al-Sharīf al-Raḍī · 2,260 narrations in this edition
١. قال (عليه السلام): كُنْ فِي الْفِتْنَةِ كَابْنِ اللَّبُونِ، لاَ ظَهْرٌ فَيُرْكَبَ، وَلاَ ضَرْعٌ فَيُحْلَبَ.
1. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: During civil disturbance be like an adolescent camel [1] who has neither a back strong enough for riding nor udders for milking.
٢. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): أَزْرَى بِنَفْسِهِ مَنِ اسْتَشْعَرَ الطَّمَعَ وَرَضِيَ بِالذُّلِّ مَنْ كَشَفَ عَنْ ضُرِّهِ وَهَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ نَفْسُهُ مَنْ أَمَّرَ عَلَيْهَا لِسَانَهُ.
2. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: He who adopts greed as a habit devalues himself; he who discloses his hardship agrees to humiliation; and he who allows his tongue to overpower his soul debases the soul.
٣. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): الْبُخْلُ عَارٌ وَالْجُبْنُ مَنْقَصَةٌ وَالْفَقْرُ يُخْرِسُ الْفَطِنَ عَنْ حُجَّتِهِ وَالْمُقِلُّ غَرِيبٌ فِي بَلْدَتِهِ.
3. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Miserliness is shame; cowardice is a defect; poverty disables an intelligent man from arguing his case; and a destitute person is a stranger in his home town.
٤. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): الْعَجْزُ آفَةٌ وَالصَّبْرُ شَجَاعَةٌ وَالزُّهْدُ ثَرْوَةٌ وَالْوَرَعُ جُنَّةٌ وَنِعْمَ الْقَرِينُ الرِّضَى.
4. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Incapability is a catastrophe; endurance is bravery; abstinence is riches; self-restraint is a shield (against sin); and the best companion is submission (to Allāh’s will).
٥. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): الْعِلْمُ وِرَاثَةٌ كَرِيمَةٌ وَالْآدَابُ حُلَلٌ مُجَدَّدَةٌ وَالْفِكْرُ مِرْآةٌ صَافِيَةٌ.
5. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Knowledge is a venerable estate; good manners are new dresses; and thinking is clear mirror.
٦. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): صَدْرُ الْعَاقِلِ صُنْدُوقُ سِرِّهِ وَالْبَشَاشَةُ حِبَالَةُ الْمَوَدَّةِ وَالِاحْتِمَالُ قَبْرُ الْعُيُوبِ.
6. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: The bosom of the wise is the safe of his secrets; cheerfulness is the bond of friendship; effective forbearance is the grave of short-comings.
وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي الْعِبَارَةِ عَنْ هَذَا الْمَعْنَى أَيْضاً : الْمَسْأَلَةُ خِبَاءُ الْعُيُوبِ وَمَنْ رَضِيَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ كَثُرَ السَّاخِطُ عَلَيْهِ.
It is narrated that Amīr al-mu’minīn said in expressing this meaning that: Mutual reconciliation is the covering for short-comings; and he who admires himself attracts many opponents against him. [1]
٧. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): الصَّدَقَةُ دَوَاءٌ مُنْجِحٌ، وَأَعْمَالُ الْعِبَادِ فِي عَاجِلِهِمْ، نُصْبُ أَعْيُنِهِمْ فِي آجِلِهِمْ.
7. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Charity is an effective cure, and the actions of people in their present life will be before their eyes in the next life. [1]
٨. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): اعْجَبُوا لِهذَا الْإِنْسَانِ يَنْظُرُ بِشَحْمٍ وَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِلَحْمٍ وَيَسْمَعُ بِعَظْمٍ، وَيَتَنَفَّسُ مِنْ خَرْمٍ.
8. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: How wonderful is man that sees with fat, talks with a piece of flesh, hears with a bone and breathes through a hole.
٩. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): إِذَا أَقْبَلَتِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى أَحَدٍ أَعَارَتْهُ مَحَاسِنَ غَيْرِهِ وَإِذَا أَدْبَرَتْ عَنْهُ سَلَبَتْهُ مَحَاسِنَ نَفْسِهِ.
9. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: When this world advances towards anyone (with its favours) it attributes to him other’s good; and when it turns away from him it deprives him of his own good. [1]
١٠. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): خَالِطُوا النَّاسَ مُخَالَطَةً إِنْ مِتُّمْ مَعَهَا بَكَوْا عَلَيْكُمْ وَإِنْ عِشْتُمْ حَنُّوا إِلَيْكُمْ.
10. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Meet people in such a manner that if you die they should weep for you and if you live they should long for you. [1]
١١. وَقَالَ (عليه السلام): إِذَا قَدَرْتَ عَلَى عَدُوِّكَ فَاجْعَلِ الْعَفْوَ عَنْهُ شُكْراً لِلْقُدْرَةِ عَلَيْهِ.
11. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: When you gain power over your adversary pardon him by way of thanks for being able to overpower him. [1]