Nahj al-Balāgha

۳۲۷. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا ظَفِرَ مَنْ ظَفِرَ الْإِثْمُ بِهِ، وَالْغَالِبُ بِالشَّرِّ مَغْلُوبٌ.

327. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He whom sin overpowers is not victorious, and he who secures victory by evil is (in fact) vanquished.

۳۲۹. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الِاسْتِغْنَاءُ عَنِ الْعُذْرِ أَعَزُّ مِنَ الصِّدْقِ بِهِ.

329. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Not to be in need of putting forth an excuse is better than putting forth a true excuse. [1]

۳۳۰. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): أَقَلُّ مَا يَلْزَمُكُمْ لله أَلَّا تَسْتَعيِنُوا بِنِعَمِهِ عَلَى مَعَاصِيهِ.

330. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The least right of Allāh on you is that you should not make use of His favours in committing His sins. [1]

۳۳۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): السُّلْطَانُ وَزَعَةُ اللهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ.

332. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The sovereign is the watchman of Allāh on earth.

٣٣٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام) فِى صِفَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِ: الْمُؤْمِنُ بِشْرُهُ فِى وَجْهِهِ وَحُزْنُهُ فِى قَلْبِهِ أَوْسَعُ شَيْ‏ءٍ صَدْراً وَأَذَلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ نَفْساً يَكْرَهُ الرِّفْعَةَ وَيَشْنَأُ السُّمْعَةَ طَوِيلٌ غَمُّهُ بَعِيدٌ هَمُّهُ كَثِيرٌ صَمْتُهُ مَشْغُولٌ وَقْتُهُ شَكُورٌ صَبُورٌ مَغْمُورٌ بِفِكْرَتِهِ ضَنِينٌ بِخَلَّتِهِ سَهْلُ الْخَلِيقَةِ لَيِّنُ الْعَرِيكَةِ نَفْسُهُ أَصْلَبُ مِنَ الصَّلْدِ وَهُوَ أَذَلُّ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ.

333. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said describing a believer: A believer has a cheerful face, a sorrowful heart, a very broad chest (full of generosity), and a very humble heart. He hates high position and dislikes renown. His grief is long, his courage is far-reaching, his silence is much and, his time is occupied. He is grateful, enduring, buried in his thoughts, sparing in his friendship (with others), of bright demeanour and of soft temperament. He is stronger than stone but humbler than a slave.

۳۳۴. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَوْرَأَى الْعَبْدُ الْأَجَلَ وَمَسِيرَهُ لَأَبْغَضَ الْأَمَلَ وَغُرُورَهُ.

334. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: If a man happens to see the end of (his) life and his final fate, he will begin hating desires and their deception.

۳۳۶. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْمَسْؤُولُ حُرُّ حَتَّى يَعِدَ.

336. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The person who is approached with a request is free until he promises.

٣٣٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الدَّاعِي بِلاَ عَمَلٍ كَالرَّامِي بِلاَ وَتَرٍ.

337. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He who prays but does not exert effort is like the one who shoots without a bow-string.

٣٣٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): صَوَابُ الرَّأْيِ بِالدُّوَلِ: يُقْبِلُ بِإِقْبَالِهَا وَيَذْهَبُ بِذَهَابِهَا.

339. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Correctness of decision goes together with power. The one emerges with the other’s emergence and disappears when the other disappears. [1]

٣٤١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): يَوْمُ الْعَدْلِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِ أَشَدُّ مِنْ يَومِ الْجَوْرِ عَلَى الْمَظْلُومِ!

341. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The day of justice will be severer on the oppressor than the day of oppression on the oppressed.