Some Wise Sayings of Imam Jafar Al-Sadiq


He has wise sayings and rare words. They raise the good souls to the classes of angels and lead people to the virtue and happiness when they use and consider them carefully.


* Men need three (things) very much: security, justice, and richness.

* Three (things) trouble life: the oppressive ruler, the bad neighbor, and the abusive woman.

* Living is not good but with three (things): fresh air, plentiful water, and the level land.

* Whoever has three (things) is perfect: intellect, handsomeness, and eloquence.

* Three (things) cause deprivation: the insistence on the request, backbiting, and mockery.

* Whoever asks three (things) without rights deprived of three (things) without right: Whoever asks life in this world without right will be deprived of life in the hereafter with right; whoever asks leadership without right is deprived of obedience for him with right, and whoever asks property without right is deprived of its lasting for him with right.

* The prudent person should not do three (things): Drinking poison for experiment even if he is saved from it; spreading the secret to the envious relatives even if he is saved from it, and traveling by sea even if there is riches in it.

* The people of every country is in need of three (persons). They resort to them in the affair of their life in this world and in hereafter If they lose them, they are rabble: A Religious, knowledgeable jurisprudent, good obeyed Emir, a knowing trusty doctor.

* If men are safe from three (things), safety is common: a bad tongue, a bad hand, and a bad act.

* If the slave has not one of three traits, then his master has no rest: religion guides him, good manners lead him, or fear holds him back.

* The person needs three (things) in his house for his family. nice association, comfort with estimation, and sense of honor with chastity.

* Whoever is afflicted by one of three (things) is weak minded: turning away blessing, corrupt wife, disaster of a dear one.

* Bravery has been made according to three natures, each one of them have a virtue of which the other has not: generosity with the self, looking down upon abasement, and requesting reputation. If they come together in the brave (person), he will be the hero in whose way no one stands and marked by boldness in his time, and if they are superior to each other, his bravery will be in the nature that is superior to the others.

* The child should fulfill three (things) for his parents: (He should) thank them any how, obey them in what they order him (to do) and prevent him from disobeying Allah, and (take) their advice secretly and openly.

* And the father should fulfill three (things) for his child: (He should) choose his mother, give him a good name, and spare no effort to educate him.

* Pleasure is in three (things): in faithfulness, conforming to the rights, and rising in misfortunes.

* Three (things) show the right idea: the good meeting, good listening, and the good answer.

* Men are three (kinds): a wise (man), a foolish (man), and a licentious (man)- if the wise (man) is asked, he answers. If he speaks, he says the right thing. And if he hears, he understands. If the foolish (man) speaks, he (speaks) in a hurry. If he is told, he becomes astonished. And if he is ordered (to do) the disgraceful (things), he does (it). If you trust the licentious (man), he betrays you. And if you speak to him (about something), he disgraces you.

* There is no estrangement with three (things): good behavior, refraining from harm, and avoiding doubt.

* Days are three (kinds): so a day has passed; it can not be repeated, a day when men are on it, so they must avail themselves of it, and tomorrow whose hope is in their hands only.

* However has not three traits, his belief does not avail him: patience to refute the ignorance of the ignorant (person), fear of God to prevent him from seeking the forbidden, and good ethics to treat men kindly.

* The brothers (the friends) are three (kinds): (The first kind) helps you with himself, (the second kind helps you) with his money- they are truthful in brother hood (friendship), and (the third kind) takes the purpose from you and wants you for some pleasure, then do not regard him as (one) of the people of trust.

* The servant does not complete the truth of belief till he has three qualities: understanding in religion, good estimation in living, and patience for misfortunes.

* Thank him who bestows upon you, and bestow upon him who thanks you, because the blessings do not end when you thank and they do not stay when you are ungrateful.

* It was said to him (al- Sadiq): What is morality? So he, peace be on him, said: It is that Allah does not see you where He has forbidden you and does not miss you where He has ordered you.

* Missing the need is better than requesting it from other than its people, and severer than the disaster is the bad consequence (that results) from it.

