No one conceals something without its appearing in slips of…
Quote
No one conceals something without its appearing in slips of the tongue and the features of the face.
Arabic original
ما أضمر أحد شيئًا إلا ظهر في فلتات لسانه وعلى صفحات وجهه.
What it means
Spontaneous words and facial expressions can reveal a hidden feeling. The maxim invites observation, but its absolute wording does not make every gesture reliable proof of another person’s intentions.
The story behind this quote
The saying is reported as a maxim of Ali ibn Abi Talib. The linked source is Ibn Hajar al-Haytami’s The Burning Thunderbolts, a transmission much later than Ali’s lifetime.
The passage joins two involuntary expressions: a word that slips out and a face showing an emotion. This comparison explains why the saying is memorable. It is moral observation transmitted in a collection and should be read with the limits of interpreting another person’s signs.
The source
الصواعق المحرقة (ابن حجر الهيتمي), من حكم علي بن أبي طالب التي جمعها ابن حجر الهيتمي؛ وهي الحكمة 26 في نهج البلاغة
The text appears in the indicated source. A traditional attribution remains distinct from proof of authorship: see the context.
More quotes by Ali ibn Abi Talib
Knowledge is better than wealth: knowledge guards you, while you guard wealth.