Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami (938–1021 CE) was an influential Sufi mystic and writer from Persia. He played a crucial role in shaping early Sufi thought and practice, particularly through his works on spirituality and mysticism. Sulami’s most famous work is “Tabaqat al-Sufiyya” (The Categories of Sufis), a seminal text that classifies Sufis into different categories based on their spiritual attainments and practices. This work laid the foundation for later Sufi literature and became a reference for understanding the diverse landscape of Sufism. Sulami’s teachings emphasized the importance of inner purification, devotion to God, and adherence to the principles of Islamic spirituality. His legacy continues to influence Sufi thought and practice to this day.
Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami Quotes
01. “It is most rewarding to love the lonely and poor ones and care for them.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
02. “In order not to fall into calamity, save yourself from bad acquaintances.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
03. “Bring joy into the lives of your friends and meet their needs. Respond to cruelty with kindness, and do not punish for an error.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
04. “Share the joy of your brethren to the extent that if you are keeping a nonobligatory fast, you will break it to join the feast and festivities.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
05. “Prefer the well-being and comfort of your brothers over your own and relieve them of their difficulties.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
06. “You should have little association and a great deal of patience with ordinary people and be satisfied with the absolute minimum.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
07. “Fast, for hunger is a protection against the Devil. Remembrance (Zikr) of Allah will affect both your interior and exterior life. The effect of dhikr in the interior is acceptance (Rida); in the exterior, its effect is humility and piousness (Khuzu and Khushu).”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
08. “Hold your friend’s honor higher than your own and prefer that you yourself be abased rather than others.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
09. “Show compassion both to the ones who obey and the ones who rebel.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
10. “It is very important to take care of your members, limbs, and sense organs, and to safeguard them from evil. Use them properly to influence the education of your heart.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
11. “See only good in your friends and observing evil in yourself, know that you are far from good. Sincerity felt and expressed outwardly toward your brethren is the basis of this morality.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
12. “Care for your brethren more than your care for your own family. Do not find fault with your friends. Permit your friends to claim your possessions as if they belonged to them.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
13. “Show respect to the devout, show kindness to the sinful. Do not cause discomfort to anyone; let your outer self be the same’ as your inner self.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
14. “Be aware of your states, count each breath and every moment of time allotted to you, and do not waste it.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
15. “Uphold these five virtues for the preservation of your being: Keep safe what has been lent to you; protect and preserve the good in yourself; be truthful and honest, be patient, pure, and selfless toward your brothers; and seek the salvation of your soul.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
16. “The eyes that shine with light of Allah will give light to the eyes that look upon them.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
17. “Remember that you are a servant of Allah and should not regard yourself and your actions highly, nor should you expect a return for your actions.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
18. “Refrain from holding grudges and seeking vengeance, do not cheat or manipulate people, or criticize or talk against them.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
19. “Be compassionate, did prefer interest of your brothers to your own egotism.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
20. “Do not respond to harm with harm. This is the way to smooth the path of brotherhood.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
21. “It is necessary to establish faith and trust between yourself and your Creator so that it is manifest in your state and your manner.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
22. “When trouble and suffering come upon you, accept them and do not complain. Seek a humble life and poverty and be content and happy with it.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
23. “Be exceedingly conscious of your manners in social intercourse.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
24. “Show graciousness to the needy and shy away from the rich and powerful.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
25. “Forgive, even though you may have the power to retaliate. Instead of seeking the faults of others, look at your own faults.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
26. “By loving the ones whom Allah loves, you attract His love to yourself,”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
27. “Be friends with the friends of your friends and enemies with the enemy of your friend.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
28. “Love each other and frequent each other for Allah’s sake.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
29. “Repent ceaselessly, with the strongest will not to return to the thing of which you repent, for only then is the repentance acceptable.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
30. “Leave all your preoccupation with yourself, with your own interests and needs, and take care of the dependents Allah has bestowed upon you.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
31. “Expel all self-approval and pride from your being. Envy is dreadful things from which you must flee.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
32. “Throw away the desire to be praised for your worldly achievement. Be honored by the company of the poor. Avoid respecting the rich for their riches.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
33. “You must accept with grace the pains and troubles caused by your friends and apologize for them.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
34. “Be content with little and accept your lot, so that you will not lower yourself in front of another. To be humble is to accept the truth.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
35. “Do not be idle but work in this world until you reach the definite state of trust in Allah.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
36. “You must give without being asked. Anything given after being asked for is merely reparation for the embarrassment suffered by the asker.”
— Abu Abdul Rahman Sulami
