Practicing One's Own Advice Oneself

Question

Does the following incident concern the Prophet ﷺ, or some imam or venerable elder? An old woman came to him and said, “My son eats a great deal of jaggery; please give him some advice.” In reply it was said: “I too eat jaggery; let me first give it up myself, and then I will give the advice.” He first gave up eating it, and only then gave the advice. Please state in detail whose incident this is.

Answer

This incident does not concern the Prophet ﷺ; it must be about some venerable elder. In itself, it is true that advice is effective for another only when the advisor himself acts upon it. It has been said: the world will never accept the words of one who does not act upon his own advice.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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