ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Gulistan of Sa'di Chapter VIII: On Rules for Conduct in Life Maxim 1 Property is for the comfort of life, not for the accumulation of wealth. A sage, having been asked who is lucky and who is not, replied: 'He is lucky who has eaten and sowed but he is unlucky who has died and not enjoyed.' Pray not for the nobody who has done nothing, Who spent his life in accumulating property but has not enjoyed it.

Moses, upon whom be peace, thus advised Quran: 'Do thou good as Allah has done unto thee.' But he would not listen and thou hast heard of his end: Who has not accumulated good with dirhems and dinars Has staked his end upon his dirhems and dinars. If thou desirest to profit by riches of the world Be liberal to mankind as God has been liberal to thee. The Arab says: Be liberal without imposing obligations and verily the profit will return to thee.

Wherever the tree of beneficence has taken root Its tallness and branches pass beyond the sky. If thou art desirous to eat the fruit thereof Do not put a saw to its foot by imposing obligations. Thank God that thou hast been divinely aided And not excluded from his gifts and bounty. Think not thou conferrest an obligation on the sultan by serving him But be obliged to him for having kept thee in his service.

Maxim 2 Two men took useless trouble and strove without any profit, when one of them accumulated property without enjoying it, and the other learnt without practising what he had learnt. However much science thou mayest acquire Thou art ignorant when there is no practice in thee. Neither deeply learned nor a scholar will be A quadruped loaded with some books. What information or knowledge does the silly beast posses Whether it is carrying a load of wood or of books?

Maxim 3 Knowledge is for the cherishing of religion, not for amassing wealth. Who sold abstinence, knowledge and piety Filled a granary but burnt it clean away. Maxim 4 A learned man who is not abstinent resembles a torchbearer who guides others but does not guide himself. Who has spent a profitless life Bought nothing and threw away his gold. Maxim 5 The country is adorned by intelligent and the religion by virtuous men.

Padshahs stand more in need of the advice of intelligent men than intelligent men of the proximity of padshahs.