اِعْلَمْ أَيُّهَا الْوَلَدُ الْمُحِبُّ الْعَزِيزُ أَطَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بَقَاءَكَ بِطَاعَتِهِ وَسَلَكَ بِكَ سَبِيلَ أَحِبَّائِهِ

Know, O dear loving son—may Allah Almighty prolong your life in His obedience and guide you to the path of His beloved ones—

أَنَّ مَنْشُورَ النَّصِيحَةِ يُكْتَبُ مِنْ مَعْدِنِ الرِّسَالَةِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ، إِنْ كَانَ قَدْ بَلَغَكَ مِنْهُ نَصِيحَةٌ فَأَيُّ حَاجَةٍ لَكَ فِي نَصِيحَتِي،

that the manifesto of advice is written from the source of the Message (peace and blessings be upon him). If advice from him has reached you, what need do you have for my advice?

وَإِنْ لَمْ يَبْلُغْكَ فَقُلْ لِي: مَاذَا حَصَّلْتَ فِي هَذِهِ السِّنِينَ الْمَاضِيَةِ؟!

But if it has not reached you, then tell me: what have you achieved in these past years?!

أَيُّهَا الْوَلَدُ

O son,

مِنْ جُمْلَةِ مَا نَصَحَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أُمَّتَهُ قَوْلُهُ "عَلَامَةُ إِعْرَاضِ اللهِ تَعَالَى عَنِ الْعَبْدِ اشْتِغَالُهُ بِمَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ،

Among the advice that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) gave to his nation is his saying: "The sign of Allah Almighty turning away from a servant is his preoccupation with what does not concern him."

وَإِنَّ امْرَأً ذَهَبَتْ سَاعَةٌ مِنْ عُمُرِهِ فِي غَيْرِ مَا خُلِقَ لَهُ لَجَدِيرٌ أَنْ تَطُولَ عَلَيْهِ حَسْرَتُهُ،

Indeed, a person whose hour of life passes in anything other than what he was created for deserves to have his regret last long.

وَمَنْ جَاوَزَ الْأَرْبَعِينَ، وَلَمْ يَغْلِبْ خَيْرُهُ شَرَّهُ فَلْيَتَجَهَّزْ لِلنَّارِ".

And whoever passes forty and whose good does not outweigh his evil, let him prepare for the Fire."

وَفِي هَذِهِ النَّصِيحَةِ كِفَايَةٌ لِأَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ.

In this advice, there is enough for the people of knowledge.

أَيُّهَا الْوَلَدُ

O son,

النَّصِيحَةُ سَهْلٌ، وَالْمُشْكِلُ قَبُولُهَا، لِأَنَّهَا فِي مَذَاقِ مُتَّبِعِي الْهَوَى مُرٌّ؛ إِذِ الْمَنَاهِي مَحْبُوبَةٌ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ،

Advice is easy, the problem is accepting it, because it is bitter in the taste of those who follow their whims; for prohibitions are beloved in their hearts,