Nahj al-Balagha Hadith n. 374
Selections from The Sayings and Preaching of Amir al-Muminin Ali ibn Abi Talib (Peace Be Upon Him) Including His Replies to Questions and Maxims Expressed for Various Purposes.
Translated by Sayyid Ali Reza
وقد قال عليه السلام في كلام غير هذا يجري هذا المجرى:
Another saying in the same strain runs as follows:
فَمِنْهُمُ الْمُنْكِرُ للْمُنْكَرِ بيَدِهِ وَلِسَانِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ
So, among them (the Muslim community) there is he who disapproves evil with his hand, tongue and heart.
فَذَلِكَ الْمُسْتَكْمِلُ لِخِصَالِ الْخَيْرِ،
This man has perfectly attained the virtuous habits.
وَمِنْهُمُ الْمُنْكِرُ بِلِسَانِهِ وَقَلْبهِ وَالتَّارِكُ بِيَدِهِ
And among them there is he who disapproves evil with his tongue and heart but not with his hand.
فَذلِكَ مُتَمَسِّكٌ بِخَصْلَتيَنِ مِنْ خِصَالِ الْخَيْرِ وَمُضَيِّعٌ خَصْلَةً،
This man has attained only two virtuous habits but lacks one.
وَمِنْهُمُ الْمُنْكِرُ بِقَلْبِهِ وَالتَّارِكُ بيَدِهِ وَلِسَانِهِ
And among them there is the third one who disapproves evil with his heart but not with his tongue and hand.
فَذلِكَ الَّذِي ضَيَّعَ أَشْرَفَ الْخَصْلَتَيْنِ مِنَ الثَّلاَثِ وَتَمَسَّكَ بوَاحِدَةٍ،
This is the one who lacks the two better qualities out of three and holds only one.
وَمِنْهُمْ تَارِكٌ لاِنْكَارِ الْمُنكَرِ بِلِسَانِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَيَدِهِ
Then, among them there is also he who does not disapprove evil either with his tongue, heart or hand.
فَذلِكَ مَيِّتُ الاْحْيَاءِ.
He is just a dead man among the living.
وَمَا أَعْمَالُ الْبِرِّ كُلُّهَا وَالْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ،
All the virtuous deeds including war in the way of Allah
عِنْدَ الاْمْرِ بالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ،
as compared to the persuasion to good and dissuasion from evil
إِلاَّ كَنَفْثَةٍ فِي بَحْرٍ لُجِّيٍّ
are just like spitting in the deep ocean.
وَإِنَّ الاْمْرَ بالْمَعْروُفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ
The persuasion for good and dissuasion from evil
لاَ يُقَرِّبَانِ مِنْ أَجَلٍ،
do not bring death nearer
وَلاَ يَنْقصَانِ مِنْ رِزْقٍ،
nor do they lessen the livelihood.
وَأَفضَلُ مِنْ ذلِكَ كُلِّهِ كَلِمَةُ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ إِمَامٍ جَائِرٍ.
And better than all this is to utter a just expression before a tyrannical ruler.