The Inner Fragrance. I want to make the world a better place, and I will do everything I can to achieve that

© Abdramanov Bayrambayuly Arslanbek, 2025

ISBN 978-5-0068-5118-4

Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

Preface

In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

The life of every person is a great test and a great opportunity given to overcome that test. Sometimes we fail to value life, getting caught up in the daily grind, and forget our true purpose. In reality, every sunrise and every sunset is a new opportunity, a new beginning given to us. Making the most of that opportunity, acting with a clean heart and sincere intention, is the path that leads to true happiness.

Lately, I have decided to share the work I’ve been writing in my notebook, the thoughts that came from my heart, and the lessons I have learned from life. Every word is the result of my own search, the fruit of my own mistakes and victories. If it prompts thought in the reader, if it inspires – my goal is fulfilled. If not – my dream is fulfilled…

Human life is like a ship on the Caspian Sea. Each of us has a destination, a harbor to reach, a goal set ahead. Perhaps we miss our homeland or dream of leaving our homeland, meaning: for achievement and peace. But on that journey, various storms and sudden winds – the difficulties of life – await us. Sometimes, it seems that the storm is about to capsize us, with the current pushing against us and backward. But truly, the storm itself cannot stop us. How we accept it and how we use it is in our own hands. And that knowledge is in this very book!

«I have heard from experienced sailors, who were taught by the sea itself, that sometimes a storm significantly changes their course. It seems we have confirmation of that today. Yes, old sailors know what they are talking about. A true

triumph of experience over outdated knowledge from backward textbooks.»

A Caspian ship captain only moves forward when they turn the sail towards the wind, not against the storm. If a test comes upon us, if we are patient and view the difficulty not as an enemy but turn it into experience and new opportunities, we will reach our goal. Every obstacle in life teaches us something! Therefore, learn a lesson from every storm in life! Because: life is the best teacher! And if you learn correctly, be the best student!

That is why we should not be afraid of the storms in life. Only the one who learns to control them truly becomes the captain of the Caspian ship.

Making life meaningful is in the hands of each person. Good thoughts, right intentions, and persistent action – everything begins and continues from this. What makes us human is the struggle for life. Our desires will never end! We become happy only by overcoming the beast within! The highlighted phrases (in blue) and my poems in this book are entrusted to the readers!

The First Word of Admonition (Life Purpose)

Life is a great blessing given to every person! Its time is limited, extremely short. We do not even know when it will end. Perhaps one of Allah Almighty’s favors is that we do not know the exact end of our life. If we knew it, then every moment of our life would lose its meaning.

Coming into life and living as a true human being is in our own hands. Every step you take begins with your intention. In truth, a pure heart remaining unstained and unwavering is

not because a trial has come from someone else, but because accepting that trial is a matter of our own free will.

How do we accept it? That is the question! If patience is not deeply rooted within us, we would not be able to accept any trial in life.

Allah Almighty did not command us to be patient and thankful in vain! This too is a good sign: that a person’s fortune will not abandon his path, and that his forehead will never leave the ground in prostration. It is the harbinger of goodness.

Man is a guest of this transient world: he grows, withers, and is reabsorbed back into the earth. Only the good deed that will never fade and will accompany you forever is the one that remains with you; everything else, sooner or later, will be forgotten. Only your deeds will not be erased in the sight of Allah Almighty.

Life is short; you will see how we waste our lives in vain on sleep and pointless idle activities! Life is given only once, so why not spend it on beneficial deeds? Time spent in the path of Allah never goes to waste!

The Second Word of Admonition (Understanding)

In this wonderful world, everyone wants to achieve great success, yet no one wants to take action. People are lazy and don’t want to do anything, living without realizing that this attitude will not lead to any good. Even though they know this, they refuse to act; they talk about it, but they themselves don’t do it. Isn’t it a deed that brings no benefit even to oneself, let alone to others?

Indeed, postponing the good deed you have planned until

tomorrow is the act of an ignorant person. It is also the deed of someone who never even starts, who, after stumbling, does not get up – a person with quantity but no quality!

If someone carries out his task to the end and is pleased with his accomplishment, but then looks down on those beneath him, arrogantly laughing at them, even that righteous deed he performed will bring him no benefit in the Hereafter.

Therefore, let every action you perform be for the pleasure of Allah! If it is for Allah’s pleasure, your deeds will inevitably move forward, benefiting not only you but others as well, and sooner or later the goal or dream to which you have committed yourself will be fulfilled. Just sincerely want it, take action, and ask Allah for it.

The Third Word of Admonition (Obey)

When virtuous people share what they have seen and learned as a lesson, he even gets angry at being given advice, saying «I am not at the level to ask advice from anyone,» and then he adds «The advice you give is beneath my feet!» I have seen this myself – what kind of words are these? Isn’t it the act of an ignorant person to refuse to try to know what he doesn’t know? If someone lays goodness at his feet, will not some good people rest their heads upon it? And if he places goodness underfoot and rests evil on his head, no one would say that he will become a good, prominent person in the future.

