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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons Sermon 233: They differ among themselves…..

Causes for difference in the features and traits of people Dhi`lib al-Yamami has related from Ahmad ibn Qutaybah, and he from `Abdullah ibn Yazid and he from Malik ibn Dihyah who said, "We were with Amir al-mu'minin when discussion arose about the differences of men (in features and conduct) and then Amir al-mu'minin said": ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) روى اليماني، عن أحمد بن قتيبة، عن عبدالله بن يزيد، عن مالك بن دِحْيَةَ، قال: كنّا عند أميرالمؤمنين (عليه السلام)، وقد ذكر عنده اختلاف الناس فقل ـ : They differ among themselves because of the sources [^1] of their clay (from which they have been created).

This is because they are either from saltish soil or sweet soil or from rugged earth or soft earth. They, resemble each other on the basis of the affinity of their soil and differ according to its difference.

Therefore, sometimes a person of handsome features is weak in intelligence, a tall statured person is of low courage, a virtuous person is ugly in appearance, a short statured person is far-sighted, a good-natured person has an evil trait, a person of perplexed heart has bewildering mind and a sharp-tongued person has a wakeful heart.

إِنَّمَا فَرَّقَ بَيْنَهُمْ مَبَادِىءُ طِينِهِمْ، وَذلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا فِلْقَةً مِنْ سَبَخِ أَرْض وَعَذْبِهَا، وَحَزْنِ تُرْبَة وَسَهْلِهَا، فَهُمْ عَلَى حَسَبِ قُرْبِ أَرْضِهِمْ يَتَقَارَبُونَ، وَعَلَى قَدْرِ اخْتِلاَفِهَا يَتَفَاوَتُونَ، فَتَامُّ الرُّوَاءِ نَاقِصُ الْعَقْلِ، وَمَادُّ الْقَامَةِ قَصِيرُ الْهِمَّةِ، وَزَاكِي الْعَمَلِ قَبِيحُ المَنْظَرِ، وَقَرِيبُ الْقَعْرِ بَعِيدُ السَّبْرِ،مَعْرُوفُ الضَّرِيبَةِ مُنْكَرُ الْجَلِيبَةِ، وَتَائِهُ الْقَلْبِ مُتَفَرِّقُ اللُّبِّ، وَطَلِيقُ اللِّسَانِ حدِيدُ الْجَنَانِ.

Alternative Sources for Sermon 233 (1) Al-Yamani, al-Taraz; (2) al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`, I, 110. [^1]: Amir al-mu'minin has ascribed the differences in features and characters of people to the differences in the clay from which they are created and according to which their features are shaped and the skeletons of their characters are formed.

Therefore, to the extent that their clay of origin is akin, their mental and imaginative tendencies too will be similar and to the extent by which they differ, there will be a difference in their inclinations and tendencies. By origins of a thing are meant those things on which its coming into existence depends, but they should not be its cause.

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