said, "Imam should teach faith and boundaries of Islam to people under his rule."

- And, "Supreme happiness is to make attempt to reform affairs of all and educate the public."

- Regarding the duties of the ruler, Imam Ali (as) said, "Certainly, there is no obligation on the Imam except what has been devolved on him from Allah, namely to convey warnings, to exert in good advice."

With regards to carrying his duty to guide people, Imam Ali says, "I upheld the lantern of faith among you and taught you the limits of permitted (Halal) and forbidden (Haram).

Salvaged you by my justice and spread virtue among you through my words and conduct, and showed you the chosen ethics through my personality."

Imam Ali (as) said, "Your society will pass through a period when cunning and crafty intriguers will be favoured by status,

When profligates will be considered as well-bred, well-behaved and elegant elites of the society,

When just and honest people considered as weaklings,

When charity will be considered as a loss to wealth and property,

When support and help to each other will be considered as favour and benevolence and, When prayers and worship to Allah will be taken up for the sake of show to gain popularity and higher status.

At such times regimes will be run under the advice of women, and the youngsters will be the rulers and counselors of the State."

°• These are just a few of the many sayings of Imam Ali (as) from Nahjul Balagha amongst the many others that I already shared in other parts of this book.

I didn't find a part biffiting of putting them in so I included them all in this part.•°

"During civil disturbance adopt such an attitude that people do not attach any importance to you.

They neither burden you with complicated affairs, nor try to derive any advantage out of you."

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"Benevolence and charity will enhance prestige and position;

Courtesy will draw benevolence;

Service of mankind will secure leadership and good words will overcome powerful enemies."

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"Cowardice is a defect,

Poverty often disables an intelligent man from arguing his case,

A poor man is a stranger in his own town;

Misfortune and helplessness are calamities."

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"For those who refused to side with any party, Imam Ali (as) or his enemies, Imam Ali (as) said,"They have forsaken religion and are of no use to infidelity also."

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"Failures are often the results of timidity and fears; disappointments are the results of bashfulness.

"Success is the result of foresight and resolution, foresight depends upon deep thinking and planning and the most important factor of planning is to keep your secrets to yourself."

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"If the right usurped from us is given back to us we shall take it, otherwise we shall go on claiming it."

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"Often your utterances and expressions of your face leak out the secrets of your hidden thoughts."

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"When you get ill do not get nervous about it and try as much as possible to be hopeful."

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"One who hopes inordinately, impairs his deeds."

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When Imam Ali (as), marching at the head of his army towards Syria, reached Ambar, the landlords of the place came out to meet him in zeal of their love, faithfulness and respect, no sooner had they seen Imam Ali (as). They got down from their horses and started running in front of him.

Imam Ali (as) asked the reason of their strange actions.

They replied that it was their custom to show their love and respect in that way.

Imam Ali (as) replied: "By Allah, by your action you do no good whatsoever to your rulers but you tire yourself and put yourself in toils in this world, and in trouble in the next.

How unfortunate is that exertion, which brings harm here and in the Hereafter and how useful is that ease which keeps you in comfort in this world and away from the Hell in the next."

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"Be afraid of a gentleman when he is hungry, and of a mean person when his stomach is full."

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"Wealth converts a strange land into homeland and poverty turns a native place into a strange land."

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"Wealth is the fountainhead of passions."

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"The source of success of a claimant is the mediator."

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"Not to have a thing is less humiliating than to beg it."

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"If matters get mixed up then scrutinize the cause and you will know what the effects will be."

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Zirar bin Zamra Zibabi, known as Zirar Suda'i, was a companion of Imam Ali (as).

After the martyrdom of Imam Ali (as), he went to Damascus. Muawiya called him and asked him to say something about Imam Ali (as).

Zirar, knowing that Muawiya hated Imam Ali (as) intensely tried to avoid this topic but Muawiya forced him to speak.

Thereupon, Zirar said: "O Amir, I had often seen Imam Ali (as) in the depth of nights, when people were either sleeping or engrossed in amusements, he would be standing in the niche of the Masjid, with tears in his eyes and he would beseech Allah to help him maintain a pious, a virtuous and a noble character and to forsake the world.