* Surely, feeble is he who does not prepare patience for every disaster, thankfulness for every blessing, and ease for every difficulty.

* The desirable are not increased but with thankfulness and the hateful are not decreased but with patience.

* The most useful thing for a person is that he precedes men for his own defect, and the strongest of them in provisions is to conceal destitution, the severest thing in pains is to give advice to him who does not accept it and to neighbor the greedy (person), and the most comfortable thing is to despair of men.

* Whoever puts himself in the place of accusation, then does not blame him who mistrusts him.

* Whoever conceals his secret, good is in his hand, and every speech passes two (persons) is spreading.

* Put the instruction of your brother in the best manner, and do not mistrust a word that comes out of your brother while you find a reason for it in the good.

* Cleave to the brothers of truthfulness, because they are readiness during comfort and protection during the misfortune.

* Some of good faith is knowledge, some of good knowledge is clemency, some of good clemency is fellowship, some of good fellowship is leniency, and some of good leniency is easiness.

* Beautiful forgiveness is that you have not admonished for the sin, and beautiful patience is that which has no complaint.

* Al- Mufaddal b. 'Amr asked him (al- Sadiq) about ancestry, so he, peace be on him, said: the property He (al- Mufaddal) said: so generosity, he, peace be on him, said: piety, he said: rightness, he, peace be on him, said: generosity, woe unto you! Did you not know that how Hatam al- Ta'i became the master of his people while he was not the best of them in position.

* Charity is the Zakat (alms) of blessings, intercession is the Zakat of dignity, illnesses are the Zakat of bodies, forgiveness is the Zakat of victory, and the thing whose Zakat is paid is safe from taking (by Allah).

* Some manners of the ignorant (person) are: the answer before he hears, the opposition before he understands, and the judgment with what he does not know.

* Your secret is (some) of your blood, then do not make it flow in other than your veins.

* Your chest is wider for your secret.

* Whoever does not make friends with him who has no defect his friends are very few, whoever is not satisfied with his friend but (that his friend) prefers him to himself his wrath lasts, and whoever admonishes (his friend) for every sin his admonishment lasts.

* If the ill- natured (person) knows that he tortures himself, he will be tolerant in his manners.

* When the person is tongue- tied, the idea refrains from him, and the ways puzzle him surely fellowship is his key.

* Three (groups) get nothing but good: Those who keep silent, those who give up evil, those who remember Allah, the Great and Almighty, very much, and the head of determination is humbleness.

* Try your brother during a blessing happens to you or a misfortune afflict you.

* He whose anger appears his deception appears, and he whose desire becomes strong his determination becomes weak.

* Whoever does not advance the examination before trust, and trust before fellowship, his fellowship produces regret.

* Man's look is a part of his inner- self.

* Whoever is opinionated is liable to the dangers of slips.

* Whoever does not ask Allah (to give him) of his favor becomes poor.

* Verily, supplication is more penetrative than the spear head.

* Some men visited him (al- Sadiq), suddenly one man of them mentioned a man, backbited him (the man) and complained of him, so Abu Abd Allah said to him: How is all your brother for you, which of men is well- bred?

* The relation among brothers during presence is to visit each other, and during travel is to write to each other.

* The hearts are disposed by nature for loving him who avails them and hating him who harms them.

* The debt is worry during night and abasement during day.

* Obey your parents and your children obey you, and be chaste for the women of men and your women are chaste.

* The person is many with his brother, and there is no good in the friendship of him who does not wish you what you wish for him.

* Two men disputed at his presence, so he, peace be on him, said to them: Truly, whoever is victorious with oppression does not get good, and whoever does evil for people, then must not deny evil when it is done for him.

* No living is more comfortable than good behavior, no property is more useful than the satisfaction with the small profitable (thing), and no ignorance is more harmful than vanity.

* Shake hands with each other because it removes the spite.

* Fear Allah some fear even it is little, and leave a screen between you and Allah even if it is thin.

* Much thinking about the wise saying fertilizes intellect.

