,the ,wisdom of the ,east ,series ,,edited ,,by ,l4 ,,cranmer-,,byng ,dr4 ,s4 ,a4 ,,kapadia ,,arabian ,,wisdom ,,wisdom ,,of ,,the ,,east ,,arabian ,,wisdom ,,selections ,,and ,,translations ,,from ,,the ,,arabic ,,by ,,john ,,wortabet1 ,m4,d4 ,,third ,,impression ,,london ,,john ,,murray1 ,,albemarle ,,street #aiaf ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved ,,to ,,my ,,children ,what doth the ,lord require of thee1 but to do justly1 and to love mercy1 and to walk humbly with thy ,god6--,,micah vi4 #h4 ,,contents ,,introduction ,,the ,,first ,,chapter ,,of ,,the ,,koran ,,repentance ,a ,,sinner',s ,,cry ,,unto ,,god ,,forgiving ,,others ,,forbearance ,,humility ,,true ,,nobility ,,self-,,respect ,,character ,,benevolence ,,generosity ,,gratitude ,,recompense ,,flaunting ,,kindness ,,knowledge ,,speculative ,,studies ,,thoughts1 ,,doubts ,,wisdom ,,ignorance1 ,,folly ,,consultation ,,speaking1 ,,writing1 ,,books ,,silence ,,truthfulness ,,truthfulness ,,to ,,promises ,,truthfulness ,,to ,,secrets ,,deceit ,,exertion ,,opportunities ,,economy ,,vicissitudes ,,of ,,fortune ,,patience ,,contentment ,,cheerfulness ,,war ,,anger ,,hatred1 ,,malice ,,murder ,,envy ,,rashness ,,laziness ,,avarice ,,complaint1 ,,blame ,,marriage ,,children ,,filial ,,duty ,,brothers ,,friends ,,neighbours ,,salutation ,,love ,,of ,,country ,,and ,,home ,,travelling ,,health ,,youth ,,and ,,old ,,age ,,death ,,appendix ,,editorial ,,note ,the object of the editors of this series is a very definite one4 ,they desire above all things that1 in their humble way1 these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between ,east and ,west1 the old world of ,thought1 and the new of ,action4 ,in this endeavour1 and in their own sphere1 they are but followers of the highest example in the land4 ,they are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of ,oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of ,charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour4 ,l4 ,,cranmer-,,byng4 ,s4 ,a4 ,,kapadia4 ,,northbrook ,,society1 #ba1 ,,cromwell ,,road1 ,,kensington1 ,s4,w4 ,,introduction ,the wise sayings and proverbs of ancient and modern times1 and in all the languages ,i know or to which ,i had access in translations1 have always had a great attraction for me4 ,drawn from the experiences and study of human life1 they have been reduced by wise men to short1 pithy sentences1 generally expressed in some quaint or striking form1 for conveying sound moral truths4 ,they are intended to be maxims of life1 or rules of conduct1 chiefly for the young1 but may be read with pleasure and profit by both young and old4 ,it was with such an object in view that the ,editors of the ,wisdom of the ,east series have lately issued a number of small books on this subject carefully translated by competent specialists1 and which have been highly appreciated by the ,english press and public4 ,their chief desire1 however1 appears to be that these books shall be the ambassadors of good-will and understanding between ,east and ,west1 and also that the great ideals and lofty philosophy of ,oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of ,charity which neither despises nor fears the nations of another creed and colour4 7,see ,editorial ,note47 ,it was also from such motives1 but long before ,i had seen these books1 that ,i have employed a part of my leisure hours in translating into ,arabic some of the best sayings of ,m4 ,aurelius1 ,shakespeare1 ,tennyson1 ,english and other proverbs1 and1 quite lately1 selections from ,the ,instruction of ,ptah-,hotep and ,sadi's ,scroll of ,wisdom4 ,they were published in the best ,arabic magazines1 and have been read by many ,christians1 ,moslems1 and ,jews in ,egypt1 ,syria1 and other countries2 and ,i have been told by some of these ,oriental readers that they found in them much matter for thought and instruction1 while their views of the community and bonds of human nature among all nations1 and in all parts of the world1 have been broadened and enlarged4 ,the ,arabic language is particularly rich in this kind of literature1 and its proverbs are often appropriately introduced in conversation1 letters1 and books1 and add much force to what is said or written4 ,many are light and colloquial1 and bring a smile or laughter to both speaker and hearer2 but many also are distinguished by their classical form and the serious weighty ideas which they convey or inculcate4 ,it was easy1 therefore1 to find abundant material for this little book1 but it was somewhat difficult to make a wise selection1 to classify the different subjects under proper heads1 and to translate ,arabic idioms into good ,english4 ,other difficulties were when the proverb in ,arabic is formed of two parts which assonate or rhyme1 when the piquancy of a short sentence depends so much on the quaintness of its expression1 when an untranslatable pun or play upon words is used1 or when the phrase is too elliptical or too ,oriental in its reference to be easily understood by ,english readers4 ,the translation ,i have made is generally literal1 sometimes free1 but always true to the original4 ,some ,i have left in their ,oriental form to show the ,arabian bent of thought and mode of life4 ,the renderings from the ,koran are all mine1 and ,i alone am responsible for them4 ,all that ,i have tried to do was for ordinary readers--and for them alone4 ,many proverbs are common to all languages1 and in them all--notably among ,semitic nations--there is often an exaggeration1#a or a one-sided view1#b or a paradox1#c which must be taken with some latitude and with the natural limitations required by common sense4 ,it will also be observed that many ,arabic proverbs have a close resemblance to the ,proverbs of ,solomon1 and often assume that rhetorical form or parallelism in which ,hebrew poetry abounds when the same idea is repeated in other words1 or where its positive and negative sides are put into contrast4 ,the following quotation1 taken from the eighth chapter of that book1 may serve as an example of what has just been said1 and as an appropriate introduction to this little book3 ,doth not wisdom cry1 ,and understanding put forth her voice8 ,unto you1 ,o men1 ,i call2 ,and my voice is to the sons of men4 ,for my mouth shall utter truth2 ,and wickedness is an abomination to my lips4 ,for whoso findeth me findeth life1 ,and shall obtain favour of the ,lord4 ,but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul3 ,all they that hate me love death4 #a ,a fool throws a stone into a well1 and a thousand wise men cannot get it out4 #b ,a man is safe when alone4 ,paradise without human companions is not worth living in4 #c ,do no good1 and you will meet with no evil4 ,,the ,,first ,,chapter ,,of ,,the ,,koran ,in the name of ,god1 who is abundant in mercy and compassion6 ,praise be to ,god1 the ,lord of the universe1 the most merciful and compassionate1 the ,sovereign of the day of judgment4 ,thee alone we worship1 and from ,thee alone we seek help4 ,guide us to the right path--the path of them to whom ,thou hast been gracious--not of them with whom ,thou art angry1 nor of them who have gone astray4 ,amen4#a #a ,this opening chapter of the ,koran--very short as it is--contains the fundamental principles of the whole book--the doctrine of ,god1 ,his infinite mercy1 the immortality of the soul1 the rewards and punishments of the world to come1 and the duty of prayer1 and thanksgiving1 and adoration1 and obedience4 ,it is a fair specimen of all that is best in the ,revealed ,book of the ,moslems1 and is as frequently repeated by them as the ,lord's ,prayer is by ,christians4 ,,repentance1 ,,and ,,god',s ,,forgiving ,,mercy ,koran4 ,o ye who believe1 repent unto ,god1 for ,he loveth them who are penitent4 ,o ye who believe in me1 who by much sin have done a great wrong to themselves1 despair not of the mercy of ,god1 for ,he forgiveth all sins4 ,verily ,he forgiveth and is merciful4 ,traditions4 ,sorrow for sin is repentance4 ,he who repents is like him who has not sinned4 ,wise ,sayings and ,proverbs4 ,no intercession succeeds so effectually as repentance4 ,the most truthful man is he who is true to his repentance4 ,two sins only ,god does not forgive--worship of false gods and injury to men4 ,a ,,sinner',s ,,cry ,,unto ,,god#b #b ,the original ,arabic is in verse4 ,o ,thou who knowest every thought1 and hearest every cry1 ,who art the source of all that is1 or ever shall be1 ,who art the