Quotes by Syrian Authors

Whatever you do in revenge against your brother will appear all at once in your heart at the time of payer.
The Desert Fathers
Do not want things to turn out as they seem best to you but as God pleases. Then you will be free from confusion and thankful in prayer.
The Desert Fathers
Constant prayer quickly straightens out our thoughts.
The Desert Fathers
Rejoice always pray constantly and in all circumstances give thanks.
The Desert Fathers
Whatever you do in revenge against your brother will appear all at once in your heart at the time of payer.
The Desert Fathers
Do not want things to turn out as they seem best to you but as God pleases. Then you will be free from confusion and thankful in prayer.
The Desert Fathers
Constant prayer quickly straightens out our thoughts.
The Desert Fathers
Rejoice always pray constantly and in all circumstances give thanks.
The Desert Fathers
You're given the fruit of one palm tree:Bear it a basin of clear water.Don't trouble with the plight of other palms.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
You can never hurt me,And you will never cause me painCause you're made of fire,And I'm the heavy rain.
Ghaith Sal
Some people are like an open grave:You give it the thing you love mostAnd then get nothing in return.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
Those who do not appreciate the value of time are celebrity failures. Success is time management.
Moutasem Algharati
Give me a scholar, therefore, who is able to think and to write, to look with an eye of discernment into things, and to do business himself, if called upon, who hath both civil and military knowledge; one, moreover, who has been in camps, and has seen armies in the field and out of it; knows the use of arms, and machines, and warlike engines of every kind; can tell what the front, and what the horn is, how the ranks are to be disposed, how the horse is to be directed, and from whence to advance or to retreat; one, in short, who does not stay at home and trust to the reports of others: but, above all, let him be of a noble and liberal mind; let him neither fear nor hope for anything; otherwise he will only resemble those unjust judges who determine from partiality or prejudice, and give sentence for hire: but, whatever the man is, as such let him be described.
Lucian of Samosata
Let me fly in your own sky, soaring and grasping your tranquil thoughts, touching your dreams with my sincere prayers.
Ibaa Younis
Good men's actions are naturalWhile a scoundrel's charityIs carefully planned to please.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
They see nothing indecent in sexual intercourse, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and indulge in it quite openly, in full view of everyone. The only exception was Socrates, who was always swearing that his relations with young men were purely Platonic, but nobody believed him for a moment, and Hyacinthus and Narcissus gave first-hand evidence to the contrary.
Lucian of Samosata
My personal philosophy is that you do art to experience emotion that you don't have the luxury of experiencing in real life.
Kinan Azmeh
You certainly believe in the power of love. And throughout the series, you see how love shows itself in ways that mirror the best of who we are.
Moutasem Algharati
Always ask yourself why God created me? If you know the answer, you are on the right path .
Ghalia Altawil
No achieving without believing
Ghassan Shahrour MD
What you achieve, endures throughout time
Rafik Schami
The offspring of virtue is perseverance. The fruit and offspring of perseverance is habit and child of habit is character.
John Climacus
The mission of the church is to make the world a holy place.
Mor Ignatius Aphrem II
Naming can satisfy a need, it can shorten a conversation that otherwise might go on for hours.
Nihad Sirees
I come to listen to your pain and to hear the stories and memories of a few obsessed citizens. Jerusalem, I come to you in disguise: in over-colourful, immodest clothes and vulgar make-up... The only way I could come to you was in disguise, as a whore.
Suad Amiry
Sectarian thinking is contagious and rapidly spread.
Moutasem Algharati
Time may be defined as " dimension governed by activity." Dimension diminishes with inactivity so does the value of time.
Moutasem Algharati
Poverty is often equated with liability. How cruel this world is?
Moutasem Algharati
Had God kept from being made those who through His goodness were to have existence, but who by their own choice were to become evil, then evil would have prevailed over the goodness of God. Thus, all things which God makes He makes good, but each one becomes good or evil by his own choice. So, even if the Lord did say: 'It were better for him if that man had not been born,' He did not say so in deprecation of His own creature, but in deprecation of that creature's choice and rashness.
John Damascene
SOSTRATUS: Observe then your injustice! You punish us who are but the slaves of Clotho's bidding, and reward these, who do but minister to another's beneficence. For it will never be said that it was in our power to gainsay the irresistible ordinances of Fate?MINOS: Ah, Sostratus; look closely enough, and you will find plenty of inconsistencies besides these. However, I see you are no common pirate, but a philosopher in your way; so much you have gained by your questions. Let him go, Hermes; he shall not be punished after that. But mind, Sostratus, you must not put it into other people's heads to ask questions of this kind.
Lucian of Samosata
I turned into a swamp of inactivity, and because of this no one was able to see the gems in my depths.
Osama Alomar
Hold tight to what is most yourself,Don't squander it, don't let your lifeBe governed by what disturbs you.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
When it comes to Jews, you have a two-thousand-year memory, but when it comes to us Palestinians, you have a sixty-year amnesia.
Suad Amiry
You know, I went through life and found that the bravest people are the ones who don’t mind looking like cowards. So, I didn't mind to be so.
