Tradition

اَلْحِدَّهُ نَوْعٌ مِنَ الْجُنُونِ لاِنَّ صاحِبَها يَنْدَمُ فَإنّ لَمْ يَنْدَمْ فَجُنُونُها مُسْتَحْكَمٌ

Imam ‘Ali (‘a) is narrated to have said: “Being hot tempered and rash is a type of insanity, for the possessor of these attributes quickly becomes regretful over what he has done and if he does not become regretful, then his insanity has (indeed) become permanent.”1

Brief Commentary

Human intellect and understanding necessitates that people should abstain from hastiness and rash behavior. When people act in such a manner, they are left unable to properly analyze or judge a given situation. They are soon left regretful over their hasty decision-making and they realize that they clearly made a mistake. This is a mistake which most likely would not have been made if they had left aside haste and properly gauged the situation at hand.

In some cases, someone can be rash in their speech and with just a few words, they can lay waste to a lifetime of careful planning and work. With just these few words, they can lose a number of their friends whose friendship they had cultivated over many years of their lives. Such a person will be left with only regret and sorrow for their hasty and rash speech. Yet, if such an individual does not become regretful even after tasting the fruits of their haste, then it is clear that they have been afflicted by a state of insanity.

• 1. Nahj al-Balaghah, Words of Wisdom.