The Seal of the Wisdom of Mercy in the Word of Sulayman (Solomon)

Bilqis said,1 "It (the letter) is from Sulayman and it says 'In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful.'" Some people criticise the fact that the name of Sulayman comes before the name of Allah. That is not the case, and in saying this they say something that does not befit the gnosis which Sulayman, peace be upon him, had of his Lord. How could what they say be connected to him when Bilqis said of it, "a noble letter had been delivered to me," that is, a letter which honoured her. In this they were influenced by the story of how Chosroes tore up the letter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.2 He did not tear it up until he had read all of it and knew what it contained. It was the same with Bilqis. Had she not accepted what was established, respect for its author would not have prevented her from tearing up the letter, whether his name, peace be upon him, had been mentioned before or after the name of Allah.

Sulayman mentioned the two mercies: the mercy of graciousness and the mercy of obligation, and they are ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. So Allah freely dispenses His bounty by the Rahman, and it is incumbent on Him by the Rahim. This obligation comes from graciousness, so Rahim is contained in Rahman. Allah "has prescribed mercy for Himself," glory be to Him! in order that the slave might have what Allah spoke about of the deeds which this slave brings, expecting his due from Allah who has required Himself to have this mercy for them, the mercy of obligation. When one of the slaves is like this, he knows that He is the author of the deed.

The deed is divided according to the eight organs of man. Allah informed us that He is the He-ness of each organ. So the author of the action is none other than Allah while the form is that of the slave. He-ness is embodied in him, i.e. only in his name because Allah is the source of what is manifested and which is called "creation". Because of this, the names of the Manifest and the Last belong to the slave since he was not and then was. By the fact that his manifestation depends on Him and action issues from Him, there is the name the Hidden and the First. Thus, when you see creation, you see the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.

This recognition was not hidden from Sulayman, peace be upon him. Indeed, it is a part of a kingdom which "belonged to no one after him,"3 in terms of its manifestation in the visible world. Muhammad, peace be upon him, was given what Sulayman was given, but he did not manifest it. Allah gave him the power to vanquish the 'ifrit 4 who came in the night to attack him.5 When the Prophet wanted to take the 'ifrit and tie him to the one of the columns of the mosque until morning so that the children of Madina could play with him, he remembered the prayer of Sulayman, and so Allah made him drive the 'ifrit off in disgrace.

The Prophet did not manifest his power as Sulayman had done. He spoke of "a kingdom" which is not universal, and we know that he meant a particular kingdom. We see that the Prophet shared in every part of the Kingdom which Allah had given him and so we know by this that he is privileged with the whole kingdom. In the story of the 'ifrit, he was only given the manifestation while Sulayman might have been given the whole and the manifestation. If the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had not said in the story of the 'ifrit, "and Allah gave me power over him," we would have said that when he wanted to seize the 'ifrit, Allah reminded him of Sulayman's prayer so that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would know that Allah had not given him power to seize him. He then made him send off the 'ifrit off in disgrace.

When he said, "Allah gave me power over him," we knew that Allah had given him freedom of action in that. Then Allah reminded him and he remembered Sulayman's prayer and showed adab towards him. We know from this that that no creature after Sulayman had the general manifestation of that kingdom.

Our goal in this question is only discussion and instruction about the two mercies which Sulayman mentioned in the two names which are expressed in Arabic as ar-Rahman ar-Rahim.6 Allah stipulated the mercy of obligation 7 and made the application of the mercy of graciousness universal when He said, "My mercy extends to all things," (7:156) even the Divine Names, which are the realities of ascriptions. He was gracious to us in them. We are the result of the mercy of graciousness by the Divine Names and divine ascriptions of lordship. Then He prescribed mercy for Himself by our own manifestation. He informed us that He is our He-ness, that we might know that He obliged mercy on Himself only for Himself. Mercy never departs from Him. Who could be gracious to you when there is only Him?

There must be a principle for clarifying differences in merit – this is in relation to what is manifested of the differences in merit that creatures have in knowledge, so that it might be said that this person knows more than that person, even though the source is but one. This means the shortcoming connected to the will (irada), apart from the connection of knowledge. This difference in merit exists in the divine attributes. 8 The connection and merit of will and its increase is connected to power. In the same way, hearing, sight and all the divine names are arranged in ranks, some having more merit than others. Similarly what is manifested in creation differs in ranks of merit, so that it can be said that this person knows more than that person even though the source is the same.

As each Divine Name which I have set forth is implied by all the Names and described by them, similarly that which creation manifests accepts all of that which is subject to differences of merit. Each part of the universe is from all the universe, i.e. it is a vessel for all the separate realities of the universe. Our statement that Zayd is inferior to 'Amr in knowledge does not contradict the fact that the He-ness of Allah is the source of both Zayd and 'Amr, but it is more perfect and knowing in 'Amr than in Zayd, even as the Names differ in merit. They are not other-than-Allah. Allah, inasmuch as He is Knowing, has a more encompassing connection than Allah as the Transformer, the All-Powerful. But He is still He and not other-than-Him.

O my friend! do not then know Him in one aspect and be ignorant of Him in another! Do not negate Him here and affirm Him there, unless You affirm Him by an aspect through which He affirms Himself and negate Him by an aspect through which He negates Himself, as in the ayat which combines affirmation and negation in respect to Him when He said, "Nothing is like Him," negating, "and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing," (42:11) and so He affirmed an attribute which is general to every hearing and seeing living being. Nothing exists but that it is alive, although this is hidden in the world from the perception of some people. It will appear to all people in the Next World, for it is the Abode of the Living (ad-Dar al-Hayawan). Similarly, the life of this world is only veiled from some of the slaves so that election and difference of merit might be manifested among the slaves of Allah according to what they perceive of Him from the realities of the universe.

In one whose attainment is more comprehensive, Allah is in principle more manifest in him than in someone who does not have this comprehensiveness. So do not be veiled by the difference in merit and say that it is not correct to say that creation is the He-ness of Allah after we have shown you the different in merit in the Divine Names. You have no doubt about them being Allah, and what is designated by them is not other than Allah.

How then could Sulayman place his name before the name of Allah as they allege? He is part of the whole which the mercy of graciousness brought into existence. The name, ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, must come first for the dependence of the one receiving this mercy to be valid. Advancing the one who should come afterwards and delaying the one who should come before in the place he merits is contrary to the realities.

Part of the wisdom of Bilqis and the sublimity of her knowledge lies in the fact that she did not mention who cast the letter to her. She only did that so that her companions would know that she had communications on matters whose means they did not know. This is part of divine management in ruling because when the means of communication reaching the ruler are unknown, the people of the government fear for themselves in their actions. Therefore they only act with prudence in a matter because that will reach their ruler, and they are guarding themselves from the potential danger of that action. If they knew precisely by whom information reached their ruler, they would have tried to flatter him and bribe him so that they could do whatever they wanted without their ruler hearing about it. Therefore the Queen said, "a noble letter has been delivered to me," without naming the one who cast it. That was an act of policy on her part would would insure respect for her among the people of her kingdom and the nobles under her rule. By this, she merited her superiority over them.

As regards the superiority of the human man of knowledge over the man of knowledge of the jinn in the secrets of the disposal of things and the special properties of thing, that is known by the amount of time, for the movement of the eye in perceiving what it perceives is quicker than the movement of the body when it moves.9 The moment in which the eye moves is the same moment which it connects to the object, in spite of the distance between the viewer and the object. The moment that the eyes open is the moment in which they are connected to the heaven of the fixed stars. The moment when its glance returns is the same moment that its perception is absent.

Rising from one's place is not like that. It does not possess this speed. Asaf ibn Barkhiya 10 was more perfect in the deed than the jinn was. What Asaf ibn Barkhiya said is the same as the action in the same moment. Sulayman, peace be upon him, at the same moment saw Bilqis' throne "settled before him" so one must not imagine that he perceived it while it was in its original place without being moved. We do not think that the displacement takes place in one and the same moment, but that it involves going into non-existence and returning to existence inasmuch as the only one who is aware of that is the one who has recognition of it. This is what Allah said, "Yet they are dubious about the new creation." (50:15) Not a moment passes them but that they see what they saw. Since it is like this, the time of its non-existence (the absence of the throne from its place) is the same as the time of its existence with Sulayman because of the renewal of creation with the "breaths". No one knows this power, or rather, man is not aware with regard to himself that he ceases to exist in each breath and then is again.

Do not think that "this" (thumma) implies a delay. That is not true. However, it demands a high rank of knowledge in Arabic, as when the poet says:

    As he brandished the straight Rudayni,11 it quivered.

There is no doubt that the moment of brandishing the spear is without a doubt the same as the moment of quivering of the thing which is brandished. It happened without delay. It is the same with the renewal of creation with breaths. The time of non-existence coincides with the time of the existence of its like. It is similar to the renewal of accidents in the theory of the Ash'arites [tajrîd al-a'râd].

The question involving the moving of Bilqis' throne is one of the most difficult problems, except for someone who has recognition of what we have mentioned in its story. Asaf did not have any merit except for acquiring renewal in the assembly of Sulayman, peace be upon him. The throne was not moved across place nor did it rise above the earth nor break the laws of space for the one who understands what we mentioned. That was done by one of the companions of Sulayman in order to elevate Sulayman's honour in the selves of those who were present with Bilqis and her suite. The reason for that was that Sulayman was Allah's gift to Da'ud as He said, "We gave Sulayman to Da'ud," (38:30) so the gift is the giving of the donor by providing a blessing, not by means of fitting recompense or merit. So he is the abundant blessing, the decisive word and the cutting sword.

As for the knowledge of Sulayman, Allah said of him, "We gave Sulayman understanding of it  (in spite of his opposite judgement to that of Da'ud), and Allah "gave each of them judgement and knowledge." (21:79) Da'ud's knowledge was knowledge given by Allah, and Sulayman's knowledge was the knowledge of Allah in the matter inasmuch as He is the Judge without intermediary. So Sulayman is the interpreter of Allah in the seat of sincerity.12 It is like the man who is striving to hit on the judgement of Allah by which Allah would judge the question. If he were to find it by himself or by what was revealed to His Messenger, then he would have two rewards. The one who errs in this particular judgement has one reward as well as its being knowledge and judgement. The community of Muhammad was given the rank of Sulayman in judgement 13 and the rank of Da'ud in wisdom, 14 so there is no better community than it.

When Bilqis saw her throne, and she knew how great the distance was and the impossibility of moving it in that space of time, she said, "It seems the same." (28:42, lit. "it is as if it were.") She spoke the truth according to what we mentioned regarding the renewal of creation by similarity. It was it. The matter is true, as you are the same at the time of renewal as you were in past time.

Part of the perfection of Sulayman's knowledge was in the instruction he gave regarding the pavilion when he told Bilqis, "Enter the courtyard." 15 The courtyard was very smooth without any curvature in its glass. When Bilqis saw it, she thought that it was water and had depth, so she bared her legs so as not to let the water dampen her clothes. By that, Sulayman informed her that the throne which she saw was of this sort. This is the utmost fairness. He informed her that she had hit the mark when she said, "It seems the same." At that point, she said, "My Lord, I have wronged myself but I have submitted with Sulayman to the Lord of all the worlds."

So she did not submit to Sulayman, but to the Lord of the worlds, and Sulayman was part of the worlds. She did not restrict her submission as the Messengers do not restrict their belief in Allah, contrary to Pharoah who said, "to the Lord of Musa and Harun." (26:48) Although this submission is related to Bilqis' submission in a certain respect, it does not have the same force. She had more discernment than Pharaoh in submission to Allah. Furthermore, Pharaoh was governed by the principle of the moment when he said, "I believe in the One in whom the Children of Israel believe." (10:90) He specified, but he also specified when the saw the sorcerers articulate their belief in the "Lord of Musa and Harun." The Islam of Bilqis was the Islam of Sulayman since she said, "with Sulayman." She followed him in all that he adhered to in the way of beliefs.

This is how we are on the straight path which the Lord is on, for our forelocks are in His hand,16 and it is impossible for us to separate from Him. We are with Him implicitly, and He is with us by open declaration. Allah said, "He is with you wherever you are," (57:4) and we are with Him as He takes us by our forelocks. He. may He be exalted! is with Himself wherever He goes with us on His path. So everyone in the world is on a straight path, and it is the path of the Lord. It is this that Bilqis learned from Sulayman, so she said, "To Allah, the Lord of all the worlds," without referring to a particular world.

As for the subjection which was the privilege of Sulayman, peace be upon him, and by which he was distinguished fom others, and the kingdom which Allah gave him which none after him would have, it is from his command when He said, "We gave him the fiercely blowing wind, speeding at his command." (21:81) It was not subjection in itself, for Allah said in respect of each of us without exception, "He has made everything in the heavens and everything on the earth subservient to you." (45:13) He also mentioned the subjection of the winds, stars and other things,17 but that is not by our command. It is from the command of Allah.

If you reflect with your intellect, Sulayman was privileged by this command neither by mental concentration nor by aspiration (himma) – rather, it was by nothing more than the command itself. We said that because we recognise that the physical bodies of the world can be affected by the himma of the self when someone is in the station of concentration. We have seen such things happen in this Path. Sulayman only had to articulate the command in whatever he wished to subject without either concentration or himma.

Know, may Allah support us and you by a spirit from Him, that when any slave receives a gift like this, that does not detract from his portion of the kingdom of the Next World, nor is he called to account for it. That was true of Sulayman. Although he sought it from his Lord, the tasting (dhawq) of the Path 18 demands that it was advanced to him from what was stored up for others, and He will call him to account for it when he wants it in the Next World. Allah told him. "This is Our gift (and He did not say "to you: or to anyone else); bestow or withhold without reckoning." (38:39) We knew by the tasting of the Path that his request was from the command of his Lord. Thus the request was from the divine command, and the one who requested it received full recompense for his request.

If the Creator wishes, He grants his need in what he seeks from Him, and if He wishes, He withholds it. The slave has fulfilled what Allah demanded of him – to obey His command – in what he asked of his Lord. If he had asked that from himself without his Lord commanding him to do that, then he would be held to account for it.

That is true in all that Allah is asked for, as He said to His Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "Say: 'O Lord, increase me in knowledge!'" He obeyed his Lord's command and sought increase in knowledge to such an extent that each time he was given milk, he interpreted it to be knowledge even as he interpreted it as knowledge in a dream in which he received a glass of milk. In the dream, he drank the milk, and gave the rest of it to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. The people asked, "What is its interpretation?" He replied, "Knowledge." Similarly, when Allah took him on his Night Journey, the angel gave him a vessel which contained milk and a vessel which contained wine. The Prophet drank the milk, and the angel said, "You have chosen the true nature (fitra). Allah has bestowed you on your community!" When milk appeared, it was the form of knowledge. Therefore it is knowledge taking on the form as milk, just as Jibril came to Maryam in the form of "a handsome, well-built man." (19:16)

When the Prophet said, "People are asleep and when they die, they wake up," he meant that everything that man sees in the life of this world is in the rank of the dreams of someone who is asleep, so it must be interpreted. Phenomenal being is imagination (khayal), but it is Allah in reality.19 Whoever understands this has received the secrets of the Path. When the Prophet was offered milk, he would say, "O Allah, bless us in it and increase us in it" because he saw it as the form of knowledge, and he had been commanded to seek increase in knowledge. When he was offered something other than milk, he would say, "O Allah, bless us in it and give us better than it."

When Allah gives something to someone, and He gives it to him by a request which arises from a divine command, He does not take him to account for it in the Next Abode. When Allah gives something to someone, and He gives it by a request which is not by a divine command, the business in it is up to Allah. If He wishes, He will take him to account for it, and if He wishes, He will not take him to account for it. I hope for knowledge from Allah in particular for which He will not call one to account, for He commanded the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to seek increase of knowledge, and it is the same command which is addressed to the Prophet¹s community. Allah said, "You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah," (33:21) and what greater model is there than this model who is a source of solace 20 to the one who possesses understanding from Allah?

Had we discussed the station of Sulayman in its entirety, you would have seen a matter whose revelation would have struck you with terror. Most of the men of knowledge of this Path have no knowledge of the state and rank of Sulayman. The business is not as they claim.21
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1. In Qur'an 27:30. The story in found in Sura 27. When Sulayman hears of the kingdom of Queen Bilqis in Sheba', he sends the hoopoe to take a letter to her.

2. When the Prophet sent Chosroes or Khosrau a letter inviting him to Islam, he tore it up after it was read to him.

3. Ref. Qur'an 38:35, where Sulayman says, "My Lord, forgive me, and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me."

4. Type of malicious jinn.

5. Hadith. "Yesterday Shaytan rushed up suddenly to stop my prayer. Allah gave me power over him and I seized him. I wanted to tie him to one of the pillars of the mosque so that all of you could look at him, but then I remembered the supplication of my brother Sulayman, 'O Lord, forgive me and give me a kingdom the like of which will never be granted to anyone after me.' (38:35) Allah turned him away in humiliation." via Abu Hurayra in al-Bukhari and Muslim.

6. The All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.

7. When He said, "I will write (mercy) for those who are godfearing...." (Qur'an 7:156)

8. i.e. Knowledge is more perfect than will.

9. Sulayman asked his council, "'O Council, who among you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?' An 'ifrit of the jinn said, 'I will bring it to you before you get up from your seat...' He who possessed knowledge of the Book said, 'I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.'" (27:38-40)

10. The name of the man of knowledge in Sulayman's council.

11. Rudayna was a woman who was famous for straightening spear shafts which were tested by shaking.

12. See Qur'an 54:55.

13. i.e. by the Qur'an and hadith.

14. By ijtihad.

15. This is in the same sura (27), ayat 44.

16. Qur'an Ref. 11:56, "I have believed in Allah, my Lord and your Lord. There is no creature He does not hold by the forelock. My Lord is on a straight path."

17. Various places in the Qur'an: 14:32, 16:12, 22:65, 31:20.

18. One variant has "reality" instead of Path (Tariq).

19. Inasmuch as phenomenal being is a divine shadow.

20. Uswa is model, or a person to be imitated and through whose emulation one gains consolation. The source of solace is the verbal noun from Form V of this verb, ta'assa, which means to become consoled by the example of another who had suffered in a similar fashion and been patient in it.

21. His kingdom does not decrease what he has in the Next world.

Source :
Aisha Bewley's Islamic Home Page

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Posted in: Poems and words of wisdom

The Seal of the Wisdom of Purity (Quddûs) in the Word of Idris

Elevation has two references - one of place and one of rank. Elevation of place is "We raised him up to a high place," (19:57) and the highest of places is that upon which the mill of the world of the spheres revolves. It is the sphere of the sun and in it is the station of the spirituality of Idris, peace be upon him! There are seven heavens under it and seven heavens above it, and it is the fifteenth. That which is above it is the red heaven, i.e. Mars, the heaven of Jupiter, Saturn, the heaven of fixed stars, the Starless Heaven and the heaven of the constellations, the heaven of the Footstool and the heaven of the Throne. That which is below it is the heaven of Venus, Mercury, the Moon, the circle of ether, the circle of air, the circle of water, and the circle of earth. It is is the axis of the heavens, and it is a "high place".

As for the elevation of rank, it is for us, the people of Muhammad. Allah said, "When you arebe uppermost and Allah is with you" (47:35) in this height. He exalts Himself above place, not above rank. When the selves of those among us who do deeds are afraid, He follows the mention of "being with" with His words, "He would not cheat you of your deeds." The deed demands place and knowledge demands rank. So He joined the two heights for us - elevation of place by deed and elevation of rank by knowledge. Then to disconnect the association of being with, He said, "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High," (87:1) above this association in meaning.

It is one of the most wondrous of matters that man is the highest of existent things - I mean the Perfect Man, and elevation is only attributed to him by subordination either to place or rank which is a degree. So he is not high by his essence, he is high by the height of place and the height of rank, for these possess height. Height of place is like the All-Merciful settling on the throne,1 and it is the highest of places. Height of rank is "All things are passing except His Face," (28:88) and "the whole affair will be returned to Him," (11:123) and nothing has existence along with Allah.

When Allah said, "We raised him up to a high place," He made high an adjective for place. Since your Lord said to the angels, "I am putting a khalif in the earth," (2:30) this is height of rank. He said about the angels, "Were you overcome by arrogance, or are you one of the exalted?" (38:75) so He gave elevation to the angels. If the angels had possessed that elevation by simple virtue of the fact that they are angels, then all the angels would have been included in this elevation. It was not common to them in the definition of angel. We recognise that this is elevation of rank with Allah. It is the same for the khalifs of the people. If their elevation with the khalifate had been an elevation by essence, every man would have it. It is not general and so we know that that elevation is by rank.

One of His names is the High. Over whom, when there is nothing except Him? So He is the High by His Essence. Is He is High over that which is particular, when there is no He except Him? His elevation is by virtue of Himself, and He, in respect to existence, is the source of existents. Those in-time things which He calls high in themselves are not other than Him. He was the High when there was no height of relativity because the source-forms in non-existence had not smelt the scent of existence. They remain in their state in spite of the multiplicity of forms in existents, but the source is the same from the whole in the whole.

The existence of multiplicity lies in the names which are the relationships, and they are non-existent matters. There is only the source which is the Essence. He is High through Himself, not by any ascription to another. From this standpoint, there is no height of relative relation in the universe, but the aspects of existence which are distinct. The height of relativity exists in the one Source in respect of the many aspects. For that reason, you say of Him, Him and not Him, and you and not you.

Al-Kharraz,2 may Allah have mercy on him, who is one of the aspects of Allah and one of His tongues with which He speaks of Himself, said that one only has gnosis by joining opposites together in respect of Him. "He is the First and the Last, the Outwardly Manifest and the Inwardly Hidden." (57:3) He is the source of what appears and the source of what is hidden in the state of its manifestation. There is none who sees Him other than Him and there is none who is hidden from Him. So He is manifest to Himself and hidden from Himself. He is called Abu Sa'id al-Kharraz and other than that from the names of things in-time.

The Hidden says "No" while the Manifest says, "Me," and the Manifest says, "No" while the Hidden says, "Me". This is found in every opposite, yet the speaker is one, and he is the same as the hearer in the statement of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about what their selves say,3 for they speak and hear what they say, and know what their selves say. The source is but one, even if the judgements are different. There is no way that anyone can be ignorant of this sort of thing. Every man knows from himself, and it is the form of the Real.

