When he noticed the vastness of his companion''s house
1
ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) بالبصرة، وقد دخل على العلاء بن زياد الحارثي ـ وهو من أصحابه ـ يعوده، فلما رأى سعة داره قال:
Amīr al-mu’minīn went to enquire about the health of his companion al-‘Alā’ ibn Ziyād al-Ḥārithī and when he noticed the vastness of his house he said:
2
مَا كُنْتَ تَصْنَعُ بِسِعَةِ هذِهِ الدارِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، أَنْتَ إِلَيْهَا فِي الاْخِرَةِ كُنْتَ أَحْوَجَ؟ وَبَلَى إِنْ شِئْتَ بَلَغْتَ بِهَا الاْخِرَةَ، تَقْرِي فِيهَا الضَّيْفَ، وَتَصِلُ فِيهَا الرَّحِمَ، وَتُطْلِعُ مِنْهَا الْحُقُوقَ مَطَالِعَهَا، فَإذَا أَنْتَ قَدْ بَلَغْتَ بِهَا الاْخِرَةَ.
What will you do with this vast house in this world, although you need this house more in the next world. If you want to take it to the next world you could entertain in it guests and be regardful of kinship and discharge all (your) obligations according to their accrual. In this way you will be able to take it to the next world.
3
فقال له العلاء: يا أميرالمؤمنين، أشكو إليك أخي عاصم بن زياد.
Then al-‘Alā’ said to him: O’ Amīr al-mu’minīn, I want to complain to you about my brother ‘Āṣim ibn Ziyād.
4
قال: وما له؟
Amīr al-mu’minīn enquired: What is the matter with him?
5
قال: لبس العباءة وتخلّى من الدنيا.
al-‘Alā’ said: He has put on a woollen coat and cut himself away from the world.
6
قال: عليَّ به.
Amīr al-mu’minīn said: Present him to me.
7
فلمّا جاء قال: يَا عُدَىَّ نَفْسِهِ! لَقَدِ اسْتَهَامَ بِكَ الْخَبِيثُ! أَمَا رَحِمْتَ أَهْلَكَ وَوَلَدَكَ! أَتَرَى اللهَ أَحَلَّ لَكَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ، وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ أَنْ تَأْخُذَهَا! أَنْتَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَى اللهِ مِنْ ذلِكَ!
When he came Amīr al-mu’minīn said: O enemy of yourself. Certainly, the evil (Satan) has misguided you. Do you feel no pity for your wife and your children? Do you believe that if you use those things which Allāh has made lawful for you, He will dislike you? You are too unimportant for Allāh to do so.
8
قال: يا أميرالمؤمنين، هذا أنت في خشونة ملبسك وجُشوبة مأكلك!
He said: O Amīr al-mu’minīn, you also put on coarse dress and eat rough food.
9
قال: وَيْحَكَ، إِنِّي لَسْتُ كَأَنْتَ، إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى فَرَضَ عَلى أَئِمَّةِ الْعَدْلِ أَنْ يُقَدِّرُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعَفَةِ النَّاسِ، كَيْلاَ يَتَبَيَّغَ بِالْفَقِيرِ فَقْرُهُ!
Then he replied: Woe be to you, I am not like you. Certainly, Allāh, the Sublime, has made it obligatory on true leaders that they should maintain themselves at the level of low people so that the poor do not cry over their poverty. [1]