"O' my son, when I noticed that I was getting old and when I felt (bodily) weakness gradually creeping over me, I hastened to advice you lest death overtakes me before I divulged to you what I have in my heart, or lest weakness finds its way to my mind as was the case with my body, or you fall a prey to inordinate desires and worldly deceits, which may make you stubborn and untrained. Certainly the heart of a youngster is similar to an empty land, it accepts whatever is strewn on it. So I hastened to mould you properly before your heart hardened up and your mind became preoccupied, so that you might be ready to accept through your intelligence the result of the experience of others and be saved from these (bitter) experiences yourself. Now you can very easily make use of all the knowledge which men have to acquire with great care, trouble and patience. Things which were hidden from them and which any experiments, experiences and sufferings could bring to light are now made very conveniently and easily available to you (through these advices)."

"O' my son, even though I have not reached the age which those before me have, yet I carefully looked into their deeds and contemplated over events of their lives. I walked among their relics and ruins till I was as one of them. I felt as if I have lived with them from the first to the last one. Therefore I know what brought them good and what brought harm to them. Hence (in these pages) I have selected for you from every subject its essence, the choicest, and kept away from you their useless points. Being a kind father I took care to educate you and develop a noble character at an early age when you are entering a new stage of the world, possessing upright intention and clean heart. I should begin teaching you the Book of Allah (to whom belongs Might and Majesty) and its interpretation, the laws of Islam and its commands, the lawful matters and the unlawful matters (mentioned) in it." (Imam Ali, r.a.)