[8] The Goodness loved by a Believer...

[8] The Goodness loved by a Believer: نهج، نهج البلاغة سُئِلَ ع عَنِ الْخَيْرِ مَا هُوَ (The book) ‘Nahj Al Balagah’ – ‘Imam Ali -asws (Ibn Abi Talib -asws ) was asked about the good, ‘What is it?’ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ الْخَيْرَ أَنْ يَكْثُرَ مَالُكَ وَ وَلَدُكَ وَ لَكِنَّ الْخَيْرَ أَنْ يَكْثُرَ عِلْمُكَ وَ عَمَلُكَ وَ أَنْ يَعْظُمَ حِلْمُكَ وَ أَنْ تُبَاهِيَ النَّاسَ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّكَ He -asws said: ‘The good isn’t that your wealth and your children are abundant, but the good is that your knowledge and your deeds are abundant, and that your forbearance should be mighty and you should compete with the people in worship of your Lord -azwj .

فَإِنْ أَحْسَنْتَ حَمِدْتَ اللَّهَ وَ إِنْ أَسَأْتَ اسْتَغْفَرْتَ اللَّهَ وَ لَا خَيْرَ فِي الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا لِرَجُلَيْنِ رَجُلٍ أَذْنَبَ ذَنْباً فَهُوَ يَتَدَارَكُهَا بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَ رَجُلٍ يُسَارِعُ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ وَ لَا يَقِلُّ عَمَلٌ مَعَ التَّقْوَى وَ كَيْفَ يَقِلُّ مَا يُتَقَبَّلُ‏.

If you do a good deed, you praise Allah -azwj , and if you commit an evil deed, you seek Forgiveness of Allah -azwj ; and there is no good in the world except for two (types of) men – a man who commits a sin, so he rectifies it by the repentance, and a man hastening in doing the good deeds; and do not belittle a deed done with the piety, and how can it be little what is Accepted?’’ [9] Advice for a Believer: وَ قَالَ ع‏ لَا مَالَ أَعْوَدُ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ وَ لَا وَحْدَةَ أَوْحَشُ مِنَ الْعُجْبِ وَ لَا عَقْلَ كَالتَّدْبِيرِ وَ لَا كَرَمَ كَالتَّقْوَى وَ لَا قَرِينَ كَحُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ وَ لَا مِيرَاثَ كَالْأَدَبِ وَ لَا قَائِدَ كَالتَّوْفِيقِ وَ لَا تِجَارَةَ كَالْعَمَلِ الصَّالِحِ وَ لَا رِبْحَ كَالثَّوَابِ And ‘Imam Ali -asws (Ibn Abi Talib -asws ) said: ‘There is no wealth worthier than the intellect, nor loneliness more alienating than the self-conceit, nor any (use of) intellect like the strategy, nor any honour like the piety, nor any pairing like the good manners, nor any inheritance like the etiquettes, nor any guide like the inclination, nor any trade like the righteous deed, nor any profit like the (heavenly) Rewards.

وَ لَا وَرَعَ كَالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَ الشُّبْهَةِ وَ لَا زُهْدَ كَالزُّهْدِ فِي الْحَرَامِ وَ لَا عِلْمَ كَالتَّفَكُّرِ وَ لَا عِبَادَةَ كَأَدَاءِ الْفَرَائِضِ وَ لَا إِيمَانَ كَالْحَيَاءِ وَ الصَّبْرِ وَ لَا حَسَبَ كَالتَّوَاضُعِ وَ لَا شَرَفَ كَالْعِلْمِ وَ لَا مُظَاهَرَةَ أَوْثَقُ مِنَ الْمُشَاوَرَةِ.