Nahj al-Balāgha

وَجَبَلَ جَلاَمِيدَهَا، وَنُشُوزَ مُتُونِهَا وَأَطْوَادِهَا، فَأَرْسَاهَا في مَرَاسِيهَا، وَأَلْزَمَهَا قَرَارَاتِهَا، فَمَضَتْ رُؤُسُهَا فِي الْهَوَاءِ، وَرَسَتْ أُصُولُهَا فِي الْمَاءِ، فَأَنْهَدَ جِبَالَهَا عَنْ سُهُولِهَا، وَأَسَاخَ قَوَاعِدَهَا فِي متُونِ أَقْطَارِهَا، وَمَوَاضِعِ أَنْصَابِهَا، فَأشْهَقَ قِلاَلَهَا، وَأَطَالَ أَنْشَازَهَا، وَجَعَلَهَا لِلاْرْضِ عِمَاداً، وَأَرَّزَهَا فِيهَا أَوْتَاداً، فَسَكَنَتْ عَلَى حَرَكَتِهَا مِن أَنْ تَمِيدَ بِأَهْلِهَا، أَوْ تَسِيخَ بِحِمْلِهَا، أَوْ تَزُولَ عَنْ مَواضِعِهَا.

He also created its high hills, rocks of stones and lofty mountains. He put them in their positions and made them remain stationary. Their peaks rose into the air while their roots remained in the water. In this way He raised the mountains above the plains and fixed their foundations in the vast expanse wherever they stood. He made their peaks high and made their bodies lofty. He made them like pillars for the earth and fixed them in it like pegs. Consequently, the earth became stationary; otherwise it might bend with its inhabitants or sink inwards with its burden, or shift from its positions.

فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ أَمْسَكَهَا بعَدَ مَوَجَانِ مِيَاهِهَا، وَأَجْمَدَهَا بَعْدَ رُطُوبَةِ أَكْنَافِهَا، فَجَعَلَهَا لِخَلْقِهِ مِهَاداً، وَبَسَطَهَا لَهُمْ فِرَاشاً! فَوْقَ بَحْر لُجِّيّ رَاكِد لاَ يَجْرِي، وَقَائِم لاَ يَسْرِي، تُكَرْكِرُهُ الرِّيَاحُ الْعَوَاصِفُ، وَتَمْخُصُهُ الْغَمَامُ الذَّوَارِفُ، ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِمَنْ يَخْشَىٰ﴾‏

Therefore, Glorified is He who made it firm after the surging of its waters and solidified it after the watery state of its sides. In this way He made it a cradle for His creatures and spread it for them in the form of a floor over the deep ocean which is stationary and does not move and is fixed and does not flow. Severe winds move it here and there and clouds draw up water from it. “Verily in this there is a lesson unto him who feareth (Allāh)” (Qur’ān, 79:26)

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) كان يستنهض بها أصحابه إلى جهاد أهل الشام في زمانه

About those who give up supporting right (Attempting to moblise His followers for Jihād against the Syrians)

اللَّهُمَّ أَيُّمَا عَبْد مِنْ عِبَادِكَ سَمِعَ مَقَالَتَنَا الْعَادِلَةَ غَيْرَ الْجَائِرَةِ، وَالْمُصْلِحَةَ فِي الدِّينِ وَالدُّنْيَا غَيْرَ الْمُفْسِدَةِ، فَأَبَى بَعْدَ سَمْعِهِ لَهَا إِلاَّ النُّكُوصَ عَنْ نُصْرَتِكَ، وَالاْبْطَاءَ عَنْ إِعْزَازِ دِينِكَ، فَإِنَّا نَسْتَشْهِدُكَ عَلَيْهِ يَا أَكْبَرَ الشَّاهِدِينَ شَهَادَةً، وَنَسْتَشْهِدُ عَلَيْهِ جَمِيعَ مَا اَسْكَنْتَهُ أَرْضَكَ وَسَمَاوَاتِكَ، ثُمَّ أَنْتَ بَعْدُ الْمُغْنِي عَنْ نَصْرِهِ، وَالاْخِذُ لَهُ بِذَنْبِهِ.

