Inspirational Quotes by Abu Muhammad Ali ibn Hazm — Words of Wisdom for Daily Success

“You should treat company like a fire. Warm yourself but do not fall in; [''You may draw near but without going right in''].”

“To a well-born man, honour is dearer than gold. A well-born man should use his gold to protect his body, his body to protect his soul, his soul to protect his honour, and his honour to defend his religion. But he must never sacrifice his religion in defense of anything whatsoever.”

“If you think that your faults are slight, imagine someone else looking at them and think what he would say about them. Then you will feel shame and will know the measure of your faults, if you have the slightest discernment.”

“Remember that it is harder to tame the self than to tame wild beasts. In fact, when wild beasts are shut inside cages ordered for them by kings, they cannot harm you. But the self, even if it were put in a prison, could not be guaranteed to do you no harm.”

“If you take pride in your wealth, that is the worst degree of pride. Think of all the vile and debauched men who are richer than you and do not take pride in something in which they outdo you. You should realize that it is stupid to take pride in possessions; riches are burdens which bring no benefit until you dispose of them and spend them according to the law. Wealth is also ephemeral and fleeing. It can escape, and you can find it again anywhere, perhaps in someone else’s hands, perhaps in the hands of your enemy. To take pride in your wealth is stupid, to put your trust in good fortune is a trap and a weakness.”

“A man who is a miser with his knowledge is worse than a man who is a miser with his money, for the latter is afraid of using up what he possesses but the former is being mean with something which does not get used up and is not lost when it is given away”

“When a man is asleep, he leaves the world and forgets all joy and all sorrow. If he kept his spirit in the same state on waking, he would know perfect happiness.”