only hope in every trouble1 ,the only help in every plaint and every woe1 ,whose treasures of bounty and word creative are one1 ,god of all good1 hear my prayer6 ,one sole plea ,i have--my need of ,thee2 ,but needing ,thee my need is filled4 ,one only resource ,i have--to stand and knock2 ,and if unheard at ,thy mercy-gate1 to whom shall ,i go8 ,whom shall ,i call1 what ,name shall ,i invoke1 ,if ,thy needy servant shall in vain ,thy bounty seek8 ,but far be it from ,thee1 ,god of grace1 to refuse a sinner's cry4 ,too good and gracious art ,thou to send me thus away4 ,contrite1 ,i stand at ,thy door1 ,believing that contrite prayer availeth much with ,thee4 ,suppliant1 ,i stretch forth my hands1 ,and with all my soul look up to ,thee4 ,save me1 ,god1 from every ill1 and be ,thy favour ever mine6 ,,forgiving ,,others ,koran4 ,god forgiveth past sins2 let men forgive and pardon4 ,forgive freely4 ,forgiving others is the nearest thing to piety4 ,traditions4 ,he who forgiveth others1 ,god forgiveth him4 ,be merciful1 and you will have mercy2 forgive and you will be forgiven4 ,sayings and ,proverbs4 ,of all things ,god loveth best forgiveness when one is able to inflict harm1 and forbearance when one is angry4 ,the pleasure of forgiving is sweeter than the pleasure of revenge4 ,forgiveness is perfect when the sin is not remembered4 ,the most wicked of men is he who accepts no apology1 covers no sin1 and forgives no fault4 ,small men transgress1 great men forgive4 ,a noble man condones and pardons1 and when by chance he finds out a sin1 he conceals it4 ,a man said to another who had spoken evil of him3 ,if what you have said be true1 may ,god forgive me2 and if false1 may ,he forgive you4 ,,clemency1 ,,forbearance1 ,,and ,,gentleness ,koran4 ,those who worship the ,merciful ,one are they who walk on the earth gently1 and who1 when fools speak to them1 say ,peace4 7#be1 #fd47 ,traditions4 ,be friendly to him who would be unfriendly to you1 give him who will not give you1 and forbear with him who would do you harm4 ,next to faith in ,god1 the chief duty of man is to treat his fellow men with gentleness and courtesy4 ,sayings and ,proverbs4 ,gentleness is one of the noblest traits in a man's character4 ,a gentle man is a man of great beauty4 ,one of the surest evidences of gentleness is tenderness to fools4 ,the fierce anger of a foolish man is checked by gentleness as a fierce fire is extinguished by water4 ,gentleness is sometimes an humiliation1 and he who is always forbearing and patient may be trodden down by fools4 ,if you honour a vile man1 you disgrace the code of honour4 ,,humility ,humility is that line of conduct which is a mean between overbearing pride on the one hand and abject servility on the other1 as economy is the middle term between extravagance and avarice4 ,humility is the crown of nobility1 a ladder to honour1 and a means of procuring love and esteem4 ,he who humbleth himself1 ,god lifteth him up4 ,when ,abu-,bekr1 the righteous 7the first ,khalif71 was praised1 he used to say3 ,o ,god1 ,thou knowest me better than ,i know myself1 and ,i know myself better than they know me4 ,make me1 ,i pray ,thee1 better than they suppose2 forgive me what they know not1 and lay not to my account what they say4 ,a wise man was once asked whether he knew of any good which is not coveted1 or any evil which deserves no mercy1 and he said3 ,yes1 they are humility and pride4 ,to despise a proud man is true humility4 ,,true ,,nobility ,true nobility lies in high character and refined manners1 not in noble birth or ancient pedigree4 ,a noble man is he who aims at noble ends--not he who glories in an ancestry mouldering in the dust4 ,a noble man is noble though he come to want1 and a base man is base though he walks on pearls4 ,a lion is a lion though his claws be clipped1 and a dog is a dog though he wear a collar of gold4 ,he who disregards his own honour gets no good from an honourable lineage4 ,learning and high principles take the place of noble birth1 and cover the shame of a low origin4 ,a branch tells of what stock it comes4 ,,self-,,respect1 ,,and ,,the ,,sense ,,of ,,shame ,son of man1 if you have no self-respect1 do what you will4 ,men see no fault in one who respects himself4 ,if you fear not the consequences of an evil life1 and have no sense of shame1 you are free to do what you will4 ,no1 by ,god1 life has no worth1 and this world has no happiness to a man who has lost his self-respect and abandons himself to shamelessness4 ,there is no good in a man who is not ashamed of men4 ,he who has a brazen face has a craven heart4 ,to be ashamed before ,god is to obey ,his commandments and to avoid what ,he has forbidden2 to be ashamed before men is to avoid all harm to them2 and to be ashamed before one's self is to be chaste and clean when one is alone4 ,be ashamed in your own sight more than in the sight of men4 ,he who does a thing in secret of which he would be ashamed if done openly1 has no respect for himself4 ,he who respects not himself can have no respect for others4 ,i shall not kiss a hand which deserves to be cut off4 ,,character ,a man is truly religious when he is truly good4 ,a good character is a great boon4 ,kind words are the bonds of love4 ,a kind word is like an act of charity4 ,if you cannot help men with money1 help them with a cheerful face and a kindly bearing4 ,no man is entitled to consideration unless he has these three things1 or at least one of them3 the fear of ,god to restrain him from evil1 forbearance with wicked men1 and a good nature towards all4 ,there are cases where not kindness but severity is necessary4 ,kindness increases the love of friends1 and diminishes the hatred of enemies4 ,be firm after you have been kind4 ,god loves the man who is tender-hearted4 ,an evil nature is a calamity from which there is no escape4 ,if you hear that a mountain has moved from its place believe it1 but if you hear that a man has changed his character do not believe it1 for he will act only according to his nature4 ,an inherited quality may be traced back to the seventh grandfather4 ,there are four points in a good character from which all other good traits take their origin--prudence1 courage1 continence1 and justice4 ,when a woman has had more than one husband in this life1 she will1 in the future state1 be free to be the wife of him whose character she esteemed the most4 ,,benevolence ,koran4 ,do good unto others as ,god has done unto you4 ,is the reward of kindness anything but kindness8 ,he who does a kindly act shall be recompensed tenfold4 ,ye can never be righteous unless ye give away from that which ye love4 ,traditions4 ,the upper hand which giveth is better than the lower hand which taketh4 ,god's creatures are the objects of ,his care1 and ,he loveth best that man who is most helpful to them4 ,proverbs4 ,do not be ashamed to give little1 for it is less than that1 if you give nothing4 ,if you give1 give freely1 and if you strike1 strike boldly4 ,he who soweth kindness shall reap thanks4 ,what a man does for ,god is never lost4 ,be merciful to him who is beneath you1 and you will have mercy from ,him who is above you4 ,the best kind of good is that which is done most speedily4 ,inopportune kindness is injustice4 ,no true joy but in doing good and no true sorrow but in doing evil4 ,cruelty to animals is forbidden by ,god4 ,a peacemaker gets two-thirds of the blows4 ,,generosity ,generosity is to do a kindness before it is asked1 and to pity and give a man who asks4 ,a generous man is nigh unto ,god1 nigh unto men1 nigh unto paradise1 far from hell4 ,overlook the faults of a generous man1 for ,god helps him when he falls and gives him when he is needy4 ,a man who doeth good does not fall1 and if he fall he will find a support4 ,be not ashamed to give little--to refuse is less4 ,,gratitude ,he is unthankful to ,god who is unthankful to man4 ,he who is unthankful for little is unthankful for much4 ,god continues ,his favours to him who is grateful4 ,he who is ungrateful for the good he receives deserves that it should be withdrawn from him4 ,man can be thankful to ,god only so far as he does good to his fellow men4 ,if a man professes to thank ,god and his wealth decreases1 his thanksgiving must be vitiated by his neglect of the hungry and naked4 ,be grateful to him who has done you good1 and do good to him who is grateful to you4 ,gratitude takes three forms--a feeling in the heart1 an expression in words1 and a giving in return4 ,the most worthless things on earth are these four--rain on a barren soil1 a lamp in sunshine1 a beautiful woman given in marriage to a blind man1 and a good deed to one who is ungrateful4 ,,recompense ,to recompense good for good is a duty4 ,neglect of recompense is contemptible4 ,if a man do you a favour recompense him1 and if you are unable to do so1 pray for him4 ,the worst kind of recompense is to requite evil for good4 ,reproach faults by kindness1 and requite evil by good4 ,there is no glory in revenge4 ,meet insult by insult1 and honour by honour4 ,evil can be repelled only by evil4 ,what you put into the pot you will take out in the ladle4 ,he who plays with a cat must bear its scratches4 ,he who lives in a house of glass should not throw stones at people4 ,sins may lurk1 but ,god deals heavy blows4 ,,flaunting ,,kindness ,to carry a heavy rock to the summit of a mountain is easier than to receive a kindness which is flaunted4 ,the bane of a generous action is to mention it4 ,it is better to refuse a kindness than to be reminded of it4 ,i would not accept the whole world if ,i were to suffer the humiliation of being constantly reminded of the gift4 ,to bestow and flaunt a kindness1 and to be stingy and refuse to do an act of kindness1 are equally bad4 ,when you do a kindness hide it1 and when a kindness is done to you proclaim it4 ,do good1 and throw it into the sea4 ,,knowledge ,koran4 ,o ,god1 increase my knowledge4 ,are they who know and they who know not equal8 ,he who has been given wisdom has been given a great good4 ,what ye have been given of knowledge is only a small part4 ,above a learned man there is one more learned4 ,traditions4 ,learned men are trustees to whom ,god has confided mankind4 ,stars are the beauty of the heavens1 and learned men are the ornament of a people4 ,angels bend down their wings to a seeker of knowledge4 ,proverbs4 ,the rank of the learned is the highest of all ranks4 ,if learning does not give wealth it will give esteem4 ,knowledge increaseth the honour of a nobleman1 and bringeth men of low degree into the houses of kings4 ,a seat of learning is a garden of heaven4 ,forgetfulness is the bane of knowledge4 ,it is difficult for a man to know himself4 ,knowledge is a lamp from which men light their candles4 ,a mind without education is like a brave man without arms4 ,kings govern men1 and learned men govern kings4 ,that day in which ,i have learned nothing1 and in which ,i have added nothing to my knowledge1 is no part of my life4 ,he who seeks learning without study will attain his end when the raven becomes grey with age4 ,to every noble horse a stumble1 and to every learned man an error4 ,knowledge does not save from error1 nor wealth from trouble4 ,the owner of the house knows best what is in it4 ,,speculative ,,studies ,all speculative research ends in perplexing uncertainty4 ,i sought in the great sea of theoretical learning a bottom on which to stand--and found nothing but one wave dashing me against another4 ,after a lifetime of research and learning1 ,i amassed nothing but such phrases as3 ,it is said1 or ,they say4 ,o erring reason1 ,i am sick of thee6 ,i take a single step and thou movest a whole mile away from me4 ,the object sought in abstruse study is either a truth which cannot be known1 or a vain thing which it is useless to know4 ,,thoughts1 ,,doubts ,most thoughts are wishes4 ,the thoughts of the wise are more trustworthy than the convictions of fools4 ,do not confuse opinions with certainties4 ,if you are doubtful of a thing let it alone4 ,remove doubts by enquiry4 ,a thing that is heard is not like a thing that is seen4 ,do not believe all that you hear4 ,it is not wise to be sure of a thing only because you think so4 ,where there is much difference of opinion it is difficult to know the truth4 ,to think well of others is a religious duty4 ,he who thinks well of others is a happy man4 ,he who has an evil thing in him thinks all men are like him4 ,if a man think well of you1 make his thought true4 ,a poet says3 ,it was my habit to think well of others until experience taught me otherwise4 ,be well with ,god and fear nothing4 ,most men think well of themselves1 and this is self-delusion4 ,,wisdom1 ,,prudence1 ,,experience ,reason is a light in the heart which distinguishes between truth and error4 ,a wise man sees with his heart what a fool does not see with his eyes4 ,men should be judged according to their lights 7reason74 ,a wise man is not he who considers how he may get out of an evil1 but he who sees that he does not fall into it4 ,actions are judged by their endings4 ,if you desire a thing1 consider its end4 ,a man cannot be wise without experience4 ,no wise man will be bitten twice from the same den4 ,no boon is so remunerative as reason4 ,long experience is an addition to mind4 ,consideration may take the place of experience4 ,a wise man is he who has been taught by experience4 ,one word is sufficient to the wise man4 ,a cheap offer makes a wise purchaser wary4 ,he who considers consequences will attain his object1 and he who does not carefully think on them1 evil will be sure to overtake him4 ,everything has need of reason1 and reason has need of experience4 ,mind and experience are like water and earth co-operating--neither of which alone can bring forth a flower4 ,reason and anxious thought are inseparable4 ,a wise man is never happy4 7,for in much wisdom is much grief1 and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow4--,,eccles4 i4 #ah47 ,,ignorance1 ,,folly ,ignorance is the greatest poverty4 ,ignorance is death in life4 ,there is no evil so great as ignorance4 ,folly is an incurable disease4 ,a foolish man is like an old garment1 which if you patch it in one place becomes rent in many other places4 ,it is just as allowable to blame a blind man for want of sight as to blame a fool for his folly4 ,to bear the folly of a fool is indeed a great hardship4 ,the best way to treat a fool is to shun him4 ,the fool is an enemy to himself--how can he then be a friend to others8 ,an ignorant man is highly favoured1 for he casts away the burden of life1 and does not vex his soul with thoughts of time and eternity4 ,the most effectual preacher to a man is himself4 ,a man never turns away from his passions unless the rebuke comes from himself to himself4 ,,consultation ,if you consult a wise man1 his wisdom becomes yours4 ,confide your secret to one only1 and hear the counsel of a thousand4 7,in the multitude of counsellors there is safety4 ,,prov4 xi4 #ad47 ,a counsellor is a trusted man4 ,when men consult together1 they are led by the wisest among them4 ,the knowledge of two is better than the knowledge of one4 ,two heads are better than one4 ,let your counsellor be one who fears ,god4 ,consult a man of experience1 for he gives you what has cost him much1 and for which you give nothing4 ,a man who is older than yourself by a day is more experienced than you by a year4 ,consult an older man and a younger1 then decide for yourself4 ,the wisest may need the advice of others4 ,he who is wise1 and consults others1 is a whole man2 he who has a wise opinion of his own1 and seeks no counsel from others1 is half a man2 and he who has no opinion of his own1 and seeks no advice1 is no man at all4 ,no man can be sorry for seeking advice1 or happy if he blindly follows out his own thoughts4 ,,speaking1 ,,writing1 ,,books ,if it were not for the faculty of speech1 man would be nothing more than a silent picture or a contemptible animal4 ,the tongue is the best part of man4 ,man is hidden behind his tongue4 ,a man's talk shows what kind of mind he has4 ,what you write is the truest thing that can be said of you4 ,the words of eloquent men are like a mighty army1 and their writings like glittering swords4 ,note down in writing what you learn4 ,all knowledge which is not committed to writing is lost4 ,the best handwriting is that which is most easily read4 ,a bad pen is like an unruly1 undutiful child4 ,if you value a book you will read it through4 ,if you write a book1 be ready to encounter criticism4 ,a book is like a garden carried in the pocket4 ,a book is an eloquent1 silent companion1 or a speaking friend answering and questioning you4 ,books are the food of minds4 ,there is something wise in every proverb4 ,the tongues of men are the pens of truth4 ,poets1 love-stricken1 ramble up and down in every valley4 ,poetry is one of the musical instruments of ,satan4 ,,silence1 ,,guarded ,,speech ,wise men are silent4 ,silence is often more eloquent than words4 ,be not hasty with your tongue4 ,if words are silver1 silence is gold4 ,not all that is known should be said4 ,silence is a wise thing1 but they who observe it are few4 ,when the mind becomes large speech becomes little4 ,restrain your tongue from saying anything but what is good4 ,an unguarded word may do you great harm4 ,a man who talks much is open to much blame4 ,the most faulty of men are they that are most loquacious in matters which do not concern them4 ,to guard his tongue is one of the best traits in a man's character4 ,man is saved from much evil if he guard his tongue4 ,the tongue is a lion which must be chained1 and a sharp sword which must be sheathed4 ,nothing on earth is so deserving of a long imprisonment as the tongue4 ,beware of saying anything of which you may be ashamed4 ,it is better to regret a thing which you did not say than a thing which you did say4 ,a slip of the foot is safer than a slip of the tongue4 ,a false step may break a bone which can be set1 but a slip of the tongue cannot be undone4 ,a thrust of the tongue is sharper than the thrust of a lance4 ,a word may cause much trouble1 destroy a home1 or open a grave4 ,a great tree grows out of a small seed4 ,the difference between loquacity and silence is like the difference between the noisy frog and the silent whale4 ,wisdom is made up of ten parts--nine of which are silence1 and the tenth is brevity of language4 ,a man conceals his ignorance by his silence4 ,he who says what he should not say1 will have to hear what he would not like to hear4 ,he who talks much does little4 ,what is said at night the day blots out4 ,,truthfulness ,koran4 ,o ye that believe1 fear ,god and be truthful6 ,verily ,god recompenseth the truthfulness of the truthful4 ,traditions4 ,be ever truthful1 for truthfulness leads to righteousness1 and righteousness leads to heaven4 ,veracity brings peace to the heart4 ,no man's religion can be right until his heart become right1 nor can his heart become right until his tongue is right4 ,keep to the truth though it may harm thee1 and keep away from falsehood though it may profit thee4 ,a man can be perfect only when he speaks the truth and acts according to the truth4 ,proverbs4 ,truth is the sword of ,god1 which always cleaves when it smites4 ,truth is armed with horns4 ,by truth man is saved from evil4 ,if falsehood saves from trouble truth saves much more4 ,when thou speakest be truthful1 and when thou actest be gentle4 ,an ignorant man who is true is better than a clever man who is false4 ,there are two kinds of truthfulness1 and the greatest of them is that which may do thee harm4 ,if truth and falsehood were pictured they would be represented by a terrible lion and a cunning fox4 ,it is better to die a truthful man than to live the life of a liar4 ,,truthfulness ,,to ,,promises ,koran4 ,be true to a covenant1 for a covenant holds a man responsible4 ,be faithful to your pledged covenants and keep your oaths4 ,traditions4 ,a man who keeps not his word has no religion4 ,a true man's word is like an oath4 ,be truthful in what you say1 faithful to your promise1 and careful of what is entrusted to you4 ,a pledged word is as if you had made the gift4 ,proverbs4 ,a true man keeps his promise4 ,a pledged word has the same value as a debt4 ,the promise of a true man is a greater obligation than a debt4 ,that man is a hypocrite who prays and fasts1 but is untruthful in what he says1 false to his word1 and unfaithful in discharging a trust4 ,,truthfulness ,,to ,,secrets ,to keep a secret is a divine law4 ,a secret is a trust1 and to betray it is perfidy4 ,the least of all noble traits is to keep a secret1 and the greatest is to forget it4 ,he controls himself most who hides a secret from his friends4 ,when a secret is known to more than two1 it becomes public4 ,he who seeks a place to hide his secret reveals it4 ,walls have ears4 ,it is unwise to confide a secret to two tongues and four ears4 ,your secret is your captive1 betray it and you become its captive4 ,a man should be a tomb in which a secret is deposited4 ,if you keep your secret you are safe1 and it will be to your sorrow if you reveal it4 ,hearts are the depositaries of secrets1 lips their locks1 and tongues their keys4 ,the hearts of the wise are the fortresses of secrets4 ,,deceit ,deceit does more harm to the deceitful than to the deceived4 ,if a man commit these three things they will rise against him in judgment and punishment--aggression1 perfidy1 and deceit4 ,to be true to the perfidious is perfidy1 and to deceive the deceitful is lawful4 ,in deceiving your neighbour be more wary than when he is trying to deceive you4 ,when one would deceive you1 and you feign to be deceived1 you have deceived him4 ,he who would deceive one who cannot be deceived is only deceiving himself4 ,he who allows himself to be deceived by what his enemy says is the greatest enemy to himself4 ,a wise man neither deceives nor is deceived4 ,if a man believe in a stone it will do him good4 ,self-deception is one of the forms of folly4 ,most men think well of themselves1 and this is self-delusion4 ,vain desires are rarely realised1 but they may give comfort in sorrow or pleasure in empty hope4 ,,exertion1 ,,perseverance1 ,,success ,a man obtains only what he strives for4 ,he who seeks and struggles shall find4 ,struggles bring the most unlikely things within reach4 ,when a man makes up his mind to do a thing it becomes easy for him to do it4 ,if you have a clear thought1 be decided1 and hesitate not--if you decide1 hesitate not1 but carry it out speedily4 ,you must be ready to confront difficulties if you would realise your hopes4 ,it is the part of man to strive1 and not to rely on the favours of ,fortune4 ,not every one who seeks shall find1 nor every one who is indifferent be denied4 ,beware of giving up hope in what you earnestly seek4 ,a wise man perseveres1 and is not easily turned away4 ,not by fitful efforts1 but by constancy1 is an end secured4 ,the most profitable labour is that which is most persevering--though it may not be strenuous4 ,a moderate success is better than overwhelming work4 ,success comes to him who abjures procrastination4 ,the world is the booty of the skilful4 ,the most wonderful thing in the world is the success of a fool and the failure of a wise man4 ,a pleasing manner is a great aid to success4 ,it is the duty of man to do his utmost1 but he is not responsible for success4 ,do not undertake a work for which you are not competent4 ,what can a tirewoman do with an ugly face8 ,,opportunities ,opportunities move like clouds1 or pass rapidly like meteors4 ,seize a thief before he seizes you4 ,take advantage of the light of day before the night sets in4 ,seize on opportunities1 for they are either a spoil if improved1 or a grief if neglected4 ,good judgment means a seizure of opportunities4 ,keep quiet until the occasion presents itself4 ,an action may be good if done at a fitting season1 or evil if done at an improper time4 ,procrastination means evil4 ,put your bread into the oven while it is hot4 ,if you undertake a work do it speedily4 ,profit by occasions when they turn up1 and do not worry about an evil which has not yet come4 ,time is a sharp sword--strike with it before you are struck by it4 ,if you have not sown1 and see a reaper in the field1 you will regret a lost opportunity4 ,,economy ,economy saves half the cost of living4 ,the value of economy is equal to half of your profits4 ,frugality saves a man from poverty4 ,little with economy is better than much with waste4 ,poverty with freedom from debt is great wealth4 ,if you count beforehand you will thrive4 ,the sea is made up of drops and the mountain of grains4 ,my son1 take a middle course between stinginess and extravagance1 parsimony and prodigality4 ,extravagance dissipates great riches1 and economy increases them when they are small4 ,extravagance ever leads to misery and ruin4 ,extravagance does as much harm to life as it adds to the pleasures of living4 ,in all things take a middle course4 ,charity lies between two charities--one to yourself1 the other to your needy fellow man4 ,if you are too soft you will be squeezed1 and if you are too dry you will be broken4 ,he who spends and reckons not1 ends in ruin and knows not4 ,he who buys cheap meat will regret his purchase when it is served up4 ,,vicissitudes ,,of ,,fortune ,man is like an ear of wheat shaken by the