Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
140

SERMON 140

Against reliance on heresy

O' people! If a person
knows his brother to be steadfast in faith and of correct ways he
should not lend ear to what people may say about him. Sometimes
the bowman shoots arrows but the arrow goes astray; similarly talk
can be off the point. Its wrong perishes, while Allah is the
Hearer and the Witness. There is nothing between truth and
falsehood except four fingers.

Amir al-mu'minin was
asked the meaning of this whereupon he closed his fingers together
and put them between his ear and eye and said: It is falsehood
when you say, "I have heard so," while it is truth when
you say, "have seen."