* Replied to a man who had ask him a difficult question; Ask me for understanding but do not ask me for getting confused, because the ignorant person who tries to learn is like the learned man, but the learned man who tries to create confusion is like the ignorant.

* There are three of people One is the Godly Scholars. The Second category is The student on the way of salvation. The the third ones are the silly and stupid ones who run after every call, and move to and from with each wind and blows. They are the same (people) who have not been illuminated by the light of knowledge and have not taken refuge in a strong and firm pillar.

* Imam Ali said: Knowledge is better than Wealth because of 7 (Reasons):

1. Knowledge is inheritence of Prophets while wealth is inheritence of Firauns (Pharohs).

2. Knowlege Does not Diminish (rather increases) with spending , while wealth diminishes with spending.

3. Wealth requires to be protected, while knowledge protects its owner.

4. Knowledge will enter the Kafan (Shroud) while wealth will be prevented from doing so.

5. Wealth reaches both believers and unbelievers (Kafir), while knowledge is reserved only for those who are worthy of it.

6. Knowledge will facilitate passing over the Seraat (Bridge over Hell) while wealth will pore hurdles.

7. People are always in need of scholars while they might not be in need of those possessing wealth.

* Among the Characteristics of the believer there is neither flattery nor envy, except in the pursuit of knowledge.

* Death and not infancy, endurance and not apathy.

* If a Pedestrian walks alongside a rider it is corruption, (ie, a false sense of superiority) for the rider and humiliation for the pedestrian.

* Give to your fellow believer your blood and your property and to your enemy your justice and fairness.

* You should have hope in God alone and should fear nothing but your sins.

* One’s character is hidden behind one’s tongue.

* There are two things that I fear for you most: following one’s passions and forever hoping, because following one’s passions impedes truth, and forever hoping causes one to forget the Hereafter.

* Refraining from sin is easier than Repentance.

* He who condones a shameful act, then it is as if he were a participant.

* There are four principles of Faith: Reliance on God, Accepting God’s supremity, Acceptance of God’s judgement and submission to God’s command.

* Patience is of two kinds: Patience in face of disaster which is good and commendable, (however better than that is) Patience in that which God has declared unlawful for you.

* Relinquishing one’s desires is the richest of all deeds.

* Be magnanimous but do not be a squanderer.

* Victory stems from firm resolution from decisiveness and decisiveness by keeping one’s plans secret.

* There is no wealth like reason, no poverty like ignorance, no heritage like culture and no aid like consultation.

* Wisdom is the goal of the believer, so acquire wisdom even from hypocrites.

* When you hear something then act upon it. Do not merely repeat it. For, if the transmitters of a piece of information are many, then little is acted upon.

* Hearts have desires, likes and dislikes and so try to approach them through their desires and likes, for if it is forced to feel, the heart becomes blind.

* Associate with people in such a way that when you have passed away they will cry for you, and while you are alive they will seek your company.

* The most incapable of people is he who is unable to acquire friends, and more incapable still is he who loses the friends he has already acquired.

* If the mind is perfect then speech is minimal.

* Verbal Knowledge is of the least value, while practical knowledge is of the highest.

* Anxiety cuts your life span in half.

* A person will be ruined if he does not appreciate his own limit.

* He who places himself in a blameworthy position should not blame anyone for thinking badly of him.

* He who can keep his own secrets has the power of choice in his hands.

* Do not obey him who disobeys the Creator.

* The tool of leadership is forbearance.

* There is no good in keeping silent in wisdom, just as there is no good in proposing ignorance.

* Islam is submission and submission is trust, trust is faith and faith is acceptance, acceptance is responsibility and responsibility is work.

* He who is able to refrain from the following four things deserves never to be afflicted by adversity : haste, argumentation, conceit, and lethargy.

* A believer does not enter into a matter in ignorance and never departs from the truth impotent.

* Life has two days: One in your favor and one to your disadvantage. If in your favor, then don’t let it be in vain and if to your disadvantage, then don’t be sad.

* A believer who is calm in a commotion is patient in distress and grateful in prosperity.

* The more knowledgeable the man, the more valuable the man.

* The most complete gift of God is a life based on knowledge.

* The innumerable fools have made the learned very scarce.

* The learned man understands the ignorant for he was once ignorant for he was once ignorant himself.

* The ignorant man does not understand the learned for he has never been learned himself.

* Knowledge gives life to the soul.

