حدثنا محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثنا محمد بن سعيد بن يحيى البزوفري، قال: حدثنا إبراهيم الهيثم [عن أمية] البلدي، قال: حدثنا أبي عن المعافا بن عمران، عن إسرائيل، عن المقدام بن شريج بن هانئ، عن أبيه شريج، قال: سأل أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ابنه الحسن بن علي فقال: يا بني ما العقل؟ قال: حفظ قلبك ما استودعته. قال: فما الحزم؟ قال: أن تنتظر فرصتك وتعاجل ما أمكنك. قال: فما المجد؟ قال: حمل المغارم وابتناء المكارم. قال: فما السماحة؟ قال: إجابة السائل وبذل النائل. قال: فما الشح؟ قال: أن ترى القليل سرفا وما أنفقت تلفا. قال: فما الرقة؟ قال: طلب اليسير ومنع الحقير. قال: فما الكلفة؟ قال: التمسك بمن لا يؤمنك والنظر فيما لا يعنيك. قال: فما الجهل؟ قال: سرعة الوثوب على الفرصة قبل الاستمكان منها والامتناع عن الجواب، ونعم العون الصمت في مواطن كثيرة وإن كنت فصيحا. ثم أقبل صلوات الله عليه على الحسين ابنه عليه السلام فقال له: يا بني ما السؤدد؟ قال: اصطناع العشيرة واحتمال الجريرة. قال: فما الغنا؟ قال: قلة أمانيك والرضا بما يكفيك قال: فما الفقر؟ قال: الطمع وشدة القنوط. قال: فما اللوم؟ قال: إحراز المرء نفسه وإسلامه عرسه. قال: فما الخرق؟ قال: معاداتك أميرك ومن يقدر على ضرك ونفعك. ثم التفت إلى الحارث الأعور فقال: يا حارث علموا هذه الحكم أولادكم فإنها زيادة في العقل والحزم والرأي.
62.	We were told by Muhammed bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Sa’eed bin Yahya al-Buzawfari, that he said: We were told by Ibrahim bin Haitham, from Umayya al-Baladi, that he said: We were told by my father, from Mu’afa bin Imran, from Isra’eel, from Miqdam bin Shuraih bin Hani, from his father, Shuraih, that he said: The Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, asked his son, Hasan bin Ali, and said: O my son, what is the intellect? He said: That your heart preserves what you have stored. He said: And what is firmness? He said: That you wait for your chance and hasten as much as you are able to. He said: And what is glory? He said: To carry losses and to build noble traits. He said: And what is lenience? He said: To answer the requesting and to spend that which is obtained. He said: And what is avarice? He said: That you see the little as thriftlessness and that which you have spent as a waste. He said: And what is gentleness? He said: To seek the easy and to prevent the worthless. He said: And what is it to burden? He said: To adhere to that which does not assure you, and to look into that which does not concern you. He said: And what is ignorance? He said: To quickly jump onto a chance before consolidating oneself from (having to take) it, and to avoid an answer. A good assistant is silence in many occasions, even if you would be fluent. He, Allah’s blessings be upon him, then turned towards Hussain, his son, peace be upon him, and said to him: O my son, what is sovereignty? He said: To form a kin and to expect offenses. He said: And what is wealth? He said: That you have little desires and satisfaction with what is sufficient for you. He said: And what is poverty? He said: Covet and severe hopelessness. He said: And what is ignobility? He said: That an individual achieves himself and subjugates his spouse. He said: And what is violation? He said: That you antagonize your commander and the one who is able to harm you and benefit you. He then turned towards Harith, the half-blinded, and said: O Harith, teach these wisdoms to your children, for indeed, they are a means to increasement with regards to intellect, firmness and sound opinion.