Depiction from the Lives of the (Salaf) Righteous Predecessors

Directly taken from Disturbers of the Heart by Ibn al Jawzi. You will be able to download a copy of this here in sha’Allah: Heart

Abdul Rahman Ibn Mahdi related: “Sufyan died at my place. When he was on his deathbed and the agonies of death became severe, he started to cry. One man said to him: ‘O Abu ‘Abdullah, is this because you have seemingly, committed too many sins?’ Sufyan then picked up something from the floor and said; ‘By Allah, my sins are less important to me than what I have picked from the floor.  But I fear that Allah might take away my iman from me right before I die” (Hilyah al Awliyah)

Ibn Abjar “When Sufyan was dying he said to me: “O Ibn Abjar,  I am as you can see, so look after those who visit me.’  I then brought him a group of people amongst them was Hammad Ibn Salamah who stood right next to his head. Sufyan then exhaled, upon which Hammad said “Glad tiding is to you, for you overcome what you feared and soon you will meet an Oft – Forgiving Lord.’ Sufyan said ‘O Abu Salamah, do you think Allah will forgive a person like me?’ He replied: ‘Indeed, by the One Who there is no deity worthy of worship except Him’. After hearing this, Sufyan appeared less stressed and eased.” (Hilyah al awliyah, 6/251)

Ibrahim Ibn ‘Isa al-Yashkari said: ” I have never met a person with more lasting sadness than al-Hasan. Every time I see him,  I would think a calamity has just befallen him”.(Al Zuhd of Imam Ahmed, 316)

Yazid Ibn Hawshab said ”I have not seen a person more fearful than al-Hasan and ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdul Aziz. [their extreme state of fear from Allah would give you the impression] that Hell was only created for both of them.”

Qasim al-Khawwas narrated that Muhammed Ibn Wasi’ said to a man: ”What made you cry is the pre-knowledge of Allah, Exalted is He, about you” (Siyar al-A’lam al Nubula’ (6/121)

‘Amarah Ibn Zhadhan related: Kahmas Ibn al-Hasan said to me: ”I committed a sin for which I have been crying in regret for forty years”.  I asked: ‘What was it?’ He said: ‘A friend of mine visited me once so I bought for him a fish (to serve it to him). After he ate I stood up and took a piece of mud from the wall of my neighbour so he can use to wash his hand.  This sin [taking the piece of  mud without asking the permission of my neighbour] is what I have been crying about for forty years”(Hilyah al Awliyah, 6/211)