Ali ibn Abi Talib

Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (علي بن أﺑﻲ طالب)‎ (599 – 661) was an early Islamic leader and fourth Caliph. He is revered by Sunni Muslims as the last of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs and as a foremost religious authority on the Qur'an and Islamic jurisprudence. Shi'a Muslims consider him the First Imam appointed by the Prophet Muhammad and the first rightful caliph. Ali was the cousin of Prophet Muhammad, and after marriage to Fatima Zahra, he also became Muhammad's son-in-law.

Unsourced quotes

• "A man's measure is his will."

Simple: A man's willpower (mind) is his strength.

• "A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country."

Simple: A man with little or no money cannot survive in his own country.

• "Do not be too hard, lest you be broken; do not be too soft, lest you be squeezed."

Simple: Do not be too wilful or you will be opposed by others, do not be too kind or you will be taken advantage of by other people.

• "Do not share the knowledge with which you have been blessed with everyone in general, as you do with some people in particular; and know that there are some men in whom Allah, may He be glorified, has placed hidden secrets, which they are forbidden to reveal."

Simple: Do not share the knowledge that you have been given with everyone, as you do with some certian people; and known that there are some people in whom Allah [God], may He be glorified, has placed secrets, which they must not reveal.

• "If poverty were a man, I would have slain him."

Simple: I would stop poverty.

• "To make one good action succeed another, is the perfection of goodness."

Simple: To make one good action happen after another one is goodness.

Other websites

• Ali on the English Wikipedia