solution to them. The following is some of his outstanding, wise sayings: 1. He, peace be on him, said: He whose soul is noble, the world is easy for him.(Tuhaf al-Uqu`l, p. 278). How wonderful these words are! They show the reality of those free who regarded the world as insignificant. They were noble and exalted, hence they did not yield to abasement and disgrace. At the head of these people was (Ima`m al-Husayn), the Father of the free and Lord of the martyrs. He felt that his soul was noble, hence he disdain the world. He did not flatter the unjust, nor did he yield to their tyranny. He carried the banner of dignity until he was martyred. 2. He, peace be on him, said: All good is in mans safeguarding his soul (against sins). If man safeguards his soul against acts of disobedience, sins, and offenses, he will get good throughout his life. 3. He, peace be on him, said: I never like the believer who is well in the world, in his soul, and in his property, while no affliction befalls him. When afflictions befall a believer in this world, they decrease his sins and increase his good deeds. If the believer is not befallen by afflictions in this world, he will be deprived of these good deeds in this world. 4. He, peace be on him, said: He who has no clement one to guide him gets straying, and he who has no impudent one to help him gets lowly. If man has no clement one to guide him during his important affairs, he does not behave well toward the obscurities of this life, and if he has no impudent one to help and defend him, he will expose himself to abasement and disgrace. 5. He, peace be on him, said: Woe unto him whose units surpass his tens. Hisha`m b. Sa`lim asked Ima`m al-Sa`diq, peace be on him, about the meaning of this tradition, and he replied: Have you not heard that Allah, the Great and Almighty, saying: Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it. If he does a good deeds, ten good deeds shall be written for him, and if he does one evil deed, one evil deed shall be written for him. We seek refuge in Allah from him who does ten evil deeds on one day, and does no good deed, hence his evil deeds surpass his good deeds.1 6. He, peace be on him, said: The enemies take the properties of the ignoble one, and that which is evil produces nothing but evil.(Al-Husayn Mohammed al- Halawa`ni, Nazhat al-Na`zir, p. 32). The ignoble withhold from spending their properties on the poor and the needy. Hence Allah, the Exalted, empowers their enemies over them to enjoy their properties and to deprive them of them. 7. He, peace be on him, said: If the body does not become ill, it becomes ungrateful, there is no good in the body which become ungrateful.(Hulyat al-Awliya`, vol. 3, p. 134. Tadhkirat al-Huffa`z, vol. 1, p. 71). If man always enjoys good health, and diseases do not attack him, he shows ingratitude (toward Allahs favors), and there is no good in such a body. 8. He, peace be on him, said: You should return the things deposited with you (to their owners). By Him who sent Mohammed a prophet with the truth, if the killer of my father al-Husayn deposited with me the sword with which he killed him, I would return it to him.( Al-Nu`ri, Da`r al-Sala`m, vol. 2, p. 140). Returning things deposited is among the most prominent Islamic obligations, hence he who does not return things deposited is not a Muslim. 9. He, peace be on him, said: The best worker in Allahs eyes is he who puts the Prophets sunna into practice.(Al-Wa`fi, vol. 1, p. 67). He who puts the Prophets sunna into effect applies Islam in his life, and the method of his conduct. It is normal that such a work is among the best works in Allahs view and the most beloved one with Him. 10. He, peace be on him, said: He who is the first to thank you enslaves you through affection.(Niha`yat al-Irab fi Funu`n al- Adab, vol. 21, p. 331). He who is the first to thank for a good deed enslaves the heart of the good-doer through friendship and love. 11. He, peace be on him, said: The friend is not a friend unless he cuts off a piece of his religion for his believing brother, and patches it with asking Allah to forgive him. ( Bahjat al-Maja`lis wa Uns al-Maja`lis, vol. 1, p. 685). The honest friendship in Islam depends on affection and brotherhood for the sake of Allah. Among its necessities, according to this tradition, is that the friend asks Allah to forgive his friend. 12. He, peace be on him, said: I assure (you) before my Lord that he who begs with out neediness will some day begs out of neediness.(Wasa`il al-Shïa, vol. 6, p. 305). Begging with out poverty is evidence for the poor, weak soul. Allah, the Exalted, will afflict such a beggar with depravation and poverty, and he is forced to beg others. 