wind--sometimes up and sometimes down4 ,man is a target to the accidents of time4 ,one day for us1 and one day against us4 ,with to-day there is to-morrow4 ,to every ,moses there is a ,pharaoh4 ,there is no day which has not its opposite4 ,the changes of fortune show what a man is made of4 ,there is no joy which is not followed by sorrow4 ,when ,fortune brings a great good1 she follows it by a great evil4 ,fortune gives lavishly1 and then turns round and takes away4 ,when a man has attained his highest hope1 let him expect that its downfall is near by4 ,when a thing waxes to perfection it begins rapidly to wane4 ,when distress reaches its utmost1 relief is close at hand4 ,what is past is dead4 ,every ascent has a descent1 and every trouble has an end4 ,do not worry--between one twinkle of the eye and that which follows it things may change4 ,i have looked far and wide1 and saw nothing on the faces of men but looks of perplexity or regret4 ,to complain of one's grief1 except to ,god1 is an humiliation4 ,he who thinks that ,fortune will always favour him is a fool4 ,follow the tracks of the fortunate man and you will come to fortune4 ,,patience ,god is with them that are patient4 ,god loveth them that are patient 7,koran74 ,patience is one-half of religious duty4 ,there are two kinds of patience--one is for something which you desire1 the other in something which you hate2 and he is a strong man who can combine them both4 ,patience is mostly needed at the first shock4 ,grief is dispelled by patience4 ,the device of a man who hath no device is patience4 ,so long as there is a claimant1 no just case is ever lost4 ,patience is a bitter cup1 which the strong alone can drink4 ,a misfortune is one1 but it becomes two to the impatient4 ,patience is one of the gifts of heaven4 ,he who is impatient to hear one word will have to listen to many words4 ,difficulties can be overcome only by patience4 ,it is a good omen when your messenger is delayed4 ,rarely does a patient man fail in obtaining that which he seeks4 ,be patient--every cloud dissipates1 and every evil which does not continue is a small thing4 ,he who receives the strokes is not like him who counts them4 ,,contentment ,contentment is to refrain from coveting what others have4 ,contentment is a treasure which is inexhaustible4 ,the most thankful of men is he who is contented4 ,he who seeks riches must seek them in contentment4 ,give freely1 and be content with little4 ,a contented man is happy in life4 ,life is a vanishing space of time1 and he alone vanquishes its changing fortunes who lives in contentment4 ,be content with what ,god has given you1 and you will be the richest of men4 ,if you cannot have what you want1 be content with what you have4 ,if all cannot be obtained1 a part may be attained4 ,there is relief in despair4 ,,cheerfulness ,god loves a cheerful man4 ,a main part of friendship is cheerfulness4 ,cheerfulness denotes a generous nature1 as a flower denotes fruit4 ,the first duty of a host is cheerfulness4 ,he who is sparing in cheerfulness is more sparing in doing a kindness4 ,a cheerful countenance is a presage of good4 ,a bright face and bright eyes are a greater boon than a rich inheritance4 ,the expression of the eyes shows what is in the heart4 ,an expression of the face may be more eloquent than that of the tongue4 ,the face of an enemy betrays his secret thoughts4 ,no one has ever harboured a secret which may not be discovered by a slip of the tongue or an expression of the face4 ,hope for good from one who has a beautiful face4 ,a gloomy look is an omen of ill1 and a bright face is good news4 ,life has no cloud to an ignorant man1 to one who heeds not past or future events1 and to him who deceives himself and constrains his soul to seek and hope for what is impossible4 ,,war ,war is an evil thing to both victor and vanquished4 ,it is better to avoid than to make war4 ,the most honourable death is on the battlefield4 ,to die in battle from a thousand cuts of the sword is easier than to die in bed4 ,he who incites soldiers to courage in action is of more value than a thousand fighting men4 ,an army to a king is like wings to a bird4 ,to carry out a well-devised plan in war is more effectual than strokes and thrusts4 ,a battle is fought by feints and stratagems4 ,what an easy thing is a battle to one who looks on at a distance6 ,patient constancy is the key to victory4 ,two wolves kill a lion4 ,two weak men vanquish one that is strong4 ,beware of aggression in war--for it can lead to no glory in victory4 ,to overcome the weak has all the shame of a defeat4 ,a butcher is not frightened at the sight of a multitude of sheep4 ,to retire from an unsuccessful battle is defeat4 ,magnanimity to captives1 and mercy to the fallen1 are a hymn of praise to ,god for victory4 ,,anger ,the first part of anger is madness and the second is regret4 ,passion and blindness are inseparable mates4 ,beware of anger1 for it ends in the humiliation of apology4 ,anger leads to all kinds of evil4 ,when you are angry be silent4 ,it is not a trait of noble character to be hasty either in anger or in revenge4 ,the anger of a fool reveals itself in what he says1 and the anger of a wise man in what he does4 ,quarrelsomeness is a contemptible habit4 ,call not yourself a man so long as you are angry4 ,,hatred1 ,,malice ,of all men ,god abhors most an implacable enemy4 ,of all things nothing is so bad as the making of enemies4 ,of all evils nothing is so hard to be borne as the triumph of an enemy4 ,rejoice not over a fallen man--he may rise and you may fall4 ,despise no enemy1 however insignificant he may be--see how the shadow of the earth causes an eclipse of the moon1 or how a midge brings a tear to the eye of a lion4 ,he who makes enemies shall have many a restless night4 ,he who has many enemies1 let him expect a downfall4 ,when anger is repressed by reason of inability to do immediate harm1 it retires into the heart in the form of malice and breeds these vices--envy1 triumph over the enemy's ill1 repulsion of friendly approaches1 contempt1 slander1 derision1 personal violence1 and injustice4 ,,murder ,the first thing which shall be taken up in the ,day of ,judgment is murder4 ,man is a building made by ,god1 and he who destroys the building of ,god shall be demolished4 ,put no man to undeserved death1 for ,god forbids murder4 ,announce violent death to the murderer1 and poverty to the adulterer1 though after a season4 ,,envy ,the difference between envy and emulation is1 that in the first the desire is for the cessation of a good enjoyed by another1 and in the second the desire is for the possession of a similar good4 ,an envious man is angry with ,god for ,his favours to other men4 ,every favoured man is envied4 ,a lordly man is always an object of admiration or of envy4 ,beware of envy1 for it shows itself in you1 not in him whom you envy4 ,envy is a disease for which there is no cure4 ,envy is a disease which does more harm to the envious than to the envied4 ,all enmity may be overcome except that which comes from envy4 ,there can be no peace in the heart of an envious man4 ,a man cannot be happy if he be malicious1 envious1 or ill-tempered4 ,keep your affairs to yourself1 for every favoured man is an object of envy4 ,envy may be cured only by a sure knowledge that it is a cause of much pain to you and no evil to him whom you envy--so you must shun it if you would not be an enemy to yourself and a friend to your enemy4 ,envy consumes man1 as rust corrodes iron4 ,he who strains his neck to look at one above him gets nothing but pain4 ,envy no man except him who is good4 ,,rashness ,beware of rashness1 for it has well been called the ,mother of ,regrets4 ,he who acts hastily either makes a blunder1 or comes very near it4 ,he who is deliberate is either right1 or very nearly so4 ,a hasty act comes from the ,evil ,one1 and a deliberate act from ,god4 ,haste is the resort of the weak4 ,,laziness ,hopes are never realised by sloth4 ,a lazy man can never succeed in life4 ,it is one of the signs of weakness to leave things to fate4 ,a lazy man loses what is due to him4 ,weakness and sloth lead to ruin4 ,a man gets tired of having nothing to do1 as he gets tired of work4 ,if work is hard1 want of work is a great evil4 ,youth1 riches1 and leisure are the great corrupters of life4 ,the head of an idle man is the workshop of ,satan4 ,,avarice1 ,,stinginess1 ,,greed ,avarice and faith in ,god can never live together in