An Exemplary Conduct Between Adviser And The One Who Receives Advice

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

It is from wisdom that when a person is notified of a mistake, he should not stubbornly insist on his position or follow his desires by persisting in his mistake and view. For indeed, returning to the truth is the sole good thing to do and not persisting upon falsehood. The truth is the believer’s lost property; wherever he finds it, he takes hold of it.

Many people are prevented from returning to the truth due to their position or status, even after it has become manifest to them. This is foolishness, and we ask Allah to protect us from it.

And it is from wisdom that when your brother comes to you with advice, you should not frown at him or show him displeasure, for indeed, one of the rights of an adviser is that he is responded to with gratitude.

Showing gratitude to the one who advises you is a virtue for the person being advised and an encouragement for the one giving the advice. There is also nothing wrong with explaining to him the reasons that led you to do the very thing he has advised you about.

Al-Ḍiyāʾ al-Lāmiʿ min al-Khuṭab al-Jawāmiʿ, by Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymīn, 2/229