الفَضائِلُ Merits

1ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): الفَضيلَةُ بحُسنِ الكَمالِ ومَكارِمِ الأفعالِ، لا بكَثرَةِ المالِ وجَلالَةِ الأعمالِ.

1– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Merits come through good perfection [of character] and noble actions, and not through excess money and eminent feats.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1925]
 

2ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): فَضيلَةُ السادَةِ حُسنُ العِبادَةِ.

2– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The merit of chiefs lies in the goodness of their worship.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6559]
 

3ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): فالمُتَّقُونَ فيها هُم أهلُ الفَضائلِ: مَنطِقُهُمُ الصَّوابُ، ومَلبَسُهُمُ الاقتِصادُ.

3– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘So the pious among them are the people of merits; their speech is truth and their dress [attitude] is moderate.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 193]
 

4ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لَقَد أخَذَ بجَوامِعِ الفَضلِ مَن رَفَعَ نفسَهُ عن سُوءِ المُجازاةِ.

4– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who lifts his head [i.e. holds himself] from misjudging has acquired the sum of all the merits.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5139]
 

5ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن أحسَنَ إلى مَن أساءَ إلَيهِ فقد أخَذَ بجَوامِعِ الفَضلِ .

5– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who is good to one who does bad to him has attained all merits.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8905]
 

6ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): كُن عَفُوّاً في قُدرَتِكَ، جَواداً في عُسرَتِكَ، مُؤْثِراً مَعَ فاقَتِكَ ؛ يَكمُلْ لكَ الفَضلُ.

6– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Be forgiving with your power, generous in spite of your own hardship and effective in spite of your own neediness, and your virtue will be perfected.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7179]
 

7ـ الإمامُ زينُ العابدينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا كانَ يَومُ القِيامَةِ جَمَعَ اللّه‏ُ تبارَكَ وتعالَى الأوَّلينَ والآخِرينَ في صَعيدٍ واحِدٍ، ثُمّ يُنادِي مُنادٍ: أينَ أهلُ الفَضلِ؟ قالَ: فَيَقومُ عُنُقٌ مِن الناسِ، فَتَلقّاهُم المَلائكةُ فيَقولونَ: وما كانَ فَضلُكُم ؟ فيَقولونَ: كنّا نَصِلُ مَن قَطَعَنا، ونُعطِي مَن حَرَمَنا، ونَعفُو عَمَّن ظَلَمَنا، فيقالُ لَهُم: صَدَقتُم، ادخُلُوا الجَنَّةَ .

7– Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, ‘When the Day of Judgment comes Allah, Blessed and most High, will gather the first and the last of creation in one place. A caller will cry out, ‘Where are the people of merit?’ The Imam then said, ‘Then a handful of people will rise, and the angels will receive them asking them, ‘What were your merits?’ They will say, ‘We used to visit those who cut us off, give to those who deprived us, and forgive those who oppressed us.’ It will then be said to them, ‘You have spoken the truth. Enter Paradise.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 107, no. 4]
 

8ـ الإمامُ الجوادُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): الفَضائلُ أربَعةُ أجناسٍ: أحَدُها: الحِكمَةُ، وقِوامُها في الفِكرَةِ، والثاني: العِفَّةُ، وقِوامُها في الشَّهوَةِ، والثالثُ: القُوَّةُ، وقِوامُها في الغَضَبِ، والرابِعُ: العَدلُ، وقِوامُهُ في اعتِدالِ قُوَى النفسِ.

8– Imam al-Jawad (AS) said, ‘There are four types of merits: the first is wisdom, and its basis is thinking. The second is chastity, and its basis is desire. The third is power, and its basis is anger. The fourth is justice, and its basis is moderation in the faculties of the self.’[Kashf al-Ghamma, v. 3, p. 138]