The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (a.s.) had described
an ideal faithful as:
“In the past I had a
brother- in –faith, and he was prestigious in my view because the world was
humble in his eyes, the needs of the stomach did not have sway over him, he did
not long for what he did not get; if he got a thing he did not ask for more;
most of his time was silent, if he spoke he silenced other speakers, he
quenched the thirst of the questioners, he was and feeble but at the time of
fighting he was the lion of the forest or the serpent of the valley, he would
not put forth an argument unless it was decisive.
He would not reproach
any one in an excusable matter unless he had heard the excuse, he would not
speak of any ailment except after its disappearance, he would say what he would
do, and would not say what he would not do, even if he could be exceeded in
speaking, he could not be excelled in silence; he was more eager to listen than
to speak and if two things confronted him he would see which was more akin to
the longing of the heart and would oppose it.
These qualities are
incumbent upon you. So, you should acquire them and excel each other in them.
Even if you cannot acquire them you should know that acquiring a part is better
than giving up the whole.
The man whom Commander of the Faithful had referred to as
his brother and whose qualities he has stated, has been taken by some
commentators to be Abu-Dharr al-Ghifari by some Usman ibn Maz’un al-Jumahi and
by some al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad al-Kindi; but it is likely that no particular
individual is referred to at all; because it was customary with Arabs for them
to speak of a brother or a comrade although, they have no particular individual
in mind.
Reference:
Nahjul Balagha- Haidth 289 of part 3
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