Author: Mawlawi Abdul Samad Shaker
The Pen Is a Trust and a Responsibility
In a world where voices are mixed together and pens are closely connected, a true writer is the scale of wisdom, the voice of justice, and the watchful eye of awareness.
Here, we recall what Abdul Hamid said in his lasting advice to writers. This advice is not only professional guidance; rather, it is a human and cultural charter that shows the true face of a writer, opens a high moral and intellectual horizon for him, and places him among the wise and the reformers.
Abdul Hamid reminds writers of God’s blessings and says: Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has placed you (writers) in the best and highest position, because you possess good manners, courage, knowledge, and dignity. Through you, the good affairs of the Islamic state are organized, and its paths are corrected.
Because of your advice, Allah reforms the rulers of the people and countries become prosperous.
The ruler is never independent of you, and true competence is achieved only through you.
Your place is beside the ruler, and you are his ears, eyes, tongue, and hands. Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has chosen you with a special favor of His art and granted you a special blessing; so, may Allah not take this blessing away from you.
The inviting and trustworthy writer is not only a maker of words or a writer of pages; rather, he is the living soul and conscience of the Ummah. Society takes its order and reform from him, and countries are organized through his advice.
He is the ear, eye, tongue, and hand of the ruler and the guardian of the values of justice and reform, because every line, every word, and every expression he writes is, in his view, a message and a responsibility held in trust.
Writing Is Not a Job, but a Moral Duty
From Abdul Hamid’s advice, a very high moral view becomes clear—one that makes literature and writing a sacred path of dignity, honor, and purity. A writer reaches perfection when he gathers all good qualities within himself, such as:
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patience when angry;
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firmness when making decisions;
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justice in judgment;
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fairness in speech;
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loyalty in times of hardship.
These are the values that make the pen a scale of conscience, not a tool for desires or personal interests.
Writing is a high school of thought, and a writer is required to have knowledge of religion, language, poetry, history, and calculation. Culture is one whole that cannot be divided. It is unthinkable for a writer to be unaware of the heritage of the Ummah or careless about his own language.
A writer must be aware of events, be able to put everything in its proper place, and wisely manage sudden situations through the tip of his pen.
The Pen Is a Trust
One of the great qualities of this advice is its call to humility. It cleans writers from arrogance and selfishness and reminds them to feel grateful for God’s blessing in knowledge and virtue.
A writer who is drowned in pride over his pen and attributes success only to his own skill, not to the help of his Lord, can never be a true writer. Knowledge is a trust, talent is a covenant, and both are meant only for goodness and reform.
This advice also teaches writers brotherhood, cooperation, and compassion.
If life becomes difficult for one writer, others should help him until his condition improves.
If someone becomes unable to work because of old age, his honor must be respected, he should be consulted, and his experience should be used.
Knowledge should not lead to pride or distance from others; rather, it should be a means of closeness and unity.
A writer must use gentleness and wisdom in educating people, just as one who trains an animal understands its nature and guides it gently. Likewise, a writer should understand people’s morals and guide them to the right path without force or harshness, but with patience and good manners. Knowledge is gentleness, education is good conduct, and wisdom is flexibility.
The Writer and the Ruler
The relationship between the writer and the ruler is not one of servitude or blind obedience; rather, it is a relationship of reason, advice, and reform.
The writer is not the servant of the ruler; he is his partner in establishing justice and reform.
Through his pen, rulers are corrected and countries are built. This understanding keeps the writer focused on reform from within, not standing beside power.
Avoiding Excess and Luxury
In this advice, Abdul Hamid calls writers to simplicity and moderation and warns them against waste and unnecessary spending.
Luxury and comfort corrupt the pen, remove the beauty of knowledge, and extinguish clarity of thought.
The pen lives only in an atmosphere of moderation, seriousness, and humility.
Conclusion
A writer is not an ordinary and passing person in history; he is a messenger and an heir of wisdom. Every line, every word, and every expression of a writer’s pen is, in his belief, an act of reform, a sign of mercy, and the voice of conscience.
Here it becomes clear that if rulers govern people’s bodies, writers rule people’s minds and hearts.
A writer reaches perfection when he understands that writing is worship in the sanctuary of thought, an intellectual struggle in the path of truth, and an effort toward human perfection.
Writing is not merely a profession; it is a moral commitment and a cultural covenant between the writer and the Ummah, and between the writer and his own soul.
Whoever understands these principles and protects his pen from selfish desires can, through the tip of his pen, bring light to the face of his time and its conditions.