13. He, peace be on him, said: Beware of that for which you apologize. The Ima`m, peace be on him, warned (the Muslims) against doing any work which forces them to apologize to others. It is normal that such a work is ugly. 14. He, peace be on him, said: Allah, Great be His Majesty, says: By My might, My tremendousness, My beauty, My radiance, My exaltedness, and the loftiness of My place, if a servant prefers My desire to his desire, I will make him take care of his life in the next world, his riches in his heart, protect him from loss, make the heavens and the earth guarantee his provision, and make the world come to him.(Wasa`il al-Shïa, vol. 11, p. 222). Allah, the Exalted, loves the believing servant who prefers His obedience to all things, and does not yield to his caprice and psychological wishes. He, the Exalted, shows him gentleness and favor in this world and the next. 15. He, peace be on him, said: There may be one conceited and fascinated (by the world). He rises in the morning for playing, laughing, eating, and drinking. He does not know that he may expose himself to Allahs displeasure through which he shall be burnt in the Fire.(Tuhaf al-Uqu`l, p. 282). The Ima`m, peace be on him, warned (the Muslims) against vainglory, playing, and indifference to disobeying Allah. Allah, the Exalted, is displeased with the person who has such qualities and writes him as one of the people of the Fire, which is a miserable, permanent life. 16. He, peace be on him, said: Glory be to Him who has made gratitude toward His favors praise; glory be to Him who has made confessing incapability of thanking Him thanksgiving.(Tuhaf al-Uqu`l, p. 283). Acknowledging Allahs favors and gentleness is the reality of praise as well as confessing incapability of thanking Him is the reality of thanksgiving. 17. He, peace be on him, said: Seeking needs from men degrades life, takes away modesty and respect, and is the present poverty. The lack of seeking needs from men is the present riches. It is certain that yielding to men and seeking what is in their hands bring about abasement and disgrace, and take away modesty. They is evidence for the poor, week soul. The noble person is he who safeguards himself and his dignity, and seeks need from none except his Lord. 18. He, peace be on him, said: He who admonishes time, his admonition lengthens. Indeed, he who admonishes time, his admonition lengthens. That is because many misfortunes, disasters, and tragedies occur in time, and they successively befall the free and rudely treat them. 19. He, peace be on him, said: If one is free from need to men, men will be in need of him. He who is free from need toward men through his property or knowledge, men will be in need of him. 20. He, peace be on him, said: The noble one rejoices at his excellence, and the ignoble one boasts of his possessions. These words show the reality of both noble and ignoble ones. As for the noble one, he rejoices at and boasts of his excellence and kindness toward men. As for the ignoble one, he boasts of his perishing properties, for he has no noble quality or inclination to boast of. 21. He, peace be on him, said: Feel shame before Allah because of your nearness to Him. The Ima`m, peace be on him, summoned (men) to fear Allah, the Most High, for He, the Exalted, has power over His servants, all beings and creatures are yielding to His will, and are in his grasp. He moves about in them according to His desire. 22. He, peace be on him, said: Show not enmity toward anyone, though you think that he will harm you. It is not an act of wisdom or logic that man shows enmity toward someone, even though he thinks that he will harm him. The wise one is he who inclines hearts toward him, and never makes anybody harbor malice against him. 23. He, peace be on him, said: Abstain not from making friends with anyone, though you think that he will not profit you, for you know not when you will hope for your friend. It is an act of wisdom and perfect reason is that man must not refrain from making friends with anybody, for he will someday be in need of his support and help. 24. He, peace be on him, said: He who relies on the best which Allah chooses never desires other than the state He chooses for him. It is an act of true faith is that one trusts in the best which Allah chooses and is satisfied with His decree. He who believes in this and puts it into effect is the happiest of people and the most of them in rest and tranquillity in his psychological worlds. 25. He, peace be on him, said: You must accept the apology of those who apologize to you, even though you know that they are liars. Among the noble moral traits is that you accept the apology of the evildoers, treat them not tit for tat, for, through this, you unite (the Muslims) and save them from disunity. 26. He, peace be on him, said: The defects of men should be few on your tongue. Among the highest Islamic morals is that you should purify your tongue from mentioning the defects of men; you should mention nothing expect their good deeds. 