Idries Shah Quotes - Page 2

Saying of the Prophet
Oppression
When oppression exists, even the bird dies in its nest.

Saying of the Prophet
Women
Women are the twin-halves of men.

Saying of the Prophet
Privacy
Whoever invades people´s privacy corrupts them.

Saying of the Prophet
Reflection
The Faithful are mirrors, one to the other.

Distribuzione
E’ Dio che dà, io sono solo un distributore.

Three Things
Three things cannot be retrieved:
The arrow once sped from the bow
The word spoken in haste
The missed opportunity.

(Ali the Lion, Caliph of Islam, son-in-law of Mohammed the Prophet),

Saying of the Prophet
Some behaviour
I am like a man who has lighted a fire, and all the creeping things have rushed to burn themselves in it.

Saying of the Prophet.
Lies, promises, trust
He is not of mine who lies, breaks a promise or fails in his trust.

Saying of the Prophet
Understanding
Speak to everyone in accordance with his degree of understanding.

Saying of the Prophet
Ink and Blood
The ink of the learned is holier than the blood of the martyr.

Saying of the Prophet
Anger
You ask for a piece of advice. I tell you: 'Do not get angry.' He is strong who can withhold anger.

Saying of the Prophet
Envy
Envy devours good deeds, as a fire devours fuel.

Teaching
One hour's teaching is better than a whole night of prayer.

Saying of the Prophet
Monkishness
No monkery in Islam.

Day and Night
The night is long: do not shorten it by sleep. The day is fair: do not darken it with wrongdoing.

Saying of the Prophet
Humility
Humility and courtesy are themselves a part of piety.

Helping others
I order you to assist any oppressed person, whether he is a Moslem or not.

Saying of the Prophet
Distribution
God it is who gives: I am only a distributor.

… the Sufi attitude is: ‘Let the real truth, whatever it may be, be revealed to me’.

The existence of relative truth does not prove the non-existence of universal truth.