Captivating Sayings of the Arabs
Below are some of the most inspiring sayings from Arab culture:
- Patience encompasses two forms: patience for what you dislike and patience for what you cherish.
- A mother is a school; if you prepare her well, you prepare a noble nation.
- Opportunities are best seized through careful consideration.
- Always adhere to honesty, even if it costs you dearly.
- People are like minerals; they rust with boredom, expand with hope, and shrink with pain.
- History has not known a conqueror more merciful and forgiving than the Arabs.
- When asked, the noble person remains humble, while the lowly becomes arrogant.
- Trust in God is the purest hope, and reliance on Him is the most faithful action.
- If you feel distanced from people, remember how close you are to God.
- Peace prevails when the power of love overcomes the love of power.
- Do not rely on a tyrant to defeat another tyrant, lest you fall victim to both.
- The truest honesty is trustworthiness, while betrayal is the greatest lie.
- Three unexpected guests arrive without invitation: love, luck, and death.
- The successful person seeks solutions; the failure seeks excuses.
- Worry does not seek you; it comes when you desire it.
- Often, losing a battle teaches you how to win the war; seeking your truth in the eyes of others leaves you standing alone in a room.
- Measure yourself not by what you have accomplished but by what you should achieve based on your potential.
- It is not difficult to sacrifice for a friend; the challenge lies in finding a friend worth such sacrifices.
- In it, millions of mirrors reflect his lost true self.
- I arrived yet feel I have not reached; I came but did not return.
- The wise person suffers amidst pleasure, while the ignorant finds comfort in hardship.
- The best actions stem from thoughtful ideas and piety; those who live thus will prosper, while those who do not shall suffer.
- How strange it is for a people commanded to prepare but become stuck, remaining idle instead of advancing.
- When deliberation reaches consultation, seek the advice of the knowledgeable or the counsel of the wise.
- In the breadth of morality lies treasures of sustenance.
- How just envy is; it begins by killing its host.
- Everyone shapes their destiny with their own hands.
- Live one day free from worries, and you will live eternally.
Wise Sayings from Arab Philosophers
Here are some notable quotes from wise Arab thinkers:
- Al-Hasan Al-Basri said: Do not be among those who gather the knowledge of scholars, the wisdom of sages, yet flow with the foolish.
- Umar ibn Al-Khattab stated: Acquire knowledge and impart it to others; learn dignity and serenity, and show humility to those from whom you learn and those you teach. Do not be arrogant scholars; your ignorance should not overshadow your knowledge.
- Abbas Mahmoud Al-Aqqad observed: The philosophy of life can be summarized in a few lines: your wealth lies within you, your value is in your deeds, your motives deserve more attention than your goals, and do not expect much from people, for their results are often disappointing.
- Ali ibn Abi Talib remarked: When you see scholars at the doors of kings, declare them as poor kings and poor scholars; but when kings sit at the doors of scholars, acknowledge them as noble kings and noble scholars.
- Amr ibn Mamat noted: I have tasted death before experiencing it; indeed, the coward’s fate is sealed above him.
- Mustafa Sadiq Al-Rafi’i said: If you do not add anything to life, then you are just a burden on it.
- Ghada Al-Samman stated: The creative individual is significant because of their weaknesses, just as a diamond is beautiful despite its small flaw, distinguishing it from synthetic diamonds.
- Amer ibn Al-Dharab explained: He who mixes truth with falsehood will not find both together, for falsehood is more likely to prevail; truth has always shunned falsehood, and falsehood has always steered clear of truth.
- Aktham ibn Sayfi advised: Engage in righteousness, for it will multiply your worth; restrain your tongue, for a man’s downfall lies between his jaws. Truth has left no friend unscathed; a learned individual who remains ignorant will perish. Discrepancies arise when matters unfold; when they recede, the wise distinguish them from the foolish.
Famous Sayings of the Arabs
Here are some notable proverbs from Arab tradition:
- Seize the winds when they blow in your favor.
- Gather wisdom from the mouths of the simple.
- A bird in hand is worth ten in the bush.
- Beware the wrath of whom you have done good to.
- The greatest struggle is the struggle against anger.
- A brother formed by destiny is closer than a brother born.
- Send a wise person without instructions.
- Tomorrow is closer than you think.
- Do not defer today’s work until tomorrow.
- The best speech is that which is short and meaningful.
- Modesty is a part of faith.
- Time is made of two days: one for you and one against you.
- Unity is strength.
- A justification is worse than the sin itself.
- He who consults does not fail.
- Grief at the time of calamity is itself a calamity.
- Haste is of the devil.
- One who grows up with a habit tends to remain with it in old age.
- Whoever meddles in what does not concern them will face what displeases them.
- He who watches others dies of worry.
- Every living being has an appointed time and every illness has a cure.
- Be good to people, and their hearts will become your captives.
- When wisdom is complete, speech diminishes.
- When a scholar fails, an entire world falters with him.
- The rope of lies is short.
- If you have an opinion, have the will to act.
- When opinion prevails, desire fades away.
Beautiful Poems of the Arabs
As I See You
I see you, the tear-resistant one, your trait is patience;
Is there any prohibition over love for you?
Indeed, I yearn, and I feel a burning inside,
But someone like me does not dare reveal his secret.
When the night envelops me, I stretch forth my hand in love,
Surrendering tears humbled by pride.
The flames nearly shine between my veins,
Once ignited by longing and deep thought.
I am tormented by the bonds of connection, with death looming over me,
Should I die thirsty, may no rain fall upon me.
We are a people without moderation among us;
Our prominence surpasses that of all mortals or the grave.
Our souls are trivialized in great endeavors;
He who seeks beauty shall not be burdened by its price.
The noblest among the world’s sons, the highest of the dignified,
And the most honorable above the dirt, where pride does not exist.
My Grand Trials
My grand trials are significant, and the consolation is beautiful;
I believe that God will eventually grant me relief.
Wounds that the surgeons have avoided cause an alarm;
Two kinds: one that is clear, and one that is foreign.
I endure family ties and nights filled with stars,
I see all things pass except for them.
Hours stretch on endlessly for me when they are brief,
And in every era, the long duration brings you no happiness.
Friends have forgotten me save a few;
They will catch up with the rest tomorrow and turn away.
And who remains loyal to promises? Even when they are many, they remain few.
I turn my gaze, seeing nothing but a companion;
He sways with fortune wherever it leads.
It seems that the one who parts paths is proficient,
And that a true friend does not harm you.
So every friend is thus but ungrateful,
And every time in the company of the noble is filled with scarcity.
Oh, how I envy the one who is a consistent companion;
I express my sorrow once and they reciprocate.
Let Us Weep
Let us weep for memories of a beloved and a place,
At the outskirts between presence and absence.
The remnants remain where they were forged,
From the north to the south, though they never disappeared.
You will see the dust of the stars in its courtyards,
And its valleys are like grains of pepper.
I seem to remember yesterday when they parted,
By the bitter trees among the clusters of bitter fruits.
Standing there, my companions upon their steeds,
They say, “Do not perish in sorrow; adorn yourself.”
And my healing lies in tears spilled,
Is there no one pondering upon an abandoned dwelling?
Just as it was customary before, from the home of Al-Huwairith;
And the house of Al-Rabab with languor.
The tears flow from my eyes for yearning,
Upon my throat until my tears soak my burdens.