Maxims of Imam Zainul Abedin(AS)

1- The highest grade of conviction is to satisfy yourself with the detested act of Allah.

2- He who honors himself will debase the worldly life.

3- As he was asked to define the greatest of people, Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) said: The greatest of people is that who does notsee the world as great.

4- Before Imam Al-Sajjad (AS), a man said: O Allah, make me do without people," The Imam instructed: This is not accurate. People are in the service of each other. You should say: O Allah, make me do without the evil ones.

5- The richest of people is that who is satisfied with what Allah has chosen for him.

6- A deed that accompanies God-fearing will not be decreased. How can an accepted deed be decreased?

7- Avoid telling lies, whether they were significant or venial, or in serious or humorous situations, for a man who tells a trivial lie will surely dare to tell a big one.

8- To see your enemy plunging in acts of disobedience to Allah because of you is a sufficient victory from Allah to you.

9- The whole goodness is to protect yourself (against all that which is unacceptable).

10- Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) said to one of his sons: O son, Allah has accepted me (as a father) for you and has not accepted you (as a son) for me; hence, He has commanded you (to obey me) and has not commanded me (to obey you). Adhere to charity; it is surely a small gift.

11- Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) answered the man who asked him a definition for ascetics: Ascetics is of ten grades the highest of which the lowest grade of piety. The highest grade of piety is the lowest grade of conviction. The highest grade of conviction is the lowest grade of satisfaction. Ascetics is (summarized) in Allah's saying:

﴾... so that you would not grieve over what you have lost nor become too happy about what Allah has granted to you.﴿( Holy Qur'an 57:23)

12- Asking from people is the humility of life, the remover of pudency, and the debasement of reverence. It is the permanent poverty. Lack of asking from people is the permanent richness.

13- The most favorable of you to Allah is certainly the owner of the best deeds. The doer of the best deed to Allah is the most desirous (for Allah's bounty and rewards). The most saved from Allah's agony is the most fearful of Allah. The closest to Allah is the most well-mannered. The most accepted by Allah is the most generous to His family members. The most honorable for Allah is the most God-fearing.

14- Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) said to one of his sons: O son, do not associate, talk, or accompany five classes of people. "Who are they, father?" asked the son, and the Imam (AS) asnwered: Beware of associationg with the liar, for he is as same as mirage: he shows you the near as remote and shows you the remote as near.

Beware of associationg with the sinful, for he will disappoint you for a single bite or even something less valuable. Beware of associating with the stingy, for he will let you down when you are in urgent need of his property. Beware of associating with the foolish, for he harms you when he intends to do you favor. Beware of associating with the disregardful of his relatives, for I found him cursed in the Book of Allah.

15- Knowledge and the perfect religion is to avoid intruding into unconcerned matters, dispute others rarely, show clemency and steadfastness, and be well-mannered.

16- O son of Adam-man-: You are on the right as long as you are admonished by your own self, care very much for maintaining judgment with yourself, and betake fear as your slogan and caution as your garment. O son of Adam: You will unquestionably be dead, resurrected, and standing before your Lord the Majestic. You should prepare an answer for all that.

17- No Qureishite and no Arab (should take pride in his) lineage without modesty. No generosity without God-fearing. No deed without (honest) intention. No worship without knowledge. The most hated of people to Allah is he who believes in an Imam's traditions but does not copy his deeds.

18- For his supplication (to Allah), the believer gains one of three things: the supplication is saved for him, he is responded immediately, or he is saved for the befalling of an imminent misfortune.

19- The very hypocrite is that who warns people (against evil deeds) but he does not stop committing them and orders them (to do good acts) but he does not do (such acts). When he stands for offering the prayer he turns right and left, when he genuflects (in the prayer) he huddles, and when he prostrates himself, he pecks. In evenings, his only concern is dinner while he was not fasting.

In mornings, his only concern is to sleep while he has not passed (the last) night with worship. The believer, on the other hand, mixes his acts with clemency; he sits down so that he may learn (something); he keeps silent so that he may save himself, he does not divulge his secrets before his friends (even); he does not conceal witnessing for the strangers; he does not act any rightful action out of showing off, he does not neglect any act out of pudency; if he is praised, he fears sayings of the eulogists and seeks Allah's forgiveness for what they do not know; he does not care for the ignorance of those who ignore him.

20- Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) said to a man who had just been cured from an ailment: Congratulations for the acquittal of the sins. Allah has referred to you; therefore, you should mention Him, and has saved you; therefore, you should thank it for Him.

21- If you ride for obtaining these five things, you will extermely fatigue your riding animals before you can attain them. They are as follows: The servant (of Allah) should fear nothing except his sins and hope for nothing except his Lord. The ignorant (of a certain question) should not be too shy to learn-or-the unknowledgeable of a question should not be too shy to learn what he ignores. The scholar should not be too shy to confess of their ignorance of a question about which they are asked. The relation of patience to faith is same as the relation of the head to the body. On that account, the impatient are faithless.

