Javed A. ButtIn Surah Al-Baqarah (2:44), Allah addresses Bani Israel about preaching righteousness without practicing it. But from my understanding, this lesson is for us Muslims today too.
Here's what I honestly struggle with, and maybe you do too.
How many times has someone given you advice and you already had your defense ready? Like a reflex? You just didn't want to hear it from THAT person.
Technically, good advice is good advice regardless of who says it. We should focus on the message, not the messenger. I know that's right.
But controlling my Nafs in that moment? That's hard. I find myself struggling to accept advice from certain people, regardless of what they're saying.
And سُبْحَانَ ٱللّٰه, from my understanding, Allah's mercy shines through in this Ayah. He's not forcing us to accept advice from everyone.
Instead, what I understand is: Allah is reminding us advice givers to look at ourselves first. To work on ourselves before we rush to correct others.
The advice giver becomes someone worth listening to. And the advice taker? They're more likely to actually accept and benefit from that advice.