Imam Ali a.s.'s Advice
GEMS FROM HIS FAMOUS WILL - On the 1,389th Martyrdom Anniversary of our beloved Imam (a.s)
After returning from the Battle of Siffin, Imam Ali (as) gave advice to one of his sons. He wrote them in the form of a will. They deal with almost every aspect of life which goes a long way to make a man successful in life - brave, humane, generous, virtuous and pious.
Let us treasure this advice and make it our guiding principle in life
These exhortations are from a father who realizes the mortality of life, who is getting old, who has patiently borne reverses and calamities, who hates inordinate desires and has overcome them, and who is shortly going to pass out of this world, to his son who is young, who has the desire of leading the world to sober ways of thinking and better ways of life,
a desire which is rather difficult to be achieved
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" ... Let it be known to you that decay of health, passing away of time and nearness of death, have made me realize that I should give more thought to my future (next world) and to my people; advise them more and spend more time in equipping them mentally to face this world.
I felt that my own sons and my near ones have as much right to utilize my experiences and knowledge, all the ups and downs of life, all the realities and all the truths about life in this world and in the Hereafter, which are as much known to me as others.
I decided, therefore, to spend more time over you and to prepare you more for your. This was neither selfishness nor self-esteem nor any mental luxury of giving away pieces of advice, but it was the sincere desire of making you see the world as I found it, look at the realities of lives as I looked at them, and do the right thing at the right time and right place as it should be done which made me write down these exhortations to you.
You will not find in them anything but truth and realities.
My dear son! You are part of my body and soul and whenever I look at you I feel as if I am looking at myself.
If any calamities befalls you, I feel as if it has befallen me. Your death will make me feel as if it was my own death. Your affairs are to me like my own affairs.
Therefore, I committed these pieces of advice to paper. I want you to take care of them, to pay attention to them and to guard them well. I may remain longer in your life or I may not, but I want these pieces of advice to remain with you always.
My first and foremost advice to you, my son, is to fear Allah.
Be His obedient servant. Keep His thought always fresh in your mind. Be attached to and carefully guard the principles (Islam) which connect you with Him. Can any other connection be stronger, more durable and more lasting than this to command greater respect and consideration or to replace it?
Accept good exhortations and refresh your mind with them. Adopt piety and kill your inordinate desires with its help. Build your character with the help of true faith in religion and Allah.
Subjugate your nature with the vision of death, make it see the mortality of life and of all that it holds dear, force it to realize the actuality of misfortunes and adversities, the changes of circumstances and times and compel it to study the lives of past people.
Persuade it to see the ruined cities, the dilapidated palaces, decaying signs and relics of fallen empires of past nations.
Then meditate over the activities of those people, what they have all done when they were alive and were in power, what they achieved, from where they started their careers; where, when and how they were brought to an end, where they are now; what have they actually gained out of life and what was their contributions to the human welfare.
If you carefully ponder over these problems, you will find that each one of those people has parted company with the others and with all that he cherished and loved and he is now in a solitary abode, alone and unattended; and you also will be like him. Take care to provide well for your future abode. Do not barter away eternal blessing for pleasures of this mortal and fleeting world.
Do not talk about things which you do not know. Do not speculate about and pass verdicts on subjects about which you are not in a position to form an opinion and are not called upon to do so.
Give up the way where there is a possibility of your going astray.
When there is danger on your wandering in the wilderness of ignorance, possibility of losing the sight of the goal which you want to attain and of reaching the end aimed at, then it is better to give up the quest than to advance facing uncertain dangers and unforeseen risks.
Advise people to do good and to live virtuously because you are fit to give such advice. Let your words and deeds teach the world lessons of how to abstain from wickedness and vicious deeds.
Try your best to keep away from those who indulge in vices and sins.
Fight, whenever required, to defend the cause of Allah.
When you think of defending the cause of Allah do not be afraid that people will laugh at you, censure your action or slander you.
Fearlessly and boldly help truth and justice.
Bear patiently the sufferings and face bravely the obstacles which come in your way when you follow truth and when you try to uphold it.
Adhere to the cause of truth and justice wherever you find it.
Try to be well versed with Islamic Jurisprudence and theology and acquire a thorough knowledge of the canons of this religion. ..."
GEMS FROM HIS FAMOUS WILL - On the 1,389th Martyrdom Anniversary of our beloved Imam (a.s)
NAHJUL – BALAGHA <Peak Of Eloquence>.
Imam Ali Said:
If you find that somebody is not grateful for all that you have done for him then do not get disappointed because often you will find that someone else feels under your obligation though you have done nothing for him and thus your good deeds will be compensated and Allah will reward you for your goodness
Ask your heart about Friendship, for surely it is a witness that cannot be bribed
Remember us in your Duas and pray for all our Marhumins
