In this part of the article titled “The Last Will of Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib”, we shall continue with the last will of the Commander of the Faithful to his sons.
Do good to your brother when he is bent upon doing harm to you. When he ignores or declines to recognize the kinship, befriend him, go to his help and try to maintain relations. If he is miserly with you and refuses to help you, be generous with him and support him financially. If he is cruel to you, be kind and considerate with him. If he harms you accept his excuses. Behave with him as if he is a master and you are a slave, and he is a benefactor and you are a beneficiary. But be careful that you do not thus behave with undeserving and mean persons.
Do not develop a friendship with the enemy of your friend, otherwise, your friend will turn into an enemy. Advise your friend sincerely and to the best of your ability even though he may not like it.
Keep complete control over your temper and anger because I never found anything more beneficial in the end and producing more good results than such control.
Be mild, pleasant and lenient with him who is harsh, gross, and strict with you; gradually he will turn to your behaviour.
Grant favour and be considerate to your enemy because you will thus gain either one of the two kinds of victories: (one rising above your enemy, the other of reducing the intensity of his hostility).
If you want to cease relations with your friend, then do not break off totally, let your heart retain some consideration for him so that you will still have some regard for him if he comes back to you. Do not disappoint a person who holds a good opinion of you and do not make him change his opinion. Under the impression that you, as a friend, can behave as you like, do not violate the rights of your friend because, when he is deprived of his rights and privileges, he will no more remain your friend.
Do not ill-treat members of your family and do not behave with them as if you are the most cruel man alive.
Do not run after him who tries to avoid you. The greatest achievement of your character is that the hostility of your brother against you does not overcome the consideration and friendship you feel towards him, and his ill-treatment of you does not overbalance your kind treatment to him.
Do not get worried and depressed over the oppression because whoever oppresses you is in reality doing himself harm and is trying to find ways for your good. Never ill-treat a person who has done good to you.
Know it well, son, that there are two kinds of livelihood: one which you are searching for and the other which follows you (which has been destined for you). It will reach you even if you do not try to obtain it.
To be submissive, humble, crawling and begging when one is needy, powerless and poor and to be arrogant, oppressing and cruel when in power and opulence are two very ugly traits of the human character.
Nothing in this world is really useful to you unless it has some utility and value for you for the next world. If you at all want to lament over things which you have lost in this world then worry about the loss of things which had immortal values for you.
The past and almost all that was in your possession during the past is not with you now. You may thus rationally come to the conclusion that the present and all that is in your possession now will also leave you.
Do not be like persons on whom advice has no effect; they require punishment to improve them. A sensible man acquires education and culture through advice, while brutes and beasts always improve through punishment.
Overcome your sorrows, your worries and your misfortunes with patience and faith in the Merciful Lord and your hard work; one who gives up a straight path, honest and rational ways of thinking and working, will harm himself.
A friend is like a relation and a true friend is one who speaks well of you even behind your back. Inordinate desires are related with misfortunes. Often close relations behave more distantly than strangers and often strangers help you more than your nearest relatives. Poor is he who has no friends.
Whoever forsakes truth finds that his path of life has become narrow and troublesome. Contentment and honesty are the lasting assets to retain one’s prestige and position. The strongest relation is the one which is between man and Allah.
One who does not care for you is your enemy. If there is a danger of death or destruction in securing an object then safety lies in avoiding it. Weaknesses and shortcomings are not the things to talk about. Opportunities do not repeat themselves.
Sometimes, very wise and learned persons fail to achieve the object they were aiming at and foolish and uneducated people attain their purposes. Postpone evil deeds as long as possible because you can commit them whenever you so desire (then why hurry in committing them).
To cut connections with ignorant people is itself like forming connections with wise persons. Whoever trusts this world is betrayed by it and whoever gives it importance is disgraced by it. Every arrow of yours will not hit the bull’s eye. When status changes, your conditions also change.
Before ascertaining the conditions of a route, find out what kinds of persons will accompany you on the journey. Instead of enquiring about the condition of the home in which you are going to stay, first of all, try to find out what kind of people your neighbours are.
Do not introduce ridiculous topics in your talk even if you have to repeat the sayings of others. Do not seek the advice of women, their verdicts are often immature and incorrect and their determinations are not firm. You must guard and defend them and act as a shelter to protect them from impious and injurious surroundings and infamous sights, this kind of shelter will keep them well-protected from every harm. Their contact with a vicious and sinful atmosphere (even with all the shelter that you can provide) is going to prove more harmful than being left with protection. Do not let them interfere with affairs where you cannot personally guide or protect them. Do not let them aspire for things which are beyond their capacities.
They are more like decorations to humanity and are not made to rule and govern humanity. Exhibit reasonable interest in things which they desire and give importance to them, but do not let them influence your opinions and do not let them impel you to go against your sane views.
Do not force them into marriages which they abhor or which they consider below their dignity because there is a danger of thus converting honourable and virtuous women into shameless and dishonourable beings.
Divide and distribute work among your servants so that you can hold each one responsible for the work entrusted to them. This is a better and smoother way of carrying on work than each one of them throwing the responsibility of every bit of work on somebody else.
Treat the members of your family with love and respect because they act as wings with which you fly and as hands which support you and fight for you. They are people towards whom you turn when you are in trouble and in need.
My dear son! After having given these pieces of advice to you I entrust you to the Lord. He will help, guide and protect you in this world and the Hereafter. I beseech Him to take you under His protection in both the worlds.
Source: Nahj al-Balaghah
