Hadith

Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib [a]

1968 sayings · page 38 of 50

1. The one you need to safeguard yourself against is not your brother.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7503; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 154 · permalink

2. Do not take for brother a man who hides your virtues and exposes your lapses.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1042; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 155 · permalink

3. Choose the new of everything, but the oldest one from among brothers.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2461; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 156 · permalink

4. Your true brother is the one who forgives your lapse, fulfils your need, accepts your excuse, hides your vices, removes your fear, and lives up to your expectation.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3645; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 156 · permalink

5. Your brother is the one who does not abandon you in difficulty, does not forget you at the time of trouble, and does not cheat you when you seek his advice.

   Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 269, no. 1; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 156 · permalink

6. A man who shuns his brothers for every lapse has few friends.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8166; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 156 · permalink

7. Tolerate the lapse of your friend for the time of your enemy's attack.

   Bihar al-Anwar, v. 74, p. 166, no. 29; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 157 · permalink

8. Tolerance is the splendor of companions.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 752; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 157 · permalink

9. A man who does not endure the lapses of a friend will die in loneliness.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9079; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 157 · permalink

10. The best of brothers is the one with the least hesitance in offering [harsh] advice.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4978; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 158 · permalink

11. The best of your brothers is the one who stands by you, and better than him is he who suffices himself with you, and even when he is in need of you, he spares you.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4988; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 158 · permalink

12. The best brother is the one whose amity is for the sake of Allah.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5017; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 158 · permalink

13. The best of your brothers is the one who rushes to do good and draws you alongside him, and orders you to do good and helps you with it.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5021; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 158 · permalink

14. There is no Honor higher than piety.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 371; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 409 · permalink

15. My God, it is Honor enough for me that I am Your servant, and it is a source of pride for me that You are my Lord.

    al-Khisal, p. 420, no. 14; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 409 · permalink

16. Know that verily the one who treats people fairly in spite of himself is only increased by Allah in Honor.

    al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 144, no. 4; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 409 · permalink

17. Be content and you will attain Honor.

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 53, no. 90; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 409 · permalink

18. Every hopeful person continues seeking, and every fearful one runs away.

    Amali al-Mufid, p. 207, no. 38; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 411 · permalink

19. Do not be of those who hope for [bliss in] the life of the Hereafter without action, and delay repentance by having high expectations [of being forgiven], and who utter words like the ascetics with regard to this world, though in practice they behave like those who covet it.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 150; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 411 · permalink

20. Place all your hope in Allah, glory be to Him, and do not hope from anyone else apart from Him, for no sooner does anyone place his hope in anyone other than Allah than he fails.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2511; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 411 · permalink

21. He who has been granted wealth by Allah must use it to maintain relations with his kin and to entertain guests.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 142; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 412 · permalink

22. Imam Ali (AS) was once seen sad and asked the reason for it, so he replied, 'Because it has been seven days since we have had no guests.'

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 41, p. 28, no. 1; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 412 · permalink

23. When Allah loves a servant He inspires him with good acts of devotion.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4066; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 577 · permalink

24. Delaying [one's promise of] giving and reproaching someone for a gift embitters the goodness of the favor.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1595; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 182 · permalink

25. The fruit of [strong] intellect is amicableness with people.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4629; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 102 · permalink

26. The security of this world and the Hereafter lies in amicableness with people.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5610; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 102 · permalink

27. Whoever is amicable towards his enemies is secure from war.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8539; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 102 · permalink

28. Whoever is not improved by the goodness of amicableness will be improved by the evil consequences [of the absence of it].

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8202; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 103 · permalink

29. Amir al-Mu'minin Im?m 'Al? ibn Ab? T?lib (a.s.) when reprimanding his companions said, 'How long should I continue to be amicable with you the way one is amicable with camels with a hollow hump, or to worn clothes which when stitched on one side give way on the other and verily I know what can improve you and how to straighten your crookedness, but I shall not improve your condition by marring myself.'

    Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 69; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 103 · permalink

30. Moving mountains is easier than bringing hostile hearts together.

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 11, no. 70; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 103 · permalink

31. Rage is a type of madness because the one enraged feels regret later on, and if he does not feel regret, then his madness has become ingrained.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 255; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 105 · permalink

32. Remedy your anger with silence, and your carnal desire through your reason.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5155; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 106 · permalink

33. He (SAWA) [i.e. the Prophet] never used to get angry over worldly matters, but when he did get angry for the sake of the truth, he was unrecognisable and nothing could restrain his anger until he had triumphed in his case [for the truth].

    al-Mahajjat al-Baydha, v. 5, p. 303; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 107 · permalink

34. He who displays his ill-feeling towards the immoral people and gets angry for the sake of Allah, Allah will get angry for his sake and will render him well-pleased on the Day of Resurrection.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 31; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 107 · permalink

35. The best of your brothers is the one who is roused to anger for your sake in [standing up for] what's right

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5009; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 158 · permalink

36. The best of brothers is the one who does not let his fellow brothers need anyone other than himself.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4985; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 158 · permalink

37. The Commander of the Faithful (AS) was asked, 'Which is the worst companion?' He replied, 'The one who glamorizes acts of disobedience to Allah to you.'

    Ma`ani al-Akhbar, p. 198, no. 4; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 159 · permalink

38. A man who takes a brother after careful selection is bound to have a lasting companionship and a firm amity, whereas a man who takes a brother without careful testing is bound to resort to the friendship of evil people.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, nos. 8921 and 8923; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 160 · permalink

39. He who advises his brother in private adorns him, and he who advises him publicly makes him look bad.

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 74 p. 166, no. 29; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 160 · permalink

40. Let none of you compel his brother to ask, if you already know about his need.

    Bihar al-Anwar, v. 74 p. 166, no. 29; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 161 · permalink

Shown with the book and page each saying is taken from. The collection carries no grading, and the English is the compiler’s. All speakers and subjects