AUTHOR'S PREFACE
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds... And peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and upon his family and companions, all of them...
I seek refuge in Allah, the Exalted, from the evil of the accursed Satan; and I begin this work by invoking the noble name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The reason for this is as follows:
Every living being that comes into this world completes its predetermined and predestined lifespan and leaves this world, which it was compelled to enter, never to return. This is seen and known by everyone. However, the good or evil deeds it commits during its stay here also go with it, leaving nothing behind for it to do thereafter.
However, there are three deeds that will continue to be recorded in their account until the Day of Judgement.
One of these is ongoing charity, which includes mosques, schools, madrasas, hospitals, and other facilities that benefit people, as well as fountains, bridges, and other charitable deeds that one does during their lifetime.
On the other hand, if they commit sins through bad habits and customs or through acts that lead to disbelief, all of these are recorded as sins in the register of deeds, just like ongoing charity.
The second is useful knowledge, which includes the scientific works left behind.
The third is to leave behind a righteous child who will pray for you and cause others to remember you with good prayers.
This poor and sinful brother of yours has dared to write this little book in the hope that it will remain as a gift to his Muslim brothers and sisters and that it will be a means of remembering us with kindness in the future. In accordance with the meaning of the saying, ‘Every ignorant person is brave,’ I ask for forgiveness for any mistakes and shortcomings that may occur, and I also request that they be corrected by those who are knowledgeable.
Mehmed Zahid KOTKU (Rh.a)
---
INTRODUCTION
This work, which was written at a time when moral education was a serious issue and moral lessons were being taught in schools, has been very well received.
Our master and father, the author Mehmed Zahid Kotku, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote his work in a sincere style, free from pretension, affectation, and ostentation. Those who know him feel as if they are seeing him and hearing him speak when they read his book.
This work was not written by sitting down at a desk and compiling sources in order to write a theoretical book. Rather, it reflects the observations, life experiences, and fruits of the vast knowledge of its valuable author. The topics were written down as they came to mind; sometimes a visitor, sometimes a complaint, sometimes a flaw or mistake, sometimes a piece of news, inspiration, or a source of motivation. For this reason, there is an exceptional liveliness, naturalness, and sincerity in the book that stems from its connection to life.
Since the purpose of the work is not to make claims but to be useful, it was deemed appropriate to include lengthy quotations from relevant and useful sources.
The late author wrote his work in large, unlined, thick, white notebooks in the old script. These were then typed by others. He would read his new writings to visitors. He would read from his works printed at meetings, listen to them himself, and sometimes say, ‘Add this.’
We sincerely hope that this important work of our master will inspire those who read it, guide them to abandon sin and immorality, and help them attain spiritual perfection and good morals. May Allah make the soul of the author happy and joyful, his grave pure and full of light, and his spiritual rank high... Amen. With the respect of the master of the messengers, peace be upon him.
Prof. Dr. M. Es'ad Coşan (Rh.a.)
