Nahj al-Balāgha

[علم اللّه تعالى :] إِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لاَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ مَا الْعِبَادُ مُقْتَرِفُونَ فِي لَيْلِهِمْ وَنَهَارِهِمْ، لَطُفَ بِهِ خُبْراً، وَأَحَاطَ بِهِ عِلْماً، أَعْضَاؤُكُمْ شُهُودُهُ، وَجَوَارِحُكُمْ جُنُودُهُ، وَضَمائِرُكُمْ عُيُونُهُ، وَخَلَوَاتُكُمْ عِيَانُهُ.

Surely, Allāh, the Glorified, the Sublime, nothing is hidden from Him of whatever people do in their nights or days. He knows all the details, and His knowledge covers them. Your limbs are a witness, the organs of your body constitute an army (against yourself), your inner self serves Him as eyes (to watch your sins), and your loneliness is open to Him.

و من كلام له (عليه السلام) في معاوية

Treason and treachery of Mu‘āwiyah and the fate of those guilty of treason

وَاللهِ مَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بِأَدْهَى مِنِّي، وَلكِنَّهُ يَغْدِرُ وَيَفْجُرُ، وَلَوْلاَ كَرَاهِيَةُ الْغَدْرِ لَكُنْتُ مِنْ أَدْهَى النَّاسِ، وَلَكِنْ كُلُّ غَدْرَة فَجْرَةٌ، وَكُلُّ فَجْرَة كَفْرَةٌ، وَلِكُلِّ غَادِر لِوَاءٌ يُعْرَفُ بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ. وَاللهِ مَا أَسْتَغْفَلُ بالْمَكِيدَةِ، وَلاَ أُسْتَغْمَزُ بالشَّدِيدَةِ.

By Allāh, [1] Mu‘āwiyah is not more cunning than I am, but he deceives and commits evil deeds. Had it not been for the reprehensibility of deceit, I would have been the most cunning of all men. But (the fact is that) every deceit is a sin and every sin is disobedience (of Allāh), and every deceitful person will have a banner by which he will be recognised on the Day of Judgement. By Allāh, I cannot be made forgetful by strategy, nor can I be overpowered by hardships.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) يعظ بسلوك الطريق الواضح

One should not be afraid of the scarcity of those who tread on the right path (a counsel to tread the clear path of guidance)

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، لاَ تَسْتَوْحِشُوا فِي طَرِيقِ الْهُدَىُ لِقِلَّةِ أَهْلِهِ، فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدِ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى مَائِدَة شِبَعُهَا قَصِيرٌ، وَجُوعُهَا طَوِيلٌ.

O people! Do not be desolate at the small number of those who follow the right path, because people throng only round the table (of this world) where the duration of satiety is short and its hunger is prolonged.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّمَا يَجْمَعُ النَّاسَ الرِّضِى وَالسُّخْطُ، وَإِنَّمَا عَقَرَ نَاقَةَ ثَمُودَ رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ فَعَمَّهُمُ اللهُ تَعَالَى بالْعَذَابِ لَمَّا عَمُّوهُ بالرِّضَى، فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ: ‎﴿فَعَقَرُوهَا فَأَصْبَحُوا نَادِمِينَ﴾، فَمَا كَانَ إِلاَّ أَنْ خَارَتْ أَرْضُهُمْ بِالْخَسْفَةِ خُوَارَالسِّكَّةِ الْـمُحْمَاةِ فِي الاْرْضِ الْخَوَّارَةِ.

O people, certainly, what gathers people together (in categories) is (their) agreement (to good or bad) and (their) disagreement, for only one individual killed the camel of Thamud [1] but Allah held all of them in punishment because all of them consented to it. Thus, Allah, the Glorified. has said: “Then they hamstrung her, and turned (themselves) regretful.” (Qur’ān, 26:157). Then their land declined by sinking (into the earth) as the spike of a plough pierces unploughed weak land.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَنْ سَلَكَ الطّرِيقَ الْوَاضِحَ وَرَدَ الْمَاءَ، وَمَنْ خَالَفَ وَقَعَ فِي التِيهِ!

O people, he who treads the clear path (of guidance) reaches the spring of water, and whoever abandons it strays into waterless desert.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) رُوِيَ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَهُ عِنْدَ دَفْنِ سَيِّدَةِ النِّسَاءِ فَاطِمَةَ عليها السلام كَالْمُنَاجِي بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وآله عِنْدَ قَبْرِهِ:

What Amīr al-mu’minīn said on the occasion of the burial of Sayyidatu’n-nisā’ (Supreme lady) Fāṭimah (as) while addressing the Holy Prophet (sw) at his grave.

السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ عَنِّي، وَعَنِ ابْنَتِكَ النَّازِلَةِ فِي جِوَارِكَ، وَالسَّرِيعَةِ اللَّحَاقِ بِكَ! قَلَّ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، عَنْ صَفِيَّتِكَ صَبْرِي، وَرَقَّ عَنْهَا تَجَلُّدِي، إِلاَّ أَنَّ لِي فِي التَّأَسِّيِ بِعَظِيمِ فُرْقَتِكَ، وَفَادِحِ مُصِيبَتِكَ، مَوْضِعَ تَعَزّ، فَلَقَدْ وَسَّدْتُكَ فِي مَلْحُودَةِ قَبْرِكَ، وَفَاضَتْ بَيْنَ نَحْرِي وَصَدْرِي نَفْسُكَ. ﴿إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ﴾‏.

O Prophet of Allāh, peace be upon you from me and from your daughter who has come to you and who has hastened to meet you. O Prophet of Allāh, my patience about your chosen (daughter) has been exhausted, and my power of endurance has weakened, except that I have ground for consolation in having endured the great hardship and heart-rending event of your separation. I laid you down in your grave when your last breath had passed (when your head was) between my neck and chest. ... Verily we are Allāh’s and verily unto Him shall we return. (Qur’ān, 2:156)

فَلَقَدِ اسْتُرْجِعَتِ الْوَدِيعَةُ، وَأُخِذَتِ الرَّهِينَةُ! أَمَّا حُزْنِي فَسَرْمَدٌ، وَأَمَّا لَيْلِي فَمُسَهَّدٌ، إِلَى أَنْ يَخْتَارَ اللهُ لِي دَارَكَ الَّتِي أَنْتَ بِهَا مُقِيمٌ. وَسَتُنَبِّئُكَ ابْنَتُكَ بِتَضَافُرِ أُمَّتِكَ عَلَى هَضْمِهَا، فَأَحْفِهَا السُّؤَالَ، وَاسْتَخْبِرْهَا الْحَالَ، هذَا وَلَمْ يَطُلِ الْعَهْدُ، وَلَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْكَ الذِّكْرُ.

Now. the trust has been returned and what had been given has been taken back. As to my grief, it knows no bounds, and as to my nights. They will remain sleepless till Allāh chooses for me the house in which you are now residing. Certainly, your daughter would apprise you of the joining together of your ummah [1] (people) for oppressing her. You ask her in detail and get all the news about the position. This has happened when a long time had not elapsed and your remembrance had not disappeared.