Nahj al-Balāgha

١١٥. وَقِيلَ لَهُ (عليه ‏السلام): كَيْفَ نَجِدُكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كَيْفَ يَكُونُ حَالُ مَنْ يَفْنَى بِبَقَائِهِ وَيَسْقَمُ بِصِحَّتِهِ وَيُؤْتَى مِنْ مَأْمَنِهِ.

115. It was said to Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him: How are you, O Amīr al-mu’minīn? and he replied: How can he be whom life is driving towards death, whose state of healthiness can change into sickness any moment and who is to be caught (by death) from his place of safety.

١١٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كَمْ مِنْ مُسْتَدْرَجٍ بِالْإِحْسَانِ إِلَيْهِ وَمَغْرُورٍ بِالسَّتْرِ عَلَيْهِ وَمَفْتُونٍ بِحُسْنِ الْقَوْلِ فِيهِ وَمَا ابْتَلَى اللَّهُ أَحَداً بِمِثْلِ الْإِمْلَاءِ لَهُ.

116. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: There are many people who are given time (by Allāh) through good treatment towards them, and many who are deceived because their sinful activities are veiled (by Allāh), and many who are enamoured by good talk about themselves. And Allāh does not try anyone as seriously as He tries him whom He allows time (to remain sinful).

١١٨. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِضَاعَةُ الْفُرْصَةِ غُصَّةٌ.

118. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: To miss an opportunity brings about grief.

١١٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَثَلُ الدُّنْيَا كَمَثَلِ الْحَيَّةِ لَيِّنٌ مَسُّهَا وَالسَّمُّ النَّاقِعُ فِى جَوْفِهَا يَهْوِى إِلَيْهَا الْغِرُّ الْجَاهِلُ وَيَحْذَرُهَا ذُو اللُّبِّ الْعَاقِلُ.

119. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The example of the world is like a serpent. It is soft to the touch but its inside is full of venom. An ignorant person who has fallen into deceit is attracted towards it but a wise and intelligent man keeps on his guard against it.

١٢١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): شَتَّانَ مَا بَيْنَ عَمَلَيْنِ: عَمَلٍ تَذْهَبُ لَذَّتُهُ وَتَبْقَى تَبِعَتُهُ، وَعَمَلٍ تَذْهَبُ مَؤُونَتُهُ وَيَبْقَى أَجْرُهُ.

121. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: What a difference there is between two kinds of actions: an act whose pleasure passes away but its (ill) consequence remains, and. the act whose hardship passes away but its reward stays.

١٢٢. وَتَبِعَ جِنَازَةً فَسَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَضْحَكُ فَقَالَ كَأَنَّ الْمَوْتَ فِيهَا عَلَى غَيْرِنَا كُتِبَ وَكَأَنَّ الْحَقَّ فِيهَا عَلَى غَيْرِنَا وَجَبَ وَكَأَنَّ الَّذِى نَرَى مِنَ الْأَمْوَاتِ سَفْرٌ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ إِلَيْنَا رَاجِعُونَ. نُبَوِّئُهُمْ أَجْدَاثَهُمْ وَنَأْكُلُ تُرَاثَهُمْ كَأَنَّا مُخَلَّدُونَ بَعْدَهُمْ ثُمَّ قَدْ نَسِينَا كُلَّ وَاعِظٍ وَوَاعِظَةٍ وَرُمِينَا بِكُلِّ فَادِحٍ وَجَائِحَةٍ.

122. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, was accompanying a funeral when he heard someone laugh. Then he said : Is it that death has been ordained only for others? Is it that right is obligatory only on others? Is it that those whom we see departing on their journey of death will come back to us? We lay them down in their graves and then enjoy their estate (as if we will live for good after them). We have ignored every preacher, man or woman, and have exposed ourselves to every catastrophe.

١٢٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): غَيْرَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ كُفْرٌ وَغَيْرَةُ الرَّجُلِ إِيمَانٌ.

124. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The jealousy of a woman (with co-wives) is heresy, while the jealousy of a man is a part of belief.

١٢٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): عَجِبْتُ لِلْبَخِيلِ يَسْتَعْجِلُ الْفَقْرَ الَّذِى مِنْهُ هَرَبَ وَيَفُوتُهُ الْغِنَى الَّذِى إِيَّاهُ طَلَبَ فَيَعِيشُ فِى الدُّنْيَا عَيْشَ الْفُقَرَاءِ وَيُحَاسَبُ فِى الْآخِرَةِ حِسَابَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ.

126. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: I wonder at the miser who is speeding towards the very destitution from which he wants to run away and misses the very ease of life which he covets. Consequently, he passes his life in this world like the destitute, but will have to render an account in the next world like the rich.

وَعَجِبْتُ لِلْمُتَكَبِّرِ الَّذِى كَانَ بِالْأَمْسِ نُطْفَةً وَيَكُونُ غَداً جِيفَةً وَعَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ شَكَّ فِى اللَّهِ وَهُوَ يَرَى خَلْقَ اللَّهِ وَعَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ نَسِيَ الْمَوْتَ وَهُوَ يَرَى الْمَوْتَى وَعَجِبْتُ لِمَنْ أَنْكَرَ النَّشْأَةَ الْأُخْرَى وَهُوَ يَرَى النَّشْأَةَ الْأُولَى وَعَجِبْتُ لِعَامِرٍ دَارَ الْفَنَاءِ وَتَارِكٍ دَارَ الْبَقَاءِ.

I wonder at the proud man who was just a drop of semen the other day and will turn into a corpse tomorrow. I wonder at the man who doubts Allāh although he sees His creations. I wonder at him who has forgotten death although he sees people dying. I wonder at him who denies the second life although he has seen the first life. I wonder at him who inhabits this transient abode but ignores the everlasting abode.

١٢٨. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): تَوَقَّوُا الْبَرْدَ فِى أَوَّلِهِ وَتَلَقَّوْهُ فِى آخِرِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يَفْعَلُ فِى الْأَبْدَانِ كَفِعْلِهِ فِى الْأَشْجَارِ أَوَّلُهُ يُحْرِقُ وَآخِرُهُ يُورِقُ.

128. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Guard against cold in its (seasonal) beginning and welcome it towards its end because it effects bodies in the same way as it effects plants. In the beginning, it destroys them but in the end it gives them fresh leaves. [1]