Ali ibn Abi Talib (Arabic: علي بن أبي طالب, romanized: ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib) (c. 600 – 661 CE) was the fourth Rashidun caliph who ruled from 656 CE until his assassination in 661, as well as the first Shia Imam. He was the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Born to Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Fatima bint Asad, Ali was raised in the household of his cousin Muhammad and was among the first to accept his teachings.
Imam Ali, the fourth caliph after prophet Muhammed, is known as the most spiritual of the first followers of Muhammed. Despite the poor English translation and repetition, this collection of Imam Ali's sayings is pure gold. Especially the sayings at the end about life and death are gripping. It is also in those sections that the errors in translation are the least noticeable. The poetic adages after those two sections, on the other hand, are rendered almost unintelligible because of the numerous English grammar mistakes, which have been riddling the English text all along.
Thus, it is a mixed bag but how powerful are such sayings as "life will end"! Simple. But poignant. The list of memorable quotes would go on and on so I will not even begin to type them, except for this one: "Life will end." Remember that.
* الحرص أحد الشقائين. . البخل أحد الفقرين .. الحسد أحد العذابين ..
* الظالم طاغ ينتظر إحدى النقمتين .. العادل راع ينتظر أحد الجزائين .
* إنك لست بسابق أجلك و لا بمرزوق ما ليس لك فلماذا تشقي نفسك يا شقي .
* حسن توكل العبد على الله سبحانه على قدر يقينه به .
* رأي الرجل على قدر تجربته .
* قلة الأكل تمنع كثيرا من أعلال الجسم .
* كن على حذر من الأحمق إذا صاحبته و من الفاسق إذا عاشرته و من الظالم إذا عاملته .
* ما أودع أحد قلبا سرورا إلا خلق الله سبحانه من ذلك السرور لطفا فإذا نزلت به نائبة جرى إليها كالماء في انحداره حتى يطردها عنه كما تطرد الغريبة من الإبل .
A little book of Sufi teachings that was a gift from a friend. I found them, among other things, interesting, insightful and, at times, profound. For example:
"Speak, and be known, for a man is hidden under his tongue."
The sayings of Amir ul momineen(r.a.) are full of wisdom. But the book I'd like to add is a dry read. Because had it been added with a little commentary of history or happening when saying was said it would have added more life and beauty to it, like Nahjul Balagha. Nonetheless, full of short good sayings.
There is nothing wrong with this collection in all honesty, given it's source, I read the translated version but I don't feel like much could be lost. Much of the wisdom is quite simplistic, dull and intensely repetative. How many times do you need to be told that it's good to be generous, patient, to avoid greed, lust, and anger? "In every good deed lies a reward." OK ok ok... I get it! Lots of self evident truths. Reading through it is just trudging through a thick wall of mud, you keep wondering when you'll feel the firmness of the earth again, but it goes on for awhile. There is also some really awful sayings as well. "Obeying women is the ultimate ignorance." for one, "Who laughs a lot shall be put down." is another, "And if the bodies are made to be dead, then the killing of someone by a sword for Allah is better."... and so on. There is also an entire chapter devoted to why you should hate life. That isn't to say there aren't any beautiful things to be found here, there certainly are. Some of my own favorites were:
"He who shyness bestowed upon him its veil, people would not see his flaws."
"The smart one is him who shortened his hopes."
"Fighting the lusts of the self is an address of nobility."
"The one who avoids evil is like the doer of goodness."
"How good is being generous while in need."
"The fight against the lusts of the self is the dowry of paradise."
"The best of generosity is to forgive with the ability (to harm)."
"Be good to the one who does badness to you and you shall own him."
"Your friend is he who prohibits you, and your enemy is he who seduces you."
"Ask about the neighbour before the house."
"Speak and you shall be known, for the person is hidden under his tongue."
"To not answer the silly one, that is the best answer for him."
"Every container becomes narrower for what is put inside it, except of the container of science for it becomes wider and wider."
"Saying "I do not know" is half of the wisdom."
"Greed is an eternal enslavement."
"Nothing is a liar like the hope."
"Be satisfied and you shall be rich."
"And do not delay doing the good for tomorrow, maybe tomorrow will come and you are missing."
"How many a bite that brought death to the biter, like a seed of wheat that broke the neck of a little bird."
I think what really helps to sum up the Islamic ideology is this line, "The bitterness of this life is the sweetness of the after-life, and the sweetness of this life is the bitterness of the after-life."
Either way, it's a short read worth peaking into if you're curious about the philosophy of Ali.
ولاة الجور شرار الأمة. من جار ملكه، تمنى الناس هلكه. من خاف سوطك تمنى موتك. صلاح الرعية العدل. شر الولاة من يخافه البريء. إذا ملك الأراذل هلك الأفاضل. أكبر العيب أن تعيب ما فيه مثله. لا لذة في شهوة فانية. مستمع الغيبة كقائلها. التبذير عنوان الفاقة. مع العجل يكثر الزلل. لا إيمان مع سوء ظن. من ظلم العباد كان الله-سبحانه- خصمه. مدمن الشهوات سريع الآفات. لا نعمة مع كفر. مجالس اللهو تفسد الإيمان. من تلذذ بمعاصي الله أكسبه ذلا. من اغتر بنفسه سلمته إلى المعاطب. من أهمل نفسه أهلكها. حاصل المعاصي التلف. المصيبة واحدة وإن جزعت صارت اثنتين. من عير بشيء بلي به. من جزع عظمت مصيبته. شر الناس من يرى أنه خيرهم. ترك الذنب شديد وأشد منه ترك الجنة. من أيقن بالمعاد استكثر من الزاد. عجبت لغافل والموت حثيث خلفه. ذكر الآخرة دواء وشفاء. ذكر الموت يهون أسباب الدنيا. ثواب الآخرة ينسي مشقة الدنيا. أربح الناس من اشتر الدنيا بالآخرة. ما الفضل إلا لأهل العلم إنهم على الهدى لمن استهدى أدلاء. والجاهلون لأهل العلم أعداء. تبلغ باليسير، فكل شيء من الدنيا يكون له انقضاء.
A small book filled with much wisdom. Though only a little over one hundred pages it is packed with so much that it takes awhile to read because you inevitably stop to contemplate what you have just read. Some of the sayings are difficult to understand and will take re-reading and meditation on the subject to truly grasp. A gem of a book.
كتاب بسيط وتجميع متواضع لحكم الإمام علي، عليه السلام. أطمعُ في إيجاد نسخة ورقية من "موسوعة الإمام علي في الأخلاق" للسيد هادي المدرسي، موسوعة كبيرة ومرتبة ترتيباً أبجدياً جيّداً بحسب الصفة الأخلاقية.