Nahj al-Balāgha

[العظة :] وَاعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ، أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْلُقْكُمْ عَبَثاً، وَلَمْ يُرْسِلْكُمْ هَمَلاً، عَلِمَ مَبْلَغَ نِعَمِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَأَحَصَى إِحْسَانَهُ إِلَيْكُمْ، فَاسْتَفْتِحُوهُ وَاسْتَنْجِحُوهُ وَاطْلُبُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَمْنِحُوهُ، فَمَا قَطَعَكُمْ عَنْهُ حِجَابٌ، وَلاَ أُغْلِقَ عَنْكُمْ دُونَهُ بَابٌ، وَإِنْهُ لَبِكُلِّ مَكَان، وَفِي كُلِّ حِين وَأَوَان، وَمَعَ كُلِّ إِنْس وَجَانّ، لاَ يَثْلِمُهُ الْعَطَاءُ، وَلاَ يَنْقُصُهُ الْحِبَاءُ، وَلاَ يَسْتَنْفِدُهُ سَائِلٌ، وَلاَ يَسْتَقْصِيهِ نَائِلٌ،

Know, O creatures of Allāh, that He has not created you for nought and has not left you free. He knows the extent of His favours over you and the quantity of His bounty towards you. Therefore, ask Him for success and for the attainment of aims. Beg before Him and seek His generosity. No curtain hides you from Him, nor is any door closed before you against Him. He is at every place, in every moment and every instance. He is with every man and jinn. Giving does not create any breach in Him. Gifting does not cause Him diminution. A beggar cannot exhaust Him and paying (to others) cannot take Him to the end.

وَلاَ يَلْوِيهِ شَخْصٌ عَنْ شَخْص، وَلاَ يُلْهِيهِ صَوْتٌ عَنْ صَوْت، وَلاَ تَجْجُزُهُ هِبَهٌ عَنْ سَلْب، وَلاَ يَشْغَلُهُ غَضَبٌ عَنْ رَحْمَة، وَلاَ تُوَلِّهُهُ رَحْمَةٌ عَنْ عِقَاب، وَلاَ يُجِنُّهُ الْبُطُونُ عَنِ الظُّهُورِ، وَلاَ يَقْطَعُهُ الظُّهُورُ عَنِ الْبُطُونِ، قَرُبَ فَنأَى، وَعَلاَ فَدَنَا، وَظَهَرَ فَبَطَنَ، وَبَطَنَ فَعَلَنَ، ودَانَ وَلَمْ يُدَنْ، لَمْ يَذْرَاَ الْخَلْقَ بِاحْتِيَال، وَلاَ اسْتَعَانَ بِهِمْ لِكَلاَل

One person cannot turn His attention from another, one voice does not detract Him from another voice, and one grant of favour does not prevent Him from refusing another favour. Anger does not prevent Him from mercy, mercy does not prevent Him from punishing; His concealment does not hide His manifestness and His manifestness does not prevent Him from concealment. He is near and at the same time distant. He is high and at the same time low. He is manifest and also concealed. He is concealed yet well-known. He lends but is not lent anything. He has not created (the things of) creation after devising, nor did He take their assistance on account of fatigue.

أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، فَإِنَّهَا الزِّمَامُ وَالْقِوَامُ، فَتَمَسَّكُوا بِوَثَائِقِهَا، وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَقَائِقِهَا، تَؤُلْ بِكُمْ إِلَى أَكْنَانِ الدَعَةِ، وَأَوْطَانِ السَّعَةِ، وَمَعَاقِلِ الْحِرْزِ، وَمَنَازِلِ الْعِزِّ في ﴿يَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ﴾‏، وَتُظْلِمُ لَهُ الاْقْطَارُ، وَتُعَطَّلُ فِيهِ صُرُومُ الْعِشَارِ، وَيُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ، فَتَزْهَقُ كُلُّ مُهْجَة، وَتَبْكَمُ كُلُّ لَهْجَة، وَتَذِلُّ الشُّمُّ الشَّوَامِخُ، وَالصُّمُّ الرَّوَاسِخُ، فَيَصِيرُ صَلْدُهَا سَرَاباً رَقْرَقاً، وَمَعْهَدُهَا قَاعاً سَمْلَقاً، فَلاَ شَفِيعٌ يَشَفَعُ، وَلاَ حَمِيمٌ يَنْفَعُ، وَلاَ مَعْذِرَةٌ تَدْفَعُ.

I advise you, O creatures of Allāh, to have fear of Allāh, for it is the rein and the mainstay (of religion). Hold fast to its salient points, keep hold of its realities. It will take you to abodes of easiness, places of comfort, fortresses of safety and houses of honour on the Day (of Judgement) when eyes will be wide open, (Qur’ān, 14:42), when there will be darkness all round, when small groups of camels pregnant for ten months will be allowed free grazing, and when the Horn will be blown, then every living being will die, every voice will become dumb the high mountains and hard rocks will crumble (to pieces) so that their hard stones will turn into moving sand and their bases will become level. (On that day) there will be no interceder to intercede and no relation to ward off (trouble), and no excuse will be of avail.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

The condition of the world at the time of the proclamation of prophethood, the transience of this world and the state of its inhabitants.

