تَفسيرُ العَقلِ The Explanation of Intellect

27ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): إنَّ العَقلَ عِقالٌ مِنَ‏الجَهلِ، والنَّفسَ مِثلُ أخبَثِ الدَّوابِّ ، فإن لَم تُعقَلْ حارَت.

27– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily the intellect is a lasso used to restrain ignorance, and the carnal soul is like the vilest of beasts which if left unrestrained will go wild.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 15]
 

28ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): العَقلُ نورٌ خَلَقَهُ اللّه‏ُ لِلإنسانِ ، وجَعَلَهُ يُضيءُ عَلَى القَلبِ ؛ لِيَعرِفَ بِهِ الفَرقَ بَينَ المُشاهَداتِ مِنَ المُغَيَّباتِ.

28– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The intellect is a light that Allah has created for mankind and which He has ordained to illuminate the heart, in order that with it, he may know the difference between the visually manifest things and the unseen things.’[`Aawali al-La’ ali, v. 1, p. 248, no. 4]
 

29ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ أن تَقولَ ما تَعـرِفُ ، وتَعمَلَ بِما تَنطِقُ بِهِ .

29– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘[To be a man of] intellect is that you say only that which you know and act upon what you say.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2141]
 

30ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ حِفظُ التَّجارِبِ ، وخَيرُ ما جَرَّبتَ ما وَعَظَكَ .

30– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘[To be a man of] intellect is to preserve your experiences, and the best of all that you have experienced is that which has taught you a lesson.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31]
 

31ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العَقلُ عَقلانِ: عَقلُ الطَّبعِ وعَقلُ التَّجرِبَةِ ، وكِلاهُما يُؤَدّي المَنفَعَةَ .

31– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There are two divisions of intellect the natural intellect and the intellect of experience, and both of them produce benefit.’[Masalib al-Sa’ ul, p. 49]
 

32ـ الإمامُ الحسنُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لَمّا سُئلَ عَنِ العَقلِ ـ: التَّجَرُّعُ لِلغُصَّةِ حَتّى تَنالَ الفُرصَةَ .

32– Imam al-Hasan (AS) when asked about the intellect, said, ‘To suppress one’ s annoyance until the opportunity arises.’[Ma`ani al-Akhbar, p. 240, no. 1]
 

33ـ الإمامُ الحسنُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لَمّا سَألَهُ أبوهُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) عَنِ العَقلِ ـ: حِفظُ قَلبِكَ ما استَودَعتَهُ .

33– Imam al-Hasan (AS), when his father asked him regarding the intellect, said, ‘It is for the heart to safeguard what you have deposited therein.’[Ma`ani al-Akhbar, p. 401, no. 62]