Nahj al-Balāgha

٣٤٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْغِنَى الْأَكْبَرُ الْيَأْسُ عَمَّا فِي أَيْدِى النَّاسِ.

342. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The biggest wealth is that one should not have an eye on what others possess.

٣٤٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْأَقَاوِيلُ مَحْفُوظَةٌ وَالسَّرَائِرُ مَبْلُوَّةٌ وَ﴿كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ﴾ وَالنَّاسُ مَنْقُوصُونَ مَدْخُولُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ عَصَمَ اللَّهُ: سَائِلُهُمْ مُتَعَنِّتٌ وَمُجِيبُهُمْ مُتَكَلِّفٌ يَكَادُ أَفْضَلُهُمْ رَأْياً يَرُدُّهُ عَنْ فَضْلِ رَأْيِهِ الرِّضَى وَالسُّخْطُ، وَيَكَادُ أَصْلَبُهُمْ عُوداً تَنْكَؤُهُ اللَّحْظَةُ وَتَسْتَحِيلُهُ الْكَلِمَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ.

343. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Utterances are preserved and actions are to be tried. Every soul, for what it earned, is held in pledge! (Qur’ān, 74:38). People are to be made deficient (as regards their bodies) and meddled with (as regards their minds) except those whom Allāh protects. The questioner among them aims at confusing and the answerer creates hardship. It is possible that the man who has the best views among them will be deviated from the soundness of his thinking by pleasure or displeasure, and it is possible that a single glance may affect even the man with the best wisdom among them or a single expression may transform him.

٣٤٥. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مِنَ الْعِصْمَةِ تَعَذُّرُ الْمَعَاصِي.

345. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Lack of access to sins is also a kind of chastity

٣٤٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَاءُ وَجْهِكَ جَامِدٌ يُقْطِرُهُ السُّؤَالُ، فَانْظُرْ عِنْدَ مَنْ تُقْطِرُهُ.

346. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The dignity of your face is solid but begging dissolves it away; therefore, look carefully before whom you dissolve it.

٣٤٨. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): أَشدُّ الذُّنُوبِ مَا اسْتَهَانَ بِهِ صَاحِبُهُ.

348. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The most serious sin is that which the doer considers light. [1]

٣٤٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ نَظَرَ فِي عَيْبِ نَفْسِهِ اشْتَغَلَ عَنْ عَيْبِ غَيْرهِ، وَمَنْ رَضِيَ برِزْقِ اللهِ لَمْ يَحْزَنْ عَلَى مَا فَاتَهُ، وَمَنْ سَلَّ سَيْفَ الْبَغْيِ قُتِلَ بِهِ، وَمَنْ كَابَدَ الْأُمُورَ عَطِبَ، وَمَنِ اقْتَحَمَ اللُّجَجَ غَرِقَ، وَمَنْ دَخَلَ مَدَاخِلَ السُّوءِ اتُّهِمَ،

349. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He who sees his own shortcomings abstains from looking into other’s shortcomings. He who feels happy with the livelihood with which Allāh provides him does not grieve over what he misses. He who draws out the sword of revolt gets killed with it. He who strives without means perishes. He who enters the depths gets drowned. He who visits places of ill-repute receives blame.

وَمَنْ كَثُرَ كَلاَمُهُ كَثُرَ خَطَؤُهُ، وَمَنْ كَثُرَ خَطَؤُهُ قَلَّ حَيَاؤُهُ، وَمَنْ قَلَّ حَيَاؤُهُ قَلَّ وَرَعُهُ، وَمَنْ قَلَّ وَرَعُهُ مَاتَ قَلْبُهُ، وَمَنْ مَاتَ قَلْبُهُ دَخَلَ النَّارَ.

He who speaks more commits more errors. He who commits more errors becomes shameless. He who is shameless will have less fear of Allāh. He whose fear of Allāh is less, his heart dies. He whose heart dies enters the Fire.

وَمَنْ نَظَرَ فِي عُيُوبِ النَّاسِ فَأَنْكَرَهَا ثُمَّ رَضِيَهَا لِنَفْسِهِ فذَاك الْأَحْمَقُ بِعَيْنِهِ.

He who observes the shortcomings of others and disapproves of them and then accepts them for himself is definitely a fool.

وَالْقَنَاعَةُ مَالٌ لَا يَنْفَدُ، وَمَنْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذِكْرِ الْمَوْتِ رَضِيَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْيَسيرِ، وَمَنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ كَلاَمَهُ مِنْ عَمَلِهِ قَلَّ كَلاَمُهُ إِلَّا فِيَما يَعْنيِهِ.

Contentment is a capital that does not dwindle. He who remembers death much is satisfied with small favours in this world. He who knows that his speech is also a part of his action speaks less except where he has some purpose.

۳۵۱. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): عِنْدَ تَنَاهِي الشِّدَّةِ تَكُونُ الْفَرْجَةُ، وَعِنْدَ تَضَايُقِ حَلَقِ الْبَلاَءِ يَكُونُ الرَّخَاءُ.

351. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: At the extremity of hardship comes relief, and at the tightening of the chains of tribulation comes ease.