krmaazhama/Nehjul_Balagah_v1 · Datasets at Hugging Face

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160	QUOTES	QUOTE-243.txt	186. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who takes the lead in oppression has to bite his hand (in repentance) tomorrow.
161	QUOTES	QUOTE-244.txt	187. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The departure (from this world) is imminent.
162	QUOTES	QUOTE-245.txt	188. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whoever turned away from right was ruined.
163	QUOTES	QUOTE-246.txt	189. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If patience does not give relief to a man impatience kills him.
164	QUOTES	QUOTE-247.txt	190. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: How strange? Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship but not through (his) companionship and (his) kinship?
165	QUOTES	QUOTE-248.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Verses have also been related from Amir al-mu'minin on the same matter. They are:--
166	QUOTES	QUOTE-249.txt	If you claim to have secured authority by consultation, how did it happen when those to be consulted were absent! If you have scored over your opponents by kinship then someone else has greater right for being nearer to the Holy Prophet. 45
167	QUOTES	QUOTE-25.txt	22. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said We have a right. If it is allowed to us well and good, otherwise, we will ride on the hind part of the camel (like lowly people) even though the night journey may be long.
168	QUOTES	QUOTE-250.txt	191. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: In this world man is the target towards which the arrows of death fly, and is like that wealth whose destruction is quickened by hard ships. (In this world) with every drink there is suffocation and with every morsel there is choking. Here no one gets anything unless he loses something else, and not a day of his age advances till a day passes out from his life. Thus, we are helpers of death and our lives are the targets of mortality. How then can we expect everlasting life since the night and day do not raise anything high without quickly arranging for the destruction of whatever they have built and for the splitting asunder of whatever they have joined together.
169	QUOTES	QUOTE-251.txt	192. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: O son of Adam, whatever you earn beyond your basic needs you are only a treasurer of it for others.
170	QUOTES	QUOTE-252.txt	193. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Hearts are imbued with passion and the power of advancing and retreating. Therefore, approach them for action at the time of their psssionateness and when they are in a mood for advancing, because if hearts are forced (to do a thing) they will be blinded.
171	QUOTES	QUOTE-253.txt	194. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, used to say: If I am angry when shall I vent my anger - when I am unable to take revenge and it be said to me, "better you endure" or when I have power to take revenge and it be said to me, "better forgive"?
172	QUOTES	QUOTE-254.txt	195. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, passed beside a dump of rubbish full of filth and remarked: This is what the misers used to be niggardly about.
173	QUOTES	QUOTE-255.txt	In another tradition it is related that he said: This is what you used to dispute with each other about until yesterday!
174	QUOTES	QUOTE-256.txt	196. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The wealth that teaches you lesson does not go waste. 46
175	QUOTES	QUOTE-257.txt	197. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The hearts become tired as the bodies become tired. You should therefore search for beautiful sayings for them (to enjoy by way of refreshment).
176	QUOTES	QUOTE-258.txt	198. When Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, heard the slogan of the Kharijites: There is no verdict save of Allah-, he said: This sentence is true but it is interpreted wrongly.
177	QUOTES	QUOTE-259.txt	199. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said about the crowd of people: These are the people who, when they assemble together, are overwhelming but when they disperse they cannot be recognized.
178	QUOTES	QUOTE-26.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This is a very fine and eloquent expression. It means that if we are not allowed our right we will be regarded 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. 12
179	QUOTES	QUOTE-260.txt	It is related that instead of this Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: These are the people who when they assemble together cause harm but when they disperse are beneficial. It was pointed out to him: We know their harm at the time of their assembling but what is their benefit at the time of their dispersal?
180	QUOTES	QUOTE-261.txt	Then he replied: The workers return to their work and people get benefit out of them, like the return of the mason to the building site, that of the weaver to his loom, and that of the baker to his bakery.
181	QUOTES	QUOTE-262.txt	200. An offender was brought before Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, and there was a crowd of people with the man, so Amir al-mu'minin remarked: Woe to the faces who are seen only on foul occasions.
182	QUOTES	QUOTE-263.txt	201. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: With every individual there are two angels who protect him; when destiny approaches they let it have its own way with him. Certainly, the appointed time is a protective shield (against the events which occur before it).
183	QUOTES	QUOTE-264.txt	202. When Talhah and az-Zubayr said to him: We are prepared to swear allegiance to you on condition that we have a share with you in this matter (of caliphate), Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: No, but you will have a share in strengthening (the caliphate) and in affording assistance and you will both be helping me at the time of need and hardship.
