To forgive is not to forget. The merit lies in loving in spite of the vivid knowledge that one that must be loved is not a friend. There is not merit in loving an enemy when you forget him for a friend.
Mahatma GandhiRead
I become more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of Hussein, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers and his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hussein's qualities, rather than violence, were key to the spread of Islam.
This quote by Mahatma Gandhi emphasizes that it was not through violent means or warfare that Islam gained recognition, but rather through the profound qualities exhibited by Hussein. His simplicity, selflessness, dedication to his followers, bravery, and unwavering faith played a crucial role in overcoming challenges and garnering loyalty, suggesting that moral integrity and personal character can be more powerful than physical force.
Themes
HusseinIslamSelflessnessCourageDevotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about leadership qualities, one might quote Gandhi's reflection on Hussein's character.
More from Mahatma Gandhi
All quotes →Love never claims, it ever gives. Love ever suffers, never resents never revenges itself.
Mahatma GandhiRead
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma GandhiRead
The real test of nonviolence lies in its being brought in contact with those who have contempt for it.
Mahatma GandhiRead
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.
Mahatma GandhiRead
The devotion of such titans of spirit as Lenin to an Ideal must bear fruit. The nobility of his selflessness will be an example through centuries to come, and his Ideal will reach perfection.
Mahatma GandhiRead
Similar quotes
As far as I'm concerned, being any gender is a drag.
Patti SmithRead
Chess is a unique battlefield for human minds and computers - human intuition, our creativity, fantasy, our logic, versus the brute force of calculation and a very small portion of accumulated knowledge infused by other human beings. So in chess we can compare these two incompatible things and probably make projections into our future. Is there danger that the human mind will be overshadowed by the power of computers, or we can still survive?
Garry KasparovRead
The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.
Mortimer AdlerRead
If I'm gonna tell a real story, I'm gonna start with my name.
Kendrick LamarRead
Feeling and longing are the motive forces behind all human endeavor and human creations.
Albert EinsteinRead
Unless we place our religion and our treasure in the same thing, religion will always be sacrificed.
EpictetusRead