Nahj al-Balāgha

٣٤٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْعَفَافُ زِينَةُ الْفَقْرِ، وَالشُّكْرُ زِينَةُ الْغِنَى.

340. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The beauty of destitution is chastity and the beauty of riches is gratefulness.

٣٤٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فَكَمْ مِنْ مُؤَمِّلٍ مَا لَا يَبْلُغُهُ وَبَانٍ مَا لَا يَسْكُنُهُ وَجَامِعٍ مَا سَوْفَ يَتْرُكُهُ وَلَعَلَّهُ مِنْ بَاطِلٍ جَمَعَهُ وَمِنْ حَقٍّ مَنَعَهُ أَصَابَهُ حَرَاماً وَاحْتَمَلَ بِهِ آثَاماً فَبَاءَ بِوِزْرِهِ وَ قَدِمَ عَلَى رَبِّهِ آسِفاً لَاهِفاً قَدْ ﴿خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِينُ﴾.

344. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: O’ groups of people, fear Allāh, for there is many a man who aspires for what he does not get, many a builder of a house who does not live in it, and many a collector of that which he shall just leave behind. Possibly he may have collected it wrongfully or by denying a right. He acquired it unlawfully and had to bear the weight of sins on account of it. Consequently, he returned (from this world) with that weight and came before Allāh with sorrow and grief. Loses he both this world and (also) the hereafter; that is a loss (which is) manifest. (Qur’ān, 22:11)

٣٤٧. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الثَّنَاءُ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنَ الِاسْتِحْقَاقِ مَلَقٌ وَالتَّقْصِيرُ عَنِ الِاسْتِحْقَاقِ عِيٌّ أَوْ حَسَدٌ.

347. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: To praise more than what is due is sycophancy; to do it less is either because of inability to speak or of envy.

٣٥٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لِلظَّالِمِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ ثَلاَثُ عَلاَمَاتٍ: يَظْلِمُ مَنْ فَوْقَهُ بِالْمَعْصِيَةِ، وَمَنْ دُونَهُ بِالْغَلَبَةِ وَيُظَاهِرُ الْقَوْمَ الظَّلَمَةَ.

350. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The oppressor among the people has three signs: he oppresses his superior by disobeying him, and his junior by imposing his authority and he supports other oppressors.

۳۵۳. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): أَكْبَرُ الْعَيْبِ أَنْ تَعِيبَ مَا فِيكَ مِثْلُهُ.

353. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The greatest defect is to regard that defect (in others) which is present in yourself. [1]

۳۵۵. وَبَنَى رَجُلٌ مِنْ عُمَّالِهِ بِنَاءً فَخْماً فَقَالَ (عليه السلام):

355. One of the officers of Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, built a stately house, about which Amīr al-mu’minīn said:

أَطْلَعَتِ الْوَرِقُ رُؤُوسَهَا! إِنَّ الْبِنَاءَ يَصِفُ لَكَ الْغِنَى.

This is silver coins showing forth their faces. Certainly, this house speaks of your riches.

۳۵۸. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ لِيَرَكُمُ اللَّهُ مِنَ النِّعْمَةِ وَجِلِينَ كَمَا يَرَاكُمْ مِنَ النِّقْمَةِ فَرِقِينَ إِنَّهُ مَنْ وُسِّعَ عَلَيْهِ فِى ذَاتِ يَدِهِ فَلَمْ يَرَ ذَلِكَ اسْتِدْرَاجاً فَقَدْ أَمِنَ مَخُوفاً وَمَنْ ضُيِّقَ عَلَيْهِ فِى ذَاتِ يَدِهِ فَلَمْ يَرَ ذَلِكَ اخْتِبَاراً فَقَدْ ضَيَّعَ مَأْمُولًا.

358. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: O’ people, let Allāh see you fearing at the time of happiness just as you fear Him at the time of distress. Certainly, he who is given ease (of life) and does not consider it as a means of slow approach towards tribulation (wrongly), considers himself safe against what is to be feared while he who is afflicted with straitened circumstances but does not perceive them to be a trial loses the coveted reward.

٣٦١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): إِذَا كَانَتْ لَكَ إِلَى اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ حَاجَةٌ فَابْدَأْ بِمَسْأَلَةِ الصَّلاَةِ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله)، ثُمَّ سَلْ حَاجَتَكَ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُسْأَلَ حَاجَتَيْنِ فَيَقْضِيَ إِحْدَاهُمَا وَيَمْنَعَ الْأُخْرَى.

361. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: If you have a need from Allāh, the Glorified, then begin by seeking Allāh’s blessing on His Messenger, may Allāh bless him and his descendants, then ask your need, because Allāh is too generous to accept one (seeking His blessing on His Messenger) of the two requests made to Him and deny the other.

٣٦٤. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا تَسْأَلْ عَمَّا لَا يَكُونُ، فَفِي الَّذِي قَدْ كَانَ لَكَ شُغُلٌ.

364. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Do not ask about things which may not happen because you have enough to worry about with what happens.