A Letter of Advice from ibn al-Jawzee to One of His Sons
(Modified from an existing English translation after comparing it with the original Arabic. The English translation used was issued by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers, under the title “Sincere Counsel to the Seekers of Sacred Knowledge”. The Arabic text used was the critical edition prepared by ash-Shaykh Muhammad Haamid al-Faqee and printed as part of the collection entitled Min Dafaa’in al-Kunooz (pg. 77-90), issued by Matba‘ah al-Manaar in Egypt, 1349h (1931). The title of the letter could perhaps be rendered into English as “Averting Hardship by Offering My Son Some Sincere Advice.” The footnotes in this copy are our own).
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In the name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy; and it is His aid that we seek
All praise is due to Allaah who created our earliest forefather from soil and brought out his offspring from between the ribs and the backbone. All praise is due to Allaah who made kinship and lineage a support for families, blessed me with knowledge and the understanding of what is correct, cultivated me well as a child, protected me in my youth, and gave me offspring who will hopefully be a reason for abundant rewards. My Lord, make me someone who establishes obligatory prayers, and make my children individuals who also establish obligatory prayers. Our Lord, I implore You to accept my supplication. Our Lord, forgive me, my parents, and all who have Eemaan on the Day when reckoning takes place.
Once I learned the virtue of marriage and having children, I completed one full reading of the Qur’aan and then asked Allaah, the Most High, to grant me ten children. He answered my request and granted me five sons and five daughters. Two daughters and four sons passed away, and of the sons only Abul-Qaasim remains alive. I asked Allaah to make him a pious successor, and also enable him to have high aspirations and achieve many successes.
However, I found him somewhat careless in pursuing knowledge of Islaam so I decided to write this letter to him, encouraging him to take my path in studying, and directing him to take recourse to the granter of all guidance and success: Allaah, the Most Exalted, who is perfect in every way. I acknowledge that none can mislead someone whom Allaah grants sound direction, and none can guide someone whom Allaah leaves astray. However, Allaah – the Most High – has also said that we are to be people who ((counsel each other to do what is correct, and counsel each other to patiently persevere)){1}, and He also said, ((Therefore, you are to remind and admonish so long as your admonition can still be heard)).{2} And there is no movement or strength except by Allaah, the Most Exalted, the Most Magnificent.
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My dear son, I pray that Allaah guides you to all that is right. You should know that man has been distinguished by intellect only so that he would act according to it. Therefore, ensure that you keep your intellect present, put your thought process to sound use, and spend time alone with yourself. By doing those, you will conclude based on various evidences that you are a created being who has responsibilities and obligations, that two angels are keeping track of your every word and glance, and that every breath a living creature takes is a step closer to its death. The time we spend in this world is short, the time we are held in our graves is long, and the punishment for following disobedient inclinations is calamitous.
What happened to any enjoyment found in yesterday’s sins? It has departed, leaving only regret in its wake. What happened to the soul’s disobedient inclinations? They have disgraced many people, and caused them to slip and falter. People have only attained happiness by going against their disobedient inclinations, and people have only brought misery upon themselves by giving preference to the life of this world over that of the hereafter.
Take lesson from the lives of kings who focused on this world on the one hand, and individuals who shifted their focus to the hereafter on the other. What happened to any enjoyment experienced by kings who focused on this world, and what happened to any weariness experienced by individuals who shifted their focus to the hereafter? Both are gone and what remained are abundant rewards and honourable mention for those who obeyed Allaah, and calamitous punishment and dishonourable mention for those who disobeyed Him. It is as if those who starved never starved, and those who ate their fill never ate their fill. Laziness when it comes to virtuous deeds is an evil companion indeed, and love of comfort causes regret greater than any enjoyment that may be experienced. So take heed of this and exert yourself to do what will be to your own betterment.
Know that performing the obligatory and avoiding the forbidden is a must. Whenever a person transgresses Allaah’s limits, he must beware of the hellfire. In addition, know that aspiring to make your traits and deeds virtuous is the highest goal of those who strive. However, virtuous traits and deeds vary in status. Some people consider them to take the form of abstaining from things of this world, while others consider them to take the form of dedicating oneself to certain acts of worship. The truth, however, is that complete virtue lies solely in combining knowledge with action. When these two are combined, they raise a person to the level of truly knowing his Creator – Allaah, the Most Exalted, who is perfect in every way – and they cause him to love Allaah, fear Him, and yearn for Him. This is the true goal, and the greatness of outcomes achieved is proportional to how diligently one strives. However, not every individual who wants acceptance from Allaah necessarily attains it, and not every individual who seeks finds what he is looking for. Nevertheless, everyone must still strive to do what Allaah wants from them because “everyone is eased towards what he is created for”{3}, and Allaah is the source of all help.
