(55) لا يؤدّي الضالة إلاّ الضال.
(56) اتّقوا النار ولو بشقّ تمرة.
(57) الأرواح جنود مجنّدة فما تعارف منها ائتلف وما تناكر منها اختلف.
(58) مطل الغني ظلم.
(59) السفر قطعة من السقر.
(60) الناس معادن كمعادن الذهب والفضّة.
(61) صاحب المجلس أحقّ بصدر مجلسه.
(62) احثوا في وجوه المدّاحين التراب.
(63) استنزلوا الرزق بالصدقة.
(55) Except the deviants, no one shelters the deviant.83
(56) Guard (yourselves) against Hell even by a half of a single grain of dates (that you should give as alms).84
(57) Spirits are in groups. Amicability occurs only between the spirits that are acquainted with one another while disagreement occurs between those who oppose one another.85
(58) The procrastination of the wealthy is oppression.86
(59) Traveling is a piece of fire.87
(60) Like gold and silver, people are different metals.88
(61) The owner of a session is the most meritorious of the seat of priority.89
(62) Cast dust in the faces of the eulogists.90
(63) Cause earnings to come down by means of almsgiving.91
____________
83. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5816, Awali il-La'aali; 3:484 H. 3, Wassail ush-Shi'a; 25:441 H.32305.
84. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5817, As-Saduq's al-Amali; 93 H.4, Uyounu Akhbar ir-Ridha; 1: 295 H. 35, Fadhaa'il ul-Ash'hur ith-Thalatha; 77: H.61, Ibn Abi al-Hadid's
Sharhu Nahj ul-Balagha; 19:210, al-Iqbal; 2, Tanbih ul-Khawattir; 1:3 & 110, al-Ja'fariyat; 57, Ar-Rawandi's An-Nawadir; 3, Bihar ul-Anwar; 7:183 H.29.
85. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5818, As-Saduq's al-Amali; 145 H.16, Ilal ash-Sharaayi'; 426 H.7, Mutashabah ul-Qur'aan; 1:8, A'lam ud-Din; 440, Jami' ul-Akhbar; 171, Bihar
ul-Anwar; 74:410 H.16.
86. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5819.
87. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5820, Ibn Abi al-Hadid's Sharhu Nahj ul-Balagha; 20:338, Awali il-La'aali; 1:102 H. 28, Mekarim ul-Akhlaq; 266, al-Ja'fariyat; 170,
Ar-Rawandi's Ad-Da'awat; 295 H.59, Bihar ul-Anwar; 96:317 H.9.
88. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5821, Ibn Abi al-Hadid's Sharhu Nahj ul-Balagha; 6:370, Mishkat ul-Anwar; 260, Bihar ul-Anwar; 61:65 H.51.
89. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:380 H.5822, Bihar ul-Anwar; 66:407 H.1.
90. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5823, As-Saduq's al-Amali; 426, Tanbih ul-Khawattir; 2:259, Mekarim ul-Akhlaq; 428, Ibn Abi al-Hadid's Sharhu Nahj ul-Balagha; 11:103 and
17:45, Bihar ul-Anwar; 73:294 H.1 and 76:331 H.1.
91. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5824, al-Khissal; 621, At-Tawhid: 68 H.24, Qurb ul-Isnad; 56, Keshf ul-Ghumma; 2:184 & 207, Tuhaf ul-Uqoul; 60 & 110, Al-Ja'fariyat;
57, al-Odad ul-Qawiyya; 150, Oddat ud-Da'ee; 69, Ibn Abi al-Hadid's Sharhu Nahj ul-Balagha; 11:103 and 17:45, Bihar ul-Anwar; 78:60 H.183 and 96:118 H.14, 22, 25, 66 & 68.
( 114 )
(64) ادفعوا البلاء بالدّعاء.
(65) جبلت القلوب على حبّ من أحسن إليها وبغض من أساء إليها.
(66) ما نقص مالٌ من صدقة.
(67) لا صدقة وذو رحم محتاج.
(68) الصحّة والفراغ نعمتان مكفورتان.
(69) عفو المَلك أبقى للمُلك.
(70) هيبة الرّجل لزوجته تزيد في عفّتها.
(71) لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق.
