wonderful saying450. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Whenever a man cuts a joke he separates away a bit from his wit. 451. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Your turning away from him who inclines towards you is a loss of your share of advantage while your inclining towards him who turns away from you is humiliation for yourself. 452. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Riches and destitution will follow presentation before Allah. 453. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: az-Zubayr remained a man from our house till his wretched son 'Abdullah came forth. (1)
(1). 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwam
(1/622-73/692), whose mother was Asma', sister of A'ishah (daughter of Abu
Bakr),, had grown in his dislike of the Banu Hashim especially towards Amir
al-mu'minin to such a stage that he was able to change the opinion of his
father, az-Zubayr, against Amir al-mu'minin although the latter was the son of
his father's aunt. That is why Amir al-mu'minin said:
az-Zubayr had always been from us the Ahlu 'l-bayt (our household), until his
ill-owned son 'Abdullah grew up. (al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.906; Usd al-ghabah,
vol.3, pp.162-163; Ibn 'Asakir, vol.7, p.363; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, vol.2, p.167;
vol.4, p.79; vol.20, p.104)
'Abdullah was one of the instigators of the battle of Jamal. His aunt 'A'ishah,
his father, az-Zubayr, and the son of his mother's uncle Talhah, had fought
against Amir al-mu'minin.
Thus, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid writes:
It was 'Abdullah who urged az-Zubayr to fight (in the battle of Jamal), and made
the march to Basrah seem attractive to 'A'ishah. (Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol.4
p.79)
'A'ishah loved her nephew 'Abdullah very much. To her he was like the only child
of a mother, and none in those days was more beloved to
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450. وقال عليه السلام: مَا مَزَحَ (4990) امْرُؤٌ مَزْحَةً إِلاَّ مَجَّ (4991) مِنْ عَقْلِهِ مَجَّةً. 451. وقال عليه السلام: زُهْدُكَ فِي رَاغِبٍ فِيكَ نُقْصَانُ حَظٍّ، وَرَغْبَتُكَ فِي زَاهِدٍ فِيكَ ذُلُّ نَفْسٍ. 452. وقال عليه السلام: الغِنَى والْفَقْرُ بَعْدَ الْعَرْضِ (4992) عَلَى اللهِ. 453. وقال عليه السلام: مَا زَالَ الزُّبَيْرُ رَجُلاً مِنَّا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ حَتَّى نَشَأَ ابْنُهُ الْمَشْؤُومُ عَبْدُ اللهِ. * * * * * |
454. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: What has a man to do with vanity. His origin is semen and his end is a carcass while he cannot feed himself nor ward off death. (1) 455. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked about the greatest poet and he said: The whole group of them 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 the "al-Malik ad-dillil" (the mislead king). as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Amir al-mu'minin means Imiru'l-Qays. (2)
(1). If a man ponders over his original condition and the
eventual bred' king up and ruining of his body he Will be compelled to admit his
lowliness and humble position instead of being proud and vain, because he will
see that there was a time when he did not exist and Allah originated his
existence with a humble drop of semen which took the shape of a piece of flesh
in the mother's womb and continued feeding and growing on thick blood. When on
completion of the body he set foot on the earth he was so helpless and incapable
that he had neither control over his hunger and thirst nor on sickness and
health, nor any command over benefit or harm, or any authority over life and
death, not knowing when the energy of limbs may exhaust, feeling and sense may
leave, eyesight may be taken away, power of hearing may be snatched and when
death may separate the spirit from the body and leave the latter to be cut into
pieces by vultures and kites or for worms to eat it in the grave.
An Arabic couplet says:
How does one whose origin is semen and whose end is a carcass are be vain?
(2). This means that a comparison can be made among the
poets when their imagination runs in the same field; but when the expression of
one differs from the other, and the style of one varies from that of the other
it is difficult to decide who is. defeated and who has won the field.
