Correct your intention first

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Last Updated: Monday, 17 October 2016 15:34

Hazrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned:

A person once wrote a letter to me wherein he requested that I teach and instruct him as to how he may reform his condition. In reply, I wrote to him and advised that he read twenty of my transcribed lectures and endeavour to inculcate and practice upon my teachings. I further advised him to write to me after carrying this out so that he may inform me of his condition and whether he finds any change in his life. After reading twenty of my transcribed lectures, he wrote to me saying, “I do not find any improvement and change in my life.” I replied to him saying, “You either read the lectures without the intention of reforming yourself, or the lectures which you read did not contain any advice pertaining to your self-reformation, or perhaps there are no deficiencies within you which require reformation.” After reading my reply, he admitted that although he read through the lectures, he did not do so with the intention of reforming himself. I therefore wrote to him saying, “This is the reason for you not finding any change and improvement in your life. Now I ask you to read these lectures again with the intention of Islaah (seeking self-reformation).” Alhamdulillah, after reading the lectures again with the correct intention, he wrote back to me informing me that he has derived immense benefit from the lectures and that he finds substantial change and improvement in his life. -Malfoozaat Hakeemul Ummat 8/318