Independence from People

شَرَفُ الْمُؤْمِنِ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ وَ عِزُّهُ اسْتِغْنَاؤُهُ عَنِ النَّاسِ.

“The nobility of the believer is in his worship at night and his honor is in his independence from people.”

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ لَا يَسْأَلَ رَبَّهُ شَيْئاً إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ فَلْيَيْأَسْ‌[2] مِنَ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِمْ وَ لَا يَكُونُ لَهُ رَجَاءٌ إِلَّا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَإِذَا عَلِمَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ لَمْ يَسْأَلِ اللَّهَ شَيْئاً إِلَّا أَعْطَاهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘If any of you would like not to be rejected when asking his Lord (Allah) for something, you must abolish all of your hope in people and place your hope in no one except Allah. When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, finds this in one’s heart. He then will not reject one’s prayers

رَأَيْتُ الْخَيْرَ كُلَّهُ قَدِ اجْتَمَعَ فِي قَطْعِ الطَّمَعِ عَمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْجُ النَّاسَ فِي شَيْ‌ءٍ وَ رَدَّ أَمْرَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِهِ اسْتَجَابَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ فِي كُلِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ.

“I saw all good gathered together in cutting off of yearning for what belongs to people and in not having any hope in people in anything and in leaving his affairs in the hands of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, in all matters. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will answer him in all things.”

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ طَلَبُ الْحَوَائِجِ إِلَى النَّاسِ اسْتِلَابٌ‌[3] لِلْعِزِّ وَ مَذْهَبَةٌ لِلْحَيَاءِ وَ الْيَأْسُ مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ عِزٌّ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ‌ فِي دِينِهِ وَ الطَّمَعُ هُوَ الْفَقْرُ الْحَاضِرُ.

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) say, ‘Asking people for help is seeking to abolish one’s respect, as well as one’s bashfulness. Placing no hope in what is in the hands of people is dignity for a believer in his religion and greed is poverty at hand.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ اكْتُبْ لِي إِلَى إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ دَاوُدَ الْكَاتِبِ لَعَلِّي أُصِيبُ مِنْهُ قَالَ أَنَا أَضَنُّ بِكَ أَنْ تَطْلُبَ مِثْلَ هَذَا وَ شِبْهَهُ‌[1] وَ لَكِنْ عَوِّلْ عَلَى مَالِي‌[2].

“Once I said to abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, please write for me to Isma’il ibn Dawud al-Katib. 1 hope I will receive something from him.’ The Imam said, ‘I resent that you ask from him or similar persons. Allow it (financial help) to be paid from my property.’”

الْيَأْسُ مِمَّا فِي أَيْدِي النَّاسِ عِزُّ الْمُؤْمِنِ فِي دِينِهِ أَ وَ مَا سَمِعْتَ قَوْلَ حَاتِمٍ- إِذَا مَا عَزَمْتَ الْيَأْسَ أَلْفَيْتَهُ الْغِنَى‌ إِذَا عَرَّفْتَهُ النَّفْسَ وَ الطَّمَعُ الْفَقْرُ

“A believer’s having no hope in (what is in the hands of) people, is his respect and power in his religion. Have you not heard the words of Hatim, ‘When I decided not to have any hope I found it to be independence, when I made the soul to know it. Greed is poverty?”’ (The quote is due to its popularity not as evidence)

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص يَقُولُ‌ لِيَجْتَمِعْ فِي قَلْبِكَ الِافْتِقَارُ إِلَى النَّاسِ وَ الِاسْتِغْنَاءُ عَنْهُمْ فَيَكُونَ افْتِقَارُكَ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي لِينِ كَلَامِكَ وَ حُسْنِ بِشْرِكَ وَ يَكُونَ اسْتِغْنَاؤُكَ عَنْهُمْ فِي نَزَاهَةِ عِرْضِكَ وَ بَقَاءِ عِزِّكَ‌[5]. - عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُمَرَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِ

“Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) would say, ‘In your heart you must have both hope in people and independence from them. Your hope and need in people must be in the form of speaking to them softly and with a delightful appearance. Your independence from them must be in the form of maintaining dignity and sa