The worst of guardians is a cruel ruler. Beware of becoming one of them.
MuhammadRead
There are many doors to goodness. (Saying) 'glory to God,' 'praise be to God,' 'there is no deity but God,' enjoining good, forbidding evil, removing harm from the road, listening to the deaf (until you understand them), leading the blind, guiding one to the object of his need, hurrying with the strength of one's legs to one in sorrow who is asking for help, and supporting the weak with the strength of one's arms - all of these are (forms of) charity prescribed for you.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the diverse ways in which one can practice goodness and charity, revealing that kindness takes many forms.
This quote highlights the multitude of paths one can take towards goodness, illustrating that charitable acts are not limited to a single definition. It encourages individuals to engage in various forms of altruism and compassion, whether through spiritual expressions, aiding the needy, or supporting those in distress, reinforcing the idea that every act of kindness contributes to a greater good.
In practice
In a speech about community service, one could quote this to highlight the importance of helping others.
The worst of guardians is a cruel ruler. Beware of becoming one of them.
It is better to sit alone than in company with the bad, and it is better still to sit with the good than alone. It is better to speak to a seeker of knowledge than to remain silent, but silence is better than idle words.
In Paradise there are things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has thought of.
It is not within the character of a believer to curse, to damn, to speak or act improperly.
There will be no hatred or resentment among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify God, morning and evening.
The best jihad is to speak a word of justice to an oppressive ruler.
Let me make no bones about it: I write from the standpoint of Christian orthodoxy. Nothing is more repulsive to me than the idea of myself setting up a little universe of my own choosing and propounding a little immoralistic message. I write with a solid belief in all the Christian dogmas.
We're in a giant car heading towards a brick wall and everyone's arguing over where they're going to sit.
There is a purpose to our lives, even if it is sometimes hidden from us, and even if the biggest turning points and heartbreaks only make sense as we look back, rather than as we are experiencing them. So we might as well live life as if - as the poet Rumi put it - everything is rigged in our favor.
Indians do not hinder the progress of their dead by embalming or tight coffining. When the spirit has gone they give the body back to the earth. the earth welcomes the body-coaxes new life and beauty from it, hurries over what men shudder at. Lovely tender herbage bursts from the graves, swiftly, exulting over corruption.
I like ambiguity because you may be the villain in someone else's story and the hero in your own, and I think very often, African-American characters are either one thing or the other. You shouldn't have to be perfectly good or perfectly bad. You don't even have to be magical.
The intelligent minority of this world will mark 1 January 2001 as the real beginning of the 21st century and the Third Millennium.
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