The Inner Fragrance. I want to make the world a better place, and I will do everything I can to achieve that

teacher) teaches what he knows; he quotes from the Quran or some book what he himself has understood. Yet even if people read the same books, learn from the same teacher, study in the same school or university, they do not achieve the same success in life, because they understand things differently. That’s because we are individual people, separate individuals with our own memories and minds. We might learn some knowledge here and there, but if we fail to take the wisdom from it and can’t understand and apply it, such knowledge is merely a waste of time.

Stop putting yourself down – it’s never too late to gain knowledge. The real lie is our belief that we cannot change anything. In my family – the whole lineage – we were livestock breeders; perhaps this is characteristic of every nomad. It was as if I put a muzzle on one of our horses and, after two or three steps, it followed me. There was no bit on its mouth, I wasn’t pulling its reins, yet when I took off that muzzle I had put on and showed it to him, he didn’t follow me anymore; he only came when I called him. The more hardship you endure, the more understanding you begin to have for others! What seems hard today, over time, when you look back, you realize it wasn’t worth worrying about and was actually a simple matter. Therefore, today’s difficulty will make tomorrow easier, and then the next day it will become an ordinary thing. Only yesterday studying seemed impossible and felt like torture – look, you have grown now. It seemed the same to me in the beginning; after learning, seeing a lot, and reading a lot, I myself am still amazed that I am now writing a book – I even wonder how I reached this level.

To those who say, «Education? Why do we need it – school is like prison, university is like prison, slave labor, an insecure old age in prison, what’s the point? Why study this, it won’t be needed in the future anyway! Why should I listen to this? My own mind is enough for me!» – to them, in the future, you will come to answers like: «Why do I have to do this dirty, boring work? What makes me any less than others?!» Or else, if you don’t work you’ll starve; if you want to start a business and lounge around, you will need education again! Our mistake is that we have not obtained an education.

Should we waste the present by worrying about the future? If you boldly take risks honestly, you will steer your life along the path you enjoy. You have every opportunity to get an education, to become one of the building blocks of our country! Becoming a human being is up to you! Be sane and become a person; be insane and remain ignorant! A person who has sense and consciousness can break through anywhere! What difference does it make where and how you were born? The main thing is to live without regrets! Live in such a way that you will have nothing to regret! Good people distinguish between right and wrong and, through merit, do what is beneficial for themselves, and that is indeed right and very good! Such a wise, wonderful person never puts listening to others’ slander first; he never misses the five daily prayers and avoids sinful deeds! He lives every moment of his life valuing his time, so as to be of benefit to others and to himself! He does what he enjoys, not for others but for himself. If you are foolish, you end up working for the wise! Morality holds the highest place in life; a person without morality has a meaningless life, and even his food is

tasteless!

Strength is in knowledge! Inspiration is in life! You must learn throughout life and not only acquire knowledge but also know how to share it! Let knowledge bear fruit; strive to leave a mark in this life – because that is what it means to be human! If you gave a large sum of money to both the wise and the foolish, the wise would multiply that money manifold, whereas the foolish would ruin it by the next day! Yet isn’t it itself a blessing that I am sitting here? Shouldn’t I be grateful for that? Instead, one should give in charity and do good – for if not us, then who else will bring joy to their parents and children? It’s easy to talk about reaping fields, but those who actually toil from spring to autumn to prepare for winter can be counted on the fingers of one hand. If one continues on like this, deceiving himself, there will be no good end! Because what makes a human a human is honest labor!

In work done without knowledge and responsibility, as the saying goes, «If a person doesn’t do the head (major part), what he does at the foot (minor part) is too little» – in other words, do not work carelessly. Remember, tragic accidents are not truly accidents; if you make a mistake by chance, that is irresponsibility! Where there is no education, there is no culture, and life becomes like that of cattle. Be honest – the One God is watching, and your bad deed will come back to you. It was probably not said in vain: «A person must learn until he enters the grave!» If you are lazy to learn, that’s some kind of unknown weakness – it’s laziness. You must not flee from the good deeds that would help you develop; you need to take them up.

