Beware of relying on hopes for they are the capital of fools.

Beware of relying on hopes for they are the capital of fools. Intellect is the safeguarding of experiences, and the best of your experiences is that which teaches you a lesson. Hasten to avail of opportunity before it becomes grief. Not every seeker attains (his desire) nor does every absent one return. Among the factors of corruption are to neglect taking care of one’s provisions (for the Hereafter) and deeds that ruin the Hereafter. Every affair has an outcome.

What is destined for you will soon come to you. The trader takes a risk. Often the little (wealth) becomes more abundant than what is much. There is no good in a mean helper or a friend who is suspect. As long as time is in your grasp, take your share of it. Do not put anything at risk hoping for something more than it. Beware that the stubborn mount should become ungovernable”. Commentary In this letter, Imam ‘Ali (as) provides us with some significant pieces of wisdom: 1.

Silence And Speech There is no doubt that language and speech are among God's blessings to man. Language is a means for communication and for the propagation of knowledge and for guiding people.

God distinguishes man from the world of beasts by language: "الرّحمنُ، عَلَّمَ القُرآنَ، خَلَقَ الإنسانَ، عَلَّمَهُ البيانَ" 579 "The Beneficient God, taught the Qur’an; He created man, taught him the mode of expression" But if human language is not guarded against absurdity, telling lies, arguments, abuse, ridicule, back-biting, accusation, or telling tales…[^1] it will change into disaster. Thus, the scholars of ethics advise us to speak only when necessary or else make use of silence.

From the view-points of benefits and losses, language is of four forms: One kind of language has absolute benefits. The second type includes absolute losses. In the third type both benefits and losses are mixed. And the fourth type is neither useful nor useless. Using silence is necessary in three stages of the above four stages.

In that case where we can speak, we should take care not to contaminate language with hypocrisy, artificiality, and talkativeness.[^2] It is for this reason that in Islam, emphasis is more on silence. The Prophet (S) is reported to have said: "رَحِمَ الله عَبداً تَكَلَّمَ خَيراً فغَنِم او سَكَتَ فَسَلِمَ" "May God have mercy on a servant (of God) who speaks good and acquires benefit or keeps silent and remains safe".