Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal’s advice to his son on his wedding day

From: Tafseer Raheemi

Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal’s advice to his son on his wedding day:

Dear son, you will not attain good fortune in your home except by 10 characteristics which you show to your wife, so remember them and be enthusiastic in acting upon them.

As for the first two; women like attention and they like to be told clearly that they are loved. So don’t be stingy in expressing your love for your wife. If you become limited in expressing your love, you will create a barrier of harshness between you and her, and there will be a decrease in affection.

3. Ladies hate a strict, overcautious man, yet they seek to use the soft vulnerable one. So use each quality appropriately. This will be more appealing for love and it will bring you peace of mind.

4. Ladies like from their husbands what their husbands like from them, i.e. kind words, good looks, clean clothes and a pleasant odour. Therefore, always remain in that state.

5, Indeed, the house is under the sovereignty of the woman. While she remains therein, she feels that she is sitting upon her throne, and that she is the chief of the house . Stay clear of destroying this kingdom of hers and do not ever attempt to dethrone her, otherwise you will be trying to snatch her sovereignty. A king gets most angry at he who tries to strip him of his authority, even if he portrays to show something else.

6. A woman wants to love her husband, but at the same time she does not want to lose her family. So do not put yourself and her family in the same scale, because then her choice will be down to either you or her family. And even if she does choose you over her family, she will remain in anxiety, which will then turn into hatred towards you in your daily life.

7. Surely woman has been created from a curved rib, and this is the secret of her beauty, and the secret of the attraction towards her. And this is no defect in her, because ‘the eyebrows look beautiful due to them being curved’. So if she errs, do not rebuke her in a manner in which there is no gentleness, attempting to straighten her; otherwise you will simply break her and her breaking, is her divorce. At the same time do not let her off upon that mistake, otherwise her crookedness will increase and she will become arrogant with her ego. Thereafter, she will never soften for you and she won’t listen to you, so stay in between the two.

8. It is in the women’s nature to be ungrateful towards their husbands and to deny favours. If you were to be nice to her for her whole life but you grieved her once, she will say, “I have never seen any good from you”. So don’t let this attitude of her make you dislike her or to run away from her. If you dislike this feature of hers, you will be pleased with some other good habits within her, so create a balance.

9. Surely there are times when a woman goes through some conditions of bodily weakness and fatigue of the mind. Such that Allah has relieved her of some of her compulsory worships during that period; Allah has totally pardoned her from praying, and has postponed the days of fasting for her within this break to a later date until she regains her health and becomes normal in her temperament once more. Thus, during these days, treat her in a godly manner. Just as Allah has relieved her of the duties, you should also lessen your demands and instructions from her during those days.

10. Last but not least, know that a woman is like a captive with you. Therefore, have mercy upon her.

Translated by Hazrat Maulana Abdul Rahim
Edited by Abdus Subhan

Part 8 - Walking

When a student first begins his/her (Islamic) studies, the first thing which is taught to them is that they cannot expect to learn everything by simply reading a textbook. Many of the things which a student picks up comes from observing his teacher. Thus, when it comes to the time of graduating, a student has many sifaat (characteristics) which are incredibly similar to his teacher(s). This can be in the manner of dress, smiling, speaking, walking, talking and the list goes on. It is thus noticeable that those students who are extremely close to their teachers are the ones who are able to mirror their ways in totality and this is praiseworthy. So then what can be said in relation to the Sahabah radiallahu anhum who noted every movement and characteristic of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam? The reason they were so great was down to the fact that they spent their entire life reflecting the ways of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam. If you follow a great person then you too will become great.

With regards to the walking of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam; his movement was very swift and smooth. Hazrat Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu says, "I did not see anyone more handsome as Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam. It was as if the brightness of the sun had shone from his auspicious face. I did not see anyone walk faster than him, as if the earth folded for him. A few moments ago he would be here, and then there. We found it difficult to keep pace when we walked with him, and he walked at his normal pace." This hadith highlights a great lesson for us; many people loiter the streets so that they may be seen or walk in such a way that attracts attention. This was far from the ways of our beloved Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam. His walk was immensely humble and he did not walk with his chest pushed outwards as many arrogant people do today. From reading the ahadith in relation to the walking of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam it can picked up that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam had a sense of calm to his walking, his body emitted a feeling of detachment from worldly interests.

