Quotes About Saadi

#1. Poor greedy one, wherever he runs
He's after food, and death is after him.
(Saadi)

Idries Shah

#2. Saadi's dictum, in the Bostan: 'The Path is not in the rosary, the prayer-mat and the robe

Idries Shah

#3. Saadi, what do you think you're doing?" I demanded.
"Well I thought I was helping you. As it turns out, I'm bleeding.

Cayla Kluver

#4. Q: How can I help myself?
A: By remembering the proverb: 'The Path is not to be found anywhere except in human service', from Saadi.

Idries Shah

#5. Saadi: Be a true renouncer, (zahid) and [you can even] ware satin.

Idries Shah

#6. Almost every day I am reminded of Saadi's reflection that there is no senseless tyranny like that of subordinates.

Idries Shah

#7. If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from they slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.

Attributed to the Gulistan of Moslih Eddin Saadi

Hazel Felleman

#8. Kings stand more in need of the company of the intelligent than the intelligent do of the society of kings.

Saadi

#9. Do good even to the wicked; it is as well to shut a dog's mouth with a crumb.

Saadi

#10. No reliance can be placed on the friendship of kings, nor vain hope put in the melodious voice of boys; for that passes away like a vision, and this vanishes like a dream.

Saadi

#11. I have never seen a man lost who was on a straight path.

Saadi

#12. Be not in the desire of thine own ease.

Saadi

#13. An enemy to whom you show kindness becomes your friend, excepting lust, the indulgence of which increases its enmity.

Saadi

#14. Most of the birds of the Old World can be found here, as Oman is on a strategic route for migrating birds.

Saadi

#15. It is safer to be silent than to reveal one's secret to any one, and telling him not to mention it.

Saadi

#16. He who is a slave to his stomach seldom worships God.

Saadi

#17. The true disciple should aim to live for the gospel, rather than to die for it.

Saadi

#18. Oman overall has great animal and plant biodiversity because it has mountains, desert, coastal areas and rich coral reefs.

Saadi

#19. Of journeying the benefits are many: the freshness it bringeth to the heart, the seeing and hearing of marvelous things, the delight of beholding new cities, the meeting of unknown friends, and the learning of high manners.

Saadi

#20. He who is intoxicated with wine will be sober again in the course of the night, but he who is intoxicated by the cupbearer will not recover his senses until the day of judgement.

Saadi

#21. Opportunity's precious, and time is a sword.

Idries Shah

#22. Whenever you argue with another wiser than yourself in order that others may admire your wisdom, they will discover your ignorance.

Saadi

#23. The hand of liberality is stronger than the arm of power.

Saadi

#24. That which is not allotted the hand cannot reach; what is allotted you will find wherever you may be.

Saadi

#25. He who is indifferent to the suffering of others is a traitor to that which is truly human.

Saadi

#26. A little and a little, collected together, becomes a great deal; the heap in the barn consists of single grains, and drop and drop make the inundation.

Saadi

#27. None can be so true to your secret as yourself.

Saadi

#28. The Path is not to be found anywhere except in human service

Idries Shah

#29. Whenever thy hand can reach it, tear out the foe's brain, for such an opportunity washes anger from the mind.

Saadi

#30. A traveler without knowledge is a bird without wings.

Saadi

#31. However much you study, you cannot know without action.
A donkey laden with books is neither an intellectual nor a wise man.
Empty of essence, what learning has he whether upon him is firewood or book?

Saadi

#32. Deep in the sea are riches beyond compare. But if you seek safety, it is on the shore.

Idries Shah

#33. If a gem falls into mud it is still valuable. If dust ascends to heaven, it remains valueless.

Saadi

#34. Be generous, and pleasant-tempered, and forgiving; even as God scatter favors over thee, do thou scatter over the people.

Saadi

#35. Obedience is not truly performed by the body of him whose heart is dissatisfied. The shell without a kernel is not fit for store.

Saadi

#36. The severity of the master is more useful than the indulgence of the father.

Saadi

#37. Be not so severe as to cause shyness, nor so clement as to encourage boldness.

Saadi

#38. You who feel no pain at the suffering of others It is not fitting for you to be called human.

Saadi

#39. I fear God the most, but after Him, I fear those who don't fear Him.

Saadi

#40. Shaselle?"
"What now?" I incredulously exclaimed.
"Do you have plans tomorrow?"
"What?"
"I have a day off duty. We could-"
"No!" I shouted. "What is this?

Cayla Kluver

#41. To tell a falsehood is like the cut of a saber: for though the wound may heal, the scar of it will remain.

Saadi

#42. Human beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain
Other members uneasy will remain
If you have no sympathy for human pain
The name of human you cannot retain

Saadi

#43. There is a difference between him who claspeth his mistress in his arms, and him whose eyes are fixed on the door expecting her.

Saadi

#44. Better hold the hand for coin, though small, Than lose, for one half a dang, it all.

Saadi

#45. A loan is the scissors of friendship.
A man's own tongue may cut his throat.
The cage has no value without the bird.

Idries Shah

#46. Riches are for the comfort of life, and not life for the accumulation of riches. I asked a holy wise man, "Who is fortunate and who is unfortunate?" He replied: "He was fortunate who ate and sowed, and he was unfortunate who died without having enjoyed.

Saadi

#47. When you see contention amongst your enemies, go and sit at ease with your friends; but when you see them of one mind, string your bow, and place stones upon the ramparts.

Saadi

#48. People are crying up the rich and variegated plumage of the peacock, and he is himself blushing at the sight of his ugly feet.

