In this article we will continue our discussion regarding The Treatise of Rights by Imam Zayn Al-Abidin (AS). We will discuss the Right of Him Who Seeks Your Counsel. Regarding this, the Imam (AS) has said:

And the right of him who seeks your counsel is that you should give him your counsel as much as you think he can bear. And you should talk with him with such gentle words that he listens to you and you should use such words that his intellect can understand. This is because for each person’s intellect there is a certain way of talking that he can comprehend and respond to. You should choose having mercy as your course of action. And there is no power but in God.

Whoever chooses you out of all people to open up to and trust is giving you a huge privilege. In short, Imam Sajjad states that one who seeks counsel has the right to be advised as much as he can bear to hear. Advice should be given gently to help the listener accept it. One should also be kind when giving someone some advice. Giving counsel and wishing well are among the important topics stressed in Islam. The Qur’an has stressed that the Divine Prophets are social counselors. We read in the Chapter A`raaf of the Holy Qur’an that the Prophets give advice to people:

“I but fulfill towards you the duties of my Lord's mission: Sincere is my advice to you, and I know from God something that ye know not.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-A`raaf 7:62]

Counselling and giving advice is and has been the job and duty of Messengers and Prophets. The Prophet Noah said the following to his nation:

“I but fulfill towards you the duties of my Lord's mission: Sincere is my advice to you, and I know from God something that ye know not.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-A`raaf 7:62]

“So Salih left them, saying: “O my people! I did indeed convey to you the message for which I was sent by my Lord: I gave you good counsel, but ye love not good counselors!” [The Holy Qur’an, al-A`raaf 7:79]
 

The Qur’an says the following regarding the Prophet Shu’aib :

So Shu'aib left them, saying: “O my people! I did indeed convey to you the messages for which I was sent by my Lord: I gave you good counsel, but how shall I lament over a people who refuse to believe!” [The Holy Qur’an, al-A`raaf 7:93]

All the Prophets of God were advisors to their nations. All men naturally welcome being advised except those who have lost their purely divine nature. Such people did not pay any attention to the Prophets and were thus seized by a severe punishment. It is interesting to note that even Satan uses giving advice as a means of fooling people. We read in the following verse of the Holy Qur’an about Satan’s swearing to Adam and Eve that he is their sincere advisor:

“And he swore to them both, that he was their sincere advisor.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-A`raaf 7:21]

Thus, we should realize that our enemies might sometimes approach us as friends giving us advice in order to corrupt us. We learned that the Prophets were advisors to their nations. There are several traditions from the Immaculate Imams , which state that believers are also each other’s advisors.

Advisors don’t necessarily have to be Prophets, any individual who is wise, intelligent, and is a believer can advise and council others.  There is a chapter in Usul al-Kafi on “Believer’s Advice.” Imam Sadiq said:

“It is incumbent upon a believer to give sincere counsel to a(nother) believer.”

The late Allameh Majlisi said in his book Mir’at al-Uqool: “What is meant by advice is guiding them to improve their religious and worldly affairs, and training the ignorant people to fend off harm from them and bring them some benefits. If they do not accept your advice, you have shown your good intentions by advising them to do good deeds and refrain from evil acts.” The Noble Prophet of God said:

“Each of you should give sincere advice to your brethren just as you give sincere advice to yourselves.”

Many narrations have reflected on the importance of giving advice, and how its reward is of great magnitude. Imam Sadiq quoted on the authority of God’s Prophet :

 “The people of the highest rank near God on the Resurrection Day are those who were the most active on His earth in counseling His creatures.”

This implies exerting efforts to advise the people and to improve their conditions. Sufyan ibn Uyaynah narrated that he heard Imam Sadiq say:

“It is prescribed for you to advise the people for the sake of God. You will not find any better deed than this.”

We see that advice given sincerely for God’s sake is highly valued, not advice intended to corrupt the people or out of deceit or financial expectations. There is no reward but deprivation for such advice. The Noble Prophet of Islam delivered a sermon in Mina and said:

“Three things for which a Muslim’s heart should have no malice: sincere deeds for God, sincere advice and desiring what is good for the Imams of the Muslims, and adhering to their community.”

We note the importance of doing things for the sake of God, and the need of the leaders to be advised mentioned by the Prophet in this tradition.

So how do we give advice?

Advice should be given for the sake of God for it to be effective. It should also be as much as one being advised can accept. We cannot advise people in any way we want. We must learn how to advise, how to express our advice and how to influence the person being advised. Imam Sajjad said: “You are not free to say whatever you wish, since the Prophet of God has said:

“May God have mercy on the servant who speaks well and benefits, or is silent and remains secure.”

Imam Ali said:

“Refrain from speaking about what you do not know how to do, and do not know the truth about it. What you say is a sign of your intellect, and your words inform others of the degree of your knowledge and recognition.”

One of the key elements in good advice is in it’s not being boring. Imam Ali said:

“The best speech is that which the ears do not eject (through forgetfulness), and the understanding of which does not fatigue the intellect.”

This has been expressed as one of the rights of him who seeks your counsel by Imam Sajjad : “And you should talk with him in such gentle words that he listens to you and you should use such words that his intellect can understand.”

The Noble Prophet also said: “We the Prophets are appointed to talk to the people according to their level of intellect.” Imam Sajjad advises us to use mercy in dealing with the people we advise, and not use force, frightening or threatening. This is because such acts have no influence on the person being advised.

A very important factor in giving advice is being patient. When someone comes to you with a particular problem, the most important thing is to listen and be patient.

Patience can take on in numerous forms, with the most prevalent and common one being, being patient through trials and hardships without losing hope and faith in Allah SWT. As Allah states in the holy Quran, chapter 8 verse 46:

“Indeed Allah is with those who patiently endure”.

Here through the Holy Quran, Allah is not only giving a guaranteed promise that He will assist those who are patient in difficult situations, but also provides a beautiful lesson, that being patient is a virtue that is never left without an award.

When the verse states that Allah is with those who patiently endure, it is trying to explain that Allah SWT is truly on the lookout for those persevering through difficulty and that at one point, the patient will be rewarded with ease and solutions for their hardships.

This is also mentioned by the prince of the Imams and the Commander of the faithful, Imam Ali AS, as he stated in one of his inspiring and magnificent hadiths:

“Be sure that there is something waiting for you after much patience, to astonish you to a degree that you forget the bitterness of the pain”

Here the Imam is trying to expand on what Allah has already promised in his Holy Book, as he states that those who persevere through hardships while still having faith in Allah, will be rewarded with such ease that they will forget the pain they endured during the time of their hardships. Here Imam Ali is also trying to expand on the idea of Allah’s mercy and the greatness of His love towards us, as he states that the reward from Allah to those who are patient is so great that they will be so astonished they will forget the discomfort and pain they felt during their hardships.

Mansour, the Abbasid caliph, attempted to invite Imam Sadiq to his court in order to claim to be a just ruler. He sent Imam Sadiq the following message: “Why do you not associate with us in our court as other people do?” He thought that the Imam would fear his might. But the Imam replied: “O’ Mansour! We have nothing of this world for which to fear you, and find nothing of the Hereafter near you to put any hopes in. What is the benefit of my associating with you?”

Mansour felt bad receiving this response and sent another message saying: “Then come associate with us to give us some advice.” Imam Sadiq sent him the following response: “O’ Mansour! Whoever seeks (the blessings) of this world would not advise you, and whoever seeks the Hereafter would not associate with you,.”