العُزلَةُ
SOLITUDE
فَضلُ العُزلَةِ / The Virtue of Solitude
1ـ مِمّا ناجَى اللّهُ تَعالى بِهِ موسى: كُن خَلَقَ الثِّيابِ جَديدَ القَلبِ، تَخفى عَلى أهلِ الأرضِ ، وتُعرَفُ في أهلِ السَّماءِ.
1– It is narrated in al-Kafi ‘Allah conversed with Prophet Moses saying, ‘Be clad in threadbare clothes though having a clean, fresh heart. Be unknown to the people of the earth, though famous among those in the heavens.’
[al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 42, no. 8]
2ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): العُزلَةُ عِبادَةٌ.
2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Solitude is worship.’
[A`alam al-Din, p. 341]
العُزلَةُ
SOLITUDE
3ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): الانفِرادُ راحَةُ المُتَعَبِّدينَ.
3– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Seclusion is the comfort of the devoted worshippers.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 661]
4ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَنِ انفَرَدَ عَنِ النّاسِ أنِسَ بِاللّهِ سُبحانَهُ.
4– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who secludes himself from people seeks company with Allah, Glory be to Him.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8644]
5ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مَنِ اعتَزَلَ النّاسَ سَلِمَ مِن شَرِّهِم .
5– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who isolates himself from people is safe from their evil.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8151]
ما يوجِبُ العُزلَةَ / That Which Drives One to Solitude
6ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لَمّا سُئلَ عَن عِلَّةِ اعتِزالِه ـ: فَسَدَ الزَّمانُ وتَغَيَّرَ الإخوانُ ، فرَأيتُ الانفِرادَ أسكَنَ لِلفُؤادِ .
6– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) was once asked the reason for his solitude away from people, to which he replied, ‘Times have become corrupt and brothers have changed, so I found solitude to be most calming for the heart.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 47, p. 60, no. 116]
7ـ الإمامُ العسكريُّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): الوَحشَةُ مِنَ النّاسِ عَلى قَدرِ الفِطنَةِ بِهِم.
7– Imam al-`Aaskari (AS) said, ‘Estrangement from people comes about as a direct result of knowing them too well.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 70, p. 111, no. 14]
مَن لا يَنبَغي لَهُ العُزلَةُ / One Who Must Not Adopt Solitude
8ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): المُؤمِنُ الّذي يُخالِطُ النّاسَ ويَصبِرُ عَلى أذاهُم أفضَلُ مِنَ المُؤمِنِ الّذي لا يُخالِطُ النّاسَ ولا يَصبِرُ عَلى أذاهُم.
8– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The believer who mingles with people and tolerates their wrongs is better than the believer who does not mingle with people and does not tolerate their wrongs.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 686]
9ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ـ لِرَجُلٍ أرادَ الجَبَلَ لِيَتعَبَّدَ فيهِ ـ: لَصَبرُ أحَدِكُم ساعَةً عَلى ما يَكرَهُ في بَعضِ مَواطِنِ الإسلامِ خَيرٌ مِن عِبادَتِهِ خالِيا أربَعينَ سَنَةً.
9– The Prophet (SAWA) said to a man who wished to live in the mountains to worship therein, ‘Indeed someone’ s tolerance of what he despises in other fellow Muslim citizens for one hour is better than his forty years of worship in isolation.’
[al-Durr al-Manthur, v. 1, p. 161]