Aphorisms of Ibn-Ata Allah
Wisdom of a Sufi Master
Shaykh Ibn-Ata Allah Iskandari was a Sufi master of Shadilli order . He was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria and taught at Al-Azhar Mosque & Mansuriya Madrasa in Cairo. Al-Hikam Al-Attaiya is his most famous book, a collection of 264 aphorisms. Below is a selection of quotes from this book :
Wisdom # 1 :
Loosing hope when a slippage occurs is a sign of relying too much on (one's own ) deeds.
Wisdom # 2 :
Each person has his own respective areas to concentrate on & to prove his mettle.
Wisdom # 3 :
Intentions cannot intrude the walls of pre-ordained things. The human willpower is but a means to the unfurling of predestined divine decree.
Wisdom # 4 :
Don't bother to think about your world fortunes.
Wisdom # 5 :
Actions differ according to the differences in the circumstances of inspiration .
Wisdom # 6 :
Bury your existence in the ground of insignificance because what sprouts out of an unburied seed will not yield good results. Success achieved without humility will be short lived.
Wisdom # 7 :
Nothing will be as beneficial to the heart as seclusion where in it enters the domain of meditation.