20 Powerful Quotes from Imam Ali (a.s.) from Nahjul Balagha with References

Imam Ali a.s

1. On Wisdom & Knowledge

đź“– “Knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you, but you have to guard wealth.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 147

2. On Patience

đź“– “Patience is of two kinds: patience over what pains you, and patience against what you covet.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 55

3. On Justice

đź“– “The best way to punish an enemy is to do good to him.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 11

4. On Character

đź“– “A person is hidden under his tongue.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 148

5. On Generosity

đź“– “The wealth of a miser is as useless as a stone in the middle of a river, neither it benefits him nor anyone else.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 123

6. On Gratitude

đź“– “One who is not thankful for small blessings will not be thankful for big ones.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 162

7. On Friendship

đź“– “The worst friend is he who is only with you when you are wealthy and leaves you when you are poor.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 217

8. On Faith

đź“– “Faith stands on four pillars: Patience, Conviction, Justice, and Jihad (struggle in the way of truth).”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 31

9. On Silence

đź“– “When wisdom reaches perfection, words become few.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 349

10. On Arrogance

đź“– “Pride prevents a man from seeking knowledge.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 263

11. On Envy

đź“– “Envy eats away faith just as fire consumes wood.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 38

12. On Time

đź“– “Time wears out bodies, renews hopes, brings death closer, and takes away desires.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 114

13. On Hard Work

đź“– “Do not be a slave to others when Allah has created you free.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 426

14. On Forgiveness

đź“– “The best revenge is to forgive.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 201

15. On Hypocrisy

đź“– “The tongue of a wise man is behind his heart, and the heart of a fool is behind his tongue.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 40

16. On Leadership

đź“– “He who is greedy is disgraced; he who discloses his hardship is humiliated; he who has no control over his tongue often gets into trouble.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 56

17. On Death

đź“– “O People! You are moving fast with the hope that never ends, while death is chasing you.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 28

18. On Charity

đź“– “Blessings are connected with gratitude, and gratitude is connected with more giving. The two are tied together, and will never separate.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 138

19. On Intelligence

đź“– “A fool’s mind is at the mercy of his tongue, while a wise man’s tongue is controlled by his mind.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Saying 40

20. On Worldly Desires

đź“– “This world is like a snake, soft to touch but full of venom.”
📌 Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 112