Words of gold

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Words of Gold

The Sheikh, the Imam Taqi al-Din al-Subki, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

These are words for myself and others, from which I hope to derive benefit, if Allah the Almighty wills:

The foundations of happiness are in seven things:

1. Religion,
2. Knowledge,
3. Intellect,
4. Good manners (Adab),
5. Good reputation,
6. Affectionate interaction with people,
7. Relieving them of formalities and burdens.

1. As for Religion:

It is the root of happiness in this world and the Hereafter, guidance from Allah the Almighty, and His success. The servant is commanded to earn it through its rightful means. "Indeed, your Lord has breezes of mercy during the days of your time; so expose yourselves to them."

Through religion:

• a. The heart is rectified: By faith, divine insights, and sublime spiritual states.
• b. The tongue is rectified: By Islam, truthfulness, speaking the truth, enjoining good, forbidding evil, proper contracts, guarding it against anything other than that, and protecting it from backbiting and gossip.
• c. The rest of the limbs are rectified: By performing acts of obedience and avoiding forbidden things—both minor sins and major destructive sins, as well as non-destructive ones.

Everyone is required to attain this, and it is only achieved through the guidance of Allah the Almighty.

2. As for Knowledge:

• a. Some people have no aptitude (intellectual capacity): Therefore, they are not tasked with it; it is sufficient for them to learn what rectifies their religious affairs. Pursuing ways beyond that is like hammering cold iron.
• b. Some people have an aptitude: It is incumbent upon them to use it in knowledge that benefits them in this world and the Hereafter, according to what their capacity allows. Some take a little, and some take a lot, depending on their mental capacity.

Whoever has an aptitude and wastes his time without engaging in knowledge has indeed suffered a manifest loss, and will regret it when regret is of no avail!

If you do not sow and you see a harvester, you will regret neglecting the time of sowing.

Whoever has an aptitude while he is young should seize his intellect, youth, health, and free time to pursue knowledge by which he lives in this world and the Hereafter. Soon, his mind will tire, he will grow old, fall ill, and become occupied with distractions that block him, saying: "If only I had..."

In these two matters—religion and knowledge—one is in need of a teacher (Sheikh) to guide and nurture him.

The need for a Sheikh in religious matters applies to many people, though some may be independent of one if Allah takes charge of guiding them directly.

As for knowledge, experience has shown that a Sheikh is necessary and indispensable. The student's benefit from him corresponds to his preparedness and acceptance:

• a. Whoever has no preparedness does not benefit from him.
• b. Whoever has preparedness but does not exhibit acceptance does not benefit from him.
• c. Whoever has preparedness and turns to him with his heart benefits according to his preparedness and acceptance.

The student's heart is like a mirror, and the Sheikh's words are like the image. The more polished the mirror and the better it faces the image, the clearer its reflection and likeness will appear in it.

• d. Once preparedness and acceptance are found in the student, the imprint depends upon the delivery of the Sheikh, which also varies greatly in two ways:
  • First: According to the increase or decrease of his knowledge. How vast is the difference between the teaching of al-Shafi'i and the teaching of someone like us?!
  • Second: According to the Sheikh's sincerity, love for the student, and compassion toward him, taking him by both hands. The more the Sheikh loves the student, the more he turns to him with the entirety of his heart, bestows upon him the finest parts of his knowledge, and nurtures him with small matters before great ones.

The Sheikh is like a father, nurturing the student just as a father nurtures his son. If it happens that the Sheikh is also the father, then spiritual fatherhood and physical fatherhood are combined in him, perfecting love, sincerity, and utmost effort.

The Noble Children of Scholars Are Few:

• Among the Companions: Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, al-Hasan and al-Husayn (the sons of Ali ibn Abi Talib), al-Nu'man ibn Bashir, and others.
• Among the Tabi'in (Successors): Said ibn al-Musayyib, Urwah ibn al-Zubayr, Ubaydullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utbah, Kharijah ibn Zayd ibn Thabit, and others.
• Following them: Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Qasim, Ibn Tawus, and others.
• After the Imams: The son of al-Shafi'i, Abdullah ibn Ahmad, al-Sa'luki from our companions, Imam al-Haramayn, al-Ruyani, and others.

The noble children of scholars are not numerous because scholars are busy with their knowledge and perfecting themselves, leaving them without the free time needed to perfect their children. Therefore, whichever of their children possessed sharpness, intelligence, and was blessed with success so that he turned with his heart to his father, he attained clear goodness—just like those we have enumerated—and that was easier and simpler for him. How great is the difference between one who comes to the door of a Sheikh, sleeping against it until he comes out just to ask him a single question, and one who is with him morning and evening, in his lap, accompanying him in his waking and sleeping hours, who wishes him more good than he wishes for himself! Yet, he still needs a motivator, as it has been said:

Exhaust the Sheikh with questioning, you will find him... pliable, meeting you with both open hands. And if you do not cry out like a bereaved mother... you will leave him empty-handed.