27. He, peace be on him, said: Seek help against speech through silence, for speech has harmful states. The wise Ima`m counseled (the Muslims) to keep silent, and not to speak about anything except the affairs of their religion and world. This is because speech sometimes leads to destructive, harmful states. 28. He, peace be on him, said: He who accuses men of what they have, they will accuse him of what he does not have. He who mentions the evil deeds of men, though they have them, they will charge him with evil deeds, though he does not have them. 29. He, peace be on him, said: The best beginning of affairs is truthfulness, and their best end is faithfulness. The Ima`m, peace be on him, underlined the importance of both truthfulness and faithfulness, for they are two of the qualities through which man is exalted. 30. He, peace be on him, said: To bear witness that there is no god save Allah is the nature (fitra). To believe in Allah and to confess His Unity are two natural qualities in man, but man swerves from them through misguiding education and corrupt environment. 31. He, peace be on him, said: Performing the obligatory prayers is the creed. Performing the obligatory prayers is confessing and adopting the creed of Islam, and is the identifying mark between Muslims and unbelievers. 32. He, peace be on him, said: To obey Allah is preservation. To obey Allah, the Most High, and to refrain from acts of disobedience to Him are preservation from Satan and purity from defilement and sins. 33. He, peace be on him, said: The believer does not perish out of three qualities: Bearing witness that there is no god but Allah, the Alone, who has no associate; His ample mercy, and the intercession of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family. These three qualities bring the believer, when he adopts them, near to Allah and take him to His plentiful mercy and good pleasure. As for confessing the Unity of Allah, it takes him out of the dark shadows of unbelief. As for His ample mercy, it embraces all things, to the extent that the disobedient (to Him) hope for it on the Day of Resurrection. As for the intercession of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and his Household, it saves the believer from the Fire. 34. He, peace be on him, said: If you affect toil for men, you are the most seducing of them. He who pretends to work for men and accomplishing their needs, not for seeking nearness to Allah, is the most seductive of men and the most ignorant of them. 35. He, peace be on him, said: I wonder at him who protects himself from harmful foods, but does not protect himself from harmful sins. Protection from sins and offenses is better than protection from harmful foods, for sins lead to chastisement and misery in the next world, which is the abode of immortality and subsistence. 36. He, peace be on him, said: When you perform the prayers, perform the prayers of one who bids farewell (to this world). The Ima`m, peace be on him, summoned (the Muslims) to perform the prayers sincerely as if they bid farewell to this life. 37. He, peace be on him, said: Every thing has fruit, and the fruit of hearing is good words. Good words are the most valuable thing of hearing. They are its fruit; rather they also are the fruit of life. 38. He, peace be on him, said: Insistence is accompanied by ignorance. Insistence in affairs results from ignorance toward the realities of affairs which are in Allahs grasp. 39. He, peace be on him, said: Humbleness is the means to exaltedness. If man is humble and gentle, his standing is high, and through this he is the master of those other than him. 40. He, peace be on him, said: All of you will become story, hence he who is able to be a good (story), let him do (this). Ibn Durayd composed poetry about these golden words, saying: One will be the account of those who will come after him, hence be good account for those who understand. 41. He, peace be on him, said: The envier attains no honor, and the malicious one dies of grief. Envy is an evil malady, and throws men into great evil. He who is afflicted by it loses the highest moral traits, and parts from all noble qualities. Besides he dies of sadness and rage when he sees Allah bestowing favors upon men. 42. He, peace be on him, said: Losing the beloved is loneliness. Losing the beloved is among the most painful disasters which attack man and make him lonely among pain and worries. 43. He, peace be on him, said: Satisfaction with the detested things caused be (Allahs) decree is the highest degree of certainty. He who is satisfied with what Allah has apportioned for him is patient, brave, and calm. He is among the Allah-fearing who entrust their affairs to Him, the Exalted, and are content with His decree. 44. He, peace be on him, said: It is an act of worship that the believer looks at the face of his believing brother for love and affection. Islam has urged the Muslims to show love and affection toward each other. It has made difference and division unlawful. If the believer looks at the face of his believing brother with love and affection, he strengthens the ties among the Muslims. Hence such an act is among the best kinds of worship in Islam. 