5. Would you like to meet him outside the institution? (cont.)

When he has finished dealing with your letter and hands it over to you, you would say to him, "SubhaanAllah! This is the first time I have met you, and you have already entered into my heart! I don't know how! By Allah, you are more beloved to me than thousands of others!" And you haven't lied since he definitely is more beloved to you than millions of disbelievers! He would be very pleased and thank you for your kindness. You can then say to him, "I have some words to offer to you, but I fear you might get upset." He would say, "Not at all! Please go ahead!" You can then give him the advice, "Allah has blessed you with this job. You are working right at the forefront of the hospital. You are also an example to others. It would be nice if you were to be a little kind to the patients and show concern over them. The key Perhaps the old man or the old woman would pray for you in the darkness of the night." He would most certainly lower his head in shame as you speak and say, "Thank you very much. May Allah reward you." In this manner, you should try to deal with anyone whose manners need reformation. If you know of a person who takes his prayers lightly, or a father who doesn't care much about his daughters' appearance due to which they do not cover properly, or a young man who is disobedient to his parents, and you want to rectify their faults, then you must use the appropriate skills. Use kind words to correct others' faults. Be well-mannered and respectful towards their opinion. Tell them, "I am only advising you because I know you will accept my advice." Allah says in the Quran, "O you who believe! When you consult the Messenger in private, spend something in charity before your private consultation." The wise educator, the Prophet , would offer advice so skilfully that the people would have no choice but to accept the advice. Once, he decided to teach Mu'adh some words he wanted him to say after the prayers in remembrance of Allah. He turned to Mu'adh and said, "By Allah, I love you! So please do not forget to say at the end of each prayer, 'O Allah, help me to remember you, thank you, and worship you in the finest manner." I ask you by Allah, what is the connection between the first part of the Prophet's speech, "By Allah, I love you...", and the second part of his speech, "Do not forget to say, O Allah! Help me to remember you."? The key Perhaps it would have been more appropriate when he had said, "I love you..." to say, "...and I would like you to marry my daughter" – for example, or, "I want to give you some wealth", or, "I want to invite you over for dinner." However, after informing him that he loved him, he taught him instead to say a few words in Allah's remembrance! This surely deserves contemplation. Why did he say, "I love you..."? He said it to mentally prepare him to take the advice that followed positively, by showing him true emotional concern. When Mu'adh's soul felt content after hearing those words, the Prophet then gave him the advice. On another occasion, the Prophet took hold of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud's right hand by his right hand and then placed his left hand on top, as a gesture of kindness in order to mentally prepare him for advice. He then said, "O 'Abdullah, when you sit for at-Tashahhud in the prayer, you should say, 'Salutations to Allah. All acts of worship and good deeds are for Him. Peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you, O Prophet!" 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud retained this in his memory. After many years had passed and the Prophet had died, 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud used to proudly relate this incident saying, "The Prophet taught me the Tashahhud whilst my hand was between his hands." On another occasion, the Prophet noticed that 'Umar – may Allah be pleased with him – was making Tawaf around the Ka'bah and as he wished to touch the black stone, he jostled through the crowds and kissed it. 'Umar was very muscular and strong, and on his way to the black stone he could have harmed The key the weak. The Prophet wanted to advise him in that regard, so, in order to make him mentally prepared for advice, he started by saying, "O 'Umar, you are a strong person." 'Umar became pleased upon hearing this. The Prophet then said, "Do not jostle through the crowds to reach the black stone." Once he wanted to encourage Ibn 'Umar to perform the night prayers, so he said, "How good a man is 'Abdullah! if only he performed the night prayers." In another narration, it is reported that he said, "O 'Abdullah! Don't be like so-and-so.