(64) Repeal the misfortunes by praying (to Allah).92
(65) Hearts (i.e. souls) are amended to love those who do them favors and hate those who maltreat them.93
(66) Almsgiving will never cause reduction of a fortune.94
(67) Almsgiving (to the strangers) is unacceptable when any of the relatives is needy.95
(68) Health and free time are two ignored graces.96
(69) Amnesty of kings perpetuates their kingdoms.97
(70) Husbands' prestige98 improves their wives' chastity.99
(71) No creature should be obeyed in matters that (cause or) are regarded as acts of disobedience to the Creator.100
____________
92. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5825, Mohaj ud-Da'awat; 217, Bihar ul-Anwar; 48:150 H.25 and 94:318 H.1.
93. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5826, Tuhaf ul-Uqoul; 37, Falah us-Sa'il; 111, Bihar ul-Anwar; 77:142 H. 1.
94. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5827, Keshf ul-Ghumma; 2:207, al-Ja'fariyat; 55, Ar-Rawandi's An-Nawadir; 3, Awali ul-La'aali; 3:113 H. 1, Bihar ul-Anwar; 78:209 H.79 and
96:121 H.62.
95. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5828, Mekarim ul-Akhlaq; 442, As-Sirat ul-Mustaqeem; 3:282, Bihar ul-Anwar; 77:59 H.3 and 96:147 H.24.
96. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5829, al-Khissal; 1:314, Bihar ul-Anwar; 77:169 H. 4.
97. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5830, Wassail ush-Shi'a; 12:170 "112" H.15987.
98. In some other reference books, this word is changed into 'gift'. In others, it is changed into 'good mien', which seems to be the most appropriate.
99. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5831, Wassail ush-Shi'a; 19:241 "7" H.24502.
100. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:381 H.5832, As-Saduq's al-Amali; 368 H.1, al-Khissal; 139, H.158, Uyounu Akhbar ir-Ridha; 1:124 H.1, al-Manaqib; Ibn Shahrashoub, 111, Keshf
ul-Ghumma; 1:263, Da'aayim ul-Islam; 1:350, Tanbih ul-Khawattir; 1:51, Khassa'is ul-A'imma; 109, Mekarim ul-Akhlaq; 419, Ibn Abi al-Hadid's Sharhu Nahj ul-Balagha; 5:112, 16:158 & 18:389,
Wassail ush-Shi'a; 19:241 "7" H.24502, Bihar ul-Anwar; 74:855 H.98 and 92:179 H.9.
( 115 )
الإمام عليّ (عليه السلام) وشيخ من أهل الشام (72) وروى لي محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق رضي الله عنه، عن أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد الهمداني قال: حدّثنا الحسن بن القاسم قراءة قال: حدّثنا علي بن إبراهيم
بن المُعلّى، قال: حدّثنا أبو عبد الله محمد بن خالد، قال: حدّثنا عبد الله بن بكر المُراديّ، عن موسى بن جعفر، عن أبيه، عن جدّه، عن علي بن الحسين، عن أبيه عليهم السلام قال: بينا أمير المؤمنين عليه
السلام ذات يوم جالس مع أصحابه يعبئهم للحرب، إذ أتاه شيخ عليه شجّة السفر فقال: أين أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام؟ فقيل: هو ذا.
IMAM ALI AND A SYRIAN OLD MAN
(72) Mohammed bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq related to me from Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Saeed al-Hamadani from al-Hasan bin al-Qasim from Ali bin Ibrahim bin al-Mu'alla from Abu Abdullah Mohammed bin
Khalid from Abdullah bin Bakr al-Muradi from Musa bin Ja'far (Imam al-Kadhim) from his father from his father from Ali bin al-Hussein that his father (a) said:
One day, Amir ul-Mu'minin was mobilizing his companions when an old man, whose face was pale out of traveling, approached and asked: "Where is Amir ul-Mu'minin?" "Here he is," some answered
(as they pointed to Imam Ali).
( 116 )
فسلّم عليه ثمّ قال: يا أمير المؤمنين، إنّي أتيتك من ناحية الشام، وأنا شيخ كبير قد سمعت فيك من الفضل ما لا أحصي، وإنّي أظنّك ستُغتال، فعلّمني ممّا علّمك الله.
