One who thinks good of his [own] soul has indeed done more harm to it.
مَنْ ظَنَّ بِنَفْسِهِ خَيْراً فَقَدْ أوْسَعَها ضَيْراً۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Being obedient [to Allah] is from the nobility of the soul.
مِنْ كَرَمِ النَّفْسِ العَمَلُ بِالطَّاعَةِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Being obedient [to Allah] is from the God-wariness of the soul.
مِنْ تَقْوَى النَّفْسِ العَمَلُ بِالطّاعَةِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Hastening towards obedience [of Allah] is a merit of the soul.
مِنْ فَضيلَةِ النَّفْسِ المُسارَعَةُ إلَى الطّاعَةِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Being satisfied at all times is a sign of an honourable soul.
مِنْ عِزِّ النَّفْسِ لُزُومُ القَناعَةِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
None abases his [carnal] soul but the intelligent one.
ما حَقَّرَ نَفْسَهُ إلاّ عاقِلٌ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
None considers himself to be imperfect [and disparages his carnal soul] but the perfect one.
ما نَقَّصَ نَفْسَهُ إلاّ كامِلٌ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who sincerely advises others does not deceive himself.
ما أغَشَّ نَفْسَهُ مَنْ يَنْصَحُ غَيْرَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
How blind is the covetous soul to the terrible [and painful] end [it will face]!
ما أعْمَى النَّفْسَ الطّامِعَةَ عَنِ العُقْبَى الفاجِعَةِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
mankind, what has made you pleased with the destruction of your soul? Is there no cure from your...
ما آنَسَكَ أيُّهَا الإنْسانُ بِهَلَكَةِ نَفْسِكَ أما مِنْ دائِكَ بُلُولٌ أمْ لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنْ نَوْمَتِكَ يَقْظَةٌ أما تَرْحَمُ مِنْ...
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
No servant considers his soul to be honourable but that the world becomes lowly [and insignificant]...
ما كَرُمَتْ عَلى عَبْد نَفْسُهُ إلاّ هانَتِ الدُّنيا في عَيْنِهِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Cognizance of the self is the most beneficial of all [types of] knowledge.
مَعْرِفَةُ النَّفْسِ أنْفَعُ المَعارِفِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Your [carnal] soul is the closest of all your enemies.
نَفْسُكَ أقْرَبُ أعْدائِكَ إلَيْكَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Purify your soul of every lowly trait even if it drives you towards the things that you desire.
نَزِّهْ نَفْسَكَ عَنْ كُلِّ دَنِيَّة، وإنْ ساقَتْكَ إلَى الرَّغائِبِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Introspection turns one’s attention to self-reformation.
نَظَرُ النَّفْسِ لِلنَّفْسِ العِنايَةُ بِصَلاحِ النَّفْسِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
One who is successful in knowing himself has achieved the greatest success.
نالَ الفَوْزَ الأكْبَرَ مَنْ ظَفِرَ بِمَعْرِفَةِ النَّفْسِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Purify your souls from the filth of [forbidden] pleasures and the evil consequences of lustful...
نَزِّهُو ا أنْفُسَكُمْ عَنْ دَنَسِ اللَّذّاتِ وتَبِعاتِ الشَّهَواتِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Your [carnal] soul is a hostile enemy and an aggressive adversary, if you are unmindful of it, it...
نَفْسُكَ عَدُوٌّ مُحارِبٌ، وضِدٌّ مُواثِبٌ إنْ غَفَلْتَ عَنْها قَتَلَتْكَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Lower yourself from your [rightful] position and people will raise you higher than your rightful...
نَزِّلْ نَفْسَكَ دُونَ مَنْزِلَتِها تُنَزِّلْكَ النّاسُ فَوْقَ مَنْزِلَتِكَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The souls of the virtuous are averse to the souls of the wicked.
نُفُوسُ الأبْرارِ نافِرَةٌ مِنْ نُفُوسِ الأشْرارِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
Purify your soul from every vileness and make an effort to perform every noble deed, you will...
نَزِّهْ عَنْ كُلِّ دَنِيَّة نَفْسَكَ، وابْذُلْ فِي المَكارِمِ جُهْدَكَ، تَخْلُصْ مِنَ المَآثِمِ، وتُحْرِزِ المَكارِمَ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The souls of the virtuous are repulsed by the actions of the wicked.
نُفُوسُ الأبْرارِ تَأْبى أفْعالَ الفُجّارِ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The one who is pleased with himself and relies on that which his soul has made decorous for him, is...
هَلَكَ مَنْ رَضِيَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ، ووَثِقَ بِما تُسَوِّلُهُ لَهُ۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
The ardent desire of the soul for [forbidden] pleasures misguides and destroys.
وُلُوعُ النَّفْسِ بِاللَّذّاتِ يُغْوي ويُرْدي۔
—Ghurar al-Hikam
—غُرَرُ الحِکَم و دُرَرُ الکَلِم