22- Allah says: O son of Adam, satisfy yourself with that which I have given to you and you will be the most abstinent of people. O son of Adam, carry out the duties that I have made incumbent upon you and you will be the best worshipper of people. O son of Adam, avoid acting matters that I have deemed forbidden and you will be the most pious of people.

23- Many are those whom are deceived by comendation. Many are those whom are swindled by the firm covering up (of their sins). Many are those whom are trapped by favors and graces that they receive.

24- How bad those whose ones overcome their tens are! (One good deed will be rewarded tenfold, while bad deeds will be reompencsed one for one.

25- This world is about to turn tail and the life to come is about to approach. Each this world and the life to come has its sons. Thus, line up with the sons of the life to come and do not be the sons of this world. Be with those who abstain from (chasing) the worldly pleasures and desire for the (permanent bliss of the) life to come.

The abstinent are those who betake the land of Allah as mat, dust as bed, rocks as pillow, water as odor, and they cut their livelihood in this world. You should know that he whoever longs for Paradise dashes to the good deeds and forgets the passion. Whoever is concerned about the fire (of Hell) takes the initiative to repent to Allah from the sins and stops committing the forbidden matters.

Whoever disregards this world will look upon its misfortunes as ineffectual and will not hate it. There are the servants of Allah whose hearts are deeply attracted to the life to come and its rewards. They behave as if they have seen the people of Paradise living therein eternally with ultimate bliss and seen the people of Hell suffering agony therein.

People are saved from the evils and troubles of such ones. because their hearts are engaged in fear of Allah and away from people. Their sights ae lowered against the forbidden and their needs for people are light. They satisfied themselves with the few livelihood of Allah-namely the food. They tolerated short days for the sake of being saved from the long regret on the Day of Resurrection.

26- As a man said to him, "I love you very much for Allah's sake, "Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) nodded the head down and said: O Allah, I seek your guard against my being loved for Your sake while You dislike me."The Imam kept silent for while, they he (AS) said: I love you for Him for the sake of Whom you love me.

27- Allah certainly dislikes the stingy that asks others importunately.

28- Many are those who are deceptively proud. They begin their days with amusement and guffaw. They eat and drink blissfully while they do not know that Allah has become discontent with them so intensely that they will surely endure the fire of Hell.

29- To spend moderately in times of poverty, give generously in times of luxury, treat people fairly, and greet them initiatively-these manners are within the characters of the believers.

30- Three conducts save the believers: to stop saying bad wording or backbiting people, engage oneself in matters that will benefit in the Last Judgment as well as this world, and weep heavily for one's guilt.

31- Looks of mutual affection and amiability between the believers is a sort of worship.

32- A believer who enjoys the following three characters will be under the care of Allah Who will cast a shadow over him on the Day of Resurrection under His Divine Throne and will save him from the horror of the Grand Day. These three characters are to offer people what you ask them to offer you, to stop extending a hand or treading a single step before you know whether they will be in the obedience or disobedience to Allah, and to stop finding a fault with somebody before you get rid of that fault. A man's faults are sufficient concerns that engage from plunging into others' faults.

33- After the acknowledgment of Allah, nothing is more favorable for Him than moderation in eating and (sexual) chastity. The most favorable act to Allah is to supplicate to Him.

34- Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) said to his son Mohammed Baqir(AS): Do favor to everybody who asks for it; if he deserves it, then you have hit the target, otherwise you have become one of the people of favors. Accept the apology of him who reviled at you from your right side, then turned to your left to make an apology.

35- Sitting with the virtuous ones urges virtue, adherence to the ethics of the scholars improves the intelligence, Compliance with the men of authority (namely the sinless Imams(AS) is the perfect dignity, investment of the property is the perfect personality, guiding the seeker of counsel is a fulfillment of the rights of graces, and abstinence from harming people is a part of the perfection of mind. It also achieves the immediate and gradual physical comfort.

36- Imam Al-Sajjad (AS) used to say whenever he recited Allah's saying: ﴾Had you wanted to count the bounties of Allah, you would not have been able to do it﴿ Holy Qur'an 14:34

All praise be to Him Who has not enabled anybody to acknowledge all his favors except through the acknowledgment of the failure to acknowledge them properly.

He also has not enabled anybody to acknowledge His Essence properly except through the knowledge that Allah is beyond knowledge.

He, the All-powerful the Majestic, has thanked the acknowledgment of the knowledgeable one's being too short to know Him perfectly. He has also regarded their acknowledgment of their failure to acknowledge Him perfectly as their showing Him gratitude. Similarly, Allah has regarded the knowledgeable one's acknowledgment of His being beyond knowledge as faithful believing (in Him). This is because He has comprehended the servant's limits that they cannot exceed.

37- All praise be to Him Who has regarded the acknowledgment of His favors as praise. All praise be to Him who has regarded the acknowledgment of the failure to thank Him properly as showing him gratitude.