76 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; Abu Muhammad related to me, from ʿUthman Abu Saʿid al-Basri, who said:

“Some of the scholars were asked, ‘What exactly is grief?’ He replied, ‘It is remorse.’

They then asked, ‘Does the grieving person enjoy any comfort in what he is experiencing?’ He answered, ‘No.’

‘And why is that?’

‘Because the one who grieves is afraid; whoever is afraid becomes God-fearing, whoever is God-fearing grows wary, and whoever is wary takes his own soul to account.’

Another scholar was asked, ‘What is grief, and where does it settle in the heart?’ He said, ‘As for its place in the heart, it is the fear of being cast away; as for what it is, it is the constant concern to magnify the Lord of the worlds and to feel shame before Him.’ Then he lowered his gaze and added, ‘If a single grieving person were to weep among a people, Allah would have mercy on that people because of his weeping.’

Yet another scholar was asked, ‘Why are those who grieve in grief?’ He said, ‘They grieve over their own souls and long for them, fearing that they might not be truly aligned with the Lord of the worlds.’”