Sermon (231): People's differences
Za'lab Yamani narrated from Ibn Qutiba and he narrated from Abdullah Ibn Yazid from Malik Ibn Wahiyya that he said that we were present in the service of Amir al-Mu'minin (a.s.) and he mentioned the difference (of appearance and behavior) of the people, so he said: The source of their dissension has created division among them and this is in such a way that they were born from salty and sweet earth and hard and soft soil. Therefore, they agree according to the proximity of the earth and differ according to the proportion of disagreement (on this it sometimes happens that) the whole good-looking person is poor in intellect and the tall person becomes low-spirited and the virtuous person, ugly and short-sighted is far-sighted and naturally the good nature suppresses any bad habit and the troubled heart has a scattered intellect and a moving tongue has a conscious heart.
