وَلَيْسَ لِوَاضِعِ الْمَعْرُوفِ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ،
He who shows generosity to those who have no claim to it
وَعِنْدَ غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ،
or who are not fit for it
مِنَ الْحَظِّ فِيَما أَتى إِلاَّ مَحْمَدَةُ اللِّئَامِ، وَثَنَاءُ الاْشْرَارِ،
would not earn anything except the praise of the ignoble
وَمَقَالَةُ الْجُهَّالِ،
and appreciation of bad persons,
مَا دَامَ مُنْعِماً عَلَيْهِمْ،
although as long as he continues giving,
مَا أَجْوَدَ يَدَهُ!
the ignorant will say how generous his hand is,
وَهُوَ عَنْ ذَاتِ اللهِ بَخِيلٌ!
even though in the affairs of Allah he is a miser.
مواضع المعروف
Deserving recepients of generosity
فَمَنْ آتَاهُ اللهُ مَالاً
Therefore, to whosoever Allah gives wealth
فَلْيَصِلْ بِهِ الْقَرَابَةَ، وَلْيُحْسِنْ مِنْهُ الضِّيَافَةَ،
he should use it in extending good behaviour to his kinsmen, in entertaining,
وَلْيَفُكَّ بِهِ الاْسِيرَ وَالْعَانِيَ،
in releasing prisoners and the afflicted;
وَلْيُعْطِ مَنْهُ الْفَقِيرَ وَالْغَارِمَ،
in giving to the poor and to debtors,
وَلْيَصْبِرْ نَفْسَهُ عَلَى الْحُقُوقِ وَالنَّوَائِبِ،
and he should endure (the troubles arising out of) the fulfilment of rights (of others)
ابْتِغَاءَ الثَّوَابِ;
and hardships in expectation of reward.
فَإِنَّ فَوْزاً بِهذِهِ الْخِصَالِ شَرَفُ مَكَارِمِ الدُّنْيَا،
Certainly, the achievement of these qualities is the height of greatness in this world
وَدَرْكُ فَضَائِلِ الاْخِرَةِ،
and achievement of the distinctions of the next world;
إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ.
if Allah so wills.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 142: Nasr, Siffin, 235; al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, VI, 9; al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, V,39; Ibn A’tham, al-Futuh, III, 73.
