Words That Fall Upon the Heart from Yusuf Khass Hajib
The wisdoms of Yusuf Khass Hajib are a selection of short sayings that touch the heart, character, and inner discipline of a person. Although each saying may appear as a simple note on its own, behind it lie fundamental issues 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
"If a lion becomes the leader of dogs, each of those dogs will become like a lion before others. But if a dog becomes the leader of lions, all those lions will become like dogs."
02
"A ruler should not act with corruption. Because of this behavior, fortune is lost."
03
"Cling closely to a person who is experienced and trustworthy; you will find joy in such a person."
04
"A ruler should be content, and act openly and clearly in word and deed. A greedy person is never satisfied with anything; greed is a disease for which there is no cure or remedy; even if all the sages of the world gathered, they could not heal it. All the hungry eat and drink and eventually become full; the hunger of a greedy person only ends with death."
05
"Oppression is like a burning fire, it burns whoever approaches; the law is like water, if it flows, it brings forth blessings."
06
"Whoever's thoughts and words are one and the same—he is the truly upright person."
07
"Stubbornness is a heavy burden for a person; free yourself from stubbornness and fight against it."
08
"A ruler must be just. O judge! If you wish to rule in the land for a long time, you must enforce the law correctly and protect the people."
09
"Understanding and knowledge are very good things; if you find them, use them and soar to the sky."
10
"Science and knowledge, whose value is recognized, are trustworthy guides."
11
"This world is like a colorful shadow; if you chase after it, it flees; if you flee from it, it chases you."
12
"The knowledge of scholars illuminates the path of the people; knowledge is like a torch; it burns at night and shows humanity the right way. Therefore, one must show respect to scholars and strive to benefit from their knowledge."
13
"The tongue is the interpreter of understanding and knowledge. The tongue gives value to a person, and through it, one finds happiness; the tongue can also devalue a person, and because of it, a person may lose his head."
14
"All the hardship a person endures is for his mouth and his back; he gathers wealth but cannot eat it; after he dies, he remains under its burden."
15
"Only the name of what is lawful (ḥalāl) remains, no one sees it; what is forbidden (ḥarām) is snatched up, yet still no one hears of it."
16
"Even if you have thousands of friends, there is always one missing."
17
"A ruler must be very cautious and very alert; if rulers are negligent, others will bear the consequences."
18
"The essence and words of a ruler must be true, and his nature must be noble. A ruler should be truthful, and his manner and actions should inspire trust so that the people believe in him and live in peace."
19
"A ruler should be modest, gentle-natured, and of noble character."
20
"For the people, it is good for the ruler to be brave and heroic; only with these virtues can great tasks be met. For the brave and daring, wealth is never lacking, just as food is never lacking for a white falcon."
21
"Whichever path the rulers take, that path becomes the way for their subjects as well."
22
"A ruler must be just. O judge, if you wish to rule in the land for a long time, you must enforce the law correctly and protect the people."
23
"One of the worst things for a ruler is stubbornness."
24
"If an arrow were not straight, it would not fly straight."
25
"A ruler should be patient (ṣabr, patient endurance) and calm; patience and calmness are ornaments for a ruler; these are among the foremost virtues of rulership."
26
"The cure for the disease of rulership is intellect and knowledge."
27
"A person begins every task with knowledge and completes it with intellect."
28
"As rulers observe custom and law, so too will the people obey custom and law in the same way."
29
"The word 'beg' (ruler) is related to the word 'bilig' (knowledge); if the 'l' is removed from 'bilig', only 'beg' remains. A ruler holds the people by means of knowledge; if he has no knowledge, his intellect is of no use."
30
"O knowledgeable person, do not depart from moderation in any matter."
31
"A ruler should be modest and the most distinguished among people; the conduct and actions of a modest person are an unbroken whole."
32
"A ruler should be humble and lowly of heart, and should forgive the faults of the guilty. A ruler should not be arrogant, boastful, or proud; if rulers are haughty and proud, O son, they will surely not be respected."
33
"Let your words be eyes for the powerless."
34
"For the people, the ruler must be very distinguished. If the ruler's heart, tongue, and nature are not upright, happiness cannot circulate in the land, it flees. It is not appropriate for the common nature to be close to the ruler; if this nature approaches, the ruler immediately loses his prestige."
35
"From person to person, only words remain as inheritance. The body's share always enters through the mouth; the soul's (rūḥ, the spirit) share is words, and it enters through the ear."
36
"A ruler should possess taqwa (God-consciousness) and be pure; if a ruler does not have taqwa and a pure qalb (the heart), he can never act purely and rightly."
37
"A ruler brings order to the land and law through policy; the people organize their actions by looking at his policy."
38
"If a person does not know how to extract pearls from the sea, then whether it is a pearl or a pebble, it makes no difference!"
39
"Even a flying bird knows its mate and finds its flock. You are a human being. Choose well those with whom you associate."
40
"For the people to be prosperous, correct laws must be established. Whichever ruler established correct laws in the land, he organized his country and enlightened its strength. If you wish to rule in the land for a long time, you must enforce the law correctly and protect the people."
41
"A ruler must attain every virtue completely; he must avoid improper and impossible deeds. To be a distinguished ruler, virtue must be valued."
42
"The pillar, foundation, strength, essence, and fragrance of the land depend on two things. One is the law, which is the right of the people; the other is the silver distributed to those who serve... When they see the money, the faces of those who serve should smile. Whichever ruler does not please his soldiers, ..."