O Ali, to avoid pleasing anyone and discontenting God, thanking anyone for a favor that God has given to you, and reproaching anyone for something that God has not given to you—these are parts of the conviction. The sustenance cannot be obtained through (any sort of) niggardliness and will not be ceased when someone hates it. Out of His wisdom and grace, God has made relief and delight lie in conviction and satisfaction, and made care and grief lie in suspect and malice.
O Ali, no poverty is harsher than ignorance, no fortune better than the intellect, no loneliness drearier than pride, no victory like counseling, no intellect like moderation, no lineage like good manners, and no worship like pondering (over things).
O Ali, untruth is the epidemic of talking, oblivion is the epidemic of knowledge, laziness is the epidemic of worship, to remind reproachfully (of your favors) is the epidemic of leniency, despot is the epidemic of courage, showing off is the epidemic of handsomeness, and pride is the epidemic of (belonging to good) ancestry.
O Ali, keep up saying the truth and your mouth should never utter any single lie. Never approach any treason. Fear God as if you see Him before you. Sacrifice your property and soul for the sake of your religion. Ride the good manners and avoid the ill manners.
O Ali, the most favorable deeds to God are three: the best worshipper is he who fulfills the obligatory duties of God properly. The most pious of people is he who abstains from the forbidden matters. The wealthiest of people is he who satisfies himself with that which God has given to him.
O Ali, three characters are the high moral standards: they are to regard him who ruptured his relations with you, give him who deprived you (of his bestowals), and pardon him who wronged you.
O Ali, three matters save you: (They are) to control your tongue (stop saying obscene language or stop reviling at people), to weep for your sins, and to contend with your home.
O Ali, three characters are the masters of deeds: they are to treat people fairly, justify your friends, and to praise God under any condition.
O Ali, three categories (of people) are the guests of God: they are a man who visits his faithful brother for God’s sake. This man is certainly God’s guest, and it is incumbent upon God to honor His guests and satisfy their needs. The second is a man who offers a prayer and immediately offers another. He is surely God’s guest and it is incumbent upon God to honor His guest. The hajji and the performer of umrah are the delegations to God, and it is incumbent upon God to honor His delegations.
O Ali, three matters are rewarded in this world and the world to come: the hajj eradicates poverty, the almsgiving eradicates catastrophes, and regard of the relatives increases the age.
O Ali, the deeds of those who do not enjoy the following three characters are nil: piety that impedes against committing acts of disobedience to God the Glorified the Majestic, knowledge that protects against the ignorance of the foolish ones, and an intellect that helps in associating with people courteously.
O Ali, three men will be stood under the shade of the (Divine) Throne on the Day of Resurrection: they are a man who likes for his friend whatever he likes for himself, a man who stops doing anything before he realizes whether it pleases or displeases God, and a man who does not find fault with his friends before he himself gets rid of that fault. A man will find a new fault with himself whenever he gets rid of one. It is quite sufficient for a man to engage with himself.
O Ali, three matters are within the doors to charity: they are generosity, good wording, and steadfastness against harm.
O Ali, it is written in the Torah that four matters always accompany other four ones. He who begins his day with acquisitiveness is beginning his day with discontentment to God. He who complains about misfortune is complaining his Lord. Two thirds of the religion of him who declines before a rich man are gone. The people of this umma who will be in Hell are surely those who deride and disregard the verses (or signs) of God.
Four matters always accompany other four ones. He who holds a position of leadership will surely act arbitrarily. He who does not seek others’ advice will surely regret. As you subjugate, you will surely be subjugated. Poverty is the grand death.
The Rasulullah(SAW) was asked whether the intended poverty is the financial neediness. He (SAW) answered:
No, it is the poverty of the religion.
O Ali, except three, every eye will be weeping on the Day of Resurrection. These three are an eye that spent a night sleeplessly for God’s sake, an eye that is lowered before what God has prohibited to gaze, and an eye that shed tears due to fearing God.
O Ali, blessed be the face (of an individual) that God notices (him) weeping for a sin, which no one has seen except Him.
O Ali, three matters are destructive and three others are rescuing. The three destructive matters are the pursued passion, the obeyed niggardliness, and the self-conceit. The three rescuing matters are to treat (others) fairly in both situations of satisfaction and displeasure, to be moderate in both situations of richness and poverty, and to fear God secretly and openly. Fear God as if you see Him. If you do not see Him, He can surely see you.
O Ali, untruth may be acceptable only in three situations; in the stratagem of wars, promising the wife, and for reconciliation between people.
O Ali, truth is discommended in three situations; in states of talebearing, informing the husband of what he does not like to hear about his wife, and telling the falsity of a speech of goodness.
O Ali, four matters go uselessly: to eat after (attaining) satiety, to light a lamp in the moonlit, to seed in the briny land, and to do favors to the undeserved.
O Ali, four matters are the quickest in punishment: to recompense the favor with mistreatment, to trespass him who does not show hostility, to break the faith of the party who keeps up his faith, and to rupturing the relations with the relatives who regard you properly.
O Ali, those who keep these four characters enjoy perfect Islam. These characters are telling truth only, showing gratitude, prudence, and good mannerism.
O Ali, the present richness is surely the fewness of asking from people. To ask from people frequently is surely humility. It is also the present poverty.