701 – A man from Marw handed me a written note that read as follows:

ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Mubarak was asked, “What ought a scholar to hold himself above?”

He replied, “A scholar must keep himself above everything Allah has forbidden and raise his soul above worldly pursuits, so that the world never weighs on his mind.”

ʿAbd Allah was also asked, “For what should we express our greatest gratitude to Him?”

He said, “For an increase in your share of the Hereafter and a decrease in your share of this world. Indeed, your Hereafter can only grow at the cost of your worldly share, and your worldly share can only grow at the cost of your Hereafter.”