184	QUOTES	QUOTE-265.txt	203. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: O people, fear Allah Who is such that when you speak He hears and when you conceal (a secret) He knows it. Prepare yourself to meet death which will overtake you even if you run away, catch you even if you stay and remember you even if you forget it.
185	QUOTES	QUOTE-266.txt	204. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If someone is not grateful to you, that should not prevent you from good actions, because (possibly) such a person will feel grateful about it who has not even drawn any benefit from it, and his gratefulness will be more than the ingratitude of the denier; And Allah loves those who do good. (Qur'an, 3:134,148; 5:93)
186	QUOTES	QUOTE-267.txt	205. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Every container gets narrower according to what is placed in it except the container of knowledge which expands instead.
187	QUOTES	QUOTE-268.txt	206. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The first reward the exerciser of forbearance gets is that people become his helpers against the ignorant.
188	QUOTES	QUOTE-269.txt	207. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If you cannot forbear, feign to do so because it is seldom that a man likens himself to a group and does not become as one of them.47
189	QUOTES	QUOTE-27.txt	23. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He whose deeds accord (him) a back position cannot be given a front position because of his lineage.
190	QUOTES	QUOTE-270.txt	208. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whoever takes account of his self is benefited, and whoever remains neglectful of it suffers. Whoever fears remains safe; whoever takes instruction (from things around) perceives; and whoever perceives gains understanding, and whoever gains understanding secures knowledge.
191	QUOTES	QUOTE-271.txt	209. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him said: The world will bend towards us after having been refractory as the biting she-camel bends towards its young. Then Amir al-mu'minin recited the verse:
192	QUOTES	QUOTE-272.txt	And intend We to bestow (Our) favour upon those who were considered weak in the land, and to make them the Imams (guides in faith), and to make them the heirs. (Qur'an, 28:5) 48
193	QUOTES	QUOTE-273.txt	210. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Fear Allah like the one who prepares himself after extracting himself (from worldly affairs) and after getting ready in this way makes effort; then he acts quickly during the period of this life, hastens in view of the dangers (of falling into error) and has his eye on proceeding towards the goal, on the end of his journey and on the place of his (eventual) return.
194	QUOTES	QUOTE-274.txt	211. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Generosity is the protector of honour; forbearance is the bridle of the fool; forgiveness is the levy of success; disregard is the punishment of him who betrays; and consultation is the chief way of guidance. He who is content with his own opinion faces danger. Endurance braves calamities while impatience is a helper of the hardships of the world. The best contentment is to give up desires. Many a slavish mind is subservient to overpowering longings. Capability helps preservation of experience. Love means well-utilized relationship. Do not trust one who is grieved.
195	QUOTES	QUOTE-275.txt	212. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: A man's vanity for himself is one of the enemies of his intelligence. 49
196	QUOTES	QUOTE-276.txt	213. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Ignore pain otherwise you will never be happy. (Or according to another reading): Ignore pain and grief; you will ever be happy. 50
197	QUOTES	QUOTE-277.txt	214. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The tree whose trunk is soft has thick branches. 51
198	QUOTES	QUOTE-278.txt	215. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Opposition destroys good counsel.
199	QUOTES	QUOTE-279.txt	216. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who gives generously achieves position. (Or according to another interpretation): He who achieves position begins to make wrong use of it.
200	QUOTES	QUOTE-28.txt	24. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Rendering relief to the grief-stricken and providing comfort in hardship are among the means of atonement for great sins.
201	QUOTES	QUOTE-280.txt	217. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Through change of circumstances the mettle of men is known.
202	QUOTES	QUOTE-281.txt	218. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Jealousy by a friend means defect in his love.
203	QUOTES	QUOTE-282.txt	219. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Most of the deficiency of intelligence occurs due to the flash of greed. 52
204	QUOTES	QUOTE-283.txt	220. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: There is no justice in passing a verdict by relying on probability.
205	QUOTES	QUOTE-284.txt	221. Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The worst provision for the Day of Judgement is high-handedness over people.
206	QUOTES	QUOTE-285.txt	222. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The highest act of a noble person is to ignore what he knows.
207	QUOTES	QUOTE-286.txt	223. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whomever modesty clothes with its dress people cannot see his defects. 53
208	QUOTES	QUOTE-287.txt	224. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Excess of silence produces awe; justice results in more close friends; generosity heightens position; with humility blessings abound in plenty; by facing hardships leadership is achieved; by just behaviour the adversary is overpowered; and with forbearance against a fool there is increase of one's supporters against him.
209	QUOTES	QUOTE-288.txt	225. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: It is strange that the jealous do not feel jealous about bodily health. 54
