Golden Words

SAYINGS

Out of the 210 Sayings a few have been reproduced here, because of the limited space. Order of the a few have been changed keeping their original numbers  intact. The sayings regarding death have been preceded the others because, a man who is sure about this will abstain from doing misdeeds and evils for the society. A famous Economist and Philosopher (Adam Smith), who may have either gone through Quran or the sayings, have observed (in His Theory of Moral Sentiment 1759) that "The dread of death poisons our happiness but restrains injustice to mankind; this dread afflicts and mortifies individuals, but it guards the society".

S E L E C T E D    S A Y I N G S

150.  Every man has an end ,it may be pleasant or sorrowful.

151.  Everyone who is born has to die and once dead he is as good as he had never came into existence.

167.  Death is so near and time for friendly actions in life is so limited.

186.  Death is never very far.

125.  How I wonder at the arrogance of a haughty and vain person. Yesterday he was only a cell and tomorrow he will be a dead body.

I wonder at the man who see people dying around him and yet has forgotten his end.

74.    Every breath that you take is a step you put forward towards death.

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

44.   Happy is the man who always kept the life after death in his view, who remembered the day of  Reckoning through all his deeds, who led a contented life and who was happy with the lot God hath destined for him.

64.  Peoples in this world are like travelers whose journey is going on though they are asleep (Life's journey is going one though men may not feel it).

2.    One who develops the trait of greediness and avarice invites degradation; one who keeps on advertising his poverty and ill-luck will always be humiliated; one who has no control over his tongue have to face embarrassment and discomfort.

4.   Surrender and acceptance to the will of God are the best companions; wisdom is the noblest heritage; theoretical and practical knowledge are best marks of distinction.

5. A wise man's mind is the safest custody of secrets;an open and pleasant countenance gets more friends;patience and forbearance will hide and cover many defects.

6.   A conceited and self-admiring person is disliked by others;charity and alms are the best treatments for ailments and calamities; one has to face it after life the deeds that he has done in this world.

7.   Man is the wonderful creature, he sees through layers of fat (fatty tissues), he hears through a bone, he speaks through a lump of flesh (tongue).

8.   When this world favors anybody it lends qualifications, attributes and surpassing merits of others, and when it turns its face away from him it snatches away even his own excellence and fame.

9.   Treat people in such a way and live among them in such a manner that  if you die they weep over you, if you are alive they crave for your company.

10.  If you get an opportunity and power over your enemy then, in   thankfulness to God for this, forgive him.

12.  When few blessings come your way, do not derive them away through thanklessness.

15.  Our affairs are hinged to the destiny decreed by the Lord; even our best  thought out program may lead us to to death and destruction.

18.  One who rushes madly after inordinate desires runs the risk of  encountering destruction and death.

19.   Overlook and forgive weaknesses of generous people, because if they fall down Hand of God lifts them.

20.   Failures are often result of timidity and fears; disappointments are result of uncalled modesty; hours of leisure pass away like summer clouds, therefore, do not waste opportunity doing good.

21.   If the right usurped by us is given back to us we shall take, if not  we shall keep on claiming.

23.   To come to the relief of the distressed and to help the oppressed act as expatiation and amends to many sins.

27.   The best form of devotion to the service of God is not to make  a show of it.

33.   Be generous but not extravagant, be fraught but not miserly.

34.   To give up inordinate desires is the best kind of wealth and fortune.

35.   One who is quick in saying unpleasant things about others, will  himself quickly become a target of their scandal.

39.   Optional prayers cannot attain the pleasure of God for you when compulsory daily prayers are left unattended.

40.    A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool speaks first and  then thinks

52.    Only he can forgive who has power to punish.

54.    There is no greater wealth than wisdom, no greater poverty than ignorance, no greater inheritance  than culture and no greater friend and helpmate than consultation.

62.    If you are wished and saluted then return the wish in the most appropriate manner. If you are favored then repay the obligation may fold; but he will always excel in merit who takes the initiative.

63.    The best source of success of a claimant is the mediator.

73.   Whoever wants to be a leader and guide, should educate himself before educating others, before teaching morality to others he should  improve his morals and character.

85.   One who imagines himself all knowing will surely suffer on account of his ignorance.

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

95.    Importance of deeds that you have done with fear of God in your mind cannot be minimize  and how can the deeds which are acceptable to God be considered unimportant.

105.  Those who give up religion to better their circumstances in life seldom succeed. The Wrath of God makes them go through more calamities and losses than gain they gather from themselves.

111.  Any one who loves us, Ahl-e- Beith (descendants of Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) must be ready to face a life of austerity.

113.  When a community is composed of really honest, sober and virtuous people then your forming a bad opinion about anyone of its members when nothing wicked has been seen of him is a great injustice  to him; on the contrary in a currapt society to form good opinion of  any one out of those people and to trust him is doing harm to yourself.

116.  Two kinds of people will be damned on my account; those who form exaggerated opinion about me and those who under-estimate me because they hate me.

124.  I define Islam for you in a way that nobody dare to do it before me.  Islam means obedience to God; Obedience to God means having sincere faith in Him; such a faith means,  accepting His Majesty; acceptance of His Majesty means fulfilling the obligation laid down by Him; and fulfillment of obligation means action (therefore Islam does not mean mere faith, but faith with action)

131.  An Angel announces daily "Birth of more human beings means so many more will die; collection of more wealth means so much more will be destroyed; erection of more buildings means so many more ruins in time to come.

135.  Daily prayers are the best medium to advance oneself in favor of  the Lord. Hajj and  Jihud (Holy War) not for every weak person. For everything that you own there is Zakat, a tax paid to the Lord, and tax of your health is to keep fast. The best defense of a woman against man is to render his home life pleasing and congenial.

136.  If you want to pray to the Lord for better means of subsistence then first give something in charity.

140.  One of the two conveniences in life is to have fewer children.

145.  Defend your faith (in God) with the help of charity. Protect your wealth with the aid of Zakat  (Poor-rate levied by Islam). Let the prayers guard you from calamities and disasters.

152.  One who adopts patience will never be deprived of success though the success may take long time to reach him.

153.  One who ascents or subscribes to the action of a group or party  is as good as he committed the deed himself. A man who joins a sinful deed makes himself responsible for two fold punishment, one for doing the deed and the other for assenting and subscribing to it.

156.   You have been shown, if you only care to see;you have been advised  if you  care to take advantage of advises; you have been told if you care to lend you ears to good counsels.

159.   One who acquires power cannot avoid favoritism.

160.   One who is willful and conceited will suffer losses and calamities and one who seeks advice can secure advantages of many counsels.

161.   One who guards his secrets has complete control over his affairs.

162.   Poverty is the worst form of death.

163.   One who serves such a person from whom he gets no reciprocal performance of duties in fact, worship him.

164.   By disobeying God you do not actually obey any human-being.

165.   Do not find fault with or speak ill of a man who delays in securing what are his just rights, it is more vicious to grasp the rights which  do not belong to you.

168.   There is enough light for one who wants to see.

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

203.    Best deeds of a great man is to forgive and forget.

206.    Be a partner of a successful man because he knows how to achieve success.

207.    The little that you give in the way of God will bring greater return to you.

208.    There are people who obey God to gain His favors, they are like businessmen trading with God, while there are some who obey Him to keep themselves free from His Wrath, they act as slaves, but they are few who obey Him out of their sense of gratitude and obligation, they act as gentlemen and noblemen.Nehjul Balagha, Hasan Saeed: pp. 273-294.