Pearl of Wisdom
describing the prophets (AS), said, 'They were people who were subject to oppression, whom Allah had tried with hunger, afflicted with difficulty, tested with fear, and shaken with troubles. If Allah had wished to open for His prophets treasures of gold, mines of pure gold and grounds of gardens wherever He sent them ... He would have done so, but if He did, tests would be invalid, and reward would be inapplicable. Rather, Allah the Glorified, made His prophets strong in their determination, and weak in their appearance as seen from the eyes, with contentment that fills the hearts and eyes with richness, and with poverty that pains the eyes and ears.'
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib [as] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 192
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The best adornment of the believer's garment is precaution and the most blessed garment is belief. As Allah said,
And clothing that guards [against evil]; that is best. (7:26)
Outward dress is a blessing from Allah in order to preserve the modesty of the sons of Adam; it is a mark of honour which Allah has given to the descendants of Adam. He did not give that honour to any other creature; it is given to the believers as a means of carrying out their obligations. Your best garments are those which do not distract you from Allah, those garments, in fact, which bring you closer to remembrance of Him, and gratitude and obedience to Him. They do not, however, move you to pride, conceit, pretence, boastfulness or arrogance: those things are the scourge of the faith, and their legacy is hardness of heart.
When you put on your clothes, remember that Allah veils your wrong actions with His mercy. You should clothe your inward part as you clothe your outward part with your garment. Let your inward truth be veiled in awe of Allah, and let your outward truth be veiled in obedience. Take heed of the overflowing favour of Allah, since He created the means to make garments for covering physical immodesty and opened the gates for repentance, regret, and seeking succour, in order to veil the inward parts, and their wrong actions and bad character.
Do not expose anyone's faults when Allah has concealed worse things in yourself. Occupy yourself with your own faults, and overlook matters and situations which do not concern you. Beware lest you exhaust your life in other people's actions and exchange your irreplaceable endowed wealth with someone else, thereby destroying yourself. Forgetting wrong actions brings about the greatest punishments of Allah in this world, and is the most ample cause for punishment in the next. So long as the bondsman occupies himself with obeying Allah, with recognizing his own faults and leaving alone whatever might devalue faith in Allah, he is spared ruin and is immersed in the sea of Allah's mercy, attaining the gems and the benefits of wisdom and clarity.
But as long as he forgets his own wrong actions, is ignorant of his own faults, and falls back on his power and strength, he will never be successful.
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