Imam As-Sadiq (‘as) said:
The unintelligent is fit for nothing and the unknowledgeable is unintelligent. He who under-stands 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 manners of his time will not be attacked by the mysteries. Judiciousness is the lantern of doubt.
God is the custodian of him who knows Him 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 acts 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 care if people do not praise you and you should not care if people disregard you when God honors you. Amir al-Mu’minin (‘as) 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 death9 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 God in his heart before he expresses his gratitude by words deserves increase of God.
Imam As-Sadiq (‘as) then added:
Many are those whom are tempted by receiving graces of God, many are those whom are trapped by the concealment of their flaws, and many are those whom are cheated by wordings of praise. I hope 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 God I swear, do not love God. For those who acknowledge our rights and love us, they surely love God. Choose to be subordinate, not head. The Prophet (S) said: “The fearful are unable to speak.”