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“So now, surely this world has turned its back and announced its departure, and the next world has appeared forward and proclaimed its approach. Today is the day of preparation; tomorrow is the day of the race.”

“The best of actions in the sight of Allah are three: a firm belief in Allah, fighting in His way, and a word of truth spoken to an unjust ruler.”

“Know that this Qur'an is an adviser who never deceives, a leader who never misleads, and a narrator who never speaks a lie.”

“O my son, make yourself the measure between you and others. Love for others what you love for yourself, and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Do not oppress, as you would not like to be oppressed.”

“Infuse your heart with mercy, love, and kindness for your subjects. Do not behave toward them as a ravenous beast, for they are of two kinds: either a brother in faith or one like you in creation.”

“During civil disturbance be like an adolescent camel who has neither a back strong enough for riding nor udders for milking.”

“Whoever adopts greed as a habit devalues himself; whoever discloses his hardship agrees to be humiliated, and whoever allows his tongue to overpower his soul debases the soul.”

“Miserliness is a shame; cowardice is a defect; poverty disables an intelligent man from arguing his case, and a destitute person is a stranger in his own home town.”

“Incapability is a catastrophe; endurance is bravery; abstinence is a wealth; self-restraint”

“Knowledge is a venerable estate; good manners are new outfits, and thinking is a clear mirror.”

“The bosom of the wise is the safe of his secrets; cheerfulness is the bond of friendship; effective forbearance is the grave of shortcomings.”

“Charity is an effective cure, and the actions of people in their present life will be before their eyes in the next.”

“How wonderful is man: He speaks with fat, talks with a piece of flesh, hears with a bone and breathes through a hole!”

“When this world advances towards anyone (with its riches), it attributes to him the good of others, and when it turns away from him, it deprives him of his own good.”

“Deal with people in such a manner that if you die, they should weep for you, and if you live they should long for you.”

“When you gain power over your adversary, pardon him as your way of expressing thanks [to Allah] for being able to overpower him.”

“The most helpless of all men is whoever cannot find a few brothers during his life, but still more helpless is whoever finds such a brother but loses him.”

“When you get (only) small favors, do not push them away by being ungrateful.”

“Whoever is abandoned by near ones is dear to remote ones.”

“Every mischief monger cannot even be reproved..”

“All matters are subject to destiny, so much so that sometimes death results from effort.”

“"Banish your old age (by hair-dye) and do not acquire resemblance to the Jews." Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (x) replied: The Prophet (h) said this at a time when the religion was”

“They abandoned righteousness but did not support wrong.”

“Whoever gallops with a loose rein collides with death.”

“Forgive the shortcomings of considerate people because when they fall into error, Allah raises them up.”

“The consequence of fear is disappointment and of bashfulness is frustration. Opportunity passes away like the cloud. Therefore, make use of good opportunities..”

“We have a right. If it is granted to us, that is good; otherwise, we will ride on the hind of the camel even though the night journey may be long.”

“If the deeds of someone accord (him) a back status, he cannot be given a front status simply on account of his lineage.”

“To render relief to the grief-stricken and to provide comfort in hardship means the atonement of great sins.”

“O son of Adam! When you see that your Lord, the Glorified One, bestows His favors on you while you are disobeying Him, you should fear Him.”

“Whenever a person conceals a thing in his heart, it manifests itself through unintentional words from his tongue and (in) the expressions of his face.”

“Keep walking in your sickness as long as you can.”

“The best part of moderation is to conceal it.”

“When you are running away from the world and death is approaching, there is no question of delay in the encounter.”

“Fear! Fear! By Allah, He has hidden your sins, so much so that it is as though He has forgiven them!”

“The doer of good is better than the good itself, and the doer of evil is worse than the evil itself.”

“Be generous but not extravagant; be thrifty but not stingy.”

“The best of riches is the abandonment of desires.”

“If someone is quick in saying about people what they dislike, they will speak about him that with which they have no knowledge.”

“Whoever prolongs his desire ruins his actions.”

“O son! Learn four things and (a further) four things from me: Nothing will harm you if you practice them. The richest of all riches is intelligence; the biggest destitution is foolishness; the most wild of the wild is vanity, and the best achievement is goodness of the moral character.”

“Supererogatory worship cannot bring about nearness to Allah if it hampers what is obligatory.”

“The tongue of the wise man is behind his heart, while the heart of the fool is behind his tongue.”

“May Allah make your illness a means for wiping out your sins because there is no reward for sickness but that it erases sins and makes them fall like (dried) leaves. Reward lies in saying by the tongue and doing something with the limbs. Certainly, Allah, the Glorified One, admits into Paradise by virtue of truthfulness of intention and chastity of heart whomsoever He wishes from among His servants.”

“May Allah have mercy on Khabbab ibn al-Aratt since he accepted Islam willingly, immigrated (from Mecca) obediently, remained content with what sufficed him, was pleased with Allah and lived the life of a mujahid.Khabbab ibn al-Aratt was a distinguished companion of the Holy Prophet (h) and was one of the early Muhajirun.”

“Blessed is the person who kept in mind the next life, acted so as to be able to render his account, remained content with what sufficed him and remained pleased with Allah.”

“Even if I strike thenose of a believer with this, my sword, so he may hate me, he will not hate me, and even if I pile all the wealth of the world before a hypocrite (Muslim) so he may love me, he will not love me. This is so because it is a verdict pronounced by the tongue of the revered Prophet (h) who said the following: "O Ali! A believer will never hate you and a hypocrite (Muslim) will never love you.”

“The sin that displeases you is better in the view of Allah than the virtue that makes you proud.”

“The worth of a man is according to his courage, his truthfulness is according to his balance of temper, his valor is according to his self-respect and his chastity is according to his sense of shame.”

“Victory is (won) with determination; determination is pondering over thoughts and thoughts are formed by guarding secrets.”

“Fear the might of a noble person when he is hungry and that of an ignoble person when he is satisfied.”

“The hearts of the people are like wild beasts. If someone tries to tame them, they will pounce back upon him.”

“So long as your status is good, your defects will remain covered.”

