Nahj al-Balāgha

فَعِنْدَ ذلِكَ تَقُولُ: أَسْتَغْفِرُاللهَ.

On such an occasion you may say “astaghfiru’llāh”.

٤١٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مِسْكِينٌ ابْنُ آدَمَ: مَكْتُومُ الْأَجَلِ، مَكْنُونُ الْعِلَلِ، مَحْفُوظُ الْعَمَلِ، تَؤْلِمُهُ الْبَقَّةُ، وَتَقْتُلُهُ الشَّرْقَةُ وَتُنْتِنُهُ الْعَرْقَةُ.

419. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: How wretched the son of Adam (man) is! His death is hidden, his ailments are concealed, his actions are preserved, the bite of a mosquito pains him, choking causes his death and sweat gives him a bad smell.

٤٢٠. وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ (عليه السلام) كَانَ جَالِساً فِي أَصْحَابِهِ، فَمَرَّتْ بِهِمُ امْرَأَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ، فَرَمَقَهَا الْقَوْمُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) :

420. It is related that Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, was sitting with his companions when a beautiful woman passed by them and they began to look at her whereupon Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said:

إِنَّ أَبْصَار هذِهِ الْفُحُولِ طَوَامِحُ وَإِنَّ ذلِكَ سَبَبُ هَبَابِهَا فإِذَا نَظَرَ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ تُعْجِبُهُ فَلْيُلاَمِسْ أَهْلَهُ، فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ امْرَأَهٌ كَامْرَأَةٍ.

The eyes of these men are covetous and this glancing is the cause of their becoming covetous. Whenever anyone of you sees a woman who attracts him, he should meet his wife because she is a woman like his wife.

فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ: قَاتَلَهُ اللَّهُ، كَافِراً مَا أَفْقَهَهُ. فَوَثَبَ الْقَوْمُ لِيَقْتُلُوهُ، فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) :

Then, one of the Khārijites said: Allāh may kill this heretic. How logical he is! The people then leapt towards him to kill him but Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said:

رُوَيْداً إِنَّمَا هُوَ سَبٌّ بِسَبٍّ، أَوْ عَفْوٌ عَنْ ذَنْبٍ.

Wait a bit. There should either be abuse for abuse or else pardon from the offence.

٤٢٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): افْعَلُوا الْخَيْرَ وَلَا تَحْقِرُوا مِنْهُ شَيْئاً، فَإِنَّ صَغِيرَهُ كَبِيرٌ وَقَلِيلَهُ كَثِيرٌ، وَلَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ: إِنَّ أَحَداً أَوْلَى بِفِعْلِ الْخَيْرِ مِنِّي فَيَكُونَ وَاللهِ كَذلِكَ، إِنَّ لِلْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ أَهْلاً، فَمَهْمَا تَرَكْتُمُوهُ مِنْهُمَا كَفَاكُمُوهُ أَهْلُهُ.

422. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Do good and do not regard any part of it small because its small is big and its little is much. No one of you should say that another person is more deserving than I in doing good. Otherwise, by Allāh, it would really be so. There are people of good and evil. When you would leave either of the two, others will perform them.

٤٢٣. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ أَصْلَحَ سَرِيرَتَهُ أَصْلَحَ اللهُ عَلاَنِيَتَهُ، وَمَنْ عَمِلَ لِدِينِهِ كَفَاهُ اللهُ أَمْرَ دُنْيَاهُ، وَمَنْ أَحْسَنَ فِيَما بَيْنَهُ وبَيْنَ اللهِ، أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ.

423. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Whoever set right his inward self, Allāh sets right his outward self. Whoever performs acts for his religion, Allāh accomplishes his acts of this world. Whoever’s dealings between himself and Allāh are good, Allāh turns the dealings between him and other people good.

٤٢٥. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِنَّ لِلَّهِ عِبَاداً يَخْتَصُّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِالنِّعَمِ لِمَنَافِعِ الْعِبَادِ، فَيُقِرُّهَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ مَا بَذَلُوهَا، فَإِذَا مَنَعُوهَا نَزَعَهَا مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ حَوَّلَهَا إِلَى غَيْرِهِمْ.

425. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: There are some creatures of Allāh whom Allāh particularizes with favours for the benefit of the people, therefore He stays them in their hands so long as they give them to others; but when they deny them to others He takes away the favours from them and sends them to others.

٤٢٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يَثِقَ بِخَصْلَتَيْنِ: الْعَافِيَةِ، وَالْغِنَى: بَيْنَا تَرَاهُ مُعَافًى إِذْ سَقِمَ، وَبَيْنَا تَرَاهُ غَنِيّاً إِذِ افْتَقَرَ.

426. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon them, said: It does not behove a man to have trust in two positions, health and riches, because there is many a man whom you see healthy but he soon falls sick and many a man whom you see rich but soon turns destitute.