In this chapter the Arabic word ‘aql has been translated as ‘intellect’ to denote one’ s mental ability to think, reason and understand
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1ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): قِوامُ المَرءِ عَقلُهُ ، ولا دِينَ لِمَن لا عَقلَ لَهُ. |
| 1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The very basis of man is his intellect, and the man devoid of intellect has no religion.’ [Rawdhat al-Wa`aizin, p. 9] |
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2ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما استَودَعَ اللّهُ امرَأً عَقلاً إلّا استَنقَذَهُ بِهِ يَوماً ما. |
| 2– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Allah has only assigned man with an intellect so that it may one day deliver him.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 407] |
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3ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ أقوى أساسٍ . |
| 3– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The intellect is the strongest foundation.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 475] |
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4ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ مُنَزِّهٌ عَنِ المُنكَرِ آمِرٌ بِالمَعروفِ. |
| 4– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The intellect is immune from wrong and commands good-doing.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1250] |
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5ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ مُصلِحُ كُلِّ أمرٍ . |
| 5– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The intellect sets right all matters.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 404] |
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6ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ رُقِيٌّ إلى عِلِّيِّينَ . |
| 6– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The intellect is a ladder upwards towards the `AeIlliyyin [the loftiest heavens].’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1325] |
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7ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ رَسولُ الحَقِّ. |
| 7– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The intellect is the messenger of the truth.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 272] |
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8ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ أغنَى الغِنَى العَقلُ. |
| 8– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Verily the most sufficient of riches is the intellect.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 38] |
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9ـ الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ خَليلُ المَرءِ. |
| 9– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The intellect is the friend of the believer.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 203] |
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10ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا مُصيبَةَ كَعَدَمِ العَقلِ. |
| 10– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘There is no affliction worse than a lack of intellect.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 286] |
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11ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ اللّهَ جلَّ ثَناؤهُ خَلَقَ العَقلَ، وهُوَ أوَّلُ خَلقٍ خَلَقَهُ مِنَ الرُّوحانيّينَ عَن يَمينِ العَرشِ مِن نورِهِ. |
| 11– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily Allah, exalted be His praise, created the intellect, and it is the very first thing He created amongst all the spiritual beings from the right hand side of His Throne out of His Light.’[al-Khisal, p. 589, no. 13] |
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12ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): خَلَقَ اللّهُ تَعالى العَقلَ مِن أربَعَةِ أشياءَ: مِنَ العِلمِ ، والقُدرَةِ ، والنّورِ ، والمَشيئَةِ بِالأمرِ ، فجَعَلَهُ قائماً بِالعِلمِ ، دائماً في المَلَكوتِ . |
| 12– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Allah created the intellect out of four things from knowledge, power, light and volition. Then He caused it to subsist through knowledge and be eternal in the divine Dominion.’[al-Ikhtisas, p. 244] |
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13ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا غِنى أخصَبُ مِنَ العَقلِ ، ولا فَقرَ أحَطُّ مِنَ الحُمقِ . |
| 13– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘There is no wealth more productive than the intellect and no poverty lower than stupidity.’[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 29, no. 34] |
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14ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا مالَ أعوَدُ مِنَ العَقلِ . |
| 14– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘There is no wealth more profiting than the intellect.’[al-Ikhtisas, no. 244] |
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15ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ دَليلُ المُؤمِنِ . |
| 15– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The intellect is the authoritative proof of the believer.’[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 25, no. 24] |
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16ـ الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في وَصِيَّتِهِ لِهِشامِ ابنِ الحَكَمِ ـ: يا هِشامُ ، ما قُسِّمَ بَينَ العِبادِ أفضَلُ مِنَ العَقلِ ؛ نَومُ العاقِلِ أفضَلُ مِن سَهَرِ الجاهِلِ ، وما بَعَثَ اللّهُ نَبِيّاً إلّا عاقِلاً حَتّى يَكونَ عَقلُهُ أفضَلَ مِن جَميعِ جَهدِ المُجتَهِدينَ ، وما أدَّى العَبدُ فَريضَةً مِن فَرائضِ اللّهِ حَتّى عَقَلَ عَنهُ . |
| 16– Imam al-Kazim (AS), in his advice to Hisham b. al-?akam, said, ‘O Hisham, nothing has been bestowed upon the servants better than the intellect. The sleep of a man of intellect is better than the night vigil of an ignorant man. Every single prophet that Allah has sent down has been a man of intellect, whose intellect supercedes the labour of all diligent workers. The servant is not considered as having fulfilled an obligatory act from among the acts made incumbent by Allah until he understands it.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 397] |
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17ـ الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): صَديقُ كُلِّ امرِئٍ عَقلُهُ وعَدُوُّهُ جَهلُهُ . |
| 17– Imam al-Rida (AS) said, ‘The friend of every man is his intellect and his enemy is his ignorance.’[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 11, no. 4] |
