تعليم المتعلمal-ZarnūjīOn Compassion and Sincere Counsel
وَيَنْبَغِيit is fitting أَنْthat يَكُونَhe be صَاحِبُthe person (of) الْعِلْمِknowledge مُشْفِقًاcompassionate نَاصِحًاsincere غَيْرَnot حَاسِدٍ،envious فَالْحَسَدُfor envy يَضُرُّinjures وَلَاand does not يَنْفَعُ.benefit
The person of knowledge should be compassionate, sincere in counsel, and free of envy — envy injures and never profits.
وَكَانَhe used to أُسْتَاذُنَاour teacher شَيْخُShaykh (of) الْإِسْلَامِIslam بُرْهَانُBurhān (of) الدِّينِthe religion رَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercy on اللهُAllah يَقُولُ:say قَالُواthey said إنَّindeed ابْنَson (of) الْمُعَلِّمِthe teacher يَكُونُbecomes عَالِمًاa scholar لِأَنَّbecause الْمُعَلِّمَthe teacher يُرِيدُdesires أَنْthat يَكُونَhe be تَلْمِيذُهُhis student فِيin الْقُرْآنِQuran عَالِمًاa scholar فَبِبَرَكَةِso through the blessing (of) اعْتِقَادِهِhis conviction وَشَفَقَتِهِand his tenderness يَكُونُbecomes ابْنُهُhis son عَالِمًا.a scholar
Our master Shaykh al-Islām Burhān al-Dīn, may Allah have mercy on him, would say: They observed a teacher's son often becomes a scholar because the teacher longs for his pupil in Qur'anic studies to excel — through the blessing of his faith and tender concern his own child becomes learned.
وَكَانَhe used to أَبُوAbū الْحَسَنِal-Ḥasan يَحْكِيrelate أَنَّthat الصَّدْرَthe ṣadr الْأَجَلَّthe eminent بُرْهَانَBurhān (of) الْأَئِمَّةِthe Imams جَعَلَset وَقْتَtime (of) السَّبَقِthe lesson لِابْنَيْهِfor his two sons الصَّدْرِthe ṣadr الشَّهِيدِthe martyr حِسَامِḤusām (of) الدِّينِthe religion وَالصَّدْرِand the ṣadr السَّعِيدِthe blessed تَاجِTāj (of) الدِّينِthe religion وَقْتَtime (of) الضُّحَىthe late forenoon الْكُبْرَىthe greater بَعْدَafter جَمِيعِall الْأَسْبَاقِ،lessons وَكَانَاand the two used to يَقُولَانِ:say إنَّindeed طَبِيعَتَنَاour nature تَكِلُgrows weary وَتَمَلُّand tires فِيin ذَلِكَthat الْوَقْتِ،time فَقَالَso said أَبُوهُمَاtheir father رَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercy on اللهُ:Allah إنَّindeed الْغُرَبَاءَthe strangers وَأَوْلَادَand children (of) الْكُبَرَاءِthe great ones يَأْتُونَنِيthey come to me مِنْfrom أَقْطَارِcorners (of) الْأَرْضِthe earth فَلَاso no بُدَّescape مِنْfrom أَنْthat أُقَدِّمَI prioritise أَسْبَاقَهُمْ.their lessons فَبِبَرَكَةِso through the blessing (of) شَفَقَتِهِhis tenderness فَاقَsurpassed ابْنَاهُhis two sons أَكْثَرَmost فُقَهَاءِjurists (of) الْأَمْصَارِ،the cities وَأَهْلَand people (of) الْأَرْضِthe earth فِيin ذَلِكَthat الْعَصْرِ.age
Abū l-Ḥasan related that the eminent ṣadr Burhān al-Aʾimma assigned his sons — the martyred ṣadr Ḥusām al-Dīn and the fortunate ṣadr Tāj al-Dīn — their lesson after everyone else's, at late forenoon; they protested that their energy flags then. Their father replied: Foreigners and great men's sons travel from every corner — I must prioritise their sessions. Through that compassion's blessing his two sons surpassed most jurists of the age.
وَيَنْبَغِيit is fitting أَنْthat لَاnot يُنَازِعَhe quarrel أَحَدًاanyone وَلَاand not يُخَاصِمَهُdispute with him لِأَنَّهُbecause it يُضِيعُwastes أَوْقَاتَهُ.his times
Quarrel and futile contention waste your hours — avoid them.
وَقِيلَ:it is said الْمُحْسِنُthe doer of good سَيُجْزَىwill be repaid بِإِحْسَانِهِ،for his good وَالْمُسِيءُand the wrongdoer سَتَكْفِيهِwill suffice him مَسَاوِيهِ.his wrongs
It is said: The doer of good will be repaid with good; the wrongdoer's own wrongs will suffice as his requital.
وَأَنْشَدَنِي الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الزَّاهِدُ الْعَارِفُ رُكْنُ الْإِسْلَامِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِإِمَامِ خَوَاهَرْ زَادَهْ مُفْتِيَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ، قَالَ: أَنْشَدَنِي سُلْطَانُ الشَّرِيعَةِ وَالطَّرِيقَةِ يُوسُفُ الْهَمَذَانِيُّ: لَا تُجْزَ إنْسَانًا عَلَى سُوءِ فِعْلِهِسَيَكْفِيهِ مَا فِيهِ وَمَا هُوَ فَاعِلُهُ
The ascetic imām, pillar of Islam Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr — known as Imām Khāhār Zāda, muftī of both armies — dictated to me; he said Yūsuf al-Hamadhānī, sultan of law and path, recited: / Do not requite a man only for his evil deed / his inward state and what he does will answer for him.
