Short wonderful maxims were reported on the authority of Ima`m Abu` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir), peace be on him. They are full of noble morals and are useful. The following maxims are some of them.
1. He, peace be on him, said: "If you can deal with anyone and do him a favor, do that."
2. He, peace be on him, said: "Flatter the hypocrite with your tongue. Make your love sincere to the believer. When a Jew associates with you, associate well with him.
3. He, peace be on him, said: "Nothing is mixed with a thing better than (mixing) clemency with knowledge.
4. He, peace be on him, said: "Assume the truth. Leave that which does not concern you. Avoid your enemy. Be careful of your friends except the trusty one who fears Allah. Do not make friends with the sinner. Do not inform him of your secrets. Ask the advice of those who fear Allah.
5. He, peace be on him, said: "The friendship of twenty years is kinship.
6. He, peace be on him, said: "The decree of Allah is good for the believer.
7. He, peace be on him, said: "He for whom Allah does not make a preacher from his own self, the preaching of people do not avail him."
8. He, peace be on him, said: "He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his scales are light.
9. He, peace be on him, said: "How many a person meets a person and says to him: may Allah ruin your enemy, and he has no enemy except Allah.
10. He, peace be on him, said: "He who disobeys Allah does not recognize Him." Then the Ima`m composed:
Do you disobey the Lord and show your love (for Him)?
By your life, this is an innovation among deeds.
If your love was truthful, you would obey him.
Indeed the lover obeys him whom he loves.
11. He, peace be on him, said: "The need with the one who has recently gotten property is like the dirham in the mouth of the snake. You need him, and you are in danger.
12. He, peace be on him, said: "Know the love in the heart of your brother through what he has in your heart.
13. He, peace be on him, said: "Faith is love and hatred."
14. He, peace be on him, said: "Four (acts) are among the treasures of kindness: Concealing the need, concealing the alms, concealing the pain, and concealing, the misfortune.
15. He, peace be on him, said: "He whose tongue is truthful, his acts grow. He whose intention is good, his daily-bread increases. He whose kindness to his family is good, Allah prolongs his life.
16. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever gets a brother in Allah in addition to faith in Allah and faithfulness to his brotherhood seeking Allah's pleasure gets a ray from Allah's light, safety from the punishment of Allah, a pilgrimage (to Mecca) through which he will be successful on the Day of Judgment, everlasting honor, and increasing reputation.
That is because the believer is neither mawsool nor mafsool from Allah, the Great and Almighty."He was asked: "What is the meaning of mawsool and mafsool?"He, peace be on him, replied: "Mawsool meaning the believer is not connected to (Allah). Mafsool meaning the believer is not separated from (Allah).
17. He, peace be on him, said: "It is sufficient cheat for the person is that he sees from the people the vague affair of his own soul. Or he finds faults with other than him through what he cannot leave. Or he hurts his friend through that which does not concern him.
18. He, peace be on him, said: "Humbleness is that you should be satisfied with the humble sitting-place, that you should greet whomever you meet, and that you should leave the dispute even if you are right."
19. He, peace be on him, said: "The believer is the brother of the believer. So, he should not abuse him nor should he deprive him (of his rights) nor should he doubt him."
20. He, peace be on him, said: "He to whom clumsiness is apportioned, faith is veiled from him.
21. He, peace be on him, said: "Indeed Allah has punishments in the hearts, the bodies, the daily-bread, and the worship. However, the cruelty of the heart is the most intense punishment.
22. He, peace be on him, said: "On the Judgment Day, a caller will call: 'Where are al-Sa`biru`n (the patient)?' So, a group of people will rise. Then a caller will call : 'Where are al-Mutasabbiru`n?' Thus, a group of people will rise."He was asked: "Who are al-Sa`biru`n and al-Mutasabbiru`n?"He, peace be on him, replied: "Al-Sa`biru`n are those who are patient with performing the religious duties. Al-Mutasabbiru`n are those who are patient with the prohibitions.
23. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah says: 'O Son of Adam, refrain from what I have prohibited, so you are the most pious of all people.'
24. He, peace be on him, said: "The best worship is the abstinence of the private parts and the abdomen.
25. He, peace be on him, said: "Modesty and faith are coupled with each other. If one of them goes away, the other will follow it.
26. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah gives this world to both the righteous and the sinners. However, He gives this religion to His close friends only.
27. He, peace be on him, said: Allah gives the world to those whom He loves and those whom He detests. However, He gives religion to those whom He loves only.
28. He, peace be on him, said: "If the beggar knew what was in begging, he would never beg anyone. If the begged one knew was in prevention, he would never prevent anybody.
29. He, peace be on him, said: "Some blessed rich servants belong to Allah. They associate with people. People live under their wing. Some wicked servants belong to Allah. They do not associate with people. People do not live under their protection. They are like grass -hoppers.
30. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah likes spreading greetings.
31. He, peace be on him, said: "Everything has a catastrophe. The catastrophe of knowledge is forgetfulness.
32. He, peace be on him, said: "O Allah, help with the world through riches, and with the hereafter through piety.
33. He, peace be on him, said: "The person increases in opinion when he gives sincere advice.
34. He, peace be on him, said: "The weapon of the ignoble person is ugly words.
A poet composed this wonderful maxim, saying:
Al-Ba`qir al-Murtada`, the descendant of the Ima`m, peace be on him, was truthful when he said: "Ugly words are the weapon of the ignoble.
35. He, peace be on him, said: "Thunderbolt strikes the believer and the unbelievers. However, it does not strike the person who praises (Allah).
36. He, peace be on him, said: "The best deeds are three: Praising Allah in all conditions, treating people with justice, and giving the friend money.
37. He, peace be on him, said: "Regard the good deed as small. Do it quickly, and conceal it.
38. He, peace be on him, said: "In the Sunna (the Prophet's practices) and the religion, it is not an act of truthfulness to turn away from the generous.
39. He, peace be on him, said: "How wonderful good deeds are after evil deeds! How shameful evil deeds are after good deeds!
40. He, peace be on him, said: "The person may earn money through four (sources). They are unfaithful act, usury, treason, and theft. Such money is not accepted in four (acts). They are zakat, alms, pilgrimage (to Mecca), and omra.
41. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah, the Great and Almighty, refuses to accept the pilgrimage and omra performed through ill-gotten gains.
42. He, peace be on him, said: "He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his balance is light.
43. He, peace be on him, said: "Lying destroys faith.
44. He, peace be on him, said: "I had a companion. The companion regarded the world as small. Thus, I regarded him as great.
45. He, peace be on him, said to his companions: "Do you enter your hands in the bags of your companions and take what you want?""No,"they replied. "You are not our companions as you say,"he, peace be on him, explained.
46. He, peace be on him, said: "Kindness may make the father go to extremes. This is the worst father. Negligence may make the child disobey (his parents). Such a child is the worst.
47. He, peace be on him, said: "Preach to your companions, and respect them. Do not attack each other.
48. He, peace be on him, said: "Sins make misfortunes strike the servant.
49. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah decreed that He would not take the blessing He bestowed on the servant. However, when the servant commits a sin, he is worthy of the adversity.
50. He, peace be on him, said: "If there is no love in my heart for the saints of Allah and no hatred for His enemies, nothing will avail me, even if I fast throughout the day, pray throughout the night, and spend all my money for Allah.
51. Zarara asked Ima`m Abu` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir), peace be on him: "What is the meaning of al-Hanafiya?"He, peace be on him, replied: "It is the nature Allah has created in men. He has created it in them to make them recognize Him.
52. Ima`m Abu` Ja'far was asked: "Is there a thing better than gold?"He, peace be on him, answered: "Yes, the one who gives it.
53. He, peace be on him, said: "The tribulation of the people against us is burdensome. When we ask them (to follow us), they do not respond to us. When we leave them, they do not follow other than us.
54. He, peace be on him, said: "The chasteness of the abdomen and private parts is the best (quality) through which Allah is worshipped.
55. He, peace be on him, said: "Be patient towards misfortunes. Do not transgress(Allah's) rights. Do not give the person a thing that harms you more than it avails you.
56. He, peace be on him, said: "Our followers obey Allah.
57. He, peace be on him, said: "The friend may take care of you when you are rich, and abandon you when you are poor. How bad such a friend is!
58. He, peace be on him, said: "Kindness to friends is the best help in the world.
59. He, peace be on him, said: "Whomever is given ethics and kindness is given good and rest. Besides His state is good here and the hereafter. Whomever is deprived of them, that will be a way to evil and tribulations, except him whom Allah protects.
60. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah (sometimes) makes a person recognize the truth. So, the person can remain on the top of a mountain. He can eat from the plants of the earth till death comes to him. Still, he faces no problem.
61. He, peace be on him, was asked: "The people of the garden will enter the garden through their deeds. Will Allah release (some people) from the Fire?""Surely, Allah will release (some people) from the Fire,"he replied.2
62. He, peace be on him, said: "He who has no precautionary dissimulation has no good.
63. He, peace be on him, said: "If you want to know that you have good, consider carefully your heart. Does your heart love obedience to Allah? Does it detest the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have good and Allah loves you. Does it detest the obedience to Allah? Does it love the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have no good and Allah detests you. The person is with his lover.
64. He, peace be on him, said: "Among the steps of Satan are the oath for divorce, the vow for sins, and the swearing by other than Allah, the Exalted.
65. He, peace be on him, said: "When the abdomen is full, (the person) becomes tyrannical.
66. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah detests the full abdomen.
67. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever seeks the world to be chaste with the people, to maintain his family, and to help his neighbor, will meet Allah, the Great and Almighty, and his face will be like the full moon.
68. He, peace be on him, said: "Our talk is difficult. It is difficult (for people) to understand it. No one bears it except a close angel or a prophet or a servant whose heart Allah has tested for faith.
69. He, peace be on him, said: "I hate the person whose words are more than his knowledge. I also hate the person whose knowledge is more than his reason.
References:
1) Tuhaf al-'Uqul
2) Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya
3) Al-Bayan wa al-Tibiyyin
4) Ibn Qutayba, 'Ayun al-Akhbar
5) Hulyat al-Auliya'
6) Al-Akhbar al-Muwaffaqiyat
7) Al-Saduq, al-Amali
8) Usul al-Kafi
9) Mirr'at al-Jinan
10) Safwat al-Safwa
11) Bihar al-Anwar
12) A'lam al-Wara
13) Jami' al-Sa'adat
14) Ahmed bin Fahad al-Hilli, al-Tahsin
15) Al-Durr al-Nazim
16) 'Ilal al-Sharai'
17) Majma' al-Bayan.
3. He, peace be on him, said: "Nothing is mixed with a thing better than (mixing) clemency with knowledge.
4. He, peace be on him, said: "Assume the truth. Leave that which does not concern you. Avoid your enemy. Be careful of your friends except the trusty one who fears Allah. Do not make friends with the sinner. Do not inform him of your secrets. Ask the advice of those who fear Allah.
5. He, peace be on him, said: "The friendship of twenty years is kinship.
6. He, peace be on him, said: "The decree of Allah is good for the believer.
7. He, peace be on him, said: "He for whom Allah does not make a preacher from his own self, the preaching of people do not avail him."
8. He, peace be on him, said: "He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his scales are light.
9. He, peace be on him, said: "How many a person meets a person and says to him: may Allah ruin your enemy, and he has no enemy except Allah.
10. He, peace be on him, said: "He who disobeys Allah does not recognize Him." Then the Ima`m composed:
Do you disobey the Lord and show your love (for Him)?
By your life, this is an innovation among deeds.
If your love was truthful, you would obey him.
Indeed the lover obeys him whom he loves.
11. He, peace be on him, said: "The need with the one who has recently gotten property is like the dirham in the mouth of the snake. You need him, and you are in danger.
12. He, peace be on him, said: "Know the love in the heart of your brother through what he has in your heart.
13. He, peace be on him, said: "Faith is love and hatred."
14. He, peace be on him, said: "Four (acts) are among the treasures of kindness: Concealing the need, concealing the alms, concealing the pain, and concealing, the misfortune.
15. He, peace be on him, said: "He whose tongue is truthful, his acts grow. He whose intention is good, his daily-bread increases. He whose kindness to his family is good, Allah prolongs his life.
16. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever gets a brother in Allah in addition to faith in Allah and faithfulness to his brotherhood seeking Allah's pleasure gets a ray from Allah's light, safety from the punishment of Allah, a pilgrimage (to Mecca) through which he will be successful on the Day of Judgment, everlasting honor, and increasing reputation.
