Al-Imam Ali (p.b.u.h), said:
Hadith n. 370
370. It is related that it was seldom that Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, ascended the pulpit and did not utter the following before his sermon: O people, fear Allah for man has not been created for naught so that he may waste himself, nor has he been left uncared for so that he may commit nonsensical acts. This world which appears beautiful to him cannot be the replacement of the next world which appears bad in his eyes, nor is the vain person who is successful in this world through his high courage like him who is successful in the next world even to a small extent.
Hadith n. 371
371. Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, said: There is no distinction higher than Islam; no honour more honourable than fear of Allah; no asylum better than self restraint; no intercessor more effective than repentance; no treasure more precious than contentment; and no wealth is a bigger remover of destitution than being satisfied with mere sustenance. He who confines himself to what is just enough for maintenance achieves comfort and prepares abode in ease. Desire is the key of grief and the conveyance of distress. Greed, vanity and jealousy are incentives to falling into sins and evil-doing is the collection of all bad habits.
Hadith n. 372
372. Amir al-mu’minin, peace be upon him, said to Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah al-Ansari’: O Jabir, the mainstay of religion and the world are four persons: The scholar who acts on his knowledge; the ignorant who does not feel ashamed of learning; the generous who is not niggardly in his favours; and the destitute who does not sell his next life for his worldly benefits. Consequently, when the scholar wastes his knowledge, the ignorant feels shame in learning; and when the generous is niggardly with his favours, the destitute sells his next life for the worldly benefits.
O Jabir, if favours of Allah abound on a person the people’s needs towards him also abound. Therefore, he who fulfils for Allah all that is obligatory on him in this regard will preserve them (Allah’s favours) in continuance and perpetuity, while he who does not fulfil those obligations will expose them to decay and destruction.
Hadith n. 373
373. Ibn Jarir at-Tabari has, in his history (vol.2, p.1086; also Ibn al-Athir in his history, vol.4, p.478), related from ‘Abd ar-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, al-faqih (the theologian), who was one of those who had risen with (‘Abd’ ar-Rahman ibn Muhammad) Ibn al-Ash’ath to fight al-Hajjaj (ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi), that he (Ibn Abi Layla) was exhorting people to jihad by recalling: On the occasion of encounter with the people of Syria I heard Amir al-mu’minin, may Allah exalt his degree of rank among the righteous and may He reward him the reward of martyrs and men of truth, saying:
O believers, whoever observes excesses being committed and people being called towards evil and disapproves it with his heart is safe and free from responsibility for it, and whoever disapproves of it with his tongue would be rewarded and he is in a higher position than the former but whoever disapproves it with his sword in order that the word of Allah may remain superior and the word of the oppressors may remain inferior, catches hold of the path of guidance and stands on the right way, while his heart is lighted with conviction.
Source: https://www.al-islam.org/nahjul-balagha-part-2-letters-and-sayings
