He does not waste what he is given to preserve...
He does not waste what he is given to preserve, nor does he forge what he is reminded of, nor does he insult with the nicknames, nor is he harmful to the neighbour, nor does he gloat (over others) with the calamities, nor does he enter into the falsehood, nor does he come out from the truth.
إِنْ صَمَتَ لَمْ يَغُمَّهُ صَمْتُهُ وَ إِنْ ضَحِكَ لَمْ يَعْلُ صَوْتُهُ وَ إِنْ بُغِيَ عَلَيْهِ صَبَرَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ اللَّهُ هُوَ الَّذِي يَنْتَقِمُ لَهُ If he is silent, his silence does not sadden him, and if he laughs, he does not raise his voice high, and if he is rebelled against, he is patient until Allah -azwj happens to be the One -azwj Who Avenges for him.
نَفْسُهُ مِنْهُ فِي عَنَاءٍ وَ النَّاسُ مِنْهُ فِي رَاحَةٍ أَتْعَبَ نَفْسَهُ لِآخِرَتِهِ وَ أَرَاحَ النَّاسَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ بُعْدُهُ عَمَّنْ تَبَاعَدَ عَنْهُ زُهْدٌ وَ نَزَاهَةٌ وَ دُنُوُّهُ مِمَّنْ دَنَا مِنْهُ لِينٌ وَ رَحْمَةٌ لَيْسَ تَبَاعُدُهُ بِكِبْرٍ وَ عَظَمَةٍ وَ لَا دُنُوُّهُ بِمَكْرٍ وَ خَدِيعَةٍ- His self is tired from him, while the people are at rest from him. He fatigues his self for the Hereafter and the people are at rest from him.
His distancing from the one he distances from is due to asceticism and purification, and his drawing closer to the ones he draws closer to is due to gentleness and mercy. His distance is not due to arrogance, nor is his drawing closer due to a plot and deception. قَالَ فَصَعِقَ هَمَّامٌ صَعْقَةً كَانَتْ نَفْسُهُ فِيهَا فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَخَافُهَا عَلَيْهِ He (the narrator) said, ‘Hammad was stunned with a swoon, and lost his soul during it.
Amir Al-Momineen -asws said: ‘But, by Allah -azwj ! I -asws feared it upon him. ثُمَّ قَالَ أَ هَكَذَا تَصْنَعُ الْمَوَاعِظُ الْبَالِغَةُ بِأَهْلِهَا Then he -asws said: ‘This is what the far-reaching preaching does with its people’.
فَقَالَ لَهُ قَائِلٌ: فَمَا بَالُكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؟ A speaker said to him -asws , ‘So what is the matter with you -asws , O Amir Al-Momineen -asws ?’ (i.e., how come you -asws are not fainting and dying) فَقَالَ ع وَيْحَكَ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ وَقْتاً لَا يَعْدُوهُ وَ سَبَباً لَا يَتَجَاوَزُهُ فَمَهْلًا لَا تَعُدْ لِمِثْلِهَا فَإِنَّمَا نَفَثَ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ He -asws said: ‘Woe be to you!
For every term (death) there is a time which cannot be exceeded, and a cause which cannot be surpassed. So do not repeat to the likes of it (this question), for rather the Satan -la has blown upon your tongue.
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