The scorpions of death keep stinging; the numbness that settles over the body of hopes holds it back; and the water of life is forever seeping from the vessel of a man’s allotted years.

O Commander of the Believers: when you have power, remember God’s justice toward you, and when you punish, remember God’s power over you. Do not soothe your rage at the cost of injuring your religion.

To a friend he said, “You enjoy the widest excuse for staying away, for I trust you; yet you have the narrowest, for I long for you.”

A man told him, “I did not sleep last night out of yearning for the gathering.” He replied, “That is because you are looking for amusement; what you really ought to do is stay awake tonight.”

An ill-tempered fellow stood up and said, “Master, we wish to quote you: who is better, Abū Bakr or ʿAlī?” He answered, “Sit down.” The man sat, then rose again and repeated the question; he made him sit a second time. When he stood a third time he said, “Sit— you are better (1) than anyone!”

On another occasion, during the ascendency of the Shīʿa, someone asked him, “Which of the two is superior?” He answered, “The better of the two is the one whose daughter is under his roof.”

This artfully ambiguous wording satisfies both parties.

Yet another asked, “Which is better: to glorify God (tasbīḥ) or to seek forgiveness (istighfār)?” He replied, “A soiled garment needs soap more than perfume.”

And concerning the hadith, “The lifespan of my community is between sixty and seventy” (2), he said: “It is only…"