Nahj al-Balāgha

قال السيد الرضي: وقد مضى هذا الكلام فيما تقدم من هذا الباب، إلاّ أنه هاهنا أوضح وأشرح، فلذلك كررناه على القاعدة المقررة في أول هذا الكتاب.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: This saying has already appeared elsewhere in this chapter except that here it is clearer and more detailed. This is why we have repeated it according to the principle laid down in the beginning of the book.

۳۸۱. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْكَلاَمُ فِي وَثَاقِكَ مَا لَمْ تَتَكَلَّمْ بِهِ، فَإذَا تَكَلَّمْتَ بِهِ صِرْتَ فِي وَثَاقِهِ، فَاخْزُنْ لِسَانَكَ كَمَا تَخْزُنُ ذَهَبَكَ وَوَرِقَكَ فَرُبَّ كَلِمَةٍ سَلَبَتْ نِعْمَةً وَجَلَبَتْ نِقْمَةً.

381. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Words are in your control until you have not uttered them; but when you have spoken them out you are under their control. Therefore, guard your tongue as you guard your gold and silver, for often one expression snatches away a blessing and invites punishment.

۳۸۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا تَقُلْ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُ، بَلْ لَا تَقُلْ كُلَّ مَا تَعْلَمُ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ (سبحانه قد) فَرَضَ عَلَى جَوَارِحِكَ كُلِّهَا فَرَائِضَ يَحْتَجُّ بِهَا عَلَيْكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

382. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Do not say what you do not know; rather do not say all that you know, because Allāh has laid down some obligations for all your limbs by means of which He will put forth arguments against you on the Day of Judgement.

۳۸۴. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الرُّكُونُ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا مَعَ مَا تُعَايِنُ مِنْهَا جَهْلٌ، وَالتَّقْصِيرُ فِي حُسْنِ الْعَمَلِ إذَا وَثِقْتَ بِالثَّوَابِ عَلَيْهِ غَبْنٌ وَالطُّمَأْنِينَةُ إِلَى كُلِّ أَحَدٍ قَبْلَ الِاخْتِبَارِ لَهُ عَجْزٌ.

384. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Leaning towards this world despite what you see of it, is folly, and lagging behind in good deeds when you are convinced of good reward for them is obvious loss, while trusting in every one before trying is weakness.

۳۸۶. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ طَلَبَ شَيْئاً نَالَهُ أَوْ بَعْضَهُ.

386. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: One who is in search of something will obtain it, at least a part of it

٣٨٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا خَيْرٌ بِخَيْرٍ بَعْدَهُ النَّارُ، وَمَا شَرٌّ بِشَرٍّ بَعْدَهُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَكُلُّ نَعِيمٍ دُونَ الْجَنَّةِ فَهُوَ مَحْقُورٌ وَكُلُّ بَلاَءٍ دُونَ النَّارِ عَافِيَةٌ.

387. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: That good is no good after which there is the Fire, and that hardship is no hardship after which there is Paradise. Every bliss other than Paradise is inferior and every calamity other than the Fire is comfort.

۳۸۹. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ أَبْطَأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُهُ.

389. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Whomever his action detains behind, his lineage cannot put him forward.

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى: مَنْ فَاتَهُ حَسَبُ نَفْسِهِ لَمْ يَنْفَعْهُ حَسَبُ آبَائِهِ.

In another version it is thus: Whoever misses personal attainment cannot be benefited by his forefathers’ attainments.

۳۹۰. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لِلْمُؤْمِنِ ثَلاَثُ سَاعَات: فَسَاعَةٌ يُنَاجِي فِيهَا رَبَّهُ، وَسَاعَةٌ يَرُمُّ مَعَاشَهُ، وَسَاعَةٌ يُخَلِّي بَيْنَ نَفْسِهِ وَبَيْنَ لَذَّتِهَا فِيَما يَحِلُّ وَيَجْمُلُ.

390. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The believer’s time has three periods : The period when he is in communion with Allāh; the period when he manages for his livelihood; and the period when he is free to enjoy what is lawful and pleasant.

وَلَيْسَ لِلْعَاقِلِ أَنْ يَكُونَ شَاخِصاً إِلَّا فِي ثَلاَثٍ: مَرَمَّةٍ لِمَعَاشٍ، أَوْ خُطْوَةٍ فِي مَعَادٍ، أَوْ لَذَّةٍ فِي غَيْرِ مُحَرَّمٍ.

It does not behove a wise person to be away (from his house) save for three matters, namely for purposes of earning, or going for something for the next life or for enjoying what is not prohibited.