Imam Syafei's wise words as a life reflection

Imam Shafi'i, full name Al-Shafi'i or Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, was a prominent Islamic scholar, jurist, and theologian. He was born in 767 CE in Gaza, Palestine, and died in 820 CE in Egypt. Imam Shafi'i is considered one of the four major Sunni Islamic jurists, known as the founders of the four Sunni schools of Islamic jurisprudence.

The Shafi'i school, named after Imam Shafi'i, is one of the four main Sunni schools of Islamic law, alongside the Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali schools. Followers of the Shafi'i school are known as Shafi'is, and their legal interpretations are particularly influential in regions such as Southeast Asia, East Africa, and parts of the Arabian Peninsula.

Imam Shafi'i was known for his wisdom, and many of his sayings provide valuable insights into various aspects of life. Here are wise words attributed to Imam Shafi'i:

1. When you seek advice, don't withhold any facts
2. Whoever does not have forbearance, has nothing
3. He who guards his secrets, has control over his affairs
4. Knowledge without action is insanity, and action without knowledge is vanity
5. To admonish your brother in private is to advise him and improve him. But to admonish him publicly is to disgrace and shame him
6. Patience is the key to relief
7. There is no enemy greater than your own soul
8. Your remedy is within you, but you do not sense it. Your sickness is from you, but you do not perceive it
9. He who seeks repentance (Taubah) has not persisted in a sin, for persisting in a sin is a form of despair
10. He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good
11. The best way to defeat someone is to beat him at politeness
12. Silence is the best reply to a fool
13. Humility adorns knowledge, and arrogance corrupts it
14. Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need.
15. A fool’s mind is at the mercy of his tongue and a wise man’s tongue is under the control of his mind
16. Be hard on yourself, easy on others
17. Beware of your ego; it is your greatest enemy
18. The value of every person is in his attaining knowledge
19. Knowledge enlivens the soul
20. The example of those who seek knowledge in order to compete with scholars is like the example of one who enters the sea to learn how to swim
21. Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need
22. A fool’s mind is at the mercy of his tongue and a wise man’s tongue is under the control of his mind
23. Whoever is not thankful for small blessings cannot be thankful for big blessings
24. Your words are your prisoner, so if you speak, you are its slave, and if you keep silent, you are its free man
25. Beware of injustice, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection

These sayings reflect Imam Shafi'i's emphasis on knowledge, humility, patience, and self-discipline, offering valuable insights into how one should conduct themselves in various aspects of life.