In the Name of Allaah, Full of Mercy, Ever-Merciful to

His (Believing) Servants

(1) This is a book which the Shaikh, the Imaam, the 'Allaamah, the
Shaikh of Islaam and the Muftee of the Muslims, Aboo 'Abdullaah
Muhammad the son of Aboo Bakr - better known as Ibn Qayyim
al-Jawziyyah - may Allaah the Exalted have mercy upon him, sent to
one of his brothers. He said:
BLESSING LIES IN GIVING ADVICE AND TEACHING
(2) ìAllaah is the One I ask and for Whose reply I hope: that He is
benevolent to the brother in this life and the hereafter, that He
brings about benefit by him and makes him blessed wherever he
may be. Verily the blessing of a man lies in his teaching of goodness
wherever he may be and his giving of advice to everyone he meets.
Allaah, the Exalted said, informing about al-Maseeh (i.e., Jesus) (υ):
And He made me blessed wherever I may be. [Soorah Maryam
(19):31].
Meaning, ëA teacher of goodness, a caller to Allaah, one who
reminds (others) of Him and who exhorts them to His obedience.í So
this is from the blessing of a man.
(3) Whoever is devoid of these (characteristics) is devoid of
blessing and so the blessing of meeting such a person and spending

time with him is removed. In fact, the blessing of the one who
meets him and spends time with him will also be removed if he
should waste time in merely talking about occurrences and events,
thus corrupting the heart. [refer to the chapter one: The Sound
Heart]
(4) Every harm that enters upon a servant, is caused by the heart's
corruption. The corruption of the heart in turn brings about the
removal of the heart's right upon Allaah, the Exalted, and a
diminution of its degree and rank in the sight of Allaah. For this
reason, some of the shaikhs advised with their saying, ìBe cautious
of (the) mixing with a person which will cause wastage of time and
corruption of the heart. For verily, when time is wasted and the
heart is corrupted, all of the affairs of the servant will become
ruined,1
ëand he will be of those about whom Allaah, the Exalted,
said:
And obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of
Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose
affair has been lost and wasted. [Soorah al-Kahf (18):28].

This is a book which the Shaikh, the Imaam, the ?Allaamah, the Shaikh of Islam and the Muftee of the Muslims, Abo ?Abdullaah Muhammad the son of Abo Bakr better known as Ibn Qayyim alJawziyyah may Allaah the Exalted have mercy upon him, sent to one of his brothers.