Forty Hadith of Shah Waliullah

لَیْسَ الْخَبَرُ کَالْمُعَایَنَةِ

The report is not like witnessing

الْحَرْبُ خُدَعَةٌ

War is deception

الْمُسْلِمُ مِرْآةُ الْمُسْلِمِ

A Muslim is a mirror of the Muslim

الْمُسْتَشَارُ مُؤتَمَنٌ

Someone whose advice is sought is in a position of trust

الدَّالُّ عَلَی الْخَیْرِ کَفَاعِلِهِ

The person guiding (someone) to do a good deed, is like the one performing the good deed

إِسْتَعِیْنُوْا عَلَی الْحَوَائِجِ بِالْکِتْمَانِ

Seek help for any needs discreetly

إِتَّقُوْا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ

Protect yourself from the fire even with a part of a date

الدُّنْیَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤمِنِ وَ جَنَّةُ الْکَافِرِ

The world is the believer’s prison and the disbeliever’s paradise

الْحَیَاءُ خَیْرٌ کُلُّهُ

Modesty is entirely good

عِدَةُ الْمُؤمِنِ کَاَخْذِ الْکَفِّ

The word of the believer is like seizing of the hand

لَا یَحِلُّ لِمُؤمِنٍ اَنْ یَّجُهْرَ أخَاهُ فَوقَ ثَلَاثَةِ أیَّامٍ

It is unlawful for a believer to sever relations with his brother for more than three days

لَیْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ غَشَّنَا

He is not one of us who cheats us

مَا قَلَّ وَكَفَى خَيْرٌ مِمَّا كَثُرَ وَأَلْهَى

A little that suffices is better than an abundance that distracts

الرَّاجِعُ فِيْ هِبَتِهِ کَالرَّاجِعِ فِيْ قَیْئِهِ

Someone who takes back his gift is like someone who eats his vomit

الْبَلَاءُ مُوَکِّلٌ بِالْمَنْطِقِ

Affliction comes from (loose) talk

النَّاسُ کَأسْنَانِ الْمُشْطِ

People are like the teeth of a comb

الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ

Richness lies in the richness of the soul

الْسَّعِیْدُ مَنْ وُّعِظَ بِغَیْرِهِ

The felicitous person takes lessons from (the actions of) others

وَ إِنَّ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ لَحِکْمَةً وَاِنَّ مِنَ الْبَیَانِ لَسِحْرًا

Indeed, in poetry there is wisdom and in eloquence there is magic

عَفْوُ الْمُلُوْكِ إِبْقَاءٌ لِلْمُلْكِ

The king’s pardon preserves the kingdom