Ibrahim ibn Adham, a renowned ascetic and Sufi saint of the 8th century, hailed from Balkh, Afghanistan. Despite his affluent background, he abandoned his wealth to pursue a life dedicated to spiritual asceticism and devotion to God. Ibrahim’s journey led him to solitude and austerity in the wilderness, where he immersed himself in acts of worship, meditation, and self-discipline. His teachings emphasized the importance of piety, humility, and detachment from worldly distractions, urging followers to prioritize their relationship with God. Ibrahim ibn Adham’s legacy endures as a model of asceticism and spiritual purity in Islamic tradition, inspiring countless individuals to seek spiritual fulfillment through detachment from worldly desires and devotion to the Divine. While historical records of his life are limited, his influence on Sufi spirituality and Islamic ethics remains profound, resonating with seekers of truth and enlightenment across generations.
Ibrahim Ibn Adham Quotes
01. “You enjoy the gifts of the Lord, but you do not offer gratitude to Him.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
02. “A man brought ten thousand dirhams to him, but Ibrahim refused to take, saying, ‘You want to blot out my name from the register of the Faqeer with ten thousand dirhams! I will never take this!'”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
03. “You know that you have many faults, yet you try to find fault with others.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
04. “Someone asked Ibrahim, ‘Why don’t you drink the water of Zamzam?’ He answered, ‘If I had a bucket, then I would drink it.'”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
05. “If you like to be a saint of God, then desire not the things of this world or the next. Empty yourself for God. Turn your face to Him so that He may turn to you and make you His saint.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
06. “Wara (abstaining) is the abandonment of whatever is dubious, and the abandonment of whatever does not concern you means abandoning whatever is superfluous.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
07. “You consign your dead parents to the grave and yet you do not take a lesson from the incident (and feel as if you are immortal).”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
08. “In one of his prayers he said: ‘O God, thou knowest that in my eyes the eight Paradises have little worth when they are compared with that honor which thou hast shown me in giving Thy love or that familiarity which Thou hast given me by the commemoration (Zikr) of Thy Name or that freedom from all else which Thou hast granted me when I meditate on the greatness of Thy Glory.'”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
09. “You know death must overtake you, but you make no preparation for it.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
10. “When you desire to commit a sin, get out of His kingdom.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
11. “You do not act so as to avoid Hell and enter Heaven.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
12. “Commit sin at a place where He cannot see you.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
13. “At the time of death seek a few moments respite from the messenger of death that you might repent during that time for your sins.”
— Ibrahim Ibn Adham
