وَ قَالَ وَ لَقَدْ آتَيْنا لُقْمانَ الْحِكْمَةَ ١قَالَ الْفَهْمُ وَ الْعَقْلُ يَا هِشَامُ إِنَّ لُقْمَانَ قَالَ لِابْنِهِ تَوَاضَعْ لِلْحَقِّ تَكُنْ أَعْقَلَ النَّاسِ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا بَحْرٌ عَمِيقٌ قَدْ غَرِقَ فِيهِ عَالَمٌ كَثِيرٌ فَلْتَكُنْ سَفِينَتُكَ فِيهَا تَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَ جِسْرُهَا الْإِيمَانَ وَ شِرَاعُهَا التَّوَكُّلَ وَ قَيِّمُهَا الْعَقْلَ وَ دَلِيلُهَا الْعِلْمَ وَ سُكَّانُهَا الصَّبْرَ.

And He said: "And We gave Luqman wisdom" (1) — he said: understanding and intellect. Hisham, Luqman said to his son: Humble yourself before the truth and you will be the most intelligent of people. My son, this world is a deep sea in which a great multitude has drowned; so let your ship in it be the fear of God, and its body faith, and its sail trust, and its master the intellect, and its guide knowledge, and its rudder patience.

بيان: للحق أي لله بالإيمان به و طاعته أو لكل حق إذا ظهر لك بقبوله عالم بفتح اللام أو كسرها و في الكافي و حشوها الإيمان أي ما يحشى فيها و تملأ منها و الشراع ككتاب الملاءة الواسعة فوق خشبة يصفقها الريح فتمضي بالسفينة و القيم مدبر أمر السفينة و الدليل المعلم و قال في المغرب السكان ذنب السفينة لأنها به تقوم و تسكن.

Elucidation: "before the truth" — that is, before God, by faith in Him and obedience to Him; or before every truth when it becomes clear to you, by accepting it. 'Alam, with fatha on the lam or with kasra. And in al-Kafi: "and its lading faith" — that is, what is loaded into it and with which it is filled. And al-shira', on the pattern of kitab, is the broad sheet above a timber which the wind strikes so that it drives the ship on. And al-qayyim is the manager of the affair of the ship. And al-dalil is the guide. And he said in al-Mughrib: al-sukkan is the tail of the ship, because by it it is upheld and settled.

يَا هِشَامُ لِكُلِّ شَيْ ءٍ دَلِيلٌ وَ دَلِيلُ الْعَاقِلِ التَّفَكُّرُ وَ دَلِيلُ التَّفَكُّرِ الصَّمْتُ وَ لِكُلِّ شَيْ ءٍ مَطِيَّةٌ وَ مَطِيَّةُ الْعَاقِلِ التَّوَاضُعُ وَ كَفَى بِكَ جَهْلًا أَنْ تَرْكَبَ مَا نُهِيتَ عَنْهُ.

Hisham, for everything there is an indication; and the indication of the man of intellect is reflection, and the indication of reflection is silence. And for everything there is a mount; and the mount of the man of intellect is humility. And it suffices you as ignorance that you ride upon what you have been forbidden.

بيان: في الكافي العقل في الموضعين مكان العاقل و دليل العقل أو العاقل التفكر فإنه يصل إلى مطلوبه بالفكر و على نسخة الكافي يحتمل أن يكون المراد أن التفكر يدل على أن المرء عاقل و كذا ما بعده يحتملهما و مطية العاقل التواضع أي مع التواضع يقوي على ما يدل عليه عقله و يؤيد من اللّٰه بأعماله و مع التكبر و عدم طاعة اللّٰه يضعف عقله و لا يقدر على أعماله في الأمور كالراجل العاجز عن الوصول إلى المطلوب و على نسخة العقل أظهر كما لا يخفى.

Elucidation: in al-Kafi, "the intellect" stands in both places in place of "the man of intellect". And the indication of the intellect, or of the man of intellect, is reflection, for he reaches his object by thought. And upon the reading of al-Kafi it is possible that what is meant is that reflection indicates that the man is possessed of intellect; and likewise what follows admits of both. "And the mount of the man of intellect is humility" — that is, with humility he is strengthened for what his intellect indicates to him, and is supported by God in his deeds; and with pride and the absence of obedience to God his intellect weakens and he is unable for his deeds in affairs, like a man on foot unable to reach the object. And upon the reading "the intellect" it is more evident, as is not hidden.

يَا هِشَامُ لَوْ كَانَ فِي يَدِكَ جَوْزَةٌ وَ قَالَ النَّاسُ لُؤْلُؤَةٌ مَا كَانَ يَنْفَعُكَ وَ أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا جَوْزَةٌ وَ لَوْ كَانَ فِي يَدِكَ لُؤْلُؤَةٌ وَ قَالَ النَّاسُ إِنَّهَا جَوْزَةٌ مَا ضَرَّكَ وَ أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّهَا لُؤْلُؤَةٌ.

Hisham, were there in your hand a walnut and people said it is a pearl, it would not profit you while you know that it is a walnut; and were there in your hand a pearl and people said it is a walnut, it would not harm you while you know that it is a pearl.

بيان: حاصله عدم الاغترار بمدح الناس و الافتخار بثنائهم.

Elucidation: its upshot is not being deceived by people's praise nor boasting of their commendation.

يَا هِشَامُ مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ أَنْبِيَاءَهُ وَ رُسُلَهُ إِلَى عِبَادِهِ إِلَّا لِيَعْقِلُوا عَنِ اللَّهِ فَأَحْسَنُهُمُ اسْتِجَابَةً

Hisham, God did not send His prophets and His messengers to His servants save that they might understand from God. So the best of them in responding