Many people today like to take their time lingering up the road and enjoy having a good ogling session as they do so. Others like to stamp their feet to connote a sense of power and intimidation so that they can be observed and seen as people of dominance! Then there are some bechare, who like to walk up the street with a particular ‘bop’ and that is to make them look ‘gangster’. It is unfortunate that such characteristics have seeped into the lives of many Muslims! What makes it even worse is the fact that we have the example of the greatest man to have ever walked the earth (salallahu alayhi wasallam) yet we still remain heedless.

Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam would lift his legs off the ground with vigour which would highlight that there is vitality in his body and he would not resort to dragging his legs on the ground. His head and shoulders would be slightly tipped forward and he would be swift in his movement. Those who saw him would say it is as if he was descending from a high place. The hadith mentioned above also highlighted that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam would walk so quickly that if a person was to look away from him for a mere second, he would look back only to find Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam at a greater distance. This highlights the fact that Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wasallam didn’t hang around but he would get on with his business. In the other narrations it is mentioned that his eyes would be lowered and this too points towards the fact that he did not continuously stare at people. This is very beneficial for our times, we live in such a time that if we look at someone in the wrong way, it could result in a fight! May Allah Ta’ala protect us!

May Allah Ta’ala give us the ability to follow the Sunnah of our beloved Nabi salallahu alayhi wasallam meticulously. Ameen.

Stories of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh

This article has been translated from Tarashe, the wording in the brackets is my own in order to help the understanding.

Hazrat and The Padre

Once Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib rahmatullahi alayh was waiting at the bus stop when a Padre (Christian chaplain) approached him and said, “I can tell from your face that you are a big scholar of your religion.” Hazrat replied, “No, I am merely a student of knowledge.” The Padre said, “Do you have knowledge with regards to Islam?” Hazrat replied, “A bit.” Then Hazrat stated with regards to the cross the Padre was wearing, “This is incorrect, this is not the reality.” Then he stated forty proofs of the Prophetsalallahu alayhi wa salam & his prophethood. Ten from the Qur’an, ten from the Torah, ten from the Bible and ten using common sense.

Hazrat and The Qadiyanis

Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Anwari Sahib Lailpuri rahmatullahi alayh who is the student of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh relates that there was a famous debate in Bahaawalpur with the Qadiyanis. In this debate, a Qadiyani asked Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh, “You have stated that your religion has been transmitted to you by the way of an unbroken transmission (i.e. there is an unbroken link all the way to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam). And you also believe that if anybody rejects this then they have become a disbeliever. Well now you should put the fatwa of disbelief on Imam Raazi (who is a very big scholar from the past and is known for his Tafsir al Kabir)! Because in Fawatih Ar Rahmat Sharh Muslim Ath Thaboot, Allamah Bahr al Ulum has stated that Imam Raazi has rejected this principle.”

Maulana Anwari rahmatullahi alayh states that coincidentally, we did not have that book with us at that time (so that we could check it for ourselves) but Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib replied at the exact moment,

“Judge Sahib! Note that it has been 32 years since I last read this book and now I no longer have it. But Imam Raazi states that in the hadith where it is stated, “My nation will not gather upon a misguidance.” That this hadith is not on the level of the meaning of tawatur (unbroken transmission). He has rejected the unbroken transmission of this particular hadith, he has not rejected the argument of tawatur! This man has presented this case with trickery. Now tell him to read the actual text from the book otherwise I will take the book from him and read the text out (to you all) myself.”

Consequently, the Qadiyani representative began reading the text from the book. It was precisely that text (word for word) which Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib had dictated to us through his memory. The judge became overtaken with happiness. Hazrat Shah sahib then stated,

“Judge Sahib! This man wanted to leave us without an answer but it is because I am a student of knowledge I have read a few books here and there so that this does not occur.”

Keeping Oneself Focus & Concentrated

It is important to keep oneself concentrated on a particular thing. When a person starts something, he can only achieve his goal by dedicating his mind and thought to it. This statement could serve as a definition for what concentration is. This type of mentality is what Allah Ta’ala has advised the Believers to hold. He says straight away in Surah Fatihah,

“Guide us on the straight path.”