210	QUOTES	QUOTE-289.txt	226. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The greedy is in the shackles of disgrace.
211	QUOTES	QUOTE-29.txt	25. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: O son of Adam, when you see that your Lord, the Glorified, bestows His favours on you while you are disobeying Him, you should fear Him. 13
212	QUOTES	QUOTE-290.txt	227. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked about belief (iman) when he said: Belief means appreciation with the heart, acknowledgement with the tongue, and action with the limbs.
213	QUOTES	QUOTE-291.txt	228. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who is sorrowful for this world is in fact displeased with the dispensation of Allah. He who complains of a calamity that befalls him complains of his Lord (Allah). He who approaches a rich man and bends before him on account of his riches then two-third of his religion is gone. If a man reads the Qur'an and on dying goes to Hell then it means that he was among those who treated Divine verses with mockery. If a man's heart gets attached to the world, then it catches three things, namely worry that never leaves him, greed that does not abandon him and desire which he never fulfils.
214	QUOTES	QUOTE-292.txt	229. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Contentment is as good as estate, and goodness of moral character is as good as a blessing.
215	QUOTES	QUOTE-293.txt	Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked about Allah's saying: (Whosoever did good, whether male or female, and he be a believer, then); We will certainly make him live a life good and pure (and certainly We will give them their return with the best of what they were doing). (Qur'an, 16:97) when he said: that means (a life of) contentment. 55
216	QUOTES	QUOTE-294.txt	230. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Be a sharer with him who has an abundant livelihood because he is more probable to get more riches and likely to secure an increase of the share therein.
217	QUOTES	QUOTE-295.txt	231. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said about Allah's saying: Verily, Allah enjoins justice ('adl) and benevolence (ihsan), (Qur'an, 16:90). Here 'adl means equidistribution and ihsan means favour.
218	QUOTES	QUOTE-296.txt	232. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who gives with his short hand is given by a long hand.
219	QUOTES	QUOTE-297.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The meaning of this saying is that even though what a man spends in charity from his possessions may be small, yet Allah, the Sublime, gives good reward for it. And the two hands referred to, here means two favours. Thus, Amir al-mu'minin has differentiated between the favour of man and the favour of the Lord (Allah) -- exalted be the mention of His name -- since he has described the first as small and the other as big. This is because the favours of Allah are ever multiplied manifold to the favours of man since Allah's favours are the basis of all favours in the sense that every other favour springs from it and turns to it.
220	QUOTES	QUOTE-298.txt	233. Amir al-mu'minin said to his son al-Hasan, peace be upon them both: Do not call out for fighting, but if you are called to it do respond, because the caller to fighting is a rebel and the rebel deserves destruction. 56
221	QUOTES	QUOTE-299.txt	234. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The best traits of women are those which are the worst traits of men, namely: vanity, cowardice and miserliness. Thus, since the woman is vain, she will not allow anyone access to herself; since she is miserly, she will preserve her own property and the property of her husband; and since she is weak-hearted, she will be frightened with everything that befalls her.
222	QUOTES	QUOTE-3.txt	3. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Miserliness is shame; cowardice is a defect; poverty disables an intelligent man from arguing his case; and a destitute person is a stranger in his home town.
223	QUOTES	QUOTE-30.txt	26. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: 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. 14
224	QUOTES	QUOTE-300.txt	235. It was said to Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him: Describe the wise to us; and he said: The wise is one who places things in their proper positions. Then, he was asked: Describe the ignorant to us; and he said: I have already done so.
225	QUOTES	QUOTE-301.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The meaning is that the ignorant is one who does not place things in their proper positions. In this way, Amir al-mu'minin's abstention from describing was a way of describing him because the attributes of the ignorant are the opposite of the wise.
226	QUOTES	QUOTE-302.txt	236. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: By Allah, this world of yours is more lowly in my view than the (left over) bone of a pig in the hand of a leper.
227	QUOTES	QUOTE-303.txt	237. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: A group of people worshipped Allah out of desire for reward surely, this is the worship of traders. Another group worshipped Allah out of fear; this is the worship of slaves. Still another group worshipped Allah out of gratefulness; this is the worship of free men.
228	QUOTES	QUOTE-304.txt	238. Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Woman is evil, all in all; and the worst of it is that one cannot do without her.
229	QUOTES	QUOTE-305.txt	239. Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who is a sluggard loses his rights and he who believes in the backbiter loses his friend.
230	QUOTES	QUOTE-306.txt	240. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be. upon him, said: One ill-gotten piece of stone in a house is a guarantee for its ruin.
231	QUOTES	QUOTE-307.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: In one tradition this saying is attributed to the Prophet. It is no wonder that the two sayings should resemble each other because they are driven from the same source and dispersed through the same means.
