Seal of Messengers Prophet Muhammad b. Abdollah (s)’s seventh infallible descendant Al-Imam Musa b. Jafar Al-Kazem (s) narrated from his respected father from their respect worthy grandfather Ali b. Al-Husayn (s) from his respected father that one day while Amir al-Mo’menin Al-Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (s) was sitting in the mosque with some of his companions, Zaid b. Sohaan Abdi asked Imam Ali (s), who according to a saying of Holy Prophet (s) is Bab Madinatul Ilm (Gate of City of Knowledge), some question.
He asked: ‘O Amir al-Mo’menin (s)! Which king is strongest among all?
Amir al-Mo’menin (s) replied: Death.
Zaid asked: What is the most abject act?
He Replied: Gathering wealth greedily.
Zaid asked: Which poverty is hardest?
He Replied: Atheism after belief.
Zaid asked: Which invitation is most misleading?
He Replied: One who calls people to what he does not have himself.
Zaid asked: What is the best deed?
He Replied: Piety.
Zaid asked: Which deed is best for salvation?
He Replied: Requesting what is with Allah.
Zaid asked: Who is the worst friend?
He Replied: One who presents sins as beautiful acts.
Zaid asked: Who is the most wretched among people?
He Replied: One who sells his religion in return for the materialistic world of others.
Zaid asked: Who is the strongest among people?
He Replied: One whose patience is more.
Zaid asked: Who is the most miserly?
He Replied: One who earns money from an unlawful way.
Zaid asked: Who is the wisest among all?
He Replied: One who can find the path to guidance among all other paths and moves towards the right path.
Zaid asked: Who is best to be the judge among people?
He Replied: One who does not get angry.
Zaid asked: Who is most consistent on his word?
He Replied: One who is not deceived by other people because of himself and by the world by its wealth.
Zaid asked: Who is the most stupid?
He Replied: One who is deceived by this world while he notices the unstableness of this world.
Zaid asked: Who is the most regretful?
He Replied: One who banned everything for himself in this world and in the hereafter; indeed this is the biggest regret.
Zaid asked: Who is blind?
He Replied: One who has done nothing for Allah, but expects rewards.
Zaid asked: Which satisfaction is best?
He Replied: One who is satisfied with whatever Allah has given him.
Zaid asked: Which tragedy is hardest?
He Replied: Tragedy in religious matters.
Zaid asked: Which deed is the most preferred by Allah?
He Replied: Awaiting relief (Faraj).
Zaid asked: Who has a better status in the view of Allah?
He Replied: One who fears Him most and is most pious and ascetic.
Zaid asked: In the view of Allah, which word is the best?
He Replied: Remembrance of Allah and entreating from Him by prayer.
Zaid asked: Which word is the truest?
He Replied: Testifying that Allah is the only God.
Zaid asked: Which deed is greatest in the view of Allah?
He Replied: Submitting to him, piety, and fear of Allah.
Zaid asked: Who is the most truthful among people?
He Replied: One who tells the truth in the battlefield.
(Taken from the book “Mann La Yah-dor-hoo al-Faqih, vol. 4, p. 381)