الأمَل
EXPECTATION
الأمَلُ رَحمَةٌ / Expectation is a Mercy
1- رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : الأملُ رَحمةٌ لاُِمّتي ، ولَوْلا الأملُ ما أرْضَعَتْ والِدَةٌ وَلَدَها، ولا غَرَسَ غارِسٌ شَجَراً.
1- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Expectation is a mercy for my community; without expectation no mother would nurse her child, nor would anyone plant a tree.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 173, no. 8]
2- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الأملُ رَفيقٌ مُؤْنِسٌ.
2- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectation is an amiable companion.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1042]
الأمَل
EXPECTATION
3- بينما عيسَى بن مريم (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) جالِسٌ وشَيخٌ يَعملُ بِمِسْحاةٍ ويُثيرُ بهِ الأرضَ ، فقالَ عيسى (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اللّهُمَّ انْزعْ عنه الأملَ . فَوَضَعَ الشَّيخُ المِسْحاةَ واضْطَجَعَ، فَلَبِثَ ساعةً فقالَ عيسى (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اللّهُمَّ ارْدُدْ إليهِ الأملَ، فقامَ فَجَعَلَ يَعملُ.
3- It is narrated in Tanbih al-Khawatir: ‘While Jesus son of Mary (AS) was sitting, he saw a man working the land with a shovel. Jesus (AS) said, ‘O Allah, take his expectation away from him!’ The man put his shovel down and rested on the ground for an hour. Then Jesus (AS) said, ‘O Allah, give him back his expectation!’ The man stood up and returned to work.’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 1, p. 272]
الآمالُ لا تَنتَهي / Expectations Never Cease
4- رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : مَن كانَ يَأمَلُ أن يَعيشَ غَداً فإنّهُ يَأمَلُ أن يَعيشَ أبَداً.
4- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A man who expects to be alive tomorrow is a man who expects to be alive forever.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 73, p. 167, no. 31]
5- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الأملُ لا غايةَ لَهُ .
5- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no end to expectation.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1010]
6- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الآمالُ لا تَنْتَهي .
6- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectations never cease.’
[Ibid. no. 639]
التَّحذيرُ مِنَ الآمالِ الباطِلَةِ / Warning Against False Expectations
7- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : اتَّقُوا باطِلَ الأملِ ، فَرُبَّ مُسْتَقْبِلِ يومٍ ليسَ بِمُسْتَدْبِرِهِ ، ومَغْبُوطٍ في أوَّلِ لَيلِهِ8 قامَتْ بَواكِيهِ في آخِرِهِ.
7- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Guard yourselves against false expectation, for many a person who begins the day does not live to see its end, and many a one is envied at the beginning of the night while his mourners have assembled by the end of it.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2572]
8- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الأملُ كالسَّرابِ : يَغِرُّ مَنْ رَآهُ ، ويُخْلِفُ مَن رَجاهُ.
8- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectation is like the mirage - it deceives those who view it and leaves behind those who place their hope on it.’
[Ibid. no. 1896]
9- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الأمانِيُّ تُعْمي عُيُونَ البصائرِ .
9- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Wishes blind the eyes of insight.’
[Ibid. no. 1375]
10- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الأملُ سُلطانُ الشَّياطِينِ على قُلُوبِ الغافِلِينَ .
10- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectation is the sultan of the Satans over the hearts of the oblivious.’
[Ibid. no. 1828]
11- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : ثَمَرَةُ الأملِ فَسادُ العَمَلِ .
11- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The fruit of expectation is the spoilage of deeds.’
[Ibid. no. 4641]
12- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : إنّ الأملَ يُسْهي القلبَ ، ويُكْذِبُ الوَعْدَ ، ويُكْثِرُ الغَفْلَةَ ، ويُورِثُ الحَسْرَةَ .
12- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectation causes the heart to forget, breaks promises, increases oblivion, and brings about grief.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 35, no. 117]
13- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : إنَّ الأملَ يُذْهِبُ العقلَ ، ويُكْذِبُ الوَعدَ ، ويَحُثُّ علَى الغَفْلَةِ ، ويُورِثُ الحَسْرَةَ . فأكْذِبوا الأملَ ؛ فإنّه غَرُورٌ، وإنَّ صاحِبَهُ مَأزُورٌ .
13- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectation drives reason away, breaks promises, encourages oblivion, and brings about grief. So distrust expectation, for it is deceitful and its addict is a sinner.’
[Ibid. v. 77, p. 293, no. 2]
14- الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : كَمْ مِنْ نِعمةٍ للّهِ على عبدِهِ في غَيْرِ أملِهِ ، وكَمْ مِنْ مُؤَمِّلٍ أملاً الخِيارُ في غَيرِهِ .
14- Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘How many a favor Allah grants His servant without his having expected them, and how many a hopeful one entertains high hopes when
[Allah’s] choice favours others.’
[Ibid. v. 71, p. 152, no. 55]
الأمَلُ وَالأجَلُ / Expectation and Death
15- رُويَ أنّهُ
[رسول اللّه] (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) أخَذَ ثلاثةَ أعْوادٍ فَغَرَسَ عُودا بين يَدَيْهِ والآخَرَ إلى جَنْبِهِ ، وأمّا الثّالثُ فأبْعَدَهُ وقالَ : هَل تَدْرُونَ ما هذا ؟ قالوا : اللّهُ ورسولُهُ أعْلَمُ . قالَ : هذا الإنسانُ، وهذا الأجلُ ، وهذا الأملُ يَتَعاطاهُ ابنُ آدمَ ويَخْتَلِجُهُ الأجلُ دُونَ الأملِ.