So things are mixed and numbers appear by the one in the known ranks. Thus "one" brought number into existence, and number divides the One. The principle of number only appeared through the numbered. Part of the numbered is non-existent, and part is existent. The thing is non-existent in relation to the senses while it is existent in relation to the intellect. There must be number and numbered. That must grow from one and it grows because of it. Every rank of the numbers has one reality like 9, for example, and 10 and down to 2, and upwards without end, and its reality is not a sum.

A name is not perceived by the addition of ones. 2 is one reality, and 3 is one reality, and so on until the end of these ranks. Even though the source [of numbers] is one, the source of one of them is not the source of the others. Addition encompasses them all, and it speaks of them from them and judges them by them. Twenty ranks4 appeared in this statement, so composition entered into them. You will continue to affirm the source of what you deny in itself. Whoever recognises what we have related of the numbers, and that negation is the same as their affirmation, knows that the Real, who is disconnected by disconnection, is creature by connection, even though the creature is distinct from the Creator. The matter is the creature/Creator and it is the Creator/creature. That is from one source, rather is is the One source and it is many sources. Look at what you see!

Ibrahim¹s son told him, "My father, do what you are ordered." (37:102) The child is the same as his father, so he only saw himself sacrificing himself, "and He ransomed him with an immense sacrifice."5 That which was manifested as a ram was manifested in the form of a human, and manifested in the form of a son. Rather, it is by the principle of the son being the same as the father.

"He created from (one self) his mate." (4:1) He6 married his own self, and from him are both his companion and his child. The matter is one in number.

It is the same for nature and what is manifested from it. We do not see it diminishing by what appears from it nor increasing by the lack of what other than it manifests. That which is manifested is not other than it, nor is it the same as what is manifested according to the variety of forms in principle. This one is cold and dry, and that one is hot and dry. They are joined by dryness, and distinct by another quality. The common source is nature, and the world of nature is composed of forms in one mirror. Rather, it is one form in different mirrors.

There is only bewilderment (hayra) by the dispersal of perspectives. Whoever knows what we have said is not bewildered. If he increases in knowledge, it is only from the principle of place, and place is the same as the source-form in which the Real varies in the locus of His tajalli. Conditions vary, so He assumes every condition. There is no condition except for the source in which He make tajalli of Himself, and there is nothing except this.

    By this aspect, Allah is creature, so interpret!

        And by this aspect, He is not creature, so remember!

    The inner sight of whoever understands

        what I have said is not confused, and only

            the one who perceives it possesses sight.

    The source of joining and separating is the same,

        and it is multiplicity which never remains or departs.

The One who is High in Himself is the One who possesses the perfection in which all matters of existence are absorbed, as are all non-existent relations, inasmuch as it is not possible that any of these attributes be lacking from Him, be they praiseworthy by custom, logic, or law, or blameworthy by custom, logic or law. That belongs only to the One named Allah. As for what is named other-than-Allah, it is either a locus of His tajalli or a form which is in it. If it is the locus of His tajalli, it contains distinction. Be-cause of that, there must be distinction between the One who makes tajalli and the place of tajalli; if it is a form in it, that form is the source of the essential perfection because it is the same as what is manifested in it. That which belongs to Allah belongs to that form. However, it is not said that it is Him nor that it is other-than-Him.

Abu¹l-Qasim ibn Qasi 7 indicated this in his book, The Removal of the Sandals, and he said, "Each Divine Name is qualified by all the Divine Names, and described by their description." It is so. Each Name indicates the Essence and the meaning which is set out for it and which demonstrates it. In respect to its indication of the Essence, it possesses all the names, and in respect to its indication of the meaning which is singular to it, it is distinct from others, such as the Lord, the Creator, the Fashioner, etc. The Name is the same as the Named in respect to the Essence, and the Name is other than the Named in respect to the meaning which is particular to it.

If you have understood that the "high" is as we have mentioned, you know that it is neither place nor height of rank, for height of rank is particular to the administration of authority, like the Sultan and the judge, wazirs and qadis, and all who have rank, be they worthy of that rank or not. Height is by attributes which are not like that. The most knowledgeable of people can be ruled by the person with the position of power, even if that person is the most ignorant of people. This is the height of rank according to the principle of what he has over me in himself. When he retires, his high rank vanishes. The one with knowledge is not like that.
_______________________________________________

1. Qur'an 7:54, "...then He settled Himself firmly on the Throne."

2. Abu Sa'id Ahmad ibn 'Isa al-Kharraz, died in Cairo 286/899. He said, "I only knew Allah by joining the opposites," and then recited, "He is the First and the Last, the Outward and the Inward."

3. Hadith, "Allah forgives my people what their selves say to then as long as they do not act upon that."

4. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 1000.

5. "And We ransomed him with an immense sacrifice." Qur'an: 37:107.

6. Adam.

7. Sufi leader of rebellion against the Murabitun in the Algarve.

Source:
Aisha Bewley's Islamic Home Page

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Posted in: Poems and words of wisdom

The Seal of Divine Wisdom in the Word of Adam

When Allah - glory be to Him! - willed that the source of His most Beautiful Names - which are beyond enumeration - be seen (or you can equally say that He willed His source to be seen), He willed that they be seen in a microcosmic being which contained the entire matter,1 endowed with existence, and through which His secret was manifested to Him. For how a thing sees itself through itself is not the same as how it sees itself in something else which acts as a mirror for it. So He manifests Himself to Himself in a form which is provided by the place in which He is seen. He would not appear thus without the existence of this place and His manifestation (tajalli) to Himself in it.

Allah brought the entire universe into existence through the existence of a form fashioned without a spirit (rûh), like an unpolished mirror. Part of the divine decree is that He does not fashion a locus without it receiving a divine spirit, which is described as being "blown"2 into it. This is nothing other than the result of the predisposition of that fashioned form to receive the overflowing perpetual tajalli which has never ceased and which will never cease.

Then we must speak of the container (qâbil). The container comes from nothing other than His most sacredly pure Overflowing. So the whole affair has its beginning from Him, and its end is to Him, and "the whole affair will be returned to Him" (11:123) as it began from Him. Thus the command decreed the polishing of the mirror of the universe. Adam was the very polishing of that mirror and the spirit of that form.

The angels are some of the faculties of that form which is the form of the universe, which the Sufis designate in their technical vocabulary as the Great Man (al-Insân al-Kabîr), for the angels are to it as the spiritual (rûhânî) and sensory faculties are to the human organism. Each of these faculties is veiled by itself, and it sees nothing which is superior to its own essence, for there is something in it which considers itself to be worthy of high rank and an elevated degree with Allah. It is like this because it has an aspect of the divine synthesis (jam'îya). In it is something which derives from the divine side and something which derives from the side of the reality of the realities. This organism carries these attributes as determined by the universal nature which encompasses the containers of the universe from the most exalted to the basest. However, the intellect cannot perceive this fact by means of logical investigation – for this sort of perception only exists through divine unveiling by which one recognises the basis of the forms of the universe which eceive the spirits.

This being was called both a human being (insân) and khalif. As for his humanness, it comes from the universality of his organism and his ability to embrace all of the realities. He is in relation to Allah as the pupil,3 being the instrument of vision, is to the eye. This is why he is called ÒinsânÓ. It is by him that Allah beholds His creatures and has mercy on them. So he is a human being, both in-time [in his body] and before-time [in his spirit], an eternal and after-time organism. He is the word which distinguishes and unifies. The universe was completed by his existence. He is to the universe what the face of the seal is to the seal - for that is the locus of the seal and thus the token with which the King places the seal on his treasures.

Allah named him khalif for this reason, since man guards His creation as treasure is guarded with the seal. As long as the seal of the King is on the treasure, no one dares to open it without his permission. He made him a khalif in respect of safeguarding the universe, and it continues to be guarded as long as this Perfect Man is in it. Do you not see then, that when he disappears and is removed from the treasury of this world, nothing that Allah stored in it will remain? Everything that was in it will leave it, and all the parts will become confused, and everything will be transferred to the Next World. Then Man will be the seal on the treasury of the Next World for endless time and after-time.

All the Divine Names contained in in the divine form4 appear in this human organism. Thus it possesses the rank of containing and integrating this existence. It was by this that Allah set up the proof against the angels,5 so remember that! Allah admonishes you through others. Look at where that originates and where it ends up. The angels did not realise what was implied by the organism of the khalif, nor did they realise what the presence of the Truth demanded as 'ibâda 6 (worship). Each one only knows from Allah what his essence accords him. The angels do not possess the universality of Adam, and they did not understand the Divine Names with which he has been favoured, and by which he praises Allah and proclaims His purity. They only knew that Allah had names whose knowledge had not reached them, so they could not praise Him nor proclaim His purity through them. What we mentioned overcame them and this state overpowered them. They said about this organism, "Why put on it one who will  cause corruption on it?" (2:30) This is only the argument which they were voicing.

What they said regarding Adam is exactly the state they were with regard to Allah. Had it not been that their nature was in accord with it, they would not have said what they said in respect of Adam, "and yet they were not aware." If they had had true recognition of themselves, they would have had knowledge, and had they been in possession of knowledge, they would have been protected and would not have resisted by belittling Adam and thus exceeding their claim of what they possessed of His praise and glorification. Adam was in possession of Divine Names which the angels did not have, so that their praise and glorification of Him was not the same as Adam's praise and glorification of Him. Allah describes this to us so that we may ponder it and learn adab7 with Allah, and so that we will not lay claim to what we have not realised or possessed by pinning down. How can we allege something which is beyond us and of which we have no knowledge? We will only be exposed. This divine instruction is part of AllahÕs discipline of those of His slaves who are well-mannered, trusting and khalifs.

Let us return to the wisdom under discussion. Know that universal matters which have no existence in themselves are without a doubt intelligible and known in the mind. They are hidden and continue in their invisible existence. These universal matters have jurisdiction and effect on everything which has an individual existence. Indeed, they are the same thing and nothing else, i.e. the sources of existent individual things, and they continue to be intelligible in themselves. They are manifest in respect of the sources of existent things just as they are hidden in respect of their intelligibility. Each individual existent thing depends on these universal matters which cannot be dislodged from the intellect, nor would their existence be possible in the source once they ceased to be intelligible, whether that individual existent is in-time or out-of-time. The relationship of that which is in-time or out-of-time to this universal intelligible matter is the same. This universal matter only has jurisdiction in individual existent things according to what the realities of these individual existent things demand of it. It is like the relationship of knowledge to the knower, and life to the living. Life is an intelligible reality; knowledge is an intelligible reality. Knowledge is as distinct from life as life is distinct from knowledge. So we say that Allah has knowledge and life, and that He is the Living, the Knowing. We also say that the angel has life and knowledge, and is living and knowing. We say that man has life and knowledge, and is living and knowing. The reality of knowledge is one thing and the reality of life is another, and their relationship to the knowing and the living is the same relationship. We say that the knowledge of Allah is in non-time and the knowledge of man is in-time. So look at the evaluation that this relationship has brought about in this intelligible reality!

Examine this connection between individual intelligibles and stence is necessary, rather, it is necessary by another, not by itself. As knowledge determines the one who participates in it – as he is called knowing – so the one who is described by it can determine the knowledge. It is in-time in relation to the one in-time and non-time in relation to the one in non-time. Each of the two is determining and determined. It is known that these universal matters, even if they are intelligible, lack a source although they still have an authority. When they are determined, since they are ascribed to an individual existent thing, they accept the principle in the existent sources and do not accept distinction or fragmenting, for that is impossible for them. They themselves are in everything described by them, as humanity is in every person of this particular species, without distinction or the numbering which affects individuals; and it continues to be intelligible.

Now, as there is a connection between that which has an individual existence and that which does not have one – and it is a non-existent relationship – so the connection of existents to each other is easier to conceive because, in any case, there is a common factor between them which is individual existence. In the other, there is no common factor, yet there is a connection despite the lack of a common factor. So it is stronger and more real when there is a common factor. Without a doubt, the in-time establishes itself as being put into time and it needs something in time to put it into time. It has no place in itself so it exists from something other-than-it, and it is linked to That by the dependence of need. This dependence must be on That whose existence is necessary, which is independent in Its existence by Itself without need. It is That which, by Its own essence, gives existence to the in-time which depends on It. Since the existence of Its essence is necessary and what appears from It depends on It for its essence, it nevertheless depends on its form for everything which is from a name or attribute, except for the essential necessity. That is not the property of it in-time, even if its existence is neceesary, rather, it is necessary by another, not by itself.

Since the matter is based on what we said about its manifestation in its form, Allah communicates to us knowledge of Himself through contemplation of the in-time. He tells us that He shows us His signs in the in-time,8 so we draw conclusions about Him through ourselves. We do not describe Him with any quality without also possessing that quality, with the exception of that essential autonomy. Since we know Him by ourselves and from ourselves, we attribute to Him all that we attribute to ourselves. For that reason, divine communications came down on the tongues of our interpreters,9 and so He described Himself to us through ourselves. When we witness, He witnesses Himself. We are certainly numerous as individuals and species, yet we are based on a single reality which unites us. So we certainly know that there are distinctions between individuals. If there were not, there would be no multiplicity in the One.

Similarly we are described in all aspects by that by which He describes Himself, but there must be a disinction and it is none other than our need of Him in our existence. Our existence depends on Him by virtue of our possibility and He is independent of that which makes us dependent on Him. Because of this, one can apply before-timeness and timelessness to Him which negates that firstness which is the opening to existence from non-existence. Although He is the First, firstness is not ascribed to Him, and for this reason, He is called the Last. Had His firstness been the firstness of the existence of determination, it would not have been valid for Him to be the Last of the determined because the possible has no last - for possibilities are endless. So they have no last. Rather, He is the Last because "the whole affair will be returned to Him" (11:123) after its attribution to us. So He is the Last in the source of His firstness and the First in the source of His lastness.

Then know that Allah has described Himself as the Outawrdly Manifest and the Inwardly Hidden;10 He brought the universe into existence as a Visible world and an Unseen world so that we might know the Hidden by the Unseen and the Manifest by the Visible. He described Himself with pleasure and wrath, and so He brought the world into existence as a place of fear and hope – so we fear His wrath and hope for His pleasure. He described Himself with majesty and beauty, so He brought the universe into existence with awe and intimacy. It is the same for all that is connected with Him, may He be exalted, and by which He calls Himself. He designates these pairs of attributes by the two hands11 which He held out in the creation of the Perfect Man. Man sums up all the realities of the universe and its individuals. So the universe is seen and the Khalif is unseen. It is with this meaning that the Sultan veils himself, even as Allah is mentioned and described as having with veils12 of darkness, which are natural bodies, and luminous veils which are subtle spirits (arwâh). The universe is composed of both the gross and the subtle.

The universe is its own veil on itself and cannot perceive the Truth since it perceives itself. It is continuously in a veil which is not removed, since it knows that it is distinct from its Creator by its need of Him. It has no portion of that essential necessity which belongs to the existence of Allah, so it can never perceive Him. In this respect, Allah is never fully known by the knowledge of tasting and witnessing because the in-time has no hold on that.

Allah only applied "between His two hands" to Adam as a mark of honour, and so He said to Iblis, "What prevented you prostrating to what I created with My two Hands?" (38:76) That is none other than the union in Adam of the two forms - the form of the universe and the form of the Real:13 and they are the two hands of Allah. Iblis is only a fragment of the universe and does not possess this comprehensive quality. It is because of this quality that Adam was a khalif. Had he not had the form of the One who appointed him khalif, he would not have been khalif. If there were not in him all that is in the world, and what his flocks, over whom he is khalif, demand of him because of their dependence on him – (and he must undertake all they need from him) –he would not have been khalîf over them.

The khalifate is only valid for the Perfect Man, whose exterior form comes from the realities of the universe and its forms, and whose inner form is based on His form, may He be exalted! For that reason, Allah has said of him, "I am his hearing and his sight."14 He did not say, "his eye and his ear." So He differentiated between the two forms. It is the same for every existent in the universe which appears according to what the reality of that existent demands of it. Nonetheless no one totally comprehends what the khalif has. One only surpasses others by this comprehensiveness. If it were not for the diffusion of Allah into the existents by the form, the universe would not have any existence. Similarly, were it not for these universal intelligible realities, no principle would have appeared in individual existent things. From this reality the universe depends on Allah for its existence. So all is in need, and nothing is independent.

    This is the truth

         and we have not spoken metaphorically.

    If I speak of a something independent

         without any need, you will know Who I mean by it.

    The whole is tied to the whole

          and cannot be separated from it, so understand what I have said!

Now, you have learnt of the formation of the body of Adam – his outer form – and the formation of his spirit, his inner form, so he is the Real and a created being. Now you have learnt of the formation of his rank which is the comprehensiveness by virtue of which he is worthy of the khalifate. Adam is the unique self from which the perfect human species was created according to His words, "O mankind, be fearful of your Lord who created you from a single self, and created its mate from it, and disseminated many men and women from the two of them." (4:1)

His words, "Be fearful of your Lord," mean to make of what has appeared from you a safeguard for your Lord and make what is concealed of you, which is your Lord, a safeguard for yourselves. The matter consists of blame and praise, so be His safeguard in the blame and your safeguard in the praise, so that you will be among those of knowledge and adab. Then He showed him what He had placed in him, and He put that in His two hands - one handful contained the universe and the other handful contained Adam and his descendants - and He showed them their ranks in Adam.

Then Allah informed me in my inner heart (sirr) of what He placed in this Imam, the great progenitor. I have put in this book some of what was allotted to me but not all of what I realised. A book could not contain that and not even the present existent universe could contain it. I have put some of what I have witnessed in this book, as the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, defined it. It was the divine wisdom in the word of Adam, that is, this chapter.

Then there is the wisdom of the breath of angelic inspiration in the word of Shith (Seth), the wisdom of divine inspiration in the word of Nuh (Noah), the wisdom of purity in the word of Idris, the wisdom of being lost in love in the word of Ibrahim (Abraham), the wisdom of truth in the word of Ishaq (Isaac), the wisdom of the elevation of the word in the name of Isma'il (Ishmael), the wisdom of the spirit in the word of Yusuf (Joseph), the wisdom of unity in the word of Hud, the wisdom of revelation in the word of Salih, the wisdom of the heart in the word of Shu'ayb, the wisdom of the power of the word of Lut (Lot), the wisdom of the decree in the word of 'Uzayr (Ezra), the wisdom of prophethood in the word of 'Isa (Jesus), the wisdom of mercy in the word of Sulayman (Solomon), the wisdom of existence in the word of Da'ud (David), the wisdom of the soul in the word of Yunus (Jonah), the wisdom of the unseen in the word of Ayyub (Job), the wisdom of majesty in the word of Yahya (John the Baptist), the wisdom of possession in the word of Zakariya (Zachariah), the wisdom of intimacy in the word of Ilyas (Elias), the wisdom of benevolence in the word of Luqman, the wisdom of the Imam in the word of Harun (Aaron), the wisdom of sublimity in the word of Musa (Moses), the wisdom of what one turns to in the word of Khalid, and the wisdom of uniqueness in the seal of Muhammad.

There is a seal for each wisdom. So I have condensed these wisdoms according to what is established in the Mother of the Book, and I complied with what was written out for me, and stopped at what was set as a limit for me. Even if I had desired to do more than that, I would not have been able to do so. Indeed, the Presence forbids that, and Allah is the One who grants success. There is no Lord but Him.

___________________________________

1. al-Insân al-Kâmil, the Perfect Man.

2. Nafkh, Qur'an 32:9, etc.

3. Insan, as well as meaning human being, also means the pupil of the eye.

4. The form chosen by Allah for the human being.

5. Qur'an 2:30-33.

6. 'Ibada: All the acts of worship: giving, praying, fasting, etc..

7. Adab: Manners. Here meaning the much deeper quality of spiritual manners, that is a courtesy engendered in the ritual acts of worship, the prostrations of the prayer, the fast, and giving gifts to the needy. Such a quality is imbued with awareness that you are the dependent, and the Real is the independent. You are poor, He is rich.

8. Qur'an 41:53, "We will show them Our signs on the horizons and in themselves..."

9. i.e. the Prophets.

10. Qur'an: 57:3.

11. Qur'an 38:75, "What I created with My two hands."

12. Hadith: "Allah has 70,000 veils of light and darkness. If they were to be removed, the splendour of His face would consume."

13. Hadith: "Allah created Adam on His form."

14. ref. to hadith qudsî via Abu Hurayra, "My slave does not draw near Me with anything I love more than what I have made obligatory for him. My slave continues to draw near me with superogatory actions until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 81:38:2)

Source :
Aisha Bewley's Islamic Home Page

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Posted in: Poems and words of wisdom

Puisi Sufi Karya Syaikh Al-Isyraq, Syihabuddin Yahya As-Suhrawardi

   



Bahasa Semut

Burung Merak Raja di Bawah Keranjang

Seorang  raja  mempunyai  sebuah taman, yang sepanjang
empat musim selalu ditumbuhi tanam-tanaman yang wangi, hijau
subur   dan   menyenangkan.  Air  mengalir  berlimpah-limpah
melaluinya,  dan  segala   macam   burung   bernyanyi   dari
dahan-dahan pohon. Setiap hal yang baik dan indah yang dapat
kita bayangkan terdapat di dalam taman itu.  Dan  di  antara
semuanya itu ada sekelompok burung merak yang cantik.

Sekali  waktu sang raja mengambil salah seekor burung merak,
dan memerintahkannya agar ia  dimasukkan  ke  dalam  kantung
kulit  supaya  bulu-bulunya tidak dapat dilihat, sehingga ia
tidak dapat mengagumi keindahannya sendiri dengan  cara  apa
pun.   Dia   juga   memerintahkan   agar  burung  merak  itu
ditempatkan di bawah sebuah keranjang yang  hanya  mempunyai
satu  lubang,  melalui  lubang itu sedikit biji-bijian dapat
dituangkan ke dalamnya untuk makanannya.

Lama waktu berlalu.  Burung  merak  itu  lupa  pada  dirinya
sendiri,  sang raja, taman, dan burung-burung merak lainnya.
Ia melihat  pada  dirinya  sendiri.  Burung  tersebut  tidak
melihat  apa-apa  kecuali  kantung  kulit yang kotor itu. Ia
mulai menyukai tempat tinggalnya yang gelap  dan  jelek;  ia
percaya di dalam hatinya bahwa tidak mungkin ada tempat yang
lebih besar dari ruangan di dalam keranjang itu,  sedemikian
rupa  sehingga ia menganggapnya sebagai keyakinan bahwa jika
ada orang menyatakan tentang suatu kehidupan, tempat tinggal
atau   kesempurnaan   di  luar  yang  ia  ketahui,  maka  ia
menganggapnya sebagai kekafiran mutlak, omong  kosong  besar
dan kebodohan yang murni.

