashshar! How lavishly Allah has blessed the poor and the needy with comfort and ease: on the Day of Resurrection He will not ask them about zakah, nor pilgrimage, nor charity, nor maintaining kinship ties. Do not be downcast; Allah’s provision will reach you. By Allah, we are the true wealthy kings—comfort hastens to us, and we do not care in what state we are so long as we obey Allah.’ (2)

He then rose for his prayer, and I rose for mine. Presently a man arrived with eight loaves and a large quantity of dates, set them down, and said, ‘Eat, O distressed one.’