Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

People

People-النّاس

1. People are like writings on a scroll [of parchment], whenever part of it is rolled up, another part of it is unrolled.

1ـ اَلنّاسُ كَصُوَر فِي الصَّحِيفَةِ (صَحيفَة) كُلَّما طُوِيَ بَعْضُها

2. People are children of this world, and a child is naturally inclined to love its mother.

2ـ اَلنّاسُ أبْناءُ الدُّنيا والوَلَدُ مَطْبُوعٌ عَلى حُبِّ أُمِّهِ.

3. People are divided into two types of seekers, and each seeker is also sought after; so whoever seeks this world is sought after by death until it takes him out from it, and whoever seeks the Hereafter is sought after by this world, until he gets his sustenance from it in full.

3ـ اَلنّاسُ طالِبانِ: طالِبٌ ومَطْلُوبٌ، فَمَنْ طَلَبَ الدُّنيا

4. People are of three types: the godly scholar, the student who is on the path of salvation and the uncultivated rabble who run after every caller, neither seeking light from the effulgence of knowledge nor taking recourse to any strong support.

4ـ اَلنّاسُ ثَلاثَةٌ: فَعالِمٌ رَبّانيٌّ، ومُتَعَلِّمٌ عَلى سَبِيلِ

5. People are like trees, their drink is one but their fruits are different.

5ـ اَلنّاسُ كَالشَّجَرِ شَرابُهُ واحِدٌ، وثَمَرُهُ مُخْتَلِفٌ.

6. People are made deficient and flawed, except those whom Allah, the Glorified, protects. The questioner among them aims to embarrass and confuse while the answerer creates trouble. It is not long until the one who has the best views among them is turned away from his good opinion by pleasure or displeasure, and at any moment the most strong-willed among them will get affected by a single glance or transformed by a single expression.

6ـ اَلنّاسُ مَنْقُوصُونَ مَدْخُولُونَ إلاّ مَنْ عَصَمَ اللّهُ

7. The people who work in this world are of two types: one works in this world for this world; his world has indeed distracted him from his Hereafter. He fears poverty for those whom he will leave behind but feels safe from it himself; so he spends his entire life for the benefit of others. The other one works in this world for that which is to come after it, so that which is [allotted] for him comes to him without [extra] work. Thus he acquires both the shares together and gains possession of both the abodes collectively.

7ـ اَلنّاسُ فِي الدُّنيا عاملانِ: عاملٌ فِي الدُّنيا لِلدُّنيا، قَدْ

8. Out of fear of humiliation, people are hastening [towards] humiliation.

8ـ اَلنّاسُ مِنْ خَوْفِ الذُّلِّ مُتَعَجِّلُوا الذُّلِّ.

9. The best of people are those who benefit others the most.

9ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ أنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنّاسِ.

10. The most felicitous person is the intelligent believer.

10ـ أسْعَدُ النّاسِ اَلعاقِلُ المُؤمِنُ.

11. The most excellent person is the generous one who possesses certitude.

11ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ اَلسَّخِيُّ المُوقِنُ.

12. The best people in fulfilling the rights of others are the best in their [following of] Islam.

12ـ أحْسَنُ النّاسِ ذِماماً أحْسَنُهُمْ إسْلاماً.

13. The loftiest of people is the one who humbles himself.

13ـ أجَلُّ النّاسِ مَنْ وَضَعَ نَفْسَهُ.

14. The strongest person is one who gains an upper hand over his [carnal] soul.

14ـ أقْوَى النّاسِ مَنْ قَوِيَ عَلى نَفْسِهِ.

15. The strongest person is one who overpowers his vain desires.

15ـ أقْوَى النّاسِ مَنْ غَلَبَ هَواهُ.

16. The most sagacious person is one who rejects [the pleasures of] his worldly life.

16ـ أكْيَسُ النّاسِ مَنْ رَفَضَ دُنْياهُ.

17. The person who makes the most profit is one who buys the Hereafter with this world.

17ـ أرْبَحُ النّاسِ مَنِ اشْتَرى بِالدُّنيا اَلآخِرَةَ.

