Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
Quran 24:35
Arabic is a language that is both learned and spoken by the learned. The finest novels, essays, dramas, and speeches have been written in Modern Standard Arabic for centuries by the greatest intellectuals of the Middle East and North Africa. Arabic has a rich literary heritage, so you want your own Arabic to measure up when you have it at your disposal. But if you're just getting started, it could be a little challenging. In fact, even if you've been studying Arabic for a while, it might still be challenging!
Here are a few examples that beautifully reflect the tone and depth of Arabic expression:
- "مَنْ جَدَّ وَجَدَ"
Man jadda wajada — “He who strives, succeeds.”
(Pronunciation: [man jad-da wa-ja-da])
Meaning: Success comes to those who put in sincere effort. - "الصبر مفتاح الفرج"
As‑ṣabr miftāḥ al‑faraj — “Patience is the key to relief.”
(Pronunciation: [as-sa-br mif-taah al-fa-raj])
Meaning: Patience and endurance through hardship leads to eventual ease. - "الوقت كالسيف إن لم تقطعه قطعك"
Al-waqt ka‑s‑sayf in lam taqṭa‘hu qata‘ak — “Time is like a sword: if you don't cut it, it will cut you.”
(Pronunciation: [al-waqt kal-sayf in lam taq-ta’-hu qa-ta’-ak])
Meaning: Time is precious and unforgiving; use it wisely before it overcomes you.
Arabic words and quotes can help you with this by giving you cultural context and more chances for development. The ones we've gathered here are perfect for more formal settings in which you need to use another person's words to enliven your own. Many of them are quotations from well-known individuals, some of them are translations of popular foreign sayings, and still, others are as old as the language itself.
Even if you don't comprehend the beautiful liturgical language used by the world's 1.8 million Muslims, you may find inspiration in your Muslim friends' deeds or hear them interpret Arabic quotes into English for your benefit.
In most languages, proverbs are fairly widespread. Arabic has its own proverbs that are used in everyday speech, just like English. Several Arabic quotations have a religious or cultural context for their genesis. While some Arabic proverbs are nearly accurate translations into English, others are truly unique to Arabic and may even come off as amusing in English. These Arabic sayings about love and life are worth learning—not only for their wisdom but for the poetic rhythm they carry.
These brief sayings carry centuries of wisdom and are just a glimpse of the cultural richness woven into the Arabic language. As you explore the rest of the quotes, you’ll begin to hear the heartbeat of a civilization in every phrase.
Quran Verses For Young Souls
Allah Quotes - Arabic Quotes In English
"And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent."
Quran 65:2-3
"الله أكبر." -
"Allahu Akbar."
("Allah is the Greatest.")
"الحمد لله." -
"Alhamdulillah."
("Praise be to Allah.")
"لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله." -
"La ilaha illallah, Muhammadur rasulullah."
( "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.")
"اللهم اجعلني ممن ترضى عنهم وتغفر لهم." -
"Allahumma ij'alni mimman tarda 'anhuma wa taghfir lahum."
("O Allah, make me among those whom You are pleased with and forgive them.")
"اللهم إني ظلمت نفسي ظلماً كثيراً ولا يغفر الذنوب إلا أنت فاغفر لي مغفرةً من عندك وارحمني إنك أنت الغفور الرحيم." -
"Allahumma inni thalamtu nafsi thulman katheeran walayaghfiru aththunooba illa anta faghfir lee maghfiratan min 'indika wa rhamnee innaka anta alghafooru arraheem."
("O Allah, I have wronged myself greatly, and no one forgives sins but You. So, grant me forgiveness from You and have mercy on me. You are the Forgiver, the Most Merciful.")
"يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغِيثُ."
"Ya Hayyu Ya Qayyum, bi-rahmatika astaghith."
("O Living, O Sustaining, I seek help in Your mercy.")
Love Quotes In Arabic With English Translation
مكاني المفضل هو معك - Together with you is my favorite place to be
"حبك مثل النجوم في السماء، يضيء لياليي و يملأ حياتي بالسعادة"
"Your love is like stars in the sky, it illuminates my nights and fills my life with happiness"
"يا حبيبتي، أنتي الشمس التي تشرق في حياتي وتنير دروبي"
"My love, you are the sun that rises in my life and illuminates my path"
"لا يمكنني العيش بدون حبك، فأنتي نبض قلبي وروحي"
"I cannot live without your love, for you are the beat of my heart and my soul"
"حبك يملأ حياتي بالألوان والأنغام، ويجعلني أشعر بالحياة والحب"
"Your love fills my life with colors and melodies, and makes me feel alive and loved"
"حبي لك يزدهر كزهرة في الصحراء، يتحدى الصعاب ويزدهر بالحب والرعاية"
"My love for you blossoms like a flower in the desert, it defies the odds and flourishes with love and care"
Best Quran Verses On Love
كِتابٌ أَنزَلناهُ إِلَيكَ مُبارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّروا آياتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الأَلبابِ
(This is) a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, (Oh Muhammad), so that they may contemplate its verses, and people of reason may be mindful.
Taken from - (Surah Sad, 38:29) - The verse talks about acting with reason and intent.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّل
Still, some take others as Allah’s equal—they love them as they should love Allah—but the believers love Allah even more.
Taken from - (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:165) - the verse talks about loving everybody as much as you love Allah but love Allah as your guide.
"And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought."
Taken from - (Quran 30:21) - The verse emphasizes on peace and tranquility.
