Enjoy_your_Life-Eاستمتع بحياتك - الشيخ محمد العريفي
[center]
Contents
Publisher’s Foreword 10
Introduction 17
1. They did not benefit 19
2. What are we going to learn? 22
3. Why do we search for skills? 24
4. Improve yourself 28
5. Do not cry over spilt milk 32
6. Be unique 35
7. Who is the most beloved to you? 39
8. Enjoy the skills 48
9. With the poor 52
10. With women 55
11. With children... 61
12. With slaves and servants 66
13. With adversaries 69
6
14. With animals 78
15. A hundred ways to win people’s hearts 82
16. Purify your intention for the sake of Allah 86
17. Use the right flavour 91
18. Choose the right topics 108
19. Be kind at the first meeting 117
20. People are like the minerals of the earth 124
21. Mu’awiyah’s hair 139
22. The keys to hearts 145
23. Taking one’s psychologicalcondition... 148
24. Be concerned about others 154
25. Show them that you want the best... 170
26. Remember names 176
27. Be observant and complimentary 179
28. Only pass comment on what is good 187
29. Do not interfere in matters that... 191
30. How to deal with a meddlesome person 196
31. Do not criticise! 199
32. Do not be dictatorial 207
33. Hold the stick from the middle 215
7
34. Make it easy to rectify a fault 225
35. The other opinion 237
36. Respond to mistreatment with kindness 244
37. Convince him of his error so he may.... 254
38. Do not criticise me! End of story? 262
39. Verify the fault before criticising 276
40. Whip me gently! 281
41. Run away from problems! 285
42. Admit your faults and do not be arrogant… 294
43. The keys to mistakes… 300
44. Untie the bundle 309
45. Self torture 316
46. Problems with no solutions 323
47. Do not kill yourself by grief 325
48. Be content with what Allah has apportioned... 329
49. Be a mountain 337
50. Do not curse him because he drinks alcohol! 342
51. If what you desire does not happen,.... 344
52. We can disagree and still be brothers! 347
53. Gentleness only beautifies 352
8
54. Between the living and the dead 363
55. Make your tongue sweet 377
56. Be concise and do not argue 385
57. Do not care about what people say 389
58. Smile and keep smiling 392
59. The red lines 396
60. Keeping a secret 401
61. Fulfilling people’s needs 409
62. Do not burden yourself with what you.... 413
63. Who kicked the cat? 419
64. Humbleness 428
65. To worship in secret 431
66. Take them out of the ditch 439
67. Looking after one’s appearance 442
68. Honesty 446
69. Bravery 450
70. Steadiness on principles 453
71. Temptations 458
72. Forgiving others 462
73. Generosity 472
9
74. Restraining oneself from harming others 482
75. Do not gain enemies 487
76. The tongue is king 489
77. Control your tongue 497
78. The key 502
79. The emotional bank balance 510
80. The magician 515
81. Help by your speech if you cannot do so... 524
82. Supplications 534
83. Patching up 549
84. Look with both eyes 554
85. The art of listening 559
86. The art of discussion 565
87. Block the escape routes of the detractors 572
88. Wait and do not interrupt! 576
89. Charity before consultation 580
90. It is not important to always be successful 589
91. Be brave and start from now! 591
Publisher’s Foreword
It so happened that in the year 2007, I was in the city
of the
Prophet .
It has been my old habit that whenever I travel to
a city, I always make it a point to visit all its
bookstores. When
it comes to books, the city of Madinah is in its own
league. In
the bookstores of Madinah, one is bound to come across
all
the newly published literature − and shopping for books
is, of
course, my favourite pastime. The staff who work at
most of the
bookstores near the Prophet’s Mosque know me on a
personal
basis, as a large number of Darussalam’s publications
are available
at these stores.
One day, when I was visiting one of these bookstores, I
looked
at the shelves and noticed a book called, ‘Enjoy
Your Life’. Just as
I was about to pick it up, Abu ‘Abdullah greeted me,
hugged me,
and asked, ‘When did you arrive? How long are you here
for?’
