Intelligence of a Boy and Signs of his Nobility

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع يَقُولُ‌ إِذَا كَانَ الْغُلَامُ مُلْتَاثَ الْأُدْرَةِ[2] صَغِيرَ الذَّكَرِ سَاكِنَ النَّظَرِ فَهُوَ مِمَّنْ يُرْجَى خَيْرُهُ وَ يُؤْمَنُ شَرُّهُ قَالَ وَ إِذَا كَانَ الْغُلَامُ شَدِيدَ الْأُدْرَةِ كَبِيرَ الذَّكَرِ حَادَّ النَّظَرِ فَهُوَ مِمَّنْ لَا يُرْجَى خَيْرُهُ وَ يُؤْمَنُ شَرُّهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ’Amir al-Mu’minin has said, ’If a boy’s scrotum is relaxed, his penis is small, his eyes are relaxed; then there is hope for goodness to come from him, as well as hope in safety from his evil. On the other hand if a boy whose scrotum is hard, his penis is large and has piercing eye

تُسْتَحَبُّ عَرَامَةُ الصَّبِيِ‌[3] فِي صِغَرِهِ لِيَكُونَ حَلِيماً فِي كِبَرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ إِلَّا هَكَذَا.

“I heard the virtuous servant of Allah saying, ‘It is preferable to involve a child in difficult tasks when he is small, so he can be forbearing when he grows up.’ He (the Imam) then said, ‘It is not proper to be other than as such.’”

أَنَّ أَكْيَسَ الصِّبْيَانِ أَشَدُّهُمْ بُغْضاً لِلْكُتَّابِ‌[1].

3. It is narrated that:"the most intelligent child is the one who hates al-Kuttab (the writers) school the most.’”