* To respect the learned is to respect God.

* Knowledge creates fear of God.

* Practice makes knowledge perfect.

* To teach is to learn.

* Honesty is Divine language.

* To fulfill promises is the highest form of integrity.

* Truth means conformity of speech with the Divine mode of working.

* Friendship is impossible with a liar.

* Misrepresentation spoils narration.

* Lying spoils news.

* Enemity is the occupation of fools.

* One's obedience to God is proportionate to one's wisdom.

* To fight against one's own desires is highest wisdom.

* The wise aim at perfection.

* The foolish aim at wealth.

* To separate oneself from things of time and to connect oneself with things of eternity is highest wisdom.

* He is really wise whose actions reflect his words.

* Humility is the product of knowledge.

* Self-conceit poisons the mind.

* Self-conceit impedes progress.

* Pride mars greatness.

* Humility is one of the nets spread by real greatness.

* Boasting issues from small minds.

* How wonderful is a man that speaks with fat, talks with a piece of flesh, hears with a bone and breathes through a hole.

* Meet people in such a manner that if you die they should weep for you and if you live they should long for you.

* When you gain power over your adversary pardon him by way of thanks for being able to over-power him.

* The most helpless of all men is he who cannot find a few brothers during his age, but still more helpless is he who finds such a brother but loses him.

* O' son of Adam when you see that Allah is bestowing His favours on you while you are disobeying Him, you should fear Him.

* Keep walking in your sickness till you can.

* Fear! Fear! By Allah, He has hidden your sins so much so as He has forgiven.

* The best riches is abandonment of desires.

* Super numerate prayers cannot bring about nearness to Allah if they hamper obligatory ones.

* The tongue of the wise man is behind his heart and the heart of a fool is behind his tongue.

* He said to a companion during his sickness: Allah may make your illness a means for writing off your sins, because there is no reward for sickness but it erases sins and makes them fall like (dried) leaves: Reward lies in saying by tongue and doing something with hands and feet. Certainly Allah, the Glorified admits into Paradise by virtue of truthfulness of intention and chastity of heart, whomever He wishes from among His people.

* Victory is by determination; determination is by revolving of thoughts and thoughts are formed by guarding secrets.

* With riches a strange land is homeland, while with destitution even homeland is a strange land.

* Contentment is wealth that does not diminish.

* Wealth is the fountainhead of passions.

* Whoever warns you is like one who gives you good tidings.

* The tongue is like beast; if it is let loose, it would devour.

* Woman is like a scorpion whose grip is sweet.

* The people of the world are like travellers who are being carried while they are asleep.

* Do not feel ashamed for giving a little, because refusal is more little than that.

* The breath of a man is a step towards death.

* The survivors of a battle are large in number and have large progeny.

* Whoever gives up saying "I do not know" meets destruction.

* I love the opinion of an old man more than the determination of a young man; or according to another version, more than the martyrdom of a young man.

* If a man behaves properly in matters between himself and Allah, then Allah keeps proper the maters between him and other people, and if a man keeps proper his affairs of the next life then Allah keeps proper for him the affairs of this world. Whoever is a preacher for himself is protected by Allah.

* Sleeping in the state of firm belief is better than praying in the state of doubtfulness.

* When you hear a tradition test it according to the criterion of intelligence not that of mere hearing, because relaters of knowledge are numerous but those who guard it are few.

* Whoever loves us, members of the Prophet's family, should be prepared to face destitution.

* It was said to Amirul Momineen (A.S) " How are you Amirul Momineen?" and he replied: " How can he be whom life is driving towards death, whose state of healthiness can change into sickness any moment and who is to be caught (by death) from his place of safety?"

* There are many people who are given time (by Allah) through goo treatment towards them, and many get into deception because their sinful activities are veiled (by Allah) and many who get enamoured by good talk about themselves. And Allah does not try anyone as seriously as He tries him whom He allows time (to remain sinful).

* Two categories of persons will face ruin on account of me- he who loves me with exaggeration and he who hates me with intensely.

* The example of the world is like a serpent. It is soft in touch but its inside is full of venom. An ignorant person who has fallen in deceit is attracted towards it but a wise and intelligent man keeps on guard from it.

* What a difference there is between two kinds of actions- an act whose pleasure passes away but it (ill) consequence remains and the act whose hardship passes away but its reward stays.