“Themost capable of pardoning is whoever is the most powerful to punish.”

“Generosity is that which is by one's own initiative because giving on being asked is either out of self- respect or to avoid rebuke.”

“There is no wealth like wisdom, no destitution like ignorance, no inheritance like refinement and no support like consultation.”

“Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience regarding what you covet.”

“With wealth, a strange land is a homeland, while with destitution, even a homeland is a strange land..239 A stranger even in his own homeland.”

“Contentment is wealth that does not diminish.”

“Wealth is the fountainhead of passions.”

“One who warns you is like one who gives you good tidings.”

“The tongue is a beast; when it is let loose, it devours.”

“Woman is a scorpion whose touch is sweet.”

“If you are met with a greeting, give better greetings in return. If a hand of help is extended to you, do a better favor in return, although the credit will remain with the one who was the first.”

“One who intercedes is the wing of one who seeks.”

“The people of the world are like travelers who are being carried while they are asleep.”

“A lack of friends means strangeness.”

“To miss what one needs is easier than to beg from an inappropriate person.”

“Do not feel ashamed for giving little because refusal is smaller than that.”

“Charity is the adornment of destitution, while gratefulness (to Allah) is the adornment of riches.”

“If what you aim at does not come about, then do not worry as to what you were.”

“You will not find an ignorant person but at one extreme or another (i.e. a person who neglects or a person who exaggerates).”

“As intelligence increases, speech decreases.”

“Time wears out bodies, renews desires, brings death nearer and takes away aspirations. Whoever is successful with it encounters grief, and whoever misses its favors also undergoes hardships.”

“Whoever places himself as a leader of the people should commence with educating his own self before educating others, and his teaching should be by his own conduct before teaching by the tongue. The person who teaches and instructs his own self is more entitled to esteem than whoever teaches and instructs others.”

“Each breath taken by a man is a step towards his death.”

“Every countable thing is to pass way and every expected thing must come about.”

“If matters get mixed up, then the last ones should be appreciated compared to the previous one.”

“Take wise points from wherever they may be because if a wise saying is in the bosom of a hypocrite, it flutters in his bosom till it comes out and settles with others of its own category: in the bosom of the believer.”

“A wise saying is a lost article of the believer. Therefore, get wise sayings even though from people of hypocrisy.”

“The worth of every man is in his attainments.”

“I impart to you five things which, if you ride your camels fast in search of them, you will find them worth the effort:”

“I am below what you express and above what you feel in your heart.”

“The survivors of the sword are large in number and have many offspring.”

“Whoever abandons saying, "I do not know" meets his destruction.”

“I love the opinion of an old man more than the determination of a young man: (or according to another version: more than the martyrdom of a young man.)”

“I wonder about the man who loses hope despite the possibility of seeking forgiveness.”

“If a man behaves properly in matters between himself and Allah, then Allah will keep proper the matters between him and other people. And if a man keeps proper the affairs of his next life, then Allah keeps proper for him the affairs of this world. Whoever is a preacher for himself is protected by Allah.”

“The perfect jurist of Islam is whoever does not let people lose hope from the mercy of Allah, does not make him despondent of Allah's kindness and does not make him feel safe from Allah's punishment.”

“The hearts get disgusted as bodies get disgusted; so look for beautiful wise sayings for them.”

“The most humble knowledge is that which remains on the tongue and the most honorable one is that which manifests itself through (the action of) the limbs and the organs of the body.”

“None of you should say, "O Allah! I seek Your protection from affliction" because there is none who is not afflicted. But whoever seeks Allah's protection should seek it from misguiding troubles because Allah, the Glorified One, says the following: "And be admonished that your wealth and your children are a trial" (Holy Quran, 8: 28).”

“Good is not that your wealth and progeny should be much, but good is that your knowledge should be much, your forbearance should be great and that you should vie with other people in worshipping Allah.”

“Action accompanied by fear for Allah does not fail; how can a thing fail that has been accepted?!”

“The persons most attracted to the prophets are those who know most what the prophets have brought. Then Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (x) recited this verse: "Verily, of men, the nearest to Abraham are surely those who followed him and this (Our) Prophet (h) (Muhammad [h]) and those who believe" (Holy Quran, 3: 68).”

“When you hear a tradition, test it according to the criterion of intelligence not to that of mere hearsay because those who relate knowledge are numerous, but those who safeguard it are few.”

“The fulfillment of (others') needs becomes a lasting virtue in three ways: regarding it as small, so that”

“Shortly, a time will come for people when high [government] positions will be given only to those who defame others, when vicious people will be regarded as witty and just will be regarded as weak.”

“With it [such shabbiness of dressing] the heart fears, the mind feels humble and the believers emulate it. Certainly this world and the next are two enemies of each other, two paths in opposite directions.”

“Allah has placed on you some obligations which you should not ignore, has laid down for you”

“If people give up something relevant to religion to set right their worldly affairs, Allah will inflict upon them something more harmful than that.”

“Often the ignorance of a learned man ruins him while the knowledge he has does not avail him.”

“In man, there is a piece of flesh attached to him: a vein, and it is the strangest thing in him. It is the heart. It has a store of wisdom and things contrary to wisdom.”

“We (members of the Prophet's family) are like the pillow in the middle. Whoever lags behind has to come forward to meet it, while whoever exceeds the bounds has to return to it.”

“None can establish the rule of Allah, the Glorified One, except whoever shows no relenting (in the matter of right), who does not behave like wrong doers and who does not run after greed.”

“No wealth is more profitable than wisdom; no loneliness is more estranging than vanity, no wisdom is as good as tact, no honor is like fear from Allah, no companion is like the goodness of moral character, no inheritance is like civility, no guide is like promptitude, no trade is like virtuous deeds, no profit is like the Divine reward, no self-control is like inaction in time of doubt, no abstent…”

“At a time when virtue is in vogue in the world and among people, if a person entertains an evil suspicion about another person from whom nothing evil has ever been seen, then he has been unjust. And at a time when vice is in vogue in the world and among people, if a man entertains a good idea about another person, he flings himself in peril.”