If someone tries to advise you,

You cover your ears;

Thus, you fail to grasp humanity!

If you do not go when told «go»,

And do not stop when told «stop»,

And when a stick hits your head,

Even if you repent a thousand times,

Will that opportunity ever return?

Knowing that you are wrong, yet lying to yourself to defend yourself,

Therefore, in both lives

You will find no honor!

It is fine to absorb wisdom into yourself and not to give advice to someone below you if he does not ask; but it is also a great art to take the words of good people as a lesson. Even if a good person is a hero, strive not to become him but to surpass him! Do not consider yourself superior to the wicked; learn from stumbling! Learn from another’s fall! You cannot be perfect, but by being sincere you can strive for perfection.

Giving you advice does not mean I am wiser than you. It shows I have done more foolish things than you; it demonstrates the wisdom of the Kazakh people!

The Fourth Word of Admonition (Be Worthy)

Don’t ask for respect; do something that deserves it! You don’t give anyone true respect without a good reason – unless it’s for reward – so why should others show you respect?

Don’t plead for love; make yourself lovable! We all want the partner of our dreams, but what kind of person does the one in your dreams want? Let’s be honest. Would you trust your daughter to a boy like you? Would you allow your son to marry a girl like you?

One day I overwatered a flower and killed it. A person’s soul is just as beautiful as a flower! In life, many things must be moderate – neither too much nor too little – otherwise they will wither and pull everything else into a black hole.

If you want to better your friend or find a good friend, start by improving yourself: begin praying in a mosque! In other words, find a good circle and grow together.

If you want to receive, learn to give! A person who knows how to give never loses. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and ask: What would you do?

The folk saying «Rather than seeking a cure when you’re sick, look for a way not to get sick» was not spoken in vain.

If you want to become a better person, start with yourself! Don’t put off your dreams until tomorrow; act on them right now. Otherwise, everything will be too late. No matter how much you read or listen, why don’t you take action? Is it really that hard to do it for yourself – for the respect of your people, your honor, your parents’ approval, a good life, a loyal and faithful spouse, a happy life?

«Strike the iron while it’s hot,» my Kazakh grandfather used to say. It’s best to do the task at hand right away; if you don’t, it will all be too late, and tomorrow won’t be as valuable as today. If you don’t do it today, tomorrow it will be twice as hard, the next day three times as hard, and so on. You’ll end up running right into what you’re trying to escape. Don’t

leave for tomorrow what you can do today.

Be worthy of what you demand! Don’t criticize others before you yourself reach that level – otherwise you will only embarrass yourself. Never think of anyone else as above or below you. If you think people are beneath you, you won’t even get started and you’ll fall into sin; if you consider them above you, you won’t have the courage to do anything and will just sit and stew.

Even if you straighten out your love, friendships, and achievements with my words, the main question is: can you keep what is precious to you?

There is a Kazakh saying: «If a girl loves, she stays; if a boy loves, he wins!» I would complete it this way:

If the boy doesn’t love, he walks away;

If the girl doesn’t love, she cries.

A friend also has friends. If he betrays you, he is no friend – sever ties!

Some of our decisions harm both ourselves and the world around us. Let’s tread carefully with each step.

Never assume you’re always right! Others are people just like you; when you want something, they want it too. No one owes you anything. To receive good things, you must first give those good things.

Learn to feel others’ pain; only then will you truly learn to treat people well. Only then will you be worthy of everything.

The Fifth Word of Admonition (Intention)

Is there perhaps anything that a person cannot do? A person who makes a firm intention will always find the time. Sometimes we do not pay attention to whether our current

efforts are productive. When we look comparatively, we can perceive the straightness or crookedness of our intent. One is not immediately born at the forefront of the line.

If an action is not accompanied by great labor, great risk, and the strongest resolve, every deed we perform is empty and merely a movement of ours. Indeed, at times we waste time in vain, and thereby even undermine our path to happiness. It seems that to be happy, one needs upright intentions and purity of heart. Even if you are rich a thousand times over and a scholar a hundred times over, if there is any dirt in your heart and mind, the luster of your face will appear devoid of beauty.

Begin each endeavor with a pure intention and show love for that endeavor. Do not simply babble empty words – produce results. The person who can do it will do it in silence; the person who cannot will heed nothing but empty words.

If a person wants to do something, he will find the time; if he doesn’t want to, he will find an excuse.

If you know how to find time for your own happiness, time will find happiness for you as well.

A mistake is always forgiven, but it is never forgotten.

If you continue committing sinful deeds, there will always be a reckoning.

