Quotes from Hamza Yusuf

The etiology of miserliness is love of the fleeting, material aspects of this world. The miser ardently clings to his wealth and hoards it.

Imam Mawl?d speaks next about freedom, which is achieved when one realizes the qualities of shame and humility, and empties oneself of their opposites (shamelessness and arrogance).

When we seriously reflect on God's perfect watch over His creation and the countless blessings He sends down, and then consider the kind of deeds we bring before Him, what can we possibly feel except humility and shame? These strong feelings should lead us to implore God to change our state, make our desires consonant with His pleasure, giving up our designs for God's designs. This is pure courtesy with respect to God, a requisite for spiritual purification.

There are only four possible states in which the human being can live, according to revealed sources. A person is either receiving blessings (ni?mah) or tribulations (bal?') from God; or is either living in obedience (???ah) to God or in disobedience (ma??iyyah).

Cells require oxygen, so we breathe. If we stop breathing, we die. The heart also needs to breathe, and the breath of the heart is none other than the remembrance of God. Without it, the spiritual heart dies. The very purpose of revelation and of scripture is to remind us that our hearts need to be nourished.

Some anthropologists divide cultures into shame cultures and guilt cultures. According to this perspective, shame is an outward mechanism, and guilt is an inward one which alludes to a human mechanism that produces strong feelings of remorse when someone has done something wrong, to the point that he or she needs to rectify the matter.

One should instead desire what will serve one's Hereafter.

Palestine is the issue, and until this issue is resolved, there can be no peace.

The thing I love most about going to a book store is the self-help section is the biggest section because Americans know we're screwed up. We know it. But we want to get better.

All peoples have contributed to the overall progress and enhancement of human life.

Islam was hijacked on that September 11, 2001, on that plane, as an innocent victim.

I'm amazed at the courage of the journalists on the frontlines in Iraq, but we need intellectual courage in our community.

I really believe that carpet-bombing, bombing civilian populations, is a form of terror - it's state terror as opposed to vigilante terrorism.

Desire is an attempt to feel the void.

America is about choices, including those to live certain lifestyles.

Everyone's a believer when things are going fine. The real faith is when one becomes patient with tribulations.

People can't think when their minds are clouded with fear.

There are irrational fears. If you see a woman wearing a hijab and fear is your first thought, something's really wrong.

For young people, if someone tells you: you are the future - say No! I'm the present. You have things to do right now.