Nahj al-Balāgha

فَقِيلَ: كَيْفَ يُحَاسِبُهُمْ وَلَا يَرَوْنَهُ؟

Then it was said to him: How will He conduct their accounting without their seeing Him.

فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) : كَمَا يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَلَا يَرَوْنَهُ.

He replied: Just as He provides them livelihood although they do not see Him.

٣٠٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا الْمُبْتَلَى الَّذِي قَدِ اشْتَدَّ بِهِ الْبَلاَءُ، بِأَحْوَجَ إِلَى الدُّعَاءِ مِنَ المُعَافَى الَّذِي لَا يَأمَنُ البَلاَءَ.

302. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The person who is afflicted with hardship is not in greater need of praying than the one who has been spared affliction but is not immune from it.

٣٠٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): النَّاسُ أَبْنَاءُ الدُّنْيَا، وَلاَ يُلاَمُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى حُبِّ أُمِّهِ.

303. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: People are the progeny of the world and no one can be blamed for loving the mother.

٣٠٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِنَّ الْمِسْكِينَ رَسُولُ اللهِ، فَمَنْ مَنَعَهُ فَقَدْ مَنَعَ اللهَ، وَمَنْ أَعْطَاهُ فَقَدْ أَعْطَى الله.

304. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The destitute is the Messenger of Allāh. Whoever denies him denies Allāh and whoever gives him gives Allāh.

٣٠٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كَفَى بِالْأَجَلِ حَارِساً.

306. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The fixed limit of life is enough to remain watchful. [1]

٣٠٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): يَنَامُ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى الثُّكْلِ وَلَا يَنَامُ عَلَى الْحَرَبِ.

307. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: A man can sleep on the death of his child, but cannot sleep at loss of property.

قال السيد الرضى: ومعنى ذلك: أنه يصبر على قتل الاَولاد، ولا يصبر على سلب الاَموال.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: It means that a man keeps patience on the death of his children but does not do so on the loss of property.

٣٠٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): اتَّقُوا ظُنُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى جَعَلَ الْحَقَّ عَلَى أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ.

309. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Be afraid of the ideas of believers, because Allāh, the Sublime, has put truth on their tongues.

٣١٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِنَّ لِلْقُلُوبِ إِقْبَالًا وَإِدْبَاراً فَإِذَا أَقْبَلَتْ فَاحْمِلُوهَا عَلَى النَّوَافِلِ، وَإذَا أَدْبَرَتْ فَاقْتَصِرُوا بِهَا عَلَى الْفَرَائِضِ.

312. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Sometimes the hearts move forward and sometimes they move backward. When they move forward get them to perform the optionals (as well), but when they move backward keep them confined to obligatories only.