These words are a supplication and if a person makes this statement then he has consequently asked Allah Ta’ala for guidance and help in achieving the ultimate goal – Allah’s pleasure which results in Jannah. Mustaqeem (the straight path) is the road from the womb of the mother to the delightful pastures of Jannah and a Muslim constantly keeps himself motivated in prayer by these thoughts of the happiness of Allah Ta’ala and Jannah.

Thereafter, it is very important to keep oneself motivated in doing this. A person who is adamant on achieving a goal will continually spur himself on to get to the end. He will say sometimes in his mind or even out aloud, “Come on! You can do this!”... a funny incident has just come to my mind which is similar to this. Once, my respected Ustaadh had called me to help with some work. I had a feeling the work would take a long time to finish so I ate biryani, salads etc all to my stomachs fill and then came into his service. Being the compassionate and caring person he is, I came into his service only to find pizza, chips and drinks laid out on the table. Due to my intense love for him and his happiness, I could not say, “Ustaad, I have just eaten.” So I sat and began to eat on a full stomach and I kept telling myself, “One more slice! You can do it! Who’s the man? You are!” Alhamdulillah, I finished whatever was given to me and Maulana was pleased that I had eaten well too. All’s well that ends well. Had I not encouraged myself, I would have hurt Maulana’s feelings and would have shown disrespect to his kindness, generosity and courtesy. A student who hurts his teachers will always find himself neglected of attaining true knowledge.

Similarly, a Muslim motivates himself during the day but he does not realise it. We recite Surah Fatihah in every unit of every obligatory prayer and as a result of this, we recite “Guide us on the straight path” twenty times each day (excluding sunnat/nawaafil). Though we are not conscious of it, this is constant motivator for the soul and nafs (desires). When we are so punctual on our prayer, our nafs understands this ‘motivational talk’ of “Guide us on the straight path” even better. So in accordance with this statement, the nafs becomes inspired and spurred on to do greater works in helping a Muslim attain his Jannah.

For a person who is neglectful of his prayer; he is in essence neglecting himself of this impetus which is found in Surah Fatihah. As a result, his motivational talk becomes the whisperings of Shaytaan khabees and the whims of his desires. These constant inner murmurings will then spur him onto do Haram and the result of constantly doing Haram is Jahannam.

It is therefore important that we keep our mind focused on our goal. If the satisfaction we get from completing coursework and worldly hardships is such then what will be the type of satisfaction we will get from entering Jannah?

When the inhabitants of Jannah enter Jannah, Allah Ta’ala wil say to them, “Do you wish Me to give you anything more?” They will say, “Have you not made our faces bright? Have you not brought us into Jannah and saved us from the Hell?” And Allah Ta’ala will remove the Veil. The (dwellers of Jannah) will feel that they have not been awarded anything dearer to them than looking at their Lord.”

May Allah Ta'ala keep us focused on our beneficial goals and make us from the dwellers of Jannah. Ameen

Brief Stories and Haalaat of Seeking Knowledge and the Akaabireen #2

The following I have translated from "Zafrul Muhasileen Bi Ahwaalil Musanifeen". It is an excellent book for students of knowledge to read and extremely beneficial.

Imam Raazi rahmatullahi alayh would become extremely sorrowful at the time of eating as he would no longer be engaged in attaining Islamic knowledge. So much so that he would say, “I swear by Allah! At the time of eating I feel so sorrowful from being disengaged from knowledge. Without doubt, (the utilisation of) time is magnificent.”

The madressa Sheikh Abu Ishaaq used to study in had 10 flights of stairs. On every staircase, Sheikh Abu Ishaaq would read his sabak 100 times. By the time he got to the top, he had read his sabak 1,000 times. Now, where is this effort today? The state of the common folk became such that when Sheikh Abu Ishaaq travelled to Kharaasaan, whichever big or small district he went to, people came out in their masses to meet him and every working person would place their prized possessions in the transport Sheikh was using.

Hafiz Abul Qasim Sulayman ibn Ahmad Tabraani rahmatullahi alayh passed away 360AH. He spent 33 years travelling around and sought knowledge from 1,000 scholars. Despite this, his thirst for knowledge remained till his death.

