During the lifetime of her husband, whom she feared, she seemed only an ordinary woman; but as soon as his eyes were closed, she gave free scope to the violent passions which agitated her bosom.

Ambitious, bold, vindictive, she assiduously cultivated the germs of ambition, hardihood, and vengeance which already strongly showed themselves in the young Ali.

"My son," she was never tired of telling him, "he who cannot defend his patrimony richly deserves to lose it.

Remember that the property of others is only theirs so long as they are strong enough to keep it, and that when you find yourself strong enough to take it from them, it is yours.

Success justifies everything, and everything is permissible to him who has the power to do it." Ali, when he reached the zenith of his greatness, used to declare that his success was entirely his mother's work.