232	QUOTES	QUOTE-308.txt	241. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The day of the oppressed over the oppressor will be severer than the day of the oppressor over the oppressed. 57
233	QUOTES	QUOTE-309.txt	242. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Fear Allah to some degree (even) though it be little; and set a curtain between you and Allah (even) though it be thin.
234	QUOTES	QUOTE-31.txt	27. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Keep walking in your sickness as long as you can. 15
235	QUOTES	QUOTE-310.txt	243. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When replies are numerous the correct point remains obscure. 58
236	QUOTES	QUOTE-311.txt	244. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Surely in every blessing there is a right of Allah. If one discharges that right Allah increases the blessing, and if one falls short of doing so one stands in danger of losing the blessing.
237	QUOTES	QUOTE-312.txt	245. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When capability increases, desire decreases.
238	QUOTES	QUOTE-313.txt	246. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Keep on guard against the slipping away of blessings because not everything that runs away comes back.
239	QUOTES	QUOTE-314.txt	247. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Generosity is more prompting to good than regard for kinship.
240	QUOTES	QUOTE-315.txt	248. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If a person has a good idea about you make his idea be true.
241	QUOTES	QUOTE-316.txt	249. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The best act is that which you have to force yourself to do.
242	QUOTES	QUOTE-317.txt	250. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: I came to know Allah, the Glorified, through the breaking of determinations, change of intentions and losing of courage. 59
243	QUOTES	QUOTE-318.txt	251. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The bitterness of this world is the sweetness of the next world while the sweetness of this world is the bitterness of the next one.
244	QUOTES	QUOTE-319.txt	252. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Allah has laid down iman (belief) for purification from polytheism; salat (prayer) for purification from vanity; zakat (levy) as a means of livelihood; siyam (fasting) as a trial of the people; hajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Mecca) as a support for religion; jihad (fighting in the way of Allah) for the honour of Islam; persuasion for good (al-amr bi'l-ma`ruf) for the good of the common people; dissuasion from evil (an-nahy 'ani'l-munkar) for the control of the mischievous; regard for kinship for increase of number; revenge for stoppage of bloodshed; the award of penalties for the realization of importance of the prohibitions; the abstinence from drinking wine for protection of the wit; the avoidance of theft for inculcating chastity; abstinence from adultery for safeguarding descent; abstinence from sodomy for increase of progeny; tendering evidence for furnishing proof against contentions; abstinence from the lie for increasing esteem for truth; maintenance of peace (salam) for protection from danger; imamah or Imamate (Divine Leadership) for the orderliness of the community and obedience (to Imams) as a mark of respect to the Imamate. 60
245	QUOTES	QUOTE-32.txt	28. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The best abstemiousness is to conceal it.
246	QUOTES	QUOTE-320.txt	253. Amir al-mu'minin, 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 His power, because if he swears falsely in this way he will be quickly 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 expressing the Unity of Allah, the Sublime. 61ciii
247	QUOTES	QUOTE-321.txt	254. Amir al-mu'minin, 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. 62
248	QUOTES	QUOTE-322.txt	255. Amir al-mu'minin, 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.
249	QUOTES	QUOTE-323.txt	256. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Health of body comes from paucity of envy. 63
250	QUOTES	QUOTE-324.txt	257. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said 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 Him Whose hearing extends to all voices if ever 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.
251	QUOTES	QUOTE-325.txt	258. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When you fall into destitution, trade with Allah through charity.
252	QUOTES	QUOTE-326.txt	259. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Faithfulness with faithless people is faithlessness with Allah, while faithlessness with faithless people is faithfulness with Allah.
253	QUOTES	QUOTE-327.txt	260. Amir al-mu'minin, 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, than the giving of time.
254	QUOTES	QUOTE-328.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This saying has appeared earlier as well but here it contains a beautiful and useful addition.
255	QUOTES	QUOTE-329.txt	I. A tradition related from Amir al-mu'minin, 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 collect during autumn.
256	QUOTES	QUOTE-33.txt	29. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When you are running away from the world and death is approaching, there is no question of delay in the encounter.
257	QUOTES	QUOTE-330.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "Ya'sub" 64 is the great chief who is in charge of the people's affairs, and "quza`" means the pieces of cloud which have no rain.
258	QUOTES	QUOTE-331.txt	II. A tradition of Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, says: He is a versatile speaker. 65
259	QUOTES	QUOTE-332.txt	As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "shahshah" means one expert and free in speech, and every one who is free in speech or walking is called "shahshah", while in another sense this word means a miserly and niggardly person.