“There are many people who are given time (by Allah) through good treatment towards them and many who are deceived because their sinful activities are veiled (by Allah) and many who are impressed by good talk about themselves. And Allah does not try anyone as seriously as He tries him whom He allows time (to remain sinful).”

“Two categories of persons will face ruin on my account: whoever exaggerates in loving me and whoever hates me intensely.”

“To miss an opportunity brings about grief.”

“The example of the world is like a serpent: It is soft in touch but its inside is full of venom. An ignorant person who has fallen into deceit is attracted towards it, but a wise and intelligent man stays on guard against it.”

“As for Banu Makhzum, they are the blossoms of the tribesmen of Quraish. It is delightful to talk to their men and to marry their women.”

“What a difference there is between two kinds of actions: "A deed whose pleasure passes away but its (ill) consequence remains, and a deed whose hardship passes away but its reward stays.”

“Is it that death has been ordained only for others? Is it that right is obligatory only on others? Is it that those whom we see departing on their journey of death will come back to us? We lay them down in their graves then enjoy their estate (as if we will live for good after them). We have ignored every preacher, man or woman and have exposed ourselves to every catastrophe.”

“Blessed be whoever humbles himself, whose livelihood is pure, whose heart is chaste, whose habits are virtuous, who spends his savings (in the name of Allah), who prevents his tongue from speaking nonsense, who keeps people safe from evil, who is pleased with the (Prophet's) Sunnah and who is unconnected with innovation (in religion).”

“The jealousy of a woman (with co-wives) is heresy, while the jealousy of a man is a part of belief.”

“I am defining Islam as none has defined it before me: Islam is submission, submission is conviction, conviction is affirmation, affirmation is acknowledgment, acknowledgment is carrying out (of obligations) and carrying out obligations is action.”

“I wonder at the miser who is speeding towards the very destitution from which he wants to run away and misses the very ease of life which he covets. Consequently, he passes his life in this world like the destitute but will have to render an account in the next world like the rich.”

“Whoever falls short of actions falls into grief, and Allah has nothing to do with him who spares nothing from his wealth in the name of Allah.”

“Guard yourselves against cold in its (seasonal) beginning and welcome it towards its end because it affects bodies in the same way as it affects plants. In the beginning, it destroys them, but in the end it gives them fresh leaves.”

“The Greatness of the Creator appreciated by you will belittle the creatures in your view.”

“There is an angel of Allah who calls out every day: "Beget children for death! Collect wealth for destruction and raise construction for ruin!"”

“This world is a transient place, not a place of stay. The people herein are of two types: One is a man who sold away his soul (to his passions) and thus ruined it, and the other is a man who purchased his soul (by controlling his desires) and freed it.”

“A friend is not a friend unless he affords protection to his comrade on three occasions: in his adversity, in his absence and at the time of his death.”

“Whoever is bestowed four things is not disallowed four things: whoever is allowed to pray is not deprived of the response to it; whoever is allowed to offer repentance is not deprived of its acceptance; whoever is allowed to seek forgiveness is not deprived of forgiveness, and whoever is allowed to be grateful is not deprived of furtherance of favors.”

“For the God-fearing, prayers is a means of seeking nearness to Allah, and for the weak, the hajj is as good as jihad. For everything there is a tax, and the tax of the body is fasting. The jihad of a woman is to afford pleasant company to her husband.”

“Seek livelihood by giving alms.”

“Whoever is sure of a good return is generous in giving.”

“Assistance is allowed according to need.”

“Whoever is moderate does not become destitute.”

“A small family is one of the ways of (securing) ease.”

“Loving one another is half the measure of wisdom.”

“Grief is half the old age.”

“Endurance comes according to affliction. Whoever beats his hand on the thigh in his affliction ruins all his good actions.”

“There are many who fast but whose fast is nothing more than hunger and thirst. There are many who offer of prayers and whose prayer is no better than wakefulness and hardship: the sleep as well as the eating and drinking of the intelligent (God-fearing) person is far better.”

“Protect your belief by charity; guard your wealth by paying Allah's share thereof, and ward off the waves of calamity by praying.”

“Man is hidden under his tongue.252 You cannot know his worth and value.”

“Whoever does not know his own worth is ruined.”

“Do not be like him who hopes for (bliss in) the next life without action and delays repentance by prolonging his desires, who utters words like ascetics in this world but whose deeds are like those who are eager for it.”

“Every human being has to meet the end, sweet or sour.”

“Every comer has to return, and after returning, it is as though he never existed.”

“The one who endures does not miss success although it may take a long time.”

“Whoever agrees with the action of a group of persons is as though he joins them in that action. And everyone who joins in wrong commits two sins: one sin for committing the wrong and the other for agreeing with it.”

“Adhere to your covenants and entrust their fulfillment to steadfast persons.”

“On you lies (the obligation of) obedience to the person about whom you cannot plead the excuse of ignorance.253But it will ever remain on the oppressor.”

“Your minds are opened when you see, and you are guided when you receive guidance, and you are made to hear when you do hear.”

“Remonstrate with your brother by being kind to him, and respond to his evil by being generous to him.”

“If one places himself where he may be charged, let him not blame those who may think ill of him.”

“One who possesses prefers himself over others.”

“One who follows only his view perishes, and one who consults with others shares their wisdom”

“One who hides his secret holds his own option,.”

“Poverty is the greatest death.”

“If one is fair to another who is not fair to him, it is as though he worships him.”

“No creature should be obeyed so long as such obedience means disobedience of the Creator.”

“No blame should be placed on one in delaying taking what belongs to him; blame should be on one who takes what does not belong to him.”

“Conceit stops one from seeking perfection.”

“Morning surely shines for those who have vision.”

“Abandoning a sin is easier than seeking help.”

“How often one meal blocks many!”

“People are enemies of what they do not know.”

“One who sharpens his weapon seeking revenge against those who incur the Wrath of Allah will be strong enough to kill those who are strong in committing falsehood.”

“If you fear doing something, then do it because your fear is greater than the deed itself.”

“The mechanism whereby one earns mastership is forbearance.”

