Wisdom from Sayyidina `Ali R.A.

Sayyidina `Ali (r) has said, “There are four elements that, if you keep them, Allah (swt) will keep you: First is as-samt, to keep silent. Don’t talk; if you talk you are going to sin, so don’t talk. If talking is silver, not talking is gold. You will go from gold to silver, so let us not talk and keep quiet. 

Then after keeping silent, don’t make fitna. He said, after that use your ears to listen to what people are saying. “Listen well before you take any action.” So listen well, and then balance with the Shari`ah to see if you are creating fitna. If so, run away from it, don’t answer; if you answer, you are pouring oil on the fire.

Then another; after being silent and listening, “Observe.” So you can be an-nazhar, the observer, to observe behavior so you don’t fall into tricks and traps. After you observe, then haraka, move forward on your decision. Don’t voice your decisions with an angry mouth because you will fall into fitna and problems with you and your opponent, for nothing.

via Akma (Source: azimuthshead)