160

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QUOTE-243.txt

186. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who takes the lead in oppression has to bite his hand (in repentance) tomorrow.

161

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QUOTE-244.txt

187. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The departure (from this world) is imminent.

162

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QUOTE-245.txt

188. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whoever turned away from right was ruined.

163

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QUOTE-246.txt

189. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If patience does not give relief to a man impatience kills him.

164

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QUOTE-247.txt

190. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: How strange? Could the caliphate be through the (Prophet's) companionship but not through (his) companionship and (his) kinship?

165

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QUOTE-248.txt

As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Verses have also been related from Amir al-mu'minin on the same matter. They are:--

166

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QUOTE-249.txt

If you claim to have secured authority by consultation, how did it happen when those to be consulted were absent! If you have scored over your opponents by kinship then someone else has greater right for being nearer to the Holy Prophet. 45

167

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QUOTE-25.txt

22. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said We have a right. If it is allowed to us well and good, otherwise, we will ride on the hind part of the camel (like lowly people) even though the night journey may be long.

168

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QUOTE-250.txt

191. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: In this world man is the target towards which the arrows of death fly, and is like that wealth whose destruction is quickened by hard ships. (In this world) with every drink there is suffocation and with every morsel there is choking. Here no one gets anything unless he loses something else, and not a day of his age advances till a day passes out from his life. Thus, we are helpers of death and our lives are the targets of mortality. How then can we expect everlasting life since the night and day do not raise anything high without quickly arranging for the destruction of whatever they have built and for the splitting asunder of whatever they have joined together.

169

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QUOTE-251.txt

192. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: O son of Adam, whatever you earn beyond your basic needs you are only a treasurer of it for others.

170

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QUOTE-252.txt

193. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Hearts are imbued with passion and the power of advancing and retreating. Therefore, approach them for action at the time of their psssionateness and when they are in a mood for advancing, because if hearts are forced (to do a thing) they will be blinded.

171

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QUOTE-253.txt

194. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, used to say: If I am angry when shall I vent my anger - when I am unable to take revenge and it be said to me, "better you endure" or when I have power to take revenge and it be said to me, "better forgive"?

172

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QUOTE-254.txt

195. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, passed beside a dump of rubbish full of filth and remarked: This is what the misers used to be niggardly about.

173

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QUOTE-255.txt

In another tradition it is related that he said: This is what you used to dispute with each other about until yesterday!

174

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QUOTE-256.txt

196. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The wealth that teaches you lesson does not go waste. 46

175

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QUOTE-257.txt

197. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The hearts become tired as the bodies become tired. You should therefore search for beautiful sayings for them (to enjoy by way of refreshment).