Moutasem Algharati
What amazes me most is that we, as a people, have shared our collective story of being thrown out of our homeland, Palestine, with each other and with many others- actually we have bored the world with this collective story- but somehow the individual Palestinian shies away, or perhaps is too afraid, to share the very personal story of being thrown out of her or his home, living room, or bedroom. These personal stories are seldom told, not even to our own children, perhaps not even to ourselves. I guess the wound remains open.
Suad Amiry
Virtues are formed by prayer.Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy.Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.
St. Ephrem of Syria
I have been where you are now. I have felt the fears and resolved them. I have had the doubts and concerns and found the way forward.Lift up your head, and step ahead...
Moutasem Algharati
For that entire journey across the rough terrain of Afghanistan, I never stopped praying that everything of the world could be peaceful, that all lives might return to normal. I believe that wish is universal for every woman who is a mother.For all the horrible happenings that have occurred since I left Afghanistan, I can only think and feel with my mother's heart. For every child lost, a mother's heart harbors the deepest pain. None can see our sons grow to men. None can see our daughters become mothers. No longer can we see the smiles on their faces, or wipe away their tears. My mother's heart feels the pain of every loss, weeping not only for my children, but for the lost children of every mother.
Najwa bin Laden
Step ahead immediately and do what you have to do before it's too late.
Moutasem Algharati
Your present interests are not a solid basis of a career decisions. So, stop following your passion and Do What Is Valuable.!
Moutasem Algharati
The Church needs young people because they have vision for the future of the church.
Mor Ignatius Aphrem II
I believe that love and peace are the right way to confront tyranny.
Nihad Sirees
This Lord of natures today was transformed contrary to His nature; it is not too difficult for us to also overthrow our evil will." Hymns of the Nativity, Hymn 1:97, pg. 74 in Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns (New York: Paulist Press, 1989).
Ephrem the Syrian
Gold authenticity can only be tested under maximum fire. The same holds true with regard to manhood.
Moutasem Algharati
After staring at the poor in the eyes, my thoughts on how best to help people have dramatically changed.
Moutasem Algharati
St. John the Solitary: “Be attentive to the thoughts of the mind. If some evil thought passes through you, do not get upset, for it is not the transient thoughts of your mind that the knowledge of the Lord of all observes, rather He looks at the depths of the mind to see if you take pleasure in that evil thought which resides there; for hateful thoughts float over the surface of the mind, but it is the senses that are lower down which can chase away hateful thoughts, which the Lord of all examines. He does not judge what just passes over the mind, but rather the thoughts that are lower down than those hateful ones, namely those which appear in the depths of the mind, which can drive them away with its hidden hand. For He does not pardon the thoughts which spring up from the depth of the mind, for it is they which should be chasing away those which pass over the surface of the mind; He judges those thoughts which have a passage into the heart.
st. john the solitary
You can call anyone you want a traitor as long as you're the one holding the pen.
Nihad Sirees
When national ideals are confined to insignificant issues reflective primarily of a personal choice, there lies a problem of distorted priorities.
Moutasem Algharati
Never allow your short term temperament to affect your long term decisions.
Moutasem Algharati
Interest in temperament as an individual difference dimension of importance in one's behavior leads to reanalysis of both theoretical and methodological considerations relating to the construct.
Moutasem Algharati
And I fear that my place gets taken by some other one, very lucky and not too shy, who flirts with your eyes while I’m the one who’s crazy about them.
Nizar Qabbani
The only business of the historian is to relate things exactly as they are: this he can never do as long as he is afraid
Lucian of Samosata
When men shake hands with time, time crushesThem like tumblers; little pieces of glass.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
When men shake hands with time, time crushesThem like tumblers; little pieces of glass.
Abu al-Ala al-Ma'arri
Knowledge is a commodity to be shared. For knowledge to pay dividends, it should not remain the monopoly of the selected few.
Moutasem Algharati
Let books be your dining table, / And you shall be full of delights. / Let them be your mattress,/And you shall sleep restful nights
Ephrem the Syrian
Why does a young Muslim, in the prime of life, with a full life ahead, go and blow himself up in a bus full of innocent passengers? In our countries, religion is the sole source of education, and this is the only spring from which that terrorist drank until his thirst was quenched. He was not born a terrorist, and did not become a terrorist overnight. Islamic teachings played a role in weaving his ideological fabric, thread by thread, and did not allow other sources—I am referring to scientific sources—to play a role. It was these teachings that distorted this terrorist, and killed his humanity; it was not [the terrorist] who distorted the religious teachings, and misunderstood them, as some ignorant people claim. When you recite to a child still in his early years the verse 'They will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternative sides cut off,' regardless of this verse's interpretation, and regardless of the reasons it was conveyed, or its time, you have made the first step towards creating a great terrorist.
Wafa Sultan
Stand like a beaten anvil.It is the part of a good athlete to be bruised and to prevail.
Ignatius of Antioch
Human life is under the absolute dominion of two mighty principles, fear and hope, and that any one who can make these serve his ends may be sure of rapid fortune.
Lucian of Samosata
All things in the world of Nature are not controlled by Fate for the soul has a principle of its own.
Iamblichus