قال عليه السلام: نعم يا شيخ، من اعتدل يوماه فهو مغبون، ومن كانت الدنيا همّه اشتدّت حسرته على فِراقها، ومن كان غده شرّ يوميه فهو محروم، ومن لم يبالِ بما زوي من آخرته إذا سَلِمت له دنياه فهو
هالك، ومن لم يتعاهد النقص من نفسه غلب عليه الهوى، ومن كان في نقص فالموت أهون له.
The old man moved toward him, greeted him, and said: "O Amir ul-Mu'minin, I have come to you from Syria in spite of my old age because I have heard about you such innumerable virtues. I see
you will be assassinated. I wish you would instruct me with items that Allah has conveyed to you." Imam Ali (a) said:
Yes, old man. He whose two days are moderate is wronged. He whose main concern is the worldly pleasures will suffer great regret for their departure. He whose day to come is eviler than his
present day is surely deprived. He who does not care for whatever reduces from his world to come as long as his worldly life will not be influenced is surely perishing. He who does not pay
attention to the defects of his own personality is overcome by passions. Death is surely better for those who are moving to the abyss.
( 117 )
يا شيخ، إنّ الدنيا خَضرِةٌ حلوة ولها أهل، وإنّ الآخرة لها أهل ظَلِفت أنفسهم عن مفاخرة أهل الدنيا، لا يتنافسون في الدنيا، ولا يفرحون بغضارتها، ولا يحزنون لبؤسها. يا شيخ، من خاف من البيات قلّ
نومه، ما أسرع الليالي والأيّام في عمر العبد! فاخزُن لسانك، وعُد كلامك إلاّ بخير. يا شيخ، إرضَ للناس ما ترضى لنفسك، وأئت للناس ما تُحبّ أن يُؤتى إليك. ثمّ أقبل على أصحابه فقال: أيّها الناس، أما
ترون أنّ أهل الدنيا يُمسون ويُصبحون على أحوال شتّى؟
O Old man, this world is sweet and green. It has its own people. The world to come is also has its own people whose selves are too lofty to compete with the people of this world. They
neither contend with each other for gaining the worldly pleasures, nor do they feel happy for its fertility, nor do they feel sad for its misery.
O Old man, he who anticipates sudden shocks will hardly sleep. Nights and days are very quick in one's age. Hence, control your tongue and say nothing but the good.
O Old man, you should like for people all that which you like for yourself and treat them in the same way you want them to treat you. Imam Ali (a) then turned to his companions and said: O
people, do you not see that people in this world encountering a great variety of conditions whenever they enter into evening or morning?
( 118 )
فبين صريع يتلوّى، وبين عائد ومَعُود، وآخر بنفسه يجود، وآخر لا يُرجى، وآخر مُسجّى، وطالب الدنيا والموت يَطلبهُ، وغافل وليس بمغفول عنه، وعلى أثر الماضي يصير الباقي. فقال له زيد بن صوحان
العبدي: يا أمير المؤمنين أيّ سلطان أغلب وأقوى؟ قال عليه السلام: الموت. قال: فأيّ ذلّ أذلّ؟ قال عليه السلام: الحرص على الدنيا. قال: فأيّ فقر أشد؟
They are either a victim that writhes (out of pain), a visitor of a sick, a person that is visited in his ailment, a person that is dying, a person that is not expected to live any longer,
or a (dead) person that is laid out. The seekers of this world are chased by death, and the negligent are not ignored. The present ones will surely face the same fate of the past ones.101 Zaid
bin Sawhan al-Abdi asked: O Amir ul-Mu'minin, what is the most powerful and influential authority? Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is death.
Zaid: What is the most degrading humility?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is care for the worldly pleasures.
Zaid: What is the harshest poverty?
____________
101. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:382 H.5833, As-Saduq's al-Amali; 321-2 H.4, Bihar ul-Anwar; 77:371 H.1 and 79:301 H.10.
( 119 )
قال عليه السلام: الكفر بعد الإيمان.
قال: فأيّ دعوة أضلّ؟
قال عليه السلام: الداعي بما لا يكون.
قال: فأيّ عمل أفضل؟
قال عليه السلام: التقوى.
قال: فأيّ عمل أنجح؟
قال عليه السلام: طلب ما عند الله عزّ وجلّ.
