Pieces of Advice

Contemplation is the key to the light of guidance, the starting point of certitude and the source of knowledge and understanding. A wise scholar once said, "Make your heart live by admonishments and enlighten it through contemplation." Many people know the virtue of contemplation but are unaware of its reality and fruits. However, few are those who actually contemplate. Allah Says, "And how many a sign within the heavens and earth do they pass over while they, there from, are turning away. And most of them believe not in Allah except while they associate others with Him."

Allah has created people with such precision and secrecy in a way that proves his unity. It includes love and hatred, anger and contentment, advancement and restraint, and all the various feelings and emotions of the humans. Muslim must advance in good and refrain from evil, especially in this day and age where trials and desires are in abundance. So the Muslims must have restraint that curbs him from these evils and helps him to stand opposition against them. So what is restraints and what are its various forms? What are the reasons of weakness in restrains? How can Muslim strengthen his restraints? All these questions will be answered in this book.

Contentment is a great action of the heart, and is one of the chief and most important actions of the heart. Abu Ad-Dardaa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “There are four peaks of faith: patience in command, contentment with destiny, sincere reliance on Allaah, and submission to the Lord.”

Since faith consists of two halves, the first being thankfulness, and the other being patience, it is important for the person who admonishes their soul, wishes to safeguard it, and prefers its happiness, not to neglect these two great principles, turn away from these two treaded paths, and to make their path and journey to Allah between these two paths, so that Allah, the Exalted, places them, upon their meeting, in the better of the two parties.

Muslim scholars have paid great attention to the deeds of the heart, authored many books on this topic, explained the importance of this issue to people and encouraged them to be mindful of it and develop themselves in this field. This is because the salvation of humankind (after the mercy of Allaah) is achieved through having a sound and sincere heart.

Reliance on Allah, the Exalted, is a lofty station that has a great effect. It is one of the most important obligations of faith, one of the best actions and acts of worship that bring one closer to Ar-Rahman (the Possessor of Mercy), and one of the highest stations of belief in Allah, the Exalted, because everything occurs through reliance on Allah, the Exalted, and seeking His Help.

Piety is a great virtue that bears a lofty status. It sustains life, which becomes unbearable in its absence; in fact, a life void of piety is inferior even to the life of an animal. There is no righteousness and wellbeing for a slave without piety. It is a noble treasure whose possessor is awarded many honorable gems, abundant goodness, noble sustenance, great victories and kingdoms. It is as if the best rewards of both this life and the next have been assigned to this single characteristic!

Allah, the Exalted, has made patience a steed that does not stumble, a sword that does not miss its mark, a trooper that does not get defeated, and a fortress that is never destroyed. It is such a riding animal that those who ride it are never lost. It is the brother of victory, for victory occurs through patience; if one has it, they do not need great preparations or large numbers. Its position in terms of victory is comparable to the position of the head to the body. It is the way of success and prosperity. It is a virtue that humankind needs in their religion and worldly life.

One of the things that lead to the corruption of the heart’s sincerity and monotheism, increase one’s longing for this worldly life, and lead to the abandonment of the hereafter is lust for leadership. It is a severe disease in the name of which people squander heir money and shed blood.

In this book, we will address the subject of hope, which is one of the deeds of the heart, and the most important of them all; having hope is an obligation, and one which must be directed to Allah, the Almighty, alone.