once passed through the marketof Basrah. People gathered around him and asked:

It is reported that Ibrahim b. Adham – Allah have mercy on him – once
passed through the marketof Basrah. People gathered around him and
asked: "O Abu Ishaq, Allah the Exalted says in his Book. 'Call on me,
I will answer your prayers', but we have been calling on Him for a
long time and He does not answer our prayers." He replied, "O people
of Basrah, your hearts have died in respect to ten things:
* You know Allah but you do not give Him His rights;
* You have read Allah's Book but you do not act byit;
* You claim to love Allah's Messenger – Allah's peace and blessings be upon
him – yet you abandon his Sunnah;
* You claim to be enemies to Shaytan but you conform to [his ways];
* You say you love Paradise yet you do not work for it;
* You say you fear The Fire yet you put yourselves closer to it [by sinning];
* You say death is true but you do not prepare for it;
* You busy yourselves withthe faults of others and disregard your own;
* You consume the favors of your Lord but are not grateful for them;
* You bury your dead but take no lesson from them."
Abû Nu'aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyâ' 8: 15, 16. —

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