{"id":446,"date":"2020-11-09T12:39:51","date_gmt":"2020-11-09T09:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/?p=446"},"modified":"2026-08-02T23:08:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T19:38:48","slug":"wisdom-1-the-illuminated-path-commentary-on-the-wisdoms-of-nahj-al-balagha-by-imam-ali-a-s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wisdom-1-the-illuminated-path-commentary-on-the-wisdoms-of-nahj-al-balagha-by-imam-ali-a-s\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisdom 1 \u2013 The Illuminated Path: Commentary on the Wisdoms of Nahj al-Balagha by Imam Ali (A.S.)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imam Ali (A.S.) said:<\/h3>\n
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“During times of tribulation, be like a young camel that is neither strong enough to be ridden nor mature enough to be milked.”<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Key Vocabulary<\/h2>\n

Ibn al-Lab\u016bn (\u0627\u0628\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0628\u0648\u0646):<\/strong> A young male camel that has completed its second year and entered its third. It is not yet strong enough to carry riders, and, being male, cannot be milked.<\/p>\n

\u1e92ahr (\u0638\u0647\u0631):<\/strong> The back of an animal, used for carrying a rider or load.<\/p>\n

\u1e0car\u02bf (\u0636\u0631\u0639):<\/strong> The udder from which milk is obtained.<\/p>\n

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Summary of Wisdom One<\/h2>\n

During times of confusion, when truth and falsehood become difficult to distinguish, believers must exercise great caution so that they do not become caught in the turmoil of fitnah<\/strong> (tribulation) or unintentionally support those who spread corruption.<\/p>\n

Imam Ali (A.S.) advises believers to resemble a young camel that is of no use either for riding or for milking. Because it is too young to bear a rider and has no udder to provide milk, no one can exploit it for personal benefit.<\/p>\n

Likewise, believers should avoid becoming tools in the hands of those who create discord and corruption. They should neither contribute to fitnah nor assist those who seek to spread it, until the truth becomes clear and the causes of corruption can be identified and eliminated.<\/p>\n

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Notes<\/h2>\n

1. The Meaning of Fitnah<\/em><\/h3>\n

In Arabic, the word fitnah<\/strong> has several meanings, including trial, test, temptation, disbelief, and deviation.<\/p>\n

In its social and political sense, however, it refers to conflict, confusion, and division among people that results in unrest, anxiety, tension, and instability.<\/p>\n

Today, fitnah may be understood as complex events whose true nature is hidden. They often appear attractive on the surface while concealing corruption beneath. Such turmoil can lead societies toward chaos, destruction, hostility, violence, and bloodshed.<\/p>\n

The motives behind fitnah are frequently political, such as the pursuit of power or social influence. At other times, they may be ideological or cultural, including the promotion of materialism, moral corruption, or the rejection of God and religious truths.<\/p>\n

The Holy Qur’an emphasizes the seriousness of fitnah:<\/p>\n

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“Fitnah is more severe than killing.”<\/strong>
\n(Surah Al-Baqarah 2:191)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While murder takes a person’s life, fitnah can destroy faith and undermine the peace and security of society. Faith and public security are among the greatest blessings granted to humanity.<\/p>\n

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Lessons and Reflections<\/h2>\n

1. Be Vigilant Against Fitnah<\/h3>\n

Because the causes of fitnah often arise from worldly ambitions and personal interests, it exists in every age. Believers must therefore remain vigilant and avoid falling into its traps.<\/p>\n

2. Never Become a Tool of Corruption<\/h3>\n

By comparing the believer to a young camel, Imam Ali (A.S.) teaches that although believers continue to live among society during times of turmoil, they must never allow themselves to become instruments serving the goals of those who spread discord.<\/p>\n

3. Wisdom Is Better Than Blind Involvement<\/h3>\n

Responding wisely to fitnah depends upon understanding its nature and circumstances. This guidance does not necessarily call for silence or complete withdrawal, since silence can sometimes allow those who create discord to exploit the situation further. Instead, believers should act with wisdom, discernment, and independence, ensuring that they neither strengthen nor legitimize corruption.<\/p>\n

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Self-Assessment<\/h2>\n

You should now be able to answer the following questions:<\/p>\n

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  1. What does the word fitnah<\/strong> mean linguistically and technically?<\/li>\n
  2. Why does Imam Ali (A.S.) compare the believer to a young camel (Ibn al-Lab\u016bn<\/em>) during times of fitnah?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    Keywords<\/h2>\n

    Fitnah \u2022 Tribulation \u2022 Moral Corruption \u2022 Social Unrest \u2022 Fitnah Is More Severe Than Killing<\/em> \u2022 People of Fitnah \u2022 Political Motives \u2022 Nahj al-Balagha \u2022 Wisdom One \u2022 The Illuminated Path<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Imam Ali (A.S.) said: “During times of tribulation, be like a young camel that is neither strong enough to be ridden nor mature enough to be milked.” Key Vocabulary Ibn al-Lab\u016bn (\u0627\u0628\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0628\u0648\u0646): A young male camel that has completed its second year and entered its third. It is not yet strong enough to carry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,120],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-the-luminous-path"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2403,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions\/2403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/2noor.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}