Sekalipun  demikian,  setiap kali angin segar berhembus, dan
harumnya  bunga-bunga  dan  pepohonan,  violet  (=   sejenis
tumbuhan  yang  bunganya  berbau harum), melati dan tumbuhan
rempah-rempah sampai ke  hidung  burung  itu,  ia  merasakan
kesenangan  yang  mengejutkan  melalui  lubang  itu.  Timbul
kekhawatiran di dalam hatinya. Ia  merasakan  adanya  hasrat
untuk  pergi  dan kerinduan batin, tetapi ia tidak tahu dari
mana kerinduan itu berasal,  sebab,  kecuali  kantung  kulit
itu,  ia  tidak  mengetahui  apa-apa;  selain keranjang itu,
tidak ada dunia lain;  selain  biji-bijian  itu,  tidak  ada
makanan   lain.   Ia   telah   melupakan   semuanya.  Ketika
sekali-sekali  ia  mendengar   suara   burung-burung   merak
bernyanyi,  dan  burung-burung  lain  berlagu, kerinduan dan
hasratnya  timbul;  tetapi  ia   tidak   terbangunkan   oleh
suara-suara burung-burung itu atau hembusan angin. Pernah ia
bergairah memikirkan sarangnya.

    Angin sepoi-sepoi bertiup menyentuhku
    dan hampir mengucapkan kata-kata,
    'aku adalah kurir untukmu dari kekasihmu.'

Lama  sekali ia memikirkan apa sesungguhnya angin yang
harum itu, dan  darimanakah  bunyi-bunyian  yang  indah  itu
datang.

    Wahai kilat yang menyambar,
    dari perlindungan siapa engkau muncul?

Tetapi ia tidak sadar-sadar juga,  meskipun  sepanjang  masa
itu kesenangan tetap tinggal di hatinya.

    Ah, kalau saja Laila sekali saja
    mengirimkan salam karunianya, meskipun
    diantara kami terbentang debu dan bebatuan besar.
    
    Salam kegembiraanku akan merupakan jawabnya,
    atau akan menjeritlah kepadanya si burung hantu,
    burung sakit yang memekik di tengah keremangan
    kuburan.


Burung  merak itu bodoh, karena ia telah lupa kepada dirinya
dan juga tanah airnya.

    ... janganlah hendaknya kamu bertingkah seperti
    orang yang melupakan Allah, yang  mengakibatkan
    Allah membuat mereka lupa diri pula. (QS 59:19)


Setiap kali hembusan  angin  atau  suara-suara  datang  dari
taman,  timbul  hasrat  dalam  diri  si  burung  merak tanpa
mengetahui mengapa demikian.

Kedua baris ini adalah karya seorang penyair:


    Kilat Ma'arra bergerak di tengah malam, ia
    melewati malam di Rama yang melukiskan
    kebosanannya.
    
    Ia benar-benar menyedihkan para penunggang,
    kuda-kudanya, unta-unta, dan terus bertambah
    menyedihkan, hingga ia hampir menyedihkan
    pelana-pelana 
               
    catatan: baris-baris ini berasal
    dari Al-Ma'arri, Siqth al-Zand. hal. 51).


Ia tetap  kebingungan  selama  beberapa  waktu,  sampai
suatu   hari   sang   raja  memerintahkan  agar  burung  itu
dilepaskan dari keranjang dan kantung kulitnya untuk  dibawa
menghadapnya.


    Peristiwa kebangkitan itu terjadi hanya dengan
    satu kali tiupan sangkakala saja. (QS 37:19)
    
    Apakah dia tidak mengetahui, apabila nanti sudah
    dibangkitkan segala isi kubur? Dan telah
    terungkap segala isi kalbu? Sesungguhnya Tuhan
    mereka pada hari itu maha mengetahui
    keadaannya. (QS 100:9-11)


Ketika  burung  keluar  dari  penutupnya,  burung  merak itu
melihat  dirinya  berada  di  tengah-tengah  taman.   Ketika
memandang  bulu-bulunya  sendiri,  dan melihat taman beserta
aneka  ragam  bunganya,  atmosfir  dunia,  kesempatan  untuk
berjalan  kesana-kemari  dan  terbang  tinggi,  serta  semua
suara, irama, bentuk dan berbagai benda yang ada, ia berdiri
mendesah  seakan-akan  tak sadarkan diri (ejakulasi teofanik
'syath' yang terkenal dari Husayn ibn Manshur Al-Hallaj).


    Wahai, sungguh aku menyesali kelalaianku dalam
    memenuhi kewajiban kepada Allah. (QS 39.56)
    
    Lalu Kami singkapkan tabir yang menutupi
    matamu, maka pandanganmu menjadi lepas jelas. (QS
    50:22)
    
    Mengapa ketika nyawa sampai di kerongkongan,
    padahal ketika itu kamu melihat orang yang
    sedang melepaskan nyawanya itu, sedangkan Kami
    lebih dekat lagi kepadanya daripada kamu,
    namun kamu tidak melihat? (QS 56:83-85)
    
    Jangan berbuat begitu, kelak kamu akan tahu
    akibatnya. Sekali lagi, jangan berbuat begitu,
    kelak kamu akan tahu juga akibatnya. (QS
    102:3-4)


Source :
PENERBIT MIZAN
KHAZANAH ILMU-ILMU ISLAM, September 1992

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Posted in: Poems and words of wisdom

Puisi Sufi

1: ILMU DAN MAKRIFAT


Wahai yang tidak aku kenali
ku panjat gunung yang tinggi
sangkaku Engkau berada di puncaknya
namun tidak ku temui Engkau di sana.

Lalu aku terjun dari puncak gunung
jika Engkau ada pasti Engkau tidak membiarkan daku.

Tangan Kudrat Iradat-Mu menyambar ku
aku terbang dengan sayap Rahmani-Mu
mengembara ke seluruh alam maya
namun tidak ku temui Engkau di dalam alam.

Hatiku mengatakan Engkau ada
lalu aku keluar daripada alam
dan aku terjun ke dalam hatiku.

Di sana aku temui kebodohanku
bodohnya aku menyangka akulah Aku
sedangkan Dia jualah Aku
dan aku tiada beserta Dia.

Bila aku tiada beserta Dia
tinggallah Dia sendirian
rindulah Dia kepada diriku
lalu Dia terjun ke dalam hatinya
di sana Dia berjumpa Aku
Aku menyambutnya dengan tersenyum.

Aku dan Dia
Dia dan Aku
bukan dua dan bukan Satu
satu masih berbentuk
masih berjarak titik atas dengan bawah
sedangkan Aku dan Dia
tiada antara
bukan juga titik yang halus
titik yang halus masih menempati ruang
sedangkan Aku dan Dia
tiada rupa tiada bentuk tiada ruang tiada zaman.

Aku adalah Dia
Dia adalah Aku
tiada beza antara Aku dan Dia
bila aku cuba mengenali Dia
aku tidak kenal lagi diriku
aku tidak kenal lagi diri Dia
bila dia cuba mengenali diriku
dia tidak kenal lagi dirinya
dia tidak kenal lagi diriku.

Tiada lagi kenyataan
tiada juga keghaiban.

Pengenalan sebenar adalah tidak kenal
pengetahuan sebenar adalah tidak tahu.

Aku adalah rahsia Dia
Dia adalah rahsia Aku
usah diganggu rahsia ini.

2: PENCARIAN

Paling aku tidak mengerti
bagaimana mahu menyeru-Mu
jika nama juga hijab
antara Engkau dengan aku.

Engkau esa
tiada hijab menemani Mu
mana mungkin Engkau terhijab.

Berapa banyak hati sudah hancur luluh
dalam merindui Mu
berapa banyak fikiran telah berkecai
dalam mencari Mu.

Engkau dekat
tetapi bila didekati Engkau menjauh
bila berhenti Engkau melambai
bila dikejar Engkau menjauh kembali.

Bila aku di tangga rumah Mu
Engkau menutup pintu
bila aku undur
Engkau membuka jendela
bila aku mengintai
Engkau melabuhkan langsir.

Dalam kepayahan ini
daku perlukan penawar
penawar itu ada pada tangan Mu
namun aku malu menghulurkan tanganku yang cemar
untuk disambut oleh tangan Mu yang suci.

Aku tidak tergamak meminta Engkau menjadi teman
kerana aku tidak pernah membuktikan kesetiaan sebagai sahabat
namun hatiku gila kepada Mu
tetapi aku malu memanggil Engkau kekasih
kerana aku tersangat hodoh dan hina.

Janganlah Engkau murka
lantaran si hodoh dan hina ini mengasihi Mu.

Wajahku yang hodoh dan hina
tidak layak Engkau tatapi
Wajah Mu yang cantik berseri
tidak layak aku tatapi
di atas tangga rumah Mu aku terlena
dengan harapan mataku tidak terbuka lagi
kerana aku tidak tahan merindui Mu.

Izinkan daku bermalam di tangga rumah Mu
dan memejam mataku di situ
agar apabila Engkau membuka pintu
Engkau memandang kepada ku
walaupun daku tidak memandang kepada Mu.

3: PENCARI

Daku terbang mencari Mu
lalu aku dipanah oleh pemanah
cederalah dadaku
adakah begini nasib si pencari Mu?

Jika Engkau bertanya apakah yang daku mahu
jawapanku hanya satu: Engkau, semata-mata Engkau.

Selamatkan daku dari anak panah
supaya aku terus kuat terbang kepada Mu.

Engkau Pemilik keteguhan
masukkan daku ke dalam benteng keteguhan Mu
agar daku menjadi teguh
tiada anak panah mencederakan daku.

Janganlah sesiapa menggangu daku
biarkan daku bersama yang ku kasih
sehingga Dia mengizinkan
daku menyertai kalian.

4: ILMU DAN MATLAMAT

Daku terbang dengan sayap Rahmani Mu
Menggalas ilmu di atas belakang
Agar daku tidak sesat di jalanan
Tapi ilmu ini amat membebankan daku
Hingga daku tidak terdaya terbang tinggi
Izinkan daku mencampakkan ilmu ke bumi
Biar sayap Rahmani Mu sendiri membawa ku pergi
Sesuka dan semahu Mu.

Engkau ciptakan daku hanya untuk Mu
Maksud dan tujuan ku hanyalah Engkau
Sampaikan daku kepada tujuan penciptaan dan matlamat ku.
5: DOSA, KEBAIKAN DAN YANG HAK
Aku kumpulkan sekalian dosa-dosa ku
yang menghimpit jiwaku
aku melihat seluruh dunia adalah dosa
izinkan daku
meletakkan segala dosa di bawah tapak kaki ku.

Aku hadapkan pandangan kepada kebaikan
bila daku melihat diriku yang baik
berdatangan diri-diri lain menghijab
izinkan daku
meletakkan segala kebaikan di bawah dosa-dosa.

Aku berhadapan dengan keinginan-keinginan
tanpa dosa jiwa belum tenang
keinginan-keinginan mengheret kepada kegelisahan
tidak sabar.

Wajah keinginan memperlihatkan ego diri
takutkan kesusahan dan kehinaan.

Keinginan adalah dosa sebenar
dosa-dosa lain adalah anak-anaknya
walaupun anak-anak dikuburkan
ibu akan terus melahirkan anak-anak baharu.

Bagaimana menghapuskan keinginan
bukankah ia adalah diriku sendiri.

Aku melihat kepada diriku
terasa kesamaran di sebalik diri yang berkeinginan
dalam kesamaran itu
wujud diri yang suci murni
tanpa keinginan.

Ia tidak dikurung oleh jasad
tiada ruang
tiada zaman.

Ia sentiasa damai dan tenteram
namun ia tidak diberi kesempatan
untuk memperlihatkan wajahnya.

Kuburkan diri yang berkeinginan!
begitulah ucapan Mu yang ku dengar.

Bila daku mendengar ucapan Mu
aku melihat diri ku berada di tengah-tengah
di antara Engkau dan diri yang berkeinginan
aku melihat
diri yang berkeinginan itu bukanlah diriku yang sejati
ia hanyalah bayang-bayang yang muncul
dari pancaran cahaya Mu kepadaku yang terhijab
mengapa kepada bayang penglihatan ku tertuju
sedangkan Engkau adalah cahaya
dan aku yang menerima cahaya
bayang adalah kegelapan
mengapa terpesona dengan kegelapan.

Engkau terangi daku dengan cahaya Mu
untuk ku kenali diriku
agar pengenalan itu membuatku melihat cahaya Mu
dan mengetahui bahawa cahaya Mu yang paling nyata
sedangkan aku dan lain-lainnya
adalah zarah-zarah yang terapung-apung
di dalam angkasa raya cahaya Mu.

Cahaya Mu yang tanpa warna tanpa rupa
adalah kebijaksanaan tanpa tara
dengannya segala menjadi nyata.

Sekalian wajah-wajah adalah cermin wajah Mu
cermin itu adalah keindahan
keindahan adalah bayangan wajah Mu
keindahan adalah rasa hati
bukan bentuk bukan rupa
apabila hati mesra di dalam keindahan Mu
itulah penatapan wajah Mu
bulat, leper, atau panjang
putih, kuning atau hijau
kelmarin, hari ini atau esok
semuanya tidak menjadi soal
pada hati yang melihat keindahan wajah Mu.

Hati itulah rahsia besar.

Pandanglah Tuhan tanpa menggunakan mata
Dia tidak pernah bersembunyi
dengarlah ucapan tanpa menggunakan telinga
Dia tidak pernah berhenti berkata-kata.
6: KERAGUAN
Engkau ajukan pertanyaan:
mengapa fikiranmu bersimpang siur
mengapa dukacita tidak terlepas daripadamu.

Wahai Pelindung diriku
apabila aku mendatangi Mu dengan diriku
aku kecundang
fikiranku tidak bisa menjurus
jiwaku tidak bias tenang
keraguan tidak terpisah dari diriku.

Pengalaman ini membuatku mengerti
mengenali Mu bukanlah dengan diriku
pengenalan Mu adalah dengan Diri Mu.

Cahaya Mu yang menyatukan segala fikiran
cahaya Mu yang membakar segala kerisauan.

Daku bukakan hatiku sambil memohon:
wahai ar-Rahman!
penuhilah hatiku dengan cahaya Mu
tanpa cahaya Mu mana mungkin daku melihat Mu.


7: RAHSIA

Bagaimana hendak ku serahkan
zat rahsiaku kepada-Mu?
ini adalah persoalan besar.

Engkau ucapkan:
katakanlah: Roh adalah urusan Tuhanku.

Rahsia adalah rahsia
mana boleh diterka
hanya daku perlu meyakini
ia adalah urusan Tuhanku
mengapa aku cuba memikul urusan Tuhan
serahkan hak Tuhan kepada Tuhan..

Wahai Tuhanku
Engkau mengetahui zat rahsiaku
daku sendiri tidak mengetahuinya
tanpa pengetahuanku tentangnya
daku serahkannya kepada Mu
terimalah, terimalah, terimalah
daku tidak hairan
bagaimana Engkau menerima zat rahsiaku
kerana Engkau yang paling rahsia
Pemilik segala rahsia.

8: PENYERAHAN

Engkau berdiri dengan sendiri
Engkau mutlak
tiada yang lain mampu mempengaruhi-Mu.

Engkau Maha Perkasa
Engkau kembangkan payung keperkasaan-Mu
melindungi yang lemah dan tidak berdaya
akulah yang lemah dan tidak berdaya itu
di bawah paying keperkasaan-Mu daku bernaung
Engkau sekali-kali tidak akan menolak
para hamba yang menyerah diri kepada-Mu.

Alangkah mudahnya
bila segala sesuatu diserahkan kepada-Mu
dan yakin Engkau menerimanya
Engkau tidak pernah letih atau lalai
tidak mengantuk tidak tidur
tidak bosan menguruskan hal hamba-hamba-Mu.

Wahai Pelindung diriku
penyerahan adalah kelapangan
penyerahan adalah kedamaian
penyerahan adalah Kesejahteraan.

Wahai Pelindung diriku
penuhilah hatiku dengan yakin
agar sekaliannya kembali kepada-Mu
tanpa sebarang sisa pada diriku.

Engkau gemar mendengar tutur-kata hamba-hamba-Mu
Engkau tidak jemu mendengar daku membebel
tiap ucapanku Engkau jawab
dengan kelembutan-Mu
wahai al-Latiff
kami para hamba sangat Engkau manjai
dengan kemaha-lembutan-Mu.

9: ALLAH MELIPUTI SEGALA SESUATU

Mereka berkata alam menjadi dalil wujud Allah
aku pandang pada alam
Allah tidak kelihatan
mana mungkin ada kekuatan alam
mempamer wujud Tuhan
bukankah Allah tidak memerlukan alam
Dia yang zahir dan Dia yang batin
Dia yang awal dan Dia yang akhir.

Aku pandang ke dalam hatiku
zat rahsiaku diterangi Rahsia Ilahi
kemudian akau pandang kepada alam
baharu aku melihat Cahaya-Nya meliputi alam
aku pandang lagi kepada alam
cahaya-Nya kembali terhijab dari pandangan
lalu aku pindahkan alam ke dalam hatiku
aku kembali melihat  Cahaya Ilahi meliputi alam.

Cahaya-Nya hanya boleh dipandang oleh zat rahsiaku
apabila aku menyatu dengan zat rahsiaku
tanpa takwil tanpa hujah tanpa terka
tanpa ulasan tanpa kupasan tanpa huraian
hanya yakin dan larut di dalam keyakinan
bahawa aku tidak terpisah daripada zat rahsiaku
baharu dapat aku saksikan Cahaya-Nya
tanpa rupa tanpa warna
hanya jelira di dalam yakin
sesungguhnya Cahaya Engkau yang aku pandang.

Apa jua yang nyata
bila aku halakan pandangan ke sana
daku tidak melihat wujud di situ
hinggalah akau halakan pandangan ke dalam hati
baharulah aku melihat wujud menyertainya.

10: PENGLIHATAN

Daku menyaksikan Engkau jualah yang berbuat segala-galanya
Engkau hadir dalam terang dan menyamar
Sering daku terpedaya oleh penyamaran-Mu.

Daku panjatkan doa
Angkatkan tabir hijab
Agar daku sentiasa melihat-Mu
Tatkala Engkau hadir dalam nyata atau menyamar
Tetapkan penglihatanku kepada-Mu
Ambillah pandangan majazi ini
Kurniakan daku Cahaya Mu sebagai penglihatan
Agar tidak ada yang daku pandang
Melainkan Engkau jua yang kelihatan.

11: NAFSU

Engkau ciptakan Firaun, Haman dan Qarun
Mereka adalah sebesar-besar penderhaka terhadap-Mu
Namun Engkau kurniakan dunia seluruhnya kepada mereka
Itulah tandanya
Dunia ini tidak melebihi sebelah sayap nyamuk pada sisi-Mu
Tapi nafsu kami masih juga terliur
Melihat keagungan Firaun, kepintaran Haman dan kekayaan Qarun
Nafsu kami masih inginkan
Sayap nyamuk yang sebelah itu.

Nafsu sangat sabar menyembunyikan laparnya
Sesekali ia menghantar isyarat
Jika Engkau menjawab ia akan bangun
Di kala itu Engkau akan tertawan.

Nafsu umpama sebuah kenderaan
Enjinnya ialah tamak
Rodanya ialah dengki dan khianat
Seteringnya ialah tipudaya
Bila kenderaan ini berjalan
Ia meninggalkan asap kotor di belakang
Tetapi si pemandu asyik memandang ke hadapan
Tidak pernah melihat pencemaran yang ditinggalkan.

Nafsu adalah sebahagian daripada dirimu
Ia boleh diam dan tidur tetapi tidak berputus asa
Perlulah engkau sentiasa berwaspada.

12:ASYIK

Bila kerinduan terhadap-Mu menguasai hati
Sirnalah segala yang maujud
Tiada lagi yang dapat memberi kepuasan.

13: SELAWAT DAN SALAM

Burung-burung terbang di udara tidak jatuh
Itulah Selawat dan salam-Mu ke atas Muhammad s.a.w
Perahu-perahu terapung dipermukaan laut tidak tenggelam
Itulah Selawat dan salam-Mu ke atas Muhammad s.a.w
Hujan membasahi bumi suburlah tumbuh-tumbuhan
Itulah Selawat dan salam-Mu ke atas Muhammad s.a.w
Matahari menyinarkan cahayanya segarlah segala penghidupan
Itulah Selawat dan salam-Mu ke atas Muhammad s.a.w.

Engkau sentiasa berselawat dan salam
Ke atas kekasih-Mu, Muhamamd s.a.w
Wahai Saidina Muhammad s.a.w
Pada tanganmu jua terdapat cangkir air penghidupan
Air yang membasahi tengkuk yang dahagakan kasih Ilahi.

14: UJIAN

Ada yang mengatakan ujian adalah kesusahan pada tubuh badan
kesusahan pada jiwa
apa untungnya Allah menyusahkan jasad dan jiwa
bukankah ia tidak menambahkan keagungan dan kemuliaan-Nya
apalagi Dia Maha Mengasihani Maha Sopan-santun.

Pandanglah ujian dengan hatimu
ujian adalah perbuatan Tuhanmu
bukan untuk menghancurkan tetapi untuk meneguhkanmu
bila kamu memperolehi keteguhan baharu kamu menjadi pilihan
bila sudah lulus dan dipilih
Dia bangga memperkenalkan kamu kepada makhluk-Nya
keteguhan kamu melintasi ujian
menjadi dalil pilihan-Nya adalah tepat
inilah keadilan-Nya.

Ujian ditujukan kepada rohani bukan kepada jasad atau jiwa
tujuannya untuk mengukur tauhid
bukan sekadar untuk kesabaran
apakah nilai sabar tanpa tauhid
bukankah sabar juga bersama si kafir.

Ujian yang diterima dengan iman meneguhkan tauhid
menambahkan kekuatan pandangan hati
tidak berkelip memandang kepada Tuhan
sehingga kepedihan ujian menjadi kemanisan.

Ujian adalah pentas sandiwara
mempamerkan kebijaksanaan Tuan Pengarah
bila engkau diberi watak menderita
hingga berjaya membuat penonton menangis
ketahuilah
engkau adalah pelakun penting
diasuh untuk menjadi bintang
bakal menerima ganjaran lumayan.

Apabila engkau menjadi pelakun
apa bezanya watak gembira dengan watak duka
skrip di tangan Tuan Pengarah.

