Kitāb al-Zuhd 1, narration 100

Translation

13.ʿAlī ibn al-Nuʿmān narrated from Ibn Muskān, from Abū Ḥamzah, from Yaḥyā ibn Umm al-Ṭawīl who said, “Amīr al-Muʾminīn (a) once gave a sermon to the people in which he praised Allah and glorified Him, then said, ‘Even if a man is wealthy and has many children, he is never needless of his tribe and of their fellowship, respect, and their support of him with their hands and tongues. They are the greatest people in their defence of him in his absence, and the most important [supporters] for his affairs, and those who have the most sympathy for him when he is afflicted by some calamity or some mishap befalls him. Whoever withdraws his hand from his tribe, it is only a single hand he withdraws from them while many hands are [thereby] withdrawn from Him. Yet the one who offers pure and true affection to his tribe, and extends his hand to do good to them [and aid them financially] when possible, in order to please Allah, Allah compensates him for what he spends in this world and multiplies his reward in the Hereafter. True brothers among the people are better than wealth which one consumes and bequeaths. Let none of you ever increase in his apathy towards his brother, nor replace him with another when he sees no benefit from him, or if he is poor in [terms of material] wealth. Let none of you neglect [or abandon] any of the near of kin whom he finds to be in need, without fulfilling his need with that which would neither harm him if he spent it nor benefit him if he withheld it.’”

Translation: Shaykh Tahir Ridha Jaffer — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.