3. As for the Intellect:

Through it, the happiness of this world and the Hereafter is attained.

The intellect is of two types: innate (tabu'i) and acquired (muktasab).

• Whoever is deprived of the innate intellect—and we seek refuge in Allah—there is no speaking with him.
• Whoever is blessed with the innate intellect and insight by which he distinguishes things, it is incumbent upon him to acquire every day—nay, every moment—new intellect from his peers, those older than him, and those younger. In every head is wisdom, and with every person is an opinion and a benefit. From two opinions, an even higher opinion is generated, just as a conclusion is generated from two premises.

People vary in their intellects with an endless variation. The wise person is always increasing, and through the intellect, one attains this world and the Hereafter, for the wise person strives only for the repair of his livelihood or the righteousness of his return (Hereafter), and there is no good in anything besides these two.

Thus, he preserves his worldly life for the repair of his livelihood, and he preserves his religion for the righteousness of his return.

When he hears a statement, he discerns with his intellect its meaning and the consequence of acting upon it:

• a. If his intellect correctly distinguishes that it is right: He accepts it.
• b. If his intellect correctly distinguishes that it is wrong: He rejects it.
• c. If he hesitates: He reflects, takes his time, and does not rush into rejection or acceptance until it becomes clear to him.
• d. If the matter is obscure to him, yet he verifies the sincerity of the one who presented that statement, along with his knowledge and religion: He accepts it despite his hesitation, because his situation dictates that he follow him due to his religion, knowledge, sincerity, and love.
• e. If he doubts that: He pauses (abstains).

4. As for Good Manners (Adab):

Through it, knowledge, religion, and happiness are attained.

Adab encompasses:

• Toward Allah the Almighty, His messengers, angels, scholars, saints, kings, rulers, elders, peers, the young and old, the free and the slave.
• In speech, action, sitting, standing, listening, attentive hearing, good discourse, belittling oneself, and aggrandizing others.

5. As for a Good Reputation:

Through it, one preserves his worldly life and Hereafter. Whenever one's reputation becomes corrupted, his worldly life is ruined, and that may be a cause for the ruin of his Hereafter.

The path to a good reputation—alongside having inner goodness—is to avoid suspected places, areas of doubt, the company of worthless people, the vulgar, and people of suspicion, and to protect oneself as much as possible.

One should not appear except in proportion to need. Whoever keeps company with a group is counted among them, even if he is innocent.

The Sheikh Taqi al-Din, known as al-Sa'igh, recited to us, saying that Amin al-Din al-Mahalli recited to us his own poetry:

Cling to the people of high standing, for whoever becomes... a companion to the people of high standing rises high. And beware of accepting the companionship of a deficient person... lest you drop in status from your loftiness and be despised. Indeed, raising "Abu Jad" and lowering "Muzammil"... confirms my words, urging and warning.

It has been said:

"It is not fitting for a scholar to be constantly going out and coming in."

For whoever increases his social mixing with people sees his status cheapened in their eyes, and whoever leaves his home exposes himself to every tribulation. Safety lies in seclusion. Let him discipline himself with the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: (And let your house suffice you). Among the books we have transmitted is: "A Treatise on Silence and Staying in Homes."

We have seen many people who secluded themselves from people and thus were saved from their harm, even if they were upon what is not obligatory. And we have seen many who mixed with them, so they attributed to them what is not fitting, even though they were innocent.

6. As for Affectionate Interaction with People:

It is half of the intellect and brings every good, but it should be done in moderation: he neither humiliates himself by abasing himself, nor does he turn up his nose in arrogance. Rather, he is a good middle state between two blameless traits.

7. As for Relieving Them of Formalities and Burdens:

It is so as not to burden them, for whoever imposes upon people becomes a burden to them.

A man remains your companion until you ask of him something that burdens him, at which point he dislikes you and grows to hate you.

So, whoever is able not to burden anyone with anything—neither what is heavy nor what is light—let him do so.

By doing this, he remains cherished by them and respected in their hearts.

When the servant accomplishes these seven, he has done what is within his capacity, and after that, happiness rests with Allah the Almighty.

It is incumbent upon man to strive for what contains his benefit... it is not upon him that time should comply with his desires.

O Allah, do not leave the management of our affairs to ourselves, and manage us with Your good and beautiful management, O Lord of the Worlds.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and may Allah bless our master Muhammad, his family, and his companions, and grant them abundant peace. Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.

I wrote this at the pre-dawn time (Sahar) on the night of Wednesday, the middle of the blessed month of Ramadan, in the year 748, at our home in Al-Dahshah.

Here ends his statement, may Allah be pleased with him.

I (the copyist) say:

I have finished editing, formatting, and dividing it at the pre-dawn time on the night of Tuesday, the 2nd of Jumada al-Ula in the year 1440 AH.

It is entirely pearls of wisdom, the summary of a lifetime in a few lines. Let whoever desires it seize the opportunity.