15: AKU DAN DIRIKU

Diriku telah hilang
ghaib di dalam gua yang dalam
gelap gulita
puasku mencarinya
namun tidak ku temui
sesekali gelibatnya melintasi di hadapan ku
bila aku cuba memegang dia kembali menghalang.

Wahai Yang Maha Melihat
lihatlah betapa kasih aku kepada diriku
bila Engkau memisahkan daku daripadanya
masih juga daku mencari-carinya.

Maulaya, Wahai Pelindung diriku
selamatkan daku daripada fitnah diriku sendiri
janganlah Engkau lepaskan daku kepada sesuatu selain-Mu
walau sekelip mata jua
ikatkan daku dengan rantai ubudiah
sepanjang hayatku
agar Engkau sentiasa esa
tiada sesuatu menggangu keesaan-Mu.

16: AKU DAN MAKHLUK

Bila makhluk bertanya
siapakah yang paling mulia
aku menjawab:
akulah yang paling mulia
aku sangat berbangga kerana
Allah adalah Tuhanku
Muhammad s.a.w adalah penghuluku
ini sudah cukup membuatku berasa kaya dan mulia.

Bila Engkau bertanya
maka aku menjawab:
aku adalah yang paling hina, daif dan jahil
inilah hamba yang faqir.

Janganlah Engkau murka
lantaran daku berbangga di hadapan makhluk-Mu
bila mereka berbangga dengan pangkat, harta dan keturunan
izinkan daku berbangga sebagai hamba-Mu.



( Mahabbah - Rabiatul Adawiyah / Sufi )

(1) MAKNA CINTA
Cinta tidak pernah meminta,
ia sentiasa memberi,
cinta tak membawa penderitaan,
tetapi..
tidak pernah berdendam,
tak pernah membalas dendam.
Di mana ada cinta di situ ada kehidupan,
manakala ada kebencian,
Disitu ada kemusnahan.

(2) PENCARIAN
Tuhan memberi kita dua kaki untuk berjalan,
dua tangan untuk memegang, dua telinga
untuk mendengar dan dua mata untuk melihat.
Tetapi mengapa Tuhan hanya
menganugerahkan sekeping hati pada kita?
Karena Tuhan telah memberikan sekeping
lagi hati pada seseorang untuk kita mencarinya.
Itulah namanya Cinta.

(3) SAPAAN AIR MATA
Ada 2 titis air mata mengalir di sebuah sungai.
Satu titis air mata tu menyapa air mata yg
satu lagi,” Saya air mata seorang gadis yang mencintai seorang lelaki
tetapi telah kehilangannya. Siapa kamu pula?”Jawab titis air mata kedua tu,” Saya air mata seorang lelaki yang menyesal membiarkan seorang gadis yang mencintai saya berlalu begitu saja.”

(4) KETULUSAN JIWA
Cinta sejati adalah ketika dia mencintai orang lain,
dan kamu masih mampu tersenyum,sambil berkata:
aku turut bahagia untukmu.

(5) DO'AKAN UNTUK KEBAIKANMU
Jika kita mencintai seseorang,
kita akan sentiasa mendoakannya walaupun dia tidak berada disisi kita.


(6) UCAPAN HATI DAN LIDAH
Jangan sesekali mengucapkan selamat tinggal,
jika kamu masih mau mencoba.
Jangan sesekali menyerah,
jika kamu masih merasa sanggup.
Jangan sesekali mengatakan kamu tidak mencintainya lagi,
jika kamu masih tidak dapat melupakannya.

(7) JIWA BERKATA
Perasaan cinta itu dimulai dari mata,
sedangkan rasa suka dimulai dari telinga.
Jadi jika kamu mau berhenti menyukai seseorang,
cukup dengan menutup telinga.
Tapi apabila kamu Coba menutup matamu dari orang yang kamu cintai,
cinta itu berubah menjadi titisan air mata
dan terus tinggal dihatimu dalam jarak waktu yang cukup lama.

(8) KEPERCAYAAN CINTA
Cinta datang kepada orang yang masih mempunyai harapan,
walaupun mereka telah dikecewakan,
Kepada mereka yang masih percaya,
walaupun mereka telah dikhianati,
Kepada mereka yang masih ingin mencintai,
walaupun mereka telah disakiti sebelumnya,
dan kepada mereka yang mempunyai keberanian,
dan keyakinan untuk membangunkan
kembali kepercayaan.

(9) LEPASKAN KEJUJURANMU
Jangan simpan kata-kata cinta pada orang yang tersayang,
sehingga dia meninggal dunia ,
lantaran akhirnya kamu terpaksa,
catatkan kata-kata cinta itu pada pusaranya .
Sebaliknya,
ucapkan kata-kata cinta yang tersimpan dibenakmu itu,
sekarang selagi ada hayatnya.

(10) KARUNIA TERSEMBUNYI
Mungkin Tuhan menginginkan kita bertemu dan bercinta,
dengan orang yang salah,
sebelum bertemu dengan orang yang tepat,
kita harus mengerti bagaimana berterimakasih atas kurnia Tuhan itu.

(11) INDAHNYA CINTA
Cinta bukan mengajar kita lemah,
tetapi membangkitkan kekuatan.
Cinta bukan mengajar kita menghinakan diri,
tetapi menghembuskan kegagahan.
Cinta bukan melemahkan semangat.
tetapi membangkitkan semangat

(12) KEKUATAN CINTA
Cinta dapat mengubah pahit menjadi manis,
debu beralih emas,
keruh menjadi bening,
sakit menjadi sembuh,
penjara menjadi telaga,
derita menjadi nikmat,
dan kemarahanmenjadi rahmat.

(13) IRONIS
Sungguh menyakitkan mencintai seseorang yang tidak mencintaimu,
tetapi lebih menyakitkan adalah mencintai seseorang,
dan kamu tidak pernah memiliki keberanian,
untuk menyatakan cintamu kepadanya.

(14) KE SIA-SIAN
Hal yang menyedihkan dalam hidup,
adalah ketika kamu bertemu seseorang,
yang sangat berarti bagimu,
Hanya untuk menemukan bahwa pada akhirnya,
menjadi tidak bererti,
dan kamu harus membiarkannya pergi.

(15). KEBAHAGIAAN TERKECIL
Kamu tahu bahwa kamu sangat merindukan seseorang,
ketika kamu memikirkannya hatimu hancur berkeping,
Dan hanya dengan mendengar kata “Hai” darinya,
dapat menyatukan kembali kepingan hati tersebut.

(16.) KASIH SAYANG TUHAN MELEBIHI KEDUA ORANG TUA
Tuhan ciptakan 100 bagian kasih sayang,
99 disimpan disisinya,
dan hanya 1 bagian diturunkan ke dunia,
Dengan Rahmat kasih sayang yang satu bagian itulah,
makhluk saling berkasih sayang,
sehingga kuda mengangkat kakinya kerana takut anaknya terpijak.

(17) CINTA & EGO
Kadangkala kamu tidak menghargai orang,
yang mencintai kamu sepenuh hati,
sehingga  kamu kehilangannya,
Pada saat itu,
tiada guna sesalan,
karena perginya,
tanpa berpatah kata lagi.

(18). BELAJAR DARI AIR
Jangan mencintai seseorang seperti bunga,
kerana bunga mati kala musim berganti,
Cintailah mereka seperti sungai,
kerana sungai mengalir selamanya.

(19) DAHSYATNYA CINTA
Cinta mampu melunakkan besi,
menghancurkan batu,
membangkitkan yang mati.
dan meniupkan kehidupan padanya,
serta membuat budak menjadi pemimpin,
Inilah dasyatnya cinta !

(21) KOLONI CINTA
Permulaan cinta adalah..
membiarkan orang yang kamu cintai menjadi dirinya sendiri,
dan tidak merubahnya menjadi gambaran yang kamu inginkan,
Jika tidak...???
kamu hanya mencintai pantulan diriMU sendiri,
yang kamu temukan di dalam dirinya.

(22) TANAH & AIR
Cinta itu adalah perasaan yang mesti ada pada tiap-tiap diri manusia,
ia laksana setitis embun yang turun dari langit,bersih dan suci,
Cuma tanahnyalah yang berlain-lainan menerimanya.
Jika ia jatuh ke tanah yang tandus,
tumbuhlah  kerana embun,kedurjanaan, kedustaan, penipu,
langkah serong dan lain-lain perkara yang tercela.
Tetapi jika air jatuh kepada tanah yang subur,
di sana akan tumbuh kesuciaan hati,
keikhlasan,setia, budi pekerti yang tinggi dan lain-lain perangai yang terpuji.

(23) INDAHNYA KETULUSAN
Jika Kata-kata cinta yang lahir hanya sekadar di bibir,
dan bukannya di hati,
akan mampu melumatkan seluruh jiwa raga,
manakala kata-kata cinta yang lahir dari hati yang ikhlas,
maka mampu untuk mengobati segala luka di hati & orang yang mendengarnya.

(24). SYUKURI
Kamu tidak pernah tahu bila kamu akan jatuh cinta?
namun apabila sampai saatnya itu,
raihlah dengan kedua tanganmu,
dan jangan biarkan dia pergi,
dengan sejuta rasa tandatanya dihatinya

(25) KESUCIAN
Cinta bukanlah kata murah dan lumrah,
Semudah untuk dituturkan dari mulut ke mulut,
tetapi cinta adalah Karunia yang Maha Indah dan suci,
jika manusia dapat menilai sejauhmana kesuciannya.

(26) EKSTASI
Bukan lautan namanya jika airnya tidak berombak,
Bukan cinta namanya jika perasaan tidak pernah terluka,
Bukan kekasih namanya jika hatinya tidak pernah merindu dan cemburu.

(27) CINTA DAN MENCINTAI
Bercinta memang mudah,
Untuk dicintai juga memang mudah,
Tapi untuk dicintai oleh orang yang kita cintai,
itulah yang paling sukar diperoleh.

(28). MENABUR BENIH
Satu-satunya cara agar kita memperolehi kasih & sayang,
ialah jangan menuntut agar kita dicintai,
tetapi mulailah menabur kasih sayang,
kepada orang lain tanpa mengharapkan balasan.

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Posted in: Poems and words of wisdom

Sayings Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib. [a.s]

1. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: During civil disturbance be like an adolescent camel who has neither a back strong enough for riding nor udders for milking.

2. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Whoever adopts greed as a habit devalues himself; whoever discloses his hardship agrees to be humiliated, and whoever allows his tongue to overpower his soul debases the soul.

3. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Miserliness is a shame; cowardice is a defect; poverty disables an intelligent man from arguing his case, and a destitute person is a stranger in his own home town.

4. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Incapability is a catastrophe; endurance is bravery; abstinence is a wealth; self-restraint is a shield (against sinning), and the best company is submission (to Allah’s will).

5. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Knowledge is a venerable estate; good manners are new outfits, and thinking is a clear mirror.

6. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The bosom of the wise is the safe of his secrets; cheerfulness is the bond of friendship; effective forbearance is the grave of shortcomings.
It is narrated that Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said the following in order to explain this meaning: Mutual reconciliation is the covering for shortcomings, and whoever admires himself attracts many opponents against him.

7. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Charity is an effective cure, and the actions of people in their present life will be before their eyes in the next.

8. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: How wonderful is man: He speaks with fat, talks with a piece of flesh, hears with a bone and breathes through a hole!

9. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: When this world advances towards anyone (with its riches), it attributes to him the good of others, and when it turns away from him, it deprives him of his own good.

10. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Deal with people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live they should long for you.

11. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: When you gain power over your adversary, pardon him as your way of expressing thanks [to Allah] for being able to overpower him.

12. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The most helpless of all men is whoever cannot find a few brothers during his life, but still more helpless is whoever finds such a brother but loses him.

13. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: When you get (only) small favors, do not push them away by being ungrateful.

14. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Whoever is abandoned by near ones is dear to remote ones.

15. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Every mischief monger cannot even be reproved.

16. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: All matters are subject to destiny, so much so that sometimes death results from effort.

17. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked to explain the saying of the Messenger of Allah that: “Banish your old age (by hair-dye) and do not acquire resemblance to the Jews.” Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) replied: The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said this at a time when the religion was confined to a few, but now that its expanse has widened and it is firmly settled, everyone is free in his action.

18. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following about those who avoided fighting on his side: They abandoned righteousness but did not support wrong.

19. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Whoever gallops with a loose rein collides with death.

20. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Forgive the shortcomings of considerate people because when they fall into error, Allah raises them up.

21. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The consequence of fear is disappointment and of bashfulness is frustration. Opportunity passes away like the cloud. Therefore, make use of good opportunities.

22. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: We have a right. If it is granted to us, that is good; otherwise, we will ride on the hind of the camel even though the night journey may be long.

Sayyid ar-Razi says the following: “This is a very fine and eloquent expression. It means that if we are not allowed to enjoy our right, we will be regarded as humble. This sense comes out from this expression because on the rear part of the camel only slaves, prisoners or other people of this type used to ride.”

23. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: If the deeds of someone accord (him) a back status, he cannot be given a front status simply on account of his lineage.

24. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: To render relief to the grief-stricken and to provide comfort in hardship means the atonement of great sins.

25. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: O son of Adam! When you see that your Lord, the Glorified One, bestows His favors on you while you are disobeying Him, you should fear Him.

26. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Whenever a person conceals a thing in his heart, it manifests itself through unintentional words from his tongue and (in) the expressions of his face.

27. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Keep walking in your sickness as long as you can.

28. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The best part of moderation is to conceal it.

29. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: When you are running away from the world and death is approaching, there is no question of delay in the encounter.

30. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Fear! Fear! By Allah, He has hidden your sins, so much so that it is as though He has forgiven them!

Faith, Unbelief, Doubt and Their Pillars

31. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, was asked once about faith. He said the following: “Faith stands on four pillars: endurance, conviction, justice and jihad.
Endurance, again, has four aspects: eagerness, fear, abstention (from the allurements of the world) and anticipation (of death). So, whoever is eager for Paradise will ignore his passions; whoever fears the Fire (of Hell) will refrain from committing prohibited deeds; whoever abstains from the world takes hardships lightly, and whoever anticipates death will hasten towards good deeds.
Conviction, also, has four aspects: prudent perception, intelligence and understanding, drawing lessons from instructive things and following the precedents of past people. So, whoever perceives with prudence, wise knowledge will be manifest to him, and to whomsoever wise knowledge becomes manifest he appreciates instructive objectives, and whoever appreciates instructive objectives is just like past people.
Justice also has four aspects: keen understanding, deep knowledge, a good power of decision and firm forbearance. Therefore, whoever understands comes to acquire the depth of knowledge; whoever acquires the depth of knowledge drinks from the spring of Judgment, and whoever exercises forbearance never commits evil actions in his affairs and leads a praiseworthy life among the people.
Jihad, also, has four aspects: enjoining others to do good, keeping away others from doing evil, fighting (in the way of Allah) sincerely and firmly on all occasions and detesting anyone who is vicious.
So, whoever asks others to do good provides strength to the believers; whoever dissuades others from committing evil humiliates the unbelievers; whoever fights sincerely on all occasions carries out all his obligations, and whoever detests the vicious and becomes angry for the sake of Allah, then Allah will be angry in favor of him and will keep him pleased on the Day of Judgment.
Unbelief stands on four pillars: hankering after whims, quarreling with others, deviating from the truth and dissenting. So, whoever hankers after whims does not incline towards right; whoever quarrels much on account of ignorance remains permanently blinded from what is right; whoever deviates from the truth, for him good becomes evil and evil becomes good and he remains intoxicated with misguidance, and whoever makes a breach (with Allah and His Messenger), his path becomes difficult, his affairs become complicated and his way of escape becomes narrow.
Doubt has also four aspects: irrationality, fear, wavering and undue submission to everything. So, whoever adopts irrationality as his way of life, for him there is no dawn after the night; whoever is afraid of what befalls him has to run on his heels; whoever wavers in doubt, the satans trample upon him with their feet, and whoever submits to the destruction of this and the next world succumbs to it.

Sayyid ar-Razi says the following: “We have left out the remaining portion of this saying for fear of length and for being outside the purpose of this chapter.”

32. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The doer of good is better than the good itself, and the doer of evil is worse than the evil itself.

33. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Be generous but not extravagant; be thrifty but not stingy.

34. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The best of riches is the abandonment of desires.

35. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: If someone is quick in saying about people what they dislike, they will speak about him that with which they have no knowledge.

36. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Whoever prolongs his desire ruins his actions.

37. Once Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was proceeding towards Syria when the countrymen of al-Anbar met him. Seeing him, they began to walk on foot then ran in front of him. He inquired why they were doing so. They replied that this was the way they respected their chiefs. Then he said the following: “By Allah, this does not benefit your chiefs. You are belaboring yourself in this world and earning misery for the next by it. How harmful is the labor in whose wake there is punishment, and how profitable is the case with which there is deliverance from the Fire (of Hell)!

The Imam Admonishing His Son:

38. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to his son al-Hassan (p.b.u.h.): O son! Learn four things and (a further) four things from me:
Nothing will harm you if you practice them. The richest of all riches is intelligence; the biggest destitution is foolishness; the most wild of the wild is vanity, and the best achievement is goodness of the moral character.
O my son! You should avoid making friends with a fool because if he intends to benefit you, he will harm you. You should avoid making friends with a miser because he will run away from you when you need him the most. You should avoid making friends with a sinful person because he will sell you for nought. And you should avoid making friends with a liar because he is like a mirage, making you see far things as near and near things as far.

39. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Supererogatory worship cannot bring about nearness to Allah if it hampers what is obligatory.

40. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The tongue of the wise man is behind his heart, while the heart of the fool is behind his tongue.

Sayyid ar-Razi says the following: “This sentence has a strange and beautiful meaning. It means that the wise man does not speak with his tongue except after consulting his mind and exercising his imagination, but the fool quickly utters whatever comes to his tongue without pondering. In this way, the tongue of the wise man follows his heart while the heart of the fool follows his tongue.”

41. This very notion has been related from Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him in a different version thus: The heart of a fool is in his mouth, while the tongue of the wise man is in his heart.
The meaning of both the saying (40 and 41) is the same.

42. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to one of his companions during the latter’s sickness: May Allah make your illness a means for wiping out your sins because there is no reward for sickness but that it erases sins and makes them fall like (dried) leaves. Reward lies in saying by the tongue and doing something with the limbs. Certainly, Allah, the Glorified One, admits into Paradise by virtue of truthfulness of intention and chastity of heart whomsoever He wishes from among His servants.

Sayyid ar-Razi says the following: “Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) is right in saying that there is no reward for sickness as such because compensation is admissible with regard to how Allah, the Sublime One, deals with His creatures such as causing them grief, illness and the like. However, reward and recompense become admissible with regard to the actions of the creature. This is the difference between the two. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) has clarified it through his lustrous knowledge and sound view.

43. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following about Khabbab ibn al-Aratt:
May Allah have mercy on Khabbab ibn al-Aratt since he accepted Islam willingly, immigrated (from Mecca) obediently, remained content with what sufficed him, was pleased with Allah and lived the life of a mujahid.

44. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Blessed is the person who kept in mind the next life, acted so as to be able to render his account, remained content with what sufficed him and remained pleased with Allah.

45. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Even if I strike thenose of a believer with this, my sword, so he may hate me, he will not hate me, and even if I pile all the wealth of the world before a hypocrite (Muslim) so he may love me, he will not love me. This is so because it is a verdict pronounced by the tongue of the revered Prophet (p.b.u.h.) who said the following: “O Ali! A believer will never hate you and a hypocrite (Muslim) will never love you.”

46. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The sin that displeases you is better in the view of Allah than the virtue that makes you proud.

47. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The worth of a man is according to his courage, his truthfulness is according to his balance of temper, his valor is according to his self-respect and his chastity is according to his sense of shame.

48. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Victory is (won) with determination; determination is pondering over thoughts and thoughts are formed by guarding secrets.

49. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: Fear the might of a noble person when he is hungry and that of an ignoble person when he is satisfied.

50. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: The hearts of the people are like wild beasts. If someone tries to tame them, they will pounce back upon him.

51. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following: So long as your status is good, your defects will remain covered.

52. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The most capable of pardoning is whoever is the most powerful to punish.

53. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Generosity is that which is by one’s own initiative because giving on being asked is either out of selfrespect or to avoid rebuke.

54. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There is no wealth like wisdom, no destitution like ignorance, no inheritance like refinement and no support like consultation.

55. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience regarding what you covet.

56. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: With wealth, a strange land is a homeland, while with destitution, even a homeland is a strange land.

57. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Contentment is wealth that does not diminish.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “This saying has also been related from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.).”

58. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Wealth is the fountainhead of passions.

59. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who warns you is like one who gives you good tidings.

60. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The tongue is a beast; when it is let loose, it devours.

61. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Woman is a scorpion whose touch is sweet.

62. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If you are met with a greeting, give better greetings in return. If a hand of help is extended to you, do a better favor in return, although the credit will remain with the one who was the first.

63. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who intercedes is the wing of one who seeks.

64. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The people of the world are like travelers who are being carried while they are asleep.

65. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A lack of friends means strangeness.

66. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: To miss what one needs is easier than to beg from an inappropriate person.

67. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not feel ashamed for giving little because refusal is smaller than that.

68. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Charity is the adornment of destitution, while gratefulness (to Allah) is the adornment of riches.

69. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If what you aim at does not come about, then do not worry as to what you were.

70. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: You will not find an ignorant person but at one extreme or another (i.e. a person who neglects or a person who exaggerates).

71. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: As intelligence increases, speech decreases.

72. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Time wears out bodies, renews desires, brings death nearer and takes away aspirations. Whoever is successful with it encounters grief, and whoever misses its favors also undergoes hardships.

73. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever places himself as a leader of the people should commence with educating his own self before educating others, and his teaching should be by his own conduct before teaching by the tongue. The person who teaches and instructs his own self is more entitled to esteem than whoever teaches and instructs others.

74. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Each breath taken by a man is a step towards his death.

75. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Every countable thing is to pass way and every expected thing must come about.

76. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If matters get mixed up, then the last ones should be appreciated compared to the previous one.

77. It is related that when Dirar ibn Hamzah (the correct: Damrah) ad-Dibabi (or as-Suda’i) went to Mu`awiyah and Mu`awiyah inquired from him about Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, he said the following: “I testify that I have seen him on several occasions when night had spread and he was standing in the niche (of the mosque) holding his beard, groaning like a man bitten by a snake and weeping as a grieved man, saying: O world, O world! Get away from me! Why do you present yourself tome?! Or are you eager for me?! You may not get that opportunity to impress me. Deceive some other person. I have no concern with you. I have divorced you thrice after which there is no restitution. Your life is short, your importance is little and your liking is humble. Alas! The provision is little, the way is long, the journey is far and the goal is hard to reach.”

