And the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One who devotes himself to worship without understanding of religion is like the donkey of the mill: it goes round and round and never stirs from its place. Two rak'ahs from a man of knowledge are better in the sight of God Most High than seventy rak'ahs from an ignorant man, because when trial comes to the man of knowledge he emerges from it by his knowledge, whereas it comes to the ignorant man and sweeps him utterly away. (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 43)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: One who is given to worship but does not truly know his religion is like the donkey of the mill: he toils but does not move forward. Two rak'ahs of prayer from a man of knowledge are better in God's sight than seventy rak'ahs of prayer from one who has no discernment in religion. The knowledge of the man of knowledge saves him from trials, while the ignorant man perishes in trial.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Scholars are of three kinds: a servant who learned knowledge and acted upon it and made it known, so that it became a light for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he was as one of those who acted upon it; a servant who learned knowledge but neither acted upon it nor made it known, so that it is a proof against him on the Day of Resurrection and becomes a darkness upon him; and a servant who learned knowledge but was not able to act upon it, yet upheld the recommended and the obligatory practices, so that it became a light for him on the Day of Resurrection. (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 45)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: We have three sorts of scholar: the scholar who acts upon his knowledge and also propagates it — the knowledge of such a one is his light on the Day of Resurrection. Second, the scholar who neither acts upon his knowledge nor propagates it — the knowledge of such a one is a proof against him on the Day of Resurrection and becomes the cause of his darkness. Third, the scholar who has not the power to act upon all of his knowledge, but strives to the extent of his ability to uphold the recommended and obligatory practices — for such a one too his knowledge becomes a light on the Day of Resurrection and the cause of his salvation.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Salman (may God be pleased with him): To proceed: the likeness of the life of this world is only the likeness of a serpent; so turn away from whatever of it pleases you, lay aside its cares, and be most wary of it precisely when you feel most secure from it; for its master, whenever he settles at ease into some delight of it, is made wretched by some hateful thing from it. (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 123)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to Salman: This world stings; so if anything of it should catch your eye, turn away from it at once and lift your concern from it. The more secure you feel about something, the more you should fear that very thing! And whenever you expect some pleasure from a thing, it is usually from that same thing that affliction arises for you.
(We say: the phrase "wa kun amana ma takunu minha, ahdhara ma takunu minha" occurs in Nahj al-Balagha in this form: "wa kun anasa ma takunu biha ahdhara ma takuna minha" — that is: the more intimate you are with a thing, the more you should fear that very thing!)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: The expiation of grave sins is aiding the distressed and relieving the afflicted. (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 125)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: What makes amends for great sins is helping people and untying the knots of their affairs.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: By God, I am the blessing of God with which God Most High has favoured His servants. (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 143)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: By God, I am a blessing upon the people, and through me God has bestowed His favour upon them.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: We, and whoever loves us, shall be like these two, until we come upon our Prophet at the Pool — and he joined together his two index fingers. (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 190)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: I and the one whose heart is given to me shall be together in the hereafter, until we visit the Prophet at the station of the Kawthar.
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: A man came to the Messenger of God (PBUH) and said: O Messenger of God, teach me a deed for which God and created beings will love me, by which God will increase my wealth, keep my body sound, lengthen my life, and raise me up with you. He said: "These are six qualities. If you wish God to love you, then fear Him and be mindful of Him. If you wish created beings to love you, then be good to them. If you wish God to increase your wealth, then pay its alms. If you wish God to keep your body sound, then give much in charity. If you wish God to lengthen your life, then maintain the ties of kinship. And if you wish God to raise you up with me, then make long your prostration before God, the One, the All-Subduing." (Ghurar al-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 376)
The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Someone came to the Messenger of God (PBUH) and asked him to teach him something by which he might become beloved to God and to His creatures. The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: If you wish to become beloved to God, then keep His side and be God-fearing; and if you wish to become beloved to His creatures, then do good to them! He asked: What shall I do that God may make me wealthy? He said: Let your wealth flow out to others! He asked: What shall I do to remain healthy? He said: Give much in charity! He asked: What shall I do that my life may be long? He said: Look after your relatives! He asked: O Messenger of God, what shall I do to be raised up with you in the hereafter? The Messenger of God (PBUH) said: Make your prostrations long, and in them know yourself to be in the presence of God.
Irshad al-Qulub, the most celebrated work of Hasan ibn Abi'l-Hasan al-Daylami, contains admonitions drawn from the Qur'an and the Sunna, together with the virtues [of the Ahl al-Bayt]. The author declares his purpose in composing this work to be the deliverance of people from divine chastisement by way of their deliverance from anger and appetite. In the first part of the book, in fifty-four chapters, he treats of moral counsels and admonitions; in the second part he sets down the virtues and merits of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS). As a work of ethics, Irshad al-Qulub has always enjoyed the attention of scholars and has been translated many times. The style of the book is not that of the books of hadith: it is a text in the author's own voice, in which the traditions are adduced as supporting witness. Al-Daylami's expressions, for all their brevity, possess a rare eloquence; he himself said: "I have been granted the comprehensive word!" It is clear that al-Daylami did not intend to compose a book of traditions, but wished to produce a work of ethics in the manner of the sermon. Since he was himself a man of the spiritual way and a scholar of practice, his speech is captivating and his breath warm, and he leaves his reader deeply affected. Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin and certain other biographers have inferred, on the basis of certain evidence, that the second part of the book, which concerns the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt, is not by al-Daylami and was appended to the book afterwards. They have adduced proofs as well, among them that the title of the book bears no relation to the subject of the second part. Sayyid Shihab al-Din Mar'ashi Najafi likewise writes: it is established for us that the second volume is not his, and whoever examines and reflects will find this plain and evident. In this book too al-Daylami has dropped the chains of transmission of the traditions.