and He sends down provision in proportion to one’s expenditure; whoever budgets his livelihood, Allah will provide for him, and whoever squanders it, Allah will withhold from him.
A man related—on the authority of some of Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad’s companions—that he said:
“I saw Jaʿfar advising Mūsā—meaning his son—saying:
‘My son! Whoever is content with what has been allotted to him will be self-sufficient; whoever fixes his gaze on what is in another’s hand will die a pauper; whoever is displeased with what has been decreed for him has accused Allah regarding His judgment; whoever belittles another’s slip will magnify his own; whoever tears away another’s veil will have his own nakedness exposed; whoever unsheathes the sword of oppression will be slain by it; whoever digs a pit for his brother, Allah will cast him into it; whoever mixes with fools will be held in contempt, while whoever mingles with scholars will be honored; and whoever frequents places of ill repute will be suspected.
My son! Beware of disparaging people, lest you yourself be disparaged; and beware of entering into matters that do not concern you, for you will be humbled thereby.
My son! Speak the truth, whether it be for you or against you, so that you will be sought for counsel among your relatives. Be a reciter of the Qur’an, a spreader of Islam, one who enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong; maintain ties with those who cut you off; initiate contact with those who remain silent toward you; and give to whoever asks of you. Beware of tale-bearing, for it plants rancor in hearts; and beware of exposing the faults of others, for the station of one who does so is like that of a target set up to be struck.
When you seek generosity, go to its sources, for generosity has mines; the mines have roots, the roots have branches, and the branches bear fruit. No fruit is wholesome without a branch, no branch stands without a root, and no root thrives except in good soil. Visit the righteous and do not visit the wicked, for they are a rock from which no water flows, a tree whose leaves never turn green, and land on which no grass appears.’
ʿĀʾidh ibn Ḥabīb reported that Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad said: ‘No provision is better than piety, nothing is finer than silence, no enemy is more harmful than ignorance, and no disease is more debilitating than lying.’
Yahya ibn al-Furāt reported that Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq said: ‘A benevolent act is perfected only by three things: carrying it out promptly, deeming it small, and keeping it concealed.’
Ahmad ibn Abī al-Khayr wrote to me, conveying from Abū al-Makārim al-Labbān; al-Ḥaddād informed us, and so did Abū—