the heart of man4 ,avarice and ill-nature have no place in the heart of a good man4 ,avarice is the parent of all evil dispositions4 ,the riches of an avaricious man go either to naught or to an heir4 ,he who is close-fisted shall be treated in a like manner4 ,a man who is miserly to himself cannot be generous to others4 ,an avaricious man is more lavish of his life than of his money4 ,a liberal man lives on his riches1 a miser is eaten up by them4 ,a miser lives the life of a poor man in this world1 and will be judged as a rich man in the world to come4 ,he who makes his morsel large will be choked4 ,avarice is the murderer of the miser4 ,greed is the mate of sorrow4 ,strong wine is not more destructive to reason than greed4 ,an old man continues to be young in two things--love of money and love of life4 ,,complaint1 ,,blame ,to ,god alone ,i make my plaint of sorrow and grief 7,koran #ab1 #hf74 ,to bewail grief1 except to ,god1 is an humiliation4 ,lamentation is the weapon of the weak4 ,a good man sees his own faults and is blind to the faults of others4 ,censure your friend by kindness1 and return the evil which he may have done to you by acts of favour4 ,to blame a friend is better than to lose him4 ,no man is free from faults4 ,if you count your friend's faults you will have no friend left4 ,an absent man has his apology with him4 ,he who compels you to blame him has made up his mind to forsake you4 ,open blame is better than secret malice4 ,blame not1 nor boast1 until a year and a half shall have passed away4 ,he who has a needle under his arm it will prick him4 ,there is no wood which has no smoke in it4 ,among all snakes there is not one that is good4 ,you are your own enemy4 ,,marriage ,the advantages of marriage are purity of life1 children1 pleasures of home1 and the happiness of exertion for the comfort of wife and children4 ,this life is a joy1 and its greatest delight is a good wife4 ,an honourable marriage is a stepping-stone to honour4 ,take a wife not for her beauty1 but for her virtues4 ,chastity united to beauty makes a wife perfect4 ,three things contribute to long life--a large house1 an obedient wife1 and a swift horse4 ,the violence of love vanishes soon after marriage4 ,if the love of bride and bridegroom were to endure1 the ,resurrection ,day would be at hand4 ,a man has no portion in the love of women when he becomes grey1 or when he loses his fortune4 ,the lover's eye is blind4 ,the disgrace of a woman is abiding4 ,take the high-road1 though it turn2 and marry a woman of good birth1 though she may have been passed by4 ,women are the snares of ,satan4 ,happy is the woman who dies before her husband4 ,it is better to have a thousand enemies out of the house than one in it4 ,the girl who has many suitors1 and makes no choice of one of them1 is doomed to become an old maid4 ,,children ,children are a gift from ,god4 ,a child is a flower which has come down from ,paradise4 ,nothing is dearer than a child1 except a grandchild4 ,when your son is young1 train him2 when he is grown1 make a brother of him4 ,that child is loved most who is young until he is grown up1 or sick until he recovers1 or absent until he returns home4 ,your riches and your children are a temptation to you 7,koran74 ,happy is the woman who has first daughters1 then sons4 ,if you do not train up your child1 time will do it4 ,the training of children is like chewing stones4 ,your riches and children are your enemies--beware of them 7,koran74 ,the joy of parents in their children prolongs life4 ,sorrow for a child is a burning fire in the heart4 ,he who is not tender to his child shall find no tenderness in ,god to him4 ,your children are not too many for ,death1 nor is your money too much for a rapacious governor4 ,,filial ,,duty ,when your father and mother become old1 and you take them into your house1 say not a word of impatience to them1 nor rebuke them1 but speak graciously1 and be humble to them1 and say3 ,o my ,god1 be merciful to them1 even as they tended me when ,i was young 7,koran74 ,be dutiful to your father1 and your son shall be dutiful to you4 ,he who is ill-mannered to his father will be ill-treated by his son4 ,the good-will of parents procures the good-will of ,god4 ,the central gate of heaven is open to the man who has been dutiful to his parents4 ,paradise is open at the command of mothers4 ,you1 and all that you have1 belong to your father4 ,a daughter is always proud of her father4 ,an unmarried daughter has a broken wing4 ,,brothers1 ,,relations ,a man who has no brother is like one who has a left arm and no right4 ,a brother is a wing4 ,when evil befalls you1 you will know the value of a brother4 ,your brother is he who shares your distress4 ,the same regard is due to the eldest brother from the youngest as that which is due to a parent from his child4 ,god helps him who helps his brother4 ,who forsakes his brother will be forsaken by ,god4 ,a man is a mirror in which his brother's likeness is seen4 ,the best man among you is he who is best to his relations4 ,blood does not become water4 ,honour your tribe1 for they are the wing with which you fly4 ,the measure of a man's greatness is that of his tribe 7clan1 party74 ,be friendly to your relations1 but do not depend on your relationship4 ,if it were not for my own arm1 my mouth would have nothing to eat4 ,,friends1 ,,companions ,a friend is a second self and a third eye4 ,a true man is he who remembers his friend when he is absent1 when he is in distress1 and when he dies4 ,a friend is known only in adversity4 ,if your friend is sweet1 do not eat him up4 ,if you would keep a friend1 do not lend him money nor borrow from him4 ,keep to your old friends--your new friends will not be so constant4 ,you may find in a friend a brother who was not born of your mother4 ,the noblest man is he whose friendship may be easily obtained1 and whose enmity can be incurred only with difficulty4 ,he is a weak man who can make no friends1 and still weaker is he who loses them4 ,when my vine was laden with grapes1 my friends were many2 when the grapes were finished1 my friends disappeared4 ,friendship may come down by inheritance from ancestors1 and so may hatred4 ,nothing makes us feel so lonely as solitude1 and nothing makes us so cheerful as freedom from evil companions4 ,without human companions1 ,paradise itself would be an undesirable place to live in4 ,a man's character is judged by the character of his companions4 ,smoke is no less an evidence of fire than that a man's character is that of the character of his associates4 ,he who associates with a suspected person will himself be suspected4 ,,neighbours ,he is a good man who is a good neighbour4 ,no man enters heaven who is a bad neighbour4 ,a good neighbour is he who is not only harmless1 but bears harm with patience4 ,be friends1 but do not become neighbours4 ,in social life be as friends1 in business as strangers4 ,prefer a near neighbour to a distant brother4 ,,salutation1 ,,visiting ,return a salutation by something better1 or at least by something as good 7,koran74 ,a warm greeting renews friendship4 ,respect is due to a visitor4 ,the best of men is a rich man who visits the poor1 and the worst is a poor man who visits the rich4 ,go a mile to see a sick man1 go two miles to make peace between two men1 and go three miles to call on a friend4 ,make your visits short1 especially to the sick4 ,to visit too often is tiresome to your friends1 and to visit too rarely is less than what is due to friendship4 ,your calls will be best appreciated when they are seasonable and not too frequent4 ,too much familiarity is a cause of coolness among friends4 ,do not associate much with men2 if you do1 shut your eyes to their faults1 and bear consequent trouble4 ,,love ,,of ,,country ,,and ,,home ,love of one's own country is a religious duty4 ,a true man yearns towards his native country1 and longs for his home as a lion longs for his lair4 ,it is a sign of sound judgment when the heart craves for country and home4 ,he is better to suffer hardship in one's own country than to enjoy ease in a foreign land4 ,god blesses the land which is loved by its people4 ,as a nurse who has brought you up1 has a special claim on you1 so has your country4 ,he is an unwise man who alienates himself from his country and home4 ,if it were not for love of country1 unhappy lands would be desolate4 ,it is an honour to you to love the land and house where you were born4 ,an old man is most