“Remove evil from the chest of others by eradicating it from your own.”

“Fanatically insisting on disagreeing poisons one's view.”

“Greed is perpetual bondage.”

“The fruit of carelessness is regret, whereas the fruit of determination is safety.”

“Preferring silence over articulating wisdom produces nothing good; likewise is to speak out of ignorance.”

“No two cases vary from each other except that one of them is falsehood.”

“Never have I ever doubted the truth whenever it was shown to me.”

“Never have I told a lie, nor was I ever called a liar. Never did I ever stray, nor could any use me to cause others to stray.”

“The oppressor who starts the oppression will tomorrow bite his hand (in regret).”

“Departure (from this world) is nigh.”

“One who is not saved by patience will be finished by impatience.”

“How strange! Should caliphate be obtained through friends and relatives?!”

“One in this life is a target of death, a loot to calamities. With every sip there is hardship, with every morsel there is pain.”

“O son of Adam! Anything you earn beyond your need is stored for others.”

“Hearts have desires, coming or going; so, approach your hearts according to their desires and approaches, for if you force the heart, you will blind it.”

“What shall I satisfy my anger when I am enraged? Is it when I am unable to seek revenge, so it will be said to me: "Why did you not have patience?" Or should I do it when I am able, so it will be said to me: "Why did you not forgive?"!”

“None of your wealth was wasted so long as it provided you with admonishment.”

“These hearts wear out just as bodies wear out; so, seek for them beautiful pieces of wisdom”

“There is no welcome for you here, O faces that are not seen except when a bad deed is committed.”

“With every human being, there are two guardian angels. When fate comes, they make room for him; fate is a secure protection..”

“O people! Fear Allah Who hears you when you speak, Who knows what you hide in your breasts, and be more swift than death which catches up with you when you flee, which take you when you stay, and which remembers you when you forget about it.”

“Do not be discouraged by ingrates from doing good deeds, for you may be thanked by those who do not benefit from your good deed and who still are grateful to you for it. You may obtain gratitude from a grateful person much more than what someone who hides it has wasted, "... and Allah loves the doers of righteousness."”

“The first compensation for a clement person for his clemency is that people are his supporters against the ignorant ones.”

“If you are not clement, then put on the garb of clemency, for many are those who imitate others and who become almost just like them.”

“One who holds himself to account succeeds. When who overlooks it loses. One who is cautious earns security. One who receives admonishment expands his vision. One who expands his vision gains understanding, and who gains understanding earns knowledge.”

“The life of this world shall be kind to us after being cruel to us just as a she-camel that rejects those who milk it but turns with affection to its newborn. Having said so, the Imam (x) recited the following verse: "And We wished to be gracious to those who were being oppressed in the land, to make them leaders (in faith) and to make them heirs" (Quran, 28:5).”

“Fear Allah like one who is willing to risk everything [just to please Allah], who urges himself to walk towards Allah, who starts in awe, who looks into the outcomes of matters, into the penalty of anything forbidden, who is apprehensive of the final end.”

“Generosity is the guard of honors. Clemency is ship's restrainer. Forgiveness is the zakat of victory. Solace is your compensation for one who betrayed you.”

“One's self-conceit is one of the envies of his own mind.”

“Overlook imperfections and pains and you will always be pleased.”

“One whose stem is lean, his leaves will be thick. (That is, one who is kind to others will grow in health.)”

“Disputes destroy views.”

“One who wins becomes greater.”

“In the alterations of conditions lies the knowledge of the gems of men.”

“Envying a friend is a sign of fault in one's friendship.”

“Most places where minds are conquered fall under the glitter of high hopes.”

“It is not fair to put an end to trust by entertaining doubt.”

“How miserable the ration of a servant of Allah to the Hereafter is if he oppresses Allah's servants!”

“The very best of a generous man's acts of generosity is that he is mindless of what he knows (of people's faults).”

“One who is attired with the outfit of modesty, people never see his fault.”

“Through abundance of silence does one earn respect. Through fairness does one win lovers. Through acts of favors does one's value get greater. Through humility”

“How strange it is that the envious ones overlook the soundness of their own bodies!”

“A covetous person is tied with the ropes of humiliation.”

“Iman is a knowledge with the heart, an admission with the tongue, and an action according to the [Islamic] injunctions.”

“If one becomes sad about this world, he becomes angry with what Allah decrees. One who complains about a calamity that befell him, he complains against his Lord.”

“Satisfaction suffices for wealth and good manners for a bliss. He (x) was asked about the meaning of this verse: "... We shall let him lead a good life." He (x) said, "It (good life) is satisfaction."”

“Be partners of one to whom sustenance go for this is the best means for acquiring wealth and the most worthy of earning a good luck.”

“Justice means equity, while kindness is doing others favors.”

“If one gives with the short hand, he will be given with the long one.”

“Do not invite anyone to a duel, but if you are called upon to duel, respond, because one who calls to a duel is an oppressor, and the oppressor is always defeated.”

“The best of women's attributes are the men's worst: self-conceit, cowardice and miserliness. So if a woman is self-conceited, she will not let one approach her (in bed). If she is miser, she safeguards her wealth and that of her husband. And if she is a coward, she is scared of anything displayed before her.”

“He is the one who puts everything in its right place. He (x) was then asked to describe the ignorant person, so he said, "I have just done so!"”

“By Allah! Your world is cheaper in my eyes than the intestines of a pig in the hands of leper.”

“Some people worship Allah out of their desire (to worship Him). Such is the worship of traders. Some people worship Allah out of fear of Him; such is the worship of slaves. And some people worship Allah to thank Him; such is the worship of the free.”

“Woman is evil, and the worst of her evil is that we cannot do without her!”

“One who obeys postponements loses track of rights. One who obeys a taleteller loses friends.”

“A rock taken by force in the building of a house is a pawn for its destruction.”

“The oppressed one's day (of judgment) is to the oppressor much more hard than the day of the oppressor against the oppressed.”

“If many answers crowd together, the truth is hidden.”

“Fear Allah to some degree (even) though it may be little, and set a curtain between you and Allah (even) though it may be thin.”