Meanwhile, I reached out for the book… Abu ‘Abdullah,
who is
originally from Yemen, has been involved in the book
market for
a long time. He is one of the many Darussalam
distributors. He
noticed the book in my hand and said, ‘This book is
excellent.
If you were to publish its translation, it would be
considered a
valuable addition to the international Islamic book
collection.’
He continued as he held my hand, ‘This book has made a
record number
of sales.’
Some time later, in my hotel room, I began reading the
book.
As I continued reading, I became more and more
captivated by
it. There is no doubt that the subject of the book
itself was the
thing that most interested me.
Solutions to all the problems of the Muslim nation are
present
in the life of Allah’s Messenger .
His life is certainly an example
for us to follow and a model for us to refer to at all
times. No
matter what problem arises in our lives, if we look to
the Prophet’s
Seerah for a solution, we will surely find it.What
makes this
book outstanding is that it deals with our social
problems in light
of the Prophetic lifestyle. The work is filled with
incidents from
the Seerah, Islamic history, and the author’s own
experiences.
By reading this book and implementing it practically,
all of us can
make our lives more enjoyable and more tranquil.
This book includes remedies for despondency and
numerous
tips on how to keep worries and stress at bay. The
author of
this book, Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-‘Arifi is
a well
known scholar and lecturer from Saudi Arabia. His
audiences are
left mesmerised during his lectures as he has such a
unique way
of speaking that even us, the non-Arabs, are enchanted
by his
words. A visit to any of the Islamic audiocassette
shops in this
land gives proof to the popularity of this talented
lecturer, and a
single hearing of any of his lectures guarantees
addiction!
When I returned to Riyadh from Madinah, I requested one
of
our Egyptian Darussalam associates, Muhammad Shakir
Qadhi,
to establish contact with Dr. Al-‘Arifi and to request
permission
for the translation of his book. After a few days, we
managed to
establish contact with Dr. Al-‘Arifi. Fortunately, for
us, he was
already familiar with Darussalam. As he said himself,
most of the
books he takes on his international travels are of
Darussalam
publications. It is always easier to work towards an
agreement
if there is preceding familiarity. We invited Dr.
Al-‘Arifi over to
Darussalam’s headquarters for a visit, and he gladly
accepted the
invitation. Thus, we had the pleasure of his company.
I found him to be just as handsome and immaculate as
are
his works and lectures. He has a unique and charming
character
and a very humble personality. I know from my
experience
with people in the Islamic world, that the more famous
and well
respected a person becomes, the more modest and noble
is his
behaviour. Dr. Al-‘Arifi signed the contract with
Darussalam and
then excused himself, saying he was in a hurry and that
he would
return soon to discuss further details.
After a couple of weeks or so, as I was travelling once
again to
Madinah, I coincidently noticed Dr. Al-‘Arifi seated on
the same
plane. As the seat besides him was empty, we had the
opportunity
to sit together and familiarise ourselves with each
other
even more. We spoke at length and felt closer to one
another. A
few days later, he returned to Darussalam and gave us a
number
of new suggestions. We introduced him to some of our
projects,
and it was then decided that Darussalam would translate
his
books into various languages.
He explained how his book, ‘Enjoy Your Life’ is in reality
a
summary of his entire life experience. He spent a
considerable
amount of time authoring this book. There is no doubt
that he
wrote this work from the very depths of his heart, and
one really
must read it to realise and acknowledge the beauty of
it. This
book was published in Arabic in Sha’ban 1428AH,
corresponding
to August 2007, and within the span of one year, it had
sold
100,000 copies.
As mentioned previously, Dr. Muhammad al-‘Arifi is
indigenously
from Saudi Arabia. He is from the famous Arab tribe
known as Banu Khalid (Banu Makhzum) − it goes without
mentioning
that Banu Khalid are the descendants of the famous
soldier,
Mujahid and Companion of the Prophet, Khalid bin
al-Walid
– may Allah be pleased with him. Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd
ar-Rahman
al-‘Arifi was born in the year 1970. He graduated from
Saudi
universities where he acquired his PhD. The title of
his PhD research
thesis was “Ara’ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya fi
al-Sufiyya
– Jam’ wa Dirasah” (The Views of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyyah
on Sufism – a Compilation and Study).