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The first thing a person should devote attention to is knowing Allaah, the Most High, based on His evidences. It is obvious that anyone who sees how the sky has been raised and earth laid out, and observes how completely and precisely various things have been made – especially in his own body – would realize that everything made must have a maker and everything built must have a builder.
Then, he should contemplate the evidences of Allaah’s Messenger’s truthfulness, may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection. The greatest of those evidences is the Qur’aan, which Allaah declared to be inimitable by man even if they attempted to compose just a single Soorah like it. When an individual is certain of his Creator’s existence and the truthfulness of the Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), that individual has to submit to the directives that have come from the Creator and His Messenger because not submitting to those directives is indicative of corrupt belief.
After that, the individual must have knowledge of what is obligatory for him, including matters related to wudoo’, obligatory prayers, obligatory charity if he has wealth, Hajj, and other obligatory deeds. Once he has learned these obligations, he must put them into practice.
An individual of strong determination should advance to additional virtues by trying to occupy himself with memorizing the Qur’aan and studying its explanation, studying the hadeeth of Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), and learning about the Messenger’s life as well as the lives of his Companions and the scholars of Islaam who came after them. He should do those in order to seek virtues according to their priority. In addition, he must have sufficient knowledge of Arabic grammar to apply the language correctly, and also have knowledge of necessary vocabulary that is used. Fiqh (understanding the directives of Islaam from its texts) is the basis of all disciplines of Islaam one can study, while providing people with admonition is their sweetest part and the one whose benefit reaches furthest. I praise Allaah by whose grace I have been able to compose some books in these fields, sparing you the need of looking into the books of past scholars, or any other books for that matter. This being the case, there is no need for you to search for books or to focus your efforts on authoring them. The aspiration of a person only falters if it is feeble. When it is lofty, he would never be satisfied with anything inferior.
There are various evidences which tell you that high aspiration is part of man’s innate nature with which he is born. It is only during certain times that some aspirations become weak, and all they require is some encouragement in order to be strong again. When you find yourself incapable in any way, beseech the bestower of all blessings. When you feel indolent, take resort to the One who grants all guidance and success. You will only attain true goodness by obeying Him, and any time goodness passes you by, it is only due to you disobeying Him. Is there anyone who remains devoted to Allaah and ends up not seeing all the outcomes he hopes for? Is there anyone who turns away from Allaah and ends up attaining any real benefit or achieving any one of his goals? Have you not heard the remark made by the one who said in his poetry: “I swear by Allaah, never have I come to visit you except that the earth was folded up before me, and never have I resolved to leave your door except that I tripped over my garment’s tail”?
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My dear son, observe the way you deal with the limits set by Allaah and see whether or not you remain within their bounds. Indeed, the one who takes care to ensure that he stays within them will be taken care of by Allaah, and the one who does not will be left to himself.
I will share some of my experiences with you so that you may contemplate my diligence and ask the same from Allaah, the One who granted me that guidance. Truly, most of the blessings I have been given were not attained by efforts on my part. Rather, they were conferred due to how things were planned for me by Allaah, who granted me favours that I never anticipated.
I remember myself as a child: a highly motivated six-year-old sitting in class with older boys. The intellect I had been given superseded that of old men. I do not recall myself playing on the road with other children or ever laughing boisterously. When I was seven or so, I attended the gatherings of knowledge in the masjid. I would not sit in a gathering where someone taught incorrect things and made people think they were correct. Rather, I searched for a hadeeth scholar who would present narrations about the Prophet’s life (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection). I would memorize everything I heard from that scholar, then go back home and write it down. I was blessed to be granted our teacher Abul-Fadl ibn Naasir, may Allaah bestow His mercy upon him. Abul-Fadl would take me to various scholars to let me hear the Musnad of al-Imaam Ahmad and other major works of hadeeth. All that time, I had no idea of why I was made to do these things. Abul-Fadl had a record in which he continued keeping track of all I heard until I reached maturity. At that point, he gave me that record. I continued studying with him until his death, may Allaah have mercy upon him. Through him, I learned the branches of knowledge pertaining to hadeeth and transmission.