* He was asked about the quality of justice of the man, so he, peace on him, said: If he prevents his eyes from the forbidden, his tongue from sins, and his hand from the wrong.

* Whoever does not acknowledge some one's favor then he is self-conceited.

* Two qualities do not come together in a hypocrite a good way and understanding a norm.

* No one, even if the conditions help him, abstracts luxury living but through a misfortune, and whoever anticipates to postpone the m is fortune through hastening towards the chances, the days deprives him of his chance, because the state of the days is deprivation and the way of days is passing.

* How many a deceived (person) in what Allah has bestowed upon him, how many a tempted (person) in Allah's concealment for him, and a how many charmed (person) by the praise of men for him.

* Good health is a hidden blessing: if it is found it is forgotten, and if it is missed it is remembered.

* Good health is a blessing for which thankfulness is feeble.

* Badness is in three (things): in the woman, the riding animal, and the house, as for the badness in the woman is her high dowry and her disobedience for her husband, as for the riding animal is its bad behavior and preventing its back, and as for the house is narrowness of its yard and the evil of its neighbors and the large number of its defects.

* It was said to him: Which traits of the person are the best? So he, peace on him, said: Solemnity without awe, generosity without seeking a reward, and busyness in other than the belongings of this world.

* Whoever has no five (qualities) has not many enjoyable (things), It was said (to him): Son of the Prophet of Allah, may Allah bless him and his family, what are they? So he, peace be on him, said: religion, intellect, modesty, good behavior, good manners And whoever has not five (qualities) is not happy at living: good health, security, riches, satisfaction, and an agreeable friend.

* How much patience of an hour causes long happiness, and how much pleasure causes long sadness.

* It is not (an act) of fairness to ask the brothers (to make) fairness.

* The angry (person) has no idea, the bored (person) has no friend, the envier has no riches, whoever does not think about consequences is not determined, and thinking about consequences is the fertilization of hearts.

* Cleave to generosity and good behavior, because they adorn the person as the middle jewel adorns the necklace.

* Three (things) are of happiness: the agreeable wife, the obedient child, and (when) the person is given sustenance for which he goes early in the morning and comes back to his family.

* Sleeping is rest for the body, speech is rest for the soul, and silence is rest for intellect.

* Do not call the man a friend; call him acquaintance till you try him with three (things): make him angry, then wait (to know whether) his anger takes him out of the right to the falsehood (or not), during the Dinar and the Durham, and when you travel with him.

* How many a blessing Allah bestows upon His servant without his act, how many a hoping (person) for a hope and the choice is in other than it, and how many a walker for his death and he is slow from his luck.

* (It is an act) of injustice that the rider says to the walker: the road.

* If the man loves his religion, his brothers love him.

* The honor of a believer is his prayers at night, and his dignity is to refrain from harming people.

* Approach Allah through helping your brothers.

* I ensure him who economizes that he will not be poor.

* Be patient for the enemies of blessings, because you do not reward him who disobeys Allah through you better than you obey Allah through him.

* Whoever is satisfied with death, death will put an end to him and through it he will be rewarded, and whoever is dissatisfied with death, death will put an end to him and Allah will frustrate his action.

* Give presents to each other (to) love each other, because the present removes the spites.

* Allah is not worshipped with better than silence and going to His House.

* I prevent you from (having) two qualities through which the men get mined: that you borrow a loan from Allah with falsehood and give a legal opinion without knowledge.

* (Some) of the reality of faith is that you (should) prefer the truth even if it harms you to falsehood even if it avails you, and your words should not exceed your action.

* The greedy (person) is deprived of two qualities and two qualities are always present with him: He is deprived of satisfaction so he misses rest, and he is deprived of pleasure so he misses certainty.

* Safety is with conviction, and regret is with hastiness.

* Whoever begins an action not in its time fulfills it not in its time.

* Men are three (kinds): a man is with his property, a man is with his high rank, and a man is with his tongue and is the best of the three (men).

