Imam Sadiq's Words of Wisdom
Imam Sadiq(a) said: The unintelligent is fit for nothing and the unknowledgeable is unintelligent. He who understands will be excellent and he who is clement will be triumphant.
Knowledge is protection, honesty is glory, ignorance is humility, understanding is honor, openhandedness is success, and good mannerism achieves affection.
The knowing of the manners of his time will not be attacked by the mysteries. Judiciousness is the lantern of doubt.
Allah is the custodian of him who knows His and the enemy of him who ignores Him. The intelligent should be forgiver and the ignorant is treacherous.
If you want to be respected, you should be lenient and if you want to be disrespected, you may be severe.The heart of him whose lineage is honorable is surely soft while he whose race is ignoble is surely hard-hearted.
He who neglects will be engaged (in troubles). He who cares for the result will act slowly in matters that he ignores.
He who involves himself in a matter with which he does not have full acquaintance will debase himself.
He who does not know will not understand, he who does not understand will not be safe, he who is not safe will not be respected, he who is not respected will feel disappointed, he who feels disappointed will be blamed, and he who is blamed will be worthy of regret.
If you can hide your personality from people, do it. You should not care if people do not praise you and you should not care if peope disregard you when Allah honors you.
Amirul Muminin(A.S.) used to say: "Life is worthless for everyone except two men: A man whose acts of charity are day by day increasable and a man who corrects his death by means of repentance." If you can keep yourself indoors, do it. When you go out (of your house), you should avoid backbiting, telling untruths, envying, showing off, flattering, and sweet-talking.
The cell of the believer is his house where he detains himself, his sight, his tongue, and his genitals.
He who acknowledges the favors of Allah in his heart before he expresses his gratitude by words deserves increase of Allah.
Imam Sadiq(A.S.) then added: Many are those whom are tempted by receiving graces of Allah, many are those whom are trapped by the concealment of their flaws, and many are those whom are cheated by wording of praise.
I hope safety for everybody who acknowledges our rights (of the loyalty to our leadership that is incumbent upon people) except three: the friends of the unjust rulers, the followers of their whims, and the sinful who commit sins openly.
For those who love the worldly pleasures and follow anyone other than us, they, by Allah I swear, do not love Allah. For those who acknowledge our rights and love us, they surely love Allah.
Choose to be subordinate, not head.
The Prophet(p) said: The fearful are unaable to speak."
Inconsiderate judgment causes discrepancy, criticism causes enmity, lack of tolerance causes scandal, divulgement of secrets causes meanness, generosity causes cleverness, and niggardliness is inadvertence.
To adhere to Allah, satisfy with His act, and trust Him-these three matters gather the good of this world and the world to come for him whoever holds fast to them.
He who neglects three characters will be deprived: They are to ask from the generous, associate with the scholars, and attract the attention of the powerful.
Religiousness, modesty, and generosity-these three matters bring about the affection of others.
He who disavows three will attain three: he who disavows evil will attain dignity; he who disavows arrogance will attain nobility; he who disavows niggardliness will attain honor.
Three characters bring about hatred: hypocrisy, oppression, and self-conceit.
He who does not have one of three characters is not regarded as noble: they are a mind that beautifies him, a fortune that dispenses him of people, or a clan that supports him.
Envy, talebearing, frivolity-these three matters cause degradation.
Three characters are not known only in three situations: the clement are known only in situations of rage, the courageous are known only in wars, and brothers are known only in situations of neediness.
He whoever enjoys three characters is certainly hypocrite even if he offers prayers and fasts: he who lies when he speaks, breaches his promises, and violates the trusts.
Beware of three categories of people: the traitor, the oppressor, and the talebearer. He who betrays others for your sake will surely betray you, he who oppresses others for your sake will surely oppress you, and he who bears others' news to you will surely bear your news to others.
No one should be regarded as trustful before he keeps three things: funds, secrets, and honors. He who keeps two and betrays a third is not trustful.
Do not consult the foolish, do not seek the help of the liar, and do not trust in the affection of the weary. The liar brings near the remote and makes the near remote, the foolish does his best for you but cannot attain anything, and the weary disappoints you in your most reliable matter and breaks your most associated matter.
Four things do not have sufficiency with four matters: the land never has its sufficiency from rainfall, the eye never has its sufficiency from looking, and the scholar never has his sufficiency from knowledge.
Four conducts bring old age before its time: they are eating dried meat, sitting on wetlands, scaling the stairs, and copulating with old women.
Women are of three categories: one is for you, the other is for you and against you, and the third is against you. The one that is for you is the virgin. The one that is for you and against you is the non-virgin. The one that is against you is the mother of sons of another man.
Reference:Tuhaf al-Uqool