فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) عَلَيَّ...

فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) عَلَيَّ بِعَاصِمِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ فَجِي‏ءَ بِهِ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ عَبَسَ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ مَا اسْتَحْيَيْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ أَ مَا رَحِمْتَ وُلْدَكَ أَ تَرَى اللَّهَ أَحَلَّ لَكَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَ هُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَخْذَكَ مِنْهَا أَنْتَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَ وَ لَيْسَ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ وَ الْأَرْضَ وَضَعَها لِلْأَنامِ.

فِيها فاكِهَةٌ وَ النَّخْلُ ذاتُ الْأَكْمامِ So Amir-Al-Momineen -asws said: ‘(Bring) Asim Bin Ziyad to me -asws !’ So they came with him. So when he -asws saw him, he -asws frowned his face and he -asws said to him: ‘Are you not ashamed from your wife? Are you not being merciful to your children? Do you view that Allah -azwj Permitted the good things for you and He -azwj would Abhor it if you were to take from these? You are lesser upon Allah -azwj than that.

Or, isn’t Allah -azwj Saying: And the earth, He Placed it for the creatures [55:10] Therein are fruits, and the palm trees with the sheathed clusters [55:11] ? أَ وَ لَيْسَ اللَّهُ يَقُولُ مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيانِ.

بَيْنَهُما بَرْزَخٌ لا يَبْغِيانِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُمَا اللُّؤْلُؤُ وَ الْمَرْجانُ فَبِاللَّهِ لَابْتِذَالُ نِعَمِ اللَّهِ بِالْفَعَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنِ ابْتِذَالِهَا بِالْمَقَالِ وَ قَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ Or isn’t Allah -azwj Saying: He Let loose the two seas to meet [55:19] Between them is a barrier which they do not violate [55:20] – up to His -azwj Words: [There come forth from them the pearls and the rubies [55:22] ?

So, by Allah -azwj , utilisation of the Bounties of Allah -azwj by the deeds is more Beloved to Him -azwj than utilising them by the words, and Allah -azwj Mighty and Majestic has Said: And as for the Favour of your Lord, so do announce (it) [93:11] ’. فَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَعَلَى مَا اقْتَصَرْتَ فِي مَطْعَمِكَ عَلَى الْجُشُوبَةِ وَ فِي مَلْبَسِكَ عَلَى الْخُشُونَةِ Asim said, ‘O Amir-Al-Momineen -asws !

So upon what do you -asws confine (yourself) regarding your -asws food upon the tastelessness, and regarding your -asws clothing upon the coarseness?’ فَقَالَ وَيْحَكَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَرَضَ عَلَى أَئِمَّةِ الْعَدْلِ أَنْ يُقَدِّرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعَفَةِ النَّاسِ كَيْلَا يَتَبَيَّغَ بِالْفَقِيرِ فَقْرُهُ He -asws said: ‘Woe be unto you!