Other children used to go down to the Tigris river and look out from the bridge, but when I was a child I used to take a book and sit away from people towards the direction of the area known as ar-Raqqah and I would occupy myself studying knowledge of Islaam. Later on, I was inspired to turn aside from the vanities of this world, so I began fasting each day and reduced my food intake. I accustomed my soul to perseverance and it followed suit. I gathered my resolve, remained constant in my pursuit, and stayed up late on many nights. I did not feel satisfied with studying just one branch of knowledge. Rather, I studied fiqh (understanding the directives of Islaam from its texts), sermon delivery, and hadeeth. I also followed those who made it their practice to shift their focus away from this world and towards the hereafter. After that, I studied Arabic linguistics. There was no hadeeth scholar and no preacher from my own locale or from elsewhere whose lessons I failed to attend. I used to give things priority according to the levels of their virtues, and if I had to choose between any two things, I usually gave priority to the right of Allaah: the One who deserves that I devote all worship to Him and give Him priority over all else. Thus, He planned my life and cultivated me in a remarkable way. He guided me towards what is best for me. He also protected me from those who are hostile to me, harbour malice towards me, or plot against me. He completely facilitated for me all the means I needed to acquire knowledge of Islaam. He sent me books from unexpected places. He gave me good understanding, the ability to memorize and write quickly, and a talent for authoring books. He did not leave me in need of any material possessions. As a matter of fact, things were quite the opposite as Allaah gave me more than enough. He put a great deal of acceptance for me in people’s hearts and made the impact of my words leave them not questioning the authenticity of what I had to say. Among the residents of our land who were not Muslim, approximately two hundred of them accepted Islaam at my hands. In my gatherings, over one hundred thousand sinners repented, and I had the hair of more than twenty thousand individuals cut when they announced that they had abandoned their previous ignorant ways.{4}
When going to various scholars in order to attend their hadeeth lessons, I would be out of breath due to running so no one would precede me. I would start days without anything to eat and also finish them without anything to eat. Never did Allaah degrade me by making me need anything from others. Instead, He provided for me in order to protect my dignity. If I were to go through all my experiences, it would take quite a while. Nonetheless, I am now here before you and you can see what all my experiences have led to. I will put the whole story together for you in one single sentence, and that is the statement of Allaah, the Most Exalted, ((You must observe taqwaa of Allaah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, and Allaah is the One who grants you knowledge)).{5}
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My dear son, take heed of what is to your own benefit, regret your previous shortcomings, and work hard to attain the level of those who have achieved completion, so long as you still have the chance. Water your tree while there is still some moisture left in it. If you think about all the hours in your past that have gone to waste, they most certainly provide sufficient admonition. As time passed, the delight of laziness vanished, and chances to attain lofty ranks by way of virtuous deeds were missed. The righteous Salaf (foremost generations of Islaam) – may Allaah grant all of them His mercy – desired to gather all virtues and they would weep out of missing just one. Ibraaheem ibn Ad-ham, may Allaah bestow His mercy upon him, said, “There was an individual known for performing certain acts of worship and we once went to visit him while he was ill. We found him looking at his feet and crying. We asked, ‘Why are you crying?’ He replied, ‘These feet did not become dusty from struggling in Allaah’s path’.” Another instance was narrated in which one of the Salaf wept and when asked why, he answered, “Due to a day that passed without me fasting during it, and a night that passed without me standing to pray during it.”
My dear son, know that days consist of hours, hours are made of the breaths you take, and every breath is a vessel for storage. Thus, beware of letting any breath pass by while left empty. You do not want to find emptiness on the Day of Judgment, without anything stored away for yourself, and then be filled with regret.
A man once told ‘Aamir ibn ‘Abd Qays, “Stop for some time, I want to talk to you.” He replied, “Hold the sun in place and make time stop so that I can talk to you.”
Ma‘roof, may Allaah bestow His mercy upon him, said to some people sitting with him, “Would you not like to now stand and depart? Time is passing since the angel to whom the sun is entrusted{6} keeps pulling it along its course, and He does not become weary.”
Additionally, a hadeeth states: “If a person says,
سُبْحَانَ اللهِ الْعَظِيمِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ
‘I proclaim that Allaah, the Most Magnificent, is perfect in every way and I praise Him,’ that person will have a date palm planted for him in Jannah.”{7} Think about how many date palms are missed by someone who wastes his time.