On the Subject of Predestination

78. A man inquired from Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him saying, “Was our going to fight the Syrians destined by Allah?” Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) detailed his reply, a selection from which is here:
Woe unto you! You take it as a final and unavoidable destiny (according to which we are bound to act). If it were so, there would have been no question of reward or chastisement and there would have been no sense in Allah’s promises or warnings. (On the other hand) Allah, the Glorified One, has ordered His servants to act according to their free will and has cautioned them and protected them (from evil). He has placed easy obligations on them and has not put heavy obligations. He gives them much (reward) in return for little action. He is disobeyed, not because He is overpowered. He is obeyed but not by force. He did not send prophets just for fun. He did not send down the Book for the people without a purpose. He did not create the skies, the earth and all that is in between them in vain. That is the imagination of those who disbelieve: “...then woe unto those who disbelieve because of the fire” (Holy Qur’an, 38: 27).

79. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Take wise points from wherever they may be because if a wise saying is in the bosom of a hypocrite, it flutters in his bosom till it comes out and settles with others of its own category: in the bosom of the believer.

80. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A wise saying is a lost article of the believer. Therefore, get wise sayings even though from people of hypocrisy.

81. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The worth of every man is in his attainments.

Sayyid ar-Razi says that this is the statement whose value cannot be assessed, with which no wise saying can be weighed and with which no other sentence can be matched.

82. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I impart to you five things which, if you ride your camels fast in search of them, you will find them worth the effort:
None of you should repose hope save in his Lord (Allah); none of you should fear anything save his sin; none should feel ashamed of saying, “I do not know” when he is asked about a matter which he does not know; none should feel ashamed of learning a thing that he does not know and you should practice endurance because endurance is for belief what the head is for the body: Just as there is no good in a body without the head, there is no good in belief without endurance.

83. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following about a man who praised him much, although he did not admire him: I am below what you express and above what you feel in your heart.

84. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The survivors of the sword are large in number and have many offspring.

85. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever abandons saying, “I do not know” meets his destruction.

86. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I love the opinion of an old man more than the determination of a young man: (or according to another version: more than the martyrdom of a young man.)

87. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I wonder about the man who loses hope despite the possibility of seeking forgiveness.

88. (Imam) Aba Ja`far Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir, peace be upon him, has related from Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) that the Imam had said: There were two sources of deliverance from the punishment of Allah: one of them has been raised up, while the other is before you. You should, therefore, adhere to it. The source of deliverance, which has been raised up is the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), while the source of deliverance that remains is the seeking of forgiveness. Allah, the Glorified One, has said the following: “And Allah is not to chastise them while you are among them, nor is Allah to chastise them while yet they seek [His] forgiveness’ (Holy Qur’an, 8: 33).

Sayyid ar-Razi says that this is one of the most beautiful ways of deriving the meaning and a most delicate manner of an interpretation.

89. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If a man behaves properly in matters between himself and Allah, then Allah will keep proper the matters between him and other people. And if a man keeps proper the affairs of his next life, then Allah keeps proper for him the affairs of this world. Whoever is a preacher for himself is protected by Allah.

90. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The perfect jurist of Islam is whoever does not let people lose hope from the mercy of Allah, does not make him despondent of Allah’s kindness and does not make him feel safe from Allah’s punishment.

91. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The hearts get disgusted as bodies get disgusted; so look for beautiful wise sayings for them.

92. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The most humble knowledge is that which remains on the tongue and the most honorable one is that which manifests itself through (the action of) the limbs and the organs of the body.

93. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: None of you should say, “O Allah! I seek Your protection from affliction” because there is none who is not afflicted. But whoever seeks Allah’s protection should seek it from misguiding troubles because Allah, the Glorified One, says the following: “And be admonished that your wealth and your children are a trial” (Holy Qur’an, 8: 28). It means that He tries people with wealth and progeny in order to distinguish one who is displeased with his livelihood from one who is happy with what he has been given. Even though Allah, the Glorified One, knows them more than they know themselves, yet He does so to let them perform actions with which they earn reward or punishment. This is so because some of them like to have male (children) and dislike to have female (children), whereas some like to amass wealth and dislike adversity.

Sayyid ar-Razi says that this is a wonderful interpretation related from the Imam (p.b.u.h.).

94. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked what is good; he replied thus: Good is not that your wealth and progeny should be much, but good is that your knowledge should be much, your forbearance should be great and that you should vie with other people in worshipping Allah. If you do good deeds, you should thank Allah, but if you commit evil, you should seek forgiveness of Allah. In this world, good is for two persons only: the man who commits sins but rectifies them by repentance, and the man who hastens towards good deeds.

95. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Action accompanied by fear for Allah does not fail; how can a thing fail that has been accepted?!

96. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The persons most attracted to the prophets are those who know most what the prophets have brought.
Then Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) recited this verse: “Verily, of men, the nearest to Abraham are surely those who followed him and this (Our) Prophet (p.b.u.h.) (Muhammad (p.b.u.h.)) and those who believe” (Holy Qur’an, 3:68). Then he said the following: The friend of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is whoever obeys Allah, even though he may have no blood relationship [with him], and the enemy of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) is whoever disobeys Allah even though he may have near kinship [with the Prophet (p.b.u.h.)].

97. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him heard about a Kharijite who said the mid-night prayers and recited the Holy Qur’an, then he said: Sleeping in a state of firm belief is better than praying in a state of doubt.

98. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When you hear a tradition, test it according to the criterion of intelligence not to that of mere hearsay because those who relate knowledge are numerous, but those who safeguard it are few.

99. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him heard a man reciting the following: “Verily, we are Allah’s, and verily to Him shall we return” (Holy Qur’an, 2: 156). The Imam (p.b.u.h.) said: Our saying, “Inna li’llah (Verily we are Allah’s) is an admission of His majesty over us, while our saying, “Wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (and verily to Him shall we return) is an admission of our being mortal.

100. Some people praised Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him in his presence. The Imam (p.b.u.h.) said: O Lord! You know me better than I know myself, and I know myself better than they know. O Lord! Make us better people than what they think and forgive us for what they do not know.

101. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The fulfillment of (others’) needs becomes a lasting virtue in three ways: regarding it as small, so that it attains bigness, concealing it so that it may manifest itself, and doing it quickly so that it becomes pleasant.

102. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Shortly, a time will come for people when high [government] positions will be given only to those who defame others, when vicious people will be regarded as witty and just will be regarded as weak. People will regard charity as a loss, consideration for kinship as a burden and worship as grounds for claiming greatness among others. At such a time, authority will be exercised through the counsel of women, and there will be posting of young boys in high positions and the running of the administration by eunuchs.

103. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was publicly seen in worn-out clothes with patches. When it was pointed out to him, he said: With it [such shabbiness of dressing] the heart fears, the mind feels humble and the believers emulate it. Certainly this world and the next are two enemies of each other, two paths in opposite directions. Whoever likes this world and loves it hates the next and is its enemy. These two are like the East and the West. If the walker between them gets near to one, he gets farther from the other. After all, they are like two fellow-wives.

104. It is related by Nawf al-Bikali that: “One night, I saw Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) coming out of his bed and looking at the stars. Then he said to me: ‘O Nawf! Are you awake or are you sleeping?’ I said: ‘I am awake, O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.)!’ whereupon the Imam (p.b.u.h.) said the following: O Nawf! Blessed be those who abstain from this world and are eager for the next one. They are the people who regard this earth as the floor; its dust as their bed-cloth, and its water as their perfume. They recite the Holy Qur’an in low tones and supplicate in high tones then they are cut off from the world like Isa (Jesus) was.
‘O Nawf! Prophet Dawud (David) (p.b.u.h.) rose up at a similar hour one night and said: This is the hour when whatever a person pleads, his plea is granted to him unless he is a tax-collector, an intelligence man, a police officer, a lute player or a drummer.’”

Sayyid ar-Razi says the following: “It is also said that ‘artabah’ means ‘tabl’ (drum) and ‘kubah’ means lute.”

105. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Allah has placed on you some obligations which you should not ignore, has laid down for you limits which you should not transgress, has prohibited you from certain things which you should not violate and has kept quiet about certain things, but He has not left them out by mistake so that you should not find them.

106. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If people give up something relevant to religion to set right their worldly affairs, Allah will inflict upon them something more harmful than that.

107. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Often the ignorance of a learned man ruins him while the knowledge he has does not avail him.

108. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: In man, there is a piece of flesh attached to him: a vein, and it is the strangest thing in him. It is the heart. It has a store of wisdom and things contrary to wisdom. If it sees a ray of hope, eagerness humiliates it, and when eagerness increases, greed ruins it. If disappointment overtakes it, grief kills it. If anger rises in it, a serious rage develops. If it is blessed with pleasure, it forgets to be cautious. If it becomes fearing, it becomes heedless. If peace extends all round, it becomes neglectful. If it earns wealth, freedom from care puts it in the wrong. If trouble befalls it, impatience makes it humble. If it faces starvation, distress overtakes it. If hunger attacks it, weakness seats it. If its food increases, heaviness of stomach pains it. Thus, every shortness is harmful to it and every excess is injurious to it.

109. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: We (members of the Prophet’s family) are like the pillow in the middle. Whoever lags behind has to come forward to meet it, while whoever exceeds the bounds has to return to it.

110. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: None can establish the rule of Allah, the Glorified One, except whoever shows no relenting (in the matter of right), who does not behave like wrong doers and who does not run after greed.

111. Sahl ibn Hunayf al-Ansari died at Kufah after his return from the battle of Siffin and he was very much loved by Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him. On this occasion, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: Even if a mountain had loved me, it will have crumbled down.

Sayyid ar-Razi says that the meaning of this is that since the trial of the man who loves Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) will be so, severe troubles will leap towards him and this is not the case except with the God-fearing, the virtuous and the select good ones. There is another similar saying of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib’s individuals, namely:

112. Whoever loves us, members of the Household (of the Prophet [p.b.u.h.]), should be prepared to face destitution.

Sayyid ar-Razi says that this has been interpreted in a different way as well, but on this occasion, it is not fit to mention here.

113. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: No wealth is more profitable than wisdom; no loneliness is more estranging than vanity, no wisdom is as good as tact, no honor is like fear from Allah, no companion is like the goodness of moral character, no inheritance is like civility, no guide is like promptitude, no trade is like virtuous deeds, no profit is like the Divine reward, no self-control is like inaction in time of doubt, no abstention is like that from prohibitions, no knowledge is like thinking, no worship is like the carrying out of obligations, no belief is like modesty and endurance, no attainment is like humility, no honor is like knowledge, no power is like forbearance and no support is more reliable than consultation.

114. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: At a time when virtue is in vogue in the world and among people, if a person entertains an evil suspicion about another person from whom nothing evil has ever been seen, then he has been unjust. And at a time when vice is in vogue in the world and among people, if a man entertains a good idea about another person, he flings himself in peril.

115. It was said to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him: “How are you, O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.)?” He replied: How can he be whom life is driving towards death, whose state of health can change into sickness any moment and who is to be caught (by death) from his place of safety.

116. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There are many people who are given time (by Allah) through good treatment towards them and many who are deceived because their sinful activities are veiled (by Allah) and many who are impressed by good talk about themselves. And Allah does not try anyone as seriously as He tries him whom He allows time (to remain sinful).

117. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Two categories of persons will face ruin on my account: whoever exaggerates in loving me and whoever hates me intensely.

118. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: To miss an opportunity brings about grief.

119. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The example of the world is like a serpent: It is soft in touch but its inside is full of venom. An ignorant person who has fallen into deceit is attracted towards it, but a wise and intelligent man stays on guard against it.

120. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked about the tribesmen of Quraish. He replied as follows: As for Banu Makhzam, they are the blossoms of the tribesmen of Quraish. It is delightful to talk to their men and to marry their women. As for Banu `Abd Shams, they are far-sighted and cautious about all that is hidden from them. As for ourselves (Banu Hashim), we spend whatever we get and are very generous in offering ourselves to death. Consequently, those people are more numerous, more contriving and more ugly while we are most eloquent, well-wishing and handsome.

121. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: What a difference there is between two kinds of actions: “A deed whose pleasure passes away but its (ill) consequence remains, and a deed whose hardship passes away but its reward stays.

122. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was present at a funeral when he heard someone laugh. He, therefore, said: Is it that death has been ordained only for others? Is it that right is obligatory only on others? Is it that those whom we see departing on their journey of death will come back to us? We lay them down in their graves then enjoy their estate (as if we will live for good after them). We have ignored every preacher, man or woman and have exposed ourselves to every catastrophe.

123. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Blessed be whoever humbles himself, whose livelihood is pure, whose heart is chaste, whose habits are virtuous, who spends his savings (in the name of Allah), who prevents his tongue from speaking nonsense, who keeps people safe from evil, who is pleased with the (Prophet’s) Sunnah and who is unconnected with innovation (in religion).

Sayyid ar-Razi says that some people attribute this and the previous saying to the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.).

124. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The jealousy of a woman (with co-wives) is heresy, while the jealousy of a man is a part of belief.

125. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I am defining Islam as none has defined it before me: Islam is submission, submission is conviction, conviction is affirmation, affirmation is acknowledgment, acknowledgment is carrying out (of obligations) and carrying out obligations is action.

126. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I wonder at the miser who is speeding towards the very destitution from which he wants to run away and misses the very ease of life which he covets. Consequently, he passes his life in this world like the destitute but will have to render an account in the next world like the rich.
I wonder at the proud man who was just a drop of semen the other day and will turn into a corpse tomorrow. I wonder at the man who doubts Allah although He sees His creations. I wonder at him who has forgotten death although he sees people dying. I wonder at him who denies the second life although he has seen the first. I wonder at him who inhabits this transient abode but ignores the everlasting one.

127. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever falls short of actions falls into grief, and Allah has nothing to do with him who spares nothing from his wealth in the name of Allah.

128. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Guard yourselves against cold in its (seasonal) beginning and welcome it towards its end because it affects bodies in the same way as it affects plants. In the beginning, it destroys them, but in the end it gives them fresh leaves.

129. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The Greatness of the Creator appreciated by you will belittle the creatures in your view.

130. When Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him returned from (the battle of) Siffin and noticed the graves outside Kufah, he said: O residents of houses which give a sense of loneliness, of depopulated areas, of gloomy graves! O people of the dust! O victims of strangeness! O people of loneliness and O people of desolateness! You have gone ahead and preceded us while we are following you and will join you. The houses (you left) have been inhabited by others; the wives (you left) have been married by others; the properties have been distributed (among heirs). This is the news about those around us; what is the news about things around you?!
Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) turned to his companions and said: Beware! If they were allowed to speak they will inform you that: “Verily, the best provision is fear of Allah” (Holy Qur’an, 2: 197).

About Those Who Unfairly Blame Life in this World

131. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him heard a man speaking ill of life in this world, so he said to him: O you who abuses the world! O you who has been deceived by it and cheated by its wrongs! Do you thus covet the world then abuse it?! Do you accuse it or should it accuse you?! When did it bewilder you or deceive you, whether by the decay and fall of your forefathers, or by the sleeping places of your mothers under the ground? How much did you look after them in their illness and nursed them during sickness, desiring them to be cured and consulting physicians for them in the morning when your medicine did not avail them and your wailing for them did not benefit them? Your mourning over them did not prove useful to them and you could not achieve your aim. You could not ward off (death) from them with all your power. In fact, through the dying man, the world presented an illustration for you and showed you by the example of his falling down how you will also fall.
Certainly, this world is a house of truth for whoever appreciates it, a place of safety for whoever understands it, a house of riches for whoever collects provision from it (for the next world), and a house of instructions for whoever draws instruction from it. It is the place of worship for those who love Allah, the place of praying for the angels of Allah, the place where the revelation of Allah descends, and the marketing place for those devoted to Allah. Herein, they earned mercy and herein they acquired Paradise by way of profit.
Therefore, who can abuse it when it has announced its departure and called out that it will leave?! It had given news of its own destruction and the death of its people. By its hardship, it set an example of their hardships. By its pleasures, it created eagerness for the pleasures (of the next world). It brings ease in the evening and grief in the morning by way of persuasion, dissuasion, alarm and warning. People abuse it on the morning of their repentance, but there are others who will praise it on the Day of Judgment. The world recalled to them the next life and they bore it in mind. It related to them (things of the next life) and they acknowledged them. It preached to them and they took lesson therefrom.

132. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There is an angel of Allah who calls out every day: “Beget children for death! Collect wealth for destruction and raise construction for ruin!”

133. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: This world is a transient place, not a place of stay. The people herein are of two types: One is a man who sold away his soul (to his passions) and thus ruined it, and the other is a man who purchased his soul (by controlling his desires) and freed it.

134. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A friend is not a friend unless he affords protection to his comrade on three occasions: in his adversity, in his absence and at the time of his death.

135. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever is bestowed four things is not disallowed four things: whoever is allowed to pray is not deprived of the response to it; whoever is allowed to offer repentance is not deprived of its acceptance; whoever is allowed to seek forgiveness is not deprived of forgiveness, and whoever is allowed to be grateful is not deprived of furtherance of favors.

Sayyid ar-Razi says that this is confirmed by the Book of Allah. About praying, Allah says, “Call unto Me, I will answer you” (Holy Qur’an, 4: 60). About forgiveness Allah says, “And whoever does evil, or wrongs his own self and thereafter seeks Allah’s forgiveness shall find Allah oft-Forgiving, most Merciful” (Holy Qur’an, 4: 110). About gratefulness He says, “If you show gratitude, I will increase (my favors) to you” (Holy Qur’an, 14: 7). About repentance He says, “Verily, repentance (acceptable) with Allah is only for those who do evil out of ignorance then turn (to Allah) soon (thereafter); to these, Allah will turn mercifully, and Allah is all-Knowing, all-Wise” (Holy Qur’an, 4: 17).

136. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: For the God-fearing, prayers is a means of seeking nearness to Allah, and for the weak, the hajj is as good as jihad. For everything there is a tax, and the tax of the body is fasting. The jihad of a woman is to afford pleasant company to her husband.

137. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Seek livelihood by giving alms.

138. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever is sure of a good return is generous in giving.

139. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Assistance is allowed according to need.

140. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever is moderate does not become destitute.

141. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A small family is one of the ways of (securing) ease.

142. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Loving one another is half the measure of wisdom.

143. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Grief is half the old age.

144. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Endurance comes according to affliction. Whoever beats his hand on the thigh in his affliction ruins all his good actions.

145. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There are many who fast but whose fast is nothing more than hunger and thirst. There are many who offer of prayers and whose prayer is no better than wakefulness and hardship: the sleep as well as the eating and drinking of the intelligent (God-fearing) person is far better.

146. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Protect your belief by charity; guard your wealth by paying Allah’s share thereof, and ward off the waves of calamity by praying.

Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib's Conversation With Kumayl ibn Ziyad al-Nakha`i

People are of three kinds:

147. Kumayl ibn Ziyad has related saying that Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him caught hold of his hand and took him to the graveyard. When the Imam (p.b.u.h.) had passed through the graveyard and left the city behind, he let a deep sigh and said the following:
O Kumayl these hearts are containers. The best of them is that which preserves (its contents); so, preserve what I say to you:
People are of three types: One is the scholar and the Divine. Then, the seeker of knowledge who is also on the way to deliverance. Then the common rot who runs after every caller and bends in the direction of every wind. They seek no light from the glory of knowledge and do not take protection from any reliable support.
O Kumayl! Knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, while you have to guard the wealth. Wealth decreases by spending, while knowledge multiplies by spending, and the results of wealth die as wealth decays.
O Kumayl! Knowledge is belief which is acted upon. With it, man acquires obedience during his life and a good name after his death. Knowledge is the ruler while wealth is ruled upon.
O Kumayl! Those who amass wealth are dead even though they may be living, while those endowed with knowledge will remain as long as the world lives. Their bodies are not available but their figures exist in the hearts. Look, here is a heap of knowledge (and Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib [p.b.u.h.] pointed to his bosom). I wish I could get someone to bear it. Yes, I did find (such a person), but either he was one who could not be relied upon, or he was one who exploits the religion for worldly gains and, by virtue of Allah’s favors on him, he will dominate the people, and through Allah’s pleas he will master His devotees. Or he was one who was obedient to the hearers of the truth but there was no intelligence in his bosom. At the first appearance of doubt, he will entertain misgivings in his heart.
So, neither this nor that was good enough. Either the man is eager for pleasures, easily led away by passions, or is covetous for collecting and hoarding wealth. Neither of them has any regard for religion in any matter. The nearest example of these is the loose cattle. This is the way that knowledge dies away with the death of its bearers.
O Lord! Yes! Yet the earth is never devoid of those who maintain Allah’s plea either openly and reputedly or, being afraid, as hidden in order that Allah’s pleas and proofs should not be rebutted. How many are they and where are they? By Allah, they are few in number, but they are great in esteem before Allah. Through them, Allah guards His pleas and proofs till they entrust them to others like themselves and sow the seeds thereof in the hearts of those who are like them.
Knowledge has led them to real understanding, so they have associated themselves with the spirit of conviction. They take easy what the easy going regard as hard. They endear what the ignorant take as strange. They live in this world with their bodies here but their spirits resting in the high above. They are the vicegerents of Allah on His earth and callers to His religion. O, how I yearn to see them! Go away, O Kumayl, wherever you wish!

148. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Man is hidden under his tongue.

149. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever does not know his own worth is ruined.

