“My dear son, let yourself act as scales to judge its goodness or wickedness. Do unto others as you wish others to do unto you.
Whatever you like for yourself, like for others, and whatever you dislike to happen to you. Do not oppress and tyrannize anybody because you surely do not like to be oppressed and tyrannized.
Be kind and sympathetic to others as you certainly desire others to treat you kindly and sympathetically. If you are satisfied or feel happy in receiving a certain kind of behavior from others, you may behave with others in exactly the same way. Do not speak about them in the same way that you do not like others to speak about you. Do not speak on a subject about which you know little or nothing, and do not say what you do not like to be said to you. Remember, son, that vanity and conceit are forms of folly.”
Sources:
Kafi, vol. 7, p. 51;
Nahj al-Balagha, letter no. 47;
Sharh Ibn Abi al-Hadid, vol. 6, p. 120;
Usd al-Ghaba, vol. 4;
Mas‘udi, Muruj al-Dhahab, vol. 2, p. 425;
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 42, p. 248