قال: فأيّ صاحب لك شرّ؟
قال عليه السلام: المُزيّن لك معصية الله عزّ وجلّ.
قال: فأيّ الخلق أشقى؟
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is apostasy after faith.
Zaid: What is the most aberrant advocacy?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is the advocacy to the impossible.
Zaid: What is the best deed?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is God-fearing.
Zaid: What is the most successful deed?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is to seek for that which is in the possession of Allah, Powerful and Majestic is He.
Zaid: Who is the evilest companion?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The evilest companion is that who encourages you to commit acts of disobedience to Allah.
Zaid: Who is the unhappiest of people?
( 120 )
قال عليه السلام: من باع دينه بدنيا غيره.
قال: فأيّ الخلق أقوى؟
قال عليه السلام: الحليم.
قال: فأيّ الخلق أشحّ؟
قال عليه السلام: من أخذ المال من غير حّله فجعله في غير حقّه.
قال: فأيّ النّاس أكيس؟
قال عليه السلام: من أبصر رشده من غيّه فمال إلى رشده. >قال: فمن أحلم النّاس؟
قال عليه السلام: الّذي لا يغضب.
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The unhappiest of people is he who sold his religion with the worldly life of others.
Zaid: Who is the most powerful of people?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The most powerful of people is the self-possessed.
Zaid: Who is the stingiest of people?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The stingiest of people is he who seizes estates unlawfully and spends them unduly.
Zaid: Who is the most courteous of people?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The most courteous of people is he who inclined to the right guidance after he had discriminated it from the wrong way.
Zaid: Who is the most clement of people?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The clement of people is he who is never angry.
( 121 )
قال: فأيّ الناس أثبت رأياً؟
قال عليه السلام: من لم تغرّه الناس من نفسه ولم تغرّه الدنيا بتشوّقها.
قال: فأيّ النّاس أحمق؟
قال عليه السلام: المغترّ بالدنيا وهو يرى ما بها من تقلّب أحوالها.
قال: فأيّ النّاس أشدّ حسرة؟
قال عليه السلام: الّذي حُرِم الدنيا والآخرة ذلك هو الخسران المبين.
قال: فأيّ الخلق أعمى؟
قال عليه السلام: الّذي عَمِل لغير الله يطلب بعمله الثواب من عند الله عزّ وجلّ.
Zaid: Who is the most resolute?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The most resolute is he who is not deceived by people in regard to his personality and is not deceived by this world and its seductive matters. Zaid: Who is the most
foolish? Amir ul-Mu'minin: The most foolish is he who is deceived by this world although he is noticing the changeability of its conditions. Zaid: Who is the most regretful?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The most regretful is he who is deprived of this world as well as the world to come. This is surely the clear loss. Zaid: Who is the blindest?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: The blindest is he who desired for gaining the rewards of Allah through acts that he had practiced for something other than the cause of Allah.
( 122 )
قال: فأيّ القنوع أفضل؟
قال عليه السلام: القانع بما أعطاه الله عزّ وجلّ.
قال: فأيّ المصائب أشدّ؟
قال عليه السلام: المصيبة بالدين.
قال: فأيّ الأعمال أحبّ إلى الله عزّ وجلّ؟
قال عليه السلام: انتظار الفرج.
قال: فأيّ النّاس خيرٌ عند الله عزّ وجلّ؟
قال عليه السلام: أخوفهم لله، وأعملهم بالتقوى، وأزهدهم في الدنيا.
قال: فأيّ الكلام أفضل عند الله عزّ وجلّ؟
Zaid: What is the best sort of satisfaction?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is the satisfaction with that which Allah has given.
Zaid: What is the most shattering misfortune?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is the misfortune of the religion.
Zaid: What is the most favorable deed to Allah?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is to expect the Relief.
Zaid: Who are the best people in the sight of Allah?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: They are the most careful about Allah, the most observant of God-fearing, and the most abstinent in the worldly pleasures. Zaid: What is the most favorable utterance in
the sight of Allah?
( 123 )
قال عليه السلام: كثرة ذكره، والتضرّع إليه بالدعاء.
قال: فأيّ القول أصدق؟
قال عليه السلام: شهادة أن لا إله إلاّ الله.