Our Salaf sought to make the most of every single moment. Kahmas, may Allaah have mercy upon him, would complete one full reading of the Qur’aan three times in a single day. Among the Salaf, there were forty of them who prayed Fajr with the wudoo’ of ‘Ishaa’.{8} Raabi‘ah al-‘Adawiyyah would spend the entire night engaged in worship, and when dawn came, she lay down for a bit and then got up startled, saying to herself, “The time of sleep spent in the grave will be long.”{9}
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When a person thinks about how long this world existed before he came into being, he would realize that it had existed for a long time. When he thinks about how long it will continue after he leaves it, he would realize that it will continue for a long time and that his stay in the grave will also be long. When he thinks about the Day of Judgment, he would realize that it will be fifty thousand years long. When he thinks about how long the respective residents of Jannah and the hellfire will remain in them, he would realize that their final stay has no end. If he then thinks once more about the time he will spend in this world, let’s say sixty years for instance, he would realize thirty of them are spent sleeping, and fifteen or so are spent in childhood. If he takes account of the rest of the time, most of it is spent fulfilling desires, consuming nourishment, and earning income. If the time remaining after that all is devoted to matters of the hereafter, he would find that time to contain much showing off and heedlessness. Therefore, what will you use to purchase the everlasting life of the hereafter when the currency to be used is nothing besides the aforementioned moments?
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My dear son, do not let your past carelessness make you lose hope of achieving goodness. There are many who have awakened after a long time asleep.
Ash-Shaykh Aboo Hakeem told me that the Chief Justice in his time, ash-Shaykh Abul-Hasan ad-Daamaghaanee (may Allaah have mercy upon him) had said the following: “When I was a child, I spent my time in idle play and did not pay attention to knowledge of Islaam. Then, my father Aboo ‘Abdillaah once called for me and told me, ‘My dear son, I will not always be around for you, so you should take twenty dinars, open a bread shop for yourself, and make some money.’ I asked, ‘What sort of talk is this?’ He then said, ‘If not, then open a textile shop.’ I asked, ‘How can you say this to me although I am the son of the Chief Justice ‘Abdullaah ad-Daamaghaanee?’ He replied, ‘It is because I do not see you pursuing knowledge of Islaam.’ I said, ‘Tell me about any lesson currently going on.’ He did so and I devoted my attention to pursuing knowledge of Islaam. From that point on, I began taking studying knowledge of Islaam seriously, I put in a great deal of effort, and Allaah granted me success in that.”
In addition, a colleague of Aboo Muhammad al-Hulwaanee (may Allaah bestow His mercy upon him) told me that he had said the following: “My father died when I was twenty-one and, at that time, I was known for being idle. When I went to collect the rent from the tenants in a house I had inherited, I heard them say, ‘That person who lives off of others has arrived.’ Having heard this, I said to myself, ‘That is what they say about me?’ I then went to my mother and told her, ‘You will find me in the masjid of ash-Shaykh Abul-Khattaab if you need me.’ I remained studying with him and did not depart from him as anything less than qualified to be a judge; and, in fact, I actually served as a judge for a period of time.”
I – ibn al-Jawzee – add here that I witnessed him delivering legal verdicts and presenting various arguments in certain situations.
Therefore, my dear son, make it binding upon yourself to awaken at the beginning of the time for Fajr and do not converse about mundane matters at that time. The righteous Salaf (foremost generations of Islaam) would not talk about any mundane matters at that time. When you wake, say:
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَحْيَانِي بَعْدَمَا أَمَاتَنِي وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ
“All praise is due to Allaah who gave me life after causing me to die, and He alone will resurrect us all.”{10} You may also say the following supplication{11}: “All praise is due to Allaah who holds the sky from falling on the earth except by His permission. Allaah is truly benevolent and merciful to all people.” After that, get up to purify yourself and pray the Sunnah of Fajr, then go to the masjid in a humble manner. On your way there, you may say the following supplication{12}: “O Allaah, I ask You by the right that those asking have upon You, and by the right of this walking of mine. I did not leave my home in arrogance and pride, nor to be seen or heard of. I only left out of fearing Your anger and seeking Your pleasure. I ask You to protect me from the hellfire and to forgive my sins. Truly, none forgives sins besides You.”
Strive to join the congregational prayer on the right side of the Imaam. When you finish praying in congregation, say the following ten times:
لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ، وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ [...] وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, without any partner. To Him alone belong all dominion and praise. He is the One who gives life and causes death, […] and He is capable of all things.”{13} After that, say:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ
“Allaah is perfect in every way” ten times,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
“all praise is due to Allaah” ten times, and
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ
“Allaah is the greatest” ten times. Then, read aayatul-kursee and beseech Allaah – who is perfect in every way – to accept the prayer you performed. If you are able, continue sitting and mentioning Allaah – the Most Exalted – till the sun has risen and ascended a bit, and then pray as much as Allaah has decreed for you. If you can perform eight units, that would be good.
