Nahjul Balagha Part 2, Letters and Sayings

Letter 71: To al-Mundhir ibn Jarud al-`Abdi

To al-Mundhir ibn Jarud al-`Abdi who had misappropriated certain things given into his administrative charge

ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام)

إلى المنذر بن الجارود العَبْدي

وقد خان في بعض ما ولاّه من أعماله

Now, the good behaviour of your father deceived me about you and I thought that you would follow his way and tread in his path. But according to what has reached me about you, you are not giving up following your passions and are not retaining any provision for the next world. You are making this world by ruining your next life, and doing good to your kinsmen by cutting yourself off from religion.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ صَلاَحَ أَبِيكَ غَرَّنِي مِنْكَ، وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ تَتَّبِعُ هَدْيَهُ، وَتَسْلُكُ سَبِيلَهُ، فَإِذَا أَنْتَ فِيَما رُقِّيَ إِلَيَّ عَنْكَ لاَتَدَعُ لِهَوَاكَ انْقِيَاداً، وَلاَ تُبْقِي لاِخِرَتِكَ عَتَاداً، تَعْمُرُ دُنْيَاكَ بَخَرَابِ آخِرَتِكَ، وَتَصِلُ عَشِيرَتَكَ بِقَطِيعَةِ دِينِكَ.

If what has reached me about you is correct, then the camel of your family and the strap of your shoe is better than yourself. A man with qualities like yours is not fit to close a hole in the ground, nor for performing any deed, nor for increasing his position, nor for taking him as a partner in any trust, nor for trusting him against misappropriation. Therefore, proceed to me as soon as this letter of mine reaches you if Allah so wills.

وَلَئِنْ كَانَ مَا بَلَغَنِي عَنْكَ حَقّاً، لَجَمَلُ أَهْلِكَ وَشِسْعُ نَعْلِكَ خَيْرٌ مِنْكَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ بِصِفَتِكَ فَلَيْسَ بِأَهْل أَنْ يُسَدَّ بِهِ ثَغْرٌ، أَوْ يُنْفَذَ بِهِ أَمْرٌ، أَوْ يُعْلَى لَهُ قَدْرٌ، أَوْ يُشْرَكَ فِي أَمَانَة، أَوْ يُؤْمَنَ عَلَى خِيَانَة. فَأقْبِلْ إِلَيَّ حِينَ يَصِلُ إِلَيْكَ كِتَابِي هذَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ.

As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: al-Mundhir ibn Jarud al-`Abdi is he about whom Amir al-mu'minin (peace be upon him) said that:

He looks very often at his shoulders, feels proud in his garments (appearance) and frequently blows away (dust) from his shoes.

قال السيد الرضي: وَالمنذر هذا هو الذي قال فيه أميرالمؤمنين (عليه السلام): إنه لنظّارٌ في عِطْفَيْهِ، مُختالٌ في بُرْدَيْه، تَفّالٌ في شِرَاكَيْهِ.