* Blessed be he who humbles himself, whose livelihood is pure, whose habits are virtuous, who spends his savings (in the name of Allah), who prevents his tongue from speaking rot, who keeps people safe from his evil, who is pleased with the (Prophets) Sunnah and who is unconnected with innovation (in religion).

* Guard against cold in its beginning (of the season) and welcome it towards its end because it affects bodies in the same way as it affects the plants. In the beginning it destroys them but in the end it gives them fresh leaves.

* When he returned from Siffin and noticed the graves outside Kufa, he said: O' residents of houses, which give a sense of loneliness, of depopulated areas and gloomy graves? O' people of the dust, O' victims of strangeness, O' people of loneliness and O' people of desolateness! You have gone ahead and preceded us while we are following you and will meet you. The houses (you left) have been inhabited by others; the wives (you left) have been married by others; the properties have been distributed (among heirs). This is the news about those around us; what is the news about things around you?

A man came to Imam Ali and said: "I have seven questions to ask you ".

Man: What is bigger than the universe ?

Imam: Accusation of an innocent person is bigger than the universe

Man: What is wider than the earth ?

Imam: Justice is wider than the earth

Man: What is hotter than fire ?

Imam: Convetting is hotter than fire

Man: What is colder than ice ?

Imam: Anticipating help from a stingy person is colder than ice

Man: What is richer than ocean ?

Imam: The mind of a contended person is richer than the ocean

Man: What is harder than rock ?

Imam: The heart of an unbeliever is harder than a rock

Man: What is weaker than orphan ?

Imam: The back-biter is weaker than orphan

"O' my son, learn four things and (a further) four things from me. Nothing will harm you if you practise them. That the richest of riches is intelligence; the biggest destitution is foolishness; the wildest wildness is vanity and the best achievement is goodness of moral character.

"O' my son, you should avoid making friends with a fool because he may intend to benefit you but may harm you; you should avoid making friends with a miser because he will run away from you when you need him most; you should avoid making friends with a sinful person because he will sell you for naught; and you should avoid making friends with a liar because he is like a mirage, making you feel far things near and near things far."

Imam Ali's last will to his sons Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Hussain (AS) after the attempt on his life by a stab from Ibn Muljam:

My advice to you is to be conscious of Allah and steadfast in your religion. Do not yearn for the world, and do not be seduced by it. Do not resent anything you have missed in it. Proclaim the truth; work for the next world. Oppose the oppressor and support the oppressed. I advise you, and all my children, my relatives, and whosoever receives this message, to be conscious of Allah, to remove your differences, and to strengthen your ties. I heard your grandfather (s) say: "Reconciliation of your differences is more worthy than all prayers and all fasting." Fear Allah in matters concerning orphans. Attend to their nutrition and do not forget their interests in the middle of yours. Fear Allah in your relations with your neighbors. Your Prophet often recommended them to you, so much so that we thought he would give them a share in inheritance. Remain attached to the Quran. Nobody should surpass you in being intent on it, or more sincere in implementing it. Fear Allah in relation to your prayers. It is the pillar of your religion. Fear Allah in relation to His House; do not abandon it as long as you live. It you should do that you would abandon your dignity. Persist in jihad in the cause of Allah, with your money, your souls, and your tongue. Maintain communication and exchange of opinion among yourselves. Beware of disunity and enmity. Do not desist from promoting good deeds and cautioning against bad ones. Should you do that,the worst among you would be your leaders, and you will call upon Allah without response. O Children of Abdul Mattaleb! Do not shed the blood of Muslims under the banner: The Imam has been assassinated! Only the assassin should be condemned to death. If I die of this stab of his, kill him with one similar stroke. Do not mutilate him! I have heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, say: "Mutilate not even a rabid dog."

In the 40th year of Hijri, in the small hours of the morning of 19th Ramadan, Imam Ali was struck with a poisoned sword by the Kharijite Ibn Maljam while offering his prayers in the Masjid of Kufa. He died on the 21st day of Ramadan 40 A.H. and buried in Najaf-ul-Ashraf. He was born in the House of Allah, the Kaaba, and martryed in the House of Allah, Masjid-e-Kufa. The Lion of Allah, the most brave and gentle Muslim after the Prophet (s) himself, began his glorious life with devotion to Allah and His Messenger, and ended it in the service of Islam. "And do not speak of those who are slain in the the Way of Allah as dead; nay, they are alive, but you perceive not." Quran 2:154