حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ دِينَارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ سَابِقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: جَمَعَ قُسُّ بْنُ سَاعِدَةَ وُلْدَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْمِعَى تَكْفِيهِ الْبَقْلَةُ وَ تَرْوِيهِ الْمَذْقَةُ وَ مَنْ عَيَّرَكَ شَيْئاً فَفِيهِ مِثْلُهُ وَ مَنْ ظَلَمَكَ وُجِدَ مَنْ يَظْلِمُهُ مَتَى عَدَلْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ عُدِلَ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ فَوْقِكَ فَإِذَا نَهَيْتَ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَابْدَأْ بِنَفْسِكَ وَ لَا تَجْمَعْ مَا لَا تَأْكُلُ وَ لَا تَأْكُلْ مَا لَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِذَا ادَّخَرْتَ فَلَا يَكُونَنَّ كَنْزُكَ إِلَّا فِعْلَكَ وَ كُنْ عَفَّ الْعَيْلَةِ مُشْتَرَكَ الْغِنَى تَسُدُّ قَوْمَكَ وَ لَا تُشَاوِرَنَّ مَشْغُولًا وَ إِنْ كَانَ حَازِماً وَ لَا جَائِعاً وَ إِنْ كَانَ فَهِماً وَ لَا مَذْعُوراً وَ إِنْ كَانَ نَاصِحاً وَ لَا تَضَعَنَّ فِي عُنُقِكَ طَوْقاً لَا يُمْكِنُكَ نَزْعُهُ إِلَّا بِشِقِّ نَفْسِكَ وَ إِذَا خَاصَمْتَ فَاعْدِلْ وَ إِذَا قُلْتَ فَاقْتَصِدْ وَ لَا تَسْتَوْدِعَنَّ أَحَداً دِينَكَ وَ إِنْ قَرُبَتْ قَرَابَتُهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَمْ تَزَلْ وَجِلًا وَ كَانَ الْمُسْتَوْدَعُ بِالْخِيَارِ فِي الْوَفَاءِ بِالْعَهْدِ وَ كُنْتَ لَهُ عَبْداً مَا بَقِيتَ فَإِنْ جَنَى عَلَيْكَ كُنْتَ أَوْلَى بِذَلِكَ وَ إِنْ وَفَى كَانَ الْمَمْدُوحُ دُونَكَ عَلَيْكَ بِالصَّدَقَةِ فَإِنَّهَا تُكَفِّرُ الْخَطِيئَةَ فَكَانَ قُسٌّ لَا يَسْتَوْدِعُ دِينَهُ أَحَداً وَ كَانَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا يَخْفَى مَعْنَاهُ عَلَى الْعَوَامِّ وَ لَا يَسْتَدْرِكُهُ إِلَّا الْخَوَاصُّ.
Narrated to us Hasan bin Abdullah bin Saeed: Informed us Abul Hasan Ali bin Husain bin Ismail: Informed us Muhammad bin Zakariya bin Dinar: Narrated to me Mahdi bin Sabiq from Abdullah bin Abbas from his father that he said:
“Quss bin Saida assembled his sons and said: Hunger is satiated by vegetables and by milk diluted with water. If someone makes a false allegation against you, you should know that he is having the same defect. One who oppresses you shall certainly have to face oppression. When you observe justice by opposing your selfish desires you shall also be dealt with justice. When you prohibit people from something, begin with your own self. Do not hoard that which you do not consume and do not eat what you don’t need. If you save something it must be only your deeds. Observe thrift; generosity will get you the leadership of your community. Never take advice from a busy person even though he might be stable in character and has determination. Neither should you take advice from the one who is hungry even though he might be wise.
Also don’t take the advice of a coward even though he may be capable of dispensing good advice. Do not take up a responsibility which will not be possible without any difficulty. When you observe enmity, follow the dictates of justice and equity and when you speak, you must speak less. Do not give a loan to anyone even though he might be your closest relative, because you will always dread that he will not repay; and the one whom you lend shall have the discretion to repay or not. Till the time he is indebted to you he is the master and you are his slave. If he commits excess on you, you are deserving of it due to your foolishness. And if he fulfills his promise, only he shall be eligible for praise and not you. Continue to pay alms (Sadaqah) as it is expiation of mistakes and sins. Thus Quss never gave loans to anyone and he spoke in such a way that laymen cannot understand the underlying points and only specified individuals may comprehend his words.”