176

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QUOTE-258.txt

198. When Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, heard the slogan of the Kharijites: There is no verdict save of Allah-, he said: This sentence is true but it is interpreted wrongly.

177

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199. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said about the crowd of people: These are the people who, when they assemble together, are overwhelming but when they disperse they cannot be recognized.

178

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As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This is a very fine and eloquent expression. It means that if we are not allowed our right we will be regarded 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. 12

179

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It is related that instead of this Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: These are the people who when they assemble together cause harm but when they disperse are beneficial. It was pointed out to him: We know their harm at the time of their assembling but what is their benefit at the time of their dispersal?

180

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Then he replied: The workers return to their work and people get benefit out of them, like the return of the mason to the building site, that of the weaver to his loom, and that of the baker to his bakery.

181

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200. An offender was brought before Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, and there was a crowd of people with the man, so Amir al-mu'minin remarked: Woe to the faces who are seen only on foul occasions.

182

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201. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: With every individual there are two angels who protect him; when destiny approaches they let it have its own way with him. Certainly, the appointed time is a protective shield (against the events which occur before it).

183

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202. When Talhah and az-Zubayr said to him: We are prepared to swear allegiance to you on condition that we have a share with you in this matter (of caliphate), Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: No, but you will have a share in strengthening (the caliphate) and in affording assistance and you will both be helping me at the time of need and hardship.

184

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203. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: O people, fear Allah Who is such that when you speak He hears and when you conceal (a secret) He knows it. Prepare yourself to meet death which will overtake you even if you run away, catch you even if you stay and remember you even if you forget it.

185

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204. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If someone is not grateful to you, that should not prevent you from good actions, because (possibly) such a person will feel grateful about it who has not even drawn any benefit from it, and his gratefulness will be more than the ingratitude of the denier; And Allah loves those who do good. (Qur'an, 3:134,148; 5:93)

186

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QUOTE-267.txt

205. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Every container gets narrower according to what is placed in it except the container of knowledge which expands instead.

187

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QUOTE-268.txt

206. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The first reward the exerciser of forbearance gets is that people become his helpers against the ignorant.

188

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207. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If you cannot forbear, feign to do so because it is seldom that a man likens himself to a group and does not become as one of them.47

189

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QUOTE-27.txt

23. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He whose deeds accord (him) a back position cannot be given a front position because of his lineage.

190

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208. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whoever takes account of his self is benefited, and whoever remains neglectful of it suffers. Whoever fears remains safe; whoever takes instruction (from things around) perceives; and whoever perceives gains understanding, and whoever gains understanding secures knowledge.

191

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209. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him said: The world will bend towards us after having been refractory as the biting she-camel bends towards its young. Then Amir al-mu'minin recited the verse:

192

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And intend We to bestow (Our) favour upon those who were considered weak in the land, and to make them the Imams (guides in faith), and to make them the heirs. (Qur'an, 28:5) 48

193

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210. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Fear Allah like the one who prepares himself after extracting himself (from worldly affairs) and after getting ready in this way makes effort; then he acts quickly during the period of this life, hastens in view of the dangers (of falling into error) and has his eye on proceeding towards the goal, on the end of his journey and on the place of his (eventual) return.

194

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211. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Generosity is the protector of honour; forbearance is the bridle of the fool; forgiveness is the levy of success; disregard is the punishment of him who betrays; and consultation is the chief way of guidance. He who is content with his own opinion faces danger. Endurance braves calamities while impatience is a helper of the hardships of the world. The best contentment is to give up desires. Many a slavish mind is subservient to overpowering longings. Capability helps preservation of experience. Love means well-utilized relationship. Do not trust one who is grieved.

195

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212. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: A man's vanity for himself is one of the enemies of his intelligence. 49

196

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213. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Ignore pain otherwise you will never be happy. (Or according to another reading): Ignore pain and grief; you will ever be happy. 50

197

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214. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The tree whose trunk is soft has thick branches. 51

198

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215. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Opposition destroys good counsel.

199

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QUOTE-279.txt

216. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who gives generously achieves position. (Or according to another interpretation): He who achieves position begins to make wrong use of it.

200

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QUOTE-28.txt

24. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Rendering relief to the grief-stricken and providing comfort in hardship are among the means of atonement for great sins.