Why do you want to do nothing? Perhaps this is because

many try to develop only their knowledge. Our ancestors developed their strength too; their forefathers even lived as if for that alone – it is in our blood, in our genes. Therefore, you should not limit yourself to knowledge alone, but also develop your muscles! You need sports. On three or six days (of the week, say), run 1 km – not much, then adapt it to 5—10 km. Eat properly! Consume very little fat, salt, and sugar – maintain your figure. If you exercise, you will become fit! Train, but do not rush; train gradually by a daily regimen, including morning and evening, overcome yourself. Be thankful for the blessings given by Allah! Recognize their value! However, do not forget education either – knowledge is far stronger! If you have both together, your life will be longer; your outer body is a reflection of your inner being and vice versa, everything is connected – the face and the brain, the tongue and the ear, the foot and the hand. Stand up for yourself, and only use force where it is needed; do not go about making a show of yourself for nothing. Be patient – sport and education are for yourself, and even using them for wrong purposes has consequences. Do not dedicate them to evil; train yourself for good! Leave your name in the world in a good way; be an example to others! That too requires knowledge! Education is the only chance to save oneself from evil! Yes, it is hard, but this is life – what does not kill us makes us stronger!

Someone ignorant or foolish – who knows nothing – is not truly a person. He himself has achieved nothing yet dishes out clever answers! He opposes before understanding! He passes judgment without fully knowing. A fool who inwardly admits his mistake, reads, observes, and learns from it,

becomes the wisest scholar. The fooliest becomes the wisest, and the wisest becomes a fool! Because if a smart person, thinking «I have plenty of intelligence,» does not seek knowledge, whereas a fool strives to be the wisest – obtaining knowledge and continuing to study it – he will become a great scholar! Because knowledge has no end! While everything is progressing, money that stands idle in one place gets eaten by inflation! One day, if you become bankrupt and have no money, no one will help you except your mother! Even she will think of you and say, «Get a job!»

The Ninth Word of Admonition (Never Give Up)

Just as when the darkness is deepest, even the smallest light shines brighter and stands out. No matter how remarkable a person is, they still wish to resemble someone else. If an opponent is easy to defeat, then they are not truly your rival – but if overcoming them is difficult, then that is a genuine rival.

My opponent once said:

«I would rather regret what I have done than regret what I never tried.»

And at that moment, I realized – he was the rival I had been seeking.

There is always a way out of every situation. The question is – do you have the strength and wisdom to find it? That’s what truly matters. Every trial is a sweet gift from the One God. After every hardship, relief and reward will surely come.

Look around you – do you like what you see? Whether you do or not, be grateful! If difficulties arise, use your mind and strength to face them. Do not give up – move forward, build

your road toward a bright future!

As our ancestor Genghis Khan said:

«If you are afraid – don’t do it.

If you are doing it – don’t be afraid.

If it’s done – don’t regret it.»

So be someone who can stand behind every word and every deed of yours. Even when you achieve success, know how to use it for the right purpose.

A person, in truth, heals themselves when they heal others.

When they show kindness to others, they begin to love themselves.

When they help others, they help their own soul.

Be kind, do good – and give thanks to the Almighty who blessed you with that ability. Know Him through gratitude.

The Tenth Word of Admonition (In Verses)

It’s not the era that changes us – it’s man,

And thus, they stain the times again and again.

Turning on each other as enemies blind,

Wasting their lives – leaving wisdom behind.

In the end, every evil deed will rise to light,

A thief’s act brings him no delight.

Why hide your sins, why test your fate?

For even if it bursts out late – on Judgment Day, you’ll still relate!

Let no snow fall upon your brow,

Speak no slander – keep your vow.

Hold noble manners, stay pure inside,

Be not proud – lest Heaven cast you aside!

Never claim to know before you learn,

Lies bring sins at every turn.

To seem «clever,» if you cheat for gain —

Remember, you’ll answer – so cease the feign!

Now is such a time —

War itself, a crime!

From those without wings divine,

Expect no virtue, no sign!

Lies and deceit – the trade of today,

In this false world, they’ve found their way.

Unsatisfied, devour one another —

Man’s greed devours brother after brother!

Who said «the age is cruel»?

