"The worst kind of oppression is when the oppressor thinks that he is doing good." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The worst kind of oppression is when the oppressor thinks that he is doing good."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
شَرُّ الظُّلْمِ ظُلْمُ مَن يَرَى أَنَّهُ مُحْسِنٌ.
— غرر الحكم

"Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience against what you covet." — Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 150

 

"Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience against what you covet."
— Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 150

Arabic:
الصَّبْرُ صَبْرَانِ: صَبْرٌ عَلَى مَا تَكْرَهُ، وَصَبْرٌ عَمَّا تُحِبُّ.
— نهج البلاغة، الحكمة ١٥٠

"The one who is moderate never becomes poor." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The one who is moderate never becomes poor."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
مَنْ اقْتَصَدَ لَمْ يَفْتَقِرْ.
— غرر الحكم

"The most helpless of people is he who is unable to make a friend. And even more helpless is he who has made a friend and then lost him." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The most helpless of people is he who is unable to make a friend. And even more helpless is he who has made a friend and then lost him."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَعْجَزُ النَّاسِ مَنْ عَجَزَ عَنْ اكْتِسَابِ الإِخْوَانِ، وَأَعْجَزُ مِنْهُ مَنْ ضَيَّعَ مَنْ ظَفِرَ بِهِمْ.
— غرر الحكم

"The richest of riches is intelligence, and the greatest poverty is foolishness." - Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The richest of riches is intelligence, and the greatest poverty is foolishness."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَغْنَى الْغِنَى الْعَقْلُ، وَأَفْقَرُ الْفَقْرِ الْحُمْقُ.
— غرر الحكم

"Beware of every deed that you feel the need to hide from the people." - Ghurar al-Hikam

 "Beware of every deed that you feel the need to hide from the people."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
إِيَّاكَ وَكُلَّ عَمَلٍ تَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ تُعْمِلَهُ فِي السِّرِّ وَتُظْهِرَهُ فِي الْعَلَانِيَةِ.
— غرر الحكم

"When a power or authority comes to you, be more kind to the people and more humble before God." - Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"When a power or authority comes to you, be more kind to the people and more humble before God."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
إِذَا أُعْطِيتَ سُلْطَانًا عَلَى النَّاسِ فَازْدَدْ لَهُمْ رِفْقًا وَلِلَّهِ تَوَاضُعًا.
— غرر الحكم

"The most generous person is he who gives to those from whom he has no hope of return." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The most generous person is he who gives to those from whom he has no hope of return."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَسْخَى النَّاسِ مَنْ أَعْطَى مَنْ لَا يَرْجُو مِنْهُ عَوْضًا.
— غرر الحكم

"The miser is one who is miserly with his greeting." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "The miser is one who is miserly with his greeting."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
الْبَخِيلُ مَنْ بَخِلَ بِالسَّلَامِ.
— غرر الحكم

"He who trusts the world, the world betrays him." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"He who trusts the world, the world betrays him."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
مَنْ وَثِقَ بِالدُّنْيَا خَانَتْهُ.
— غرر الحكم

"The strongest of men is he who is powerful over his anger." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "The strongest of men is he who is powerful over his anger."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَقْوَى النَّاسِ مَنْ قَوِيَ عَلَى غَضَبِهِ.
— غرر الحكم

"Kindness is the greatest wisdom." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "Kindness is the greatest wisdom."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَعْظَمُ الْحِكْمَةِ الرِّفْقُ.
— غرر الحكم

"Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die, they weep over you, and if you are alive, they crave for your company." — Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 9

 

"Live amongst people in such a manner that if you die, they weep over you, and if you are alive, they crave for your company."
— Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 9

Arabic:
عَاشِرِ النَّاسَ عِشْرَةً إِنْ مِتَّ مَعَهَا بَكَوْا عَلَيْكَ، وَإِنْ عِشْتَ حَنُّوا إِلَيْكَ.
— نهج البلاغة، الحكمة 9

"The most complete of blessings is righteousness." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "The most complete of blessings is righteousness."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَتَمُّ النِّعْمَةِ الصَّلاحُ.
— غرر الحكم

"The most exalted worship is to supplicate in secret." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The most exalted worship is to supplicate in secret."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَفْضَلُ الْعِبَادَةِ الدُّعَاءُ فِي السِّرِّ.
— غرر الحكم

