Can You Give Me Some Advice?
It depends, but if you asked me here are three pieces of advice.
Qari Mubashir Anwar
There’s never a shortage of advice
Jason Fried talks about this in his essay Giving less advice:
I’m often asked for advice. I’ve decided it’s time I give less of it. There are things I used to know that I just don’t know anymore. Advice, like fruit, is best when it’s fresh. But advice quickly decays, and 15 year-old advice is bound to be radioactive. Sharing a life experience is one thing (grandparents are great at this — listen to them!), but advice is another thing. Don’t give advice about things you used to know. Just because you did something a long time ago doesn’t mean you’re qualified to talk about it today.
Here’s my favourite bit from what Jason talks about: “Advice, like fruit, is best when it’s fresh.” It is always best to seek advice from those who are going through the same problem that you are. It might not have to be a problem, it could be a particular issue or question that you’re trying to answer. Better still, people who have recently dealt with it.
I’ve been thinking about this for the book I’m writing; “How We Memorised The Qur’an: a Primer on Memorisation, Revision & Teaching” and although I think it’s an interesting perspective, there is much truth to what Jason says. Yet the beauty of memorising the Qur’an is another matter!
The advice you will get will aways be life experience and will always be fresh. That is the nature of a true inheritor and preserver.
Start now!
The advice I wish I’d followed earlier in my life: start small, and start now.
“The best time to take action toward a dream is yesterday; the worst is tomorrow; the best compromise is today.” — Alvah Simon, Author
We wait far too long to start. For example, writing this blog piece. Once you’ve committed to writing a few words, it’s easier to write more. We all have something small we could give. Start with that. If you haven’t starting memorising the Qur’an yet — start today!
“…The most beloved deed to Allah is the one most regular and constant even though it were little”. – Sahih al-Bukhari
This all takes practice but it doesn’t have to be alone
Moving forward, getting better, and gradually building momentum is done with consistent practice. It’s about hard work, and doing it more. It’s the first time I am writing a book, I may have wanted to write ficitional books when younger but I never knew it would come to this. It’s tough. You have to keep to a schedule, either small and consistent or consistent in large chunks. To accomplish anything of value, you need to sacrifice something. Here’s an intersting perspective:
“So practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes closer. Every time you work at what you do, you’re one step closer to the next step.” — Paul Jarvis, Practice makes closer
That is amazingly true but there is a counter:
“‘Practice makes perfect…’ no it doesn’t, it makes permanent. If you practice wrong, it doesn’t make perfect. You need a Teacher.” — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
This is where your memorisation comes in. You should always practice but you can never reach a level you that you might otherwise reach without a teacher, mentor, guide or even a good listener. If you haven’t already sort out a person who can listen to you on a regular basis.
What’s your favorite piece of advice?
I’ve shared with you three pieces of advice that have been meaningful to me and others. What about you? What advice has been meaningful to you?
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Originally published at howtomemorisethequran.com on October 2, 2014.
