Nahj al-Balāgha

٤٤٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ كَرُمَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ هَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ شَهْوَتُهُ.

449. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Whoever maintains his own respect in view, his desires appear light to him.

٤٥١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): زُهْدُكَ فِي رَاغِبٍ فِيكَ نُقْصَانُ حَظٍّ، وَرَغْبَتُكَ فِي زَاهِدٍ فِيكَ ذُلُّ نَفْسٍ.

451. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Your turning away from him who inclines towards you is a loss of your share of advantage while your inclining towards him who turns away from you is humiliation for yourself.

۴۵۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرُ بَعْدَ الْعَرْضِ عَلَى اللهِ.

452. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Riches and destitution will follow presentation before Allāh.

٤٥٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا لِابْنِ آدَمَ وَالْفَخْرِ: أَوَّلُهُ نُطْفَةٌ، وَآخِرُهُ جِيفَةٌ، وَلَا يَرْزُقُ نَفْسَهُ، وَلَا يَدفَعُ حَتْفَهُ.

454. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: What has a man to do with vanity. His origin is semen and his end is a carcass while he cannot feed himself nor ward off death. [1]

٤٥٦. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): أَلَا حُرٌّ يَدَعُ هذِهِ اللُّمَاظَةَ لِأَهْلِهَا؟ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ ثَمَنٌ إِلَّا الْجَنَّةَ، فَلاَ تَبِيعُوهَا إِلَّا بِهَا.

456. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Is there no free man who can leave this chewed morsel (of the world) to those who like it? Certainly, the only price for yourselves is Paradise. Therefore, do not sell yourself except for Paradise.

٤٥٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْهُومَانِ لَا يَشْبَعَانِ: طَالِبُ عِلْمٍ، وَطَالِبُ دُنْيَا.

457. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Two greedy persons never get satiated, the seeker of knowledge and the seeker of this world.

٤٥٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): يَغْلِبُ الْمِقْدَارُعَلَى التَّقْديرِ حَتَّى تَكُونَ الْآفَةُ فِي التَّدْبِيرِ.

459. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Destiny holds sway over (our) predetermination till effort itself brings about ruin.

قال السيد الرضي: وقد مضى هذا المعنى فيما تقدم برواية تخالف هذه الألفاظ.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Something of this meaning has already appeared earlier though in words different from these.

٤٦٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْحِلْمُ وَالْأَنَاةُ تَوْأَمَانِ يُنْتِجُهُمَا عُلُوُّ الْهِمَّةِ.

460. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Forbearance and endurance are twins and they are the product of high courage.

٤٦٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): رُبَّ مَفْتُونٍ بِحُسْنِ الْقَوْلِ فِيهِ.

462. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Many a man gets into mischief because of being spoken well about.