Eternal Words Nahj al-Balaghah Sayings saying 101 to 120
saying 101 to 120
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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.