Consequently, from various considerations one is preferred over the other and
someone is considered greater for one consideration and the other for other
consideration, as the famous saying goes:
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454. وقال عليه السلام: مَا لاِبْنِ آدَمَ وَالْفَخْرِ: أَوَّلُهُ نُطْفَةٌ، وَآخِرُهُ جِيفَةٌ، وَلاَ يَرْزُقُ نَفْسَهُ، وَلاَ يَدفَعُ حَتْفَهُ. 455. وسئل: من أشعر الشعراء؟ فقال عليه السلام: إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ لَمْ يَجْرُوا فِي حَلبةٍ (4993) تُعْرَفُ الْغَايَةُ عِنْدَ قَصَبَتِهَا فَإِنْ كَانَ وَ لاَبُدَّ فَالْمَلِكُ الضِّلِّيلُ (4994) . يريد امرأ القيس. * * * * * |
456. وقال عليه السلام: أَلاَ حُرٌّ يَدَعُ هذِهِ اللُّمَاظَةَ (4995) لِأََهْلِهَا؟ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِأََنْفُسِكُمْ ثَمَنٌ إِلاَّ الْجَنَّةَ، فَلاَ تَبِيعُوهَا إِلاَّ بِهَا. 457. وقال عليه السلام: مَنْهُومَانِ (4996) لاَ يَشْعَبَانِ: طَالِبُ عِلْمٍ، وَطَالِبُ دُنْيَا. 458. وقال عليه السلام: الْإِِيمَانِ أَنْ تُؤثِرَ الصِّدْقَ حَيْثُ يَضُرُّكَ عَلَى الْكَذِبِ حَيْثُ يَنْفَعُك وَأَلاَّ يَكُونَ فِي حَديِثِكَ فَضْلٌ عَنْ عِلْمِكَ (4997) وَأَنْ تَتَّقِيَ اللهَ فِي حَدِيثِ غَيْرِكَ (4998) . 459. وقال عليه السلام: يَغْلِبُ الْمِقْدَارُ (4999) عَلَى التَّقْديرِ (5000) حَتَّى تَكُونَ الْآفَةُ فِي التَّدْبِيرِ. قال الرضي: وقد مضى هذا المعنى فيما تقدم برواية تخالف بعض هذه الأَلفاظ. 460. وقال عليه السلام: الْحِلْمُ (5001) وَالْأَنَاةُ (5002) تَوْأَمَانِ (5003) يُنْتِجُهُمَا عُلُوُّ الْهِمَّةِ. 461. وقال عليه السلام: الْغِيبَةُ (5004) جُهْدُ (5005) الْعَاجِِزِ. * * * * * |
462. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Many a man gets into mischief because of being spoken well about. 463. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: This world has been created for other than itself and has not been created for itself. 464. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The Banu Umayyah (Umayyids) have a fixed period (mirwad) wherein they are having their way. But when differences arise among them then even if the hyena attacks them it will overpower them. as-Sayyid ar-Radi Says: Herein "mirward" is a form derived from "mirwad" which means to allow time, to wait for. It is an extremely eloquent and wonderful expression. It is as though Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, 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 will be destroyed . (1)
(1). This is the prophecy about the decline and fall of
the Umayyads that proved true, word for word. This rule was founded by Mu'awiyah
ibn Abi Sufyan and ended with Marwan ibn Muhammad al-Himar in 132 A. H. after a
life of ninety years, eleven months and thirteen days. The Umayyads period was
second to none in tyranny, oppression, harshness and despotism. The despotic
rulers of this period perpetrated such tyranny that it put blots on Islam,
blackened the pages of history and injured the spirit of humanity. They allowed
every kind of ruin and destruction only to retain their own personal authority.
They led armies to Mecca, hurled fire on the Ka'bah, made Medina the victim of
their brute passions, and shed streams of Muslim blood. At last, this bloodshed
and ruthlessness resulted in revolts and conspiracies from all sides and their
internal strife and agitation and their mutual fighting paved the way for their
ruin. Although political unrest had set in among them earlier yet during the
days of al-Walid ibn Yazid open disturbances began to occur. On the other side
Banu al-'Abbas (the 'Abbasids) also started preparations and during the reign of
Marwan al-Himar they started a movement under the name of "al-khilafah
al-Ilahiyyah" (the Caliphate of Allah).
