Nahj al-Balāgha

٢٣٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ يُعْطِ بِالْيَدِ الْقَصِيرَةِ يُعْطَ بِالْيَدِ الطَّوِيلَةِ.

232. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He who gives with his short hand is given by a long hand.

قال السيد الرضى: ومعنى ذلك أن ما ينفقه المرء من ماله فى سبيل الخير و البر و إن كان يسيرا فإن الله تعالى يجعل الجزاء عليه عظيما كثيرا و اليدان هاهنا عبارة عن النعمتين ففرق (عليه السلام) بين نعمة العبد و نعمة الرب تعالى ذكره بالقصيرة و الطويلة فجعل تلك قصيرة و هذه طويلة لأن نعم الله أبدا تضعف على نعم المخلوق أضعافا كثيرة إذ كانت نعم الله أصل النعم كلها فكل نعمة إليها ترجع و منها تنزع .

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: The meaning of this saying is that even though what a man spends in charity from his possessions may be small, yet Allāh, the Sublime, gives good reward for it. And the two hands referred to, here means two favours. Thus, Amīr al-mu’minīn has differentiated between the favour of man and the favour of the Lord (Allāh) — exalted be the mention of His name — since he has described the first as small and the other as big. This is because the favours of Allāh are ever multiplied manifold to the favours of man since Allāh’s favours are basic in the sense that every other favour springs from it and turns to it.

٢٣٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): خِيَارُ خِصَالِ النِّسَاءِ شِرَارُ خِصَالِ الرِّجَالِ: الزَّهْوُ وَالْجُبْنُ وَالْبُخْلُ، فَإذَا كَانَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ مَزْهُوَّةً لَمْ تُمَكِّنْ مِنْ نَفْسِهَا، وَإِذَا كَانَتْ بِخِيلَةً حَفِظَتْ مَالَهَا وَمَالَ بَعْلِهَا، وَإِذَا كَانَتْ جَبَانَةً فَرِقَتْ مِنْ كُلِّ شِيْءٍ يَعْرِضُ لَهَا.

234. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The best traits of women are those which are the worst traits of men, namely: vanity, cowardice and miserliness. Thus, since the woman is vain, she will not allow anyone access to herself; since she is miserly, she will preserve her own property and the property of her husband; and since she is weak-hearted, she will be frightened with everything that befalls her.

٢٣٥. وَقِيلَ لَهُ (عليه السلام): صِفْ لَنَا الْعَاقِلَ. فَقَالَ (عليه السلام): هُوَ الِّذِي يَضَعُ الشَّيْءَ مَوَاضِعَهُ. فَقِيلَ: فَصِفْ لَنَا الْجَاهِلَ. فَقَالَ: قَدْ فَعَلْتُ.

235. It was said to Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him: Describe the wise to us; and he said: The wise is one who places things in their proper positions. Then, he was asked: Describe the ignorant to us; and he said: I have already done so.

قال السيد الرضى: يعنى أن الجاهل هو الذى لا يضع الشي‏ء مواضعه فكأن ترك صفته صفة له إذ كان بخلاف وصف العاقل.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: The meaning is that the ignorant is one who does not place things in their proper positions. In this way, Amīr al-mu’minīn’s abstention from describing was a way of describing him because his attributes are just the opposite of the wise.

٢٣٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدُوا اللهَ رَغْبَةً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ التُّجَّارِ، وَإِنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدُوا اللهَ رَهْبَةً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الْعَبِيدِ، وَإِنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدُوا اللهَ شُكْراً فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الْأَحْرَارِ.

237. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: A group of people worshipped Allāh out of desire for reward surely, this is the worship of traders. Another group worshipped Allāh out of fear, this is the worship of slaves. Still another group worshipped Allāh out of gratefulness, this is the worship of free men.

٢٣٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ أَطَاعَ التَّوَانِيَ ضَيَّعَ الْحُقُوقَ، وَمَنْ أَطَاعَ الْوَاشِيَ ضَيَّعَ الصَّدِيقَ.

239. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He who is a sluggard loses his rights and he who believes in the backbiter loses his friend.

٢٤٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْحَجَرُ الْغَصِيبُ فِي الدَّارِ رَهْنٌ عَلَى خَرَابِهَا.

240. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: One ill-gotten piece of stone in a house is a guarantee for its ruin.

قال السيد الرضى: و يروى هذا الكلام عن النبى (ص) و لا عجب أن يشتبه الكلامان لأن مستقاهما من قليب و مفرغهما من ذنوب .

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: In one tradition this saying is attributed to the Prophet. It is no wonder that the two sayings should resemble each other because they are driven from the same source and dispersed through the same means.

٢٤٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): اتَّقِ اللهَ بَعْضَ التُّقَى وَإِنْ قَلَّ، وَاجْعَلْ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ اللهِ سِتْراً وَإِنْ رَقَّ.

242. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Fear Allāh to some degree (even) though it be little; and set a curtain between you and Allāh (even) though it be thin.