201

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QUOTE-280.txt

217. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Through change of circumstances the mettle of men is known.

202

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QUOTE-281.txt

218. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Jealousy by a friend means defect in his love.

203

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219. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Most of the deficiency of intelligence occurs due to the flash of greed. 52

204

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QUOTE-283.txt

220. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: There is no justice in passing a verdict by relying on probability.

205

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221. Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The worst provision for the Day of Judgement is high-handedness over people.

206

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222. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The highest act of a noble person is to ignore what he knows.

207

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223. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whomever modesty clothes with its dress people cannot see his defects. 53

208

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224. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Excess of silence produces awe; justice results in more close friends; generosity heightens position; with humility blessings abound in plenty; by facing hardships leadership is achieved; by just behaviour the adversary is overpowered; and with forbearance against a fool there is increase of one's supporters against him.

209

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225. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: It is strange that the jealous do not feel jealous about bodily health. 54

210

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226. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The greedy is in the shackles of disgrace.

211

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25. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: O son of Adam, when you see that your Lord, the Glorified, bestows His favours on you while you are disobeying Him, you should fear Him. 13

212

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227. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked about belief (iman) when he said: Belief means appreciation with the heart, acknowledgement with the tongue, and action with the limbs.

213

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228. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who is sorrowful for this world is in fact displeased with the dispensation of Allah. He who complains of a calamity that befalls him complains of his Lord (Allah). He who approaches a rich man and bends before him on account of his riches then two-third of his religion is gone. If a man reads the Qur'an and on dying goes to Hell then it means that he was among those who treated Divine verses with mockery. If a man's heart gets attached to the world, then it catches three things, namely worry that never leaves him, greed that does not abandon him and desire which he never fulfils.

214

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229. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Contentment is as good as estate, and goodness of moral character is as good as a blessing.

215

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QUOTE-293.txt

Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked about Allah's saying: (Whosoever did good, whether male or female, and he be a believer, then); We will certainly make him live a life good and pure (and certainly We will give them their return with the best of what they were doing). (Qur'an, 16:97) when he said: that means (a life of) contentment. 55

216

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230. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Be a sharer with him who has an abundant livelihood because he is more probable to get more riches and likely to secure an increase of the share therein.

217

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231. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said about Allah's saying: Verily, Allah enjoins justice ('adl) and benevolence (ihsan), (Qur'an, 16:90). Here 'adl means equidistribution and ihsan means favour.

218

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232. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who gives with his short hand is given by a long hand.

219

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As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The meaning of this saying is that even though what a man spends in charity from his possessions may be small, yet Allah, the Sublime, gives good reward for it. And the two hands referred to, here means two favours. Thus, Amir al-mu'minin has differentiated between the favour of man and the favour of the Lord (Allah) -- exalted be the mention of His name -- since he has described the first as small and the other as big. This is because the favours of Allah are ever multiplied manifold to the favours of man since Allah's favours are the basis of all favours in the sense that every other favour springs from it and turns to it.

220

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233. Amir al-mu'minin said to his son al-Hasan, peace be upon them both: Do not call out for fighting, but if you are called to it do respond, because the caller to fighting is a rebel and the rebel deserves destruction. 56

221

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234. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The best traits of women are those which are the worst traits of men, namely: vanity, cowardice and miserliness. Thus, since the woman is vain, she will not allow anyone access to herself; since she is miserly, she will preserve her own property and the property of her husband; and since she is weak-hearted, she will be frightened with everything that befalls her.

222

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3. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Miserliness is shame; cowardice is a defect; poverty disables an intelligent man from arguing his case; and a destitute person is a stranger in his home town.

223

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26. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: 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. 14

224

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235. It was said to Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him: Describe the wise to us; and he said: The wise is one who places things in their proper positions. Then, he was asked: Describe the ignorant to us; and he said: I have already done so.

225

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As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The meaning is that the ignorant is one who does not place things in their proper positions. In this way, Amir al-mu'minin's abstention from describing was a way of describing him because the attributes of the ignorant are the opposite of the wise.

226

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236. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: By Allah, this world of yours is more lowly in my view than the (left over) bone of a pig in the hand of a leper.

