Shams Tabrizi quotes

Shams Tabrizi was a Persian mystic and spiritual instructor, most famous as the teacher of the poet Rumi. His teachings deeply influenced the development of Sufism and Rumi’s philosophical outlook. He is celebrated for his role in inspiring some of the world’s most cherished mystical poetry. Here are 12 of his quotes:

Whoever lives as he sees fit will not die as he sees fit.

Shams Tabrizi

You have to live with the people in hypocrisy for them to stay happy with you.

Shams Tabrizi

Nothing kills the soul that commands to evil (Nafs al Ammarra) like seeing the beauty of the heart.

Shams Tabrizi

Intellect takes you to the door, but it doesn't take you into the house.

Shams Tabrizi

The salat can be made up for, but there is no making up for false show or outward worship without presence.

Shams Tabrizi

When you oppose the shaykh, it's like the slave who kills himself over a quarrel with his master. Hey, why are you killing yourself over a quarrel? He says, So my master will suffer loss.

Shams Tabrizi

There may be one fault in a man that conceals a thousand qualities, or one excellence that conceals a thousand faults. The little indicates much.

Shams Tabrizi

We can only learn and advance with contradictions. The faithful inside should meet the doubtful. The doubtful should meet the faithful. Human slowly advances and becomes mature when he accepts his contradictions.

Shams Tabrizi

Alms in secret extinguish the wrath of the Lord means you are so immersed in sincerity and in preserving that sincerity that you have no pleasure in giving alms.

Shams Tabrizi

Patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. It is looking at the thorn and seeing rose, looking at the night and seeing the day. Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full.

Shams Tabrizi