Ali

The best companion and helper is admirable morals.

— Ali

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

— Ali

Two things cause people to be destroyed: fear of poverty and seeking superiority through pride.

— Ali

Submission to Allah's Will is the best companion; wisdom is the noblest heritage; theoretical and practical knowledge are the best signs of distinction; deep thinking will present the clearest picture of every problem.

— Ali

The mind of a wise man is the safest custody of secrets; cheerfulness is the key to friendship; patience and forbearance will conceal many defects.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

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

— Ali

Unfortunate is he who cannot gain a few sincere friends during his life and more unfortunate is the one who has gained them and then lost them (through his deeds).

— Ali

When some blessings come to you, do not drive them away through thanklessness.

— Ali

He who is deserted by friends and relatives will often find help and sympathy from strangers.

— Ali

One who rushes madly after inordinate desire, runs the risk of encountering destruction and death.

— Ali

Often your utterances and expressions of your face leak out the secrets of your hidden thoughts.

— Ali

Hearts of people are like wild beasts. They attach themselves to those who love and train them.

— Ali

So long as fortune is favouring you, your defects will remain covered.

— Ali

Only he who has the power to punish can pardon.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

There is no greater wealth than wisdom, no greater poverty than ignorance; no greater heritage than culture and no greater support than consultation.

— Ali

Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience against what you covet.

— Ali

Wealth converts a strange land into homeland and poverty turns a native place into a strange land.

— Ali

Contentment is the capital which will never diminish.

— Ali

Wealth is the fountain head of passions.

— Ali

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

— Ali

Tongue is a beast, if it is let loose, it devours.

— Ali

O son of Adam, when you see that your Lord, the Glorified, bestows His Favors on you while you disobey Him, you should fear Him (take warning that His Wrath may not turn those very blessings into misfortunes).

— Ali

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

— Ali

Recommended prayers cannot attain the pleasures of Allah for you when obligatory prayers are left unattended.

— Ali

Value of a man depends upon his courage; his veracity depends upon his self-respect and his chastity depends upon his sense of honor.

— Ali

Every breath you take is a step towards death.

— Ali

Like your body your mind also gets tired so refresh it by wise sayings.

— Ali

Whenever a tradition of the Holy Prophet is related to you, scrutinize it, do not be satisfied with mere verbatim repetition of the same because there are many people who repeat the words containing knowledge but only few ponder over them and try to fully grasp the meaning they convey.

— Ali

Anyone who loves us Ahlul Bayt must be ready to face a life of austerity.

— Ali

A friend cannot be considered a friend unless he is tested on three occasions: in time of need, behind your back and after your death.

— Ali

There is enough light for one who wants to see.

— Ali

It is wiser to abstain than to repent.

— Ali

Obstinacy will prevent you from a correct decision.

— Ali

If two opposite theories are propagated one will be wrong.

— Ali

When truth was revealed to me I never doubted it.

— Ali

Death is never very far.

— Ali

One who forsakes truth earns eternal damnation.

— Ali

O son of Adam, if you have collected anything in excess of your actual need, you will act only as its trustee for someone else to use it.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

During civil disturbance adopt such an attitude that people do not attach any importance to you — they neither burden you with complicated affairs, nor try to derive any advantage out of you.

— Ali

When Imam Ali was asked about Faith in Religion, he replied that the structure of faith is supported by four pillars endurance, conviction, justice and jihad.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

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

— Ali

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

— Ali

The wiser a man is, the less talkative will he be.

— Ali

Time wears out bodies, renews hopes, brings death nearer and takes away aspirations. Whoever gets anything from the world lives in anxiety for holding it and whoever loses anything passes his days grieving over the loss.

— Ali

Whoever wants to be a leader should educate himself before educating others. Before preaching to others he should first practice himself. Whoever educates himself and improves his own morals is superior to the man who tries to teach and train others.

— Ali

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

— Ali

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

— Ali

A man sarcastically started praising Imam Ali, though he had no faith in him and Imam Ali hearing these praises from him said "I am less than what you tell about me but more than what you think about me."

— Ali

Those who have come alive out of a blood-bath live longer and have more children.

— Ali

One who imagines himself to be all-knowing will surely suffer on account of his ignorance.

— Ali

I appreciate an old man's cautious opinion more than the valor of a young man.

— Ali

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

— Ali

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".

— Ali

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.

— Ali

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".

— Ali

I define Islam for you in a way that nobody dared do it before me. Islam means obedience to Allah, obedience to Allah means having sincere faith in Him, such a faith means to believe in His Power, belief in His Power means recognizing and accepting His Majesty, acceptance of His Majesty means fulfilling the obligations laid down by Him and fulfillment of obligations means actions (Therefore, Islam does not mean mere faith, but faith plus deeds).

— Ali

If you understand Allah's Majesty, then you will not attach any importance to the creatures.

— Ali

If you want to pray to Allah for better means of subsistence, then first give something in charity

— Ali

When someone is sure of the returns, then he shows generosity.

— Ali

Aid (from Allah) is in proportion to the trouble.

— Ali

He who practices moderation and frugality will never be threatened with poverty.

— Ali

One of the conveniences in life is to have less children.

— Ali

Loving one another is half of wisdom.

— Ali

Grief is half of old age.

— Ali

Grant of patience (from Allah) is in proportion to the extent of calamity you are passing through. If you exhibit fretfulness, irritation, and despair in calamities, then your patience and your exertions are wasted.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

Defend your faith (in Allah) with the help of charity. Protect your wealth with the aid of Zakat. Let the prayers guard you from calamities and disasters.

— Ali

The first fruit of forbearance is that people will sympathize with you and they will go against the man who offended you arrogantly.

— Ali

One who takes account of his shortcomings will always gain by it; one who is unmindful of them will always suffer. One who is afraid of the Day of Judgment, is safe from the Wrath of Allah. One who takes lessons from the events of life, gets vision, one who acquires vision becomes wise and one who attains wisdom achieves knowledge.

— Ali

Bear sorrows and calamities patiently, otherwise you will never be happy.

— Ali

One who comes into power often oppresses.

— Ali

Adversities often bring good qualities to the front.

— Ali

If a friend envies you, then he is not a true friend.

— Ali

Avarice dulls the faculties of judgment and wisdom.

— Ali

Oppression and tyranny are the worse companions for the Hereafter.

— Ali

The best deed of a great man is to forgive and forget.

— Ali

Silence will create respect and dignity; justice and fairplay will bring more friends; benevolence and charity will enhance prestige and position; courtesy will draw benevolence; service of mankind will secure leadership and good words will overcome powerful enemies.

— Ali

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

— Ali

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.

— Ali

Do not feel ashamed to forgive and forget.

— Ali

Do not hurry over punishments and do not be pleased and do not be proud of your power to punish.

— Ali

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.

— Ali

Never say to yourself, "I am their Lord, their ruler and all in all over them and that I must be obeyed submissively and humbly" because such a thought will unbalance your mind, will make you vain and arrogant, will weaken your faith in religion and will make you seek support of any power other than that of Allah.

— Ali