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462. وقال عليه السلام: رُبَّ مَفْتُونٍ بِحُسْنِ الْقَوْلِ فِيهِ. 463. وقال عليه السلام: الدُّنْيَا خُلِقَتْ لِغَيْرِهَا، ولَمْ تُخْلَقْ لِنَفْسِهَا. 464. وقال عليه السلام: إِنَّ لِبَنِي أُمَيَّةَ مِرْوَدَاً يَجْرُونَ فِيهِ، وَلَوْ قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيَما بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ كَادَتْهُمُ (5006) الضِّبَاعُ لَغَلَبَتْهُمْ. قال الرضي: وَالْمِرْوَدُ هنا مفعَل من الإِرْوَاد، وهو الإِمهال والأظهار , وهذا من أفصح الكلام وأغربه، فكأنه عليه السلام شبّه المهلة التي هم فيها بالمضمار الذى يجرون فيه إلى الغاية، فاذا بلغوا مُنقَطَعا انتقضَ نظامُهم بعدها. * * * * * |
465. وقال عليه السلام في مدح الأَنَصار: هُمْ وَاللهِ رَبَّوُا (5007) الْإِسْلاَمَ كَمَا يُرَبَّى الْفِلْوُ (5008) مَعَ غَنَائِهِمْ (5009) بَأَيْدِيهِمُ السِّبَاطِ (5010) وَأَلْسِنَتِهِمُ السِّلاَطِ (5011) . 466. وقال عليه السلام: الْعَيْنُ وِكَاءُ السَّهِ. قال الرضي: وهذه من الاستعارات العجيبة، كأنه شبّه السّهَ بالوعاء، والعين بالوكاء، فإذا أُطلق الوكاءُ لم ينضبطِ الوعاءُ و هذا القول في الأَشهر الأَظهر من كلام النبي صلي عليه و آله وسلم، وقد رواه قوم لأَميرالمؤمنين عليه السلام ، ذكر ذلك المبرّد في كتاب (المقتضب) في باب (اللفظ بالحروف). وقد تكلمنا على هذه الاستعارة في كتابنا الموسوم: (بمجازات الآثار النبوية). 467. وقال عليه السلام في كلام له: وَوَلِيَهُمْ وَالٍ فأَقَامَ واسْتَقَامَ، حَتَّى ضَرَبَ الدِّينُ بِجِرَانِهِ (5012) . 468. وقال عليه السلام: يَأتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ عَضُوضٌ (5013) يَعَضُّ الْمُوسِرُ (5014) فِيهِ عَلَى مَا فِي يَدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِذلِكَ، قَالَ اللهُ * * * * * |
Forget not generosity among yourselves (Qur'an, 2:237). During this time the wicked will rise up while the virtuous will remain low and purchases will be made from the helpless although the Prophet, peace be upon him and his descendants, has prohibited purchasing from the helpless. (1) 469. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Two types of persons will fall into ruin over me: The one who loves exaggerates and the other who lays false and baseless blames. as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This is on the lines of Amir al-mu'minin as own saying which runs as: "Two categories of persons will be ruined over me: the one who loves exaggeratingly and the hater and malice-bearer." (2)
(1). Generally purchases are made from helpless people in
such a way that taking advantage of their need and necessity, things are
purchased from them at cheap rates and are sold to them at high prices. No
religion allows taking advantage of such helplessness and extreme need, nor is
it permissible in ethics that profiteering should he resorted to at the time of
others' helplessness.
(2). The Holy Prophet used often to urge and order the
ummah to love Amir al-mu'minin and forbid them to bear any hatred against him.
Moreover, the Holy Prophet used to regard the love of Amir al-mu'minin as the
sign of Faith (iman) and the hatred of him as the sign of hypocracy (nifaq) (as
we have already mentioned on the foot-note of No.45).
Now, we quote one of the traditions of the Holy Prophet with regard to this
subject. It has been narrated through fourteen companions that the Holy Prophet
said:
Whoever loves 'Ali, he surely loves me; and whoever loves me, he surely loves
Allah, And whoever loves Allah, He will cause him to enter Paradise.
Whoever hates 'Ali, he surely hates me; and whoever hates me, he surely hates
Allah, and whoever hates Allah, He will cause him to enter the Fire.
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سُبْحَانَهُ: (وَلاَ تَنْسَوُا الْفَضْلَ بَيْنَكُمْ)، تَنْهَدُ فِيهِ (5015) الْأَشْرَارُ، وَتُسْتَذَلُّ الْأَخْيَارُ، ويُبَايعُ الْمُضْطَرُّونَ، وَقَدْ نَهَى رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ بِيَعِ (5016) الْمُضْطَرِّينَ. 469. وقال عليه السلام: يَهْلِكُ فِيَّ رَجُلاَنِ: مُحِبٌّ مُفْرِطٌ، وَبَاهِتٌ (5017) مُفْتَرٍ (5018) . قال الرضي: وهذا مثل قوله عليه السلام: هَلَكَ فِي رَجُلاَنِ: مُحِبٌّ غَالٍ، وَمُبْغِضٌ قَالٍ. * * * * * |
470. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked on the Unity of Allah and His justice, when he replied: Unity means that you do not subject Him to the limitations of your imagination and justice means that you do not lay any blame on Him. (1) 471. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: There is no good in silence over matters involving wisdom just as there is no good in speaking with ignorance. 472. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said in his prayer for seeking rain: O' my Allah, send us rain by submissive clouds not by unruly ones.
