Hadith

Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib [a]

1968 sayings · page 39 of 50

1. Self-admiration in one's knowledge is sufficient to be considered ignorance.

   Amali al-Tusi, p. 56, no. 78; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 424 · permalink

2. It suffices as ignorance to be unaware of one's status.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7050; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 424 · permalink

3. Do not utter all that you know since that is enough to be considered ignorance.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 10187; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 424 · permalink

4. Good naturedness is found in three things: abstaining from the forbidden, seeking the lawful and providing peace and comfort for your family.

   Bihar al-Anwar, v. 71, p. 394, no. 63; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 170 · permalink

5. Giving greetings comes from beautiful character.'

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3404; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 170 · permalink

6. I urge you towards the most noble traits for verily they are exalted and possess a high rank, and beware of [adopting] vile traits for verily they derogate noble people and destroy the famous and celebrated.

   Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 53, no. 89; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 171 · permalink

7. Among the best means by which those who seek nearness to Allah may have recourse to His nearness, Blessed and most High, are: faith in Him and in His messenger , giving charity secretly for verily it atones for one's misdeeds, and giving charity openly for verily it protects against an undignified death.

   Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 110; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 180 · permalink

8. Whoever is ill-natured, his family is rendered weary of him.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8595; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 173 · permalink

9. Ignorance is the worst affliction.

   Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 820; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 421 · permalink

10. Ignorance is death for the living and perpetuates wretchedness.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1464; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 421 · permalink

11. Ignorance is the ruination of every affair.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 930; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 421 · permalink

12. Ignorance is the root of every evil.'

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 819; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 421 · permalink

13. You will not see an ignorant person except that he is either committing excess in what he does or falling short of what he ought to do.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 70; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 422 · permalink

14. The ignorant is one whose desires have enslaved him.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3864; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 422 · permalink

15. The deeds of the ignorant are doomed and his knowledge is error.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6327; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 422 · permalink

16. Whoever has low tolerance will see his comfort reduce.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9192; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 174 · permalink

17. Whoever is ill-natured, his sustenance will be straitened.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8023; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 174 · permalink

18. If you are reduced to poverty, then trade with Allah through giving in charity.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 258; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 177 · permalink

19. The ignorant is one who considers himself knowledgeable about what he is [in actual fact] ignorant of, and he is content with his own opinion. His attachment to scholars only increases his estrangement [from knowledge] since he is constantly finding fault with them. He deems invalid the views of those who oppose him, and that which he does not understand he sees as fallacious. If he comes across something that he does not know, he denies it and falsifies it saying, 'I have never heard of this!' or 'I do not see it as possible! or 'How can it be!' or 'Where is this from?' This is due to his confidence in his own opinion and the paucity of his awareness of his own ignorance.

    Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 73; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 423 · permalink

20. The most ignorant of people is one who is deluded by the praise of a flatterer who beautifies evil to him and renders a sincere advice detestable.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3262; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 423 · permalink

21. The utter extremity of ignorance is for one to glorify his own ignorance.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6371; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 424 · permalink

22. The greatest form of ignorance is for a person to be ignorant of the condition of his own self.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2936; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 424 · permalink

23. It suffices for one to be considered ignorant if he commits that which is forbidden.

    Masalib al-Sa' ul, no. 55; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 424 · permalink

24. The best aid for supplication is humility.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9945; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 417 · permalink

25. Agression leads its perpetrators to the Hellfire.

    al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 327, no. 4; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 88 · permalink

26. It is a distressful situation that man amasses what he does not eat and builds wherein he does not live, then he goes to Allah, most High, neither carrying the wealth with him, nor shifting the building!

    Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 114; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 416 · permalink

27. One whose heart is humble, his limbs also humble themselves.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8172; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 418 · permalink

28. From idleness comes desire.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9251; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 419 · permalink

29. Know that the world is a place of trial wherein there is no time a person can afford to be idle, for that time will be a source of regret for him on the Day of Resurrection.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 59; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 419 · permalink

30. How deserving man is of having an hour where no one disturbs him!

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9684; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 419 · permalink

31. The best noble moral trait is self-sacrifice

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4953; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 172 · permalink

32. The best noble moral traits are the pardoning by one who has the upper hand and the open-handedness of one who is himself in need.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3165; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 172 · permalink

33. The best moral trait is completing one's favours.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2983; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 172 · permalink

34. Adorn yourself with good nature and Allah will ease your account.

    Amali al-Saduq, p. 395, no. 9; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 172 · permalink

35. The noblest moral virtue is liberality and the most beneficial moral virtue is justice.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3219; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 174 · permalink

36. The most eminent moral traits are humbleness, clemency, and leniency.

    Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3223; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 174 · permalink

37. When a man has a pure and praiseworthy quality then expect him to have other such qualities.

    Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 445; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 174 · permalink

38. Charity acts as a shield against the fire

    Wasael al-Shi`aah, v. 6, p. 258, no. 17; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 175 · permalink

39. A man who allows himself to be imprisoned without sustaining severe wounds should not be ransomed by the treasury, rather his family may choose to pay his ransom from his own money.

    al-Kafi, v. 5, p. 34, no. 3; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 167 · permalink

40. Feeding the prisoner and treating him well is an obligatory duty, even if you are to execute him the next day.

    Wasael al-Shi`aah, v. 11, p. 69, no. 3; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 167 · permalink

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