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Once you have reviewed your studies till forenoon, pray the optional forenoon prayer as eight units, then keep yourself busy with reading or copying texts till ‘Asr time. After ‘Asr, return to your studies until Maghrib time. After Maghrib, pray two units in which you read two full juz’ of the Qur’aan. After praying ‘Ishaa’, return again to your studies. Later on, lay down on your right side, say:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ
“Allaah is perfect in every way” thirty-three times,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ
“all praise is due to Allaah” thirty-three times, and
اللهُ أَكْبَرُ
“Allaah is the greatest” thirty-four times. Also say:
اللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ [تَبْعَثُ] عِبَادَكَ
“O Allaah, protect me from Your punishment on the day when You [resurrect]{14} Your servants.”
When you open your eyes after sleeping, know that your soul has taken its share. At that point, get up, perform wudoo’, and pray what you can in the darkness of the night. Begin your prayers with two light units, and follow them with two units in which you read two full juz’ of the Qur’aan. After that, resume studying the knowledge of Islaam that you seek, since pursuing that knowledge is more virtuous than all optional deeds.
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Avoid mixing beyond what is necessary, as the basis of all good lies in that. Beware of bad companions. Make your constant companions books and reading about the lives of the Salaf. Do not occupy yourself with any branch of knowledge before mastering the prerequisites it has. Examine the course followed by the scholars who reached completion in both knowledge and action, and do not be content with less than that. A poet stated, “I have not seen a shortcoming in people worse than them being fully capable of completing their task yet not doing so.”
Know also that knowledge of Islaam raises the status of the unknown. Indeed, many scholars did not come from recognized ancestry or have notably good looking physique. ‘Ataa’ ibn Abee Rabaah, for example, was black skinned and not pleasant looking. Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abdil-Malik – who was the Khaleefah (leader of the Muslims) at that time – came to him with his two sons, sat with him, and asked about the rites of Hajj. ‘Ataa’ answered while his face was turned away from them. Afterwards, the Khaleefah said to his sons, “Get up and do not be indolent or lazy in seeking knowledge, as I shall never forget this humiliation of ours in front of this black slave.”{15}
Furthermore, al-Hasan, ibn Seereen, Mak-hool, and others were the offspring of slaves as well. The honour they had came from knowledge of Islaam and observing taqwaa (by fulfilling Allaah’s commands and avoiding His prohibitions).
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My dear son, strive hard to protect your dignity from being compromised due to running after this world and having to lower yourself to its people. Be content and you shall live with dignity. There is an adage to the effect that: “Whoever is content with bread and vegetables will not be subjugated by anyone.” Additionally, a bedouin once passed by al-Basrah and asked, “Who is the most prominent figure among the people in this city?” He was told, “al-Hasan al-Basree.” He further inquired, “And how did he become their most prominent figure?” The people replied, “He remained without needing the things of this world which they had, but they remained in need of the knowledge of Islaam that he had.”
My dear son, know that my father was a rich man who left behind wealth worth thousands. When I reached adulthood, those in charge of his estate gave me twenty dinars and two houses, and they told me it was everything my father’s estate contained. I took the dinars and purchased books containing knowledge of Islaam. I also sold the houses and spent their proceeds on my pursuit of knowledge and none of the wealth remained afterwards. Through it all, your father never humiliated himself in his quest for knowledge, nor did he travel around through various lands like other preachers have. He has never sent a note asking something from others, and all his affairs are running smoothly. ((When someone observes taqwaa of Allaah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, Allaah will give that person a way out of every difficulty and provide for him from where he never anticipated)).{16}
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My dear son, when your taqwaa of Allaah is real, you shall see goodness in every way. A person who truly observes taqwaa does not show off to others and does not put himself in situations that damage his adherence to his religion. When someone takes care to remain within Allaah’s limits, Allaah will take care of that person. Allaah’s Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said to ibn ‘Abbaas, “Take care to remain within Allaah’s limits and He will take care of you. Take care to remain within Allaah’s limits and you will find Him in front of you.”{17}
My dear son, realize that the righteous deeds which the Prophet Yoonus stored away for himself led to him being saved from hardship. Allaah, the Almighty and Most Majestic said, ((Had Yoonus not been among those who proclaim Allaah’s perfection, he would have remained inside the belly of that fish until the day when all people will be resurrected)).{18}
In contrast, Fir‘awn did not have righteous deeds stored for himself and, as a result, that rendered him unable to find an escape when disaster befell him. He was told, ((Now?! After you already refused?)){19}