Saadi

#49. Nothing is so good for an ignorant man as silence; and if he was sensible of this he would not be ignorant.

Saadi

#50. To him who is stinted of food a boiled turnip will relish like a roast fowl.

Saadi

#51. The rose and the thorn, and sorrow and gladness are linked together.

Saadi

#52. You may be able to get the bone down your throat
But if it reaches your stomach it will tear your navel.
(Gulistan)

Idries Shah

#53. The sons of Adam are formed from dust; if not humble as the dust, they fall short of being men.

Saadi

#54. Forgiveness is commendable, but apply not ointment to the wound of an oppressor.

Saadi

#55. Who eat their corn while yet 'tis green
At the true harvest can but glean.

Saadi

#56. Two orders of mankind are the enemies of church and state; the king without clemency, and the holy man without learning.

Saadi

#57. Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.

Saadi

#58. The remedy against want is to moderate your desires.

Saadi

#59. The world is not a courtroom There is no judge no jury no plaintiff. This is a caravan filled with eccentric beings telling wondrous stories about God.

Saadi

#60. The beloved of the Almighty are: the rich who have the humility of the poor, and the poor who have the magnanimity of the rich.

Saadi

#61. All is going well so far. There are some remarks here and there and there are some complaints here and there but we expect to resolve those questions or complaints Sunday and the next day.

Saadi

#62. That sorrow which is the harbinger of joy is preferable to the joy which is followed by sorrow.

Saadi

#63. If thou art of elephant-strength or of lion-claw, still peace is, in my opinion, better than strife.

Saadi

#64. Be thou good thyself, and let people speak evil of thee; it is better than to be wicked, and that they should consider thee as good.

Saadi

#65. The covetous map explores the whole world in pursuit of a subsistence, and fate is close at his heels.

Saadi

#66. Patience accomplishes its object, while hurry speeds to its ruin.

Saadi

#67. The greedy man is incontent with a whole world set before him.

Saadi

#68. Tell no one the secret that you want to keep, although he may be worthy of confidence; for no one will be so careful of your secret as yourself.

Saadi

#69. Poverty snatches the reins out of the hand of piety.

Saadi

#70. Riches are intended for the comfort of life, and not life for the purpose of hoarding riches.

Saadi

#71. Use a sweet tongue, courtesy, and gentleness, and thou mayest manage to guide an elephant by a hair.

Saadi

#72. Every person thinks his own intellect perfect, and his own child handsome.

Saadi

#73. The stranger has no friend, unless it be a stranger.

Saadi

#74. He who learns the rules of wisdom, without conforming to them in his life, is like a man who labored in his fields, but did not sow

Saadi

#75. Man is, beyond dispute, the most excellent of created beings, and the vilest animal is a dog; but the sages agree that a grateful dog is better than an ungrateful man.

Saadi

#76. To be over much facetious is the accomplishment of courtiers and blemish of the wise.

Saadi

#77. Now that another is suffering pain at thy hand, trust not that thy heart shall be exempt from affliction.

Saadi

#78. But for the cravings of the belly not a bird would have fallen into the snare; nay, nay, the fowler would not have spread his net. The belly is chains to the hands and fetters to the feet. He who is a slave to his belly seldom worships God.

Saadi

#79. The whelp of a wolf must prove a wolf at last, notwithstanding he may be brought up by a man.

Saadi

#80. A man of virtue, judgment, and prudence speaks not until there is silence.

Saadi

#81. No person learned the art of archery from me,
who did not in the end make me his target.

Saadi

#82. There is no great difficulty to separate the soul from the body, but it is not so easy to restore life to the dead.

Saadi

#83. Whoever recounts to you the faults of your neighbour will doubtless expose your defects to others.

Saadi

#84. When Karim and his group heard about Saddam coming, they wanted to kill him, but fate had other ideas.

Saadi

#85. Shut the door of that house of pleasure which you hear resounding with the loud voice of a woman.

Saadi

#86. The best loved by God are those that are rich, yet have the humility of the poor, and those that are poor and have the magnanimity of the rich.

Saadi

#87. When thou seest thine enemy in trouble, curl not thy whiskers in contempt; for in every bone there is marrow, and within every jacket there is a man.

Saadi

#88. Where the hand of tyranny is long we do not see the lips of men open with laughter.

Saadi

#89. Be sure, either that thou art stronger than thine enemy, or that thou hast a swifter pair of heels.

Saadi

#90. Virtue is in the mind, not in the appearance.

Saadi

#91. Take care what you say before a wall, as you cannot tell who may be behind it.

Saadi

#92. When a mean wretch cannot vie with another in virtue, out of his wickedness he begins to slander. The abject envious wretch will slander the virtuous man when absent, but when brought face to face his loquacious tongue becomes dumb.

Saadi

#93. It's no virtue to gain the whole world. Just gain the heart of one person.

Saadi

#94. Take care how you listen to the voice of the flatterer, who, in return for his little stock, expects to derive from you considerable advantage. If one day you do not comply with his wishes, be imputes to you two hundred defects instead of perfections.

Saadi

#95. Posion kills only where there is no antidote.

Saadi

#96. The door of illumination is open to those for whom other doors are closed.

Idries Shah

#97. Obedience insures greatness, whilst disobedience leads to a repulse. Whosoever possesseth the qualities of righteousness placeth his head on the threshold of obedience.

Saadi

#98. Whatever makes an impression on the heart seems lovely in the eye.

Saadi

#99. It is better to break off a thousand friendships, than to endure the sight of a single enemy.

Saadi

#100. God gives sleep to the bad, in order that the good may be undisturbed.

Saadi