Nahj al-Balāgha

۳۵۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام) لِبَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ : لَا تَجْعَلَنَّ أَكْثَرَ شُغُلِكَ بِأَهْلِكَ وَوَلَدِكَ: فَإِنْ يَكُنْ أَهْلُكَ وَوَلَدُكَ أَوْلِيَاءَ اللهِ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَوْلِيَاءَهُ، وَإِنْ يَكُونُوا أَعْدَاءَ اللهِ، فَمَا هَمُّكَ وَشُغُلُكَ بأَعْدَاءِ اللهِ؟

352. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said to one of his companions: Do not devote much of your activity to your wife and your children, because if your wife and children are lovers of Allāh then He will not leave His lovers uncared for, and if they be enemies of Allāh then why should you worry and keep yourself busy about the enemies of Allāh?

۳۵۴. وَهَنَّأَ بِحَضْرَتِهِ عليه السلام رَجُلٌ رَجُلًا بِغُلَامٍ وُلِدَ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: لِيَهْنِئْكَ الْفَارسُ. فقال (عليه السلام) :

354. Someone congratulated another person in the presence of Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, on the birth of a son saying: Congratulations for getting a rider of horses. Then Amīr al-mu’minin said:

لَا تَقُلْ ذلِكَ، وَلكِنْ قُلْ: شَكَرْتَ الْوَاهِبَ، وَبُورِكَ لَكَ فِي الْمَوْهُوبِ، وَبَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ، وَرُزِقْتَ بِرَّهُ.

Do not say so; but say: You have occasion to be grateful to Allāh, the Giver, and be blessed with what you have been given. May he attain full life and may you be blessed with His devotion.

۳۵۶. وَقِيلَ لَهُ (عليه ‏السلام) لَوْ سُدَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ بَابُ بَيْتِهِ، وَتُرِكَ فِيهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ رِزْقُهُ؟ فَقَالَ (عليه السلام):

356. It was said to Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him: If a man is left in his house and the door is closed, from where will his livelihood reach him. And he replied:

مِنْ حَيْثُ يَأْتِيهِ أَجَلُهُ.

From whatever way his death reaches him. [1]

۳۵۷. وَعَزَّى (عليه السلام) قَوْماً عَنْ مَيِّتٍ مَاتَ لَهُمْ فَقَالَ (عليه السلام):

357. Condoling with people among whom one had died, Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said:

إِنَّ هذَا الْأَمْرَ لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بَدَأَ، وَلَا إِلَيْكُمُ انْتَهَى، وَقَدْ كَانَ صَاحِبُكُمْ هذَا يُسَافِرُ، فَعُدُّوهُ فِي بَعْضِ أَسْفَارِهِ، فَإِنْ قَدِمَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَّا قَدِمْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ.

This thing has not started with you nor does it end with you. This fellow of yours was used to journeying and therefore it is better to think him still to be journeying. Either he will rejoin you or else you will rejoin him.

۳۵۹. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): يَا أَسْرَى الرَّغْبَةِ أَقْصِرُوا فَإِنَّ الْمُعَرِّجَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا لَا يَرُوعُهُ مِنْهَا إِلَّا صَرِيفُ أَنْيَابِ الْحِدْثَانِ.

359. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: O’ slaves of desires, cut them short because he who leans on the world gets nothing out of it except the pain of hardships.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ تَوَلَّوْا مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ تَأْدِيبَهَا وَ اعْدِلُوا بِهَا عَنْ ضَرَاوَةِ عَادَاتِهَا.

O’ people, take upon yourselves your own training and turn away from the dictates of your natural inclinations.

۳۶۰. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا تَظُنَّنَّ بِكَلِمَةٍ خَرَجَتْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ سَوءاً، وَأَنْتَ تَجِدُ لَهَا فِي الْخَيْرِ مُحْتَمَلاً.

360. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Do not regard an expression uttered by any person as evil if you can find it capable of bearing some good.