You love it when things are said about you which are not true of you...

You love it when things are said about you which are not true of you, and when people point you out. O servants of the world! You shave your heads and shorten your shirts and cast your heads down [to feign humility], but you do not pull out the hatred from your hearts. O servants of the world! Your likeness is like that of the high tombs, their exteriors cause admiration in those who look at them, and their interiors are the bones of the dead, full of misdeeds. O servants of the world!

Your likeness is only like that of a lamp which shines for the people and burns itself. O Children of Israel! Fill the sessions of the scholars, even if you must go on your knees, Allah will enliven the dead hearts by the light of wisdom, as He enlivens the dead earth by the heavy downpour of rain. O Children of Israel! Shortness of speech is a great wisdom, so you should be silent; verily it is a good meekness and a decrease of your burden and a lightening of your sins.

So strengthen the door of knowledge. Verily, its door is patience. Allah hates one who laughs too much at that which is not funny, and who frequently goes to bad deeds. And He loves the governor who is like a shepherd who does not neglect his flocks. So beware of Allah in secret as you are aware of the people in public. And know the word of wisdom is that sought by the believer. So, go after it before it rises away, and its rising away is the passing away of its narrators.

O you who have knowledge! Pay homage to those of knowledge for their knowledge, and leave contention with them, and belittle the ignorant for their ignorance, but do not reject them, rather bring them near and teach them. O you who have knowledge! Know that every blessing for which you fail to give thanks is like an evil deed for which you will be taken to task. O you who have knowledge!

Know that every sin of which you have not been able to repent, is like a punishment with which you are being punished. O you who have knowledge!

There are worries about which you do not know when they will come over you, so prepare yourselves before they suddenly arrive.” Jesus (‘a) said to his companions, “Tell me, if one passed by his brother and saw that his private parts were exposed from his clothing, would he further expose them or would he cover them again?” They said, “Yes, he would cover what had been exposed.” He said, “Not at all, you would remove the covering.” Then they understood that it was an allegory he has given for them.