Therefore, make sure you store away for yourself righteous deeds by observing taqwaa and you shall eventually see the results. There is a narration{20} that says, “There is no person who observes taqwaa in his youth except that Allaah will raise him in status when he is old.” Furthermore, Allaah – the Most High – said, ((When the Prophet Yoosuf attained manhood, We granted him wisdom, knowledge, and Prophethood. The reward We granted Yoosuf is what We grant those who strive to worship Us in the best way and deal with Our servants in the best manner)).{21} Allaah also said, ((Indeed, if someone observes taqwaa and patiently perseveres, Allaah would not let his reward be lost so long as that person strives to worship Allaah in the best way and deal with Allaah’s servants in the best manner)).{22}
Know that the best righteous deeds you can store away are: diverting your glance from the forbidden, restraining your tongue from uttering unnecessary words, constantly observing the limits set by Allaah, and giving Allaah – the Most Exalted, who is perfect in every way – priority over your soul’s disobedient inclinations. You are well aware of the hadeeth about the three men who entered a cave and a boulder then blocked its entrance. One of them said, “O Allaah, I had my two parents and my children. I used to stand waiting by my parents with milk, and let them drink from it before my children. If I did that sincerely for Your sake, I implore You to grant us relief and a way out.” The rock then moved away from a third of the cave’s entrance. The second one of the men said, “O Allaah, I hired a worker but he was not pleased with the salary he was given, so I invested it after he did not take it. Then, one day he came to me and said, ‘Will you not fear Allaah concerning me and give me my salary?’ I told him, ‘Go to those cows and the people who look after them, and take all of them.’ If I did that sincerely for Your sake, I implore You to grant us relief and a way out.” The rock then moved away from another third of the cave’s entrance, making two thirds in all. The third one of the men said, “O Allaah, I was passionately in love with a paternal cousin of mine but when I got near her, she said, ‘Observe taqwaa of Allaah and do not break the seal without right’ so I desisted and left her alone. If I did that sincerely for Your sake, I implore You to grant us relief and a way out.” The boulder then moved away from the remaining third of the cave’s entrance and they were able to escape.{23}
Someone had seen Sufyaan ath-Thawree – may Allaah have mercy upon him – in a dream and Sufyaan was asked, “What did Allaah do to you?” He replied, “Right after I was laid in my grave, I found myself before the Lord of all creation. I entered His presence and I was asked, ‘Are you Sufyaan?’ I said, ‘Yes, I am Sufyaan.’ I was then asked, ‘Do you remember a day you gave Allaah priority over your own inclinations?’ I said, ‘Yes, I do.’ Upon answering, I was presented with platters containing sprinklings from Jannah.”
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You should continue aspiring to achieve completion. There are many who limit their aim to focusing on the hereafter by avoiding the mundane, and also many who try to occupy themselves with knowledge. However, there are only a rare minority who combine complete knowledge with complete action. I would like you to know that I have acquainted myself with the lives of the successors of the Companions, as well as those after them, and I found the most complete of them to be four: Sa‘eed ibn al-Musayyib, al-Hasan al-Basree, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may Allaah be pleased with them. They were men but they had high aspiration and determination far above the weak level we find among ourselves. Many of the Salaf had very high ambitions, and if you wish to learn about them, you can just read through my book Sifatus-Safwah; or, if you would like to contemplate the lives of Sa‘eed, al-Hasan, Sufyaan, and Ahmad, I compiled separate books about the life of each one.
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My dear son, you are aware that I have written one hundred books. They include at-Tafseer al-Kabeer in twenty volumes, at-Taareekh in twenty volumes, and also Tahtheeb al-Musnad in twenty volumes. The rest of the books vary in size: some five volumes, some four, some three, some two, and some more or less than that. By authoring these books, I have left you in no need of borrowing books or focusing on writing them yourself. Therefore, you should focus on memorizing, for memorization is your main capital and using what you have memorized is your profit. In both cases, you must remain sincere in taking recourse to Allaah – the One who deserves all worship, and is perfect in every way – and you must stay well within His boundaries. Allaah said, “If you uphold Allaah’s religion, He will support you.”{24} He further said, “Make mention of Me. If you do so, I will make mention of you.”{25} He also said, ((Comply with My directives. If you do so, I will grant you the reward which I promised you)).{26}
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Beware of just having theoretical knowledge of Islaam without putting it into practice. Many of those who accompany rulers and associate with people who indulge in excesses of this world fail to act in compliance with their knowledge of Islaam. That has left them deprived of the blessings and benefits which that knowledge brings.
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Beware of occupying yourself with certain acts of worship while lacking adequate knowledge of Islaam. Many who think what they do comprises turning away from this world, focusing on the hereafter, and devoting themselves to worship have gone astray due to acting without knowledge.