Currently, he is a founding and dignitary member of
various
Da’wah organisations, as well as being a member of
their advisory
committees. He is also a member of the advisory board
for many
international organisations. Aside from being a
visiting professor
in various Saudi and foreign universities, he is also a
professor
in King Saud University of Riyadh. He has been
delivering Friday
sermons for over twenty years in different mosques in
Saudi
Arabia. Currently, he delivers his Friday sermons in
al-Bawaardi
mosque, which is a major mosque located in the south of
Riyadh.
Every Friday, so many people attend, that it is
impossible to find
a parking space anywhere in the vicinity of the mosque.
Once I
had the opportunity of praying the Friday prayer behind
Dr. Al14
‘Arifi.We arrived at the mosque very early, but despite
that, we
had to park very far away. The ground floor of the
mosque was
fully occupied, so we went up to the first floor where
we were
able to find a place to sit. Soon afterwards, the first
floor also
became congested with worshippers. Dr. Muhammad
al-‘Arifi is
an amazing orator. He was fortunate enough to be a
student of
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin Baz for fifteen to sixteen
years, and from
whom he learnt Tafseer and Fiqh. For eight years, he
took lessons
from Dr. ‘Abdullah al-Jibrin in Tawheed. His other
teachers
include, Shaykh ‘Abdullah bin Qu’ud, Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Rahman bin
Nasir al-Barrak and various other scholars. His
connections with
the scholars of Madinah go back very far. During his
days as a student
and thereafter, he learnt Fiqh from those scholars. He
has
memorised the Qur’an and is known for his fine
recitation. He
takes a special interest in Hadeeth literature and has
received
licences for the chains of transmission for various
Hadeeth texts
from a number of scholars.
More than twenty of his works in Arabic have been
published
and distributed in nearly a million copies. His books,
which are
often published in four colours, are attractive and
pleasing to
the eye, and available at low-cost. It is because his
books deal
with issues affecting the lives of everyday people,
that they are
acclaimed and appreciated by all. Many well-wishers
make his
books their choice for their donations and free
distributions.
The following is a list of some of the works of Dr.
Muhammad
al-‘Arifi:
- A work on Tawheed called Irkab Ma’ana, an excellent
work
of which 400,000 copies have been published.
- A work on Da’wah to Allah, called Hal Tabhath ‘an
Wadhifa,
of which 150,000 copies have been published.
- Innaha Malikah, in 150,000 copies.
- Fi Batn al-Hut, in 150,000 copies.
- A work on the topic of worship in 100,000 copies.
- A work on the topic of Hijaab called Sarkha fi Mat’am
al-
Jami’a, in 150,000 copies.
- Rihla Ila al-Sama’ with 150,000 copies published and
sold.
- A compilation of counselling to doctors and patients
called
‘Ashiq fi Ghurfat al-‘Amaliyat in 70,000 copies.
- A pamphlet called Adhkar al-Muslim al-Yawmiyyah, of
which
20 million copies have been published within only three
years.
Many of Dr. al-‘Arifi’s lectures are available on the
internet
without charge; he also writes columns and essays for
various
newspapers and magazines and has appeared on a number
of
Arabic satellite television channels.
The administration of Darussalam hopes, in the very
near future,
to translate into different languages and publish the
various
works of Dr. Al-‘Arifi while maintaining a high
literary standard,
Allah willing.
I would like to thank our brothers Saleem Beg and Nasim
Chowdhury for translating and editing this work
respectively.
We pray to Allah that He grants the author, the
translator and
the editor good health and long life, and that He
blesses their
knowledge and actions. We would be extremely delighted
to
receive any feedback or suggestions from our readers,
and we
hope you remember us in your prayers.
Your loving brother
‘Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Darussalam Publishers
Riyadh - Saudi Arabia August 2008
Introduction
All praise is due to Allah. May Allah’s peace and blessings
be
upon the one after whom there is no other prophet.