On Preaching

150. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to a man who had requested him to preach:
Do not be like him who hopes for (bliss in) the next life without action and delays repentance by prolonging his desires, who utters words like ascetics in this world but whose deeds are like those who are eager for it. If he is granted something of it, he does not feel satisfied. If he is denied, he is not content. He is not grateful for what he gets and covets an increase in whatever remains with him. He curbs others (from wrongdoing) but not his own self. He commands others for what he himself does not do. He loves the virtuous but does not behave like them. He hates the vicious but he himself is one of them. He dislikes death because of the excess of his sins but adheres to that because of which he is afraid of death.
If he falls ill, he feels ashamed: if he is healthy, he feels secure and indulges in amusements. When he recovers from illness, he feels vain about himself. When he is afflicted, he loses hope. If distress befalls him, he prays like a bewildered man. When he finds ease of life, he falls into deceit and turns his face away. His heart overpowers him by means of imaginary things while he cannot control his heart by his conviction. For others, he is afraid of small sins, but for himself, he expects more rewards than his performance. If he becomes wealthy, he becomes self-conscious and falls into vice. If he is impoverished, he despairs and becomes weak.
He is brief when he is doing a good thing but goes too far when he is begging. When passion overtakes him, he is quick in committing sin but delays repentance. If hardship befalls him, he goes beyond the canons of the (Islamic) community. He describes instructive events but does not take instruction himself. He preaches at length but does not accept any preaching for himself. He is tall on speech but short on action. He aspires for things that will perish and ignores things that will last for good. He regards profit as loss and loss as profit. He fears death but does nothing in its anticipation.
He regards the sins of others as big but considers the same things for himself as small. If he does something in obedience to Allah, he considers it much, but if others do the same, he considers it small. He, therefore, rebukes others but flatters himself. Entertainment in the company of the wealthy is dearer to him than remembrance (of Allah) with the poor; he passes verdicts against others for his own interests and does not do so against himself for others’ interests. He guides others but misguides himself. He is obeyed by others but he himself disobeys (Allah).
He seeks the fulfillment of obligations (to himself) but does not fulfill his own obligations (towards others). He fears the people (and deeds) for others besides his Lord (Allah) and does not fear his Lord in dealing with the public.

Sayyid ar-Razi says that if this book had contained nothing save this short statement, it will have sufficed as a successful piece of preaching, a specimen of high philosophy, an objective of wisdom for the onlooker and a source of instruction for the meditative onlooker.

151. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Every human being has to meet the end, sweet or sour.

152. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Every comer has to return, and after returning, it is as though he never existed.

153. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The one who endures does not miss success although it may take a long time.

154. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever agrees with the action of a group of persons is as though he joins them in that action. And everyone who joins in wrong commits two sins: one sin for committing the wrong and the other for agreeing with it.

155. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Adhere to your covenants and entrust their fulfillment to steadfast persons.

156. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: On you lies (the obligation of) obedience to the person about whom you cannot plead the excuse of ignorance.

157. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Your minds are opened when you see, and you are guided when you receive guidance, and you are made to hear when you do hear.

158. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Remonstrate with your brother by being kind to him, and respond to his evil by being generous to him.

159. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If one places himself where he may be charged, let him not blame those who may think ill of him.

160. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who possesses prefers himself over others.

161. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who follows only his view perishes, and one who consults with others shares their wisdom.

162. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who hides his secret holds his own option.

163. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Poverty is the greatest death.

164. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If one is fair to another who is not fair to him, it is as though he worships him.

165. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: No creature should be obeyed so long as such obedience means disobedience of the Creator.

166. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: No blame should be placed on one in delaying taking what belongs to him; blame should be on one who takes what does not belong to him.

167. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Conceit stops one from seeking perfection.

168. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The undertaking is near, but company is not.

169. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Morning surely shines for those who have vision.

170. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Abandoning a sin is easier than seeking help.

171. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: How often one meal blocks many!

172. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: People are enemies of what they do not know.

173. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who welcomes various views gets to know where error lies.

174. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who sharpens his weapon seeking revenge against those who incur the Wrath of Allah will be strong enough to kill those who are strong in committing falsehood.

175. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If you fear doing something, then do it because your fear is greater than the deed itself.

176. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The mechanism whereby one earns mastership is forbearance.

177. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Reprimand the evil doer by rewarding the doer of righteousness.

178. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Remove evil from the chest of others by eradicating it from your own.

179. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Fanatically insisting on disagreeing poisons one’s view.

180. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Greed is perpetual bondage.

181. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The fruit of carelessness is regret, whereas the fruit of determination is safety.

182. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Preferring silence over articulating wisdom produces nothing good; likewise is to speak out of ignorance.

183. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: No two cases vary from each other except that one of them is falsehood.

184. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Never have I ever doubted the truth whenever it was shown to me.

185. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Never have I told a lie, nor was I ever called a liar. Never did I ever stray, nor could any use me to cause others to stray.

186. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The oppressor who starts the oppression will tomorrow bite his hand (in regret).

187. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Departure (from this world) is nigh.

188. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who openly opposes what is right perishes.

189. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who is not saved by patience will be finished by impatience.

190. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: How strange! Should caliphate be obtained through friends and relatives?!

Al-Shareef al-Razi, for whom verses of poetry are narrated, has said a couple of lines the gist of which is as follows:

If you through shura took charge of them,
How so since those whose advice is to be sought were absent?!
And if you through kinsfolk argued with the opponent,
Others are more worthy of and nearer than you to the Prophet.

191. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One in this life is a target of death, a loot to calamities. With every sip there is hardship, with every morsel there is pain. Whenever a servant of Allah receives a blessing, he bids farewell to another. Whenever he welcomes a new day, he bids farewell for its sake to another. This is so because we are assistants of the fates: Every breath we draw is a target of death; so, how can we hope to last since this night and this day never raise anything in honor except that they are more swift in destroying what they build and scatter what they gather?

192. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O son of Adam! Anything you earn beyond your need is stored for others.

193. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Hearts have desires, coming or going; so, approach your hearts according to their desires and approaches, for if you force the heart, you will blind it.

194. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: What shall I satisfy my anger when I am enraged? Is it when I am unable to seek revenge, so it will be said to me: “Why did you not have patience?” Or should I do it when I am able, so it will be said to me: “Why did you not forgive?”!

195. Passing by some garbage, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: This is some people were too miser to give others.
In another narrative, he is reported as having said, “This is what you used to compete with each other for!”

196. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: None of your wealth was wasted so long as it provided you with admonishment.

197. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: These hearts wear out just as bodies wear out; so, seek for them beautiful pieces of wisdom.

198. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, having heard the Kharijites say, “There is no government except Allah’s”, said: “A true statement intended to reap falsehood.”

199. Describing the mobs, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: They are the ones who overwhelm when they gather and who are known when they disperse.
It is said that he, peace be upon him, rather said: “They are the ones who do harm when they gather and they do good when they disperse.” The Imam (p.b.u.h.) was asked, “When understand their mischief when they gather, but what is the benefit when they disperse?” The Imam (p.b.u.h.) said, “Each one of them returns to his profession, so people benefit from them, such as the builder returning to build, the weaver returns to his craft and the baker returns to his bakery, and so on.”

200. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following when a criminal was brought to him escorted by mobs: There is no welcome for you here, O faces that are not seen except when a bad deed is committed.

201. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: With every human being, there are two guardian angels. When fate comes, they make room for him; fate is a secure protection.

202. Talhah and az-Zubair said to the Imam, peace be upon him, “We shall swear the oath of allegiance to you provided we are your prtners in this matter (in caliphate).” Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: No, but you both are partners when strength and aid are sought, and you both are aides against inability and extreme effort.

203. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O people! Fear Allah Who hears you when you speak, Who knows what you hide in your breasts, and be more swift than death which catches up with you when you flee, which take you when you stay, and which remembers you when you forget about it.

204. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not be discouraged by ingrates from doing good deeds, for you may be thanked by those who do not benefit from your good deed and who still are grateful to you for it. You may obtain gratitude from a grateful person much more than what someone who hides it has wasted, “... and Allah loves the doers of righteousness.”

205. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Every container becomes straitened by what is put in it except the container of knowledge: It expands.

206. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The first compensation for a clement person for his clemency is that people are his supporters against the ignorant ones.

207. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If you are not clement, then put on the garb of clemency, for many are those who imitate others and who become almost just like them.

208. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who holds himself to account succeeds. When who overlooks it loses. One who is cautious earns security. One who receives admonishment expands his vision. One who expands his vision gains understanding, and who gains understanding earns knowledge.

209. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The life of this world shall be kind to us after being cruel to us just as a she-camel that rejects those who milk it but turns with affection to its newborn. Having said so, the Imam (p.b.u.h.) recited the following verse: “And We wished to be gracious to those who were being oppressed in the land, to make them leaders (in faith) and to make them heirs” (Qur’an, 28:5).

210. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Fear Allah like one who is willing to risk everything [just to please Allah], who urges himself to walk towards Allah, who starts in awe, who looks into the outcomes of matters, into the penalty of anything forbidden, who is apprehensive of the final end.

211. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Generosity is the guard of honors. Clemency is ship’s restrainer. Forgiveness is the zakat of victory. Solace is your compensation for one who betrayed you. Consultation is the same as guidance. One who sticks only to his own view takes a risk. Patience struggles against calamities. Impatience aids against time’s fluctuations. The best of wealth is to abandon high hopes. How many are the minds that are subdued by aggressive desires! A sign of success is to remember experience. Affection is a useful kinship. And do not place your trust in someone who has no patience.

212. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One’s self-conceit is one of the envies of his own mind.

213. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Overlook imperfections and pains and you will always be pleased.

214. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One whose stem is lean, his leaves will be thick.

215. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Disputes destroy views.

216. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who wins becomes greater.

217. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: In the alterations of conditions lies the knowledge of the gems of men.

218. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Envying a friend is a sign of fault in one’s friendship.

219. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Most places where minds are conquered fall under the glitter of high hopes.

220. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It is not fair to put an end to trust by entertaining doubt.

221. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: How miserable the ration of a servant of Allah to the Hereafter is if he oppresses Allah’s servants!

222. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The very best of a generous man’s acts of generosity is that he is mindless of what he knows (of people’s faults).

223. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who is attired with the outfit of modesty, people never see his fault.

224. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Through abundance of silence does one earn respect. Through fairness does one win lovers. Through acts of favors does one’s value get greater. Through humility does one’s blessing become complete. Through bearing hardships, loftiness is earned. Through fair dealing, an opponent is subdued. And through clemency with regard to a shallow-minded person does one earn supporters.

225. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: How strange it is that the envious ones overlook the soundness of their own bodies!

226. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A covetous person is tied with the ropes of humiliation.

227. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked about iman. He said: Iman is a knowledge with the heart, an admission with the tongue, and an action according to the [Islamic] injunctions.

228. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If one becomes sad about this world, he becomes angry with what Allah decrees. One who complains about a calamity that befell him, he complains against his Lord. And one who goes to a wealthy man and humbles himself to him on account of his wealth wipes out two-thirds of his creed. If one recites the Qur’an, and when he dies he goes to hell, he is one of those who used to mock the Signs of Allah. If one keeps talking about his love for this world, his heart will be burnt by it in three instances: a worry which he never overcomes, a miserliness which never abandons him, and a hope which he never realizes.

229. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Satisfaction suffices for wealth and good manners for a bliss. He (p.b.u.h.) was asked about the meaning of this verse: “... We shall let him lead a good life.” He (p.b.u.h.) said, “It (good life) is satisfaction.”

230. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Be partners of one to whom sustenance go for this is the best means for acquiring wealth and the most worthy of earning a good luck.

231. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following in explanation of the verse saying, “Allah enjoins you to abide by justice and kindness”: Justice means equity, while kindness is doing others favors.

232. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If one gives with the short hand, he will be given with the long one.

Al-Razi has said, “The meaning of this statement is that if one spends out of his wealth in the way of goodness and kindness, though it may be little, Allah Almighty will make its reward great. The short hand here is a reference to that of the servant of Allah, whereas the long one is a connotation of the Lord, the most Exalted One, Who is never weakened by giving and Who provides with a lot for what is little.

233. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not invite anyone to a duel, but if you are called upon to duel, respond, because one who calls to a duel is an oppressor, and the oppressor is always defeated.

234. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The best of women’s attributes are the men’s worst: self-conceit, cowardice and miserliness. So if a woman is self-conceited, she will not let one approach her (in bed). If she is miser, she safeguards her wealth and that of her husband. And if she is a coward, she is scared of anything displayed before her.

235. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked, “Describe to us the wise person.” He (p.b.u.h.) said: He is the one who puts everything in its right place. He (p.b.u.h.) was then asked to describe the ignorant person, so he said: “I have just done so!”

Al-Razi has said, “He means to say that the ignorant person is the one who does not put things in their right places. He simply is the antithesis of the wise person.

236. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: By Allah! Your world is cheaper in my eyes than the intestines of a pig in the hands of leper.

237. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Some people worship Allah out of their desire (to worship Him). Such is the worship of traders. Some people worship Allah out of fear of Him; such is the worship of slaves. And some people worship Allah to thank Him; such is the worship of the free.

238. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Woman is evil, and the worst of her evil is that we cannot do without her!

239. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who obeys postponements loses track of rights. One who obeys a taleteller loses friends.

240. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A rock taken by force in the building of a house is a pawn for its destruction.

241. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The oppressed one’s day (of judgment) is to the oppressor much more hard than the day of the oppressor against the oppressed.

242. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If many answers crowd together, the truth is hidden.

243. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Fear Allah to some degree (even) though it may be little, and set a curtain between you and Allah (even) though it may be thin.

244. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When replies are numerous, the correct point remains obscure.

245. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Surely in every blessing there is a right of Allah. If one carries out that right, Allah increases the blessing, and if one falls short of doing so, one stands in danger of losing the blessing.

246. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When capability increases, desire decreases.

247. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Keep on guard against the slipping away of blessings because not everything that runs away comes back.

248. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Generosity is more prompting to good than regard for kinship.

249. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If a person has a good idea about you, make his idea come true.

250. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The best deed is that which you have to force yourself to do.

251. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I came to know Allah, the Glorified One, through breaking determinations, a change of intentions and the loss of courage.

252. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The sourness of this world is the sweetness of the next while the sweetness of this world is the sourness of the next.

253. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Allah has laid down iman (conviction) for purification from polytheism; salat (prayer) for purification from vanity; zakat as a means of livelihood; siyam (fasting) as a trial of the people; hajj for the honor of Islam; persuasion for good (al-amr bil-ma‘ruf) for the good of the common people; dissuasion from evil (an-nahy ‘anil-munkar) for controlling the mischievous; regard for kinship for increase of number; revenge for stopping bloodshed, the award of penalties for the realization of importance of the prohibitions; the abstinence from drinking wine for the protection of one’s wits; the avoidance of theft for inculcating chastity; the abstinence from adultery for safeguarding lineage; the abstinence from sodomy for increasing the progeny; tendering testimony for furnishing proof against contentions; abstinence from telling lies for increasing the esteem of the truth; the maintenance of peace (salam) for the protection from danger; Imamate (Divine Leadership) for the orderliness of the community and obedience (to Imams) as a mark of respect to the Imamate.

254. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him used to say: If you want an oppressor to take an oath, ask him to swear like this: that he is out of Allah’s might and power, because if he swears falsely in this way, he will be swiftly punished while if he swears by Allah Who is such that there is no god but He, he will not be quickly punished since he is acknowledging the Unity of Allah, the Sublime.

255. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O son of Adam! Be your own representative in the matter of your property, and do about it whatever you want to be done with it after your death.

256. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Anger is a kind of madness because the victim to it repents afterwards. If he does not repent his madness is confirmed.

257. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Health of body comes from paucity of envy.

258. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to Kumayl ibn Ziyad an-Nakha‘i: O Kumayl! Direct your people to go out in the day to achieve noble traits and to go out in the night to meet the needs of those who might be sleeping, for I swear by the One Whose hearing extends to all voices, if someone pleases another’s heart, Allah will create a special thing out of this pleasing so that whenever any hardship befalls him, it will come running like flowing water and drive away the hardship as wild camels are driven away.

259. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When you fall in destitution, trade with Allah through charity.

260. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Faithfulness with faithless people is faithlessness with Allah, while faithlessness with faithless people is faithfulness with Allah.

261. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There is many a man being gradually brought towards punishment by good treatment with him; many a man who remains in deceit because his evils are covered, and many a man who is in illusion because of good talk about him, while there is no greater ordeal by Allah, the Glorified One, than the giving of time.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “This saying has appeared earlier as well but here it contains a beautiful and useful addition.”


Section where we have included selections from wonderful sayings
of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him which require explanations:

262-1. A tradition related from Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: When the situation is like this, then the head of the religion will rise and people will gather around him as pieces of rainless cloud gather during autumn...

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “ya`sub” is the great chief who is in charge of the people’s affairs, and “quza” means the pieces of cloud which have no rain.

263-2. A tradition of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: He is a versatile speaker.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Ashahshah” means one expert and free in speech, and everyone who is free in speech or in walking is called “Ashahshah”, while in another sense this word means a miserly and niggardly person.

264-3. A tradition from Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: Quarrels bring about ruin.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Quhm” means “ruin” because quarrels often drive men into ruin and grief. In the same way, it is said “quhmatul-A`rub” which means the period (of drought) when the cattle owned by the nomad desert Arabs are reduced to bones. Another argument is also advanced in this matter, namely that the situation drives them to green areas. In other words, the hardship of the desert life drives them to hadar (metropolis area, a more sophisticated and complex living environment than that wherein nomads of the desert live).

265-4. A tradition from Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: When girls come of age, relatives on the father’s side are preferable.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “Instead of ‘nassa’l-hiqaq’, the combination of ‘nassa’l-haqa’iq’ has also been related.” “Nass” means the last end of things or their most remote limit, such as “an-nassi fi’ssayr” means the maximum a beast can walk. Or you say “nasastur-rajula `anil-amri” when you have questioned a man to the extreme to make him utter all that he has. Thus, “nassul-haqa’iq” means prudence because it is the last limit of childhood and is the time when a child crosses childhood into maturity. This is a very eloquent reference to the point, and a strange one, too. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) intends to say: “When girls reach this stage, their relatives on the father’s side have a better right [to marry them] than their mother, provided they are those with whom marriage is not prohibited, such as brothers and uncles, etc., to arrange for their marriages if they so desire. “Al-hiqaq” also means the quarreling of the mother with a girl’s paternal relatives. This quarrel is that everyone of them says he has a better right for her. That is why it is said “haqatuhu hiqaqan” on the lines of “jadaltuhu jidalan”. It has also been said that “nassul-hiqaq” means acquiring understanding. This is prudence, too, because Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) refers to the stage when rights and duties become applicable. The person who has related the word as “haqa’iq” intends to signify the plural of “haqiqah” (reality, fact, truth).
The above is what Aba ‘Ubayd al-Qasim ibn Sallam has stated (in Gharib al-Hadith, Vol. 3, pp. 456-458); but I think that what is meant here by the word “nassul-hiqaq” is a girl’s reaching the stage when it is possible to marry her and allow her to dispose of her rights herself on the analogy of “bil hiqaqi mina’l-ibili” (a camel’s attaining majority) wherein “hiqaq” is the plural of “hiqqah” or “hiqq”; it means completion of three years and entry into the fourth, which is the time when it reaches the age when it is possible to ride on its back. “Haqa’iq”, too, is the plural of “hiqqah”. Thus, both the versions point to the same meaning, and this interpretation is more in keeping with the way of the Arabs than the other one stated earlier.

266-5. A tradition of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: Faith produces a “Alumazah” in the heart. As faith develops, “Alumazah” also increases.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Alumazah” is a white spot, or something like that. On that analogy, if a horse has a white spot on its lower lip, it is called “farusun al-mazu”, that is, a white-spotted horse.

267-6. A tradition of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: If a man has “ad-daynu’z-zanun” (i.e. doubtful loan), it is his duty to pay zakat thereon for all the past years when he recovers it.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Az-zanun” is the loan about which the lender does not know whether he will be able to recover it from the borrower or not. He is like the one who hopes as well as loses hope. This is the most eloquent way of expression. In this way, everything about which you do not know where you stand will be zanun. In the same strain, the poet al-A`sha (Maymun ibn Qays al-Wa’ili [d. 7/629]) says, “The azzanun well (i.e. the one that may or may not have water), which is also deprived of the rain of the clouds and cannot be compared to the Euphrates whose waves are rising high and which ever pushes the boat away on its current as it does the adept swimmer.”
“Jubb” means “ well” (located in a wilderness), while zanun is that about which it is not known whether or not it has water.

268-7. A tradition of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him relates that he arranged a force for advancing for jihad and said: I’dhibu (turn away) from women as far as you can.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: It (“i‘dhibu”) means “stay away” from thoughts of women and from clinging your heart to them, and do not have union with them, because all this produces weakness in enthusiasm, affects the firmness of determination, weakens one against his enemy and prevents one from excelling in fighting. Anything which prevents from something is called “adhAba ‘anhu” i.e. turned away from it. Thus, “al-‘adhib” and “al-adhub” mean one who gives up eating and drinking.

269-8. A tradition of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him says: ... Like the successful shooter (al-yasir al-falij) who looks forward to achieving success at his first shot.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Al-yasirun” (pl. of al-yasir) means those who shoot with arrows on the slaughtered camel by way of gambling, while “al-falij” means successful or victorious. For example, it is said: “falaja `alayhim” or “falajahum” (that is, he got victory over them or overpowered them). A poet has said by way of war this recital: “When I noticed a successful person securing victory..., etc.”

270-9. A tradition of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him runs as follows: When the crisis became red-hot, we sought refuge with the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.), and none of us was closer to the enemy than he himself was.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “This means that when fear of the enemy increased and fighting became serious, the Muslims begin to think that since the Messenger of Allah had taken up fighting himself, Allah must give them victory through him and that, therefore, they will be safe from all the dangers because of his presence.”
And the words “idha’hmarra’l-ba’su” (when the crisis became red-hot) refers to the seriousness of the matter. For this purpose, several expressions have been used out of which this is the best, since Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) has likened war with fire which combines heat and redness both in action as well as in color. This is confirmed by the words of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) when during the battle of Hunayn, he noticed the people of Hawazin (tribe) fighting, he said: “Now the watis has heated up” and watis is the place where fire is lighted. In this way, the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) likened the seriousness of fighting by men to the seriousness of the fire and its flames.

This section ends and we return to the original theme of the chapter.

271. When the news of the attack of Mu`awiyah’s men on al-Anbar reached Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, he himself came out walking till he reached an-Nukhaylah where people overtook him and said: “O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib! We are [mighty] enough for [defeating] them.”
He said: You cannot be enough for me against yourselves, so how can you be enough for me against others? Before me, the people used to complain of the oppression of their rulers, but now I have to complain of the wrongful actions of my people; as though I am led by them and they are the leaders, or that I am the subject and they are the rulers.

The narrator says: “When Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) uttered this during his long speech, which we have included in the collection of sermons (No. 27), two men from among his companions advanced towards him and one of them said: “‘I rule none except myself and my brother’ (Qur’an, 5: 25). So, order us with your command, O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib and we will carry it out.” Thereupon, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: “How can you two accomplish what I aim at?”

