Life Principles

• Keep it simple, Sir.
• Knowledge is power (Knowledge is light).


• If something is worth doing, it is worth doing right.
• Aim for perfection, live with imperfection. (Live on Earth, aim for Paradise.)
• Simplify it until it’s perfect; perfect it until it’s so simple.
• Simplicity is beautiful; simplicity attracts.


• Know God, know peace. No God, no peace. (Know God, know trust and confidence. No God, no trust nor confidence.)


• Love for your fellow human what you love for yourself.
• The best are the ones who best serve humanity. (Muhammad peace be upon him was as such the best.)
• The best are the ones who learn Qur’an and teach it. (As such, again, peace be upon him was the best.)


• The most noble in God’s sight are the most fair ones.
• The most noble in God’s sight are the most honest ones (who are one and the same as the most fair ones).
• The most noble in God’s sight are the most shy ones (who are one and the same as the most honest and most fair ones).


• Who loves obeys.
• We are souls, not bodies.
• Who’s the most happy? ... Who makes people most happy.


• Chance favors the prepared mind.


• The more I increase in knowledge, the more I increase in knowledge of my ignorance.
• Lord, increase me in knowledge (of You).
• Read! (Recite [the Qur’an]).


• Acknowledging a problem is the first step in solving it. (Ones who don’t acknowledge their problems don’t solve them).
• Move on, make progress! (Don’t go in circles)

(Egyptian) Arabic Translation and Transliteration:

• Mat3a2ad.haash.
• El3elm noor (el3elm qowwa).


• Inn Allah yo7eb ezha 3amila a7adakom 3amalan ann yotqenah.
• Es3a lel kamaal, w ta3ayash ma3a annaqs. (3eesh 3al ard, wes3a lelgannah.)
• Bassat l 7add eletqaan, etqen l 7add elbasaatah.
• Elbasaata 7elwa; elbasaata betshedd.


• Laa amaan limann la emaan lah. (amaan=salaam, theqah, yaqeen)


• 7ebb li akheek ma to7ebb l nafsek.
• Khair annaas anfa3hom linnaas.
• Khairokom mann ta3allam alqur’an wa 3allamah.


• Inn akramakom 3ind Allah atqaakom (=a3dalakom, asdaqakom, a7yaakom).


• Mann a7abb ataa3.
• Annaas arwaa7 la agsaad (ennaas gawhar mesh maz.har).
• Mann as3ad annaas? ... Mann as3ad annaas!


• “elsodaf wel foras” (ya3ny tawfeeq Rabbena sub7anahu wa ta3aala) mabtenfa3sh ella elmosta3edd (leeha).


• Kollama ezdaad 3elmy, ezdaad 3elmy b gahli.
• Rabb, zidni 3ilman (bik).
• Iqra2 (alqur2aan)!


• Ele3teraaf belmoshkela awwel khatwa f 7allaha . (Elly mabeye3tarefsh b mashaklo mesh 7ay7ellaha).
• Taqaddam, taqaddam! (Matleffesh 7awalain nafsak)

Khaatemah:

• Enna lillah 3ebaadan fotona, tallaqu addonya w 3aafo alfitana.
  Nazaru feeha, fa lamma wajadu annaha laysat l 7ayyen watana,
  Ettakhazhuha lujjatan (ba7r), wattakhazhu sali7 ala3maal (k atta3allom w atta3leem w attadabbor bel2edaafa l alsalaah w alzakaah w ghairihim) feeha sufuna.
  
  – ‘W ba3dain?’ (Qessat zhaat maghza l ‘ragul ala3maal w alsayyaad’, belengleezy).

The End:

• In this world there are smart ones, who detach themselves from this world and steer clear of its problems.
  They pondered over this world, then, when they found that it ain’t a resting-place for any living being,
  They saw it as a sea, and saw good deeds (such as learning, teaching, and researching, in addition to praying, giving alms, etc.) as ships (for crossing the sea).
  
  – ‘So what?’ (A telling story of ‘the businessman and the fisherman’).