As a seventeen year old, I came across a book called,
‘How
to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie,
which I
found to be quite excellent and which I subsequently
read several
times. The author suggested that one should read the
book
once a month, which is exactly what I did. I began to
apply its
principles when dealing with others and witnessed
amazing results.
Carnegie would often mention a principle and then cite
various
examples of this by way of incidents related to
prominent
figures, such as Roosevelt, Lincoln, Joseph, and so on.
I contemplated and realised that the author’s only goal
was
to attain worldly happiness. What if he were to have
known Islam
and the etiquettes it teaches? He would surely have
achieved
eternal as well as ephemeral happiness! How about if he
were to
have turned his wonderful interpersonal skills into
worship, with
which he would have drawn closer to Allah? When I later
discovered
that Carnegie had committed suicide, I knew for certain
that his book, despite its merits, had not benefitted
him.
I then began to search our own history and discovered
that
the life of Allah’s Messenger ,
his Companions, and anecdotes
of some of the prominent men of this ummah are more
than
enough for us to learn lessons from. From then on, I
began to author
this book concerning the art of dealing with others.
Hence,
this book is not the product of a month or a year’s
toil. Rather,
it is the result of twenty years of serious study.
Although Allah has blessed me with the ability to have
produced
twenty books so far, some of which have been printed
in their millions, I nevertheless believe that the most
beloved,
precious and beneficial of all of them to me is this
book, which I
wrote with ink blended with my blood; I poured out my
soul and
squeezed out my memories as I wrote these lines.
I have written these words from the very depths of my
heart so it may penetrate the heart of the reader, and
would
be delighted to learn that he or she has indeed
implemented
its teachings, experienced an improvement in his or her
skills,
and therefore actually began enjoying life. If he or
she were to
then thankfully write a message expressing his or her
views and
feelings honestly and send it to me via email or SMS, I
would be
grateful for this kindness and remember to pray for him
or her
in their absence.
I pray to Allah that the reader benefits from these
pages, and
that He makes my efforts purely for His sake.
Written by the one who is always praying for what is
best
for you.
Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Arifi
Contents
Publisher’s Foreword 10
Introduction 17
1. They did not benefit 19
2. What are we going to learn? 22
3. Why do we search for skills? 24
4. Improve yourself 28
5. Do not cry over spilt milk 32
6. Be unique 35
7. Who is the most beloved to you? 39
8. Enjoy the skills 48
9. With the poor 52
10. With women 55
11. With children... 61
12. With slaves and servants 66
13. With adversaries 69
6
14. With animals 78
15. A hundred ways to win people’s hearts 82
16. Purify your intention for the sake of Allah 86
17. Use the right flavour 91
18. Choose the right topics 108
19. Be kind at the first meeting 117
20. People are like the minerals of the earth 124
21. Mu’awiyah’s hair 139
22. The keys to hearts 145
23. Taking one’s psychologicalcondition... 148
24. Be concerned about others 154
25. Show them that you want the best... 170
26. Remember names 176
27. Be observant and complimentary 179
28. Only pass comment on what is good 187
29. Do not interfere in matters that... 191
30. How to deal with a meddlesome person 196
31. Do not criticise! 199
32. Do not be dictatorial 207
33. Hold the stick from the middle 215
7
34. Make it easy to rectify a fault 225
35. The other opinion 237
36. Respond to mistreatment with kindness 244
37. Convince him of his error so he may.... 254
38. Do not criticise me! End of story? 262
39. Verify the fault before criticising 276
40. Whip me gently! 281
41. Run away from problems! 285
42. Admit your faults and do not be arrogant… 294
43. The keys to mistakes… 300
44. Untie the bundle 309
45. Self torture 316
46. Problems with no solutions 323
47. Do not kill yourself by grief 325
48. Be content with what Allah has apportioned... 329
49. Be a mountain 337
50. Do not curse him because he drinks alcohol! 342
51. If what you desire does not happen,.... 344
52. We can disagree and still be brothers! 347
53. Gentleness only beautifies 352
8
54. Between the living and the dead 363
55. Make your tongue sweet 377
56. Be concise and do not argue 385
57. Do not care about what people say 389
58. Smile and keep smiling 392
59. The red lines 396
60. Keeping a secret 401
61. Fulfilling people’s needs 409
62. Do not burden yourself with what you.... 413
63. Who kicked the cat? 419
64. Humbleness 428
65. To worship in secret 431
66. Take them out of the ditch 439
67. Looking after one’s appearance 442
68. Honesty 446
69. Bravery 450
70. Steadiness on principles 453
71. Temptations 458
72. Forgiving others 462
73. Generosity 472
9
74. Restraining oneself from harming others 482
75. Do not gain enemies 487
76. The tongue is king 489
77. Control your tongue 497
78. The key 502
79. The emotional bank balance 510
80. The magician 515
81. Help by your speech if you cannot do so... 524
82. Supplications 534
83. Patching up 549
84. Look with both eyes 554
85. The art of listening 559
86. The art of discussion 565
87. Block the escape routes of the detractors 572
88. Wait and do not interrupt! 576
89. Charity before consultation 580
90. It is not important to always be successful 589
91. Be brave and start from now! 591
Publisher’s Foreword
It so happened that in the year 2007, I was in the city
of the
Prophet .