=640 - 103 / 721) has confirmed this saying that these two categories appeared
and both became disbelievers and were ruined. (al-Isti'ab, vol.3, p.ll3O;
al-'Iqd al-farid, vol.4, p.312)
(1). The belief in the Unity of Allah is not complete
unless it is supported by belief in freedom of Allah from all
imperfection; that is, one should regard Him above the limitations of body,
shape, place or time and should not subject Him to one's own imagination and
whims, because the being who is contained within imagination and whims cannot be
Allah, but a creation of the human mind, while the field of mental activity
remains confined to things which are seen and observed. Consequently, the
greater man would try to appreciate Him through illustrations connected by the
human mind or his imaginative efforts and the remoter he would get from reality.
In this connection, al-Imam Muhammad al-Baqir says:
Whenever you contain Him in your imagination and whim he will not be Allah but a
creation like yourself and revertable towards you.
Justice means that whatever the form of injustice and inequity it should be
denied about Allah and He should not be given such attributes which are evil and
useless and which the mind can in no way agree to attribute to Him. In this
connection, Allah says:
And perfect is the word of your Lord in truth and justice; There is none who can
change His words, and He is the All-hearing and the Al-knowing. (Qur'an, 6:115)
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470. وسئل عليه السلام عن التوحيد والعدل فقال: التَّوْحِيدُ أَلاَّ تَتَوَهَّمَهُ (5019) وَالْعَدْلُ أَلاَّ تَتَّهِمَهُ (5020) . 471. وقال عليه السلام: لاَ خَيْرَ فِي الصَّمْتِ عَنِ الْحُكْمِ، كَمَا أنَّهُ لاَ خَيْرَ فِي الْقَوْلِ بِالْجَهْلِ. 472. وقال عليه السلام في دعاء استسقى به: اللَّهُمَّ اسْقِنَا ذُلُلَ السَّحَابِ دُونَ صِعَابِهَا. * * * * * |
قال الرضي: وهذا من الكلام العجيب الفصاحة، وذلك أنه عليه السلام شبّه السحاب ذوات الرُّعود والبوارق والرياح والصواعق بالإِبل الصّعاب التي تَقْمُصُ (5021) برحالها (5022) وتقِصُّ (5023) بركبانها، وشبّه السحاب خاليةً من تلك الروائع (5024) بالإِبل الذُّلُلِ التي تُحْتَلَبُ (5025) طَيِّعَةً (5026) وتُقْتَعَدُ (5027) مُسْمِحَةً (5028) . 473. وقيل له عليه السلام: لو غيَّرتَ شيبك يا أميرالمؤمنين. فقال عليه السلام: الْخِضَابُ زِينَةٌ، وَنَحْنُ قَوْمٌ فِي مُصِيبَةٍ! ( يريد وفاة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ). 474. وقال عليه السلام: مَا الْمُجَاهِدُ الشَّهِيدُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ بِأَعْظَمَ أَجْراً مِمَّنْ قَدَرَ فَعَفَّ، لَكَادَ الْعَفِيفُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مَلَكاً مِنَ الْمَلاَئِكَةِ. 475. وقال عليه السلام: ( الْقَنَاعَةُ مَالٌ لاَيَنْفَدُ ). قال الرضي: وقد رَوى بعضُهم هذا الكلام عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. 476. وقال عليه السلام لزياد بن أبيه. _وقد استخلفَهُ لعبد الله بن العباس على فارس وأَعمالها، في كلامٍ طويلٍ كان بينهما، نهاه فيه عن تقدم الخَراج (5029) ـ : اسْتَعْمِلِ الْعَدْلَ، وَاحْذَرِ الْعَسْفَ (5030) والْحَيْفَ (5031) فَإِنَّ الْعَسْفَ يَعُودُ بِالْجَلاَءِ، وَالْحَيْفَ يَدْعُو إِلَى السَّيْفِ. * * * * * |
477. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The worst sin is that which the committer takes lightly. 478. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: Allah has riot made it obligatory on the, ignorant to learn till He has made it obligatory on the learned to teach. 479. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: The worst comrade is he for whom formality has to be observed. (1) as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This is 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. 480. Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said: If a believer enrages (i4tashama) his brother, it means that he leaves him. as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: It is said "hashamahu" or "ahshamahu" to mean "He enraged him". According to another view it means "He humi~liated him". While "ihtashamahu" means "He sought these for him", and that is most likely to cause him to separate.
(1). The friendship that is based on love and sincerity
makes a man free from ceremonial formalities, but the friendship for which
formalism is necessary is unstable and such a friend is not a true friend,
because true friendship requires that a friend should not be a cause of trouble
for the friend. If he is a cause of trouble he will prove tedious and harmful
and this harmfulness is a sign of his being the worst friend.
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THE ENDArrangement As-Sayyid AbdulAmir Ashshara'a* * * * * |