Exploring one timeless advice given by an 8th-century father to his sons before his death. Let’s appropriate that advice into a modern perspective by means of preserving the narrative while expanding the interpretation.
Advice is a rather intriguing concept; it can originate from anyone at any time. Your boss can advise you about your work, your bank can advise you about your financial status, and even your grocery store can advise you about recipes. Some advice may only be relevant to a gender, a social class, or even ethnicity or religion. However, there is one form of advice that is always universal: moral advice. Morality is a form of honorable behavior towards one another; it’s what makes a society and what keeps it together. Because moral advice is dependent on human behavior, and not economic or political systems, it can prove to be timeless. The same moral advice given to someone 1,000 years ago could still be relevant today. An example of moral advice is the advice given by a father, Abu Said al-Muhallab, to his sons in the year 82 AH/ 702 CE. Al-Muhallab was a well-respected army general in the Umayyad caliphate. Abu Jaffar al-Tabari (died 310 AH/ 923 CE), a renowned 10th-century scholar, documented his life and wrote down the advice al-Muhallab left for his children.[1]
United we stand, divided we fall
According to al-Tabari, al-Muhallab died on his way to Marw (modern Turkmenistan). Before passing away, he gathered his sons and brought with him a bundle of arrows. With the arrows under his grasp, he told his sons whether they could break the bundle in half. None could, so he separated each arrow and asked them to try again, to which they succeeded. He then followed in urgency the importance of respect for the bond of kinship, and should they separate, just like the arrows, each would break apart individually.
Family relations
Following that demonstration, he preceded with the following advice to his sons:
“I forbid you the forsaking of relations, for that occasions [hell]fire and brings about shame and poverty. Love one another, relate to one another in a friendly fashion, be united and not at variance, and do good for one another; in this way, your affairs will be as one.”
The advice given by al-Muhallab proves to be relevant and crucial in our modern times. First and foremost, he describes the importance of kinship and one’s relationship with their siblings and most importantly, their parents. Try to reconcile your differences – no family is perfect, and we all face disparities between one other. However, do not let those differences wedge your family apart, for a divided family is an alienated community, and an alienated community leads to bigotry and hatred. Do right by your family, uphold your responsibility towards them, and by that, you are changing the world for the better.
Integrity of your words
Al-Muhallab continues his advice with the following:
“Let your good-doing be nobler than your words. I like it in a man that his action is superior to [what] his tongue [says]. When answering, be on your guard against slips of the tongue: A man’s foot may slip, and he can recover himself, but his tongue may slip, and he can be destroyed.”
Though the importance of preserving one’s tongue against slander, backstabbing, or gossip is doubtless, it goes without saying that the preservation goes beyond just tongues. In our modern usage of technology and social media, one must be wary of the content he or she provides and shares. While it is effortless to slip an unintentional tweet or video, it may have recurring consequences, primarily since most of what you produced online today can be archived and shared instantaneously. So be cautious before you retweet information or spread rumors against one another. By all means, enjoy and utilize all that technology has provided, but be wary not to transgress the rights of others in the process.
Respect others
According to al-Tabari, al-Muhallab continues with the following advice to his sons:
“Acknowledge the entitlement of everyone who comes to you. A man’s coming to you, whether in the morning or the evening, suffices to commend him to you. Prefer generosity to miserliness. Love the Arabs and do good [to them]. An Arab is a man to whom you can make [no more than] a promise, and he will die in defense of you; how then [do you think] he will behave [if you have done him well].”
Al-Muhallab then concludes his advice with the following:
“Recite the Qur’an and learn the established practices and the discipline of the virtuous.”
These excerpts provide the reader with a great understanding of Arabian culture and the society that al-Muhallab and his sons lived in. Respecting and acknowledging the rights of all those around you is the underlying thread of a just society. If it’s online, refrain from unnecessary and cruel comments, strive towards constructive criticism and kindness in your words. In the workplace, make sure you give all your peers and customers, the respect and rights they have upon you. In the final part, I find one of the most exciting reflections of time and culture. When al-Muhallab says “love the Arabs”, he is not defining it into our modern perception of being ethnically Arab, but rather speaking out towards all tribes, religions, and ethnicities in the region. In regards to promises, to ever be taken with dignity and respect in life, one must stick to the promises and words they preach. When you give your word to someone, whether it’s a meeting time, or a task to complete, make sure you accomplish it.
Timeless advice
I find Al-Muhallab’s advice incredibly intriguing, especially if you take into consideration that this text was recorded more than a millennium ago. While science, politics, and economics will be ever-changing, ethical and moral values can stand the test of time. To respect and love one another is critical, and one’s advice to his children 1,300 years ago, could remain relevant today. Love your parents and your siblings, be generous to those around you, be wary of what you produce lest you get destroyed by your own words. Most importantly, appreciate and acknowledge those who have helped you and were there for you throughout your life, including the gratitude of God Himself.
References:
[1] Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b Jarīr Al-Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk, ed. Muḥammad Abul Faḍl Ibrāhīm (Cairo: Dar al-Ma’arif, 1979). Vol. 6, p. 354. For the English Version, see Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b Jarīr Al-Ṭabarī, The History of al-Ṭabarī, trans. Everett K. Rowson (Albany: State University of New York Press 1989). Vol. 23, p. 32.
[2] Al-Ṭabarī, Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b Jarīr. The History of Al-Ṭabarī. Translated by Everett K. Rowson. Albany: State University of New York Press 1989.
[3] Tārīkh Al-Rusul Wa Al-Mulūk. Edited by Muḥammad Abul Faḍl Ibrāhīm. Cairo: Dar al-Ma’arif, 1979
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