He would then address the world, saying "O vicious world! Be away from me, why do you come in front of me like this? Do you want to allure me? Allah forbid that I should be allured and tempted by you and your pleasures.

It is not possible. Go and try your allurements on somebody else.

I do not desire to own you and do not want to have you. I have forsaken you thrice.

It is like divorcing a woman thrice after which act she cannot be taken back as a wife.

The life of pleasures that you offer is of a very little duration.

There is no real importance in what you offer, the desire of holding you is an insult and a humiliation to sober minds.

Sad is the plight of those who want to acquire you.

They do not provide for the Hereafter.

They have to pass through a long journey over a very difficult road towards a sat destination."

Zirar says that when he stopped, there were tears in the eyes of Muawiya who said, "May peace of Allah be upon Abul Hassan 'Ali bin Abi Talib, he was undoubtedly like that.

Now tell me, Zirar! How do you feel his separation?" Zirar replied, "My sorrow and grief is like that of a woman whose only child has been murdered in her lap."

With this remark Zirar walked out of the court of Muawiya and left the city.

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"Value of each man depends upon the art and skill which he has attained."

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"I appreciate an old man's cautious opinion more than the valor of a young man."

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"Man is a wonderful creature.

He sees through the layers of fat (eyes), hears through a bone (ears) and speaks through a lump of flesh (tongue)."

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"More wonderful than man himself is that part of his body which is connected with his trunk with muscles. It is his brain (mind).

Look what good and bad tendencies arise from it.

On the one hand, it holds treasures of knowledge and wisdom and on the other it is found to harbour very ugly desires.

If a man sees even a tiny gleam of success, then greed forces him to humiliate himself.

If he gives way to avarice, then inordinate desires ruin him, if he is disappointed, then despondency almost kills him.

If he is excited, then he loses temper and gets angry.

If he is pleased, then he gives up precaution.

Sudden fear makes him dull and nervous, and he is unable to think and find a way out of the situation. During the times of peace and prosperity he becomes careless and unmindful of the future.

If he acquires wealth, then he becomes haughty and arrogant.

If he is plunged in distress, then his agitation, impatience and nervousness disgrace him.

If he is overtaken by poverty, then he finds himself in a very sad plight, hunger makes him weak, and over-feeding harms him equally.

In short every kind of loss and gain makes his mind unbalanced.

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Sohayl bin Hunayf Ansari was a favourite companion of Imam Ali (as).

At the time of Imam Ali's return from Siffin, he died at Kufa of the wounds sustained in the battle.

His death left Imam (as) very sad and he said: "Even if a mountain loves me it will be crushed into bits."

(It means people are tested with my love, and to prove it they have to pass through loss and calamities).

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When somebody asked Imam Ali (as) as to how he was getting on, he replied:

"What do you want to know about a person whose life is leading him towards ultimate death, whose health is the first stage towards illness and whom society has forced out of his retreat."

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"Two kinds of people will be damned on my account Those who form exaggerated opinion about me and those who underestimate me because they hate me."

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"Whoever is not diligent in his work, will suffer; whoever has no share of Allah in his wealth and in his life then there is no place for him in His Realm."

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"One of the conveniences in life is to have less children."

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"One, who acquires power cannot avoid favouritism."

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"One, who guards his secrets has complete control over his affairs."

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"People often hate those things which they do not know or cannot understand. "

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"One who struggles for the cause of Allah secures victory over His enemies."

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"Obstinacy will prevent you from making a correct decision."

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"Deficiency will result in shame and sorrow but caution and foresight will bring peace and security."

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"If two opposite theories are propagated one will be wrong."

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"When I feel angry with a person how and when should I satisfy my anger, whether at a time when I am not in a position to retaliate and people may advise me to bear patiently or when I have power to punish and I forgive."

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"The first fruit of forbearance is that people will sympathize with you and they will go against the man who offended you arrogantly."

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"One who takes account of his shortcomings will always gain by it; one who is unmindful of them will always suffer.

One who is afraid of the Day of Judgment, is safe from the Wrath of Allah.

One who takes lessons from the events of life, gets vision, one who acquires vision becomes wise and one who attains wisdom achieves knowledge."

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"One who comes into power often oppresses."

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"Adversities often bring good qualities to the front."

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"The best deed of a great man is to forgive and forget."

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