Words That Fall Upon the Heart from Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī
The wisdoms of Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī are a selection of brief sayings that touch the human heart, character, and inner discipline. Although each saying may appear as a simple note on its own, behind them lie fundamental matters such as the discipline of the nafs (the lower self), awareness of mortality, knowledge, adab (proper conduct), and maturity of the qalb (the heart).
01
"Whoever wishes to worship must purify himself for it."
02
"I recommend taqwa (God-consciousness). Taqwa is the shortest path to attaining Allah's riḍā (contentment with God's decree)."
03
"O servants of Allah! Fear Allah. Seek salvation and happiness, and show seriousness before old age arrives. Hasten to act before pieces of punishment descend and before death, which destroys all pleasures, overtakes you. For this world is a deceptive obstacle and an unstable, unreliable support in which blessings do not last, one is not safe from its calamities, nor can one avoid its evils."
04
"Keep the love of Allah ever alive in your hearts."
05
"The world is transient, the Hereafter is eternal. Do not let this truth slip from your mind."
06
"If you are united and in solidarity, you will overcome every difficulty."
07
"To be strong does not mean to be oppressive; be just, be merciful."
08
"O servants of Allah! Take lessons from admonitions and make the traces left behind by those before you a source of reflection. For all these blessings, avoid sins as an act of shukr (gratitude), and benefit from counsels. Allah being the Helper and Refuge, the Qur'an being the proof and advocate, Paradise as reward, and Hell as punishment and torment—these are sufficient as admonition for a person."
09
"The greatest enemy of a human being is ignorance."
10
"Exalted character is what distinguishes a human from other beings."
11
"Speak little and think much; this increases the tranquility of the qalb."
12
"True strength is through knowledge and justice."
13
"The more one of you gives shukr (gratitude), the more Allah gives to him."
14
"Never give up doing good and forgiving."
15
"Learning knowledge is preparation for both this world and the Hereafter."
16
"Cooperation makes societies strong."
17
"Never give up on improving yourselves."
18
"There is tranquility in a society founded upon love and respect."
19
"Sabr (patient endurance) is the greatest virtue shown in the face of hardships."
20
"Fear Allah, seek His forgiveness, and have tawakkul (reliance upon God) in Him."
21
"An ignorant person does not know himself; a person who knows himself is a possessor of knowledge."
22
"A people who consult together will surely attain perfection."
23
"A wise man does not deceive the one who asks him for advice."
24
"To give shukr (gratitude) to Allah when in blessing, and to be patient when a calamity befalls—this is a good with no evil in it."
25
"To endure blame in this world is easier than to endure the fire of Hell."
26
"He who remembers the length of the journey prepares for it."
27
"Kinship is the refuge of salvation."
28
"If recommended (mustahabb) acts prevent you from performing the obligatory (farḍ), then leave them."
29
"The sharpest eye is the one that sees good; the best hearing ear is the one that listens to advice and benefits from it; and the soundest qalb is the one purified from doubts."
30
"The veil of pride is what prevents advice from reaching you. As long as pride and selfishness remain, advice will not be effective."
31
"Every person whose time has ended asks for respite, while the one who still has opportunity wastes his time by postponing his affairs, not appreciating its value."
32
"Not giving shukr (gratitude) for blessings is baseness."
33
"I have not seen anyone act wisely regarding what is between himself and his Lord."
34
"Knowledge removes the excuse of the learner. For as long as a person is ignorant, he may offer an excuse; though not every ignorant person, of course."