O My Allāh! Whoever listens to our utterance which is just and which seeks the prosperity of religion and the worldly life and does not seek mischief, but rejects it after listening, then he certainly turns away from Thy support and desists from strengthening Thy religion. We make Thee a witness over him and Thou art the greatest of all witnesses, and we make all those who inhabit Thy earth and Thy skies witness over him. Thereafter, Thou alone can make us needless of his support and question him for his sin.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في تمجيد اللّه و تعظيمه

The Sublimity of Allāh and a eulogy of the Prophet

الْحَمْدُ لله الْعَلِيِّ عَنْ شَبَهِ الْـمَخْلُوقِينَ، الْغَالِبِ لِمَقَالِ الْوَاصِفِينَ، الظَّاهِرِ بَعَجَائِبِ تَدْبِيرِهِ لِلنَّاظِرينَ، الْبَاطِنِ بِجَلاَلِ عِزَّتِهِ عَنْ فِكْرِ الْمُتَوَهِّمِينَ، الْعَالِمِ بِلاَ اكْتِسَاب وَلاَ ازْدِيَاد، وَلاَ عِلْم مُسْتَفَاد، الْمُقَدِّرِ لِجَميِعِ الاْمُورِ بِلاَ رَوِيَّة وَلاَ ضَمِير، الَّذِي لاَ تَغْشَاهُ الظُّلَمُ، وَلاَ يَسْتَضِيءُ بِالاْنْوَارِ، وَلاَ يَرْهَقُهُ لَيْلٌ، وَلاَ يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِ نَهَارٌ، لَيْسَ إِدْرَاكُهُ بِالاْبْصَارِ، وَلاَ عِلْمُهُ بِالاْخْبَارِ.

Praise be to Allāh who is above all similarity to the creatures, is above the words of describers, who displays the wonders of His management for the on-lookers, is hidden from the imagination of thinkers by virtue of the greatness of His glory, has knowledge without acquiring it, adding to it or drawing it (from someone), and Who is the ordainer of all matters without reflecting or thinking. He is such that gloom does not concern Him, nor does He seek light from brightness, night does not overtake Him nor does the day pass over Him (so as to affect Him in any manner). His comprehension (of things) is not through eyes and His knowledge is not dependent on being informed.

[و منها في ذكر النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله) :] أَرْسَلَهُ بِالضِّيَاءِ، وَقَدَّمَهُ فِي الاصْطِفَاءِ، فَرَتَقَ بِهِ الْمَفَاتِقَ، وَسَاوَرَ بِهِ الْمُغَالِبَ، وَذَلَّلَ بِهِ الصُّعُوبَةَ، وَسَهَّلَ بِهِ الْحُزُونَةَ، حَتَّى سَرَّحَ الضَّلاَلَ، عَنْ يَمِين وَشِمَال.

[A part of the same sermon about the Prophet :] Allāh deputised the Prophet with light, and accorded him the highest precedence in selection. Through him Allāh united those who were divided, overpowered the powerful, overcame difficulties and levelled rugged ground, and thus removed misguidance from right and left.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يصف جوهر الرسول، ويصف العلماء ويعظ بالتقوى

The Prophet’s nobility of descent

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّهُ عَدْلٌ عَدَلَ، وَحَكَمٌ فَصَلَ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَسَيِّدُ عِبَادِهِ، كُلَّمَا نَسَخَ اللهُ الْخَلْقَ فِرْقَتَيْنِ جَعَلَهُ فِي خَيْرِهِمَا، لَمْ يُسْهِمْ فِيهِ عَاهِرٌ، وَلاَ ضَرَبَ فِيهِ فَاجِرٌ.

I stand witness that He is just and does justice; He is the arbiter Who decides (between right and wrong). I also stand witness that Muḥammad is His slave. His Messenger and the Chief of His creatures. Whenever Allāh divided the line of descent, He put him in the better one, and therefore, no evil-doer ever shared with him nor was any vicious person his partner.

أَلاَ وإِنَّ اللهَ جَعَلَ لِلْخَيْرِ أَهْلاً، وَلِلْحَقِّ دَعَائِمَ، وَلِلطَّاعَةِ عِصَماً، وَإِنَّ لَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ طَاعَة عَوْناً مِنَ اللهِ يَقُولُ عَلَى الاْلْسِنَةِ، وَيُثَبِّتُ الاْفْئِدَةَ، فِيهِ كِفَاءٌ لِمُكْتَف، وَشِفَاءٌ لِمُشْتَف.

Beware! Surely Allāh, the Glorified, has provided for virtue those who are suited to it, for truth pillars (that support it), and for obedience protection (against deviation). In every matter of obedience you will find Allāh, the Glorified's succour that will speak through tongues and accord firmness to hearts. It has sufficiency for those who seek sufficiency, and a cure for those who seek cure.