Want clearer judgment and calmer speech? These time-tested markers of wisdom from Imam Ali and Imam Reza can change how you think and speak.
In this piece from Delgarm, we aim to introduce you to the attributes of a wise person. We begin with a beautiful hadith from the Commander of the Faithful, ʿAlī (peace be upon him).
A wise person (dānā) is one who recognizes his own worth; the ignorant person is one who does not know his value. The person most hated by God is the one God leaves to his own devices so that he strays from the right path and goes without a guide. He may exert himself to the point of risking his life for worldly gains, but when it comes to the Hereafter and its diverse blessings, he becomes lax — as if what he labors for is obligatory while what he neglects is of no consequence.
The rational and the prudent possess signs which we list here with the help of divine verses and the hadiths of the Pure Imams (peace be upon them):
One of the clear marks of the people of wisdom is that they listen attentively to the counsel of sincere advisors. The Wise God says in the Qur'an: "And none will remember except those of understanding." Those who are self-willed and refuse to heed anyone besides themselves are not wise, and their end will be nothing but the Fire: "They said, 'If only we had listened or used our reason, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze.'"
Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: "The intelligent seeks perfection; the ignorant seeks wealth." The wise person pursues perfection while the ignorant chases material wealth. Some people assume that whoever amasses riches quickly is wise; in Islamic culture, such a person is not considered truly wise. According to Imam ʿAlī, the wise one seeks virtues and adorns himself with them. For example, faced with knowledge and wealth, the wise choose acquiring knowledge, and instead of hoarding wealth they use excess resources to benefit society.
Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: "The wise is he whose actions confirm his words." The wise are not mere talkers; before speaking they act on what they know and believe. In other words, their speech and conduct mirror each other.
Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: "The wise is he who restrains his tongue." Many misfortunes and troubles originate from failure to control the tongue: people often speak before thinking, and later regret what they said. This lack of restraint has caused hardships, separations, conflicts and much more.
Imam ʿAlī (peace be upon him) said: "The wise is he who reproaches his opinion and does not trust everything his soul suggests." The wise recognizes the temptations and embellishments of the nafs. He knows the nafs makes the shameful seem beautiful and the beautiful seem shameful. The worst of enemies for him is his own nafs, so he scrutinizes it carefully and does not fall for its deceptions.
— He has hope for good and virtue.
— People feel safe from his harm.
— He regards the small good deeds of others as many.
— He regards his many good deeds as small.
— He does not tire of responding to the requests of the needy.
— He never grows weary in the pursuit of knowledge throughout his life.
— Poverty in the way of God is preferable to riches for him.
— Humiliation for the sake of God is dearer to him than honor in relation to God’s enemy.
— Anonymity pleases him more than fame.
"People are three kinds: 1) the wise (ʿāqil), 2) the fool (ahmaq), 3) the depraved (fājer).
1) The wise: in life he is pious, patient, thoughtful; he does not speak until necessary, and when he speaks he speaks rightly; he can bear hearing the truth, he tells the truth, and when someone trusts him he is faithful.
2) The fool: he neglects good and desirable deeds and abandons them; he does not emerge from ignorance; he lies; he does not understand, and if he understands he does not accept, nor submits to the truth.
3) The depraved: he is not trustworthy; if he can, he will betray and is not well‑wishing toward you.