“When replies are numerous, the correct point remains obscure.”

“Surely in every blessing there is a right of Allah. If one carries out that right, Allah increases the blessing, and if one falls short of doing so, one stands in danger of losing the blessing.”

“When capability increases, desire decreases.”

“Keep on guard against the slipping away of blessings because not everything that runs away comes back.”

“Generosity is more prompting to good than regard for kinship.”

“If a person has a good idea about you, make his idea come true.”

“The best deed is that which you have to force yourself to do.”

“I came to know Allah, the Glorified One, through breaking determinations, a change of intentions and the loss of courage.”

“The sourness of this world is the sweetness of the next while the sweetness of this world is the sourness of the next.”

“Allah has laid down iman (conviction) for purification from polytheism; salat (prayer) for purification from vanity; zakat as a means of livelihood; siyam (fasting) as a trial of the people; hajj for the honor of Islam; persuasion for good (al-amr bil-ma`ruf) for the good of the common people; dissuasion from evil (an-nahy `anil-munkar) for controlling the mischievous; regard for kinship for incre…”

“Anger is a kind of madness because the victim to it repents afterwards. If he does not repent his madness is confirmed.”

“Health of body comes from paucity of envy.”

“O Kumayl! Direct your people to go out in the day to achieve noble traits and to go out in the night to meet the needs of those who might be sleeping, for I swear by the One Whose hearing extends to all voices, if someone pleases another's heart, Allah will create a special thing out of this pleasing so that whenever any hardship befalls him, it will come running like flowing water and drive away…”

“When you fall in destitution, trade with Allah through charity.”

“Faithfulness with faithless people is faithlessness with Allah, while faithlessness with faithless people is faithfulness with Allah.”

“There is many a man being gradually brought towards punishment by good treatment with him; many a man who remains in deceit because his evils are covered, and many a”

“One who holds authority is like one who rides a lion; he is envied for his status but he well knows it.”

“Do good with the bereaved ones of others so that good is done to your bereaved ones, too.”

“When the utterance of the wise is to the point, it serves as a cure, but if it is wrong, it acts like an illness.”

“O son of Adam! Do not inflict the worry of the day that has not yet come on the day which has already come because if that day is in your life, Allah will also bestow its livelihood.”

“Have love for your friend up to a limit, for it is possible that he may turn into your enemy some day. And hate your enemy up to a limit, for it is possible that he may turn into your friend some day.”

“There are two kinds of workers in the world. One is a person who works in this world for this world and his work for this world keeps him unmindful of the next.”

“If my steps acquire firmness out of these slippery places, I will alter several things.”

“Know with full conviction that Allah has not fixed for any person more livelihood than what has been ordained in the Book of Destiny, even though his means (of seeking it) may be great, his craving for it intense and his efforts for it acute.”

“Do not turn your knowledge into ignorance or your conviction into doubt. When you gain knowledge act (upon it), and when you acquire conviction, proceed (on its basis).”

“Greed takes a person to the watering place but brings him back without letting him drink. It undertakes responsibility but does not fulfil it. Often, the drinker gets choked before he quenches his thirst. The greater the worth of a thing yearned for, the greater is the grief for its loss. Desires blind the eyes of understanding. The destined share will reach him who does not approach it.”

“O Allah! I seek Your protection from this: that I may appear to be good in the eyes of the people while my inward self may be sinful before You, and that I may guard myself (from sinning) only for show before the people although”

“I swear by the One Who let us pass the dark night after which there was a bright day that such and such266 did not happen.”

“A small action which is continued with regularity is more beneficial than a long one performed with grudge.”

“When optional issues stand in the way of obligatory ones, abandon them.”

“Whoever keeps in view the distance of the journey remains prepared.”

“Perception by the eyes is not real observation because the eyes sometimes deceive people; but wisdom does not deceive whomsoever it counsels.”

“Between you and preaching there is a curtain of deception.”

“The ignorant among you get too much while the learned are just put off.”

“Knowledge dispels the excuse of those who advance excuses.”

“Anyone whom death overtakes early seeks time while the death of anyone who is deferred puts forth excuses for the postponement (of doing good deeds).”

“For every thing to which people say "how good!" there is an evil hidden in this world.”

“It is a dark path; do not tread upon it. It is a deep ocean; do not dive in it. And it is the secret of Allah; do not take trouble about (knowing) it.”

“When Allah intends to humiliate a person, He denies him knowledge.”

“In the past, I had a brother- in-faith267, and he was prestigious in my view because the world was humble in his eyes, the needs of the stomach did not have a sway over him.”

“Even if Allah had not warned of chastisement on those who are disobedient to Him, it will be”

“O Ash`ath! If you grieve over your son, certainly it is the consequence of the blood relationship; but if you endure, then Allah provides recompense for every affliction.”

“Certainly endurance is good except about you. Fretting is bad except over you. And the affliction about you is great while every other affliction before or after it is small.”

“Do not associate with a fool because he will beautify his actions before you and wish that you, too, be like him.”

“A day's trip for the sun.”

“Your friends are three and your enemies are (also) three. Your friends are: your friend, your friend's friend and your enemy's enemy. And your enemies are: your enemy, your friend's enemy and your enemy's friend.”

“How many are the objectives of lessons, but how few are those who take lessons!”

“Whoever goes too far in quarreling is a sinner, but if one falls short in it, one is oppressed, and it is difficult for a quarreling person to fear Allah.”

“I am not worried about a fault after which I get time to offer prayers in two units (rek`as) and beg safety from the wrath of Allah.”

“"How will Allah conduct the accounting of all persons despite their large number?" He replied: "Just as He provides them livelihood despite their large number." Then it was said to Him: "How will He conduct their accounting without their seeing Him?" He replied: "Just as He provides them with livelihood although they do not see Him."”

“Your messenger is the interpreter of your intelligence while your letter is more eloquent in expressing your true self.”

“People are the progeny of the world and none can be blamed for loving the mother.”

“The destitute person is a messenger of Allah. Whoever denies him denies Allah, and whoever gives him gives Allah.”

