Forty Hadith of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi
أربعون شاه ولي الله الدهلوي
Read the English translation first, with the original Arabic directly underneath.
Hadith
The report is not like witnessing.
لَیْسَ الْخَبَرُ کَالْمُعَایَنَةِ
The word of the believer is like seizing of the hand.
عِدَةُ الْمُؤمِنِ کَاَخْذِ الْکَفِّ
It is unlawful for a believer to sever relations with his brother for more than three days.
لَا یَحِلُّ لِمُؤمِنٍ اَنْ یَّجُهْرَ أخَاهُ فَوقَ ثَلَاثَةِ أیَّامٍ
He is not one of us who cheats us.
لَیْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ غَشَّنَا
A little that suffices is better than an abundance that distracts.
مَا قَلَّ وَكَفَى خَيْرٌ مِمَّا كَثُرَ وَأَلْهَى
Someone who takes back his gift is like someone who eats his vomit.
الرَّاجِعُ فِيْ هِبَتِهِ کَالرَّاجِعِ فِيْ قَیْئِهِ
Affliction comes from (loose) talk.
الْبَلَاءُ مُوَکِّلٌ بِالْمَنْطِقِ
People are like the teeth of a comb.
النَّاسُ کَأسْنَانِ الْمُشْطِ
Richness lies in the richness of the soul.
الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ
The felicitous person takes lessons from (the actions of) others.
الْسَّعِیْدُ مَنْ وُّعِظَ بِغَیْرِهِ
Indeed, in poetry there is wisdom and in eloquence there is magic.
وَ إِنَّ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ لَحِکْمَةً وَاِنَّ مِنَ الْبَیَانِ لَسِحْرًا
War is deception.
الْحَرْبُ خُدَعَةٌ
The king’s pardon preserves the kingdom.
عَفْوُ الْمُلُوْكِ إِبْقَاءٌ لِلْمُلْكِ
A man will be with whom he loves.
اَلْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ
A man who knows his worth will not be ruined.
مَا هَلَكَ إمْرُؤٌ عَرَفَ قَدْرَهُ
The child belongs to the bed and stoning is for the adulterer.
اَلْوَلَدُ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَ لِلْعَاهِرِ الْحَجَرُ
The upper hand is superior to the lower hand.
الْیَدُ الْعُلْیَا خَیْرٌ مِّنَ الْیَدِ السُّفْلَی
He does not thank Allah who does not thank people.
لَا شَکَرَ اللهَ مَنْ لَّا یَشْکُرُ النَّاسَ
Your love of something can blind and deafen (you).
حُبُّكَ الشَّيْءَ یُعْمِيْ وَ یُصِمُّ
Hearts are predisposed to love someone who does them good and detest someone who does them harm.
جُبِلَتِ الْقُلُوبُ عَلی حُبَّ مَنْ اَحْسَنَ اِلَیْهَا وَ بُغْضِ مَنْ اَسَاءَ اِلَیْهَا