'O Beloved,

Nowadays, few people contest the importance of knowing about conditioning in order to examine belief-systems. Why, therefore, is it so difficult to communicate with so many people along these lines? The answer is very simple. We are at a stage in understanding human behaviour analogous to that which obtained when people began to try to talk of chemistry to those who were fixated upon the hope of untold wealth (or, sometimes, spiritual enlightenment) through alchemy. Like the alchemist or those who want easy riches, people want dramatic inputs (emotional stimuli, excitement, reassurance, authority-figures and the rest) rather than knowledge.

It is only when the desire for knowledge and understanding becomes as effective as the craving for emotional stimulus that the individual becomes accessible to change, to knowledge, to more than a very little understanding.

So learning must be preceded by the capacity to learn. THAT, in turn, comes about at least in part by right attitude. And THAT, again, is where the would-be learner has to exercise effort.
From 'The Commanding Self ' Idries Shah

Death,
Remember, the entrance door to the sanctuary is inside you.


Wish not for death any of you; neither the doer of good works, for peradventure he may increase them by an increase of life; nor the offender, for perhaps he may obtain the forgiveness of God by repentance. Wish not, nor supplicate for death before its time cometh; for verily when ye die, hope is out and the ambition for reward: and verily, the increase of a Mumins' (Muslim's) life increaseth his good works.

Remember often the destroyer and cutter off of delights, which is death.

Not one of you must wish for death from any wordly affliction; but if there certainly is anyone wishing for death, he must say, "O Lord, keep me alive so long as life may be good for me, and wish me to die when it is better for me so to do."

The Faithful do not die; perhaps they become translated from this perishable world to the world of eternal existences.

Death is a blessing to a Muslim. Remember and speak well of your dead, and refrain from speaking ill of them.

There are two things disliked by the sons of Adam, one of them death; whereas it is better for Muslims than sinning; the second is scarcity of money; whereas its account will be small in futurity.

The grave is the first stage of the journey into eternity.

Death is a bridge that uniteth friend with friend.

Sleep is the brother of death.

Muhammad said, three days before his death, "Not one of you must die but with resignation to the will of God, and with hope for his beneficence and pardon."

Courtesy

Humility and courtesy are acts of piety.

Verily, a man teaching his child manners is better for him than giving one bushel of grain in alms.

It is not right for a guest to stay so long as to incommode his host.

No man hath given his child anything better than good manners.

"O Apostle of God! Inform, Inform me, if I stop with a man, and he doth not entertain me, and he afterwards stoppeth at my house, am I to entertain him or to act with him as he with did me?" Muhammad said, "Entertain him."

Respect people according to their eminence.

Being confined for room, the Apostle of god sat down upon his legs drawn up under his thighs. A desert Arab who was present said, "What is this way of sitting?" Muhammad said, "Verily God hath made me a humble servant, and not a proud king."

Abuse nobody, and if a man abuse thee, and lay upon a vice which he knoweth in thee; then do not disclose one which thou knowest in him.

When victuals are placed before you no man must stand up till it be taken away; nor must one man leave off eating before the rest; and if he doeth he must make an apology.

It is of my ways that a man shall come out with his guest to the door of his house.

Meekness and modesty are two branches of Iman (Faith); and vain talking and embellishing are two brances of hypocrisy.

When three persons are together, two of them must not whisper to each other without letting the third hear, until others are present, because it would hurt him.

If your guidance is your ego, don't rely on luck for help. you sleep during the day and the nights are short. By the time you wake up your life may be over.

In truth everything and everyone
Is a shadow of the Beloved,
And our seeking is His seeking
And our words are His words...
We search for Him here and there,
while looking right at Him.
Sitting by His side, we ask:
'O Beloved, where is the Beloved?'