If we truly need something, we will make an effort to obtain it. Otherwise, one will eventually make decisions that destroy one’s vibrant youth, ruin one’s health, and kill one’s dream. Therefore, without deceiving yourself with excuses, get to work; once you reach your goal, you can rest! If the One Creator wills it.

People are always searching for shelter in the countryside, by

the seaside, or on the mountains. However, if a person has resolve, he can find shelter for himself within himself. No soul will ever find a refuge as comfortable as its own from another. In particular, if we paint certain images in our mind and through them our soul finds tranquility, that tranquility is nothing but the order in our thoughts.

Reclining on the creaky old sofa that has become my own dwelling, I never tire of re-reading my old blue words again and again. In the midst of the hectic struggle of a long journey, meeting with your beloved feels like it soothes your longing. Of course, it is regrettable that it is your dream and not your face, but the dream itself is also an «Aral». The name of the dream is simply «dream».

If you ever miss a prayer, you make it up and ask for forgiveness. But a prayer is like a lamp burning in the open field; only your faith and sincere intent are its hope that it will not be extinguished by any breeze.

The Sixth Word of Admonition (Time)

In the past, when there were no amusements like today, I had no luxury to kill time – but now, on the contrary, I can’t find any time. While you are thinking about how to kill time, time itself is slowly killing you! Everything comes to an end in the end, but you must acknowledge when it has ended. Time, life, loved ones, and love – everything eventually ends by Allah’s will. That is why they are considered precious, and you must learn to appreciate them! If we don’t appreciate them, sooner or later they will end, and to regret it then is the act of a fool – and regret is the cheapest toll to pay.

Our main mistake is deceiving ourselves by thinking that we

still have time. Time passes quickly! That is why laughter, idle sleep, and pointless play are called «cheap,» because they bring no benefit in the future (or at best, very little) – whereas your hard work will pay off sooner or later! Difficulties will end, and good results will take their place. Not all your efforts may succeed, but one of them will surely blaze like a star, whether now or later. Yes, it may burn intensely or dimly, but it is the result of your effort – your daily bread and your happiness, your earnings, your praise, your fame, your entry into history! Entrust your efforts to Allah and take a risk! After all, what reason would He need to improve your short life!? For us, every day, every hour, every minute, even every second is precious. If you use that time wisely and direct yourself to the work your heart desires, then you will taste the honeyed sweetness of true happiness! So many of your dreams and goals, so much of your energy and of your vibrant life is going away with your sleep, into your sleep. Need motivation? Are you lacking it? Then think about where and in what situation you will be in 10 years, given the work you are doing right now!

Therefore, try to make the moments of the present time unbelievably unforgettable. This is a sweet gift given by the One God. Face the endless world of possibilities. Because when the time comes, everything will be too late. If it becomes too late, it is as though life has been lived in vain. Offer many prayers behind the imam – wouldn’t it be too late if you ended up standing in front of the imam? Until then, while the sun is still rising in the east (before it would rise from the west), give thanks, do deeds of merit, steer clear of evil, and conquer your nafs (ego)! It is difficult to discipline

the nafs, because it also feels pain; if you punish it by giving in to what it wants and whipping it, that is like beating yourself, so it is hard to strike it. If someone beats himself, you might call him crazy – and it is the same here. But if you don’t discipline it, it will harden and slip beyond your control. Yes, do not beat it to death. After all, what is the meaning of life if you yourself go chasing after it? Learn to discipline yourself instead!

Do we have plenty of time or not? Only Allah knows. Therefore, try to push yourself even when you don’t feel like it. Try to complete more than three righteous deeds in one day. If the several tasks you are doing at once yield results, reconsider whether this approach is right! However, this does not mean you should strive for all three goals at the same time. If all your strength is not focused in one direction, achieving your goals is impossible! And it doesn’t mean you should set an easy goal either. Act on the good plan you have in mind without postponing it to tomorrow, and remember that everything is in your hands.

For example, consider earning money – halal vs haram. If you obtain it unlawfully – through theft, by taking someone’s due, by deceitful sales that leave someone in tears – all that means you have taken your livelihood in a haram way. It does not leave you; by doing that, you turn your lawful earnings into haram money. To earn it lawfully: sell good products honestly without deceit, and perform your work correctly and responsibly; then your livelihood will be abundant and blessed.

We can never be happy unless we accept ourselves as we are! If you want to achieve success, focus all your attention

on it and work on it for a long time. If you do one thing today and another thing tomorrow, what you’re doing is nothing but wasting time!

Nothing in this life is easy, and it never will be! Just keep moving forward, one step at a time – everything will happen in its own time. If you start now by doing good deeds, in the end there will be a good result. Likewise, if you, on the contrary, are engaged in evil deeds, the result will be evil! But ultimately, we all die! He who does not acknowledge death is a disbeliever! But can we truly spend our mere one hundred or so years – let’s say 70 years – meaningfully? That is where the problem lies!