Hafiz ibn Taahir Muqqadasi rahamatullahi alayh would never ever use any form of transport when travelling for hadith. He would take the job of transport and conveyance upon himself alone. At times of difficulty, his urine would be blood (due to his situation and lack of food).

Ibn al Maqri rahmatullahi alayh relates: I travelled to 70 destinations to acquire a document (written) by ibn Fuzala. The external appearance of this document was such that even a baker would not exchange one chapatti for it. (i.e. to some it may look so poor but he still went for it.)

Qadhi Thanaullah Panipati rahmatullahi alayhwould spend his bedtime in the obedience, worship and prayer of Allah Ta’ala. He would read 100 rak’at every day and would have the habit of finishing one Qur’an per day in his tahajjud prayer.

Imam e Adab, Sebuwee rahmatullahi alayh started his search for knowledge in fiqh and hadith. At this point, he did not have much of a connection with Nahw (syntax). During this period, Sheikh Hammad ibn Salamah would narrate hadith. One day, Hammad used the words, “laysa AbAAd Darda radiallahu anhu” and Imam e Adab had written down, “laysa AbUUd Darda radiallahu anhu”. Thereafter, he (Sebuwiya) recited this hadith to other listeners. Sheikh Hammad instantly spotted his mistake and said, “Do not recite the hadith incorrectly! It is ‘laysa AbAAd Darda radiallahu anhu!'" At this, Hazrat Sebuwee felt so sad and made a firm intention in his heart that he will learn that topic (Nahw) that will prevent him from making many mistakes. As a result of that, he began to seek knowledge upon Nahw and he studied with such firmness and determination that many students came after him would refer to him as Imam e Adab Sebuwee Nahwee.

May Allah Ta'ala give us the ability to tread in the footsteps of our Akaabireen. Ameen.

Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh

The Childhood of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh

Birth:

The lineage of Hazrat Allamah Muhammad Anwar Shah Sahib Muhaddith Kashmiri rahmatullahi alayh meets with Hazrat Shaykh Mas'ud Narwari Kashmiri whose real lineage goes to Baghdad. He then came to Multan, then Lahore and then chose to stay in Kashmir.

His Childhood:

At the age of four and a half Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah sahib began to learn the Qur'an from his respected father, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Mu'azam Shah. Besides the Qur'an, at the age of six, Hazrat had finished several books in Farsi. He then began to further his studies in Arabic and Farsi through Maulana Ghulam sahib.

When the father of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah sahib began to teach him Mukhtasar al Qudoori (a great book of Hanafi Jurisprudence) he narrates, “He would ask me some rulings that would be impossible to answer without having revised over more detailed books prior. I had to constantly stop him from asking me such questions. In the end, his strength in knowledge and thinking became such that I became distressed! I then had to send him to another scholar. That scholar too became distressed and sent him back!” And so, Hazrat’s father, Hazrat and his elder brother (Yasin Shah) then went to the mountains of Kashmir to do I’tikaf with one very pious person who was known to be a Aarif billah. When the Aarif billah saw the young Hazrat Allamah Shah sahib, he asked his father (Maulana Muhammad Mu’azam), “Is this your son? He is going to be an extremely strong, capable scholar in the future.”

Once, Hazrat was revising over a few books of Mantiq and Nahw, coincidentally, A big scholar had passed by him and picked up the books to see what Hazrat was studying. When he looked at the books, he saw that Hazrat had written his own hawaashi (notes in the margins) on the page and he was only a mere child. At that spectacle, sharp nature, great understanding the scholar said without being prompted by anyone, “This child will become the Razi and Ghazali of his time! (meaning he will surpass the other Ulama and be recognised by all for his immense knowledge and piety.)”

He had the treasures of having a peaceful nature, beautiful manners and righteous actions from the start. By seeing the state of his piety, the people of Kashmir became in doubt and question as to whether Hazrat Allamah Anwari Shah sahib was the Mahdi or not. This got to the extent that the noble father and respected family members of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah would have to reject this misunderstanding.

At one point, Hazrat Anwar Shah Kashmiri himself relates, “At the age of twelve, I gave my first Fatwa and at the age of nine, I had finished the revision of Nahw and Fiqh. (Then recited the verse) ‘This is Allah’s grace, He gives it to whom He wishes.’”

