وَقَالَ (عليه السلام):
Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said:
كَانَ لِى فِيمَا مَضَى أَخٌ فِى اللَّهِ
In the past I had a brother-in-faith (73)
وَ كَانَ يُعْظِمُهُ فِى عَيْنِى صِغَرُ الدُّنْيَا فِى عَيْنِهِ
and he was prestigious in my view because the world was humble in his eyes,
وَ كَانَ خَارِجاً مِنْ سُلْطَانِ بَطْنِهِ
the needs of the stomach did not have sway over him,
فَلَا يَشْتَهِى مَا لَا يَجِدُ
he did not long for what he did not get;
وَ لَا يُكْثِرُ إِذَا وَجَدَ
if he got a thing he would not ask for more;
وَ كَانَ أَكْثَرَ دَهْرِهِ صَامِتاً
most of his time he was silent,
فَإِنْ قَالَ بَذَّ الْقَائِلِينَ
if he spoke he silenced the other speakers,
وَ نَقَعَ غَلِيلَ السَّائِلِينَ
he quenched the thirst of questioners,
وَ كَانَ ضَعِيفاً مُسْتَضْعَفاً
he was weak and feeble
فَإِنْ جَاءَ الْجِدُّ
but at the time of fighting
فَهُوَ لَيْثُ غَابٍ
he was like the lion of the forest
وَ صِلُّ وَادٍ
or the serpent of the valley,
لَا يُدْلِى بِحُجَّةٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ قَاضِياً.
he would not put forth an argument unless it was decisive.
وَ كَانَ لَا يَلُومُ أَحَداً عَلَى مَا يَجِدُ الْعُذْرَ فِى مِثْلِهِ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ اعْتِذَارَهُ
He would not reproach anyone in an excusable matter unless he had heard the excuse,
وَ كَانَ لَا يَشْكُو وَجَعاً إِلَّا عِنْدَ بُرْئِهِ
he would not speak of any ailment except after its disappearance,
وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ مَا يَفْعَلُ
he would say what he would do,
وَ لَا يَقُولُ مَا لَا يَفْعَلُ
and would not say what he would not do,
وَ كَانَ إِذَا غُلِبَ عَلَى الْكَلَامِ
even if he could be exceeded in speaking,
لَمْ يُغْلَبْ عَلَى السُّكُوتِ
he could not be excelled in silence;
وَ كَانَ عَلَى مَا يَسْمَعُ أَحْرَصَ مِنْهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ
he was more eager to listen than to speak
وَ كَانَ إِذَا بَدَهَهُ أَمْرَانِ
and if two things confronted him
يَنْظُرُ أَيُّهُمَا أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْهَوَى
he would see which was more akin to the longing of the heart
فَيُخَالِفُهُ.
and he would oppose it.
فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِهَذِهِ الْخَلَائِقِ
These qualities are incumbent upon you.
فَالْزَمُوهَا
So, you should acquire them
وَ تَنَافَسُوا فِيهَا
and excel each other in them.
فَإِنْ لَمْ تَسْتَطِيعُوهَا
Even if you cannot acquire them
فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ أَخْذَ الْقَلِيلِ
you should know that acquiring a part
خَيْرٌ مِنْ تَرْكِ الْكَثِيرِ .
is better than giving up the whole.
73. The man whom Amir al-mu'minin has referred to as his brother and whose qualities he has stated, has been taken by some commentators to be Abu Dharr al-Ghifari by some 'Uthman ibn Maz'un al-Jumahi and by some al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi; but it is not unlikely that no particular individual is referred to at all, because it is customary with Arabs for them to speak of a brother or a comrade although. they have no particular individual in mind.
