Patience is a mount that does not stumble.
Quote
Patience is a mount that does not stumble.
Arabic original
الصبر مطية لا تكبو.
What it means
Patience is compared to a means of crossing hardship without losing balance. The mount suggests support for continuing a journey over time, rather than standing still in the face of difficulty.
The story behind this quote
The maxim is transmitted under Ali ibn Abi Talib’s name in Ibn al-Qayyim’s book on patience and gratitude. The source gathers sayings from several religious figures.
A journey serves here as an image of life: a mount helps someone cross a path that may be difficult. Saying it does not stumble stresses reliability within the maxim’s logic. The brief wording condenses a picture of patience as strength for continuity and endurance.
The source
عدة الصابرين وذخيرة الشاكرين (ابن القيم), قول ينسبه ابن القيم إلى علي بن أبي طالب في باب تعريف الصبر
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
No one conceals something without its appearing in slips of the tongue and the features of the face.
Knowledge is better than wealth: knowledge guards you, while you guard wealth.