The advices
The number 40
It seems to have secrets built into it. Allah mentions 40 several times in the Quran. Allah mentions in the Quran, 40 as the maximum limit. When Allah mentions the story of Moses after He saved Moses from Pharaoh, he waited 40 days and 40 nights until he spoke to Allah SWT. Therefore whoever wants to complete a task or become firm a habit, then try to do it for 40 days, as after 40 days you will find it'll become a firm habit, whether it be a request, a duaa, or reading Surah Yasin. Also if you want help in memorising a Surah, a hadith etc, repeat it 40 times and it'll become firm in your memory. If you want to also advise yourself, repeat the advice to yourself 40 times; e.g: "oh eyes lower your gaze" x 40.
The problem in accepting advice is that it's bitter upon the nafs.
Advice Nr 3
Imam Ghazali is telling the student that "giving advice is easy, but the problem is our nafs, our lower selves, which finds it difficult". When you don’t take advice given to you, it's like your rejected being guided. So whoever seeks advice should be sincere in seeking advice, if a person has this, then the advice becomes light an easy to implement and Allah will make it easier for them. If you do not accept advice easily, then you need to investigate the root course as to why this is so. Allah mentions in the Quran when the hypocrites were talking to Rasoolullah saying 'our wealth and our children distracted us from the tasks' and asked Rasoolullah to pray for their forgiveness, Allah then said Rasoolullah, "Whether you ask for forgiveness for them or not, they will not be forgiven as they are not sincere in their hearts."
The human being when seeking advice, should be prepared in receiving any advice, and should not delay in putting it into action. The nafs usually loves those things that Allah hates. So whoever seeks advice should be true in their intention because if they are true, then Allah makes this advice easy for them. When people give you advice, you must not delay in putting this into action, whether by intention or physical implementation.
What is required of someone seeking advice is to try and understand the person who is giving you advice. Sheikhs will usually give you nice simple advice so that you find it easier to implement. Do not think otherwise when a sheikh gives you small advice. Know that they expect you to implement it and not dismiss it. Also sometimes a sheikh may advice you in a way you did not expect, such as: You tell a sheikh you find it difficult to wake up for fajr, to which the sheikh advices 'lower your gaze'. The student may think this is not related to your issue, but know that whatever advice you're given you should take it, and see it as a medicine.
Advice Nr 4
Imam Ghazali says: "Knowledge in its self is not enough for a person to be successful. The knowledge you attain should be followed by action. If it's not put into action, then you have lost your way. If put into action, then your journey will accelerate and you will become closer to success".
Some of you may say 'Oh sheikh, I attended many classes and gatherings, yet a lot of the knowledge I have learnt, I keep forgetting'. This is simply because you have not put this into action. Memorising Quran and putting the words of the ayahs into action will help your memorising. Putting you knowledge into action will help it remain. If this is hard, then just put 10 percent of it into action, then it'll be like zakah, Insha'Allah the light of the 10 percent you did will purify the rest of the knowledge, like zakah purifies the rest of your money. If you don’t put the knowledge into action, then you put yourself in danger of having all this so called knowledge testify against you on judgement day. Like the well known hadith says-' Those who will be punished the worst on the day of judgement, is a scholar who did not benefit from his knowledge.' Why didn’t he benefit from his knowledge? Because he didn’t put it into action. Your knowledge needs to be translated into action. If you can not put into action what you have learnt from knowledge every time, then at least do it once, in hope that you will be written upon those who are from the people of knowledge. If this is even hard, then at least sincerely intend to do this action, as intention is the first part of an action.
One of the Salaheen passed away and was asked how his state was. He replied that he didn’t benefit from anything accept from the two rakaahs he prayed at night. Although this seems so simple in words, the meaning is great. All of his knowledge that he required, he appreciated the secret in getting up at night and praying the 2 rakaahs. He was sincere in his worship.
In a Hadith Qudsi, where Allah SWT says: "Whoever puts into action the knowledge which they have attained, than Allah will give him knowledge of that which he never thought he could attain". This is a knowledge we can only be given from Allah SWT, and not something we can get from books. One who puts into action that which they have learnt, is bound to taste something. When you have tasted something, you will continue with this particular action. For example, using the siwaak, in this very action Allah can open up doors into things you didn’t expect, and reveal treasures you didn’t expect. Sometimes you find you come to the front door of your house, and you cannot find your keep and you keep searching and searching until you find it, and it's always in a place you didn’t expect it. Likewise Allah holds the key to your success in places you may not know.
Questions and answers:
Q) Which is better for a student- to remain quiet silent and not seek advice, or should they seek advice?
A) Remaining quiet and not seeking advice means you are accepting your condition. It's better to seek advice with sincerity and good intention.
Q) How can we put advice into practise?
A) First we must start with what is easy and also to intend to put the advice into practise, then to keep adding to it one at time a time, whether it is once a week, once a month or once year.
