Do not rely on people’s praise or slander

Once, Hazrat Luqman said to his son:
“O my son! Do not rely on people’s praise or slander. Although you spend every ounce of your strength, you will not succeed in this affair”.
His son said:
“Father! I don’t understand a word of what you are saying. I want to see some samples”.
Luqman replied: “Let us walk”.
They started while having one animal to ride on. Now Luqman rode on the animal, while the son was walking. People seeing this, said:
“How cruel is this old man. Although he is strong, he lets his son walk!”
Luqman told his son: “Did you hear?” He replied: “Yes, I did”.
Then Luqman told his son: “Now, you ride the animal and I will follow”.
The son rode the animal and Luqman was walking. People said this time: “These father and son are bad people. The father has not trained his son. His son is riding. The father, who should get respects, is walking. The son is bad because God will punish him for this act of his. Therefore, both are wrong-doers!”
Luqman asked his son: “Did you hear?” He replied: “Yes”.
Then Luqman said: “Let us both ride on the animal”.
They both rode on it. People then complained: “There is no mercy in the hearts of these two riders. God will not bless them. They are breaking the back of the animal. They have overloaded it. It was better for one of them to walk and the other to ride”.
Luqman told his son: “Did you hear?” He said: “Yes”.
Then Luqman said: “Let us both of us walk”.
They started walking. They heard people say: “It is strange that they have an animal but they walk.”
Then Luqman said to his son: “Can you make people agree with you? Thus, do not look for people’s consent, look for God’s consent. That will be a source of prosperity both here and in the hereafter”.

Taken from: Almujtaba Islamic Articles Page