The letter of ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, AS, to Ibn Abbas RA
1
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ كَتَبَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عليه السلام) إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَقَدْ يَسُرُّ الْمَرْءَ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَفُوتَهُ وَ يَحْزُنُهُ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِيُصِيبَهُ أَبَداً وَ إِنْ جَهَدَ فَلْيَكُنْ سُرُورُكَ بِمَا قَدَّمْتَ مِنْ عَمَلٍ صَالِحٍ أَوْ حُكْمٍ أَوْ قَوْلٍ وَ لْيَكُنْ أَسَفُكَ فِيمَا فَرَّطْتَ فِيهِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ دَعْ مَا فَاتَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا فَلَا تُكْثِرْ عَلَيْهِ حَزَناً وَ مَا أَصَابَكَ مِنْهَا فَلَا تَنْعَمْ بِهِ سُرُوراً وَ لْيَكُنْ هَمُّكَ فِيمَا بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَ السَّلَامُ.
327. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ali Bin Asbaat with an unbroken chain, said: Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) wrote to Ibn Abbas: ‘Having said that, what has made the person happy is what he did not miss, and grieved for what he never could have got, ever. The efforts that you have made should make you happy with what you have sent forward from the righteous deeds, or Judgement, or speech, and it is to your regret regarding what you have neglected from that. And leave what you have missed from the world and do not grieve a lot for it. And what you have got from it, do not enjoy in its delight, but ponder over what comes after the death. With greetings’.