583 - مُصاحَبَةُ الأحمَقِ‏

583. TAKING THE FOOL AS A COMPANION

1761.الإمامُ زينُ العابدينَ عليه السلام - في وصيّتهِ لابنهِ الباقرِ عليه السلام - : إيّاكَ يا بُنيَّ أنْ تُصاحِبَ الأحمَقَ أو تُخالِطَهُ ، واهْجُرْهُ ولا تُحادِثْهُ ؛ فإنّ الأحمَقَ هُجْنَةٌ غائباً كانَ أو حاضِراً ، إنْ تَكَلَّم فضَحَهُ حُمقُهُ ، وإنْ سَكَتَ قَصُرَ بهِ عِيُّهُ ، وإنْ عَمِلَ أفسَدَ ، وإنِ اسْتُرعِيَ أضاعَ . لا عِلمُهُ مِن نَفْسِهِ يُغْنيهِ ، ولا عِلمُ غَيرهِ يَنْفَعُهُ ، ولا يُطيعُ ناصِحَهُ ، ولا يَستريحُ مقارِنُهُ ، تَوَدُّ اُمُّهُ أنّها ثَكَلَتْهُ ، وامْرَأتُهُ أنّها فَقَدتْهُ ، وجارُهُ بُعدَ دارِهِ ، وجَليسُهُ الوَحْدةَ مِن مُجالَسَتِهِ . إنْ كانَ أصْغَرَ مَن في المَجلِسِ أعْنى‏ مَن فَوقَهُ ، وإنْ كانَ أكْبَرَهُم أفْسَدَ مَن دُونَهُ .¹

1761. Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) in his counsel to his son al-Baqir (AS) said, 'My son, beware of taking a fool as a companion or mingling with him; keep away from him and do not converse with him for verily the fool is a lowly person whether he is absent or present. When he talks he exposes his foolishness and when he is silent he displays his inability to express himself. If he acts he spoils and when he is given responsibility he fails it. His own knowledge does not suffice him and others' knowledge is of no benefit to him, he does not follow the one who advises him, his associates do not find rest [from him], his mother wishes to be bereaved of him, his wife wishes to lose him, his neighbour wishes to live far from him and the one who sits with him would rather be absent from his company. If he is the lowest [in status] in the gathering he abases those above him and if he is the highest of them he denigrates the others.' ²

1762.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : مَن لَم يَجْتَنِبْ مُصادقَةَ الأحمَقِ أوْشَكَ أنْ يَتَخلّقَ بأخْلاقِهِ .³

1762.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The one who does not refrain from the friendship of a fool will soon adopt his character.' ⁴

582 - صِفاتُ الأحمَقِ‏

582. The Characteristics of a Fool

1756.عيسى عليه السلام - لَمّا سئلَ عنِ الأحمَقِ - : المُعجَبُ برأيهِ ونَفْسِهِ ، الّذي يَرى‏ الفَضلَ كُلَّهُ لَه لا علَيهِ ، ويُوجِبُ الحقَّ كُلَّهُ لنَفْسِهِ ولا يُوجِبُ علَيها حقّاً ، فذاكَ الأحمَقُ الّذي لا حِيلةَ في مُداواتِه .¹

1756. Prophet Jesus (AS) when asked about the traits of the fool said, 'He is one who is proud of himself and his own opinion, who sees all good traits as coming from himself and sees no one better than himself, who has decided that all rights are his and others have no right over him, so this is the fool for whom there is no cure for his disease.' ²

1757.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : مَن نَظرَ في عُيوبِ النّاسِ فأنْكَرها ثُمّ رَضِيَها لِنَفْسِهِ فذلكَ الأحمَقُ بعَينِهِ .³

1757.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The one who pries into the faults of people, rebukes them and then adopts those faults himself is truly a fool.' ⁴

1758.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : تُعرفُ حَماقَةُ الرّجُلِ بالأشَرِ في النِّعمَةِ ، وكَثْرَةِ الذُّلِّ في المِحْنَةِ .⁵

1758.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The foolishness of a man is recognised by three things: idle talk, answering something he was not asked, and being careless in matters.' ⁶

1759.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : مِن أماراتِ الأحمَقِ كَثْرَةُ تَلَوُّنِهِ .⁷

1759.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Among the signs of the fool is his profusely whimsical nature.' ⁸

1760.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا تَرُدَّ على‏ النّاسِ كلَّ ما حَدّثوكَ ؛ فكفى‏ بذلكَ حُمْقاً .⁹

1760.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Do not refute everything that people say to you for that is enough to classify you as foolish.' ¹⁰