272. It is said that al-Harith ibn Hawt came to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib and said: “Do you believe that I can ever imagine that the people of Jamal were wrong?” Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: “O al-Harith! You have seen below yourself but not above yourself, so you have been confused. Certainly, you have known right, so that you can recognize the righteous. And you have not known wrong, so that you can recognize the people who are wrong!” Then al-Harith said: “In that case, I shall withdraw along with Sa‘d ibn Malik and ‘Abdullah ibn `Umar,” whereupon Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: “Verily, Sa‘d and `Umar have neither sided with right nor forsaken wrong.”

273. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who holds authority is like one who rides a lion; he is envied for his status but he well knows it.

274. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do good with the bereaved ones of others so that good is done to your bereaved ones, too.

275. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When the utterance of the wise is to the point, it serves as a cure, but if it is wrong, it acts like an illness.

276. Someone asked Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him to define religion for him. The Imam said, “Come to me tomorrow so that I may enlighten you in the presence of all people; thus, if you forget what I say, others might retain it. This is so because an utterance is like a fluttering prey which may be grappled by someone but missed by others.”

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “We have already stated in the earlier chapter how Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib replied to this man, namely his saying (No. 31): ‘Faith stands on four pillars, etc.’”

277. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O son of Adam! Do not inflict the worry of the day that has not yet come on the day which has already come because if that day is in your life, Allah will also bestow its livelihood.

278. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Have love for your friend up to a limit, for it is possible that he may turn into your enemy some day. And hate your enemy up to a limit, for it is possible that he may turn into your friend some day.

279. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There are two kinds of workers in the world. One is a person who works in this world for this world and his work for this world keeps him unmindful of the next. He is afraid of destitution for those whom he will leave behind but feels safe about it. So, he spends his life seeking the good of others. The other is one who works in this world for what is to come hereafter, and he secures his share of this world without an effort. Thus, he gets both the benefits and becomes the owner of both homes. In this way, he is prestigious before Allah. If he asks Allah anything, He does not deny him.

280. It is related that during the days of (caliph) `Umar ibn al-Khattab, the question of the excess of the ornaments of the Ka‘bah was mentioned to him and some people suggested the following: “If you raise by it an army of Muslims, it will be a matter of great reward, and what will the Ka‘bah do with the ornaments?” `Umar thought of doing so but asked Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) what he thought. The Imam said: When the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), there were four kinds of property: One, the property of a Muslim which he distributed among the successors according to fixed shares. Second, the tax (fay’) which he distributed to those for whom it was meant. Third, the one-fifth (khums) for which Allah had fixed the ways of disposal. Fourth, the amounts of charity (sadaqat) the disposal of which was also fixed by Allah. The ornaments of the Ka‘bah did exist in those days, but Allah left them as they were. He did not leave them by omission, nor were they unknown to Him. Therefore, you should keep them where Allah and His Prophet placed them.
Thereupon, `Umar ibn al-Khattab said, “If you had not been here, we would have been humiliated.” He left the ornaments as they were.

281. It is related that two persons were brought to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him once. They had stolen a public property. One of them was a slave purchased with public money and the other had been purchased by someone from among the people. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said, “As for this one who has stolen the public property, there is no punishment for him, for it means one who is the property of Allah has taken another property of Allah. As for the other, he should be punished.” Consequently, the thief’s hand was cut off.

282. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If my steps acquire firmness out of these slippery places, I will alter several things.

283. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Know with full conviction that Allah has not fixed for any person more livelihood than what has been ordained in the Book of Destiny, even though his means (of seeking it) may be great, his craving for it intense and his efforts for it acute. Nor does the weakness of a person or the paucity of his means stand in the way between what is ordained in the Book of Destiny and himself.
Whoever realizes it and acts upon it is the best of them all in comfort and benefit, while whoever disregards it and doubts it exceeds all men in disadvantages. Very often, a favored person is being slowly driven (towards punishment) through those favors, and very often an afflicted person is being done good through his own affliction. Therefore, O listener, increase your gratefulness, lessen your haste and stay within the bounds of your livelihood.

284. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not turn your knowledge into ignorance or your conviction into doubt. When you gain knowledge act (upon it), and when you acquire conviction, proceed (on its basis).

285. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Greed takes a person to the watering place but brings him back without letting him drink. It undertakes responsibility but does not fulfill it. Often, the drinker gets choked before he quenches his thirst. The greater the worth of a thing yearned for, the greater is the grief for its loss. Desires blind the eyes of understanding. The destined share will reach him who does not approach it.

286. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O Allah! I seek Your protection from this: that I may appear to be good in the eyes of the people while my inward self may be sinful before You, and that I may guard myself (from sinning) only for show before the people although You are aware of everything about me. Thus, I appear before the people in good shape although my evil acts are placed before You. This means achieving nearness to Your creatures but remoteness from Your pleasure.

287. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I swear by the One Who let us pass the dark night after which there was a bright day that such and such did not happen.

288. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A small action which is continued with regularity is more beneficial than a long one performed with grudge.

289. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When optional issues stand in the way of obligatory ones, abandon them.

290. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever keeps in view the distance of the journey remains prepared.

291. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Perception by the eyes is not real observation because the eyes sometimes deceive people; but wisdom does not deceive whomsoever it counsels.

292. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Between you and preaching there is a curtain of deception.

293. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The ignorant among you get too much while the learned are just put off.

294. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Knowledge dispels the excuse of those who advance excuses.

295. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Anyone whom death overtakes early seeks time while the death of anyone who is deferred puts forth excuses for the postponement (of doing good deeds).

296. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: For every thing to which people say “how good!” there is an evil hidden in this world.

297. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked about destitution. He said the following: It is a dark path; do not tread upon it. It is a deep ocean; do not dive in it. And it is the secret of Allah; do not take trouble about (knowing) it.

298. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When Allah intends to humiliate a person, He denies him knowledge.

299. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: In the past, I had a brother-in-faith, and he was prestigious in my view because the world was humble in his eyes, the needs of the stomach did not have a sway over him. He did not long for what he did not get. If he got a thing, he would not ask for more. He remained most of the time silent. When he spoke, he silenced the other speakers. He quenched the thirst of inquirers. He was weak and feeble, but at the time of fighting, he was like the lion of the forest or the serpent of the valley: he would not put forth an argument unless it was decisive.
He will not abuse anyone in an excusable matter unless he had heard the excuse. He would not speak of any trouble except after its disappearance. He said what he would do and would not say what he will not. Even if he could be exceeded in speech, he could not be excelled in silence. He was more eager for keeping quiet than speaking, and if two things confronted him, he would see which was more akin to the longing of the heart and he would oppose it.
These qualities are incumbent upon you. So, you should acquire them and compete with each other in upholding them. Even if you cannot acquire them, you should know that acquiring a part is better than giving up the whole.

300. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Even if Allah had not warned of chastisement on those who are disobedient to Him, it will be obligatory by way of gratitude for His favors that He should not be disobeyed.

301. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to express his condolences to al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays about (the death of) his son: O Ash‘ath! If you grieve over your son, certainly it is the consequence of the blood relationship; but if you endure, then Allah provides recompense for every affliction. O Ash‘ath! If you endure even then, matters will move on as ordained by Allah. But in that case, you will deserve to be rewarded, while if you lose patience, matters will again move as ordained by Allah. But in this case, you will be bearing the burden (of your sins). O Ash‘ath! Your son (when he lived) gave you happiness while, at the same time, he was a trial and a hardship and (when he died) he caused you to grieve while, at the same time, he has proved to be a source of reward and mercy for you.

302. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following at the grave of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) at the time of his burial: Certainly endurance is good except about you. Fretting is bad except over you. And the affliction about you is great while every other affliction before or after it is small.

303. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not associate with a fool because he will beautify his actions before you and wish that you, too, be like him.

304. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked about the distance between the East and the West when he replied as follows: A day’s trip for the sun.

305. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Your friends are three and your enemies are (also) three. Your friends are: your friend, your friend’s friend and your enemy’s enemy. And your enemies are: your enemy, your friend’s enemy and your enemy’s friend.

306. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him saw a man busy against his enemy with what was harmful to his own self as well, so he said: You are like one who pierces a spear through himself in order to kill the person sitting behind him.

307. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: How many are the objectives of lessons, but how few are those who take lessons!

308. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever goes too far in quarreling is a sinner, but if one falls short in it, one is oppressed, and it is difficult for a quarreling person to fear Allah.

309. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I am not worried about a fault after which I get time to offer prayers in two units (rek‘as) and beg safety from the wrath of Allah.

310. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked once: “How will Allah conduct the accounting of all persons despite their large number?” He replied: “Just as He provides them livelihood despite their large number.” Then it was said to Him: “How will He conduct their accounting without their seeing Him?” He replied: “Just as He provides them with livelihood although they do not see Him.”

311. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Your messenger is the interpreter of your intelligence while your letter is more eloquent in expressing your true self.

312. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him sāid: The person who is afflicted with hardship is not in a greater need for praying than the one who has been spared affliction but is not immune to it.

313. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: People are the progeny of the world and none can be blamed for loving the mother.

314. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The destitute person is a messenger of Allah. Whoever denies him denies Allah, and whoever gives him gives Allah.

315. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A self-respecting man never commits adultery.

316. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The fixed limit of life is enough to remain watchful.

317. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A man can sleep over the death of his child but cannot sleep over the loss of his property.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “This statement means that a man remains patient about the death of his children but does not do so at the loss of his property.”

318. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Mutual affection between fathers creates a relationship between the sons. Relationship is more in need of affection than affection is for a relationship.

319. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Be afraid of the thoughts of believers because Allah, the most Exalted One, has placed the truth on their tongues.

320. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The belief of a person cannot be regarded as true unless his trust in what is with Allah is more than his trust in what he himself has.

321. When Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him came to Basrah, he sent Anas ibn Malik to Talhah and az-Zubayr to make them recall what he (Anas) himself had heard the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) saying concerning them both, but he avoided doing so. When he came back to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.), he said that he had forgotten that matter. Thereupon, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: “If you are speaking a lie, Allah will afflict you with white spots (leucoderm) which even the turban may not cover.”

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “White spot means leucoderma. After sometime this disease did occur to Anas’s face, so much so that he was never seen with his face uncovered.”

322. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Sometimes the hearts advance [towards their Creator] and sometimes they retreat. When they advance, get them to perform the optional [acts of worship] (as well). But when they retreat, keep them confined to only what is obligatory.

323. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The Qur’an contains news about the past, foretelling about the future and commandments for the present.

324. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Throw a stone in return from where one comes to you because evil can be met only with evil.

325. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said to his secretary ‘Ubaydullah ibn Aba Rafi‘: Put cotton flake in the ink pot, keep the nib of your pen long, leave some space between the lines and close up the letters because this is good for the beauty of the writing.

326. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: I am the ya‘sab (leader) of the believers, while wealth is the leader of the wicked.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “It means that the believers follow me while the wicked follow the path that take them to wealth and riches just as the bees follow their ‘ya`sub’, their leader.”

327. Some Jews said to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him: “You did not bury your Prophet when you picked up differences about him.” It is then that Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) replied thus: “We did not differ about him; we differed after him (i.e. about his succession). You had not dried up your feet yet, having come out of the river, when you began asking your Prophet: ‘Make you for us a god as they have gods of their own.’ Said he; ‘Verily you are a people behaving ignorantly’ (Qur’an, 7:138).”

328. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked: “With what did you overpower your adversaries?” He answered: “Whenever I confronted one of them, he helped me against himself.”

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) is pointing out his striking of awe in the hearts.”

329. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said to his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah: “O my son! I fear lest destitution overtakes you. So, you should seek Allah’s protection from it because destitution is [an indication of] a deficiency in religious beliefs, perplexity of intelligence, and it is conducive to hatred of obstinate people.”

330. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him replied to a man who had asked him a difficult question with the following: Ask me for understanding but do not ask for confusion because the ignorant person who tries to learn is like the learned man, but the learned man who tries to create confusion is like the ignorant.

331. ‘Abdullah ibn `Abbas once advised Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him against his views, so the Imam (p.b.u.h.) said: You have only to advise me, but then I have to see (what to do), and if I act against your advice, you have to follow me.

332. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him returned to Kufah from Siffin, he passed by the residences of the Shibamites (who belonged to the tribe of Shibam) and heard their women mourning those killed in Siffin. At that time, a Shibamite, namely Harb ibn Shurahbil ash-Shibami, who was one of the nobles of those people, went to him. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said to him: “Do your women have control over you as regarding the weeping that I hear? Do you not refrain them from such crying?” Harb began to walk with him while Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) was on horseback, so Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said to him: “Get back because the walking of a man like you with one like me is mischief for the ruler and a disgrace for the believer.”

333. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him passed by the dead bodies of the Kharijites on the day of the battle of Nahrawan and said: “Woe unto you! You have been harmed by him who deceived you.” He was asked: “O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.)! Who deceived them?” He replied: “Satan, the deceiver, and the inner self [nafs] that leads one to evil deceived them through passions. It made it easy for them to get into sins, promised them victory and eventually threw them into the Fire.”

334. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Beware of disobeying Allah in solitude because the Witness (of that situation) is also the Judge.

335. When the news of the killing of Muhammad ibn Aba Bakr reached Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, he said: Our grief over him is as great as their (i.e. the enemy’s) joy for it, except that they have lost an enemy and we have lost a friend.

336. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The age up to which Allah accepts any excuse for a human being is sixty years.

337. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One whose sin overpowers him is never victorious, and whoever secures victory by evil means is (in fact) vanquished.

338. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Allah, the Glorified One, has fixed the livelihood of the destitute in the wealth of the rich. Consequently, whenever a destitute remains hungry, it is because some rich person has denied (him his share). Allah, the Sublime, will question them [the rich] about it.

339. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Not to be in need of putting forth an excuse is better than putting forth a true excuse.

340. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The least right of Allah on you is that you should not make use of His favors in committing His sins.

341. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: When the disabled fall short in performing acts of obedience to Allah, the Glorified One, it is a good opportunity given by Allah for the intelligent to perform such acts.

342. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The sovereign is the watchman of Allah on earth.

343. Describing a believer, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A believer has a cheerful face, a sorrowful heart, a very broad chest (very generous), and a very humble heart. He hates high status and dislikes fame. His grief is long, his courage is far-reaching, his silence is much and, his time is occupied. He is grateful, enduring, buried in his thoughts, sparing in his friendship (with others), of a bright demeanor and of a soft temperament. He is stronger than stone but more humble than a slave.

344. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If a man happens to see the end of (his) life and his final fate, he will begin hating desires and their deception.

345. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There are two shares in the property of every person: heirs and accidents.

346. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The person who is approached with a request is free till he makes a promise.

347. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever prays but does not exert effort is like one who shoots without a bow-string.

348. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Knowledge is of two kinds: that which is absorbed and that which is just heard. The one that is heard does not give benefit unless it is absorbed.

349. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Correctness of decisions goes together with power. One emerges with the other’s emergence and disappears when the other disappears.

350. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The beauty of destitution is chastity and the beauty of riches is gratitude.

351. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The day of justice will be more severe on the oppressor than the day of oppression on the oppressed.

352. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The biggest wealth is that one should not have an eye on what others possess.

353. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Utterances are preserved and actions are to be tired. “Every soul, for what it earned, is pawned” (Qur’an, 74: 38). People are to be made deficient (as regarding their bodies) and meddled with (as regarding their minds) except those whom Allah protects. The ones who inquires from among them aims at confusing, while the one who answers creates hardship. It is possible that the man who has the best views among them will be deviated from the soundness of his thinking by pleasure or displeasure, and it is possible that a single glance may affect even the man with the best wisdom from among them or a single expression may transform him.

354. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O folks! Fear Allah, for there is many a man who aspires for what he does not get, many a builder of a house who does not live to occupy it, and many a collector of that which he shall just leave behind. Possibly he may have collected it wrongfully or by denying one’s right. He acquired it unlawfully and had to bear the weight of sins on its account. Consequently, he returned (from this world) with that weight and came before Allah with sorrow and grief. “He lost this world and (also) the thereafter; that is a loss (which is) manifest” (Qur’an, 22: 11).

355. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Lack of access to sins is also a kind of chastity.

356. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The dignity of your face is solid, but begging dissolves it; therefore, look carefully before whom you dissolve it.

357. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, 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.

358. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The most serious sin is that which the doer considers light.

359. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who sees his own shortcomings abstains from looking into other’s shortcomings. Whoever feels happy with the livelihood with which Allah provides him does not grieve over what he misses. Whoever draws out the sword of rebellion gets killed by it. Whoever strives without means perishes. Whoever enters the depths gets drowned. Whoever visits places of ill-repute receives blame.
Whoever speaks more commits more errors. Whoever commits more errors becomes shameless. Whoever is shameless will have less fear of Allah. Anyone who decreases his fear of Allah causes his heart to die. One whose heart dies enters the Fire. Whoever observes the shortcomings of others and disapproves of them then accepts them for himself is definitely a fool. Contentment is a capital that does not dwindle. Whoever remembers death much is satisfied with small favors in this world. Whoever knows that his speech is also a part of his action speaks less except where he has some purpose.

360. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, 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 tops other oppressors.

361. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: At the extremity of hardship comes relief, and at the tightening of the chains of tribulation comes ease.

362. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to one of his companions: Do not devote much of your activity to your wife and children because if your wife and children are lovers of Allah, then He will not leave His lovers without caring for them. And if they are enemies of Allah, then why should you worry and keep yourself busy about the enemies of Allah?

363. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The greatest defect is when you are concerned about the defect (in others) which is already present in yourself.

364. Someone congratulated another person in the presence of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him on the birth of a son saying: “Congratulations for getting a rider of horses”. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.), said: Do not say so; but say: You have an occasion to be grateful to Allah, the Giver, and be blessed with what you have been given. May he attain full life, and may you be blessed with His devotion.

365. One of the officers of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him built a stately house about which Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: These are silver coins showing their faces. Certainly, this house speaks of your riches.

366. It was said to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, peace be upon him: “If a man is left in his house and the door is closed, from where will his livelihood reach him?” He replied: “From whatever way his death reaches him.”

367. Offering condolences to people one of whom had just died, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: This thing has not started with you nor does it end with you. This fellow of yours was used to journeying and, therefore, it is better to think of him as still journeying. Either he will rejoin you or you will rejoin him.

368. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O people! Let Allah see you fearing at the time of happiness just as you fear Him at the time of distress. Certainly, whoever is given ease (of life) and does not consider it as a means of slow approach to tribulation (wrongly) considers himself as safe against what is to be feared while whoever is afflicted with straitened circumstances but does not perceive them to be a trial loses to a coveted reward.

369. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O slaves of desires! Cut them short because whoever leans on the world gets nothing out of it except the pain of hardships. O people! Take upon yourselves to train your own souls and turn away from the dictates of your natural inclinations.

370. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not regard an expression uttered by any person as evil if you can find it capable of bearing some good.

371. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If you have a need from Allah, the Glorified One, then begin by seeking Allah’s blessing on His Messenger, may Allah bless him and his descendants, then ask your need, because Allah is too generous to accept one (seeking His blessing on His Messenger) of the two requests made to Him while denying the other.

372. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever is jealous of his esteem should keep from quarreling.

373. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: To make haste before the proper time or to delay after a proper opportunity, in either case there is folly.

374. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not ask about things which may not happen because you have enough to worry about with what already happens.

375. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Imagination is a clear mirror, and the taking of lessons (from things around you) provides warning and counsel. It is enough for improving yourself that you should avoid what you consider as bad in others.

376. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Knowledge is associated with action. Therefore, whoever knows should act [upon it] because knowledge calls for action. If there is a response, well and good; otherwise, it (i.e. knowledge) departs from him.

377. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O people! The wealth of this world is broken into sorts that may bring an epidemic; therefore, keep off this grazing land. Leaving it is a greater favor than peacefully staying in it, and its part which suffices for subsistence is more blissful than its riches. Destitution has been ordained for those who are rich here, while comfort has been designated for those who keep away from it. If a person is attracted by its dazzle, it blinds both his eyes. And if a person acquires eagerness towards it, it fills his heart with grief which keeps alternating in the black part of his heart, some grief worrying him and another giving him pain. This goes on till the suffocation of death overtakes him. He is flung in the open while both the shrines of his heart are severed. It is easy for Allah to cause him to die and for his comrades to put him in the grave.
The believer sees the world with eyes that derive instruction and takes from it food enough for his barest needs. He hears in it with ears of hatred and enmity [towards this world]. If it is said (about someone) that he has become rich, it is also said that he has turned destitute. And if pleasure is felt on one’s own living, grief is felt over his death. This is the status, although the day has not yet approached when they will be disheartened.

378. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Allah, the Glorified One, has laid down rewards for obedience to Him and punishment for committing sins against Him in order to save men from His chastisement and to drive them towards Paradise.

379. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A time will come when nothing will remain of the Qur’an except its writing and nothing of Islam except its name. The mosques in such days will be busy with regard to construction but desolate with regard to guidance. Those staying in them and those visiting them will be the worst of all people on earth. From them, mischief will spring up and, toward them, all wrong will turn. If anyone isolates himself from it (mischief), they will fling him back into it. And if anyone steps back from it, they will push him towards it. Says Allah, the Glorified One, (in one hadith qudsi, i.e. the tradition in which Allah Himself speaks): I swear by Myself that I shall send upon them an evil wherein the one who endures will be bewildered,” and He will do so. We seek Allah’s pardon against stumbling through neglect.

380. It is related that seldom did Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him ascend the pulpit without uttering the following statement before starting his sermon: O people! Fear Allah, for man has not been created for naught so that he may waste himself, nor has he been left without anyone caring for them so that he may commit foolish acts. This world, which appears to him to be beautiful cannot be the replacement for the next which appears in his eyes to be bad, nor is the vain person, who is successful in this world, is sure that he will prosper in the next even to a small extent.

381. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There is no distinction higher than Islam, no honor more honorable than fear of Allah, no asylum better than self-restraint, no intercessor more effective than repentance, no treasure more precious than contentment, and no wealth is a bigger remover of destitution than satisfaction with mere subsistence. Whoever confines himself to what is just enough for maintenance achieves comfort and prepares his abode in ease. Desire is the key of grief and the conveyance of distress. Greed, vanity and jealousy are incentives to falling into sins and mischief-making, the collection of all bad habits.

382. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following to Jabir ibn ‘AbdAllah al-Ansari: O Jabir! The mainstay of religion and the world are four persons: The scholar who acts upon his knowledge, the ignorant person who does not feel ashamed of learning, the generous person who is not niggardly in his favors, and the destitute who does not sell his next life for his worldly benefits. Consequently, when the scholar wastes his knowledge, the ignorant feels too ashamed to learn, and when the generous is niggardly with his favors, the destitute sells his next life for the worldly benefits.
O Jabir! If favors of Allah abound on a person, the people’s needs toward him also abound. Therefore, whoever fulfills for Allah all that is obligatory on him in this regard will preserve them (Allah’s favors) in continuance and perpetuity, while whoever does not fulfill those obligations will expose them to decay and destruction.

383. Ibn Jarir at-TAbari has, in his History (Vol. 2, p. 1086; also Ibn al-Athir in his History, Vol. 4, p. 478) related from ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Aba Layla, al-faqih, who was one of those who had risen with (‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad) Ibn al-Ash‘ath to fight al-Hajjaj (ibn Yasuf ath-Thaqafi), that he (Ibn Aba Layla) was exhorting people to carry out jihad by recalling the following: “On the occasion of the encounter with the people of Syria, I heard Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.), may Allah exalt his rank among the righteous and may He reward him with the reward of martyrs and men of truth, saying: ‘O believers, whoever observes excesses being committed and people being called towards evil and disapproves it with his heart is safe and free from responsibility for it, and whoever disapproves of it with his tongue will be rewarded and he is in a higher status than the former, but whoever disapproves it with his sword in order that the word of Allah may remain superior and the word of the oppressors may remain inferior, catches hold of the path of guidance and stands on the right way, while his heart is lit with conviction.’”

384. Another saying in the same strain runs as follows: So..., among them (the Muslim community) there is one who disapproves evil with his hand, tongue and heart. This man has perfectly attained the virtuous habits. And among them there is one who disapproves evil with his tongue and heart but not with his hand. This man has attained only two virtuous habits but lacks one. And among them there is the third who disapproves evil with his heart but not with his tongue and hand. This is the one who lacks the two better qualities out of the three and holds only one. Then, among them there is also one who does not disprove evil with his tongue, heart or hand. He is just a dead man among the living.
All the virtuous acts, including waging a war in the way of Allah, as compared to the persuasion for good and dissuasion from evil, are just like spitting in the deep ocean [i.e. of no consequence]. The acts of persuasion for good and dissuasion from evil do not bring death nearer, nor do they lessen the livelihood. And better than all this is to utter a just expression before a tyrannical ruler.

385. The following is related from Aba Juhayfah who said, “I heard Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him saying: The first fighting with which you will be overpowered is fighting with the hands. Thereafter, you will fight with your tongues then with your hearts. Consequently, whoever does not recognize virtue with his heart or does not disprove evil will be turned upside down. Thus, his upside will be turned downwards and his low side will be turned upwards.

386. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Certainly, right is weighty and wholesome while wrong is light and epidemic.

387. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not feel safe from the punishment of Allah even about the best man in the whole community because Allah, the Sublime, says: “But none feels secure from the plan of Allah save the people (who are the) losers” (Qur’an, 7: 99). Again, do not lose hope even for the worst man of the community because Allah, the Sublime One, says: “Verily, none despair from Allah’s mercy save the disbelieving people” (Qur’an, 12: 87).

388. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Miserliness contains all other evil vices and is the rein with which one can be led to every evil.

389. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: O son of Adam! Livelihood is of two kinds: The livelihood which you seek and the livelihood which seeks you; if you do not reach it, it will reach you. Therefore, do not turn your one day’s worry into a year’s worry. Whatever you get every day should be enough for you for the day. If you have a whole year of your life, even then Allah, the Sublime, will give you every next day what He has destined as your share. If you do not have a year in your life-span, then why should you worry for what is not for you? No seeker will reach your livelihood before you, nor will anyone overpower you in the matter of livelihood. Likewise, whatever has been destined as your share will not be delayed for you.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “This statement has already appeared elsewhere in this Chapter except that here it is clearer and more detailed. This is why we have repeated it according to the principle laid down in the beginning of the book.”

390. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Many a man faces a day after which he finds no day, and many a man is in an enviable status in the earlier part of the night but is mourned by wailing women in its later part.

391. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Words are in your control till you have not uttered them. But when you have spoken them, you are under their control. Therefore, guard your tongue as you guard your gold and silver, for often one expression snatches away a blessing and invites a penalty.

392. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not say what you do not know; rather, do not say all that you know because Allah has laid down some obligations for all your limbs by means of which He will put forth arguments against you on the Day of Judgment.

393. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Fear lest Allah should see you committing His sins or misses you when it is time to obey Him and, as a result, you will become a loser. Therefore, when you are strong, be strong in obeying Allah, and when you are weak, be weak in committing sins against Allah.

394. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Leaning towards this world despite what you see of it is a folly, and lagging behind in doing good deeds when you are convinced of good reward for them is an obvious loss, while trusting in everyone before trying is a weakness.

395. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It is (the proof of the) humbleness of the world before Allah that He is disobeyed only herein and His favors cannot be achieved except by renouncing it.

396. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One who is in search of something will obtain it, at least some of it.

397. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: That good is no good after which there is the Fire, and that hardship is no hardship after which there is Paradise. Every bliss other than Paradise is minor, and every calamity other than the Fire is comfort.

398. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Beware that destitution is a calamity, but worse than destitution is ailment of the body, while worse than bodily ailment is the disease of the heart. 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 purity of the heart.

399. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: “Anyone whose his action keeps him behind, his lineage cannot push him forward.”
In another version, it is expressed thus: “Whoever misses his own personal attainments cannot gain any benefit from his forefathers’ attainments.”

400. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The believer’s time has three periods: The period when he is in communion with Allah, the period when he manages for his livelihood, and the period when he is free to enjoy what is lawful and pleasant. It does not behoove a wise person to be away (from his house) save for three matters, namely: for the purposes of learning, or going for something for the next life, or for enjoying what is not prohibited.

401. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Abstain from the world so that Allah may show you its real evils, and do not be neglectful because (in any case) you will not be neglected.

402. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Speak so that you may be known, since man is hidden under his tongue.

403. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Take of the favors of the world whatever comes to you and keep away from what keeps away from you. If you cannot do so, be moderate in your pursuits.

404. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Many an expression is more effective than an onslaught.

405. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Every small thing that is contented upon suffices.

406. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Let it be death but not humiliation. Let it be little but not through others. Whoever does not get while sitting will not get by standing either. The world has two days: one for you and the other against you. When the day is for you, do not feel proud, but when it is against you, endure it.

407. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The best scent is musk, its weight is light while its smell is sweet.

408. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Put off boasting, give up self-conceit and remember your grave.

409. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The child has a right on the father while the father, too, has a right on the child. The right of the father on the child is that the latter should obey the former in every matter save in committing sins against Allah, the Glorified One, while the right of the child on the father is that the latter should give the first a beautiful name, provide him with good training and teach him the Qur’an.

410. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, 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 tayrah (auguring evil) 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.

411. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Nearness with people in their manners brings about safety from their evil.

412. Someone uttered an expression above his status. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: You have started flying soon after growing feathers and commenced grumbling before attaining youth.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: Here, “shakir” [in the original Arabic text] means the first feathers that grow on a bird before it is strong enough to fly. And “saqb” means the young camel who does not grumble unless it becomes mature.

413. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever hankers after contraries gets no means of success.

414. On being asked about the meaning of the expression: “la hawla wala quwwata illa billah” (there is no strength nor power except through Allah), Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: We are not masters of anything along with Allah, and we are not masters of anything save what He makes us masters of. So, when He makes us masters of anything of which He is a superior Lord over us, He also assigns some duties to us. And when He takes it away, He takes away those duties as well.

415. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him heard ‘Ammar ibn Yasir (may Allah have mercy on him) conversing with al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah and said: Leave him alone, O ‘Ammar, 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.

416. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It is good for the rich to show humility before the poor to seek rewards from Allah, but better than that is the pride of the poor towards the rich with trust in Allah.

417. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Allah does not grant wisdom to a person except that some day He will save him from ruin with its help.

418. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever clashes with the truth will be knocked down by it.

419. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The heart is the book of the eye.

420. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Fear of Allah is the chief trait of the human character.

421. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do not try the sharpness of your tongue against the One Who gave you the power to speak, nor the eloquence of your speech against the One Who set you on the right path.

422. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It is enough for your own discipline that you abstain from what you dislike from others.

423. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: One should endure like free people; otherwise, one should keep quite like the ignorant.
In an incident, it is related that Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said to al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays by way of offering his condolences on the death of his son: Either endure like great people or else you will forget like animals.

424. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It deceives, it harms and it passes away. Allah, the Sublime, did not approve it as a reward for His lovers nor as a punishment for His enemies. In fact, the people of this world are like those riders that as soon as they descended, the driver called out to them and they marched off.

425. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said to his son al-Hassan, peace be upon him: O my son! Do not leave anything of this world behind you because you will be leaving it for either of two sorts of persons: a person who uses it in obeying Allah, in this case he will acquire virtue through what was evil for you, or a person who uses it in disobeying Allah and, in that case, he will be reaping evil with what you collected for him. So, you will be assisting him in his sinfulness. Neither of these two deserves to be preferred by you over your own self.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “This saying is also related in another version thus: Whatever of this world is now with you was with others before you, and it will pass to some others after you. Thus, you are collecting things for either of two sorts of men: a man who uses whatever you collected in obedience of Allah and thus acquired virtues with what was evil for you, or a man who uses it in disobeying Allah, so you will be getting evil for what you collected. Neither of these two is such that you should prefer him over your own self, for you may burden yourself for his own sake. Therefore, hope for the mercy of Allah: Divine livelihood for whoever survives anyone who passes away.

426. Someone said “Astaghfirullah!” (I seek Allah’s forgiveness) before Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: May your mother may lose you! Do you know what “istighfar” is? “Istighfar” is meant for people of a high status. It is a word that stands on six pillars: The first is to repent over the past, the second is to make a firm determination never to revert to it, the third is to carry out all the rights of people so that you may meet Allah quite clean with nothing to account for, the fourth is to fulfill every obligation which you ignored (in the past) so that you may now do justice with it, the fifth is to aim at the flesh grown as a result of unlawful earning, so that you may melt it by grief (of repentance) till the skin touches the bone and a new flesh grows between them, and the sixth is to make the body taste the pain of obedience as you (previously) made it taste the sweetness of disobedience. It is only on such an occasion that you may say: “Astaghfirullah!”

427. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Clemency is (like) kinsfolk.

428. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: How wretched the son of Adam is! His death is hidden, his ailments are concealed, his actions are preserved, the bite of a mosquito pains him, choking cause his death and sweat gives him a bad smell.

429. It is related that Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was sitting with his companions when a beautiful woman passed by and they began to look at her. It was then that Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: The eyes of these men are covetous, and such glances are the cause of their becoming covetous. Whenever anyone of you sees a woman who attracts him, he should meet his wife [for cohabitation] because she is a woman just like his wife.
One of the Kharijites said: “May Allah kill this heretic! How logical he is!” People then leapt towards him to kill him, but Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: “Wait a little bit. There should either be abuse [for an abuse] or else pardoning from the offence.”

430. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Suffices you if your wisdom distinguishes for you the ways of going astray from those of guidance.

431. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Do good and do not regard any part of it small because its small is big and its little is much. None of you should say that “Another person is more deserving than me” in doing good. Otherwise, by Allah, it will really be so. There are people of good and evil. When you leave either of the two, others will perform it.

432. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever mends his inward self, Allah mends his outward self. Whoever performs acts for the sake of his religion, Allah accomplishes his acts of this world. Anyone whose dealings between himself and Allah are good, Allah turns the dealings between him and other people good, too.

433. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Forbearance is a covering curtain, and wisdom is a sharp sword. Therefore, conceal the weaknesses in your conduct with forbearance and kill your desires with your wisdom.

434. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There are some creatures of Allah whom Allah particularly chooses for His favors so that they may be of benefit to other people. Therefore, He keeps such favors in their hands so long as they give them out to others. But when they deny them to others, He takes away the favors from them and gives them to others.

435. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It does not behoove a man to have trust in two things: health and riches, because there is many a man whom you see healthy but he soon falls and many a man whom you see rich but soon turns destitute.

436. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever complains about a need to a believer, it is as though he has complained about it to Allah. But whoever complains about it to an unbeliever, it is as though he complained about Allah.

437. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said on the occasion of an ‘Id: It is an ‘Id for anyone whose fast is accepted by Allah and for whose prayers He is grateful, and (in fact) every day wherein no sin against Allah is committed is an ‘Id.

438. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: On the Day of Judgment, the greatest regret will be felt by the man who earned wealth through sinful ways, although it is inherited by a person who spends it in obeying Allah, the Glorified One, and he will be awarded Paradise on that account while the first one will be dragged into the Fire on its account.

439. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The worst in bargaining and the most unsuccessful in striving is a man who exerts himself in seeking riches although fate does not help him in his aims and, consequently, he goes from this world in a sorrowful state while in the next world, too, he will face its ill consequences.

440. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Livelihood is of two kinds: the seeker and the sought. Therefore, whoever hankers after this world, death traces him till it turns him out of it. But whoever hankers after the next world, worldly ease itself seeks him till he receives his livelihood from it.

441. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The lovers of Allah are those who look at the inward side of the world, while the other people look at its outward side. They occupy themselves with its most remote benefits while the other people occupy themselves with the immediate benefits. They kill those things which they feared will have killed them, and they leave here in this world what they think will leave them. They took the amassing of wealth by others as a small matter and regarded it like losing. They are enemies of those things which others love while they love things which others hate. Through them, the Qur’an has been learned, and they have been given knowledge through the Qur’an. With them, the Qur’an is staying while they stand by the Qur’an. They do not see any objective of hope above what they hope and no objective of fear above what they fear.

442. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Remember that pleasures will pass away while the consequences will stay.

443. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Try (a man) and you will hate him!

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “Some people say that this saying was articulated by the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), but what confirms that it is the saying of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) is the statement related by Tha‘lab from Ibn al-Arabi, that is, that (caliph) al-Ma’man said, “If Ali had not said ‘ukhbur thiqlihi’ (try a man and you will hate him),” I will have said: ‘aqlihi takhbur’ (hate a man in order to try him).”

444. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: It is not that Allah, to Whom belongs Might and Majesty, may keep the door of gratitude open for a person and close the door of plenty upon him, or to open the door of prayer to a person and close the door of acceptance upon him, or to open the door of repentance on a person and close the door of forgiveness upon him.

445. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The most appropriate person for an honorable status is whoever descends from the people of honor.

446. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked: “Which of the two is better: justice or generosity?” Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) replied: “Justice puts things in their places while generosity takes them out from their directions. Justice is the general caretaker, while generosity is a particular benefit. Consequently, justice is superior and more distinguished of the two.”

447. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: People are enemies of what they do not know.

448. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The whole of asceticism is confined between two expressions of the Qur’an: Allah, the Glorified One, says: “... lest you should distress yourselves because of what you miss and be over-joyous for what He has granted you” (Qur’an, 57: 23). Whoever does not grieve over what he misses and does not revel over what comes to him acquires asceticism from both its sides.

449. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: What a breaker is sleep for the resolutions of the day!

450. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Governing power is the proving ground for people.

451. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: No town has a greater right on you than the other. The best town for you is that which bears you.

452. When the news of the death of (Malik) al-Ashtar (may Allah have mercy on him), reached Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him, he said: Malik, what a man Malik was! By Allah! If he had been a mountain, he would have been a big one (a find), and if he had been a stone, he would have been quite stiff. No horseman could have reached it and no bird could have flown over it.

Sayyid ar-Razi says: “find” means a lonely mountain (rising in height above the others in the range).

453. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A little that lasts is better than much that brings grief.

454. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: If a man possesses a revealing quality, wait and see his other qualities.

455. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him asked Ghalib ibn Sa‘sa‘ah, father of al-Farazdaq (the famous Arab poet), during a conversation between them: “What about the large number of your camels?!” The man replied: “They have been swept away by (the performing of) obligations, O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.)!” Whereupon Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said: “That is the most praiseworthy way of (losing) them.”

456. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever trades without knowing the rules of religious law will be involved in usury.

457. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever regards small distresses as big, Allah involves him in big ones.

458. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whoever maintains his own respect in view, his desires appear light to him.

459. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Whenever a man cuts a joke, he separates himself away a bit from his wit.

460. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Your turning away from the one who inclines towards you is a loss of your share of advantage, while your inclining towards one who turns away from you is selfhumiliation.

461. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Riches and destitution will follow presentation before Allah.

462. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Al-Zubayr remained a man from our house till his wretched son ‘Abdullah came forth.

463. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: What has a man to do with vanity? His origin is semen, his end is a carcass, while he cannot feed himself nor ward off death?

464. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked who the greatest poet was. He said: “Any group of them that did not proceed on the same lines in such a way that we can know the height of their glory, but if it has to be done, then it is ‘al-Malik ad-Dillil’”.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “Amir al-Mu’minin here is referring to Imri’ul-Qays.

465. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Is there no free man who can leave this chewed morsel (of the world) to those who like it? Certainly, the only price for your souls is Paradise. Therefore, do not sell your soul except for Paradise.

466. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Two greedy persons never get satisfied: the seeker of knowledge and the seeker of this world.

467. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Belief means that you should prefer truth (even) when it harms you rather than falsehood (even) when it benefits you, that your words should not be more than your action and that you should fear Allah when speaking about others.

468. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Destiny holds sway over (our) predetermination till effort itself brings about ruin.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “Something of this meaning has already appeared earlier though in words different from these.”

469. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Forbearance and endurance are twins and they are the product of high courage.

470. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Backbiting is the tool of the helpless.

471. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Many a man gets into mischief because of being spoken well of.

472. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: This world has been created for other than itself and has not been created for itself.

473. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads) have a fixed period (mirwad) wherein they are having their way. But when differences arise among them, even if the hyena attacks them, it will overpower them.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “Here, mirward is a form derived from irwad which means: to allow time, to wait for, to give a respite. It is an extremely eloquent and wonderful expression. It is as though Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) has likened the period of Banu Umayyah to a limited area meant for the training of horses for racing where they are running towards the limit, so that when they reach its extremity, their organization is destroyed.

474. Eulogizing the Ansar, Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: By Allah, they nurtured Islam with their generous hands and eloquent tongues as a year-old calf is nurtured.

475. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The eye is the strap of the rear.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “This is a wonderful metaphor. It is as though Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) has likened the rear part of the body to a bag and the eye to a strap. When the strap is let loose, the bag cannot retain anything. According to the well-known and reputed view, this is a saying of the Prophet, but some people have stated it belong to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.). Al-Mubarrad has mentioned it in his book Al-Muqtadab under a chapter titled “Words of single letters”. We, too, have discussed this metaphor in our book titled Majazat al-athar an-NAbawiyyah.”

476. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said in one of his speeches: A ruler came to power over them. He remained upright and made them upright till the entire religion put its bosom on the ground.

477. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: A severe time will come to people wherein the rich will seize their possessions with their teeth (by way of miserliness) although they have not been commanded to do so. Allah, the Glorified One, says: “Do not forget generosity among yourselves” (Qur’an, 2: 237). During this time, the wicked will rise up while the virtuous will remain low. Purchases will be made from the helpless, although the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) has prohibited purchasing from the helpless.

478. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Two types of persons will fall into ruin on my account: One who loves me and exaggerates, and the other who lays on me false and baseless blames.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “ This is on the lines of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib's (p.b.u.h.) own saying which runs thus: ‘Two categories of persons will be ruined on my account: One who loves me with exaggeration, and one who hates [me] and is a bearer of malice’.”

479. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him was asked about the Unity of Allah (Tawhid) and His justice (‘Adl). He replied: Unity means that you do not subject Him to the limitations of your imagination, while justice means that you do not lay any blame on Him.

480. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: There is no good in silence about matters involving wisdom just as there is no good in speaking with ignorance.

481. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said the following in his prayer for rain: “O Lord! Send us rain by submissive clouds, not by unruly ones.”

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “This is an expression of wonderful eloquence, because Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) has likened the cloud, which is accompanied by thunder, lightning, wind and flashes with unruly camels that throw away their saddles and throw down their riders, describing the clouds that are free from these terrible things to the submissive camels which are easy to milk and obedient to ride.”

482. It was said to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him: “We wish you had changed your gray hair, O Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.)!” He said: “Dye is a way of adornment, whereas we are in a state of grief.”

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) is referring to the death of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.).

483. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The fighter in the way of Allah who gets martyred will not get a greater reward than whoever remains chaste despite means. It is possible that a chaste person may become one of the angels.

484. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Contentment is a wealth that is not exhausted.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “Some people have narrated saying that this is the statement of the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.).”

485. When Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him put Ziyad ibn Abih in place of ‘Abdullah ibn al-‘Abbas over Fars (in Persia) and its revenues, he had a long conversation with him in which he prohibited him from advance recovery of revenue. Therein he said: Act upon justice and stay away from violence and injustice because violence will lead them to forsake their abodes while injustice will prompt them to take up arms.

486. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The worst sin is that which the one who commits it takes it lightly.

487. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: Allah has not made it obligatory on the ignorant to learn till He has made it obligatory on the learned to teach.

488. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: The worst comrade is he for whom formality has to be observed.

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “This is so because formality is inseparable from hardship, and it is an evil that is caused by a comrade for whom formality is observed. Consequently, he is the worst of all comrades.”

489. Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him said: “If a believer enrages (ihtashama) his brother, it means that he will leave him.”

Sayyid ar-Razi says, “It is said that hashamahu or ahshamahu means: ‘He enraged him’. According to another view, it means ‘He humiliated him’, while ihtashamahu means ‘He sought these for him’, and that is most likely to cause him to separate.”


This is the end of our selection of the utterances of Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib, peace be upon him. We praise Allah, the Glorified One, for having enabled us to collect the scattered utterances from various sides and to bring together from different places the material that was lying far away. We intend, as we stipulated in the beginning, to leave some blank pages at the end of every chapter for the insertion of whatever we may get and the addition of whatever comes to us, for it is possible that some material which is not in our view at present or which is not available may become known to us and fall in our hands. We have no ability save through Allah. In Him we trust, and He is Sufficient for us. He is the best Supporter.

This book was completed in the month of Rajab, in the year 400 A.H. (1009 A.D.). May Allah bless our master Muhammad, the last of the prophets and the one who guided us towards the best path, and bless his virtuous descendants and companions who are the stars of conviction.

Sources: http://www.sibtayn.com/

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