Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 18038

Al-Harith says: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyiduna Imam Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) about some things related to muru'ah (manly virtue). Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: My son, what is "sadad" (that is, being upright and moderate)? He replied: Father, "sadad" is that evil be repelled by means of good. He asked: What is nobility? He replied: Doing good to one's family, taking upon oneself the payment of a penalty (that falls due on another), agreeing with one's brothers, and looking after one's neighbours. He asked: What is muru'ah? He replied: Chastity and setting one's wealth in order. He asked: What is "diqqah" (that is, meticulousness)? He replied: Paying close attention to small things and withholding trifles. He asked: What is "lu'm" (that is, meanness)? He replied: A man's protecting himself and leaving his wife unprotected. He asked: What is "samahah" (that is, generosity)? He replied: Spending in hardship and when one has little. He asked: What is stinginess? He replied: That you regard what you have spent as wasted. He asked: What is brotherhood? He replied: Treating one another well in hardship and in ease (that is, in every condition). He asked: What is cowardice? He replied: Being bold against a friend and turning away from (facing) the enemy. He asked: What is a gain (ghanimah)? He replied: Desiring piety (taqwa) and being detached from the world; this is the cool gain. He asked: What is forbearance? He replied: Swallowing one's anger and keeping control over oneself. He asked: What is richness? He replied: The soul's being content with what Allah Almighty has allotted to it, even if it is little, for true richness is the richness of the soul. He asked: What is poverty? He replied: The soul's never being satisfied with anything. He asked: What is "man'ah" (that is, dominance, strength and the ability to hold back)? He replied: Being powerful and contending with the strong. He asked: What is humiliation? He replied: Panicking at the moment of truth. He asked: What is "'iyy" (that is, being incapable of speaking)? He replied: Fidgeting idly and spitting a lot during conversation. He asked: What is boldness? He replied: Meeting one's equals (or facing one's equals in battle). He asked: What is "kulfah"? He replied: A man's engaging in talk that does not concern him. He asked: What is glory? He replied: That you give (as help) towards someone's debt and pardon someone's offence. He asked: What is intellect? He replied: The heart's preserving everything that has been placed in it. He asked: What is "khurq" (that is, tearing something apart)? He replied: A man's separating from the ruler and raising his own word against him. He asked: What is good praise? He replied: Doing good deeds and abandoning bad deeds. He asked: What is "hazm" (that is, prudence)? He replied: Long patience and deliberation, and gentleness towards rulers. He asked: What is foolishness? He replied: Following base people and keeping company with misguided people. He asked: What is heedlessness? He replied: A man's abandoning the mosque and obeying the one who causes corruption. He asked: What is deprivation? He replied: A man's abandoning his share when it has been offered to him. He asked: Who is a fool? He replied: The one who acts foolishly with his wealth and treats his honour lightly. Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "There is no poverty more severe than ignorance, no wealth better than intellect, nothing more alienating than self-admiration, no method more fitting than seeking counsel, no wisdom like planning, no noble lineage like good character, no piety like restraint (or self-protection), no worship like reflection, and no faith (that is, deed) like modesty and patience. The bane of speech is lying, the bane of knowledge is forgetting, the bane of forbearance is foolishness, the bane of worship is slackening, the bane of refinement is arrogance, the bane of bravery is transgression, the bane of generosity is reminding others of one's favours, the bane of beauty is pride, and the bane of noble lineage is boasting." Then Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: My son, whenever you see any person, never belittle him. If he is better than you, consider him in the place of your father; if he is like you, consider him your brother; and if he is younger than you, consider him in the place of your son.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abu Raja' al-Hinti, whose name is Muhammad bin Abdullah, and he is kadhdhab (a liar).