Premature ambition and immature complaints

Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 3|Chapter 402

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 3, Chapter 402

Premature ambition and immature complaints
2 Aḥadīth
Ḥadīth 500

۴۰۲. وَقَالَ (عليه ‏السلام) لِبَعْضِ مُخَاطِبِيهِ، وَقَدْ تَكَلَّمَ بِكَلِمَةٍ يُسْتَصْغَرُ مِثْلُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ مِثْلِهَا: لَقَدْ طِرْتَ شَكِيراً، وَهَدَرْتَ سَقْباً.

402. Someone uttered an expression above his position, then Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said to him: You have started flying soon after growing feathers (shakīr) and commenced grumbling before attaining youth (saqb).

Ḥadīth 501

قال السيد الرضي: والشكير هاهنا: أول ما ينبت من ريش الطائر قبل أن يقوى ويستحصف، والسقب: الصغير من الإبل ولا يهدر إلا بعد أن يستفحل.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Here “shakīr” means the first feathers that grow on a bird before it is strong enough to fly. And “saqb” means the young camel who does not grumble unless it becomes major.