NASEEHAH ~ The Art of Advice
| Khatib : | Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: | 155 |
| Khutbah Date: | 06/24/05 |
- Allah – Belief, Worship, Obey (by following His Revelation, the Qur’an = read, understand, reflect, implement); appreciate Blessings; Fulfil duty towards creation of Creator.
- Prophet – Affirming Mission of the Prophet, and following his example
- Leaders – Elect appropriate Leaders; Obey if right, Challenge if wrong; Replace if necessary
- People at large –protecting honor, life & property; doing what is beneficial, guiding towards right, removing harm; being just, honest, fair & kind
Jarir bin Abdullah said: I came to the Prophet and declared, 'I pledge my allegiance to you in Islam (ubayiuka alal Islam)'. The Prophet said, 'on condition that you pray, give charity and offer naseehah'. 'I thus pledgeded my oath of allegiance'. [Riyad as Saliheen of Imam An-Nawawi] The dictionary meaning of naseehah; in a social context, implies… “sincere advice”, “friendly admonition”, and “kindly reminder”. It is a Quranic concept which occurs in a number of places in the Quran (at least 13 times); especially where references are made to the purpose and function of prophets. Thus we read that Prophets Noah [Q 7:62], Salih [Q 7:79] , Hud [Q 7:89] and Shuayb [Q 7:93] (may peace be upon them) all informed the people that the nature of their mission was to give caution as a sincere naasih / advisor does. Giving good advice is a gift. Yet, we sometimes run into trouble because of the way we offer it. Few people are born with the ability to give advice tactfully or offer constructive criticism effectively. Most people forget that the point of giving advice is to help others to operate more effectively; not to demean or belittle their worth or abilities. Yet deciding to give advice improperly, particularly to a close family member, can jeopardize a relationship. The ability to give advice in a positive, constructive way is an art. The Prophet (pbuh) gave comprehensive advice regarding the matter of correcting / advising people. He said : No person is in a position to command good and forbid evil unless these three qualities are attained: Knowledge regarding what one commands and what one forbids; Justice regarding what one commands and what one forbids; Kindness regarding what one commands and what one forbids. The Prophet (pbuh) reminded us that