The words of Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him)

It is narrated from a man of Banu Amir that he said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I fear only two things for you: long hope and following desires. For long hope makes one forget the Hereafter, and following desires becomes a barrier to the truth. Indeed, this world is turning its back and departing, and the Hereafter is coming. Each of them has sons, so be sons of the Hereafter. For today there is action and no reckoning, and tomorrow there will be reckoning and no action."

Al-Muhajir al-Amiri also narrates the same from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from al-Hasan that he said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Glad tidings for every unknown person who knows people while people do not know him, and whom Allah Almighty knows with His pleasure. These are the lamps of guidance. Every dark tribulation is removed from them, and Allah Almighty admits them into His mercy. These are not people who reveal secrets, nor are they harsh or showing off."

It is narrated from Zubayd that he said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The best of people are these people of the middle. Those behind catch up with them, and those ahead return to them."

It is narrated from Ata bin Abi Rabah that he said: Whenever Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) sent out a military expedition, he would appoint a man in charge of it and give him advice, saying: "I advise you to fear Allah. You must certainly meet Allah, and short of Him there is no final end for you. He alone is the Owner of this world and the Hereafter. Be sure to do what brings you closer to Allah, for what is with Allah is also a replacement for the wealth of this world."

It is narrated from Zayd bin Wahb that Ibn Na'jah objected to the clothing of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: "The believer follows it as an example, and the heart becomes humble."

Abu Salih, who used to serve Sayyidah Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), said: I went to Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) while her hair was being combed, and there was a screen between her and me. So I sat waiting for her until she would give me permission. Then Sayyiduna Hasan and Sayyiduna Husayn (may Allah be pleased with them both) came and went in to her while her hair was being combed, and they said: "Will you not give Abu Salih something to eat?" She said: "Yes, indeed." He said: So they brought out a bowl containing broth with grains. I said: "Do you feed me this while you are rulers?" Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Abu Salih, how would it be then if you had seen the Commander of the Faithful? Citrons were brought to him, and Hasan or Husayn went to take a citron from them, but he snatched it from his hand. Then he ordered them to be distributed."

It is narrated from Abu al-Bakhtari that he said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his mother, Sayyidah Fatimah bint Asad (may Allah be pleased with her): "Relieve Sayyidah Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), of the service outside the house, such as fetching water and the like. She will relieve you of the work inside the house, such as kneading dough, baking bread and turning the mill."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: On the night that Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was presented to me as a bride, there was nothing beneath us except a ram's skin.

It is narrated from Abu Ishaq that he said: Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There are a few sayings such that if you were to drive your mounts in search of them, you would wear out and destroy the mounts before finding anything like them. A servant should hope in no one but his Lord. A servant should fear only his own sin. One who does not know should not be ashamed to learn. When a person is asked about something he does not know, he should not be ashamed to say: 'Allah knows best.' And know that the place of patience in faith is the same as the place of the head in the body. When the head is gone, the body is gone, and when patience is gone, faith is gone."

It is narrated from Adi bin Thabit that he said: A basin of faludah on a dining cloth was brought to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and he did not eat any of it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Restrain your anger and laugh little; hearts do not tolerate it."

It is narrated from Ibn Abi Hudhayl that he said: I saw Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) wearing a shirt whose sleeve, when he let it go, reached the middle of his forearm, and when he pulled it, did not go past his fingernail.

It is narrated from Damrah bin Habib that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) decided that the housework would be upon his daughter, and that the work outside the house would be upon Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "Everyone in Kufah lives in comfort and luxury. Even the lowest in rank among them eats wheat, sits in the shade and drinks the water of the Euphrates."

It is narrated from Yazid bin Sharik that he said: One day Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) came out with his sword and said: "Who will buy this sword of mine from me? If I had the price of a waist-wrap, I would not sell this sword."

Zadhan narrates from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) concerning the verse "Except the companions of the right" [Al-Muddaththir: 39] that he said: "These will be the children of the Muslims."

It is narrated from Umm Uthman, the umm walad of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), that she said: I came to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and before him in the courtyard was a heap of cloves. I said: "O Commander of the Faithful! Give my daughter a necklace of these cloves as a gift." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) did like this, tapping with both his hands: "Bring a good dirham near, for this is the wealth of the Muslims. Otherwise be patient until our share of it comes to us, and then we will give some of it to your daughter as a gift."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "The likeness of one who combines the Qur'an and faith is that of a citron, whose taste is good and whose fragrance is good. And the likeness of one who does not combine faith and the Qur'an is that of a colocynth: its taste is bad and its smell is bad."

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked: "O Abu al-Hasan! What is the matter, that you live as a neighbour of the people of the graveyard?" He said: "I have found them to be true neighbours. They keep one from evil and remind one of the Hereafter."

It is narrated from Ata that he said: Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) used to knead dough, and the hair of her forehead would almost touch the dough bowl.