Nahj al-Balāgha

٢٧٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا وَالَّذِي أَمْسَيْنَا مِنْهُ فِي غُبْرِ لَيْلَةٍ دَهْمَاءَ تَكْشِرُعَنْ يَوْمٍ أَغَرَّ مَا كَان كَذَا وَكَذَا.

277. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: I swear by Him Who let us pass the dark night after which there was a bright day that such and such [1] did not happen.

٢٧٨. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): قَلِيلٌ تَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ أَرْجَى مِنْ كَثِيرٍ مَمْلُولٍ مِنْهُ.

278. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: A small action which is continued with regularity is more beneficial than a long one performed with disgust.

٢٨٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ بُعْدَ السَّفَرِ اسْتَعَدَّ.

280. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Whoever keeps in view the distance of the journey remains prepared.

٢٨١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَيْسَتِ الرَّوِيَّةُ كَالْـمُعَايَنَةِ مَعَ الْإِبْصَارِ، فَقَدْ تَكْذِبُ الْعُيُونُ أَهْلَهَا، وَلَا يَغُشُّ الْعَقْلُ مَنِ اسْتَنْصَحَهُ.

281. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Perception by the eyes is not real observation because the eyes sometimes deceive people; but wisdom does not deceive whomsoever it counsels.

٢٨٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): جَاهِلُكُمْ مُزْدَادٌ وَعَالِمُكُمْ مُسَوِّفٌ.

283. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The ignorant among you get too much while the learned are just put off.

٢٨٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): قَطَعَ الْعِلْمُ عُذْرَ الْمُتَعَلِّلِينَ.

284. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Knowledge dispels the excuse of those who advance excuses.

٢٨٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا قَالَ النَّاسُ لِشَيْءٍ: طُوبَى لَهُ، إِلَّا وَقَدْ خَبَأَ لَهُ الدَّهْرُ يَوْمَ سَوْءٍ.

286. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: For everything to which people say “how good!” there is an evil hidden in this world.

٢٨٧. وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الْقَدَرِ، فقال: طَرِيقٌ مُظْلِمٌ فَلاَ تَسْلُكُوهُ، وَبَحْرٌعَمِيقٌ فَلاَ تَلِجُوهُ، وَسِرُّ اللهِ فَلاَ تَتَكَلَّفُوهُ.

287. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, was asked about Destiny, when he said: It is a dark path — do not tread upon it, it is a deep ocean — do not dive in it, and it is the secret of Allāh — do not take trouble about (knowing) it.

٢٨٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كَانَ لِى فِيمَا مَضَى أَخٌ فِى اللَّهِ وَكَانَ يُعْظِمُهُ فِى عَيْنِى صِغَرُ الدُّنْيَا فِى عَيْنِهِ وَكَانَ خَارِجاً مِنْ سُلْطَانِ بَطْنِهِ فَلَا يَشْتَهِى مَا لَا يَجِدُ وَلَا يُكْثِرُ إِذَا وَجَدَ وَكَانَ أَكْثَرَ دَهْرِهِ صَامِتاً فَإِنْ قَالَ بَذَّ الْقَائِلِينَ وَنَقَعَ غَلِيلَ السَّائِلِينَ وَكَانَ ضَعِيفاً مُسْتَضْعَفاً فَإِنْ جَاءَ الْجِدُّ فَهُوَ لَيْثُ غَابٍ وَصِلُّ وَادٍ.

289. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: In the past I had a brother-in-faith [1], and he was prestigious in my view because the world was humble in his eyes, the needs of the stomach did not have sway over him, he did not long for what he did not get; if he got a thing he would not ask for more; most of his time he was silent, if he spoke he silenced the other speakers, he quenched the thirst of questioners, he was weak and feeble but at the time of fighting he was like the lion of the forest or the serpent of the valley.

لَا يُدْلِى بِحُجَّةٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ قَاضِياً وَكَانَ لَا يَلُومُ أَحَداً عَلَى مَا يَجِدُ الْعُذْرَ فِى مِثْلِهِ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ اعْتِذَارَهُ وَكَانَ لَا يَشْكُو وَجَعاً إِلَّا عِنْدَ بُرْئِهِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ مَا يَفْعَلُ وَلَا يَقُولُ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُ وَكَانَ إِذَا غُلِبَ عَلَى الْكَلَامِ لَمْ يُغْلَبْ عَلَى السُّكُوتِ وَكَانَ عَلَى مَا يَسْمَعُ أَحْرَصَ مِنْهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ وَكَانَ إِذَا بَدَهَهُ أَمْرَانِ يَنْظُرُ أَيُّهُمَا أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْهَوَى فَيُخَالِفُهُ.

He would not put forth an argument unless it was decisive, he would not abuse anyone in an excusable matter unless he had heard the excuse, he would not speak of any trouble except after its disappearance, he would say what he would do, and would not say what he would not do, even if he could be exceeded in speaking, he could not be excelled in silence, he was more eager for keeping quiet than speaking and if two things confronted him he would see which was more akin to the longing of the heart and he would oppose it.