At the age of three, Hazrat had been in the service of thousands of countless Ulama and pious people and had sought knowledge from them. And after a while, when he understood that the thirst of knowledge had been quenched from the various knowledge and skills he had learnt, he enrolled in the Daraluloom Deoband at the age of sixteen after hearing learning of its celebrated rank in India. In Deoband, Hazrat had stayed there for four years benefitting from the most senior and famous scholars of that era in knowledge and spirituality. At the age of twenty, he received a most respected and distinguished sanad (authorization). From his prominent teachers, some are listed below:

Hazrat Maulana Mahmud Hassan Sahib, Hazrat Maulana Khalil Ahmad Saharanpuri, Hazrat Maulana Muhammad Ishaaq Sahib, Hazrat Maulana Ghulam Rasul Sahib Hazaarwi. May Allah have mercy on them all. Ameen.

This is the childhood of Hazrat Allamah Anwar Shah Kashmiri translate from the book, "Baro Ka Bachpan".

Sitting in the Hearts of Allah Walai

Haji Imdadullah Makki rahmatullahi alayh used to say that the Mercy and Love of Allah Ta'ala descends on that person who gains a place of love in the heart of a shaykh.

The reason is that the Mercy and Love of Allah Ta’ala continuously descends on the heart of the shaykh, so when someone else’s love permeates the heart of the shaykh then he too becomes the recipient of Allah’s Mercy and Love.”

Source: Shaykh.org

Love Itself Will Teach You The Etiquettes of Love

Muhabbat (love) cannot be learnt just like that, nor can it be taught just like that. Hazrat Sheikh Muhammad Zakariyya rahmatullahi alayh used to say,

“When I was very young, a child... I used to hear my father (Hazrat Maulana Yahya rahmatullahi alayh) recite poetry. And I used to learn this poetry by heart. I did not understand the deeper meanings of this poetry until when I was older. One of the poems that I had learnt from him were as follows:

محبت ﺗﺟﻬ كو خود ﺁداب محبت سكهاتى ہے

“Love itself will teach you the etiquettes of loving someone.”

Meaning, when a person loves another person to a deep extent, he constantly thinks of ways to show great etiquettes to that special someone. If you search for these etiquettes in a book, you will find some but better than this is true love. If your love for a person is true, it itself will teach you the mannerisms of how to love a person. It was Hazrat Sheikh’s habit to narrate stories during i’tikaaf time in Ramadhan and so in this particular time, he continued to narrate his own experiences in relation to the above poem. He relates that the great ‘Alim Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri rahmatullahi alayh would travel a lot and on his journeys, he would often stop off at Saharanpur where Hazrat Sheikh used to live. And he would stay there for a short period. Once there was a Tableeghi Ijtima and Hazrat Raipuri was arriving at the same time. As the ijtima finished all the great ulama went to the train station to meet Hazrat Raipuri so that they could be in his service. The first thing that Hazrat Sheikh asked him was,

“What is your plan? (i.e. how long do you intend to stay at my house in Saharanpur?)

Hazrat Raipuri said,

“I will stay for today and tomorrow. The third day is up to you, whatever you want me to do, I will do.”

Despite being senior to Hazrat Sheikh and also a man of great ‘ilm, Hazrat Sheikh refused him the request and said,

“No. Not one, two or three days... leave tomorrow. And not just (any time) tomorrow but as soon as the Fajr Adhan goes, you read your Jamaat with your own people and leave. You do not have permission to stay at my house any longer than that.”

Hazrat Raipuri was absolutely bewildered and shocked at this response! He said,

“Give me permission, I have been travelling for so long! I need rest!”

And Hazrat Sheikh said,

“No. Infact, you cannot stay half an hour after the Fajr Adhan, you must leave. You have no permission from me. I will prepare your breakfast and tea and then you go.”

So this is what had happened and when it was Hazrat Maulana Abdul Qadir Raipuri’s time to depart and go back to Raipur, Hazrat Sheikh came to him. He explained his actions and said,

“The reason I done such is because my house is no luxurious place. I live a very simple life. You are travelling and you are going to find no luxury or rest here because my house cannot provide it. You are better off going back to Raipur. And my intention behind this all is so that you get rest. And of course I want you to stay but this is what I was thinking and I could not let you stay any longer than that one night.”