45. He, peace be on him, said: If the two merchants are truthful and kind (to men), (Allah) will bless (their work). If they are untruthful and disloyal (to men), (Allah) will not bless (their work). Truthful dealings and kindness to men are among the things that make commerce grow. If the merchant has such qualities, Allah will bless his work and increase his provision. If he swerves from them and follows crooked ways, he will have nothing except loss. 46. It was said to the Ima`m, peace be on him: [Al-Hasan al-Basri said:] I do not wonder at him who perishes and how he perishes; rather I wonder at him who escapes danger. The Ima`m replied: I do not wonder at him who escapes danger and how he escapes danger; rather I wonder at him who perishes and how he perishes, while Allahs mercy embraces (all things). Allahs mercy embraces all things to the extent that Satan craves for it. The Ima`m knew and understood this better than al- Hasan al-Basri and other than him. 47. He, peace be on him, said: If the servant is sincere to Allah in secret, Allah shows him his evil works, and he busies himself with his own sins and (leaves) mens defects. If man fears Allah in secret and turns aside from acts of disobedience to Him, Allah bestows upon him His favors, of which is that He shows him his evil works and distracts him from mens defects, that he may save himself from the ill outcomes of backbiting, which is among the ugliest sins. 48. He, peace be on him, said: If the servant becomes angry, he draws himself nearer to Allahs wrath. Anger destroys man and throws him into great evil. For example, it makes him commit crimes, hence he exposes himself to Allahs wrath and detest. 49. He, peace be on him, said: The pack- animal has six rights against its owner: He should give fodder to it when he dismounts it. He should lead it to water when he passes by it. He should not lash it but in right. He should not load it more than its ability. He should make it walk freely. He should not ride it at the time between two times of milking. In this tradition, the Ima`m peace be on him, has declared the rights of an animal against its owner. Theses rights are full of mercy, pity, and care of animals. The organizations which have been founded to treat animals kindly have not legislated such rights yet. 50. He, peace be on him, said: When you are powerful over your enemy, then regard pardon as thanksgiving for power over him, for pardon out of power is a kind of generosity. Pardon due to power is evidence for the honor of soul and its ample clemency. It is a kind of generosity and munificence. As for revenge, it results from ignobility, meanness, and the narrowness of soul. 51. He, peace be on him, said: Beware of making friends with the disobedient (to Allah), and helping the unjust. The Ima`m, peace be on him, has warned (the Muslims) against making friends with the disobedient (to Allah), for it has bad effects on their behavior, and deviate them from the right path. The sociologists said: The members of society affect each other. Besides the Ima`m has warned them against helping the unjust, for such help spreads tyranny and oppression. 52. The Ima`m, peace be on him, was asked about the most important person, and he replied: It is he who does not regard the world as important for him. The most right of all men in opinion and the best of them in determination and awareness is he who regards his soul greater than the world. He does not sell his life in the next world for this world; rather he turns his face toward Allah. He works for his life in the hereafter and prepares good deeds for it. 53. He, peace be on him, said: The lawful provision is the nourishment of the chosen. The lawful provision is the nourishment of the good and chosen who are very careful of their earnings, eat nothing except the good, lawful things, and refrain from what Allah has made unlawful. 54. He, peace be on him, said: Men have taken three (qualities) from three (persons): They have taken patience from Ayyu`b (Job) , thanksgiving from Nu`h (Noah), and envy from the children of Yaqu`b (Jacob). Men has quoted these traits from these persons, who have established their principles, and built their foundations in life. 55. He, peace be on him, said: You have no right to say whatever you like, for Allah, the Exalted, says: And follow not what you have no knowledge of. You have no right to listen to whatever you like, for Allah, the Great and Almighty, says: Surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that. Islam has limited the permissible words which man uses to manage his affairs. As for the words which man uses to spread falsehood and to speak the untruth, they are unlawful. If man uses such words, he will be questioned about them (on the Day of Judgment). Islam has also limited the words which man hears. It has ordered him to listen to good words and prevented him from listening to backbiting and obscene words. It has ordered him to question himself about his evil thoughts. 