Nahj al-Balāgha

أَلَا وإِنَّ مِنَ النِّعَم سَعَةَ الْمَالِ، وَأَفْضَلُ مِن سَعَةِ الْمَالِ صِحّةُ الْبَدَنِ، وَأَفْضَلُ مِنْ صِحَّةِ الْبَدَنِ تَقْوَى الْقَلْبِ.

Beware that plenty of wealth is a blessing, but better than plenty of wealth is the health of the body, while still better than the health of the body is the chastity of heart.

۳۹۱. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): ازْهَدْ فِي الدُّنْيَا يُبَصّرْكَ اللهُ عَوْرَاتِهَا، وَلَا تَغْفُلْ فَلَسْتَ بِمَغْفُولٍ عَنْكَ.

391. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Abstain from the world so that Allāh may show you its real evils and do not be neglectful because (in any case) you will not be neglected.

۳۹۵. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كُلُّ مُقْتَصَرٍ عَلَيْهِ كَافٍ.

395. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Every small thing that is contented upon, suffices.

۳۹۸. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): ضَعْ فَخْرَكَ، وَاحْطُطْ كِبْرَكَ، وَاذْكُرْ قَبْرَكَ.

398. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Put off boasting, give up self-conceit and remember your grave.

۴۰۰. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْعَيْنُ حَقٌّ، وَالرُّقَى حَقٌّ، وَالسِّحْرُ حَقٌّ، وَالْفَأْلُ حَقٌّ، وَالطِيَرَةُ لَيْسَتْ بِحَقٍّ، وَالْعَدْوَى لَيْسَتْ بِحَقٍّ، والطِّيبُ نُشْرَةٌ وَالْعَسَلُ نُشْرَةٌ، وَالرُّكُوبُ نُشْرَةٌ، وَالنَّظَرُ إِلَى الْخُضْرَةِ نُشْرَةٌ.

400. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Evil effect of sight is right; charm is right; sorcery is right, and fa’l (auguring good) is right, while ṭiyarah (auguring evil) [1] is not right, and spreading of a disease from one to the other is not right. Scent gives pleasure, honey gives pleasure, riding gives pleasure and looking at greenery gives pleasure.

۴۰۳. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): مَنْ أَوْمَأَ إِلَى مُتَفَاوِتٍ خَذَلَتْهُ الْحِيَلُ.

403. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Whoever hankers after contraries gets no means of success.

۴۰۵. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام) لِعَمَّارِ بْنِ يَاسِرٍ (رحمه الله) وَقَدْ سَمِعَهُ يُرَاجِعُ الْمُغِيرَةَ بْنَ شُعْبَةَ كَلَاماً:

405. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, heard ‘Ammār ibn Yāsir (may Allāh have mercy on him) conversing with al-Mughīrah ibn Shu‘bah and said:

دَعْهُ يَا عَمَّارُ، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَأْخُذْ مِنَ الدِّينِ إِلَّا مَا قَارَبَهُ الدُّنْيَا، وَعَلَى عَمدٍ لَبَّسَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ لِيَجْعَلَ الشُّبُهَاتِ عَاذِراً لِسَقَطَاتِهِ.

Let him alone O’ ‘Ammār, for he has entered religion only to the extent of his deriving advantage of the world, and he has willfully involved himself in misgivings in order to adopt them as cover for his shortcomings.

٤٠٩. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): الْقَلْبُ مُصْحَفُ الْبَصَرِ.

409. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The heart is the book of the eye.

٤١١. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): لَا تَجْعَلَنَّ ذَرَبَ لِسَانِكَ عَلَى مَنْ أَنْطَقَكَ، وَبَلاَغَةَ قَوْلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ سَدَّدَكَ.

411. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Do not try the sharpness of your tongue against Him Who gave you the power to speak, nor the eloquence of your speaking against Him Who set you on the right path.