What are the similarities between Hindi and Arabic? Find out by understanding the common words and phrases shared between the languages.
Arabic Quotes About Life
الإسكافي حافي و الحايِك عِريَان.
al-ʾiskāfī ḥāfī wa al-ḥāyik ʿiryan.
“The shoemaker is barefoot and the weaver is naked.”
This quote exists in many languages, even though the English version “the shoemaker’s children go barefoot” isn’t used very often. It’s used to describe a situation where someone doesn’t pay attention to the things nearest them. It’s understandable, though—who wants to work all day at a workbench and then come home to make shoes again in their free time?
عُصفورٌ في اليَد خَيرٌ مِن عَشَرَة عَلى الشَجَرَة.
ʿuṣfūrun fī al-yad ḫaīrun min ʿašarah ʿalā al-šaǧarah.
“A bird in your hand is better than ten on the tree.”
This quote is pretty similar to its English equivalent: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” The minor difference is in the number of birds.
تَجري الرِياحُ بِما لا تَشتَهي السُفُن.
taǧrī al-riīāḥu bimā lā taštahī al-sufun.
“Winds blow counter to what ships want.”
The word rih (“wind”) is an ancient Semitic word with cognates in both Hebrew and Aramaic.
Appropriately, this quote is attributed to Al-Mutanabbi (المتنبي), an enormously famous and successful tenth-century poet who lived in what is now Iraq. The quote basically means that you can’t always get what you want.
Arabic Quotes About Happiness
وَمَن يَتَهَيَّب صُعودَ الجِبال يَعِش أَبَدَ الدَهرِ بَيْنَ الحُفَرِ.
waman yatahayyab ṣuʿūda al-ǧibal- yaʿiš ʾabada al-dahri bayna al-ḥufari.
“He who is scared of climbing mountains lives among hills forever.”
This quote means that if you never challenge yourself, you never expand your horizons. By never leaving your hills, you never get to discover the beauty of the mountains.
اِتَّقِ شَرَّ الحَليمِ إذا غَضِب.
ittaqi šarra al-ḥalīmi ʾiḏā ġaḍib.
“Beware the level-headed (calm/patient) person if they get angry.”
This quote is useful advice, but if you say it when you get angry, you’ll come off as pretty threatening—it’s better to just turn the other cheek.
Your Arabic Quote For The Day (Nizar Qabbani):
Arabic Quotes About Patience
إن غَداً لِناظِرِهِ قَريب.
ʾinna ġadan lināẓirihi qarīb.
“Tomorrow is nearby if one has patience.”
The word “patience” doesn’t actually appear in this quote; instead, it means something like “tomorrow is in sight.” Use this quote at the end of a long day when you’re nearly finished with what you have to do.
اِصبِر تَنُل.
iṣbir tanul.
“Be patient (and you’ll reach your goal).”
On the surface, these two words are just “have patience.” However, this is actually a well-known set phrase of a quote that can be found on tons of Arabic Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media posts.
Arabic Quotes About Family
ابنك هو وزغير ربّيه وهو وكبير خاويه
Ibnak hwa zghir rabih, whwa kbir khaawih.
“Discipline your son when he’s young, and be his friend when he grows up.”
This quote reflects the perspective of many parents. You should guide and correct your child, but when they become an adult, you can treat them as equals.
طب الجرة ع تمّها بتطلع البنت لإمّها
Tob aljara eala tamha, btitlaea lbint la’imha.
“Turn over the jar, and the daughter comes out like her mother.”
In English, we tend to say “like father, like son,” but this quote from Egypt gets the same meaning across when used for women.
Arabic Quotes About Friendship
إذا كان حبيبك عسل ما تلحسوش كله
Idha kan habibak easal matlahsush kolo.
“Even if friends are honey, don’t lick them all up.”
This is a nice twist on classic sentiments about how friends are valuable/golden/etc. Even if that’s the case, don’t take advantage of your friends—if you do, you’ll have no “honey” left!
المشي مع صديق في الظلام أفضل من المشي وحيداً في الضوء.
Almashyo maea sadiqi fi dhalam afdali min almashyi wahidan fi daw’.
“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
This poetic quote shows us that friends are valuable in dangerous or worrisome situations. In addition, even during happy times, it’s always better to have a friend by your side than to be alone.
Arabic Quotes About Health
الصِحَّة تاجٌ عَلى رُؤوس الأَصِحّاء لا يَراهُ إلّا المَرضى.
al-ṣiḥḥah tāǧun ʿalā ruʾūs al-ʾaṣiḥḥāʾ lā yarāhu ʾillā al-marḍā.
“Good health is a crown worn by the healthy that only the ill can see.”
We normally think about being healthy as the default state, but from the perspective of a sick person, health is as far away as being a king seems to a poor person.
اِللي عَلى راسُه بَطحَة يِحَسِّس عَليها.
illī ʿalā rāsuh baṭḥah yiḥassis ʿalīhā.
“Whoever has a head wound keeps feeling it.”
A few quotes can give you a wonderful overview of Arabic literary culture, but you can't really understand it all from them. You've made the decision to go above and beyond what most people are willing to do by deciding to study Arabic, and the payoff for that is rather substantial.
These lovely Arabic quotes make for great Instagram posts. Also, they serve as a reminder that informal learning and experience are both valuable, and that we should seize every learning opportunity we can while we are still young.
What's your favorite Arabic quote?
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