وَقَالَ (عليه السلام):
Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, said:
لاَ شَرَفَ أَعْلَى مِنَ الاْسْلاَمِ،
There is no distinction higher than Islam;
وَلاَ عِزَّ أَعَزُّ مِنَ التَّقْوَى،
no honour more honourable than fear of Allah;
وَلاَ مَعْقِلَ أَحْصَنَ مِنَ الْوَرَعِ،
no asylum better than self restraint;
لاَ شَفِيعَ أَنْجَحُ مِنَ التّوْبَةِ،
no intercessor more effective than repentance;
وَلاَ كَنْزَ أَغْنَى مِنَ الْقَنَاعَةِ،
no treasure more precious than contentment;
وَلاَ مَالَ أَذْهَبُ لِلْفَاقَةِ مَنَ الرِّضَى بِالْقُوتِ،
and no wealth is a bigger remover of destitution than being satisfied with mere sustenance.
وَمَنِ اقْتَصَرَ عَلَى بُلْغَةِ الْكَفَافِ
He who confines himself to what is just enough for maintenance
فَقَدِ انْتَظَمَ الرَّاحَةَ
achieves comfort
وَتَبَوَّأَ خَفْضَ الدَّعَةِ
and prepares abode in ease.
وَالرَّغْبَةُ مِفْتَاحُ النَّصَبِ،
Desire is the key of grief
وَمَطِيَّةُ التَّعَبِ،
and the conveyance of distress.
وَالْحِرْصُ وَالْكِبْرُ وَالْحَسَدُ دَوَاعٍ إِلَى التَّقَحُّمِ فِي الذُّنُوبِ،
Greed, vanity and jealousy are incentives to falling into sins
وَالشَّرُّ جَامِعُ مَسَاوِىءِ الْعُيُوبِ.
and evil-doing is the collection of all bad habits.