56. He, peace be on him, said: I admire the man who is clement during his anger. The Ima`m, peace be on him, summoned (the Muslims) to adorn themselves with clemency, that they might get rid of hardships and misfortunes. 57. A man said to the Ima`m: O Son of Allahs Messenger, I love you very much for the sake of Allah. Hence he, peace be on him, said: O Allah, I seek refuge in you from that I love (men) for Your sake, while You detest me. The Ima`m, peace be on him, sought refuge in Allah, the Exalted, from that he loved (men) for Him, while He detested him. This indicates that the Ima`m denied himself, sought protection in Allah, devoted himself to Him, and hoped for His pardon and good pleasure. 58. He, peace be on him, said: The act (that results) from Allah-fearingness is not little. How can be little that which is accepted? If work results from Allah-fearingness, it is not little. How can it be little, while Allah, the Exalted, accepts it? 59. He, peace be on him, said: If the people of the heavens and the earth came together to describe Allahs mightiness, they would not be able to. All those who are in the world of existence are unable to describe the mightiness of Allah, the Exalted. How can the possible being, limited in mind and abilities, describe the Necessary Being, Who originated all things, and Whom no understanding can encompass? 60. He, peace be on him, said: Courage is undertaking war, patience toward affliction, and defending brothers. Courage is among the most prominent qualities of men. Some aspects of courage are undertaking war, patience toward affliction, and defending brothers. 61. He, peace be on him, said: The eloquent make no use of words during bad listening. Ones eloquence is in vain when men do not listen to him or turn away from him. 62. He, peace be on him, said: Man should moderately spend (his money), and give the surpass (to the poor) for the sake of his life in the next world. This safeguards his blessing, brings him nearer to Allah (the Exalted), and makes his final result useful. The Ima`m, peace be on him, advised (the Muslims) to spend their money moderately and to spend the surpass of it on the poor and the general serves of the country. This results in the subsistence of blessing, nearness to Allah, the Most High, and winning an honorable final result. 63. He, peace be on him, said: Beware of wronging him who finds no helper against you except Allah. These valuable words have been handed down from the members of the House (ahl al-Bayt), peace be on them. They show that the Ima`ms were merciful and affectionate, so that they detested all kinds of injustice and aggression against men, especially as it concerns the weak who find no helper save Allah, hence aggression against them is one of the worst kinds of oppression. 64. He, peace be on him, said: How bad is the brother (friend) who takes care of you when rich and abandons you when poor! The Ima`m, peace be on him, dispraised the person who flattered his friend during riches and deserted him during poverty. This shows that such a person is opportunist, and has neither honor nor dignity. 65. He, peace be on him, said: Know the affection (toward you) in your brothers heart through the affection toward him in your heart. If you want to test your friends love, you must look for his love for you in your heart, for you love him as much as he loves you. 66. He, peace be on him, said: He whose concern is the next world, Allah spares him the concern of this world. He who works for the next world and fears Allah, Allah spares him the affairs of this world and its difficulties. 67. He, peace be on him, said: The generous are the masters of men in this world, and the Allah-fearing will be their masters in the next. Without doubt, the generous are the masters of men in this world. However, the master of men in the hereafter will be the Allah-fearing and the righteous. 68. He, peace be on him, said: If Allah, the Great and Almighty, sent down a book in order to chastise a man, I would expect that the man was I, or in order to have mercy on a man, I would hope that the man was I, or in order to chastise me certainly, I would increase (my self) nothing but diligence, lest I should return my soul with blame. The Ima`m, peace be on him, expressed his reverential fear of Allah, the Most High, and his hope for Him. If Allah decided to chastise him, he would increase his soul nothing but diligence in obeying and worshipping Him, lest he should cause blame to himself. With this we will end our speech about some of the Ima`ms short, wonderful, wise sayings.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Nov 2013 15:12:14 +0000
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