“No honour is like knowledge * No belief is like modesty and patience * No attainment is like humility * No power is like forbearance * No support is more reliable than consultation
These qualifications were taught by Ali, the first male disciple of the Prophet Muhammad, his most valiant warrior, his cousin, son-in-law and father of his only male grandchildren. Ali was overlooked in the political succession to the leadership of Islam by the first three caliphs, which allowed him to meditate on the essence of faith in Medina. He is the fountainhead of all the Sufi brotherhoods and mystical practices of Islam, and possessed all these virtues in abundance.”
Excerpted from: Rogerson, Barnaby. Rogerson’s Book of Numbers: The Culture of Numbers–from 1,001 Nights to the Seven Wonders of the World. New York: Picador, 2013.
Mark's Text Terminal 