[بعثة النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) :] بَعَثَهُ حِينَ لاَ عَلَمٌ قَائِمٌ، وَلاَ مَنَارٌ سَاطِعٌ، وَلاَ مَنْهَجٌ وَاضِحٌ.

Allāh deputed the Prophet when no sign of guidance existed, no beacon was giving light and no passage was clear.

[العظة بالزهد :] أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَأُحَذِّرُكُمُ الدُّنْيَا، فإِنَّهَا دَارُ شُخُوص، وَمَحَلَّةُ تَنْغِيص، سَاكِنُهَا ظَاعِنٌ، وَقَاطِنُهَا بَائِنٌ، تَمِيدُ بِأَهْلِهَا مَيَدَانَ السَّفِينَةِ تَقْصِفُهَا الْعَوَاصِفُ فِي لُجَجِ الْبِحَارِ، فَمِنْهُمُ الْغَرِقُ الْوَبِقُ وَمِنْهُمُ النَّاجِي عَلى مُتُونِ الاْمْوَاجِ، تَحْفِزُهُ الرِّيَاحُ بِأَذْيَالِهَا، وَتَحْمِلُهُ عَلى أَهْوَالِهَا، فَمَا غَرِقَ مِنْهَا فَلَيْسَ بِمُسْتَدْرَك، وَمَا نَجَا مِنْهَا فَإِلى مَهْلَك!

I advise you, O creatures of Allāh, to have fear of Allāh, and I warn you of this world which is a house from which departure is inevitable and a place of discomfort. He who lives in it has to depart, and he who stays here has to leave it. It is drifting with its people like a boat whom severe winds dash (here and there) in the deep sea. Some of them get drowned and die, while some of them escape on the surface of the waves, where winds push them with their currents and carry them towards their dangers. So, whatever is drowned cannot be restored, and whatever escapes is on the way to destruction.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، الاْنَ فَاعْلَمُوا، وَالاْلْسُنُ مُطْلَقَةٌ، وَالاْبدَانُ صَحِيحَةٌ، وَالاْعْضَاءُ لَدْنَةٌ، وَالْمُنقَلَبُ فَسِيحٌ، وَالْـمَجَالُ عَرِيضٌ، قَبْلَ إِرْهَاقِ الْفَوْتِ، وَحُلُولِ الْمَوْتِ، فَحَقّقُوا عَلَيْكُمْ نُزُولَهُ، وَلاَ تَنْتَظِرُوا قُدُومَهُ.

O creatures of Allāh, you should know now that you have to perform (good) acts, because (at present) your tongues are free, your bodies are healthy, your limbs have movement, the area of your coming and going is vast and the course of your running is wide; before the loss of opportunity or the approach of death. Take death’s approach as an accomplished fact and do not think it will come (hereafter).

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) ينبّه فيها على فضيلته لقبول قوله وأمره ونهيه

Amīr al-mu’minīn’s attachment to the Holy Prophet. The performance of his funeral rites.

وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَ الْمُسْتَحْفَظُونَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّد (صلى الله عليه وآله) أَنِّي لَمْ أَرُدَّ عَلَى الله وَلاَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ سَاعَةً قَطُّ، وَلَقَدْ وَاسَيْتُهُ بِنَفْسِي فِي الْمَوَاطِنِ الَّتي تَنْكُصُ فِيهَا الاْبْطَالُ وَتَتَأَخَّرُ الاْقْدَامُ، نَجْدَةً أَكْرَمَنِي اللهُ بِهَا.

Those companions of Muḥammad - the peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - who were the custodians (of divine messages) know that I never disobeyed Allāh or His Messenger [1] - the peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - at all, and by virtue of the courage [2] with which Allāh honoured me I supported him with my life on occasions when even the brave turned away and feet remained behind (instead of proceeding forward).

وَلَقَدْ قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) وَإِنَّ رَأْسَهُ لَعَلَى صَدْرِي. وَلَقَدْ سَالَتْ نَفْسُهُ فِي كَفِّي، فَأَمْرَرْتُهَا عَلَىُ وَجْهِي. وَلَقَدْ وُلِّيتُ غُسْلَهُ (صلى الله عليه وآله) وَالْمَلاَئِكُةُ أَعْوَانِي، فَضَجَّتِ الدَّارُ والاْفْنِيَةُ، مَلاَ يُهْبِطُ، وَمَلاَ يَعْرُجُ، وَمَا فَارَقَتْ سَمْعِي هَيْنَمَةٌ مِنْهُمْ، يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى وَارَيْنَاهُ فِي ضَرِيحِهِ.

When the Prophet - the peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - died his head was on my chest, and his (last) breath blew over my palms and I passed it over my face. I performed his (funeral) ablution, may Allāh bless him and his descendants, and the angels helped me. The house and the courtyard were full of them. One party of them was descending and the other was ascending. My ears continually caught their humming voice, as they invoked Allāh’s blessing on him, till we buried him in his grave.