It has been my old habit that whenever I travel to
a city, I always make it a point to visit all its
bookstores. When
it comes to books, the city of Madinah is in its own
league. In
the bookstores of Madinah, one is bound to come across
all
the newly published literature − and shopping for books
is, of
course, my favourite pastime. The staff who work at
most of the
bookstores near the Prophet’s Mosque know me on a
personal
basis, as a large number of Darussalam’s publications
are available
at these stores.
One day, when I was visiting one of these bookstores, I
looked
at the shelves and noticed a book called, ‘Enjoy
Your Life’. Just as
I was about to pick it up, Abu ‘Abdullah greeted me,
hugged me,
and asked, ‘When did you arrive? How long are you here
for?’
Meanwhile, I reached out for the book… Abu ‘Abdullah,
who is
originally from Yemen, has been involved in the book
market for
a long time. He is one of the many Darussalam
distributors. He
noticed the book in my hand and said, ‘This book is
excellent.
If you were to publish its translation, it would be
considered a
valuable addition to the international Islamic book
collection.’
He continued as he held my hand, ‘This book has made a
record number
of sales.’
Some time later, in my hotel room, I began reading the
book.
As I continued reading, I became more and more
captivated by
it. There is no doubt that the subject of the book
itself was the
thing that most interested me.
Solutions to all the problems of the Muslim nation are
present
in the life of Allah’s Messenger .
His life is certainly an example
for us to follow and a model for us to refer to at all
times. No
matter what problem arises in our lives, if we look to
the Prophet’s
Seerah for a solution, we will surely find it.What
makes this
book outstanding is that it deals with our social
problems in light
of the Prophetic lifestyle. The work is filled with
incidents from
the Seerah, Islamic history, and the author’s own
experiences.
By reading this book and implementing it practically,
all of us can
make our lives more enjoyable and more tranquil.
This book includes remedies for despondency and
numerous
tips on how to keep worries and stress at bay. The
author of
this book, Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-‘Arifi is
a well
known scholar and lecturer from Saudi Arabia. His
audiences are
left mesmerised during his lectures as he has such a
unique way
of speaking that even us, the non-Arabs, are enchanted
by his
words. A visit to any of the Islamic audiocassette
shops in this
land gives proof to the popularity of this talented
lecturer, and a
single hearing of any of his lectures guarantees
addiction!
When I returned to Riyadh from Madinah, I requested one
of
our Egyptian Darussalam associates, Muhammad Shakir
Qadhi,
to establish contact with Dr. Al-‘Arifi and to request
permission
for the translation of his book. After a few days, we
managed to
establish contact with Dr. Al-‘Arifi. Fortunately, for
us, he was
already familiar with Darussalam. As he said himself,
most of the
books he takes on his international travels are of
Darussalam
publications. It is always easier to work towards an
agreement
if there is preceding familiarity. We invited Dr.
