«49»- وَ قَالَ عليه السلام الْجَمَالُ فِي اللِّسَانِ وَ الْكَمَالُ فِي الْعَقْلِ وَ لَا يَزَالُ الْعَقْلُ وَ الْحُمْقُ يَتَغَالَبَانِ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ إِلَى ثَمَانِيَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَإِذَا بَلَغَهَا غَلَبَ عَلَيْهِ أَكْثَرُهُمَا فِيهِ.

«49»- And he, peace be upon him, said: Beauty is in the tongue, and perfection in the intellect. Intellect and folly do not cease contending over a man until eighteen years; and when he reaches that age, whichever of the two is the greater in him prevails over him.

«50»- وَ قَالَ عليه السلام الْعُقُولُ أَئِمَّةُ الْأَفْكَارِ وَ الْأَفْكَارُ أَئِمَّةُ الْقُلُوبِ وَ الْقُلُوبُ أَئِمَّةُ الْحَوَاسِّ وَ الْحَوَاسُّ أَئِمَّةُ الْأَعْضَاءِ.

«50»- And he, peace be upon him, said: The intellects are the leaders of thoughts, and thoughts the leaders of hearts, and hearts the leaders of the senses, and the senses the leaders of the limbs.

«51»- وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله اسْتَرْشِدُوا الْعَقْلَ تُرْشَدُوا وَ لَا تَعْصُوهُ فَتَنْدَمُوا.

«51»- And the Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — said: Seek guidance of the intellect and you will be rightly guided; and do not disobey it, lest you regret.

«52»- وَ قَالَ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله سَيِّدُ الْأَعْمَالِ فِي الدَّارَيْنِ الْعَقْلُ وَ لِكُلِّ شَيْ ءٍ دِعَامَةٌ وَ دِعَامَةُ الْمُؤْمِنِ عَقْلُهُ فَبِقَدْرِ عَقْلِهِ تَكُونُ عِبَادَتُهُ لِرَبِّهِ.

«52»- And he — may God bless him and his family — said: The master of deeds in the two abodes is the intellect. For everything there is a pillar, and the believer's pillar is his intellect; so according to the measure of his intellect is his worship of his Lord.

«53»- وَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عليه السلام الْعُقُولُ ذَخَائِرُ وَ الْأَعْمَالُ كُنُوزٌ.

«53»- And the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: The intellects are stores, and deeds are treasures.

باب 2 حقيقة العقل و كيفيته و بدو خلقه

Chapter 2: The reality of the intellect, its nature, and the beginning of its creation

«1»- لي، الأمالي للصدوق ابْنُ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ عَنِ الْحِمْيَرِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْبَاقِرِ عليه السلام قَالَ: لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْعَقْلَ اسْتَنْطَقَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَقْبِلْ فَأَقْبَلَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَدْبِرْ فَأَدْبَرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي مَا خَلَقْتُ خَلْقاً هُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْكَ وَ لَا أُكْمِلُكَ إِلَّا فِيمَنْ أُحِبُّ أَمَا إِنِّي إِيَّاكَ آمُرُ وَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْهَى وَ إِيَّاكَ أُثِيبُ.

«1»- li, the Amali of al-Saduq: Ibn al-Mutawakkil, from al-Himyari, from Ibn 'Isa, from Ibn Mahbub, from al-'Ala', from Muhammad, from al-Baqir, peace be upon him, who said: When God created the intellect He made it speak, then said to it: Come forward — and it came forward. Then He said to it: Go back — and it went back. Then He said to it: By My might and My majesty, I have not created a creature more beloved to Me than you; and I shall not perfect you save in one whom I love. Indeed, you it is that I command, and you that I forbid, and you that I reward.

سن، المحاسن ابن محبوب مثله.

sn, al-Mahasin: Ibn Mahbub, the like of it.

«2»- ع، علل الشرائع فِي سُؤَالاتِ الشَّامِيِّ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَوَّلِ مَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى فَقَالَ النُّورُ.

«2»- 'a, 'Ilal al-Shara'i', in the questions of the Syrian to the Commander of the Faithful: Tell me of the first thing God, blessed and exalted, created. He said: The light.

أقول: سيأتي بعض الأخبار في باب علامات العقل.

I say: some of the reports will come in the chapter on the signs of the intellect.

«3»- سن، المحاسن مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ وُهَيْبِ بْنِ حَفْصٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْعَقْلَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَقْبِلْ فَأَقْبَلَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَدْبِرْ فَأَدْبَرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي مَا خَلَقْتُ شَيْئاً أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْكَ لَكَ الثَّوَابُ وَ عَلَيْكَ الْعِقَابُ.

«3»- sn, al-Mahasin: Muhammad b. 'Ali, from Wuhayb b. Hafs, from Abu Basir, from Abu 'Abd Allah, peace be upon him, who said: God created the intellect and said to it: Come forward — and it came forward. Then He said to it: Go back — and it went back. Then He said to it: By My might and My majesty, I have not created anything more beloved to Me than you. Yours is the reward, and upon you is the punishment.

«4»- سن، المحاسن السِّنْدِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ وَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالا لَمَّا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ الْعَقْلَ قَالَ لَهُ أَدْبِرْ فَأَدْبَرَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَقْبِلْ فَأَقْبَلَ فَقَالَ وَ عِزَّتِي وَ جَلَالِي مَا خَلَقْتُ خَلْقاً أَحْسَنَ مِنْكَ إِيَّاكَ آمُرُ وَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْهَى وَ إِيَّاكَ أُثِيبُ وَ إِيَّاكَ أُعَاقِبُ.

«4»- sn, al-Mahasin: al-Sindi b. Muhammad, from al-'Ala', from Muhammad, from Abu Ja'far and Abu 'Abd Allah, peace be upon them, who said: When God created the intellect He said to it: Go back — and it went back. Then He said to it: Come forward — and it came forward. Then He said: By My might and My majesty, I have not created a creature fairer than you. You it is that I command, and you that I forbid, and you that I reward, and you that I punish.