وَقِيلَ: مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَرْغَمَ أَنْفَ عَدُوِّهِ فَلْيُكَثِّرْ. وَأَنْشَدْتُ هَذَا الشِّعْرَ: إذَا شِئْتَ أَنْ تَلْقَى عَدُوَّكَ رَاغِمًاوَتَقْتُلَهُ غَمًّا وَتُحْرِقَهُ هَمًّا فَارْتَقِ إلَى الْعُلَى وَازْدَدْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إنَّهُ
It is said: Whoever wishes to humble an enemy should simply increase (in good). I recited: / If you wish to meet your foe broken, / slaying him with grief, burning him with care — / then rise toward the heights and add knowledge; / whoever gains learning heaps grief on his envier.
وَقِيلَ:it is said عَلَيْكَupon you أَنْthat تَشْتَغِلَyou busy yourself بِمَصَالِحِwith welfare (of) نَفْسِكَyourself لَاnot بِقَهْرِwith crushing عَدُوِّكَ،your enemy فَإِذَاso when أَقَمْتَyou rectify مَصَالِحَwelfare (of) نَفْسِكَyourself تَضْمَنُthat guarantees ذَلِكَthat قَهْرَcrushing عَدُوِّكَ.your enemy إيَّاكَbeware وَالْمُعَادَاةَenmity فَإِنَّهَاfor it تَفْضَحُكَdisgraces you وَتُضِيعُand wastes أَوْقَاتَكَ،your times وَعَلَيْكَand upon you بِالتَّحَمُّلِforbearance لَاespecially سِيَّمَاespecially مِنَfrom السُّفَهَاءِ.the fools
It is said: Busy yourself with your own welfare, not crushing enemies — rectifying yourself guarantees their defeat. Shun enmity: it shames you and devours time. Practice forbearance, especially toward fools.
قَالَsaid عِيسَىʿĪsā بْنُson (of) مَرْيَمَMaryam صَلَوَاتُblessings (of) اللهِAllah عَلَيْهِ:upon him احْتَمِلُواendure! مِنَfrom السَّفِيهِthe fool وَاحِدَةًone (slight) كَيْso that تَرْبَحُواyou gain عَشْرًا.ten
ʿĪsā ibn Maryam, blessings upon him, said: Endure one slight from a fool to gain tenfold.
وَأَنْشَدْتُ لِبَعْضِهِمْ شِعْرًا: بَلَوْتُ النَّاسَ قَرْنًا بَعْدَ قَرْنٍوَلَمْ أَرَ غَيْرَ خُتَّالٍ وَقَلَّالٍ وَلَمْ أَرَ فِي الْخُطُوبِ أَشَدَّ وَقْعًا
I recited someone's verse: / I tested people century after century / and saw none but swindlers and misers; / I never saw in trials a blow harder / or more bitter than men's hostility; / I tasted the bitterness of things at last — / nothing was bitterer than begging.
وَإِيَّاكَbeware أَنْthat تَظُنَّyou suspect بِالْمُؤْمِنِabout the believer سُوءًاevil فَإِنَّهُfor it مَنْشَأُsource (of) الْعَدَاوَةِenmity وَلَاand not يَحِلُّit is permissible ذَلِكَ،that لِقَوْلِهِfor his saying عَلَيْهِupon him الصَّلَاةُthe blessing وَالسَّلَامُ:and the peace ظُنُّواthink well! بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَabout the believers خَيْرًا.good وَإِنَّمَاand only يَنْشَأُit arises ذَلِكَthat مِنْfrom خُبْثِvileness (of) النِّيَّةِintention وَسُوءِand evil (of) السَّرِيرَةِ.inner self
Never suspect ill of a believer — that seeds enmity and is not lawful. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Think well of believers.” Such suspicion grows from foul intention and a corrupted inner self.
كَمَا قَالَ أَبُو الطَّيِّبِ: إذَا سَاءَ فِعْلُ الْمَرْءِ سَاءَتْ ظُنُونُهُوَصَدَقَ مَا يَعْتَادُهُ مِنْ تَوَهُّمٍ وَعَادَى مُحِبَّيهِ بِقَوْلِ عُدَّاتِهِ
As al-Mutanabbī said: / When a man's deeds turn foul, his suspicions sour / and every vain fancy he repeats rings true; / he drives away lovers with his slanderers' talk / and wakes in a night of doubt pitch-black.
وَأَنْشَدْتُ لِبَعْضِهِمْ: تَنَحَّ عَنِ الْقَبِيحِ وَلَا تَرُدَّهُوَمَنْ أَوْلَيْتَهُ حُسْنًا فَزِدْهُ سَتَكْفِيكَ مِنْ عَدُوِّكَ كُلَّ كَيْدٍ
I recited: / Shun the vile and do not hurl it back; / whoever repays you with good, increase him. / Every scheme of your enemy will fail you / when he plots — if you refuse to plot in return.
وَأَنْشَدْتُ لِلشَّيْخِ الْعَمِيدِ أَبِي الْفَتْحِ الْبُسْتِيِّ: ذُو الْعَقْلِ لَا يَسْلَمُ مِنْ جَاهِلٍيَسُومُهُ ظُلْمًا وَإِعْنَاتًا فَلْيَخْتَرِ السَّلْمَ عَلَى حَرْبِهِ
I recited al-Shaykh al-ʿAmīd Abū l-Fatḥ al-Bustī: / The man of sense is never safe from a fool / who drives him with wrong and spite; / let him choose peace over war / and hold fast to listening — deep listening.