15- It has been narrated that the Prophet (SAWA) took three sticks and set one of them in front of him, another one next to it, and the third far away from the two. He then asked, ‘Do you know what this is?’ to which they replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said, ‘This one is man, and this is death
[next to it], while that one is expectation, which man entertains
[about his long life], but death falls upon him prior to his expectation.’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 1, p. 272]
16- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لو رأَى العبدُ أجلَهُ وسُرْعَتَهُ إلَيهِ أبْغَضَ الأملَ.
16- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘If man were to see his death
[approaching] and the speed at which it draws near to him, he would despise expectation.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 73, p. 95, no. 79]
17- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : الأملُ يُنْسي الأجَلَ.
17- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Expectation makes one forget death.’
[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 874]
18- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : أقْرَبُ شَيْءٍ الأجلُ، أبْعَدُ شَيْءٍ الأملُ.
18- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The closest thing is death, and the remotest thing is expectation.’
[Ibid. no. 2920-2921]
19- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لا تَخْلو النَّفْسُ مِنَ الأملِ حتّى تَدْخُلَ في الأجلِ.
19- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A soul does not depart from his expectation until it enters the realm of death.’
[Ibid. no. 10844]
20- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : ألاَ وإنّكُمْ في أيّامِ أملٍ مِن وَرائهِ أجلٌ ، فَمَنْ عَمِلَ في أيّامِ أملِهِ قَبْلَ حُضُورِ أجلِهِ فَقَدْ نَفَعَهُ عَمَلُهُ ولَم يَضْرُرْهُ أجلُهُ .
20- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Indeed you are in the days of expectation that is followed by death. So he who works in the days of his expectation before death arrives will benefit from his work and will not be hurt by death.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 333, no. 21]
21- الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لَو ظَهَرتِ الآجالُ افتَضَحَتِ الآمالُ .
21- Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, ‘If times of death were revealed, expectations would be debunked.’
[A`alam al-Din, p. 305]
ثَمَراتُ طولِ الأملِ / The Results of High Expectations
22- فيما ناجَى اللّهُ عزّ وجلّ بهِ موسى (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : يا موسى ، لا تُطَوِّلْ في الدُّنْيا أملَكَ فَيَقْسُوَ قَلْبُكَ ، والقاسِي القلبِ منّي بَعِيدٌ .
22- It is narrated in al-KÁfÐ: Part of what Allah, the Exalted, told Prophet Moses (AS): ‘O Moses! Do not extend your expectation in this world’s life lest your heart become hard, for the hard-hearted is far from Me.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 329, no. 1]
23- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : مَنِ اتَّسَعَ أملُهُ قَصُرَ عَمَلُهُ.
23- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A man who has high expectations is deficient in his action.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 421, no. 40]
24- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : أمّا طُولُ الأملِ فَيُنْسي الآخِرَةَ.
24- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘As for high expectation, it causes you to forget the Hereafter.’
[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 336, no. 3]
قِصَرُ الأمَلِ / Low Expectation
25- رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ـ لابنِ مسعودٍ ـ : قَصِّرْ أمَلَكَ ، فإذا أصْبَحْتَ فَقُلْ : إنّي لا اُمْسِي ، وإذا أمْسَيْتَ فَقُلْ : إنّي لا اُصْبِحُ ، واعْزِمْ على مُفارَقَةِ الدُّنْيا ، وأحِبَّ لِقاءَ اللّهِ.
25- The Prophet (SAWA) told Ibn Masoud, ‘Lower your expectation such that when you wake up in the morning, you say, ‘I will not see the night’ and when you go to sleep at night, you say, ‘I will not see the morning.’ And be prepared to depart from this life and yearn to meet Allah.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 101, no. 1]
26- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : مَنْ أيْقَنَ أنّهُ يُفارِقُ الأحبابَ، ويَسكُنُ التُّرابَ، ويُواجِهُ الحِسابَ، ويَسْتَغْنِي عَمّا خَلَّفَ، ويَفْتَقِرُ إلى ما قَدَّمَ ، كانَ حَرِيّا بِقِصَرِ الأملِ وطُولِ العَملِ.
26- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A man who is sure about leaving his loved ones, dwelling under the earth, facing the final Account, and that he will be needless of what he leaves behind, and needy of what he has sent forth
[for the Hereafter] deserves to shorten his expectation and lengthen his action.’
[Ibid. v. 73, p. 167, no. 31]
27- الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : تَزَوَّدْ مِنَ الدُّنْيا بِقِصَرِ الأملِ .
27- Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘Equip yourself with low expectation for this world’s life.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 286]
النَّهيُ عَنِ التّأمِيلِ بِغَيرِ اللّهِ / Prohibition of Placing One’s Expectation in Other than Allah
28- رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : يَقولُ اللّهُ عزّ وجلّ : لأقْطَعَنَّ أملَ كُلِّ مُؤمنٍ أمَّلَ دُوني بالإياسِ .
28- The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Allah, Mighty and Exalted says, ‘I will cut off the expectation of every believer who places it in someone other than Me
[and replace it] with despair.’
[Sahifat al-Imam al-Ridha(AS), p. 276, no. 20]
29- الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : مَنْ أمَّلَ إنساناً فَقَدْ هابَهُ .
29- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who places his expectation in a human is indeed fearful of him.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 79, no. 61]