Nahj al-Balāgha

٢٧٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إذَا أَضَرَّتِ النَّوَافِلُ بالْفَرَائِضِ فَارْفُضُوهَا.

279. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: When optional issues stand in the way of obligatories, abandon them.

٢٨٢. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْمَوْعِظَةِ حِجَابٌ مِنَ الْغِرَّةِ.

282. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Between you and the preaching there is a curtain of deception.

٢٨٥. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كُلُّ مُعَاجَلٍ يَسْأَلُ الْإِنْظَارَ وَكُلُّ مُؤَجَّلٍ يَتَعَلَّلُ بالتَّسْويفِ.

285. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He whom death overtakes early seeks time while he whose death is deferred puts forth excuses for postponement (of doing good actions).

٢٨٨. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِذَا أَرْذَلَ اللهُ عَبْداً حَظَرَعَلَيْهِ الْعِلْمَ.

288. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: When Allāh intends to humiliate a person He denies him knowledge.

٢٩١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): وَقَدْ عَزَّى الْأَشْعَثَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ عَنِ ابْنٍ لَهُ:

291. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said in condoling Ash‘ath ibn Qays about (the death of) his son:

يَا أَشْعَثُ، إِنْ تَحْزَنْ عَلَى ابْنِكَ فَقَدِ اسْتَحَقَّتْ مِنْكَ ذَلِكَ الرَّحِمُ، وَإِنْ تَصْبِرْ فَفِي اللهِ مِنْ كُلِّ مُصِيبَةٍ خَلَفٌ.

O’ Ash‘ath, if you grieve over your son, certainly it is the consequence of the blood relationship; but if you endure, then Allāh provides recompense for every affliction.

يَا أَشْعَثُ، إِنْ صَبَرْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ الْقَدَرُ وَأَنْتَ مَأْجُورٌ، وَإِنْ جَزِعْتَ جَرَى عَلَيْكَ الْقَدَرُ وَأَنْتَ مَأْزُورٌ

O’ Ash‘ath, if you endure even then matters will move on as ordained by Allāh but in that case you will deserve reward; while if you lose patience, matters will again move as ordained by Allāh, but in this case you will be bearing the burden (of sins).

يَا أَشْعَثُ، ابْنُكَ سَرَّكَ وَهُوَ بَلاَءٌ وَفِتْنَةٌ، وَحَزَنَكَ وَهُوَ ثَوَابٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ.

O’ Ash‘ath, your son (when he lived) gave you happiness while, at the same time, he was a trial and hardship and (when he died) he grieved you while, at the same time, he has proved a source of reward and mercy for you.

٢٩٤. وَقَدْ سُئِلَ عَنْ مَسَافَةِ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ فَقَالَ (عليه السلام): مَسِيرَةُ يَوْمٍ لِلشَّمْسِ.

294. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, was asked about the distance between East and West when he replied: One day’s travelling for the sun.

٢٩٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَا أَكْثَرَ الْعِبَرَ وأَقَلَّ الِاعْتِبَارَ.

297. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: How many are the objects of lessons, but how few the taking of lessons. [1]