On Walking

Pearl of Wisdom

in his letter to Malik al-Ashtar when he appointed him governor of Egypt, said, 'Then you should check their activities and have people report on them, who should be truthful and faithful, because your watching their actions secretly will urge them to preserve trust with and be kind to the people. Be careful of assistants. If any one of them extends his hands towards misappropriation and the reports of your reporters reaching you confirm it, they should be regarded as enough evidence. You should then inflict corporal punishment on him and recover what he has Authority misappropriated. You should put him in a place of disgrace, blacklist him with [the charge of] misappropriation and make him wear the necklace of shame for his offence.'

Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib [as]

Ibid. Letter 53

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Library » The Lantern of the Path » On Walking

On Walking

If you are intelligent, then you should be of firm resolution and sincere intention before you set out for any place, for surely the self's nature is to overstep the bounds and encroach on the forbidden. You should reflect when you walk, and take note of the wonders of Allah's work wherever you go. Do not be mocking, or strut when you walk; Allah said,

Do not go about in the land exulting overmuch. (31:18)

Lower your gaze from whatever is inappropriate to faith, and remember Allah frequently. There is a tradition which says that those places where, and in connection with which, Allah is mentioned will testify to that before Allah on the Day of Judgement and will ask forgiveness for those people so that Allah will let them enter the Garden.

Do not speak excessively with people along the way, for that is bad manners. Most of the roads are the traps and markets of Satan, so do not feel safe from his tricks. Make your coming and your going in obedience to Allah, striving for His pleasure, for all your movements will be recorded in your book, as Allah said,

On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet shall bear witness against them regarding what they did, (24:24) and

We have made every man's actions to cling to his neck. (17:13)

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