“A self-respecting man never commits adultery.”

“The fixed limit of life is enough to remain watchful.”

“A man can sleep over the death of his child but cannot sleep over the loss of his property.”

“Mutual affection between fathers creates a relationship between the sons. Relationship is more in need of affection than affection is for a relationship.”

“Be afraid of the thoughts of believers because Allah, the most Exalted One, has placed the truth on their tongues.”

“The belief of a person cannot be regarded as true unless his trust in what is with Allah is more than his trust in what he himself has.”

“Sometimes the hearts advance [towards their Creator] and sometimes they retreat. When they advance, get them to perform the optional [acts of worship] (as well). But when they retreat, keep them confined to only what is obligatory.”

“The Quran contains news about the past, foretelling about the future and commandments for the present.”

“Throw a stone in return from where one comes to you because evil can be met only with evil.”

“Put cotton flake in the ink pot, keep the nib of your pen long, leave some space between the lines and close up the letters because this is good for the beauty of the writing.”

“I am the ya`s�b (leader) of the believers, while wealth is the leader of the wicked.”

“"With what did you overpower your adversaries?" He answered:”

“"O my son! I fear lest destitution overtakes you. So, you should seek Allah's protection from it because destitution is [an indication of] a deficiency in religious beliefs, perplexity of intelligence, and it is conducive to hatred of obstinate people."”

“Beware of disobeying Allah in solitude because the Witness (of that situation) is also the Judge.”

“The age up to which Allah accepts any excuse for a human being is sixty years.”

“One whose sin overpowers him is never victorious, and whoever secures victory by evil means is (in fact) vanquished.”

“Allah, the Glorified One, has fixed the livelihood of the destitute in the wealth of the rich. Consequently, whenever a destitute remains hungry, it is because some rich person has denied (him his share). Allah, the Sublime, will question them [the rich] about it.”

“Not to be in need of putting forth an excuse is better than putting forth a true excuse.”

“The least right of Allah on you is that you should not make use of His favors in committing His sins.”

“When the disabled fall short in performing acts of obedience to Allah, the Glorified One, it is a good opportunity given by Allah for the intelligent to perform such acts.”

“The sovereign is the watchman of Allah on earth.”

“If a man happens to see the end of (his) life and his final fate, he will begin hating desires and their deception.”

“There are two shares in the property of every person: heirs and accidents.”

“The person who is approached with a request is free till he makes a promise.”

“Knowledge is of two kinds: that which is absorbed and that which is just heard. The one that is heard does not give benefit unless it is absorbed.”

“Correctness of decisions goes together with power. One emerges with the other's emergence and disappears when the other disappears.”

“The beauty of destitution is chastity and the beauty of riches is gratitude.”

“The day of justice will be more severe on the oppressor than the day of oppression on the oppressed.”

“The biggest wealth is that one should not have an eye on what others possess.”

“Utterances are preserved and actions are to be tired. "Every soul, for what it earned, is pawned" (Quran, 74: 38). People are to be made deficient (as regarding their bodies) and meddled with (as regarding their minds) except those whom Allah protects.”

“O folks! Fear Allah, for there is many a man who aspires for what he does not get, many a builder of a house who does not live to occupy it, and many a collector of that”

“Lack of access to sins is also a kind of chastity.”

“The dignity of your face is solid, but begging dissolves it; therefore, look carefully before whom you dissolve it.”

“To praise more than what is due is sycophancy; to do it less is either because of inability to speak or of envy.”

“One who sees his own shortcomings abstains from looking into other's shortcomings. Whoever feels happy with the livelihood with which Allah provides him does not grieve over what he misses. Whoever draws out the sword of rebellion gets killed by it. Whoever strives without means perishes. Whoever enters the depths gets drowned. Whoever visits places of ill-repute receives blame.”

“The oppressor among the people has three signs: He oppresses his superior by disobeying him, and his junior by imposing his authority and he tops other oppressors.”

“At the extremity of hardship comes relief, and at the tightening of the chains of tribulation comes ease.”

“Do not devote much of your activity to your wife and children because if your wife and children are lovers of Allah, then He will not leave His lovers without caring for them. And if they are enemies of Allah, then why should you worry and keep yourself busy about the enemies of Allah?”

“The greatest defect is when you are concerned about the defect (in others) which is already present in yourself.”

“O people! Let Allah see you fearing at the time of happiness just as you fear Him at the time of distress. Certainly, whoever is given ease (of life) and does not consider it as a means of slow approach to tribulation (wrongly) considers himself as safe against what is to be feared while whoever is afflicted with straitened circumstances but does not perceive them to be a trial loses to a coveted reward.”

“O slaves of desires! Cut them short because whoever leans on the world gets nothing out of it except the pain of hardships. O people! Take upon yourselves to train your own souls and turn away from the dictates of your natural inclinations.”

“Do not regard an expression uttered by any person as evil if you can find it capable of bearing some good.”

“If you have a need from Allah, the Glorified One, then begin by seeking Allah's blessing on His Messenger, may Allah bless him and his descendants, then ask your need, because Allah is too generous to accept one (seeking His blessing on His Messenger) of the two requests made to Him while denying the other.”

“Whoever is jealous of his esteem should keep from quarreling.”

“To make haste before the proper time or to delay after a proper opportunity, in either case there is folly.”

“Do not ask about things which may not happen because you have enough to worry about with what already happens.”

“Imagination is a clear mirror, and the taking of lessons (from things around you) provides warning and counsel. It is enough for improving yourself that you should avoid what you consider as bad in others.”

“Knowledge is associated with action. Therefore, whoever knows should act [upon it] because knowledge calls for action. If there is a response, well and good; otherwise, it (i.e. knowledge) departs from him.”

“O people! The wealth of this world is broken into sorts that may bring an epidemic; therefore, keep off this grazing land.”

“Allah, the Glorified One, has laid down rewards for obedience to Him and punishment for committing sins against Him in order to save men from His chastisement and to drive them towards Paradise.”

“A time will come when nothing will remain of the Qur'an except its writing and nothing of Islam except its name. The mosques in such days will be busy with regard to construction but desolate with regard to guidance.”

