Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib [a]
1968 sayings · page 45 of 50
Fight in the way of Allah with your hands; and if you are not able to do so then fight with your tongues; and if you are still not able to then fight with your hearts.
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 100, p. 49, no. 23; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 561 · permalink
By Allah! By Allah! Wage jihad with your wealth, your selves and your tongues for the sake of Allah.
Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 47; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 561 · permalink
Jihad has four branches: enjoining the good, forbidding the wrong, fortitude in the battlefield, and detesting the wicked.
al-Khisal, p. 232, no. 74; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 561 · permalink
Know that man gets satiated and wearied with everything except life, because he does not find any comfort in death.
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 133; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 563 · permalink
The worth of a man with regards to his perception of things is his knowledge of [the workings of] time
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 80, no. 66; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 940 · permalink
The man who best understands time is he who is not taken aback by its proceedings.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3252; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 940 · permalink
He who places his trust in time has gone mad
Uyoun Akhbar al-Reza (AS), v. 2, p. 54, no. 204; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 940 · permalink
Whoever trusts time is betrayed by it, and whoever holds it in high esteem is abased by it
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 8028; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 940 · permalink
Whoever trusts time is betrayed by it, whoever attaches great importance to it is abased by it, whoever is angry with time, it spites him even more, and whoever takes refuge with time is forsaken by it. Not everyone who throws hits the target. When the sultan changes so does the time
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 213, no. 1; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 940 · permalink
Time betrays the one who believes he possesses time, and it does not seek to please the one who blames it
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2093; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 941 · permalink
Whoever preoccupies himself with time is occupied by it in turn.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7890; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 941 · permalink
He who blames time will find no end to his frustration.
Uyoun Akhbar al-Reza (AS), v. 2, p. 53, no. 204; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 941 · permalink
Whoever resists time is spited by it even more, and whoever surrenders to it is not safe either
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 9054; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 941 · permalink
Whoever contends with time is thwarted, and whoever is resentful towards it ends up getting angry himself.
Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 85; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 941 · permalink
Your aim must be to understand [the traditions] rather than just narrating [them].
Kanz al-Fawa' id li al-Karajiki, v. 2, p. 31; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 944 · permalink
The ambition of the foolish is to report [traditions] whereas the ambition of the scholars is to understand the traditions
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 2, p. 160, no. 13; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 944 · permalink
No sooner do two differing claims arise than one of them is erroneous
Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 183; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 244 · permalink
People, in their effort to avoid disgrace, rush headlong into it.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2172; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 247 · permalink
He who discloses his shortcomings to others resigns himself to disgrace.
Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 201; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 247 · permalink
Verily you are brothers in the religion of Allah, nothing has separated you except ill natures and bad consciences, consequently you do not bear the burdens of each other, nor do you advise each other, nor spend on each other, nor love each other.
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 113; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 245 · permalink
If the ignorant ones had kept silent, men would not have differed.
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 81, no. 75; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 245 · permalink
Make do with little rather than disgracing yourself [by begging].
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 362; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 245 · permalink
Death is preferable over a life of disgrace. Frugal living is preferable over begging from others.
Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 396; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 246 · permalink
A lifetime of honour can never compensate for an hour of disgrace.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5580; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 246 · permalink
O Allah! Let my soul be the first of those precious objects that you will wrest from me, and the first thing to be reclaimed out of all Your bounties held in trust with me.
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 215; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 246 · permalink
Avoid dispute, for it brings about doubt.
al-Khisal, p. 615, no. 10; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 248 · permalink
Allah's remembrance elicits the descent of His mercy.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4209; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 250 · permalink
Spreading mercy [to others] elicits the descent of Allah's mercy.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 4343; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 250 · permalink
Beware of anxiety, for it cuts off hope, weakens action, and brings sorrow. And know that the way out [of trouble] lies in two things: resourcefulness where a stratagem exists, and perseverance wherever stratagems fail.
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 82, p. 144, no. 29; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 117 · permalink
Overcome anxiety with patience, for anxiety erases [Allah's] reward and augments the catastrophe.'
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 2527; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 117 · permalink
upon hearing the weeping of women for the dead killed in the battle of Siffin, said, 'Do your women prevail over you from what I can hear?! Can you not prohibit them from making this din?!
Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 322; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 117 · permalink
Asceticism is the distinguishing characteristic of Godwary people and the natural disposition of those who turn to Allah.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1713; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 118 · permalink
Verily among the qualities that greatly develop one's faith is abstention from worldly pleasures
al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 128, no. 3; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 118 · permalink
Asceticism is summed up between two phrases in the Qur'an, where Allah, most High, says, "So that you may not grieve for what has escaped you, nor be exultant at what He has given you." Therefore, one who neither grieves about past losses nor is overjoyed about the possessions he is granted has perfected his asceticism from both sides.
Bihar al-Anwar, v. 70, p. 317, no. 23; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 119 · permalink
Those who restrain themselves from worldly pleasures are such that their hearts are weeping though outwardly they may laugh, they experience great sorrow though they display joy, and they are filled with self-contempt though they rejoice at all that they have been bestowed.
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 113; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 120 · permalink
The person best able to practice abstemiousness is he who understands the inferiority of this worldly life
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 3209; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 120 · permalink
He who attains inner knowledge of his self attains inner knowledge of his Lord
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7946; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 435 · permalink
It befits one who knows the dignity of his own self to deem it too great for the vileness of this world.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1093; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 435 · permalink
It befits one who knows the dignity of his own self to adhere to temperance and self-restraint.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 10927; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 435 · permalink
It befits one who knows the dignity of his own self to never allow a sorrowful and self-cautious state to leave him.
Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 10937; Mizan ul Hikmah, page No. 435 · permalink
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