Forty Hadith of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi
لَیْسَ الْخَبَرُ کَالْمُعَایَنَةِ
The report is not like witnessing.
الْحَرْبُ خُدَعَةٌ
War is deception.
الْمُسْلِمُ مِرْآةُ الْمُسْلِمِ
A Muslim is a mirror of the Muslim.
الْمُسْتَشَارُ مُؤتَمَنٌ
Someone whose advice is sought is in a position of trust.
الدَّالُّ عَلَی الْخَیْرِ کَفَاعِلِهِ
The person guiding (someone) to do a good deed, is like the one performing the good deed.
إِسْتَعِیْنُوْا عَلَی الْحَوَائِجِ بِالْکِتْمَانِ
Seek help for any needs discreetly.
إِتَّقُوْا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ
Protect yourself from the fire even with a part of a date.
الدُّنْیَا سِجْنُ الْمُؤمِنِ وَ جَنَّةُ الْکَافِرِ
The world is the believer’s prison and the disbeliever’s paradise.
الْحَیَاءُ خَیْرٌ کُلُّهُ
Modesty is entirely good.
عِدَةُ الْمُؤمِنِ کَاَخْذِ الْکَفِّ
The word of the believer is like seizing of the hand.
لَا یَحِلُّ لِمُؤمِنٍ اَنْ یَّجُهْرَ أخَاهُ فَوقَ ثَلَاثَةِ أیَّامٍ
It is unlawful for a believer to sever relations with his brother for more than three days.
لَیْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ غَشَّنَا
He is not one of us who cheats us.
مَا قَلَّ وَكَفَى خَيْرٌ مِمَّا كَثُرَ وَأَلْهَى
A little that suffices is better than an abundance that distracts.
الرَّاجِعُ فِيْ هِبَتِهِ کَالرَّاجِعِ فِيْ قَیْئِهِ
Someone who takes back his gift is like someone who eats his vomit.
الْبَلَاءُ مُوَکِّلٌ بِالْمَنْطِقِ
Affliction comes from (loose) talk.
النَّاسُ کَأسْنَانِ الْمُشْطِ
People are like the teeth of a comb.
الْغِنَى غِنَى النَّفْسِ
Richness lies in the richness of the soul.
الْسَّعِیْدُ مَنْ وُّعِظَ بِغَیْرِهِ
The felicitous person takes lessons from (the actions of) others.
وَ إِنَّ مِنَ الشِّعْرِ لَحِکْمَةً وَاِنَّ مِنَ الْبَیَانِ لَسِحْرًا
Indeed, in poetry there is wisdom and in eloquence there is magic.
عَفْوُ الْمُلُوْكِ إِبْقَاءٌ لِلْمُلْكِ
The king’s pardon preserves the kingdom.
اَلْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ
A man will be with whom he loves.
مَا هَلَكَ إمْرُؤٌ عَرَفَ قَدْرَهُ
A man who knows his worth will not be ruined.
اَلْوَلَدُ لِلْفِرَاشِ وَ لِلْعَاهِرِ الْحَجَرُ
The child belongs to the bed and stoning is for the adulterer.
الْیَدُ الْعُلْیَا خَیْرٌ مِّنَ الْیَدِ السُّفْلَی
The upper hand is superior to the lower hand.
لَا شَکَرَ اللهَ مَنْ لَّا یَشْکُرُ النَّاسَ
He does not thank Allah who does not thank people.
حُبُّكَ الشَّيْءَ یُعْمِيْ وَ یُصِمُّ
Your love of something can blind and deafen (you).
جُبِلَتِ الْقُلُوبُ عَلی حُبَّ مَنْ اَحْسَنَ اِلَیْهَا وَ بُغْضِ مَنْ اَسَاءَ اِلَیْهَا
Hearts are predisposed to love someone who does them good and detest someone who does them harm.
الْتَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ کَمَنْ لَا ذَنْبَ لَهُ
One who repents from sin is like someone without sin.
الشَّاهِدُ یَرَی مَا لَا یَرَاهُ الْغَائِبُ
The person who actually witnesses an (event) sees that which one who is absent does not.
اِذا جَاءَکُمْ کَرِیْمُ قَوْمٍ فَاَکْرِمُوهُ
If the nobleman of a people comes to you, honour him.
الْیَمِینُ الْفَاجِرَةُ تَدَعُ الدِّیَارَ الْبَلَاقِعَ
False oaths lay waste to home (lands).
مَنْ قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ فَهُوَ شَهِیْدٌ
Whoever is killed attempting to save his property is a martyr.
الْاَعْمَالُ بِالنِّیَّةِ
Actions are through intentions.
سَیِّدُ الْقَوْمِ خَادِمُهُمْ
The leader of a people is their servant.
خَیْرُ الْأُمُوْرِ أَوْسَطُهَا
The best of affairs is that which is balanced.
اَللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ فِیْ أُمَّتِیْ فِی بُکُوْرِهَا یَوْمَ الْخَمِیْسِ
O Allah, bless my nation in its early rising on Thursdays!
کَادَ الْفَقْرُ أَنْ یَکُوْنَ کُفْرًا
Poverty can almost turn into disbelief.
الْسَّفَرُ قِطْعَةٌ مِّنَ الْعَذَابِ
Travelling is a portion of punishment.
خَیْرُ زَّادِ الْتَّقْوَی
The best of provision is God-Consciousness (taqwa).
الْمَجَالِسُ بِالْاَمَانَةِ
Meetings are under trust.