Gentleness in Dealings
Al-Kāfi|Volume 2|Book 1|Chapter 57
5ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وآلِه) مُدَارَاةُ النَّاسِ نِصْفُ الإيمَانِ وَالرِّفْقُ بِهِمْ نِصْفُ الْعَيْشِ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) خَالِطُوا الأبْرَارَ سِرّاً وَخَالِطُوا الْفُجَّارَ جِهَاراً وَلا تَمِيلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَظْلِمُوكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَأْتِي عَلَيْكُمْ زَمَانٌ لا يَنْجُو فِيهِ مِنْ ذَوِي الدِّينِ إِلا مَنْ ظَنُّوا أَنَّهُ أَبْلَهُ وَصَبَّرَ نَفْسَهُ عَلَى أَنْ يُقَالَ [ لَهُ ] إِنَّهُ أَبْلَهُ لا عَقْلَ لَهُ.
5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqa from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Dealing kindly with people is half of belief and leniency to them is half of livelihood.’ The Imam then said, ‘Meet the virtuous people privately. Meet the criminals in public and do not be attracted to them; they will do injustice to you. There will come a time when, from the religious people, only those will be safe who are thought of as fools. They exercise patience so much so that they will be called silly.’”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (8/228)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī