Imam Ali’s scientific and sententious words (Part 2)
51- Protect yourself against cold when it comes (at its beginning) and receive it without worry when it is about to go because its effect on bodies is like its effect on trees. In the beginning it ruins and in the end it refreshes.
52- I explain Islam in a way that no one else has explained it before. Islam is submission; submission is steadfastness in religion; steadfastness in religion is spreading one’s belief; spreading one’s belief is acknowledging doing the obligations of God and doing the obligations means action.
53- Missing an opportunity causes grief.
54- He, who follows a moderate course in life, will never become poor.
55- When Allah wants to degrade someone, He deprives him of knowledge.
56- People are enemies of that which they do not know.
57- He, who receives several opinions (in consulting the others), understands the incorrect situations.
58- Displease the evil doer by doing well to the good doer.
59- Obstinacy destroys counsel.
60- The result of carelessness is regret and the result of prudence is safety.
61- If there are two different invitations; one of them is to mislead.
62- I did not doubt about rightness since I had been shown it.
63- Whoever turned away from rightness got ruined.
64- If patience does not relieve a man, impatience will kill him.
65- O son of Adam, whatever you earn more than your necessary need, you will only guard it for the heirs.
66- Every container narrows with what is put in it except the container of knowledge; it expands continuously.
67- The tree, whose trunk is soft, has thick branches.
68- Envying a friend is because of untrue love.
69- It is no justice to judge through probabilities.
70- The worst provision for the Day of Judgment is oppressing people.
71- The best act of a generous person is to overlook what he knows (to cover the defect of people).
72- Long Silence leads to dignity. Justice increases connections and communications. Generosity raises esteem. Humility brings blessings. Tolerating hardships leads to supremacy. Good behavior defeats the enemy. Forbearance towards a fool increases supporters against him.
73- Kumayl ibn Ziyad was one of the closest companions of Imam Ali(s). He said: ”One day Imam Ali took me out of the city. After taking a deep breath, he said: ”O Kumayl, hearts are the containers of knowledge. The best of them is that which preserves its contents well. Take care of what I say to you. People are of three types;One is the divine scholar, who has set himself free from carnalities. The other is that, who seeks knowledge and he is also on the way of salvation. The third is the common people, who run after every caller and follow every sound. They do not seek the light of knowledge and do not provide any reliable support.
O Kumayl, know that knowledge is surely preferred to wealth. You are guarded by knowledge but you have to guard wealth. Wealth will decrease by expending but knowledge will increase by spending. One, who grows up in a rich family, can not endure hardships when the wealth disappears.
O Kumayl, acquiring knowledge is one of the bases of religion and religion turns round the circuit of knowledge. A learned man steps in the way of religion with knowledge, with which he wins fame during his lifetime and after his death. Knowledge commands but wealth is commanded.
O Kumayl, men of property will die even though they live for a long time but learned men remain as long as there is a life on the earth. Their bodies turn to dust but their images are placed in the hearts for ever.
Then he pointed to his chest and said: ”This is full of knowledge and I wish I could find some one to bear its burden. Even if I can find someone, I cannot confide in him because he may misuse it in the way of his worldly desires and he may use God's favor against His servants or he hereby dominates over people, or he may seek rightness and truthfulness but there may be no any insight in his heart. Consequently doubts will be instilled into his mind and he will follow the doubts. He will be affected by passions and will be greedy for wealth. Thus knowledge dies away by the death of its bearers.
Yes, but the earth will never be void of those, who guard God's evidences and laws; either they are well-known and famous or they are unknown and hideaways in order that the Sharia of Allah not to be cancelled or vanished.
How many persons are they or where are they? Although they are few in number but they are highly esteemed by Allah. Allah guards His evidences and reasons by them and they entrust these evidences to others like themselves to sow the seeds of knowledge in their hearts. Knowledge has taken them to the real understanding and hereupon they will be the guide of the compact faith in God.
They deem easy what the unbelievers think as difficult and they become familiar with what the ignorant consider as strange. They live with their bodies in this world but their souls live high with the Beneficent Creator. They represent Allah on the earth and they invite people to His religion.
How I am fond of seeing them. Now go wherever you want, Kumayl.
Source: A book named,Imam Ali (A.S) Sunshine of Civilized Islam
By Muhammad Hussein Tahmasebi
Other links:
Imam Ali(A.S),Unique Leader in the History of Mankind
Self-Sacrifice and Devotion of Imam Ali (A.S)
Ali’s Attraction: Secrets and Causes (Part 1) Ali’s Attraction: Secrets and Causes (Part 2)
Ali’s Antagonisation