“There is no distinction higher than Islam, no honor more honorable than fear of Allah, no asylum better than self-restraint, no intercessor more effective than repentance, no treasure more precious than contentment, and no wealth is a bigger”

“O Jabir! The mainstay of religion and the world are four persons: The scholar who acts upon his knowledge, the ignorant person who does not feel ashamed of learning, the generous person who is not niggardly in his favors, and the destitute who does not sell his next life for his worldly benefits.”

“Certainly, right is weighty and wholesome while wrong is light and epidemic.”

“Do not feel safe from the punishment of Allah even about the best man in the whole community because Allah, the Sublime, says: "But none feels secure from the plan of Allah save the people (who are the) losers" (Quran, 7: 99). Again, do not lose hope even for the worst man of the community because Allah, the Sublime One, says: "Verily, none despair from Allah's mercy save the disbelieving people" (Quran, 12: 87).”

“Miserliness contains all other evil vices and is the rein with which one can be led to every evil.”

“O son of Adam! Livelihood is of two kinds: The livelihood which you seek and the livelihood which seeks you; if you do not reach it, it will reach you. Therefore, do not turn your one day's worry into a year's worry. Whatever you get every day should be enough for you for the day. If you”

“Many a man faces a day after which he finds no day, and many a man is in an enviable status in the earlier part of the night but is mourned by wailing women in its later part.”

“Words are in your control till you have not uttered them. But when you have spoken them, you are under their control. Therefore, guard your tongue as you guard your gold and silver, for often one expression snatches away a blessing and invites a penalty.”

“Do not say what you do not know; rather, do not say all that you know because Allah has laid down some obligations for all your limbs by means of which He will put forth arguments against you on the Day of Judgement.”

“Fear lest Allah should see you committing His sins or misses you when it is time to obey Him and, as a result, you will become a loser. Therefore, when you are strong, be strong in obeying Allah, and when you are weak, be weak in committing sins against Allah.”

“Leaning towards this world despite what you see of it is a folly, and lagging behind in doing good deeds when you are convinced of good reward for them is an obvious loss, while trusting in everyone before trying is a weakness.”

“It is (the proof of the) humbleness of the world before Allah that He is disobeyed only herein and His favors cannot be achieved except by renouncing it.”

“One who is in search of something will obtain it, at least some of it.”

“That good is no good after which there is the Fire, and that hardship is no hardship after which there is Paradise. Every bliss other than Paradise is minor, and every calamity other than the Fire is comfort.”

“Beware that destitution is a calamity, but worse than destitution is ailment of the body, while worse than bodily ailment is the disease of the heart. Beware that plenty of wealth is a blessing, but better than plenty of wealth is the health of the body, while still better than the health of the body is the purity of the heart.”

“"Anyone whose his action keeps him behind, his lineage cannot push him forward." In another version, it is expressed thus: "Whoever misses his own personal attainments cannot gain any benefit from his forefathers' attainments."”

“The believer's time has three periods: The period when he is in communion with Allah, the period when he manages for his livelihood, and the period when he is free to enjoy what is lawful and pleasant. It does not behoove a wise person to be away (from his house) save for three matters, namely: for the purposes of learning, or going for something for the next life, or for enjoying what is not prohibited.”

“Abstain from the world so that Allah may show you its real evils, and do not be neglectful because (in any case) you will not be neglected.”

“Speak so that you may be known, since man is hidden under his tongue.”

“Take of the favors of the world whatever comes to you and keep away from what keeps away from you. If you cannot do so, be moderate in your pursuits.”

“Many an expression is more effective than an onslaught.”

“Every small thing that is contented upon suffices.”

“Let it be death but not humiliation. Let it be little but not through others. Whoever does not get while sitting will not get by standing either. The world has two days: one for you and the other against you. When the day is for you, do not feel proud, but when it is against you, endure it.”

“The best scent is musk, its weight is light while its smell is sweet.”

“Put off boasting, give up self-conceit and remember your grave.”

“The child has a right on the father while the father, too, has a right on the child. The right of the father on the child is that the latter should obey the former in every matter save in committing sins against Allah, the Glorified One, while the right of the child on the father is that the latter should give the first a beautiful name, provide him with good training and teach him the Quran..”

“Evil effect of sight is right, charm is right, sorcery is right, and fa'l (auguring good) is right, while tayrah (auguring evil)282 is not right, and spreading of a disease from one to the other is not right. Scent gives pleasure, honey gives pleasure, riding gives pleasure and looking at greenery gives pleasure.”

“Nearness with people in their manners brings about safety from their evil.”

“Whoever hankers after contraries gets no means of success.”

“It is good for the rich to show humility before the poor to seek rewards from Allah, but better than that is the pride of the poor towards the rich with trust in Allah.”

“Allah does not grant wisdom to a person except that some day He will save him from ruin with its help.”

“Whoever clashes with the truth will be knocked down by it.”

“The heart is the book of the eye.”

“Fear of Allah is the chief trait of the human character.”

“Do not try the sharpness of your tongue against the One Who gave you the power to speak, nor the eloquence of your speech against the One Who set you on the right path.”

“It is enough for your own discipline that you abstain from what you dislike from others.”

“One should endure like free people; otherwise, one should keep quite like the ignorant.”

“It deceives, it harms and it passes away. Allah, the Sublime, did not approve it as a reward for His lovers nor as a punishment for His enemies. In fact, the people of this world are like those riders that as soon as they descended, the driver called out to them and they marched off.”

“O my son! Do not leave anything of this world behind you because you will be leaving it for either of two sorts of persons: a person who uses it in obeying Allah, in this case he will acquire virtue through what was evil for you, or a person who uses it in disobeying Allah and, in that case, he will be reaping evil with what you collected for him.”

“Clemency is (like) kinsfolk.”

“How wretched the son of Adam is! His death is hidden, his ailments are concealed, his actions are preserved, the bite of a mosquito pains him, choking cause his death and sweat gives him a bad smell.”

“Suffices you if your wisdom distinguishes for you the ways of going astray from those of guidance.”