Then when Hazrat Raipuri went back to Raipur, he called all of his close companions and then he said,

“This is the intention that Hazrat Zakariyya has sent me back with...”

and then he began to make many, many dua’as for him before continuing to say,

“This was such a good intention that now I see the benefit.”

Thereafter, he made a huge number of Du’aas for Hazrat Sheikh and continued to do so. Hazrat Sheikh says,

“Whenever I remember this story it makes me very happy because it seems very harsh but it is because the love I had for him taught me these etiquettes.”

Similarly, there is an incident recorded of Sheikhul Islam, Hazrat Sayed Maulana Husain Ahmad Madani Sahib. Once his teacher, Hazrat Sheikhul Hind Maulana Mahmoodul Hasan Sahib received many guests. There was only one toilet in the house and the visitors were to stay for several days. Every night Hazrat Madani used to clean the toilet and the visitors would find the toilet clean the next morning. Once again, it was not books that taught him this but love itself. His love was so true and sincere for his beloved teacher that it gave him the strength to do even the most impossible of works. Finally, we look into the life of our beloved Rasul e Paak salallahu alayhi wa salam .

Our beloved Prophet salallahu alayhi wa salam had a deep and intense love for Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha. He would show her enormous affection right up to the day he left this world. His love for her was so much that he would not let an opportunity slip in which he could show Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha her special place in his heart. When she would sip water from a glass, he would turn that glass and drink from the exact same place where Hazrat Aishah radiallahu anha had placed her lips. He was a very caring and loving husband. He would go out with Aishah radiallahu anha, Sahabahs are with him, he would say to the Sahabah – once it so happened, he said to the Sahabah to go ahead and that he would come with Aishah radiallahu anha. The Sahabah then went forward on that journey that they were travelling and then he says to Aishah,

“Aishah! Come on! Let’s race!”

And they start racing and Aishah radiallahu anha wins the race and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam is left behind. After a few months or years, similarly, the same incident happens and they have a race again. This time, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam wins and so she was left behind and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam won and he said,

“I have taken my revenge .”

So finally I conclude. True love is the basis of teaching how to love a person. Whether those people or that person is from our families, spouses, friends or teachers etc. A person who nourishes his hearts hunger with haraam love will always be void of conentment and this special connection. True love will teach one etiquettes on how to show compassion, care and happiness. Making one another smile will come without thought and exchanging gifts with one another, cheering one another up, keeping eachother away from harm will be a 'doddle' (inshallah). I love you all for the sake of Allah's pleasure and so I have made the above 'user friendly' and 'easy on the eyes' so that you may enjoy reading it inshallah.

May Allah Ta'ala give us all the ability to love one another in the correct manner. Ameen

Spiritual Detention

“If student does not learn his lessons for a couple of days then his teacher might let him off. On the third day however, the teacher will tell him that if you do not know your lessons tomorrow, then you will be detained.

The student will most likely not learn his lesson for that day as well to see if the teacher is serious in observing his threat.

If the teacher does not detain him, then the student will continue to not learn his lesson because now he knows that the teacher is very soft.

On the contrary, if the teacher keeps to his word and detains the student, then the student will start learning his lessons.

After a few days, it is likely that student will again feel like not learning his lessons. If he begins to become lax again and the teacher punishes him once more then he will realise that the teacher is very strict.

He will also realise that the only way to find ease is to regularly learn his lessons.
Although every now and then he will still feel lazy the student will now remain punctual in learning what is required

This scenario is almost an exact replica of the situation we experience when it comes to training our nafs.

If we continue to let our nafs not learn the lessons that are required (i.e. the prescriptions given by the Shaykh) then it will know that we are very soft. Hence, it will continue to indulge in sin and negligence.

On the contrary, if we are strict with the nafs and force it to learn the lessons that are required then, it will try to rebel, but will soon come to realise that ease lies in doing what is required.
Hence, the nafs will become punctual and observant.”

By Anas Patel

Taken from www.Shaykh.org