"My advice to you, O Possessor of virtue and courtesy: if you desire to reside in an exalted place amongst the ranks of people, a place where you are high and exalted of virtue and courtesy is..." Thus opens the poem of the great scholar, Ibn al Haddad as translated and commented upon by Hamza Yusuf. Though short, this poem of council contains an immense amount of wisdom and is similar to the study of the Purification of the Heart.

    Shaykh Ibn al Haddad gives the seeker of knowledge the keys to both success in this world and success in the next world. Hamza Yusuf's commentary contains his usual style of putting the obvious before us in a way we will never forget. He reminds us of such things as, "Islam is the only religion where you will find a king at the door of beggars asking for their prayers." This is an inspiring talk that will help us to establish our own priorities for this world and the next.

* Producer: Alhambra Productions (2007)
* Format:     Audio CD