“Do good and do not regard any part of it small because its small is big and its little is much. None of you should say that "Another person is more deserving than me" in doing good. Otherwise, by Allah, it will really be so. There are people of good and evil. When you leave either of the two, others will perform it.”

“Whoever mends his inward self, Allah mends his outward self. Whoever performs acts for the sake of his religion, Allah accomplishes his acts of this world. Anyone whose dealings between himself and Allah are good, Allah turns the dealings between him and other people good, too.”

“Forbearance is a covering curtain, and wisdom is a sharp sword. Therefore, conceal the weaknesses in your conduct with forbearance and kill your desires with your wisdom.”

“There are some creatures of Allah whom Allah particularly chooses for His favors so that they may be of benefit to other people. Therefore, He keeps such favors in their hands so long as they give them out to others. But when they deny them to others, He takes away the favors from them and gives them to others.”

“It does not behoove a man to have trust in two things: health and riches, because there is many a man whom you see healthy but he soon falls and many a man whom you see rich but soon turns destitute.”

“Whoever complains about a need to a believer, it is as though he has complained about it to Allah. But whoever complains about it to an unbeliever, it is as though he complained about Allah.”

“It is an `Id for anyone whose fast is accepted by Allah and for whose prayers He is grateful, and (in fact) every day wherein no sin against Allah is committed is an `Id.”

“On the Day of Judgement, the greatest regret will be felt by the man who earned wealth through sinful ways, although it is inherited by a person who spends it in obeying Allah, the Glorified One, and he will be awarded Paradise on that account while the first one will be dragged into the Fire on its account.”

“The worst in bargaining and the most unsuccessful in striving is a man who exerts himself in seeking riches although fate does not help him in his aims and, consequently, he goes from this world in a sorrowful state while in the next world, too, he will face its ill consequences.”

“Livelihood is of two kinds: the seeker and the sought. Therefore, whoever hankers after this world, death traces him till it turns him out of it. But whoever hankers after the next world, worldly ease itself seeks him till he receives his livelihood from it.”

“The lovers of Allah are those who look at the inward side of the world, while the other people look at its outward side. They occupy themselves with its most remote benefits while the other people occupy themselves with the immediate benefits.”

“Remember that pleasures will pass away while the consequences will stay.”

“Try (a man) and you will hate him!”

“It is not that Allah, to Whom belongs Might and Majesty, may keep the door of gratitude open for a person and close the door of plenty upon him, or to open the door of prayer to a person and close the door of acceptance upon him, or to open the door of repentance on a person and close the door of forgiveness upon him.”

“The most appropriate person for an honorable status is whoever descends from the people of honor.”

“"Which of the two is better: justice or generosity?" Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (x) replied: "Justice puts things in their places while generosity takes them out from their directions. Justice is the general caretaker, while generosity is a particular benefit. Consequently, justice is superior and more distinguished of the two."”

“People are enemies of what they do not know.”

“The whole of asceticism is confined between two expressions of the Quran: Allah, the Glorified One, says: "... lest you should distress yourselves because of what you miss and”

“What a breaker is sleep for the resolutions of the day!”

“Governing power is the proving ground for people.”

“No town has a greater right on you than the other. The best town for you is that which bears you.”

“A little that lasts is better than much that brings grief.”

“If a man possesses a revealing quality, wait and see his other qualities.”

“Whoever trades without knowing the rules of religious law will be involved in usury.”

“Whoever regards small distresses as big, Allah involves him in big ones.”

“Whoever maintains his own respect in view, his desires appear light to him.”

“Whenever a man cuts a joke, he separates himself away a bit from his wit.”

“Your turning away from the one who inclines towards you is a loss of your share of advantage, while your inclining towards one who turns away from you is self- humiliation.”

“Riches and destitution will follow presentation before Allah.”

“Al-Zubayr remained a man from our house till his wretched son `Abdullah came forth.”

“What has a man to do with vanity? His origin is semen, his end is a carcass, while he cannot feed”

“"Any group of them that did not proceed on the same lines in such a way that we can know the height of their glory, but if it has to be done, then it is `al-Malik ad-Dillil'".”

“Is there no free man who can leave this chewed morsel (of the world) to those who like it? Certainly, the only price for your souls is Paradise. Therefore, do not sell your soul except for Paradise.”

“Two greedy persons never get satisfied: the seeker of knowledge and the seeker of this world.”

“Belief means that you should prefer truth (even) when it harms you rather than falsehood (even) when it benefits you, that your words should not be more than your action and that you should fear Allah when speaking about others.”

“Destiny holds sway over (our) predetermination till effort itself brings about ruin.”

“Forbearance and endurance are twins and they are the product of high courage.”

“Backbiting is the tool of the helpless.”

“Many a man gets into mischief because of being spoken well of.”

“This world has been created for other than itself and has not been created for itself.”

“Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads) have a fixed period (mirwad) wherein they are having their way. But when differences arise among them, even if the hyena attacks them, it will overpower them.”

“The eye is the strap of the rear.”

“A ruler came to power over them. He remained upright and made them upright till the entire religion put its bosom on the ground.”

“A severe time will come to people wherein the rich will seize their possessions with their teeth (by way of miserliness) although they have not been commanded to do so.”

“Two types of persons will fall into ruin on my account: One who loves me and exaggerates, and the other who lays on me false and baseless blames.”

“Unity means that you do not subject Him to the limitations of your imagination, while justice”

“There is no good in silence about matters involving wisdom just as there is no good in speaking with ignorance.”

“"O Lord! Send us rain by submissive clouds, not by unruly ones."”

“The fighter in the way of Allah who gets martyred will not get a greater reward than whoever remains chaste despite means. It is possible that a chaste person may become one of the angels.”

“Contentment is a wealth that is not exhausted.”

“The worst sin is that which the one who commits it takes it lightly.”

“Allah has not made it obligatory on the ignorant to learn till He has made it obligatory on the learned to teach.”

“The worst comrade is he for whom formality has to be observed.”

“"If a believer enrages (ihtashama) his brother, it means that he will leave him."”