Cover yourself with two decent and respectable garments which are neither so extravagant that they make you known among those who indulge in excesses of this world, nor so meager that they make you known among those who turn away from things of this world in general. Take yourself to account for every glance, word, and thought, since you will be asked about them. Those who hear you speak will benefit from your knowledge of Islaam according to how much you yourself benefit from it. When a lecturer does not act in compliance with his knowledge, his lectures and admonitions will slide off of the listener’s hearts without being retained, just as water slides off the surface of a rock. Therefore, do not ever deliver any lecture without a sound intention, do not ever take a step without a sound intention, and do not ever eat a morsel without a sound intention. All of this will become clear when you acquaint yourself with what has been written about the characteristics of our Salaf (the foremost generations of Islaam).
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I strongly encourage you to read my book “Minhaaj al-Mureedeen” as it will teach you the correct way of proceeding to your Lord. Make it your companion and teacher. Read through my book “Sayd al-Khaatir” as it mentions occurrences that will help you in setting right your religious and mundane affairs. Memorize my book “Junnatun-Nathar” as it will give you a sufficient grasp of fiqh (understanding the directives of Islaam from its texts). Spend time reading my book “al-Hadaa’iq fee ‘Ilm al-Hadeeth waz-Zuhdiyyaat” as it will apprise you of the majority of hadeeth. If you also devote some attention to my book “Kashf al-Mushkil ‘an as-Saheehayn”, you will come to know what may otherwise be obscure to you regarding certain ahaadeeth in the Two Saheeh collections of al-Bukhaaree and Muslim. Do not busy yourself with Qur’aan commentaries written by those who are not well-versed in the Arabic language. In fact, my books “al-Mughnee” and “Zaad al-Maseer” leave you with no need for any other Qur’aan commentaries at all. As for books on lectures and admonitions, I have compiled for you what completely suffices you.
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Interact with others in a good way, but at the same time refrain from mixing beyond what is necessary. Refraining from mixing safeguards you from having to deal with bad people and preserves your dignity. A lecturer, in particular, should not be seen bearing a blameworthy appearance, walking around aimlessly in the marketplace, or laughing out loud excessively. All this is to ensure that people would think well of him and benefit from his words when he speaks. In the event that it becomes necessary for you to mix with others, remain forbearing towards them when doing so, because once you see their true mannerisms, you will find yourself unable to always interact with them in a good way.
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Give everybody – your wife, children, and relatives – the rights to which they are entitled. Observe every hour in your life and see how you spend it. Fill those hours only with the most honourable deeds possible. Do not waste yourself. Rather, accustom yourself to performing the best and most honourable deeds. Send ahead to the grave’s repository what will make you rejoice when you get there. There is poetry that states, “I say to anyone who remained preoccupied with the life of this world and was deceived by thinking he would live for a long time: death will come all of a sudden, and the grave is the repository of deeds.”
Pay attention to the consequences of things, as that will make it easy for you to persevere in avoiding wrong things you desire, and to persevere through things that may be difficult to bear. If you sometimes find your soul heedless, visit the cemetery and remind your soul that its departure from this world is near.
Allaah is the supreme planner of all matters, yet you must plan your affairs in terms of what you spend, and do that without being extravagant or wasteful, so you would not end up in need of others. Taking care of one’s wealth is part of Islaam and leaving something for your inheritors is better than leaving them in need of others.
Section
My dear son, know that we are descendants of Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq, and our forefather is al-Qaasim [ibn]{27} Muhammad [ibn ‘Abdillaah]{28} ibn ‘Abdir-Rahmaan ibn [al-Qaasim]{29} ibn Muhammad ibn Abee Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him). His life has been documented in my book Sifatus-Safwah. After him, our forefathers occupied themselves with trade so among the later family there has not been anyone granted motivation to pursue knowledge of Islaam except me. Now, your turn has come, so I strongly encourage you to strive hard and not fall short of my expectations of you or for you. I entrust you to Allaah – the Most Exalted, who is perfect in every way – and I beseech Him alone to grant you guidance and success in both knowledge and its application.
This is as much as I am able to offer you as counsel, and there is no movement or strength except by Allaah, the Most High and Most Magnificent. Allaah deserves all the praise that His worshipping servants continue directing to Him, and I implore Him to grant commendation and protection to our leader, the Prophet Muhammad, and to do the same for the Prophet’s family and Companions.
Endnotes:
{1} Soorah al-‘Asr (103):3.
{2} Soorah al-A‘laa (87):9.
{3} See Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (4949), Saheeh Muslim (2647).