* Begging is not permitted but in three (states): unpayable blood money or a heavy debt or an extreme need.

* Indeed, the worthiest of men to wish men riches are the misers, because if men become rich they will refrain from their properties, the worthiest of men to wish men righteousness are the people of defects, because if men become righteous they will refrain from looking for their defects, and the worthiest of men to wish men clemency are the people of foolishness, who need (men) to forgive their foolishness, so the people of miserliness have wished men poverty, the people of defects have wished men defects, and the people of foolishness have wished men foolishness, because poverty (makes man) in need of the miser, corruption (makes man) look for the people of defected, and foolishness is a reward for sins.

* Whoever shows enmity toward three (persons) becomes humble: the parents, the supreme ruler, and the creditor.

* The demands of men in this world are four (things): riches, gentleness, littleness of concern, and glory. As for riches, it is found in satisfaction. So, whoever seeks it in the muchness of property does not find it. As for the littleness of concern, it is found in the littleness (with the muchness of work) does not find it (concern). And as for glory, it is found in the service of the Creator. So, whoever seeks it in the service of the creature does not find it.

* I have found the knowledge of all men in four (things): the first of them is that you should know your Lord, the second is that you should know what He has made with you, the third is that you should know what He has wanted from you, and the fourth is that you should know what takes you out of your religion.

* If four (things) spread, four (things) appear: If adultery spreads, earth quakes appear. If Zakat (alms) is forbidden, cattle are perished. If the judge is unjust in judgment, rain does not come down from the sky. And if the non- Muslims guard, the polytheists over- come the Muslims.

* Verily, patience, piety, clemency, and good behavior are among the manners of prophets.

* Four (things) are in vain: eating after fullness, the lamp in the moon, the plant in the salty land, and the favor for the inappropriate person.

* Four (things) come to nothing: the affection you grant for him who has no faithfulness, favor for him who has no gratefulness, knowledge for him who has no listening for it, and a secret you entrust to him who has no keeping for it.

* Five (things) are impossible (to result from) five (things): advice from the envier is impossible, pity from the enemy is impossible, scacredness from the sinner is impossible, loyalty from the woman is impossible, and dignity from poverty is impossible.

* Five (things) are as I (the author) say: the miser has no rest, the envier has no pleasure, the bored (person) has no faithfulness, the liar has no manhood, and the foolish (person) does not become master.

* Five (persons) do not sleep: he who plans to shed blood, the owner of many properties, he who says falsity and slander against people to obtain a transient thing of the world, he who is fascinated by many properties (while) he has no property, and he who loves a dear (person) and expects his parting.

* Whoever has no admonisher from him, and a deterrent from his own self, and he has no guide to fellow enables his enemy to his neck.

* No person perishes because of consultation.

* Making a compliment to people is one third of intellect.

* (It is an act) of modesty to greet him whom you meet.

* Reminding someone of a favor demolishes the favor.

* The favor is that which is by one's own initiative, as for what you give after asking you match it with what he gives from his face.

* The best alms is to cool a very thirsty liver.

* He whose two days are equal then he is deceived, and he whose day on which he lives is better than his yesterday which departed from him then he is happy.

* The believer complies (with someone's moods) and does not dispute.

* Whoever does not look for his own defect his defect lasts, and he whose defect lasts then death is good for him.

* Whoever commits a sin without intention is worthy of forgiveness.

* To fear (Allah) is the inheritance of science and science is the rays of knowledge and heart of faith, and whoever is deprived of fear does not become a scientist even he splits perception in the ambiguous (matters) of science.

* He who answers all that he is asked, surely is mad.

* Whoever abuses men, his manhood is in vain.

* Do not look for (the defects of) men so as not to become without a friend.

* Whoever does not accept (anything) from his friend but to prefer him to himself, his wrath lasts.


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Sayings of Holy Prophet (s)

Sayings of Imam Ali (a)

Holy Prophet (s) and Ahlul-Bayt (a) --- [ 1 ] --- [ 2 ] --- [ 3 ]

The Life of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

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