Ali ibn Abi Talib cytaty

strona 3

„Serca są podobne do naczyń, im więcej pomieszczą, tym są lepsze.”

„Wytrwałością osiągniesz powodzenie, nawet gdybyś miał długo czekać.”

„Najlepszym ze wszystkich przyjaciół jest zadowolenie.”

„Bądź cierpliwy, albowiem cierpliwość jest dla wiary tym, czym głowa dla ciała. Ciało bez głowy niewiele jest warte, zupełnie jak wiara bez cierpliwości.”

„Wielkość mężczyzny mierzy się jego ambicjami, jego prawdomówność – odwagą, męstwo – uporem, zaś zasługi okupem krwi, który przyjdzie za niego zapłacić.”

„Rozdając jałmużnę, prosicie Boga o dary.”

„Bóg po to cię obdarzył rozumem, byś miał gdzie szukać ratunku.”

„Wybaczcie potknięcia ludziom szlachetnym, albowiem każdego z nich Bóg wyprowadzi na słuszną drogę.”

„Bóg nie ma głupcom za złe, że się nie uczą, lecz ma za złe mądrym, że nie uczą głupców.”

„Ambicją kobiety jest odstępstwo od wiary, ambicją mężczyzny – wiara.”

„Kobieta jest skorpionem, którego ukąszenie sprawia przyjemność.”

„Kobieta staje się piękną dopiero wtedy, gdy wykarmi dziecko i ogrzeje łoże.”

„W zachwycie nad samym sobą stracisz z oczu cel, do którego dążysz.”

„Im mniej nienawiści, tym więcej zdrowia.”

„Marzenia, które trwają nazbyt długo, nigdy nie doprowadzą do celu.”

„Jeśli pokonasz wroga, okaż mu litość, jesteś przecież silniejszy od niego.”

„Cierpliwość to grób dla przywar.”

„Pożądliwość jest niekończącym się zniewoleniem.”

„Język mądrego jest w jego sercu, serce głupiego – na jego języku.”

„Troski to połowa drogi do starości.”

„Ucho jest bezużyteczne, kiedy umysł jest roztargniony.”

„Nie przechytrzysz choroby, choć byś nawet bardzo tego pragnął.”

„Wartość człowieka poznasz po jego języku.”

„Walki umysłów najczęściej toczą się w blasku żądzy.”

„Jeśli zajmuje cię tylko to, co wkładasz do brzucha, nie jesteś wart więcej niż to, co wychodzi z twojego brzucha.”

„Największą jej [przyjaźni] chorobą jest zazdrość, gdyż prowadzi do nieszczerości i rywalizacji.”

„Mądrość starca więcej znaczy niż wytrwałość młodzieńca w walce.”

„Pożądanie jest jak cel bez powrotu, jak nieuczciwy gwarant; pożądać to jakby zakrztusić się wodą, której się nie wypiło.”

„Bierz od świata to, co ci daje, ale nie domagaj się tego, czego ci dać nie chce. Natomiast prosić możesz zawsze.”

„Bądź szczodry, ale nie rozrzutny; bądź oszczędny, ale nie skąpy.”

„Łagodność i cierpliwość to bliźnięta zrodzone ze wspaniałomyślności.”

„Człowieka złośliwego najłatwiej unieszkodliwić pochwałami.”

„Bieda jest prawdziwym nieszczęściem. Ale od biedy gorsza jest choroba ciała, a od choroby ciała gorsza jest choroba duszy. Bogactwo jest prawdziwą łaską, ale od bogactwa lepsze jest zdrowie, a od zdrowia – posłuszeństwo duszy.”

„Nie ma większego bogactwa od rozumu; nie ma większej biedy od głupoty; nie ma lepszego dziedzictwa niż dobre wychowanie ani lepszego pomocnika od dobrej rady.”

„Masz przyjaciół tysiąc – zbyt mało ich będzie. Masz wroga jednego – napotkasz go wszędzie.”

„Tylko głupiec w pośpiechu bierze się do czegoś, czego nie potrafi zrobić.”

„Kto zbyt długo walczy z głupotą, może na zawsze stracić z oczu prawdę.”

„Wielu będzie się gniewać na tego, kto jest z siebie dumny.”

„Miłość najłatwiej złowić w sieć radości.”

„Kto w nieszczęściu rozkłada ręce, ten się naraża na niepowodzenie.”

„Przesada i niestaranność to cechy głupca.”

„Nie każdy, kogo złapano w czasie zamieszek, jest buntownikiem.”

“A greedy man will always find himself in the shackles of humility.”

“It is wiser to abstain than to repent.”