Al-‘Arifi over to
Darussalam’s headquarters for a visit, and he gladly
accepted the
invitation. Thus, we had the pleasure of his company.
I found him to be just as handsome and immaculate as
are
his works and lectures. He has a unique and charming
character
and a very humble personality. I know from my
experience
with people in the Islamic world, that the more famous
and well
respected a person becomes, the more modest and noble
is his
behaviour. Dr. Al-‘Arifi signed the contract with
Darussalam and
then excused himself, saying he was in a hurry and that
he would
return soon to discuss further details.
After a couple of weeks or so, as I was travelling once
again to
Madinah, I coincidently noticed Dr. Al-‘Arifi seated on
the same
plane. As the seat besides him was empty, we had the
opportunity
to sit together and familiarise ourselves with each
other
even more. We spoke at length and felt closer to one
another. A
few days later, he returned to Darussalam and gave us a
number
of new suggestions. We introduced him to some of our
projects,
and it was then decided that Darussalam would translate
his
books into various languages.
He explained how his book, ‘Enjoy Your Life’ is in reality
a
summary of his entire life experience. He spent a
considerable
amount of time authoring this book. There is no doubt
that he
wrote this work from the very depths of his heart, and
one really
must read it to realise and acknowledge the beauty of
it. This
book was published in Arabic in Sha’ban 1428AH,
corresponding
to August 2007, and within the span of one year, it had
sold
100,000 copies.
As mentioned previously, Dr. Muhammad al-‘Arifi is
indigenously
from Saudi Arabia. He is from the famous Arab tribe
known as Banu Khalid (Banu Makhzum) − it goes without
mentioning
that Banu Khalid are the descendants of the famous
soldier,
Mujahid and Companion of the Prophet, Khalid bin
al-Walid
– may Allah be pleased with him. Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd
ar-Rahman
al-‘Arifi was born in the year 1970. He graduated from
Saudi
universities where he acquired his PhD. The title of
his PhD research
thesis was “Ara’ Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya fi
al-Sufiyya
– Jam’ wa Dirasah” (The Views of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyyah
on Sufism – a Compilation and Study).
Currently, he is a founding and dignitary member of
various
Da’wah organisations, as well as being a member of
their advisory
committees. He is also a member of the advisory board
for many
international organisations. Aside from being a
visiting professor
in various Saudi and foreign universities, he is also a
professor
in King Saud University of Riyadh. He has been
delivering Friday
sermons for over twenty years in different mosques in
Saudi
Arabia. Currently, he delivers his Friday sermons in
al-Bawaardi
mosque, which is a major mosque located in the south of
Riyadh.
Every Friday, so many people attend, that it is
impossible to find
a parking space anywhere in the vicinity of the mosque.
Once I
had the opportunity of praying the Friday prayer behind
Dr. Al14
‘Arifi.We arrived at the mosque very early, but despite
that, we
had to park very far away. The ground floor of the
mosque was
fully occupied, so we went up to the first floor where
we were
able to find a place to sit. Soon afterwards, the first
floor also
became congested with worshippers. Dr. Muhammad
al-‘Arifi is
an amazing orator. He was fortunate enough to be a
student of
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz bin Baz for fifteen to sixteen
years, and from
whom he learnt Tafseer and Fiqh. For eight years, he
took lessons
from Dr. ‘Abdullah al-Jibrin in Tawheed. His other
teachers
include, Shaykh ‘Abdullah bin Qu’ud, Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Rahman bin
Nasir al-Barrak and various other scholars. His
connections with
the scholars of Madinah go back very far. During his
days as a student
and thereafter, he learnt Fiqh from those scholars. He
has
memorised the Qur’an and is known for his fine
recitation. He
takes a special interest in Hadeeth literature and has
received
licences for the chains of transmission for various
Hadeeth texts
from a number of scholars.
More than twenty of his works in Arabic have been
published
and distributed in nearly a million copies. His books,
which are
often published in four colours, are attractive and
pleasing to
the eye, and available at low-cost. It is because his
books deal
with issues affecting the lives of everyday people,
that they are
acclaimed and appreciated by all. Many well-wishers
make his
books their choice for their donations and free
distributions.