Life is only as long as the time it takes for milk to curdle! If you don’t keep an eye on the milk, it will overflow. Once it overflows, everything is spoiled, and the milk ends up as if curdled. If you drink it then, it will taste sour, and the cream will have risen to the top (gone to waste). Meanwhile, you’re thinking, «I’ll just check this phone or clean the house, or I don’t feel like sleeping yet,» and life – the time of your life – has whooshed by right beside you. Therefore, life is only the milk’s curdling time, which passes so quickly without you noticing; and because you haven’t spent your life usefully, the milk of your life is meager and tasteless – no one will drink it; and even if someone does drink it, it is not the creature you intended. Moreover, you will have to wash the dishes and clean the heated stove – so to speak, cleanse your sins – right now while you’re alive; once life has passed, oh dear, how hard it is to clean up then, almost impossible. If you hadn’t done that deed, you would have remained pure from sin and whole in your time.

In the end, there is no great achievement if you waste it. The time that should be devoted to true goodness is wasted on life’s illusions, and for not engaging in sports and paying even a little attention to one’s health (say, just 5% of effort), one loses about 20—30% of one’s time in vain. Therefore, physical and mental health are among our greatest treasures, and they must be nurtured and developed!

Only then can we enjoy a full life. If we ignore this, it means we have not made a good deal, because time is far more precious, and no one is guaranteed that they will spend the rest of their life well!

For example, it is hard to be happy when you are sick. Even if you live in a luxurious house, drive an expensive car, and travel to fancy places, finding happiness will still be difficult.

A worry-free friend of mine once said: «Let’s say you spent 11 years in school, 4 years in university, 1 year in the army, and 3—4 years working without a specialty. When your life was all about money and love, you reached 25—26 years old. You go to work 24/7, caring for your child, your wife, and your parents, and meanwhile you can’t find any time for yourself; in this way 30—40 years pass by just like that. You have to enroll your son or daughter in university. Your children graduate from university, get married, and you’re about to become a grandparent, and you’ve reached 50—60; time is slipping by, and in this way we end up forgetting to actually live life.» He was saying, indeed, that to waste time hating someone or something is foolish – life is too short!

He also said: «Being upset over trivial things, holding grudges, acting without reason, wasting time on an unnecessary person, starting a meaningless task – if we do

that, we will not gain experience but will only get burned!»

Remember: the whole world, the entire environment – by Allah’s grace – is given to you for you alone! Sometimes we even waste time on empty, meaningless tasks; yes, it is hard – extremely hard – to admit that time has been spent on emptiness. Life must go on! It will remain as proof that we must not stay in one place and that we must always strive forward regardless of anything!

Five minutes are not a mere passing illusion,

Time is not an uncaring stone;

Value every second and use it wisely,

Then even if you die, history will not.

The Seventh Word of Admonition (Benefit)

When I was a child, my mother didn’t read me many fairy tales before going to bed,

but she told me countless stories – about war, life, the village, traditions, and even taught me how to play all kinds of board games. I will never forget one story she told:

«When a wolf eats a sheep, people call the wolf evil.

When a fox steals a chicken, they call the fox cunning.

When a mouse gnaws at grain, they call it evil.

But when people collect honey from bees, they call them hardworking and simple.

Because they get all the good from animals —

they take care of them, praise them in proverbs and songs.

A snake doesn’t know that it has poison in itself.

And people don’t understand what flaws they have inside themselves, my dear.

That’s why there is no such thing as pure good or pure evil in

this life.

A person who benefits others is called «good.»

And remember – you don’t have a permanent friend in life.

Therefore, be careful in all your dealings.»

The Eighth Word of Admonition (Knowledge)

From an early age, get an education; once you grow up, no one will tell you to learn! Everyone says, «Go out and find bread!» But to find bread, you have to work; to work, you need knowledge, and you must prove that you have it. Even if you start a business or raise livestock, even in fields where people say, «Oh, this one doesn’t need education or knowledge,» you still need knowledge in that particular line of work. A job done without knowledge and responsibility is a mess. Without knowledge, no one needs you in today’s world, because it is that knowledge that has carried us from yesterday to today. Only thanks to knowledge does a person become a true human being – elevated above the animal level, being conscious – and thus stands at the head of the food chain.

If people from the Stone Age and people of today were to go to war, who would win? It’s not about physical strength – don’t think of it that way. Nor is it just about cunning; a battle fought with knowledge, tactics, and modern weapons cannot even be compared.

Why is it that parents or in-laws sometimes lead us astray into mistakes on things that don’t interest us? It’s because they have people like you; they make mistakes too. Merely being older doesn’t solve anything – without experience and knowledge, all your efforts are in vain. Every mullah (religious