Nahj al-Balāgha

اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا ذُلُلَ السَّحَابِ دُونَ صِعَابِهَا.

O’ my Allāh, send us rain by submissive clouds not by unruly ones.

قال السيد الرضي : وهذا من الكلام العجيب الفصاحة، وذلك أنه (عليه السلام) شبّه السحاب ذوات الرُّعود والبوارق والرياح والصواعق بالإبل الصّعاب التي تَقْمُصُ برحالها وتقِصُّ بركبانها، وشبّه السحاب خاليةً من تلك الروائع بالإبل الذُّلُلِ التي تُحْتَلَبُ طَيِّعَةً‌ وتُقْتَعَدُ مُسْمِحَةً.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: This is an expression of wonderful eloquence, because Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, has likened the cloud which is accompanied by thunder, lighting, wind and flashes with unruly camels who throw away their saddles and throw down their riders, and likened the clouds free from these terrible things to the submissive camels which are easy to milk and obedient to ride.

٤٧٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا الْـمُجَاهِدُ الشَّهِيدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ بِأَعْظَمَ أَجْراً مِمَّنْ قَدَرَ فَعَفَّ، لَكَادَ الْعَفِيفُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَلَكاً مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ.

474. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The fighter in the way of Allāh who gets martyred would not get a greater reward than he who remains chaste despite means. It is possible that a chaste person may become one of the angels.

٤٧٥. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْقَنَاعَةُ مَالٌ لَا يَنْفَدُ.

475. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Contentment is a wealth that does not exhaust.

قال السيد الرضي: وقد رَوى بعضُهم هذا الكلام عن النبی (صلى الله علیه وآله).

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Some people have related that this is the saying of the Messenger of Allāh, peace be upon him and his descendants.

٤٧٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): أَشَدُّ الذُّنُوبِ مَا اسْتَخَفَّ بِهِ صَاحِبُهُ.

477. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The worst sin is that which the committer takes lightly.

٤٧٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): شَرُّ الْإِخْوَانِ مَنْ تُكُلِّفَ لَهُ.

479. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The worst comrade is he for whom formality has to be observed. [1]

قال السيد الرضي: لأن التكليف مستلزمٌ للمشقة، وهو شرٌ لازمٌ عن الأخ المتَكلّفِ له، فهو شرُّ الإخوان.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: This is because formality is inseparable from hardship and it is an evil that is caused by a comrade for whom formality is observed. Consequently, he is the worst of all comrades.

٤٨٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِذَا احْتَشَمَ الْمُؤْمِنُ أَخَاهُ فَقَدْ فَارَقَهُ.

480. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: If a believer enrages (iḥtashama) his brother, it means that he leaves him.

قال السيد الرضي: يقال: حشمه وأحشمه: إذا أغضبه، وقيل: أخجله، واحتشمه: طلب ذلك له، وهو مَظِنّة مفارقته.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: It is said “ḥashamahu” or “aḥshamahu” to mean “He enraged him”. According to another view it means “He humiliated him”. While “iḥtashamahu” means “He sought these for him”, and that is most likely to cause him to separate.