Essays by Akrom Malik on ethics, language, literature and life.
That is the death of the heart. May God protect us! The sickness of the heart shows itself first of all in anger. Anger flaring up for nothing is a sign of a serious sickness in…
This disciple gathered his other companions and went to Constantinople. Then all of them together, as a congregation, began to plead with God: reciting remembrance and the Quran,…
… Shaykh San‘an renounced his faith among the Christian monks in the church, and tied around his waist the zunnar cord, which in Islamic lands was the mark of unbelief; he drank…
A person who has heard about love is like a moth that has heard about fire and enjoyed its light, but has never burned. Once it burns in the fire, nothing of its body remains…
To know that the appearance of such bright thoughts and conclusions in one’s understanding and consciousness is a favor from the Most Merciful, one should look at these signs: 1.…
Someone who says “everything will be fine” when sorrow takes hold of you? Is there anyone in the desert of your life who would fight with all their heart to bring you out of the…
Taghaful means knowing and acting as if you do not know. That is, seeing the mistakes and the ignorant behavior of the people around you, you act as if you have not seen; knowing,…
O Weak One, whose reason spins like a pinwheel in the storm of feelings! O Frail One, whose decisions keep changing, who is forever caught in hesitation! I want to remind you of…
A person with a wakeful heart and a deep understanding never accepts lies. He always seeks the truth. Even if he goes astray and wanders, he returns to the truth. There are…
The person who gave you knowledge, taught you a craft, held you close on your hard day, did you good, extended a helping hand to you — in whatever form and in whatever measure —…
New Uzbekistan is new in the true sense of the word. It has countless innovations that can be called new; some of them are entering and settling into our lives so quickly that our…
The aim of education and upbringing must be clearly defined. Tomorrow the child will become an adult. Tomorrow the child will become the master of the home, of the lineage, and…
The heart leaping at the thought that some rich country will educate me for free on a grant is a sign of an inner emotional and intellectual emptiness. A sign of being unformed.…
My Prophet ﷺ could not guide his beloved uncle Abu Talib, so that this truth would be clear to all! Do not force anyone to do anything. Even if he is heading for hell, if he…
1. For a person there is no closer friend than a father. The father is not obliged to declare it or make it known. 2. The father’s station is lofty; he has no need to declare his…
The pen has not been placed in everyone’s hand. God has given the pen to whomever He willed. Just as the one into whose hand the pen is given had no choice in taking it, he has no…
The power of the mind is measured by knowledge. Reading. Research. Observing evidence. Collecting it. Comparing. Sorting. Drawing logical conclusions. This is what bears witness…
People too are of two kinds: the elite and the common folk. The common folk do not think; they follow, they shout, they call out; if they chase, they all chase together; if they…
To live out with contentment the destiny my Lord has given me. To keep on repenting to my Lord. To worship my God very, very much. So that my service may reach many people. To…
The more people praise you, the more your inside fills with dirt and soot. Your eyes go blind, and you are left groping when you try to weigh your deeds. You cannot tell whether…
At first it throws you into such anguish that even a week of nonstop toothache cannot compare. Someone lifts you up... no — Yusuf’s brothers lift him up and throw him into the…
The nafs has its share in demanding the love of people. Your rejoicing that someone loves you is evidence that your nafs is tasting pleasure. If someone loves you, do not rejoice.…
You pray for them. Deep within yourself, you long for good for them. You do not want any person to burn in hell. You wish no torment or suffering on any person. You entrust…
Knowledge is keeping information in memory. Wisdom is being able to tell benefit from harm. One who gathers knowledge is a scholar. One who gathers wisdom is a sage. But one who…