“The hand of liberality is stronger than the arm of power.”

Joy and sorrow, beauty and deformity, equally pass away.

An enemy to whom you show kindness becomes your friend.

Reveal not every secret you have to a friend, for how can you tell but that friend may hereafter become and enemy. And bring not all mischief you are able to upon an enemy, for he may one day become your friend.

O wise man, wash your hands of that friend who associates with your enemies.

Be generous, and pleasant-tempered, and forgiving; even as God scatter favors over thee, do thou scatter over the people.

I have never seen a man lost who was on a straight path.

Better is the sinner who hath thoughts about God, than the saint who hath only the show of sanctity.

Two orders of mankind are the enemies of church and state; the king without clemency, and the holy man without learning.

Virtue is in the mind, not in the appearance.

The bad fortune of the good turns their faces up to heaven; the good fortune of the bad bows their heads down to the earth.

The true disciple should aim to live for the gospel, rather than to die for it.

However much you study, you cannot know without action. A donkey laden with books is neither an intellectual nor a wise man. Empty of essence, what learning has he whether upon him is firewood or book?

Do to me, O Allah, what is worthy of Thee; And not what is worthy of me.

There is a difference between him who claspeth his mistress in his arms, and him whose eyes are fixed on the door expecting her.

A little beauty is preferable to much wealth.

Whoever acquires knowledge but does not practice it is as one who ploughs but does not sow.

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.

Logic and cold reason are poor weapons to fight fear and distrust. Only faith and generosity can overcome them.

Lord, grant that anger or other bitterness does not reign over us, but that your grace, genuine kindness, loyalty, and every kind of friendliness, generosity, and gentleness may reign in us. Amen

In faith and hope the world will disagree, but all mankind’s concern is charity.

At the end of the day, you either want or you don’t want to know about it. It’s a mercy thing – you have to give back. However you do it, you have to give something back. You have to.

I know I could never forgive myself if I elected to live without humane purpose, without trying to help the poor and unfortunate, without recognizing that perhaps the purest joy in life comes with trying to help others.

My humanity, in common with all of God’s children, gives the greatest flight to my full range of my possibilities.

From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.