Imam Ali’s Sayings on Hopes Part 2
Many [of those] who hope get disappointed, and many a traveller fails to return.
Many a person hopes for what he never achieves.
Hope brings death closer and takes aspiration further away.
Hope is the dominion of devils over hearts of the negligent.
Hope is like a mirage, it deceives the one who sees it and disheartens the one who looks forward to it.
Hope is always in denial; and long life is an affliction for man.
Belie hope and do not trust it, for it is a deception and he who possesses it is deceived.
Belie your hopes and take advantage of your lifetimes to perform your best deeds, and hasten with the hastening of the wise and those endowed with understanding.
Be wary of the deceit of hopes, for many a person has hoped for a day that never came and built a house that he never occupied and amassed wealth that he never used, and it may be that he amassed it unlawfully by depriving others of their rights, thereby acquiring what is forbidden and carrying the burden of sin.
Be wary of vain hopes, as it is possible for one who starts a day not to end it and for one who is deemed fortunate at dusk to be mourned at dawn.
Be cautious of dashed hopes and seized blessings.
Beware of relying on [your] hopes, for this is the trait of fools.
The deception of hopes corrupts [ones] action.
An ignorant person is fooled by the deception of his hope, so he loses the best of his actions.
The deception of hope wastes time and brings death closer.
In the deception of hopes, lifetimes lapse.
Aspirations bay deceive.
Hopes may beguile.
Rarely do hopes turn out to be true.
Reduce your hopes, fear the suddenness of death and hasten towards performing good deeds.
Decrease your hopes and your actions will become sincere,
Reduce your hopes, for your death is indeed near!
Reduce [your] hopes, for verily life is short; and perform good actions, for verily little of it is plenty.
Reduce [your hopes, hasten towards [good] deeds and fear the suddenness of death, as the return of lifetime cannot be hoped for like the return of livelihood. Whatever is missed from livelihood today be be hoped for tomorrow with increase, but whatever is lost from ones lifetime yesterday, its return cannot be hoped for today.
Every person is seeking his aspirations while [concurrently] being sought by his death.
How many a person is deluded y hopes, [and ] ends up wasting his actions.
