1. On Wisdom & Knowledge
📖 “Knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, but you have to guard wealth.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 147
2. On Patience
📖 “Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience against what you covet.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 55
3. On Justice
📖 “The best way to punish an enemy is to do good to him.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 11
4. On Character
📖 “A person is hidden under his tongue.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 148
5. On Generosity
📖 “The wealth of a miser is as useless as a stone in the middle of a river, neither it benefits him nor anyone else.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 123
6. On Gratitude
📖 “One who is not thankful for small blessings will not be thankful for big ones.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 162
7. On Friendship
📖 “The worst friend is he who is only with you when you are wealthy and leaves you when you are poor.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 217
8. On Faith
📖 “Faith stands on four pillars: Patience, Conviction, Justice, and Jihad (struggle in the way of truth).”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 31
9. On Silence
📖 “When wisdom reaches perfection, words become few.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 349
10. On Arrogance
📖 “Pride prevents a man from seeking knowledge.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 263
11. On Envy
📖 “Envy eats away faith just as fire consumes wood.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 38
12. On Time
📖 “Time wears out bodies, renews hopes, brings death closer, and takes away desires.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 114
13. On Hard Work
📖 “Do not be a slave to others when Allah has created you free.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 426
14. On Forgiveness
📖 “The best revenge is to forgive.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 201
15. On Hypocrisy
📖 “The tongue of a wise man is behind his heart, and the heart of a fool is behind his tongue.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 40
16. On Leadership
📖 “He who is greedy is disgraced; he who discloses his hardship is humiliated; he who has no control over his tongue often gets into trouble.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 56
17. On Death
📖 “O People! You are moving fast with the hope that never ends, while death is chasing you.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 28
18. On Charity
📖 “Blessings are connected with gratitude, and gratitude is connected with more giving. The two are tied together, and will never separate.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 138
19. On Intelligence
📖 “A fool’s mind is at the mercy of his tongue, while a wise man’s tongue is controlled by his mind.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 40
20. On Worldly Desires
📖 “This world is like a snake, soft to touch but full of venom.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 112
What Is Nahjul Balagha?
Nahjul Balagha (“The Peak of Eloquence”) is a collection of the sermons, letters and short sayings of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.). It was compiled by the scholar Sharif al-Radi, who completed it around 400 AH (1010 CE) in Baghdad. The book has three parts: sermons (khutbas), letters and instructions, and short sayings of wisdom (hikam). The quotes above come mainly from that third part.
For more than a thousand years Nahjul Balagha has been studied for its Arabic eloquence as much as its teaching. Commentaries were written by Shia and Sunni scholars alike; the best known Sunni commentary is by Ibn Abi’l-Hadid, and the Shia commentaries include those of Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani and Allama Muhammad Taqi Ja’fari.
Why Saying Numbers Differ Between Editions
If you look up a saying and find a different number, that is normal. Different printed editions number the sermons, letters and sayings differently. The edition prepared by Subhi al-Salih and the edition used by most English translations do not always match, so a saying can be one or two numbers apart. Searching for a key phrase is the easiest way to find it in your copy.
How to Use These Quotes With Your Family
- Choose one saying each week and discuss what it means in daily life.
- Ask children to explain the saying in their own words.
- Link sayings to the Qur’an, for example patience (sabr) with Surah al-Baqarah 2:153.
- Share the reference with the quote so others can check the source.
Want your children to learn Islamic teachings and the Qur’an with correct pronunciation and meaning? Al Mehdi Center offers live one-to-one online classes with qualified Shia teachers for children and adults. Book your free trial classes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nahjul Balagha?
Nahjul Balagha is a collection of sermons, letters and short sayings of Imam Ali (a.s.), compiled by Sharif al-Radi around 400 AH (1010 CE). It is valued for both its eloquence and its moral and spiritual teaching.
Who compiled Nahjul Balagha?
It was compiled by Sharif al-Radi (Sayyid Razi), a Shia scholar and poet of Baghdad who died in 406 AH (1015 CE).
Why does the saying number differ in my copy of Nahjul Balagha?
Editions number the sayings differently, so the same saying can appear one or two numbers apart. Search for a key phrase to find it in your edition.
Is Nahjul Balagha read by Sunni Muslims too?
Yes. Scholars from different schools have studied and commented on it. A famous Sunni commentary was written by Ibn Abi’l-Hadid in the 13th century.