comfortable in his own house4 ,,travelling ,in travelling you will find health and profit4 ,if water stagnates long it becomes foul4 ,a roaming dog is better than a couching lion4 ,during a journey a man's character is weighed and revealed4 ,the day on which a journey is begun is half the journey done4 ,,health ,health is a crown on the head of the hale1 invisible except to the sick4 ,sound health is beyond all price4 ,the greatest gift to man is a long healthy life4 ,if there be anything more valuable than life1 it is sound health4 ,it is wonderful that the envious see not the blessing of good health4 ,no man appreciates the worth of health until he is afflicted with disease4 ,if your dinner is light1 your dreams will be pleasant4 ,so long as the head is free from trouble1 the body will be sound4 ,,youth ,,and ,,old ,,age ,an old man among his people is like a prophet sent from ,god4 ,to venerate old age is to revere ,god4 ,youth is a kind of madness4 ,the wisest young men are they who follow the good example of the old1 and the most foolish old men are they who follow the bad example of the young4 ,it is the duty of every one to be tender to the young and respectful to the old4 ,an old man should not give up his old habits1 nor take to new ones4 ,an old man speaks of what he has seen1 and a young man speaks of what he has heard4 ,grey hairs are a sign of wisdom1 and are beautified by reverence4 ,a hoary head is a rich cream churned by long years4 ,grey hairs are a message from the other world4 ,after old age there is nothing but infirmity or death4 ,an old man cries out1 ,o that youth would return for a day1 that ,i might relate to it what the roll of years has done to me6 ,the hair often becomes white1 not from the succession of years1 but from a succession of evils4 ,life is a parting shadow and youth a departing guest4 ,when a young man says he is hungry1 believe him2 but when he says he is tired1 do not believe him4 ,,death ,all life ends in death4 ,when ,i see all paths leading men unto death1 and no paths leading from death unto us--no traveller there ever returning--not one of ages past ever remaining--,i see that ,i also shall assuredly go where they have gone4 ,if death be surely inevitable1 be not a fool and die a coward's death4 ,death is a cup which every man must drink1 and the grave a door which every man must enter4 ,if we are hastening to death1 why all this impatience with the ills of life8 ,this life is a sleep1 the life to come is a wakening2 the intermediate step between them is death1 and our life here is a disturbed dream4 ,he who dreads the causes of death1 they will surely seize him--do what he will to evade them4 ,death1 so far as one can see1 strikes at random1 killing the man whom he hits1 and leaving the man whom he misses to old age and decrepitude4 ,death covers all faults4 ,,appendix ,,what ,,is ,,righteousness8 ,righteousness is not that ye turn your faces in prayer to the east or west2 but righteousness is to him who believeth in ,god and the ,last ,day1 and ,angels1 and ,revealed ,books1 and ,prophets2 who giveth cheerfully from his substance to kinsmen1 orphans1 the needy1 the wayfarer1 and to them that ask2 who freeth the prisoner and the slave2 who offereth prayers at their appointed times1 and giveth the ordained alms2 to them who fulfil the covenants to which they have bound themselves1 and who are patient in times of distress1 and pain1 and struggle3 these are they who are sincere in religion1 and who fear to do evil 7,koran #b1 #agb74 ,this fine passage from the ,koran is considered by ,moslem commentators as the most comprehensive statement of the duties of man3 ,sound faith1 a good social life1 and right culture of the soul 7,el-,beidaway74 ,instructions of ,ali ,ibn-abi ,talib1 the first ,khalif to his son--,my son1 fear ,god both secretly and openly2 speak the truth1 whether you be calm or angry2 be economical1 whether you be poor or rich2 be just to friend and foe2 be resigned alike in times of adversity and prosperity4 ,my son1 he who sees his own faults has no time to see the faults of others2 he who is satisfied with the allotments of ,providence does not regret the past2 he who unsheaths the sword of aggression will be killed by it2 he who digs a pit for his brother will fall into it2 he who forgets his own sin makes much of the sin of another2 he who takes to evil ways will be despised2 he who commits excesses will be known to do them2 he who associates with the base will be subject to constant suspicion2 he who remembers death will be content with little in this world2 he who boasts of his sins before men1 ,god will bring him to shame4 ,,the ,,experiences ,,of ,,an ,,old ,,man ,i have heard many sermons and had many counsels1 but ,i have heard no preacher so effective as my grey hairs1 and no counsellor so effectual as the voice of my own conscience4 ,i have eaten the most choice food1 and drunk the best kinds of wine1 and enjoyed the love of the most beautiful women2 but ,i found no pleasure so great as that of sound health4 ,i have swallowed the bitterest food and drink1 but ,i found nothing so bitter as poverty4 ,i have worked at iron and carried heavy weights1 but ,i found no burden so heavy as that of debt4 ,i have sought wealth in all its forms1 but found no riches so great as those of contentment4 ,,eight ,,men ,,who ,,deserve ,,to ,,be ,,slapped ,,on ,,the ,,face ,he who despises a man of power2 he who enters a house uninvited and unwelcomed2 he who gives orders in a house not his own2 he who takes a seat above his position2 he who speaks to one who does not listen to him2 he who intrudes on the conversation of others2 he who seeks favours from the ungenerous2 and he who expects love from his enemies4 ,,forbearance ,the following story is related by ,arabian authors of ,ma'an ,ibn-,zaidah1 who1 from a humble origin1 rose to be ,governor of ,irak4 ,the story is probably not altogether historical1 but it shows the high ideal of ,arab moralists as regards forbearance and gentleness4 ,an ,arab of the desert1 who had heard much of the great gentleness of ,ibn-,zaidah1 came one day to try him4 ,entering abruptly into his presence he addressed him thus 7in verse73 ,rememberest thou when thy bed-covering was a sheepskin and thy sandals made of camel-skin8 ,ma'an answers 7in prose73 ,yes1 ,i remember1 and ,i have not forgotten it4 ,the ,arab4 ,praise be to ,god1 who hath given thee a great rule1 and taught thee how to sit on a throne6 ,ma'an4 ,yes1 praise to ,him in every condition of life6 ,arab4 ,never shall ,i greet ,ma'an as an emir should be greeted6 ,ma'an4 ,greeting is an ordinance among ,arabs in which you are free to take what form you like4 ,arab4 ,an ,emir who eats sweet pastry in secret1 and entertains his guest with barley bread6 ,ma'an4 ,the food is our own3 we eat what we like and give others what we like4 ,arab4 ,i shall leave a land in which thou dwellest1 and depart1 though the hand of ,fortune is hard upon me4 ,ma'an4 ,brother ,arab1 if thou stay1 thou art welcome2 and if thou depart1 peace go with thee4 ,arab4 ,son of shame1 give me something for my journey1 for ,i have decided to go4 ,ma'an 7to his treasurer73 ,give him a thousand pieces of money4 ,arab4 ,noble prince1 ,i have heard much of thy great forbearance1 and came only to try thee4 ,thy gentleness is indeed very great1 and has no like among men4 ,i pray ,god that thy life may be long1 and thy forbearance be ever a noble example to which men may look up6 ,,truthfulness ,,to ,,trust ,the following historical incident is related by ,arab authors as the highest example of faithfulness to trust4 ,al-,samau'al 7,samuel7 was the emir of a ,jewish tribe in ,southern ,arabia1 shortly before the time of ,mohammed4 ,a friend of his1 before setting out on a journey1 left with him some very fine mailed armour4 ,this friend was killed in a battle1 and one of the kings of ,syria demanded the arms4 ,al-,samau'al refused to give them up except to the rightful heir1 and the king laid siege to him in one of his fortresses4 ,one day his son fell into the hands of the enemy1 and the king threatened to kill him if the arms were not given up4 ,again he refused1 and from the turrets of the castle saw his son put to death4 ,the siege was soon after raised1 and the arms were delivered to the heirs of his friend4 ,,truthfulness ,,to ,,pledge ,the terms of surrender at the capture of ,jerusalem by ,saladin1 in #aahg1 were that the ,crusaders should