18. The person who suffers the greatest loss is one who settles for this world in exchange for the Hereafter.

18ـ أخْسَرُ النّاسِ مَنْ رَضِيَ الدُّنيا عِوَضاً عَنِ الآخِرَةِ.

19. The best person is one whose own faults distract him from the faults of others.

19ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ مَنْ شَغَلَتْهُ مَعايِبُهُ عَنْ عُيُوبِ النّاسِ.

20. The people who are most felicitous are those who are least interested this world.

20ـ أعْظَمُ النّاسِ سَعادَةً أكْثَرُهُمْ زَهادَةً.

21. The best person is one whose soul is pure and who is indifferent towards this world despite being wealthy.

21ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ مَنْ تَنَزَّهَتْ نَفْسُهُ وزَهَدَ عَنْ غُنْيَة.

22. The most enviable person is the one who rushes to perform good deeds.

22 ـ أغْبَطُ النّاسِ الْمُسارِ عُ إلَى الْخَيْراتِ.

23. Of all the people, the most deserving of compassion are: the scholar upon whom an ignorant person passes judgment, the noble person who is dominated by a vile person and the virtuous person who is under the command of a vicious person.

23ـ أحَقُّ النّاسِ بِالرَّحْمَةِ عالِمٌ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِ حُكْمُ جاهِل،

24. The best people in this world are the generous ones, and in the Hereafter, the God-wary.

24ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ فِي الدُّنيا اَلأسْخِياءُ، وفِي الآخِرَةِ

25. The person in the worst condition is one whose material wealth is cut off but his habit [of spending] remains.

25ـ أسْوَءُ النّاسِ حالاً مَنِ انْقَطَعَتْ مادَّتُهُ وبَقِيَتْ

26. The person who has the weariest heart is one whose endeavour is great and whose magnanimity is abundant, yet his [financial ability and] resources are minimal.

26 ـ أتْعَبُ النّاسِ قَلْباً مَنْ عَلَتْ هِمَّتُهُ وكَثُرَتْ

27. The person living in the most straitened circumstances is one whose desire is much, whose endeavour is great and whose provisions are plenty but his support is less.

27ـ أضْيَقُ النّاسِ حالاً مَن كَثُرَتْ شَهْوَتُهُ وكَبُرَتْ هِمَّتُهُ

28. The best person is one who resists his vain desires and better than him is he who rejects [the pleasures of] his worldly life.

28ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ مَنْ عَصى هَواهُ وأفْضَلُ مِنْهُ مَنْ رَفَضَ

29. The most wretched person is one who is overcome by his vain desire so his worldly life gains mastery over him and he corrupts his Hereafter.

29ـ أشْقَى النّاسِ مَنْ غَلَبَهُ هَواهُ فَمَلَكَتْهُ دُنْياهُ وأفْسَدَ

30. Verily people are only either scholars or seekers of knowledge, all others are rabble.

30ـ إنَّما النّاسُ عالِمٌ ومُتَعَلِّمٌ وَماسِواهُما فَهَمَجٌ.

31. Indeed the elite among the people are only those who have admirable intellects, honourable ambitions and are possessors of nobility.

31ـ إنَّما سَراةُ النّاسِ أُولُوا الأحْلامِ الرَّغِيبَةِ والهِمَمِ

32. Let the person who enjoys your favour the most be he who is most protective of the weak and acts most in accordance with the truth.

32ـ لِيَكُنْ أحْظَي النّاسِ مِنْكَ أحْوَطُهُمْ عَلَى الضُّعَفاءِ،

33. The best person is he who shows forbearance if he is angered, forgives if he is oppressed, and does good [in return] if is wronged.

33ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ إنْ أُغْضِبَ حَلُمَ وإنْ ظُلِمَ غَفَرَ وإنْ

34. The best person is one who benefits the people.

34ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ نَفَعَ النَّاسَ.

35. The best person is he who bears the responsibility of providing for the people.

35ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَن ْتَحَمَّلَ مَؤُنَةَ النّاسِ.

36. The best of people are the most pious amongst them and the worst of them are most immoral amongst them.

36ـ خَيْـرُالنّاسِ أوْرَعُهُمْ وشَرُّهُمْ أفْجَرُهُمْ.