{4} Regarding the cutting of hair, the translator commented in a footnote that this “was a habit at that time when announcing repentance”. However, we felt it would also be useful to point out that in Majmoo‘ al-Fataawaa (21/117), there is a pertinent comment from ibn Taymiyyah in which he said that were cases where some individuals would tell a repentant person to shave his head once he repents...or shorten the hair of a person who repents, as is done by some of those who follow certain so-called “shaykhs.” When someone comes to repent, they cut some of his hair. The so-called “shaykh” chooses a specific person to carry his scissors and carpet for him, and the “shaykh” also performs his prayer on that carpet. Additionally, the fact that he cuts the hair of others contributes to his mastering being a “shaykh” and makes him a role model who accepts repentance from the people. This is a practice that was invented and then claimed to be part of Islaam. It was not sanctioned by Allaah or His Messenger (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection), and none of the scholars consider it obligatory or even desirable. It was not practiced by any of the Companions or those who followed their path, and it was not practiced by any of the Muslim scholars who were well-known for their righteousness and prolific worship; not among the early nor later generations; not the Companions or those after them...Many people accepted Islaam during the era of the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) but he did not instruct any of them to shave their heads after becoming Muslim, and he did not cut the hair of anyone.
{5} Soorah al-Baqarah (2):282.
{6} There is no text in the Qur’aan or authentic Sunnah that affirms or negates the presence of any such angel (malak ash-shams). However, there is an inauthentic narration mentioning that angel in the work compiled by Abush-Shaykh al-Asbahaanee entitled al-‘Athamah (449), and a portion of the narration was also cited by as-Suyootee in his book al-Habaa’ik (430). The editor of al-‘Athamah commented that the narration is among the Israa’eeliyyaat, meaning that its origin lies in the sources of those who follow scriptures revealed prior to the Qur’aan, and Allaah knows best.
{7} See Jaami‘ at-Tirmithee (3464). Graded saheeh by al-Albaanee.
{8} Meaning they were awake throughout the night engaged in various acts of worship.
{9} In other words: worship Allaah while you are still alive.
{10} This wording was collected by Ahmad (23286). The wording in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (6312) and Saheeh Muslim (2711) have the pronoun as plural: “…gave us life after causing us to die.”
{11} This was reported in an inauthentic hadeeth and, for that reason, we opted to not include the Arabic text. It was graded da‘eef by al-Albaanee in al-Adab al-Mufrad (1214) and at-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb (861), and Allaah knows best.
{12} This was reported in an inauthentic hadeeth and, for that reason, we opted to not include the Arabic text. Among the places it can be found is Sunan ibn Maajah (778) and it was graded da‘eef by al-Albaanee.
{13} This amended wording was graded saheeh by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (114). See also Musnad al-Imaam (23568). The wording cited by the author has “bi-yadihil-khayr” which translates as “all goodness lies in His hand” in place of the omission. See also Musnad al-Imaam Ahmad (17990, 26551).
{14} This amended wording is in Jaami‘ at-Tirmithee (3399) and Sunan Abee Daawood (5045), and was graded saheeh by al-Albaanee. The wording cited by the author says “tajma‘u” which translates as “gather” in place of the amendment, and it can be found that way with a broken chain of narration in Musnad al-Imaam Ahmad.
{15} The chain of transmission for this narration is broken, and Allaah knows best. It can be found in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (118) by al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee, and Taareekh Dimashq (40/375) by ibn ‘Asaakir. It is not to be understood as a racist or derogatory remark. Rather, the purpose for which it was cited by scholars is captured by the section heading under which al-Khateeb put it: “Former slaves who attained status so great due to their knowledge of Islaam that they ended up being given the prominence of kings.”
{16} Soorah at-Talaaq (65):2-3.
{17} Jaami‘ at-Tirmithee (2516). Graded saheeh by al-Albaanee.
{18} Soorah as-Saaffaat (37):143-144.
{19} Soorah Yoonus (10):91.
{20} The phrase used by the author here was “hadeeth” but we were unable to locate words with this meaning from the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) that the author may have been referring to. Possibilities with similar words, but different ideas and inauthentic chains of narration can be found in Jaami‘ at-Tirmithee (2022), Hilyatul-Awliyaa’ (4/139, 5/155), Kanz al-‘Ummaal (15/785).
{21} Soorah Yoosuf (12):22.
{22} Soorah Yoosuf (12):90.
{23} See similar in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (2215), Saheeh Muslim (2743).
{24} Soorah Muhammad (47):7.
{25} Soorah al-Baqarah (2):152.
{26} Soorah al-Baqarah (2):40.
{27} Missing from the Arabic. Correction from Siyar A‘laam an-Nubalaa’ (21/365) as well as other biographical works containing ibn al-Jawzee’s lineage.
{28} Missing from the Arabic. Same correction as previous.
{29} The Arabic says Aboo Bakr here. Same correction as previous.