الرِّفق

LENIENCY

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2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'When two people become friends or accompany each other, the one with the greater reward and the most beloved in Allah’s eyes is the one who is the most gentle towards his companion.’
[al-Kafi, p. 120, no. 15]

3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'When Allah wishes to bestow good on a household, he introduces leniency into it.’
[Sharhe Nahj al-Balagha li Ibn Abi al-Hadid, v. 6, p. 339]

4– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The most intelligent person is he who is the most obliging towards people.’
[Amali al-Saduq, p. 28, no. 4]

5– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily Allah, Mighty and Exalted, is lenient and loves leniency in all matters.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 537]

6– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Moderation is the key to success.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 294]

7– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘Everything has a lock, and the lock of faith is moderation.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 118, no. 1]

8– Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, 'Moderation is worth half of one’s livelihood.’
[al-Kafi, p. 120, no. 11]

9– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily this religion is firm so penetrate into it gently, and do not arouse aversion for Allah's worship in His servants that they may become like shattered riders who have neither gotten further in their travel nor have any drive left to continue.’
[al-Kafi, p. 86, no. 1]

10– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Cajole your soul tactfully to worship, and be gentle with it and do not force it. Make allowances for both its weariness and its activity, except for the daily obligations that are incumbent upon it, for it must fulfil them and undertake them at their prescribed times.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 69]

11– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Verily in leniency is to be found abundance and benediction, so whoever is divested of leniency is deprived of good.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 119, no. 7]

12– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Leniency eases hardships and facilitates difficult situations.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1778]

13– Imam al-Husayn (AS) said, 'For him who is rendered helpless in making a decision and who is at a loss of what to do, moderation is the key.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 128, no. 11]

14– Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, 'The last piece of advice that al-Khiar* gave to Prophet Moses (AS) was: ‘When a person is lenient towards someone in this world, Allah will be lenient with him on the Day of Resurrection.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 73, p. 386, no. 6]

15– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'One who is lenient and moderate in his affairs will obtain whatever he wants from people.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 120, no. 16]

16– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'If you wish to be honoured
[by people] be lenient
[towards them], and if you wish to be humiliated then be rough.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 269, no. 109]

Translator's Note: The word rifq in Arabic has no exact English equivalent, and can be translated with two or three English words depending on the context it is used in. It denotes 'leniency', 'gentleness' or 'friendliness’ when used to depict a trait or virtue, when used to describe one's attitude towards people or when used to describe Allah's leniency towards His creatures, or it can mean 'moderation' when used in an economic or practical context. In the text it has been translated differently in its different contexts in order to best convey the meaning of the traditions, though the title has been kept as 'leniency' because of its most general implication.

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* Khiar: Qur’anic prophet whose equivalent in the biblical tradition in not known (ed.)