“Whoever warns you against sins and vices is like the one who gives you good tidings.”

“To refrain from unlawful and impious source of pleasures is an ornament to the poor and to be thankful for the riches granted is the adornment of wealth.”

“Anything which can be counted is finite and will come to an end.”

“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.”

“Nawf bin Fizala Bakali, the famous scholar of the early Islamic days says that one night he was with Imam Ali. In the middle of the night, Imam Ali got up from his bed, looked for sometime at the stars and inquired of Nawf whether he was awake. Nawf said: "I got from my bed replying, "Yes, Amirul Mo'minin (Commander of the Faithful)! I am awake."”

“Allah seeks you to thank Him and assigns to you His affairs. He has allowed time in the limited field (of life) so that you may vie with each other in seeking the reward (of Paradise). Therefore, tight up your girdles and wrap up the skirts. High courage and dinners do not go together. Sleep causes weakness in the big affairs of the day and (its) darkness obliterates the memories of courage.”

“Do not get angry and lose your temper quickly over the mistakes and failures of those over whom you rule. On the contrary, be patient and sympathetic with them.”

“These are the orders issued by the creature of Allah, Ali, the son Abu Taalib to Maalik, the son of Ashtar when he appointed Maalik as the Governor of Egypt to collect zakat there, to combat the enemies of Islam and Egypt, to work for the welfare of its people and to look after its prosperity.”

“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 four causes of infidelity and loss of belief in Allah: hankering after whims, a passion to dispute every argument, deviation from truth; and dissension, because whoever hankers after whims does not incline towards truth; whoever keeps on disputing every argument on account of his ignorance, will always remain blind to truth, whoever deviates from truth because of ignorance, will always take good for evil and evil for good and he will always remain intoxicated with misguidance. And whoever makes a breach (with Allah and His Messenger) his path becomes difficult, his affairs will become complicated and his way to salvation will be uncertain.
Similarly, doubt has also four aspects absurd reasoning; fear; vacillation and hesitation; and unreasonable surrender to infidelity, because one who has accustomed himself to unreasonable and absurd discussions will never see the Light of Truth and will always live in the darkness of ignorance. One who is afraid to face facts (of life, death and the life after death) will always turn away from ultimate reality, one who allows doubts and uncertainties to vacillate him will always be under the control of Satan and one who surrenders himself to infidelity accepts damnation in both the worlds.”

“Understanding the knowledge and wisdom of the Qur'an is by far, higher than memorizing.”

“Our affairs are attached to the destiny decreed by Allah, even our best plans may lead us to destruction.”

“He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare, while he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere.”

“There is enough light for one who wants to see.”

“Imam Ali said Nawf! Those are the fortunate people who adopt piety as the principle of their lives and are fully attentive to their welfare for the Hereafter. They accept bare earth as the most comfortable bed and water as the most pleasant drink. They adopt the Holy Qur'an and prayers as their guide and protector and like Prophet Jesus Christ (Isa) they forsake the world and its vicious pleasure.”

“Wealth is the fountain head of passions.”

“Allah, the Exalted, gave the angels intellect without desires, He gave the animals desires without intellect, and He gave both to the sons of Adam. So a man whose intellect prevails over his desires is better than the angels, whilst a man whose desire prevails over his intellect is worse than the animals.”

“If matters get mixed up then scrutinize the cause and you will know what the effects will be.”

“There are people who worship Allah to gain His Favors, this is the worship of traders; while there are some who worship Him to keep themselves free from His Wrath, this is the worship of slaves; a few who obey Him out' of their sense of gratitude and obligations, this is the worship of free and noble men.”

“If you cannot get things as much as you desire than be contented with what you have.”

“If you ever feel any pride or vanity on account of your sway and rule over your subjects then think of the supreme sway and rule of the Lord over the Universe, the extent of His creations, the supremacy of His Might and Glory, His Power to do things which you cannot even dream of doing and His control over you which is more dominating than that which you can ever achieve over anything around you. Such thoughts will cure your mental weakness, will keep you away from vanity and rebellion (against Allah), will reduce your arrogance and haughtiness and will take you back to the sanity which you had foolishly deserted… Try carefully to realize that a ruler can create goodwill in the minds of his subjects and can make them faithful and sincere to him only when he is kind and considerate to them, when he reduces their troubles, when he does not oppress them and when he never asks for things which are beyond their power. These are the principles which you should keep in mind and act upon.”

“I wonder at a man who loses hope of salvation when the door of repentance is open for him.”

“If you overpower your enemy, then pardon him by way of thankfulness to Allah, for being able to subdue him.”