Lesson sixteen :Mastership and captivity

Imam Ali( A. S. )says:

تَفَضَّلْ عَلَى مَنْ شِئْتَ تَكُنْ أَمِيرَهُ، وَاسْتَغْنِ عَمِّنْ شِئْتَ تَكُنْ نَظِيْرَهُ، وَافْتَقِرٌ إلى مَنْ شِئْتَ تَكُنْ أَسِيْرَهُ‌

Translation

Do favour with whosoever you will, then you will become his master!

Do not need whosoever you will, then you will become alike to him!

Be in need of whosoever you will, then you will become his captive!

Brief description

This rule powerfully governs on the social relations of individuals and nations that bountiful hands are always master and receiver hands are anyway inferior. The needy people and nations are actually the slaves who have signed their slavery through need to the others. The real Moslem is one who attempts to base his relation with others on mutual, not one- sided assistance. Receiving gratuitous support should be limited to weak and feeble persons.