Hadith

Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib [a]

1968 sayings · page 29 of 50

1. Amir al-Mu'minin Im?m 'Al? ibn Ab? T?lib (a.s.) in his will to his son, al-Hasan (AS), 'Verily the heart of a young person is like the untilled earth, which accepts whatever is placed therein. I, therefore, urge you to hasten to self-discipline before your heart hardens, and your mind becomes preoccupied.'

   Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 384 · permalink

2. Habituate yourself to performing noble actions and to bear the burdensome consequences [of your actions], and your soul will be elevated as a result, your Hereafter will flourish, and your admirers will increase.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6232; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 384 · permalink

3. Virtue is overcoming one's habit.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 357; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

4. The best of worship is to overcome one's habit.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2873; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

5. [Only] Through overcoming one's habits are the highest of stations attained.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4300; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

6. Change your habits and your acts of obedience will become easier for you.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6405; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

7. Subjugate your souls to abandon their habits, drive them to perform acts of obedience, make them bear the burdensome consequences of their actions, adorn them with the performance of noble acts, and protect them against the pollution of sins.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5199; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

8. The most difficult of things to manage is the removal of habits.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2969; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

9. Everything is achievable, except the removal of an ingrained habit.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6906; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 385 · permalink

10. O people, take upon yourselves your own training, and turn away from the voracious dictates of your habits.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 359; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 386 · permalink

11. Amir al-Mu'minin Im?m 'Al? ibn Ab? T?lib (a.s.) wrote in one of his letters to al-Ashtar, when he appointed him governor of Egypt, 'Do not discontinue a good practice that the pioneers of this community acted upon, by virtue of which there was general unity and through which the subjects prospered. Do not innovate a practice that will infringe on these earlier practices in any way, for the reward of those who had laid them down will continue, whereas you will be the one to bear the burden for discontinuing them.'

    Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 387 · permalink

12. I exhort you, by Allah, by Allah, to take care of the House of your Lord! Do not leave it empty for as long as you live, for if it is deserted you will be given no respite.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 47; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 387 · permalink

13. The pilgrimage is the jihad of every weak person.

    al-Khisal, p. 620, no. 10; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 387 · permalink

14. Spending one dirham in charity during the pilgrimage equals one thousand dirhams.

    al-Khisal, p. 628, no. 10; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 387 · permalink

15. Those who go to Makkah for obligatory and voluntary pilgrimage (Hajj and `umra) are the envoys of Allah, and His gift to them is forgiveness.

    al-Khisal, p. 630, no. 10; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 388 · permalink

16. Chiefdom is achieved through tolerating hardships.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 224; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 184 · permalink

17. Whoever performs his prayer with full knowledge of the right due to it is forgiven

    al-Khisal, p. 628, no. 10; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 715 · permalink

18. If the praying one knew about the Sublimity of Allah covering him, he would never wish to raise his head up from prostration

    al-Khisal, no. 632; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 716 · permalink

19. The resentful person knows no friendship.'

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 10436; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 791 · permalink

20. Hoarding is a vice.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 112; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 405 · permalink

21. Hoarding is the mount of hardship.

    al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 19, no. 4; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 405 · permalink

22. One of the characteristics of the idiots is exhausting themselves by hoarding.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9349; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 405 · permalink

23. Amir al-Mu'minin Im?m 'Al? ibn Ab? T?lib (a.s.) said in a letter he wrote to al-Ashtar when he appointed him governor of Egypt, 'Know - along with this - that most of the merchants and traders are very narrow-minded, and awfully avaricious. They hoard goods for profiteering and fix high prices for goods. This is a source of harm to the people, and a source of shame for the governors in charge. So stop people from hoarding, because verily the Messenger of Allah (SAWA) has prohibited it.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 405 · permalink

24. There is no good in any act of hoarding that brings loss to the people and inflates the prices for them.

    Mustadrak al-Wasa`il, v. 13, p. 274, no. 15337; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 405 · permalink

25. One who aids you in your obedience [to Allah] is the best of companions

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1142; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 347 · permalink

26. Amir al-Mu'minin Im?m 'Al? ibn Ab? T?lib (a.s.) said about the verse: "It is We who have dispensed among them their livelihood", 'Allah, the Exalted, told us that employment is one of the means of people's livelihood. He, in His wisdom, diversified their energies, will, and conditions. Thus, He made man's employment of one another one of the means of people's livelihood If every one of us was forced to build for himself, make his own furniture, and produce everything himself the world's conditions would not be bearable and people would not be able to endure them, and would find them impossible. But He ensured its management by diversifying their energies so that everyone performs for others that which is compatible with his own capacity, in order for some of them to be served by others and for their conditions to be sound.'

    Wasael al-Shi`aah, v. 13, p. 244, no. 3; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 259 · permalink

27. The Prophet (SAWA) forbade using the services of a worker before he is informed of his wages.

    al-Faqih, v. 4, p. 10, no. 4968; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 261 · permalink

28. The basis of Islamic law is the enjoinment of good and the prohibition of wrong.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6817; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 263 · permalink

29. All acts of righteousness and striving in the way of Allah are as mere spittle in the deep sea compared to enjoining good and prohibiting wrong.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 374; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 263 · permalink

30. Enjoinment of good is the best of all acts performed by creation.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1977; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 263 · permalink

31. Know that enjoinment of good and prohibition of wrong never reach an end, and never cut off sustenance.

    al-Kafi, v. 5, p. 57, no. 6; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 263 · permalink

32. Never abandon the enjoinment of good and the prohibition of wrong lest the evil ones amongst you gain mastery over you whereafter you will supplicate [Allah] but you will not be answered.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 47; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 264 · permalink

33. The one who contents himself with the wrong action of a group of people is as one who plunges into it with them, and every person who plunges into wrongdoing is guilty of two sins: the sin of having committed the wrong and the sin of being content with it.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 254; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 264 · permalink

34. The smile is the trap of amity.

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 69, p. 409, no. 120; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 183 · permalink

35. Cheerfulness is the trait of the free.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 656; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 183 · permalink

36. The cause of love is cheerfulness.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5546; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 183 · permalink

37. The cheerfulness of the believer is on his face, his strength is in his religion, and his sorrow lies in his heart.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3454; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 183 · permalink

38. Your cheerfulness shows the generosity of your soul.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4453; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 183 · permalink

39. When you meet your brothers, shake hands with them and show them cheerfulness and joy; thus when you part company all your sins will have gone

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 76, p. 20, no. 3; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 183 · permalink

40. The best thing with which people can win the hearts of their loved ones and remove the animosity from the hearts of their enemies is cheerfulness upon meeting, asking about them in their absence, and smiling at them in their presence.

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 57, no. 124; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 184 · permalink

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