Nahj al-Balāgha

۳۹۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): تَكَلَّمُوا تُعْرَفُوا، فَإِنَّ الْمَرْءَ مَخْبُوءٌ تَحْتَ لِسَانِهِ.

392. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Speak so that you may be known, since man is hidden under his tongue.

۳۹۳. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): خُذْ مِنَ الدُّنيْا مَا أَتَاكَ، وَتَوَلَّ عَمَّا تَوَلَّى عَنْكَ، فَإِنْ أَنْتَ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَأَجْمِلْ فِي الطَّلَبِ.

393. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Take off the favours of the world whatever comes to you and keep away from what keeps away from you. If you cannot do so be moderate in your seeking.

۳۹۴. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): رُبَّ قَوْلٍ أَنْفَذُ مِنْ صَوْلٍ.

394. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Many an expression is more effective than an attack.

۳۹۶. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْمَنِيَّةُ وَلَا الدَّنِيَّةُ وَالتّقَلُّلُ وَلَا التَّوَسُّلُ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُعْطَ قَاعِداً لَمْ يُعْطَ قَائِماً وَالدَّهْرُ يَوْمَانِ: يَوْمٌ لَكَ، وَيَوْمٌ عَلَيْكَ؛ فَإذَا كَانَ لَكَ فَلاَ تَبْطَرْ، وَإِذَا كَانَ عَلَيْكَ فَاصْبِرْ!

396. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Let it be death but not humiliation. Let it be little but not through others. He who does not get while sitting will not get by standing either. The world has two days one for you and the other against you. When the day is for you, do not feel proud but when it is against you endure it.

۳۹۷. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): نِعْمَ الطِّيبُ الْمِسْكُ، خَفِيفٌ مَحْمِلُهُ، عَطِرٌ رِيحُهُ.

397. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The best scent is musk; its weight is light while its smell is scentful.

۳۹۹. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِنَّ لِلْوَلَدِ عَلَى الْوَالِدِ حَقّاً، وَإِنَّ لِلْوَالِدِ عَلَى الْوَلَدِ حَقّاً: فَحَقُّ الْوَالِدِ عَلَى الْوَلَدِ أَنْ يُطِيعَهُ فِي كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ، وَحَقُّ الْوَلَدِ عَلَى الْوَالِدِ أَنْ يُحَسِّنَ اسْمَهُ وَيُحَسِّنَ أَدَبَهُ وَيُعَلِّمَهُ الْقُرْآنَ.

399. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The child has a right on the father while the father too has a right on the child. The right of the father on the child is that the latter should obey the former in every matter save in committing sins of Allāh, the Glorified, while the right of the child on the father is that he should give him a beautiful name, give him good training and teach him the Qur’ān.

۴۰۱. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مُقَارَبَةُ النَّاسِ فِي أَخْلاَقِهِمْ أَمْنٌ مِنْ غَوَائِلِهِمْ.

401. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Nearness with people in their manners brings about safety from their evil.

۴۰۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام) لِبَعْضِ مُخَاطِبِيهِ، وَقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ بِكَلِمَةٍ يُسْتَصْغَرُ مِثْلُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ مِثْلِهَا: لَقَدْ طِرْتَ شَكِيراً، وَهَدَرْتَ سَقْباً.

402. Someone uttered an expression above his position, then Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said to him: You have started flying soon after growing feathers (shakīr) and commenced grumbling before attaining youth (saqb).

قال السيد الرضي: والشكير هاهنا: أول ما ينبت من ريش الطائر قبل أن يقوى ويستحصف، والسقب: الصغير من الإبل ولا يهدر إلا بعد أن يستفحل.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Here “shakīr” means the first feathers that grow on a bird before it is strong enough to fly. And “saqb” means the young camel who does not grumble unless it becomes major.

٤٠٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام) وَقَدْ سُئِلَ عَنْ مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِمْ: لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا باللهِ:

404. On being asked the meaning of the expression: “lā ḥawla walā quwwata illā bi’llāh” (there is no strength nor power but by means of Allāh). Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: