مَن هو المُؤمِنُ؟ Who is the Believer?

61ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : المؤمنُ هَيِّنٌ لَيِّنٌ ، حتّى تَخالَهُ مِن اللِّينِ أحمقَ .

61– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The believer is nice and simple, such that he could be mistaken to be stupid because of his simplicity.’[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 690]

62ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : المؤمنُ مَن آمَنَهُ النّاسُ على دِمائهِم وأموالِهم.

62– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The believer is he whom people trust with their blood and their property.’[Ibid. no. 739]

63ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : المؤمنُ الّذي نفسُهُ مِنهُ في عَناءٍ ، والنّاسُ في راحةٍ.

63– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The believer is he whose soul is inconvenienced because of him so people can be at ease.’[Ibid. no. 752]

64ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : المؤمن يَبدأ بالسَّلامِ ، والمنافقُ يقولُ : حتّى يُبْدأَ بي!

64– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The believer initiates the greeting of peace (sal?m) whereas the hypocrite says, ‘Not until it is said to me first!’[Ibid. no. 778]

65ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : المؤمنُ يألَفُ ويُؤلَفُ ، ولا خيرَ فيمَن لا يألَفُ ولا يُؤلَفُ ، وخيرُ النّاسِ أنفَعهُمْ للنّاسِ.

65– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The believer likes others and is well-liked by them, and there is no good to be found in one who does not get along with others and whom people do not get along with. The best of people is the most useful from among them.’[Ibid. no. 679]

66ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : مَن سَرَّتْهُ حَسَنتُهُ وساءَتْهُ سَيّئتُهُ فهُو مؤمنٌ .

66– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘He whose good deed pleases him and whose sin upsets him is indeed a believer.’[Ibid. no. 700]

67ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ـ يَصِفُ المؤمنَ ـ : لطيفُ الحَرَكاتِ ، حُلْوُ المُشاهَدةِ ... يَطلُبُ مِن الاُمورِ أعلاها ، ومِن الأخلاقِ أسْناها ... لا يَحيفُ على مَن يُبغِضُ ، ولا يأثَمُ فيمَن يُحِبُّ ... قليلُ المؤونةِ ، كثير المَعونةِ ... يُحسِنُ في عملِهِ كأنّهُ ناظرٌ إلَيهِ ، غَضُّ الطَّرْفِ ، سَخِيُّ الكَفِّ ، لا يَرُدُّ سائلاً ... يَزِنُ كلامَهُ ، ويُخْرِسُ لسانَهُ ... لا يَقبَلُ الباطلَ مِن صديقِهِ ، ولا يَرُدُّ الحقَّ على عدوِّهِ ، ولا يَتعلّمُ إلّا لِيَعْلمَ ، ولا يَعلمُ إلّا لِيَعْملَ ... إن سلَكَ مَع أهلِ الدُّنيا كانَ أكيَسَهُم ، وإنْ سَلكَ مَع أهلِ الآخرةِ كانَ أورَعَهُم .

67– The Prophet (SAWA) said, describing the believer, ‘[He is] subtle in his movements, sweet to look at… he seeks out the loftiest of matters, and has the most outstanding moral ethics… he is not prejudiced against he whom he does not like, nor biased in favour of one he loves… he is hardly a burden, and instead is very helpful… he perfects his actions as if he is being watched, lowers his gaze, is liberal in his giving, and never turns away a beggar… he considers his words carefully and guards his tongue… he neither accepts falsehood from a friend, nor rejects the truth from an enemy… he only learns in order that he might know, and he only seeks to know in order that he may act… When he travels with worldly people, he is the smartest of them, and when he travels with the people of the Hereafter, he is the most pious from among them.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 67, p. 310, no. 45]

68ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ بِشْرُهُ في وجهِهِ ، وحُزنُهُ في قلبِهِ ، أوسَعُ شَيءٍ صَدْرا ، وأذَلُّ شَيءٍ نَفْسا ، يَكْرَهُ الرِّفْعةَ ، ويَشْنَأُ السُّمْعةَ ، طويلٌ غمُّهُ ، بَعيدٌ هَمُّهُ ، كثيرٌ صَمتُهُ ، مَشغولٌ وقتُهُ ، شَكورٌ ، صَبورٌ ، مَغمورٌ بفِكرَتِهِ ، ضَنينٌ بخَلّتِهِ ، سَهلُ الخَليقةِ ، لَيِّنُ العَرِيكةِ ، نَفسُهُ أصْلَبُ مِن الصَّلْدِ ، وهُو أذَلُّ مِن العبدِ .

68- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The believer is such that his joy is evident on his face whereas his sorrow is in his heart. His breast is at its widest [i.e. biggest heart] but his ego is at its lowest. He despises high rank and shuns reputation. His grief is long-lasting and his ambition is lofty. His silence is much and his time occupied. He is grateful, extremely patient, and immersed in deep thought. He is thrifty with his needs. He is good-natured and mild-tempered. His soul is firmer than steel whilst he [i.e. his ego] remains lower than a slave.’[Ibid. v. 69, p. 410, no. 127]

69ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ شاكرٌ في السَّرّاءِ ، صابرٌ في البلاءِ ، خائفٌ في الرَّخاءِ .

69- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The believer is grateful in times of prosperity, patient during tribulation, and fearful in times of ease.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1743]

70ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ غِرٌّ كريمٌ ، مأمونٌ على نفسِهِ ، حَذِرٌ مَحزونٌ.

70- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The believer is gullible and kind, secure from his own lower self, yet wary and distressed [on account of it].’[Ibid. no. 1901]

71ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمن مَن طَهّرَ قلبَهُ مِن‏الدَّنِيَّةِ.

71- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The believer is he who has purified his heart of all that is base.’[Ibid. no. 1956]

72ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ مَن وَقى دِينَهُ بدُنياهُ ، والفاجرُ مَن وقى دُنياهُ بدِينِهِ.

72- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The believer is he who protects his religion by putting his world at stake, whereas the impudent one is he who protects his worldly affairs by putting his religion at stake.’[Ibid. no. 2160]

73ـ الإمامُ زينُ العابدينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ يَصمُتُ لِيَسْلَمَ، ويَنْطِقُ لِيَغْنَمَ.

73- Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, ‘The believer is silent in order that he remains safe, and speaks [only] in order to benefit.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 231, no. 3]

74ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ حَسَنُ المَعونةِ ، خفيفُ المَؤونةِ، جَيّدُ التّدبيرِ لِمَعيشتِهِ ، لا يُلْسَعُ مِن جُحْرٍ مرّتينِ .

74- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The believer is a great helper, and a very light burden. He is good at economising for his livelihood, and is never stung twice [i.e. never makes the same mistake again].’[Ibid. p. 241, no. 38]

75ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ لَه قوّةٌ في دِينٍ ، وحَزْمٌ في لِينٍ ، وإيمانٌ في يقينٍ ، وحِرْصٌ في فِقهٍ ، ونَشاطٌ في هُدىً ... وصَلاةٌ في شُغلٍ.

75- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The believer possesses strength in his religion, prudence in his leniency, faith in conviction, an avid desire for religious understanding, activity in [matters pertaining to] guidance… and prayer during times of preoccupation.’[Ibid. p. 231, no. 4]

76ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المؤمنُ مَن طابَ مَكْسبُهُ ، وحَسُنتْ خَليقَتُه ، وصَحَّتْ سَريرَتُهُ ، وأنْفقَ الفَضلَ مِن مالِهِ ، وأمْسكَ الفَضلَ مِن كلامِهِ .

76- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The believer is he whose earnings are pure, whose character is beautiful, whose conscience is clean, who gives away whatever is surplus from his wealth, and guards whatever is surplus from his speech.’[Ibid. p. 235, no. 18]

77ـ الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لا يكونُ المؤمنُ مؤمنا حتّى تكونَ فيه ثلاثُ خِصالٍ : سُنّةٌ مِن ربِّهِ ، وسُنّةٌ مِن نبيِّهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ، وسنّةٌ مِن وليِّهِ؛ فأمّا السُّنَّةٌ مِن ربّهِ فكِتْمانُ السِّرِّ ، وأمّا السُّنَّةُ مِن نبيِّه (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) فمُداراةُ النّاسِ، وأمّا السُّنَّةُ مِن وليِّهِ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) فالصَّبرُ في البَأْساءِ والضَّرّاءِ .

77- Imam al-Ridha (AS) said, ‘The believer is not a believer until he possesses three qualities: a practice [characteristic] of his Lord, a practice of his Prophet (SAWA), and a practice of his guardian (AS). As for the practice of his Lord, it is to conceal secrets; the practice of his Prophet (SAWA) is amicableness towards people; and the practice of his guardian (AS) is patience in both times of ease and difficulty.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 442]