Anam Arif

“His conversion (tawbat) was begun by Ḥasan of Baṣra. Ạt first he was a usurer and committed all sorts of wickedness, but God gave him a sincere repentance, and he learned from Ḥasan something of the theory and practice of religion. His native tongue was Persian (‘ajamí), and he could not speak Arabic correctly. One evening Ḥasan of Baṣra passed by the door of his cell. Ḥabíb had uttered the call to prayer and was standing, engaged in devotion. Ḥasan came in, but would not pray under his leadership, because Ḥabíb was unable to speak Arabic fluently or recite the Koran correctly. The same night, Ḥasan dreamed that he saw God and said to Him: “O Lord, wherein does Thy good pleasure consist?” and that God answered: “O Ḥasan, you found My good pleasure, but did not know its value: if yesternight you had said your prayers after Ḥabíb, and if the rightness of his intention had restrained you from taking offence at his pronunciation, I should have been well pleased with you.”
― Reynold A. Nicholson, The Kashf al-Mahjub (The Revelation of the Veiled) of Ali b. 'Uthman al-Jullãbi Hujwiri. An early Persian Treatise on Sufism

“Life is a continuum of problems to solve and lessons to learn. Once you accept this truth, then the problem you’re facing is no longer a problem but rather an opportunity to learn.”
― Tobe Hanson, The Four Seasons Way of Life:: Ancient Wisdom for Healing and Personal Growth

“Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it,”
― Robin S. Sharma, Who Will Cry When You Die?: Life Lessons From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

“It doesn't matter what other people say about you. What is important is what you say to yourself. Do not be concerned with the judgement of others as long as you know what you are doing is according to conscience and you heart. Never be ashamed of doing that which is right; decide on what you think is good and then stick to it.”
― Robin S. Sharma, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny