وَقَالَ (عليه السلام):
Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said:
كَفَى بِالْقَنَاعَةِ مُلْكاً،
Contentment is as good as estate,
وَبِحُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ نَعِيماً.
and goodness of moral character is as good as a blessing.
وَ سُئِلَ ع عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى
Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, was asked about Allah's saying:
( فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَياةً طَيِّبَةَ)
(Whosoever did good, whether male or female, and he be a believer, then); We will certainly make him live a life good and pure (and certainly We will give them their return with the best of what they were doing). (Qur'an, 16:97)
قَالَ: هِيَ الْقَنَاعَةُ .
when he said: that means (a life of) contentment. 55
55. The reason for calling goodness of moral character a blessing is that just as blessing brings forth pleasure, in the same way a man can make his environment pleasant by endearing others' hearts through goodness of moral character and can thus succeed in procuring ways for his happiness and ease. And contentment has been regarded as capital and estate for the reason that just as the estate and area under sway dispels need in the same way when a man adopts contentment and feels happy over his livelihood he becomes free of turning to others in the time of need. Whoever is contented with the morsel he gets, dry or wet, is the king of all the land and sea.
