Nahjul Balagha Part 2, Letters and Sayings
Letter 56: Instructions to Shuray bin Hani
Instructions to Shuray bin Hani when he was appointed as the commanding officer of the vanguard of his army, which was marching towards Syria.
When Amir al-mu'minin placed Shurayh ibn Hani (al-Madhhiji) at the head of the vanguard preceding towards Syria, he issued this document of instruction to him:
ومن كلام وصىّ به شريح بن هانىء
لما جعله على مقدمته إلى الشام
Fear Allah every morning and evening and remain apprehensive about yourself of this deceitful world and do not regard it safe in any case. Know that if for fear of some evil you do not refrain yourself from things which you love, then passions will fling you into a lot of harm. Therefore, be for yourself a refrainer and protector, and for your anger a suppressor and killer.
اتَّقِ اللهَ فِي كُلِّ صَبَاح وَمَسَاء، وَخَفْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ الدُّنْيَا الْغَرُورَ، وَلاَ تَأْمَنْهَا عَلَى حَال، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّكَ إِنْ لَمْ تَرْدَعْ نَفْسَكَ عَنْ كَثِير مِمَّا تُحِبُّ، مَخَافَةَ مَكْرُوهِهِ، سَمَتْ بِكَ الاْهْوَاءُ إِلَى كَثِير مِنَ الضَّرَرِ. فَكُنْ لِنَفْسِكَ مَانِعاً رَادِعاً، وَلِنَزْوَتِكَ عِنْدَ الْحَفِيظَةِ وَاقِماً قَامِعاً.