٢٦٠. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام): كَمْ مِنْ مُسْتَدْرَجٍ بِالْإِحْسَانِ إِلَيْهِ، وَمَغْرُورٍ بِالسَّتْرِ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَفْتُونٍ بِحُسْنِ الْقَوْلِ فِيهِ، وَمَا ابْتَلَى اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ أَحَداً بِمِثْلِ الْإِمْلَاءِ لَهُ.

260. Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: There is many a man being gradually brought towards punishment by good treatment with him; many a man who remains in deceit because his evils are covered; and many a man who is in illusion because of good talk about him, while there is no greater ordeal by Allāh, the Glorified, than the giving of time.

قال السيد الرضى: وقد مَضى هذا الكلام فيما تقدم، إلاّ أن فيه هاهنا زيادة مفيدة

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: This saying has appeared earlier as well but here it contains a beautiful and useful addition.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #260