Nahj al-Balāgha

١٤١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): قِلَّةُ الْعِيَالِ أَحَدُ الْيَسَارَيْنِ.

141. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: A small family is one of the ways of (securing) ease.

١٤٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْهَمُّ نِصْفُ الْهَرَم.

143. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Grief is half of old age.

١٤٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): يَنْزِلُ الصَّبْرُ عَلَى قَدْرِ الْمُصِيبَةِ، وَمَنْ ضَرَبَ يَدَهُ عَلَى فَخِذِهِ عِنْدَ مُصِيبَتِهِ حَبِطَ أجْرُهُ.

144. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Endurance comes according to the affliction. He who beats his hand on the thigh in his affliction ruins all his good actions.

١٤٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): سُوسُواإِيمَانَكُمْ بِالصَّدَقَةِ، وَحَصِّنُوا أَمْوَالَكُمْ بِالزَّكَاةِ، وَادْفَعُوا أَمْواجَ الْبَلاَءِ بِالدُّعَاءِ.

146. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Protect your belief by charity; guard your wealth by paying Allāh’s share; and ward off the waves of calamity by praying.

١٤٧. وَمِنْ كَلَامٍ لَهُ (عليه السلام) لِكُمَيْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ النَّخَعِيِّ

147. Amīr al-mu’minīn’s Conversation with Kumayl Ibn Ziyād an-Nakha‘ī [1]

قَالَ كُمَيْلُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ: أَخَذَ بِيَدِي أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ (عليه السلام)، فَأَخْرَجَنِي إِلَى الْجَبَّانِ فَلَمَّا أَصْحَرَ تَنَفَّسَ الصُّعَدَاءَ ثُمَّ قَالَ:

Kumayl ibn Ziyād has related: Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, caught hold of my hand and took me to the graveyard. When he had passed through the graveyard and left the city behind, he breathed a deep sigh and said:

يَا كُمَيْل بْن زِيَادٍ، إِنَّ هذهِ الْقُلُوبَ أَوْعِيَةٌ فَخَيْرُهَا أَوْعَاهَا فَاحْفَظْ عَنِّي مَا أَقُولُ لَكَ:

O Kumayl, these hearts are containers. The best of them is that which preserves (its contents). So, preserve what I say to you:

النَّاسُ ثَلاَثَةٌ: فَعَالِمٌ رَبَّانِيٌّ وَمُتَعَلِّمٌ عَلَى سَبِيلِ نَجَاةٍ، وَهَمَجٌ رَعَاعٌ أَتْبَاعُ كُلِّ نَاعِقٍ يَمِيلُونَ مَعَ كُلِّ رِيحٍ، لَمْ يَسْتَضِيئُوا بِنُورِ الْعِلْمِ، وَلَمْ يَلْجَؤُوا إِلَى رُكْنٍ وَثِيقٍ.

People are of three types: One is the scholar and divine; then the seeker of knowledge who is also on the way to deliverance. Then (lastly) the common rot who run after every caller and bend in the direction of every wind. They seek no light from the effulgence of knowledge and do not take protection of any reliable support.

يَا كُمَيْلُ، الْعِلْمُ خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْمَالِ: الْعِلْمُ يَحْرُسُكَ وَأَنْتَ تَحْرُسُ المَالَ، وَالْمَالُ تَنْقُصُهُ النَّفَقَةُ، وَالْعِلْمُ يَزْكُوعَلَى الْإِنْفَاقِ، وَصَنِيعُ الْمَالِ يَزُولُ بِزَوَالِهِ.

O Kumayl, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, while you have to guard the wealth. Wealth decreases by spending, while knowledge multiplies by spending, and the results of wealth die as wealth decays.

يَا كُمَيْلَ بْنَ زِيَادٍ مَعْرِفَةُ الْعِلْمِ دِينٌ يُدَانُ بِهِ بِهِ يَكْسِبُ الْإِنْسَانُ الطَّاعَةَ فِى حَيَاتِهِ وَجَمِيلَ الْأُحْدُوثَةِ بَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ وَ الْعِلْمُ حَاكِمٌ وَالْمَالُ مَحْكُومٌ عَلَيْهِ.

O Kumayl, knowledge is belief which is acted upon. With it man acquires obedience during his life and a good name after his death. Knowledge is the ruler while wealth is ruled upon.