قال: فأيّ الأعمال أعظم عند الله؟
قال عليه السلام: التسليم والورع.
قال: فأيّ الناس أصدق؟
قال: من صدّق في المواطن.
ثمّ أقبل عليه السلام على الشّيخ فقال: يا شيخ، إنّ الله عزّ وجلّ خلق خلقاً ضيّق الدنيا عليهم، نظر إليهم، فزهّدهم فيها وفي حطامها.
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is the frequent reference to Him and the reverential supplication to Him.
Zaid: What is the most truthful wording?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is the confession that there is no god but Allah.
Zaid: What is the greatest deed in the sight of Allah?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is submission to Him and piety.
Zaid: Who is the most truthful of people?
Amir ul-Mu'minin: It is he who resists in battles.
Imam Ali (a) then turned to the old man and said: O Old man, Allah has created some people and made the worldly affairs difficult for them. He has also induced them to abstain from the
worldly pleasures and transitory wreckage.
( 124 )
فرغبوا في دار السلام التي دعاهم إليها، وصبروا على ضيق المعيشة، وصبروا على المكروه، واشتاقوا إلى ما عند الله عزّ وجلّ من الكرامة. فبذلوا أنفسهم ابتغاء رضوان الله، وكانت خاتمة أعمالهم
الشهادة، فلقوا الله عزّ وجلّ وهو عنهم راضٍ، وعَلِموا أنَّ الموت سبيل من مضى وسبيل من بقي، فتزوّدوا لآخرتهم غير الذهب والفضّة، ولبسوا الخشن، وصبروا على الطول، وخدموا الفضل، وأحبّوا في الله عزّ
وجلّ وأبغضوا في الله عزّ وجلّ، اُولئك المصابيح وأهل النعيم في الآخرة والسلام. قال الشيخ: وأين أذهب وأدع الجنّة وأنا أراها وأرى أهلها معك يا أمير المؤمنين؟ جهّزوني بقوّة أقوى بها على
عدوّك.
They desired from the Abode of Peace to which Allah has called them, stood the harsh livelihood and the misfortunes, and longed for the honor that is found with Allah, Powerful and Majestic
is He. They therefore sacrificed themselves for the sake of Allah's satisfaction and ended their deeds with martyrdom to meet Allah Who will be pleased with them. As they recognized that death
was inevitable for the past ones as well as the present ones, they took along provisions, not gold and silver, for their lives to come, wore tough clothes, advanced charity, and loved and hated
for the sake of Allah. These are surely the lanterns and people of bliss and peace in the world to come.
The old man commented: "Where should I go and how should I leave Paradise while I can see it and its people with you, Amir ul-Mu'minin? Equip me with weapons by which I can fight against
your enemy."
( 125 )
فأعطاه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام سلاحاً، وحمله على الخيل. وكان في الحرب بين يدي أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام يضرب قُدُماً، وأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام يعجب ممّا يصنع. فلمّا اشتدّت الحرب أقبل
بفرسه حتّى قتل رحمة الله عليه، وأتبعه رجل من أصحاب أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فوجده صريعاً، ووجد دابّته ووجد سيفه في ذراعه. فلمّا انقضت الحرب أتي أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام بدابّته وسلاحه، وصلّى
عليه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، وقال: هذا والله السعيد حقّاً، فترحّموا على أخيكم.
Hence, Imam Ali (a) equipped him with weapons and prepared a horse for him. He went on fighting in front of Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) so bravely, and the Imam (a) was highly admired by his
fight. As the war attained its climax, the old man was advancing with his horse until he was killed. One of the companions of Amir ul-Mu'minin traced him. He found him killed and found his horse
and sword still in his hand.
When the war was over, the horse and sword of the old man was put before Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) who prayed for his body and said: "This is, by Allah, the true happy. Seek Allah's mercy for
your brother."102
____________
102. Refer to Men La Yahdhuruh ul-Faqih; 4:382 H. 5833, al-Amali; Sheikh As-Saduq 322, H.4, Me'aani al-Akhbar; 197 H.4, al-Amali; At-Tusi 434, H.947, al-Ghayat; 66, Tanbih ul-Khawattir;
2:173, Bihar ul-Anwar; 77:376 H.1.