The following is a list of some of the works of Dr.
Muhammad
al-‘Arifi:
- A work on Tawheed called Irkab Ma’ana, an excellent
work
of which 400,000 copies have been published.
- A work on Da’wah to Allah, called Hal Tabhath ‘an
Wadhifa,
of which 150,000 copies have been published.
- Innaha Malikah, in 150,000 copies.
- Fi Batn al-Hut, in 150,000 copies.
- A work on the topic of worship in 100,000 copies.
- A work on the topic of Hijaab called Sarkha fi Mat’am
al-
Jami’a, in 150,000 copies.
- Rihla Ila al-Sama’ with 150,000 copies published and
sold.
- A compilation of counselling to doctors and patients
called
‘Ashiq fi Ghurfat al-‘Amaliyat in 70,000 copies.
- A pamphlet called Adhkar al-Muslim al-Yawmiyyah, of
which
20 million copies have been published within only three
years.
Many of Dr. al-‘Arifi’s lectures are available on the
internet
without charge; he also writes columns and essays for
various
newspapers and magazines and has appeared on a number
of
Arabic satellite television channels.
The administration of Darussalam hopes, in the very
near future,
to translate into different languages and publish the
various
works of Dr. Al-‘Arifi while maintaining a high
literary standard,
Allah willing.
I would like to thank our brothers Saleem Beg and Nasim
Chowdhury for translating and editing this work
respectively.
We pray to Allah that He grants the author, the
translator and
the editor good health and long life, and that He
blesses their
knowledge and actions. We would be extremely delighted
to
receive any feedback or suggestions from our readers,
and we
hope you remember us in your prayers.
Your loving brother
‘Abdul-Malik Mujahid
Darussalam Publishers
Riyadh - Saudi Arabia August 2008
Introduction
All praise is due to Allah. May Allah’s peace and blessings
be
upon the one after whom there is no other prophet.
As a seventeen year old, I came across a book called,
‘How
to Win Friends and Influence People’ by Dale Carnegie,
which I
found to be quite excellent and which I subsequently
read several
times. The author suggested that one should read the
book
once a month, which is exactly what I did. I began to
apply its
principles when dealing with others and witnessed
amazing results.
Carnegie would often mention a principle and then cite
various
examples of this by way of incidents related to
prominent
figures, such as Roosevelt, Lincoln, Joseph, and so on.
I contemplated and realised that the author’s only goal
was
to attain worldly happiness. What if he were to have
known Islam
and the etiquettes it teaches? He would surely have
achieved
eternal as well as ephemeral happiness! How about if he
were to
have turned his wonderful interpersonal skills into
worship, with
which he would have drawn closer to Allah? When I later
discovered
that Carnegie had committed suicide, I knew for certain
that his book, despite its merits, had not benefitted
him.
I then began to search our own history and discovered
that
the life of Allah’s Messenger ,
his Companions, and anecdotes
of some of the prominent men of this ummah are more
than
enough for us to learn lessons from. From then on, I
began to author
this book concerning the art of dealing with others.
Hence,
this book is not the product of a month or a year’s
toil. Rather,
it is the result of twenty years of serious study.
Although Allah has blessed me with the ability to have
produced
twenty books so far, some of which have been printed
in their millions, I nevertheless believe that the most
beloved,
precious and beneficial of all of them to me is this
book, which I
wrote with ink blended with my blood; I poured out my
soul and
squeezed out my memories as I wrote these lines.
I have written these words from the very depths of my
heart so it may penetrate the heart of the reader, and
would
be delighted to learn that he or she has indeed
implemented
its teachings, experienced an improvement in his or her
skills,
and therefore actually began enjoying life. If he or
she were to
then thankfully write a message expressing his or her
views and
feelings honestly and send it to me via email or SMS, I
would be
grateful for this kindness and remember to pray for him
or her
in their absence.
I pray to Allah that the reader benefits from these
pages, and
that He makes my efforts purely for His sake.
Written by the one who is always praying for what is
best
for you.
Dr. Muhammad bin ‘Abd al-Rahman al-‘Arifi
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