37. The best person is one who shows gratitude when he is given, remains patient when he is tested [with tribulations], and forgives when he is wronged.

37ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ إذا أُعْطِيَ شَكَرَ وَإذَا ابْتُلِيَ صَبَرَ

38. The best person is one who removes greed from his heart and resists his vain desires in obedience to his Lord.

38ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ أخْرَجَ الحِرْصَ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ، وعَصى هَواهُ

39. The best person is one who purifies his soul from lustful desires, quells his anger and pleases his Lord.

39ـ خَيْـرُالنّاسِ مَنْ طَهَّرَ مِنَ الشَّهَواتِ نَفْسَهُ وقَمَعَ

40. The best person is one who is generous and thankful in times of prosperity.

40ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ كانَ في يُسْرِهِ سَخِيّاً شَكُوراً.

41. The best person is one who is altruistic and patient in times of hardship.

41ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ كانَ في عُسْرِهِ مُؤْثِراً صَبُوراً.

42. The best person is one whose soul is uninterested in worldly pleasures, whose desire is less, whose lust is dead, whose faith is pure and whose certitude is true.

42ـ خَيْـرُ النّاسِ مَنْ زَهَدَتْ نَفْسُهُ، وَقَلَّتْ رَغْبَتُهُ،

43. The entry of people into [discussion about] a thing is the prelude to its [coming into] existence.

43ـ خَوْضُ النّاسِ فِي الشَّـيْءِ مُقَدَّمَةُ الْكائِنِ.

44. The worst person is one who deceives others.

44ـ شرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يَغُشَّ النّاسَ.

45. The worst person is one who oppresses others.

45ـ شَرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يَظْلِمُ النّاسَ.

46. The worst person is one who neither accepts excuses nor pardons offences.

46ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْلا يَقْبَلُ العُذْرَ وَلا يُقْيلُ الذَّنْبَ.

47. The worst person is one who considers himself to be the best of them.

47ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يَرى أنَّهُ خَيْـرُهُمْ.

48. The worst person is one who does not care if people see him doing evil.

48ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ لا يُبالي أنْ يَراهُ النّاسُ مُسِيئاً.

49. The worst person is one who does not give thanks for blessings and does not respect the inviolable boundaries [of others].

49ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ لا يَشْكُرُ النِّعْمَةَ وَلا يَرْعَى

50. The worst person is one who slanders his brothers and forgets the favours [done to him by others].

50ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ سَعى بِالإخْوانِ ونَسِيَ الإحْسانَ.

51. The worst person is one from whom good is not expected and from whose evil people do not feel secure.

51ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ لا يُرْجى خَيْـرُهُ وَلا يُؤْمَنُ شَـرُّهُ.

52. The worst person is one who neither keeps the trust [that has been placed in his care] nor does he avoid treachery.

52ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ لا يَعْتَقِدُ الأمانَةَ وَلا يَجْتَنِبُ

53. The worst person is one who neither forgives mistakes nor covers up the faults [of others].

53ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ لا يَعْفُو عَنِ الزَّلَّةِ ولا يَسْتُرُ

54. The worst person is one who assists [the oppressor] against the oppressed.

54ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يُعِينُ عَلَى المَظْلُومِ.

55. The worst person is he who puts on the armour of vileness and helps the unjust.

55ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنِ ادَّرَعَ اللُّؤْمَ ونَصَرَ الظَّلُومَ.

56. The worst person is one who looks for the faults of others while turning a blind eye to his own faults.

56ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ كانَ مُتَتَبِّعاً لِعُيُوبِ النّاسِ عَمِيّاً

57. The worst person is one who fears the people with regards to [fulfilling the commandments of] his Lord but does not fear his Lord with regards to the people.

57ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يَخْشَى النّاسَ في رَبِّهِ ولا يَخْشى رَبَّهُ

58. The worst person is one who hopes for calamities to befall on others.

58ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يَبْتَغِي الْغَوائِلَ لِلنّاسِ.

59. The worst person is one who does not trust anyone because of his suspicion and who is not trusted by anyone because of his evil actions.

59ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ لايَثِقُ بِأحَد لِسُوءِ ظَنِّهِ ولا يَثِقُ

60. The worst person is one whom people are cautious about out of fear of his evil.

60ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ يَتَّقيهِ النّاسُ مَخافَةَ شَـرِّهِ.

61. The worst person is one who repays good with evil while the best of people is one who repays evil with good.

61ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ مَنْ كافى عَلَى الجَمِيلِ بالقَبِيحِ وخَيْـرُ

62. The worst person is he who has lengthy aspirations and does evil deeds.

62ـ شَـرُّ النّاسِ اَلطَّويلُ الأمـَلِ، اَلسَّـيِّئُ العَمَلِ.

63. One who knows [the true nature of] the people, isolates himself.

63ـ مَنْ عَرَفَ النّاسَ تَفَرَّدَ.

64. One who wishes ill for the people will not remain safe from affliction.

64ـ مَنْ طَلَبَ لِلنّاسِ الغَوائِلَ لَمْ يَأْمَنِ البَلاءَ.

65. Whoever knows the [true nature of the] people does not rely on them.

65ـ مَنْ عَرَفَ النّاسَ لَمْ يَعْتَمِدْ عَلَيْهِمْ.

66. Whoever is ignorant about people has confidence in them.

66ـ مَنْ جَهِلَ النّاسَ اِسْتَنامَ (اِستأْمَنَ) إلَيْهِمْ.

67. Whoever deals with the people in a beautiful manner, they respond to him in a similar fashion.

67ـ مَنْ عامَلَ النّاسَ بِالْجَمِيلِ كافَؤوُهُ بِهِ.

68. The best person is one who deals most gently with others and the most sagacious of them is one who is most persevering on the truth.

68ـ أفْضَلُ النّاسِ أعْمَلُهُمْ بِالرِّفْقِ وأكْيَسُهُمْ أصْبَرُهُمْ

69. The person who has the most hope of reformation is one who hastens to change himself when he learns of his faults.

69ـ أرْجَى النّاسِ صَلاحاً مَنْ إذا وَقَفَ عَلى مَساوِيهِ سارَعَ إلَى

70. The person who is most concerned about you is the one who is most helpful to you in improving [and reforming] yourself and is most sincere in advising you with regards to your religion.

70ـ أشْفَقُ النّاسِ عَلَيْكَ أعْوَنُهُمْ لَكَ عَلى صَلاحِ نَفْسِكَ

71. Verily the best person in the sight of Allah is one who enlivens his mind, kills off his lust and exerts himself for the betterment of his Hereafter.

71ـ إنَّ أفْضَلَ النّاسِ عِنْدَاللّهِ مَنْ أحْيا عَقْلَهُ، وأماتَ

72. People are of two types: the seeker who does not find [what he is looking for] and the finder who is not satisfied [with what he has found].

72ـ اَلنّاسُ رجُلانِ طالبٌ لايـَجِدُ وواجِدٌ لا يَكْتَفِي.

73. People are of two types: the generous one who does not possess [anything to bestow] and the one who possesses [plenty] but does not help others [with it].

73ـ اَلنّاسُ رَجُلانِ جَوادٌ لايـَجِدُ، وواجِدٌ لا يُسْعِفُ.

74. People are only [one of] of two types: the follower of [divine] law or the innovator of an innovation.

74ـ إنَّما النّاسُ رَجُلانِ مُتَّبِـعُ شِرْعَة وَمُبْتَدِعُ بِدْعَة.

75. It behoves the one who knows the [true nature of] people to be uninterested in that which they possess.

75ـ يَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ عَرَفَ النّاسَ أنْ يَزْهَدَ فِيما في أيْدِيهِمْ.

76. People are fine as long as they are dissimilar from one another.

76ـ اَلنّاسُ بِخَيْر ما تَفاوَتُوا.

77. The best-off people in the Hereafter are the poorest of them in this world.

77ـ أغْنَى النّاسِ فِي الآخِرَةِ أفْقَرُهُمْ فِي الدُّنيا.

78. The most eminent person is one who is humble despite his high standing and who shows humility despite his might.

78ـ وَجِيهُ النّاسِ مَنْ تَواضَعَ مَعَ رِفْعَة، وذَلَّ مَعَ مَنَعَة.