Musa al-Kazim

Human beings have not been given anything higher than wisdom and intellect.

"How base is the world for people, unless God gives them joy; and how great is this life, if God is not angry with them."^:157

"Believers are few and the unbelievers are legion."^:162

"God has two proofs over men: outward proof and inward one. As for the outward proof, it is the messengers, the prophets, and the imams. As for the inward proof, it is reason."^:309

The likeness of this world is as the water of the sea - however much a thirsty person drinks from it, his thirst increases so much so that the water kills him.

"Silence is among the doors to wisdom; it brings about love and is a proof of all good things."^:151

Learn sciences which offer you both your corrective destinies and corrective threats.

The best means by which a slave seeks proximity to God after recognising Him, is praying, benevolence to the parents, and abandonment of envy, self-conceit and vaunting.

"Little work from a scholar is doubly accepted; much work from the men of low desire and ignorance is refused."^:309

Consultation with a wise advisor is a blessing, grace, guidance and success.

A believer is as the two pans of a scale, that whenever his faith increases his afflictions increase.

Silence is a great wisdom.

"Tell yourselves of neither poverty nor a long lifetime, for whoever tells himself of poverty becomes miserly. Whoever tells himself of a long lifetime becomes greedy."^:309

The sleep of a wise man is far better than the worship of an ignorant one during the night.

Quoting Ali ibn Abi Talib, "God is not served through a thing better than reason. Man's reason is not perfect unless it has various qualities: unbelief and evil from him are safe [nonexistent]. Reason and good from him are hoped. The surplus of his money is spent [on charity]. The surplus of his speech is prevented. His share of the world is only daily bread. ... Abasement along with God is more beloved to him than exaltedness along with other than Him. Humbleness is more beloved to him than high rank. He regards as much the little good from other than him and as little his own good. He sees all men better than him, and that he is the most wicked of them in his soul."^:132