بيان: بالدون من الدنيا أي القليل و اليسير منها مع الحكمة الكثيرة و لم يرض بالقليل من الحكمة مع الدنيا الكثيرة.

Elucidation: "with the lesser of this world" — that is, the little and the small of it, along with much wisdom; and he was not content with the little of wisdom along with much of this world.

يَا هِشَامُ إِنْ كَانَ يُغْنِيكَ مَا يَكْفِيكَ فَأَدْنَى مَا فِي الدُّنْيَا يَكْفِيكَ وَ إِنْ كَانَ لَا يُغْنِيكَ مَا يَكْفِيكَ فَلَيْسَ شَيْ ءٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا يُغْنِيكَ يَا هِشَامُ إِنَّ الْعُقَلَاءَ تَرَكُوا فُضُولَ الدُّنْيَا فَكَيْفَ الذُّنُوبُ وَ تَرْكُ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الْفَضْلِ وَ تَرْكُ الذُّنُوبِ مِنَ الْفَرْضِ يَا هِشَامُ إِنَّ الْعُقَلَاءَ زَهِدُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ رَغِبُوا فِي الْآخِرَةِ لِأَنَّهُمْ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا طَالِبَةٌ وَ مَطْلُوبَةٌ فَمَنْ طَلَبَ الْآخِرَةَ طَلَبَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا حَتَّى يَسْتَوْفِيَ مِنْهَا رِزْقَهُ وَ مَنْ طَلَبَ الدُّنْيَا طَلَبَتْهُ الْآخِرَةُ فَيَأْتِيهِ الْمَوْتُ فَيُفْسِدُ عَلَيْهِ دُنْيَاهُ وَ آخِرَتَهُ.

Hisham, if what suffices you makes you sufficient, then the least of what is in this world suffices you; and if what suffices you does not make you sufficient, then nothing of this world will make you sufficient. Hisham, the people of intellect left the excess of this world — so how much more sins! And the leaving of this world is of the meritorious, and the leaving of sins is of the obligatory. Hisham, the people of intellect abstained from this world and desired the hereafter, because they knew that this world is a seeker and a thing sought. So whoever seeks the hereafter, this world seeks him until he takes in full his sustenance from it; and whoever seeks this world, the hereafter seeks him, and death comes to him and corrupts for him his world and his hereafter.

بيان:

Elucidation:

فِي الْكَافِي إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا طَالِبَةٌ مَطْلُوبَةٌ وَ الْآخِرَةَ طَالِبَةٌ وَ مَطْلُوبَةٌ وَ الدُّنْيَا طَالِبَةٌ لِلْمَرْءِ لِأَنْ يُوصَلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا عِنْدَهَا مِنَ الرِّزْقِ الْمُقَدَّرِ وَ مَطْلُوبَةٌ يَطْلُبُهَا الْحَرِيصُ طَلَباً لِلزِّيَادَةِ وَ الْآخِرَةَ طَالِبَةٌ تَطْلُبُهُ لِتُوصَلَ إِلَيْهِ أَجَلُهُ الْمُقَدَّرُ وَ مَطْلُوبَةٌ يَطْلُبُهَا الطَّالِبُ لِلسَّعَادَاتِ الْأُخْرَوِيَّةِ بِالْأَعْمَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ

In al-Kafi: this world is a seeker and a thing sought, and the hereafter is a seeker and a thing sought. And this world is a seeker of the man, that what is with it of the apportioned sustenance may reach him; and a thing sought, which the greedy seeks in quest of increase. And the hereafter is a seeker, seeking him that his appointed term may reach him; and a thing sought, which the seeker of the felicities of the hereafter seeks by righteous deeds.

يَا هِشَامُ مَنْ أَرَادَ الْغِنَى بِلَا مَالٍ وَ رَاحَةَ الْقَلْبِ مِنَ الْحَسَدِ وَ السَّلَامَةَ فِي الدِّينِ فَلْيَتَضَرَّعْ إِلَى اللَّهِ فِي مَسْأَلَتِهِ بِأَنْ يُكْمِلَ عَقْلَهُ فَمَنْ عَقَلَ قَنِعَ بِمَا يَكْفِيهِ وَ مَنْ قَنِعَ بِمَا يَكْفِيهِ اسْتَغْنَى وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَقْنَعْ بِمَا يَكْفِيهِ لَمْ يُدْرِكِ الْغِنَى أَبَداً يَا هِشَامُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ وَ عَزَّ حَكَى عَنْ قَوْمٍ صَالِحِينَ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا رَبَّنا لا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنا وَ هَبْ لَنا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْوَهَّابُ ١حِينَ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ الْقُلُوبَ تَزِيغُ وَ تَعُودُ إِلَى عَمَاهَا وَ رَدَاهَا إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَخَفِ اللَّهَ مَنْ لَمْ يَعْقِلْ عَنِ اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَعْقِلْ عَنِ اللَّهِ لَمْ يُعْقَدْ قَلْبُهُ عَلَى مَعْرِفَةٍ ثَابِتَةٍ يُبْصِرُهَا وَ لَمْ يَجِدْ حَقِيقَتَهَا فِي قَلْبِهِ وَ لَا يَكُونُ أَحَدٌ كَذَلِكَ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ قَوْلُهُ لِفِعْلِهِ مُصَدِّقاً وَ سِرُّهُ لِعَلَانِيَتِهِ مُوَافِقاً لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى الْبَاطِنِ الْخَفِيِّ مِنَ الْعَقْلِ إِلَّا بِظَاهِرٍ مِنْهُ وَ نَاطِقٍ عَنْهُ.

Hisham, whoever desires sufficiency without wealth, and rest of heart from envy, and safety in religion — let him beseech God in his asking that He perfect his intellect. For whoever understands is content with what suffices him; and whoever is content with what suffices him is made sufficient; and whoever is not content with what suffices him will never attain sufficiency. Hisham, God, majestic and mighty, related of a righteous people that they said: "Our Lord, do not make our hearts swerve after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Your presence; surely You are the Bestower" (1) — when they knew that hearts swerve and return to their blindness and their ruin. Indeed, he has not feared God who has not understood from God; and whoever has not understood from God, his heart is not bound upon a firm knowledge which he beholds, nor does he find its reality in his heart. And no one is such save he whose speech confirms his deed and whose inward accords with his outward; because God does not indicate the hidden inward of the intellect save by an outward from it that speaks of it.

بيان: الزيغ الميل و العدول عن الحق و رداها أي هلاكها و ضلالها

Elucidation: al-zaygh is inclining and turning aside from the truth. And "their ruin" — that is, their destruction and their going astray.