It’s not the time – it’s people’s rule.

Till minds are healed, no change will last,

Some will awaken – others stay in the past.

The Eleventh Word of Admonition (Do Not Imitate)

It is not we who change ourselves; it is the environment around us that does. Imitating others and adapting to your surroundings, instead of being grateful for what God has originally given you, is exactly what changes you – and that is the worst part of it. Regardless of whether a person is good or bad, it only makes him a meaningless example and turns his actions into a cause of envy. Perhaps even if you

imitate others, you will remain yourself forever! Otherwise, you will change for the worse – something nobody wants.

You should take those things that will be useful to you and bring you benefit in the future. Work diligently so that it is they who bear your imprint, not you theirs! Don’t be someone who simply gives up; force yourself even when you don’t feel like it. Is it really so hard to strive for goodness, for your own sake, in this life and the next? Live without complaint! Live as if you will regret nothing! Yes, though you may lose time and again at first, your inevitable victory will come in the end!

In this life, people are so afraid of ending up as nobody that they become whoever they have to be. The main problem we have is that we devote more time to other people’s lives than to our own. We constantly compare ourselves to others, and comparison undermines one’s character. Don’t compare your life to theirs – better or worse – and don’t try to become like them: you are a unique individual! God willed to give them that share, and indeed He has. Your time will come too, but only if you work for it. If you lose your individuality, the only way to rebuild it is to focus your mind entirely on your own life and give it meaning and purpose. Why do you imitate someone else? Why not strive to become a good person yourself? Even if we try to emulate good people, we end up only with our own story. Strive to be yourself, not someone else. Make your own path. Always have your own opinions, your own ideas, your own creations – be an individual!

Never forget yourself. More often than not, people change their values, interests, and behavior not for their own development, but to please others or out of vanity. In doing so, they lose their authenticity and unique personality,

thereby becoming someone completely uninteresting to others; indeed, they will be unhappy for not being their true selves. From the very beginning, few people understood you. If you live according to someone else’s advice, you will be living someone else’s life. If you show your true self, you won’t appear bad or strange. Showing that you are different from others does not make you weird. In this life, some will see you as good and others as bad. You are exactly as each person wants to see you. But a person who fails to understand this will find life extremely hard. Why make your life harder for the sake of someone else’s criticism? It’s best not to lower your standards or opinions just for what others think! Even if you appear foolish, keep leading. The most important thing is to believe in yourself! People’s opinions change every day. However, remember that your parents and teachers in life want to give you the guidance and training you’ll need in the future; absorbing it depends on your own effort.

If you want to emulate someone, why not emulate the life of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the leader of both worlds? Follow the Sunnah (the Prophet’s tradition)! Speak softly! Be humble! Eat wisely! Breathe deeply! Get enough sleep! Dress modestly! Speak courteously! Act boldly! Think sincerely! Work with patience! Believe that it is right! Maintain proper decorum! Learn by doing! Speak where it is necessary and remain silent where it isn’t! Be calmly patient. – In the author’s own words.

The Twelfth Word of Admonition (Find Yourself, Take Action)

In life, you don’t need to do anything extraordinary to find

your place! Simply remembering who you are is enough! The most important thing is: if you change your outlook on life, life will change its outlook on you!

You need to think about the best, most useful aspects of what you do; only then will it bring you benefit! Instead of thinking about things that can’t happen, think about things that can! Act to get ahead, and then every one of your endeavors will be blessed! For those who say «good things will come,» a test will soon come! Therefore, do whatever is most useful! Develop the investor within you, and remember that being rich does not mean that your income is less than your expenses, and your money should not lie idle in a safe; on the contrary, it should work for you and make you rich with each day God grants!

The Thirteenth Word of Admonition (Gratitude)

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we want. Whatever life gives you, take it and be grateful. What seems little to you may be precious to someone else. Good people bring happiness, bad people bring experience, the very worst teach you not to trust, and miracles give you memories that will last forever. Be thankful for all of it.

Not being able to see the blessings that others have – because you lack them yourself – can turn into bitterness. If you hate someone for something they do, we often fail to realize that the same bad trait exists in ourselves.