Ali al-Rida
Eighth Twelver Sh?‘ah Im?m He was the son of M?s? al-K?dhim and was the sixth generation grandson of Muhammad.
Every curiosity is in need of the curiosity of speech.
For the Devil, the presence of learned one is by far more painful than a thousand worshipers.
Man is not worshipful unless he is clement.
Some signs of understanding are: clemency, knowledge, and silence. Silence is one of the doors to wisdom. It brings about love and is evidence for all good.
Silence is a door among the doors of wisdom - indeed, silence begets and attracts love, it is the proof of all the beneficiences.
Reason is a free gift from God and politeness is acquisition. He who undertakes politeness has power over it. He who undertakes reason increases (himself) through that nothing but ignorance.
The most valuable stage of wisdom is the stage of self-consciousness.
Knowledge and science are the coffers and caches to the treasures of Perfection; and the only access to them is to ask and question.
The rank of the eldest brother is like that of father.
Everyone's friend is his reason; his enemy is his ignorance.
Worship is not the abundance of prayer and fasting; rather it is the abundance of reflecting on the affairs of God, the Great and Almighty.
He who reckons his own soul is successful; he who is heedless of it is unsuccessful.
A trustworthy person does not betray you, but you consider the betrayer to be trustworthy.
Assisting the weak is better for you than your act of charity.
The worst of men is he who stops his contributions to charity, eats by himself, and whips his slave.
The miserly one is never restful; the envious is never pleased; the grumbler is never loyal; the liar has no conscience.
He who takes himself to account gets benefitted, and the one who gets negligent and careless about himself bears loss. The one who fears (Allah) becomes peaceful, and the one who takes lesson becomes most clear sighted and discerning. He who becomes most clear sighted, understands; and he who understands and comprehends becomes knowledgeable and informed.
Time will come when one's safety lies in ten things: nine of which are in staying aloof from men, and the tenth in staying silent.
One who offers (suggests) what he doesn't know, will be under the curse of the angels of the heavens and the earth.
Wisdom and intellect is every man's friend, ignorance and illiteracy are his enemies.