The Quran

[And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the Cause of Allaah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like (it) that Allaah should forgive you? And Allaah is Forgiving and Merciful” [Qur’an; 24:22]

“[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful. And that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment.” [Qur’an; 15:49-50]

“Perhaps those who disbelieve will wish that they had been Muslims. Let them eat and enjoy themselves and be diverted by [false] hope, for they are going to know.” [Qur’an; 15:2-3]

Hadith

It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: “The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever relieves a Muslim of some worldly distress, Allah will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal him (his faults) in this world and the Day of Resurrection. And whoever relives the burden from a destitute person, Allah will relieve him in this world and the next. Allah will help His slave so long as His slave helps his brother. Whoever follows a path in pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make easy fro him a path to paradise. No people gather in one of the houses of Allah, reciting the Book of Allah and teaching it to one another, but the angels will surround them, tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will envelop them and Allah will mention them to those who are with Him. And whoever is hindered because of his bad deeds, his lineage will be of no avail to him.’” [Ibn Majah]

It was narrated from Asma’ bint Yazid that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Shall I not tell you of the best of you?” They said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “The best of you are those who, when they are seen, Allah the Mighty, the Majestic, is remembered.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

Abu Hurayrah that he said, “I heard the Prophet saying: ‘The heart of an old man remains young in two respects: his love for this worldly life and his excessive ambitions in it.’ ” [Sahih Bukhari]

Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (peace be upon him) drew a few lines and said, “This is (man’s) hope, and this is the instant of his death, and while he is in this state (of hope), the nearer line (death) comes to Him.” [Sahih Bukhari]

“Value five things before five others come to pass: value youth before old age, health before illness, affluence before poverty, leisure before becoming too busy and value life before death.” [Tirmidhi]

 

Further Resources

The Physics of Productivity:  Newton’s Laws of Getting Stuff Done