الكَرَمُ

NOBILITY *

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2– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who is noble towards his own self, his desires become contemptible.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 13, no. 71]

3– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Nobility is to fulfil financial obligations.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 209, no. 1]

4– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Graciousness is of great manners.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 211, no. 1]

5– Imam Hasan (AS) said, ‘As for generosity, it entails undertaking acts of common courtesy and giving before being asked.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 44, p. 89, no. 2]

6– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Three things show the nobility of a person: good manners, suppressing anger, and casting down one’s gaze.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, p. 319]

7– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Allah, most High is Generous and He loves the generous.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 15991]

8– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A noble person is he who honours his face from the humiliation of the fire.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 82, no. 82]

9– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A generous person becomes inattentive and is thus tricked.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 446]

10– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘When a noble person makes a promise he fulfils it, and when he threatens
[to punish], he forgives
[instead].’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1528]

11– Imam Zayn al-Abidin (AS) said, ‘A noble person is pleased on account of his virtue, whereas a vile person is proud of what he owns.’
[al-Durra al-Bahira, p. 27]

12– The Prophet (SAWA), when a person asked him, ‘I would like to be the most noble of people, replied, ‘Do not complain about Allah to people and you will be the most noble of people.’
[Kanz al- ‘Ummal, no. 44154]

13– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Giving advice is of the morals of the noble, whereas cheating is of the morals of the vile.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1298-1299]

14– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Rushing to forgive is of the morals of the generous, and rushing to take revenge is the habit of the vile.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1566-1567]

15- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Noble people possess the merit of initiating good deeds and completing productions.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7353]

16– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The habitual practice of the generous is munificence.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5558]

17– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Punishing noble people is better than forgiving the vile.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6324]

18– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The people worthiest of generosity are those through whom generosity itself is recognised.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 436]

19– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who does not repay bad with good is not of the noble.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8958]

20– Imam Hasan (AS) said, ‘He who counts his bounties destroys his own generosity.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 113, no. 7]

21– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Be kind to the generous of every race of people.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 46, p. 15, no. 33]

22– The Prophet (SAWA), when Salman entered the room and he (SAWA) was leaning on a cushion, he gave it to Salman saying, ‘O Salman, any Muslim who visits his Muslim brother, and the latter gives him a cushion
[to sit on] in honour of him, Allah will forgive him.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 16, p. 235, no. 35]

23– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘
[Encompassed] In the greatness of Allah’s Magnitude is one who is kind to three: a Muslim of old age, a just leader, and one who has memorised the Qur’an, who is neither an extremist with regard to it, nor has he shunned it aside.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 92, p. 184, no. 21]

24– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever honours his brother honours Allah indeed.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25488]

25– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘When a visitor comes to you honour him
[as your guest].’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25485]

26– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter should honour the people he sits with.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25490]

27– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Anyone who takes the stirrup of a person
[in order to assist him], neither from hope of a reward from him thereof, nor from fear of him will be forgiven.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25501]

28– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘When one enters a place he is taken aback, so receive him with a welcome.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 25499]

29– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Be kind to orphans and be good to your neighbour.’
[Musnad Ibn Hanbal, v. 5, p. 281, no. 15500]

30– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Be kind to your children and teach them good manners.’
[Sunan Ibn Maja, p. 3671]

31– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘If one of you is treated kindly and does not repay it,
[know that] even a donkey repays kindness.’
[Qurb al-Isnad, p. 92 no. 307]

32– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Accept generosity
[in the form of a gift], and the best of generosity is perfume; it is light to carry and has a fragrant scent.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77 p. 164 no. 190]

33– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A man’s honouring of his Muslim brother entails accepting his gift, or for him to give him something of what he owns without burden.’
[Nawadir al-Rawandi, p. 11]

34ـ الإمامُ الحسينُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَن قَبِلَ عَطاءَكَ فقد أعانَكَ علَى الكَرَمِ.
34– Imam Husayn (AS) said, ‘Whoever accepts what you give to them has aided your generosity.’
[al-Durra al-Bahira, 23]

35– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘I am the most honourable of the children of Adam to my Lord, without pride.’
[Sunan al-Tirmidhi, p. 3610]

36– The Prophet (SAWA), when a person asked him, ‘I want to be the most honoured of people, replied, ‘Do not complain about Allah to people and you will be the most honoured of people.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 44154]

37– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no honour like Godwariness.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 113]

38– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A kind deed you do for a person is kindness done towards yourself, through which you decorate your own honour. So, do not seek thanks from someone else for what you have done for yourself.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3542]

39– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Habituate yourself to performing noble deeds and tolerate the burdens of losses, and your self will be noble.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6232]

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* The word karam in Arabic has a very wide range of meanings, denoting nobility, high-mindedness, generosity, magnanimity, kindness, graciousness, and all other such qualities associated with someone of high birth or excellent lineage. It has been translated in this chapter with the English term best suited to the individual contexts of the traditions (ed.)