Ali: Quotes about personality

“To whatever extent a person's knowledge increases, his attention will be turned more towards his soul.”

“A virtuous person is better than virtue and a vicious person is worse than vice.”

“Many persons get nothing out of their fasts but hunger and thirst, many more get nothing out of their night prayers but exertions and sleepless nights. Wise and sagacious persons are praiseworthy even if they do not fast and sleep during the nights.”

“A conceited and self-admiring person is disliked by others; charity and alms are the best remedy for ailments and calamities; one has to account in the next world for the deeds that he has done in this world.”

“Generosity is to help a deserving person without his request, and if you help him after his request, then it is either out of self-respect or to avoid rebuke.”

“Nawf! Prophet David (Daud) once got up at such an hour in the night and said this was the hour when prayers of everyone who prayed were accepted except of those who forcibly collected revenues or who were scandal- mongers or were persons in the police force of a despotic regime or were musicians.”

“Where are those who protect honour, and those self-respecting persons who defend respectable persons in the time of hardship? Shame is behind you while Paradise is in front of you.”

“Associating with the wise and the knowledgeable people adds to the prestige of a person.”

“There are three signs of a knowledgeable person: knowledge, forbearance and silence.”

“An ignorant person will always overdo a thing or neglect it totally.”