"The heart of a fool is in his mouth, and the tongue of a wise man is in his heart." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The heart of a fool is in his mouth, and the tongue of a wise man is in his heart."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
قَلْبُ الأَحْمَقِ فِي فِيهِ، وَلِسَانُ الْحَكِيمِ فِي قَلْبِهِ.
— غرر الحكم

The most valuable wealth is the intelligence, and the most dreadful poverty is foolishness.— Ghurar al-Hikam

 "The most valuable wealth is the intelligence, and the most dreadful poverty is foolishness."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَثْمَنُ الْغِنَى الْعَقْلُ، وَأَشَدُّ الْفَقْرِ الْحُمْقُ.
— غرر الحكم

"Worship is not abundant prayer and fasting; rather, it is abundant reflection on the affair of Allah." — Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 55

 

"Worship is not abundant prayer and fasting; rather, it is abundant reflection on the affair of Allah."
— Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 55

Arabic:
لَيْسَ الْعِبَادَةُ كَثْرَةَ الصَّلَاةِ وَالصَّوْمِ، إِنَّمَا الْعِبَادَةُ كَثْرَةُ التَّفَكُّرِ فِي أَمْرِ اللَّهِ.
— الكافي، ج٢، ص٥٥

"The fruit of the heart is the tongue, and the fruit of the tongue is good conduct." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The fruit of the heart is the tongue, and the fruit of the tongue is good conduct."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
ثَمَرَةُ الْقَلْبِ اللِّسَانُ، وَثَمَرَةُ اللِّسَانِ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ.
— غرر الحكم

"The value of every man is in his attainments." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The value of every man is in his attainments."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
قِيمَةُ كُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا يُحْسِنُهُ.
— غرر الحكم

"Piety is the key to guidance, the provision for the afterlife, the freedom from every servitude, and the deliverance from every destruction." — Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 230

 "Piety is the key to guidance, the provision for the afterlife, the freedom from every servitude, and the deliverance from every destruction."

— Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 230

Arabic:
التَّقْوَى مِفْتَاحُ الْهُدَى، وَزَادُ الْمَعَادِ، وَعِتْقٌ مِنْ كُلِّ مَلَكَةٍ، وَنَجَاةٌ مِنْ كُلِّ هَلَكَةٍ.
— نهج البلاغة، الخطبة ٢٣٠

"Your remedy is within you, but you do not sense it. Your sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it." — Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 133

 

"Your remedy is within you, but you do not sense it. Your sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it."
— Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 133

Arabic:
دَاؤُكَ مِنْكَ وَمَا تُبْصِرُ، وَدَوَاؤُكَ فِيكَ وَمَا تَشْعُرُ.
— نهج البلاغة، الخطبة ١٣٣

"The one who is aware of his own soul is more pious." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The one who is aware of his own soul is more pious."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَعْرَفُ النَّاسِ بِنَفْسِهِ أَخْشَاهُمْ لِرَبِّهِ.
— غرر الحكم

"Learn knowledge, and for learning, be calm and humble." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "Learn knowledge, and for learning, be calm and humble."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
تَعَلَّمُوا الْعِلْمَ، وَتَعَلَّمُوا لِلْعِلْمِ السَّكِينَةَ وَالْحِلْمَ.
— غرر الحكم

"The knowledge of the hypocrite is in his speech, but the knowledge of the believer is in his actions." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "The knowledge of the hypocrite is in his speech, but the knowledge of the believer is in his actions."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
عِلْمُ الْمُنَافِقِ فِي مَنْطِقِهِ، وَعِلْمُ الْمُؤْمِنِ فِي عَمَلِهِ.
— غرر الحكم

"A man's tongue is a scale of his intellect." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 "A man's tongue is a scale of his intellect."

— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
لِسَانُ الْمَرْءِ مِيزَانُ عَقْلِهِ.
— غرر الحكم

"The most complete of people in intellect is the one who is best in moral conduct." — Ghurar al-Hikam

 

"The most complete of people in intellect is the one who is best in moral conduct."
— Ghurar al-Hikam

Arabic:
أَكْمَلُ النَّاسِ عَقْلًا أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا.
— غرر الحكم