retire with their goods from that city to one of the garrisoned ports which were held by the ,franks1 on the payment of ten pieces of gold for each man4 ,as they were filing out of the city1 and handing in their ransom-money1 ,saladin and his generals looked on1 watching the proceedings4 ,the patriarch's turn came1 and he was followed by a number of mules laden with much treasure4 ,saladin made no sign1 but his generals said3 ,sire1 the conditions of surrender were for private property1 not for such treasures of money1 which we urgently need for carrying on the war4 ,to this appeal he replied3 ,no1 ,i have pledged my word1 and for the ten pieces of gold agreed upon he shall be free4 ,but just as he was so strictly truthful to his word1 he was equally severe in exacting the same truthfulness from his foes4 ,thus after the great battle of ,hittin1 when the ,crusading army was utterly crushed1 a large number of prisoners fell into his hands1 including the ,king of ,jerusalem and ,count ,raymond de ,chatillon1 ,governor of ,kerak1 to the east of the ,jordan4 ,the count was a bad1 dishonourable man1 and had 7not long before7 shamelessly violated an armistice1 and fallen on a defenceless ,moslem caravan which was passing through his province1 killing the men and seizing their property4 ,when ,saladin heard of this base breach of the laws of war he was furious1 and vowed that if this perfidious prince should ever fall into his power1 he would kill him with his own hand2 and now the count was his prisoner4 ,the day of battle1 in the month of ,august1 had been very hot1 and the ,crusaders1 with their heavy coats of mail1 and without a drop of water to drink1 had suffered terribly from thirst4 ,the tents of ,saladin were pitched near the ,lake of ,tiberias1 and when the king and the count were brought in1 the king asked for a drink of water--which ,saladin at once ordered4 ,a large goblet of iced water was handed to him1 and after quenching his thirst he passed the cup to the count4 ,saladin looked on1 but said nothing until the count had finished drinking1 and he then said to him3 ,i gave no orders for drink for you2 if ,i had1 your life would have been safe by our laws of hospitality4 ,but you are a bad1 faithless man1 who broke the terms of our truce1 and you shall now suffer the death which you deserve1 and with one stroke of his scimitar he cut off his head4 ,he then sent for the ,knights of ,st4 ,john1 of whom there were about a thousand prisoners1 and said to them3 ,so far as you have been brave warriors1 and cost the ,moslems many a man1 ,i have nothing to say2 but you have not been fair and honourable in our wars1 nor true to your engagements1 and ,i now offer you the option of ,islam or death4 ,to a man they all chose death in preference to adopting a faith which they hated2 and so they were led to the shores of the lake and there beheaded4 ,more than seven hundred years after these tragic events1 ,william ,,ii41 the present ,emperor of ,germany1 who is a descendant of the ,crusading ,princes1 and a ,knight of the ,brandenburg branch of the order of ,st4 ,john1 came to ,damascus in #ahih2 and one of the first things he did there was to visit the tomb of ,saladin1 and lay on it a wreath of flowers4 ,it was a generous and beautiful and well-deserved tribute to the memory of a truly great man1 from whom the ,christian nations of his times learned much of their chivalry and truthfulness to their pledged word4 ,a ,,thankful ,,old ,,man ,two old men1 who had been friends in early youth1 met after an interval of many years4 ,a cordial greeting ensued1 and then one of them asked the other3 ,how old are you now8 ,he said3 ,thank ,god1 ,i am in good health4 ,are you well-off in worldly goods8 ,thank ,god1 ,i am in debt to no man4 ,have you any special trouble of mind8 ,thank ,god1 ,i have no young children4 ,have you any enemies8 ,thank ,god1 ,i have no near relations4 ,,the ,,three ,,sorts ,,of ,,happy ,,men ,in two verses of poetry1 ,al-,mutanabbi1 one of the greatest ,arabian poets and philosophers1 reduces the number of happy men to three classes4 ,they have been paraphrased and put into ,english verse by a friend1 as follows3 ,to three life seems a summer sky3 ,the first who has no mind to know ,the heights and depths of life below1 ,nor ever asks the reason why4 ,the second he to whom life's sum ,is self at ease2 who never lets ,the past disturb with dark regrets1 ,nor hopes and fears from days to come4 ,the third who1 led by fancies crude1 ,in scorn of truth1 deceived at heart1 ,makes fruitless dreams his better part1 ,and hollow hopes the highest good4 ,,cynical ,,views ,,of ,,life ,abu'l-,ala was another great poet-philosopher4 ,he lost his sight from small-pox early in life1 was a cynic and pessimist1 and may have often been copied by ,omar ,khayyam4 ,he refers to his affliction and to the fact that he lived and died an unmarried man 7so as to have no children7 in a well-known verse3 ,here am ,i--wronged by my father ,who gave me birth--while ,i have done wrong to no one4 ,some of his poetry has been put into ,english quatrains by ,ameen ,f4 ,rihany1 in imitation of ,omar ,khayyam's ,rubaiyat1 and the following1 from the ,quatrains of ,abu'l-,ala1 are a few striking examples3 ,what boots it1 in my creed1 that man should moan ,in ,sorrow's ,night1 or sing in ,pleasure's ,dawn8 ,in vain the doves all coo on yonder branch1 ,in vain one sings or sobs3 lo6 he is gone4 ,so solemnly the ,funeral passes by6 ,the march of ,triumph1 under this same sky4 ,trails in its course--both vanish into ,night3 ,to me are one1 the ,sob1 the ,joyous ,cry4 ,many a grave embraces friend and foe1 ,and grins in scorn at this most sorry show2 ,a multitude of corses passed therein-- ,alas6 ,time almost reaps e'er he doth sow6 ,how oft around the ,well my ,soul would grope ,athirst2 but lo6 my ,pail was without ,rope3 ,i cried for ,water1 and the deep1 dark ,well ,echoed my wailing cry1 but not my hope4 ,the door of ,what-,may-,be none can unlock1 ,but we can knock and guess1 and guess and knock3 ,night sets her glittering sail1 and glides along1 ,ship-like2 but where1 ,o ,night-ship1 is thy dock8 ,oh1 when will ,fate come forth with his decree1 ,that ,i might clasp the cool clay1 and be free8 ,my ,soul and ,body1 wedded for a while1 ,are sick1 and would that separation be4 ,if miracles were wrought in bygone years1 ,why not to-day1 why not to-day1 ,o seers8 ,this ,leprous ,age most needs a healing hand1 ,oh1 why not heed his cries1 and dry his tears8 ,,miscellaneous ,,proverbs ,he who treats you as he treats himself does you no injustice4 ,he who lives on expectations dies in poverty4 ,three things are no disgrace to man--to serve his guest1 to serve his horse1 and to serve in his own house4 ,extremes are a mistake--a middle course is the best4 ,when the cooks are many the food is spoiled4 ,when a ship has two captains it will sink4 ,tie the ass where his owner wants4 ,be a slave to truth--the slave to truth is a freeman4 ,no bravery in war can withstand overwhelming numbers4 ,if ,god gives you1 give you to others4 ,a horseman has ever an open grave before him4 ,confide not in a friend until you have tried him1 and fight no enemy until you have sufficient power4 ,a prudent man is right though he perisheth1 and a reckless man is wrong though he cometh out safely4 ,trust not in present prosperity1 for it is a departing guest4 ,reserve the white coin for the black day4 ,if it be in your power to do harm to your enemy--do it not1 but forgive him and win his thanks4 ,the eye cannot contend with pointed steel4 ,be cautious even where you are most sure4 ,poverty is a chain which restrains men from doing much evil4 ,if you would know what a man hath1 look not to what he gains but to what he spends4 ,nothing can be concealed except that which is not4 ,the best friend is he who changeth not with the changes of time4 ,every rule has exceptions4 ,the most unjust man to himself is he who humbles himself to one who hates him1 and he who praises one whom he does not know4 ,when you do a kindness1 make a small thing of it1 though it be a great2 and when you receive a kindness1 make much of it1 though it be small4 ,idle hands are unclean4 ,this world is honey mixed with poison--a joy inseparable from sorrow4 ,if you are ignorant1 inquire2 if you stray1 return2 if you do wrong1 repent2 and if you are angry1 restrain yourself4 ,printed by ,hazell1 ,watson ,viney1 ,ld41 ,london and ,aylesbury1 ,england4