227

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237. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: A group of people worshipped Allah out of desire for reward surely, this is the worship of traders. Another group worshipped Allah out of fear; this is the worship of slaves. Still another group worshipped Allah out of gratefulness; this is the worship of free men.

228

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238. Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Woman is evil, all in all; and the worst of it is that one cannot do without her.

229

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239. Amir a'-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: He who is a sluggard loses his rights and he who believes in the backbiter loses his friend.

230

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240. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be. upon him, said: One ill-gotten piece of stone in a house is a guarantee for its ruin.

231

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As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: In one tradition this saying is attributed to the Prophet. It is no wonder that the two sayings should resemble each other because they are driven from the same source and dispersed through the same means.

232

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241. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The day of the oppressed over the oppressor will be severer than the day of the oppressor over the oppressed. 57

233

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242. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Fear Allah to some degree (even) though it be little; and set a curtain between you and Allah (even) though it be thin.

234

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27. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Keep walking in your sickness as long as you can. 15

235

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243. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When replies are numerous the correct point remains obscure. 58

236

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244. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Surely in every blessing there is a right of Allah. If one discharges that right Allah increases the blessing, and if one falls short of doing so one stands in danger of losing the blessing.

237

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QUOTE-312.txt

245. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When capability increases, desire decreases.

238

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QUOTE-313.txt

246. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Keep on guard against the slipping away of blessings because not everything that runs away comes back.

239

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QUOTE-314.txt

247. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Generosity is more prompting to good than regard for kinship.

240

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QUOTE-315.txt

248. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If a person has a good idea about you make his idea be true.

241

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QUOTE-316.txt

249. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The best act is that which you have to force yourself to do.

242

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QUOTE-317.txt

250. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: I came to know Allah, the Glorified, through the breaking of determinations, change of intentions and losing of courage. 59

243

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251. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The bitterness of this world is the sweetness of the next world while the sweetness of this world is the bitterness of the next one.

244

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252. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Allah has laid down iman (belief) for purification from polytheism; salat (prayer) for purification from vanity; zakat (levy) as a means of livelihood; siyam (fasting) as a trial of the people; hajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah in Mecca) as a support for religion; jihad (fighting in the way of Allah) for the honour of Islam; persuasion for good (al-amr bi'l-ma`ruf) for the good of the common people; dissuasion from evil (an-nahy 'ani'l-munkar) for the control of the mischievous; regard for kinship for increase of number; revenge for stoppage of bloodshed; the award of penalties for the realization of importance of the prohibitions; the abstinence from drinking wine for protection of the wit; the avoidance of theft for inculcating chastity; abstinence from adultery for safeguarding descent; abstinence from sodomy for increase of progeny; tendering evidence for furnishing proof against contentions; abstinence from the lie for increasing esteem for truth; maintenance of peace (salam) for protection from danger; imamah or Imamate (Divine Leadership) for the orderliness of the community and obedience (to Imams) as a mark of respect to the Imamate. 60

245

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28. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The best abstemiousness is to conceal it.

246

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253. Amir al-mu'minin, 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 His power, because if he swears falsely in this way he will be quickly 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 expressing the Unity of Allah, the Sublime. 61ciii

247

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254. Amir al-mu'minin, 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. 62

248

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255. Amir al-mu'minin, 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.

249

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256. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Health of body comes from paucity of envy. 63

250

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257. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said 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 Him Whose hearing extends to all voices if ever 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.

251

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258. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When you fall into destitution, trade with Allah through charity.

252

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259. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Faithfulness with faithless people is faithlessness with Allah, while faithlessness with faithless people is faithfulness with Allah.

253

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260. Amir al-mu'minin, 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, than the giving of time.

254

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QUOTE-328.txt

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

255

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I. A tradition related from Amir al-mu'minin, 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 collect during autumn.

256

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29. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: When you are running away from the world and death is approaching, there is no question of delay in the encounter.

257

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As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "Ya'sub" 64 is the great chief who is in charge of the people's affairs, and "quza`" means the pieces of cloud which have no rain.

258

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II. A tradition of Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, says: He is a versatile speaker. 65

259

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As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "shahshah" means one expert and free in speech, and every one who is free in speech or walking is called "shahshah", while in another sense this word means a miserly and niggardly person.