It seems to have secrets built into it. Allah mentions 40 several times in the Quran. Allah mentions in the Quran, 40 as the maximum limit. When Allah mentions the story of Moses after He saved Moses from Pharaoh, he waited 40 days and 40 nights until he spoke to Allah SWT. Therefore whoever wants to complete a task or become firm a habit, then try to do it for 40 days, as after 40 days you will find it'll become a firm habit, whether it be a request, a duaa, or reading Surah Yasin. Also if you want help in memorising a Surah, a hadith etc, repeat it 40 times and it'll become firm in your memory. If you want to also advise yourself, repeat the advice to yourself 40 times; e.g: "oh eyes lower your gaze" x 40.
The problem in accepting advice is that it's bitter upon the nafs.
Advice Nr 3
Imam Ghazali is telling the student that "giving advice is easy, but the problem is our nafs, our lower selves, which finds it difficult". When you don’t take advice given to you, it's like your rejected being guided. So whoever seeks advice should be sincere in seeking advice, if a person has this, then the advice becomes light an easy to implement and Allah will make it easier for them. If you do not accept advice easily, then you need to investigate the root course as to why this is so. Allah mentions in the Quran when the hypocrites were talking to Rasoolullah saying 'our wealth and our children distracted us from the tasks' and asked Rasoolullah to pray for their forgiveness, Allah then said Rasoolullah, "Whether you ask for forgiveness for them or not, they will not be forgiven as they are not sincere in their hearts."
The human being when seeking advice, should be prepared in receiving any advice, and should not delay in putting it into action. The nafs usually loves those things that Allah hates. So whoever seeks advice should be true in their intention because if they are true, then Allah makes this advice easy for them. When people give you advice, you must not delay in putting this into action, whether by intention or physical implementation.
What is required of someone seeking advice is to try and understand the person who is giving you advice. Sheikhs will usually give you nice simple advice so that you find it easier to implement. Do not think otherwise when a sheikh gives you small advice. Know that they expect you to implement it and not dismiss it. Also sometimes a sheikh may advice you in a way you did not expect, such as: You tell a sheikh you find it difficult to wake up for fajr, to which the sheikh advices 'lower your gaze'. The student may think this is not related to your issue, but know that whatever advice you're given you should take it, and see it as a medicine.
Advice Nr 4
Imam Ghazali says: "Knowledge in its self is not enough for a person to be successful. The knowledge you attain should be followed by action. If it's not put into action, then you have lost your way. If put into action, then your journey will accelerate and you will become closer to success".
Some of you may say 'Oh sheikh, I attended many classes and gatherings, yet a lot of the knowledge I have learnt, I keep forgetting'. This is simply because you have not put this into action. Memorising Quran and putting the words of the ayahs into action will help your memorising. Putting you knowledge into action will help it remain. If this is hard, then just put 10 percent of it into action, then it'll be like zakah, Insha'Allah the light of the 10 percent you did will purify the rest of the knowledge, like zakah purifies the rest of your money. If you don’t put the knowledge into action, then you put yourself in danger of having all this so called knowledge testify against you on judgement day. Like the well known hadith says-' Those who will be punished the worst on the day of judgement, is a scholar who did not benefit from his knowledge.' Why didn’t he benefit from his knowledge? Because he didn’t put it into action. Your knowledge needs to be translated into action. If you can not put into action what you have learnt from knowledge every time, then at least do it once, in hope that you will be written upon those who are from the people of knowledge. If this is even hard, then at least sincerely intend to do this action, as intention is the first part of an action.
One of the Salaheen passed away and was asked how his state was. He replied that he didn’t benefit from anything accept from the two rakaahs he prayed at night. Although this seems so simple in words, the meaning is great. All of his knowledge that he required, he appreciated the secret in getting up at night and praying the 2 rakaahs. He was sincere in his worship.
In a Hadith Qudsi, where Allah SWT says: "Whoever puts into action the knowledge which they have attained, than Allah will give him knowledge of that which he never thought he could attain". This is a knowledge we can only be given from Allah SWT, and not something we can get from books. One who puts into action that which they have learnt, is bound to taste something. When you have tasted something, you will continue with this particular action. For example, using the siwaak, in this very action Allah can open up doors into things you didn’t expect, and reveal treasures you didn’t expect. Sometimes you find you come to the front door of your house, and you cannot find your keep and you keep searching and searching until you find it, and it's always in a place you didn’t expect it. Likewise Allah holds the key to your success in places you may not know.
Questions and answers:
Q) Which is better for a student- to remain quiet silent and not seek advice, or should they seek advice?
A) Remaining quiet and not seeking advice means you are accepting your condition. It's better to seek advice with sincerity and good intention.
Q) How can we put advice into practise?
A) First we must start with what is easy and also to intend to put the advice into practise, then to keep adding to it one at time a time, whether it is once a week, once a month or once year.