That is because the believer is neither mawsool nor mafsool from Allah, the Great and Almighty."He was asked: "What is the meaning of mawsool and mafsool?"He, peace be on him, replied: "Mawsool meaning the believer is not connected to (Allah). Mafsool meaning the believer is not separated from (Allah).
17. He, peace be on him, said: "It is sufficient cheat for the person is that he sees from the people the vague affair of his own soul. Or he finds faults with other than him through what he cannot leave. Or he hurts his friend through that which does not concern him.
18. He, peace be on him, said: "Humbleness is that you should be satisfied with the humble sitting-place, that you should greet whomever you meet, and that you should leave the dispute even if you are right."
19. He, peace be on him, said: "The believer is the brother of the believer. So, he should not abuse him nor should he deprive him (of his rights) nor should he doubt him."
20. He, peace be on him, said: "He to whom clumsiness is apportioned, faith is veiled from him.
21. He, peace be on him, said: "Indeed Allah has punishments in the hearts, the bodies, the daily-bread, and the worship. However, the cruelty of the heart is the most intense punishment.
22. He, peace be on him, said: "On the Judgment Day, a caller will call: 'Where are al-Sa`biru`n (the patient)?' So, a group of people will rise. Then a caller will call : 'Where are al-Mutasabbiru`n?' Thus, a group of people will rise."He was asked: "Who are al-Sa`biru`n and al-Mutasabbiru`n?"He, peace be on him, replied: "Al-Sa`biru`n are those who are patient with performing the religious duties. Al-Mutasabbiru`n are those who are patient with the prohibitions.
23. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah says: 'O Son of Adam, refrain from what I have prohibited, so you are the most pious of all people.'
24. He, peace be on him, said: "The best worship is the abstinence of the private parts and the abdomen.
25. He, peace be on him, said: "Modesty and faith are coupled with each other. If one of them goes away, the other will follow it.
26. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah gives this world to both the righteous and the sinners. However, He gives this religion to His close friends only.
27. He, peace be on him, said: Allah gives the world to those whom He loves and those whom He detests. However, He gives religion to those whom He loves only.
28. He, peace be on him, said: "If the beggar knew what was in begging, he would never beg anyone. If the begged one knew was in prevention, he would never prevent anybody.
29. He, peace be on him, said: "Some blessed rich servants belong to Allah. They associate with people. People live under their wing. Some wicked servants belong to Allah. They do not associate with people. People do not live under their protection. They are like grass -hoppers.
30. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah likes spreading greetings.
31. He, peace be on him, said: "Everything has a catastrophe. The catastrophe of knowledge is forgetfulness.
32. He, peace be on him, said: "O Allah, help with the world through riches, and with the hereafter through piety.
33. He, peace be on him, said: "The person increases in opinion when he gives sincere advice.
34. He, peace be on him, said: "The weapon of the ignoble person is ugly words.
A poet composed this wonderful maxim, saying:
Al-Ba`qir al-Murtada`, the descendant of the Ima`m, peace be on him, was truthful when he said: "Ugly words are the weapon of the ignoble.
35. He, peace be on him, said: "Thunderbolt strikes the believer and the unbelievers. However, it does not strike the person who praises (Allah).
36. He, peace be on him, said: "The best deeds are three: Praising Allah in all conditions, treating people with justice, and giving the friend money.
37. He, peace be on him, said: "Regard the good deed as small. Do it quickly, and conceal it.
38. He, peace be on him, said: "In the Sunna (the Prophet's practices) and the religion, it is not an act of truthfulness to turn away from the generous.
39. He, peace be on him, said: "How wonderful good deeds are after evil deeds! How shameful evil deeds are after good deeds!
40. He, peace be on him, said: "The person may earn money through four (sources). They are unfaithful act, usury, treason, and theft. Such money is not accepted in four (acts). They are zakat, alms, pilgrimage (to Mecca), and omra.
41. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah, the Great and Almighty, refuses to accept the pilgrimage and omra performed through ill-gotten gains.
42. He, peace be on him, said: "He whose outward (deeds) are heavier than his inward (deeds), his balance is light.
43. He, peace be on him, said: "Lying destroys faith.
44. He, peace be on him, said: "I had a companion. The companion regarded the world as small. Thus, I regarded him as great.
45. He, peace be on him, said to his companions: "Do you enter your hands in the bags of your companions and take what you want?""No,"they replied. "You are not our companions as you say,"he, peace be on him, explained.
46. He, peace be on him, said: "Kindness may make the father go to extremes. This is the worst father. Negligence may make the child disobey (his parents). Such a child is the worst.
47. He, peace be on him, said: "Preach to your companions, and respect them. Do not attack each other.
48. He, peace be on him, said: "Sins make misfortunes strike the servant.
49. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah decreed that He would not take the blessing He bestowed on the servant. However, when the servant commits a sin, he is worthy of the adversity.
50. He, peace be on him, said: "If there is no love in my heart for the saints of Allah and no hatred for His enemies, nothing will avail me, even if I fast throughout the day, pray throughout the night, and spend all my money for Allah.
51. Zarara asked Ima`m Abu` Ja'far (al-Ba`qir), peace be on him: "What is the meaning of al-Hanafiya?"He, peace be on him, replied: "It is the nature Allah has created in men. He has created it in them to make them recognize Him.
52. Ima`m Abu` Ja'far was asked: "Is there a thing better than gold?"He, peace be on him, answered: "Yes, the one who gives it.
53. He, peace be on him, said: "The tribulation of the people against us is burdensome. When we ask them (to follow us), they do not respond to us. When we leave them, they do not follow other than us.
54. He, peace be on him, said: "The chasteness of the abdomen and private parts is the best (quality) through which Allah is worshipped.
55. He, peace be on him, said: "Be patient towards misfortunes. Do not transgress(Allah's) rights. Do not give the person a thing that harms you more than it avails you.
56. He, peace be on him, said: "Our followers obey Allah.
57. He, peace be on him, said: "The friend may take care of you when you are rich, and abandon you when you are poor. How bad such a friend is!
58. He, peace be on him, said: "Kindness to friends is the best help in the world.
59. He, peace be on him, said: "Whomever is given ethics and kindness is given good and rest. Besides His state is good here and the hereafter. Whomever is deprived of them, that will be a way to evil and tribulations, except him whom Allah protects.
60. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah (sometimes) makes a person recognize the truth. So, the person can remain on the top of a mountain. He can eat from the plants of the earth till death comes to him. Still, he faces no problem.
61. He, peace be on him, was asked: "The people of the garden will enter the garden through their deeds. Will Allah release (some people) from the Fire?""Surely, Allah will release (some people) from the Fire,"he replied.2
62. He, peace be on him, said: "He who has no precautionary dissimulation has no good.
63. He, peace be on him, said: "If you want to know that you have good, consider carefully your heart. Does your heart love obedience to Allah? Does it detest the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have good and Allah loves you. Does it detest the obedience to Allah? Does it love the disobedience to Him? If it is so, you have no good and Allah detests you. The person is with his lover.
64. He, peace be on him, said: "Among the steps of Satan are the oath for divorce, the vow for sins, and the swearing by other than Allah, the Exalted.
65. He, peace be on him, said: "When the abdomen is full, (the person) becomes tyrannical.
66. He, peace be on him, said: "Allah detests the full abdomen.
67. He, peace be on him, said: "Whoever seeks the world to be chaste with the people, to maintain his family, and to help his neighbor, will meet Allah, the Great and Almighty, and his face will be like the full moon.
68. He, peace be on him, said: "Our talk is difficult. It is difficult (for people) to understand it. No one bears it except a close angel or a prophet or a servant whose heart Allah has tested for faith.
69. He, peace be on him, said: "I hate the person whose words are more than his knowledge. I also hate the person whose knowledge is more than his reason.
References:
1) Tuhaf al-'Uqul
2) Al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya
3) Al-Bayan wa al-Tibiyyin
4) Ibn Qutayba, 'Ayun al-Akhbar
5) Hulyat al-Auliya'
6) Al-Akhbar al-Muwaffaqiyat
7) Al-Saduq, al-Amali
8) Usul al-Kafi
9) Mirr'at al-Jinan
10) Safwat al-Safwa
11) Bihar al-Anwar
12) A'lam al-Wara
13) Jami' al-Sa'adat
14) Ahmed bin Fahad al-Hilli, al-Tahsin
15) Al-Durr al-Nazim
16) 'Ilal al-Sharai'
17) Majma' al-Bayan.
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