Nahj al-Balāgha

إِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى جَعَلَ الذِّكْرَ جِلاءً لِلْقُلُوبِ تَسْمَعُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْوَقْرَةِ وَتُبْصِرُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْعَشْوَةِ وَتَنْقَادُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْمُعَانَدَةِ وَمَا بَرِحَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّتْ آلَاؤُهُ فِي الْبُرْهَةِ بَعْدَ الْبُرْهَةِ وَفِي أَزْمَانِ الْفَتَرَاتِ عِبَادٌ نَاجَاهُمْ فِي فِكْرِهِمْ وَكَلَّمَهُمْ فِي ذَاتِ عُقُولِهِمْ فَاسْتَصْبَحُوا بِنُورِ يَقَظَةٍ فِي الْأَبْصَارِ وَالْأَسْمَاعِ وَالْأَفْئِدَةِ يُذَكِّرُونَ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ وَيُخَوِّفُونَ مَقَامَهُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأَدِلَّةِ فِي الْفَلَوَاتِ مَنْ أَخَذَ الْقَصْدَ حَمِدُوا إِلَيْهِ طَرِيقَهُ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِالنَّجَاةِ وَمَنْ أَخَذَ يَمِيناً وَشِمَالًا ذَمُّوا إِلَيْهِ الطَّرِيقَ وَحَذَّرُوهُ مِنَ الْهَلَكَةِ وَكَانُوا كَذَلِكَ مَصَابِيحَ تِلْكَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَأَدِلَّةَ تِلْكَ الشُّبُهَاتِ

Certainly, Allāh, the Glorified, the Sublime, has made His remembrance the light for hearts which hear with its help despite deafness, see with its help despite blindness and become submissive with its help despite unruliness. In all the periods and times when there were no prophets, there have been persons with whom Allāh, precious are His bounties, whispered through their wits and spoke through their minds. With the help of the bright awakening of their ears, eyes and hearts they keep reminding others of the remembrance of the days of Allāh and making others feel fear for Him like guide-points in wildernesses. Whoever adopts the middle way, they praise his ways and give him the tidings of deliverance, but whoever goes right and left they vilify his ways and frighten him with ruin. In this way, they served as lamps in these darknesses and guides through these doubts.

وَإِنَّ لِلذِّكْرِ لاَهْلاً أَخَذُوهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بَدَلاً، فَلَمْ تَشْغَلْهُمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلاَ بَيْعٌ عَنْهُ، يَقْطَعُونَ بِهِ أَيَّامَ الْحَيَاةِ، وَيَهْتِفُونَ بِالزَّوَاجِرِ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللهِ، في أَسْمَاعِ الْغَافِلِينَ، وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالقِسْطِ وَيَأْتَمِرُونَ بِهِ، وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ وَيَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَنْهُ، فَكَأَنَّمَا قَطَعُوا الدُّنْيَا إِلَى الاْخِرَةِ وَهُمْ فِيهَا، فَشَاهَدُوا مَاوَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ، فَكَأَنَّمَا اطَّلَعُوا غُيُوبَ أَهْلِ الْبَرْزَخِ فِي طولِ الاْقَامَةِ فِيهِ، وَحَقَّقَتِ الْقِيَامَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ عِدَاتِهَا، فَكَشَفُوا غِطَاءَ ذلِكَ لاِهْلِ الدُّنْيَا، حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ مَا لاَ يَرَى النَّاسُ، وَيَسمَعُونَ مَا لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ.

There are some people devoted to the remembrance (of Allāh) who have adopted it in place of worldly matters so that commerce or trade does not turn them away from it. They pass their life in it. They speak into the ears of neglectful persons warning against matters held unlawful by Allāh, they order them to practise justice and themselves keep practising it, and they refrain them from the unlawful and themselves refrain from it. It is as though they have finished the journey of this world towards the next world and have beheld what lies beyond it. Consequently, they have become acquainted with all that befell them in the interstice during their long stay therein, and the Day of Judgement fulfils its promises for them. Therefore, they removed the curtain from these things for the people of the world, till it was as though they were seeing what people did not see and were hearing what people did not hear.

فَلَوْ مَثَّلْتَهُمْ لِعَقْلِكَ فِي مَقَاوِمِهِمُ الْـمَحْمُودَةِ، وَمَجَالِسِهِمُ الْمَشْهُودَةِ، وَقَدْ نَشَرُوا دَوَاوِينَ أَعْمَالِهِمْ، وَفَرَغُوا لِـمُحَاسَبَةِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَعَلَى كُلِّ صَغِيرَة وَكَبِيرَة أُمِرُوا بِهَا فَقَصَّرُوا عَنْهَا، أَوْ نُهوُا عَنْهَا فَفَرَّطُوا فِيهَا، وَحَمَّلُوا ثِقَلَ أَوْزَارِهِمْ ظُهُورَهُمْ، فَضَعُفُوا عَنِ الاْسْتِقلاَلِ بِهَا، فَنَشَجُوا نَشِيجاً، وَتَجَاوَبُوا نَحِيباً، يَعِجُّونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ مَقَامِ نَدَم وَاعْتِرَاف، لَرَأَيْتَ أَعْلاَمَ هُدىً، وَمَصَابِيحَ دُجىً، قَدْ حَفَّتْ بِهِمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ، وَتَنَزَّلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ، وَفُتِحَتْ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّماءِ، وَأَعِدَّتْ لَهُمْ مَقَاعِدُ الْكَرَامَاتِ، فِي مَقْعَد اطَّلَعَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهِ،

If you picture them in your mind in their admirable positions and well-known sittings, when they have opened the records of their actions and are prepared to render an account of themselves in respect of the small as well as the big things they were ordered to do but they failed to do, or were ordered to refrain from but they indulged therein, and they realised the weight of their burden (of bad acts) on their backs, and they felt too weak to bear them, then they wept bitterly and spoke to each other while still crying and bewailing to Allāh in repentance and acknowledgement (of their shortcomings), you would find them to be emblems of guidance and lamps in darkness, angels would be surrounding them, peace would be descending upon them, the doors of the sky would be opened for them and positions of honour would be assigned to them in the place of which Allāh had informed them.

فَرَضِيَ سَعْيَهُمْ، وَحَمِدَ مَقَامَهُمْ، يَتَنَسَّمُونَ بِدُعَائِهِ رَوْحَ ا لتَّجَاوُزِ، رَهَائِنُ فَاقَة إِلَى فَضْلِهِ، وَأُسَارَى ذِلَّة لِعَظَمَتِهِ، جَرَحَ طُولُ الاْسَى قُلُوبَهُمْ، وَطُولُ الْبُكَاءِ عُيُونَهُمْ. لِكُلِّ بَابِ رَغْبَة إِلَى اللهِ سُبحانَهُ مِنْهُمْ يَدٌ قَارِعةٌ، يَسْأَلُونَ مَنْ لاَ تَضِيقُ لَدَيْهِ الْمَنَادِحُ، وَلاَ يَخِيبُ عَلَيْهِ الرَّاغِبُونَ. فَحَاسِبْ نَفْسَكَ لِنَفْسِكَ، فَإِنَّ غَيْرَهَا مِنَ الاْنْفُسِ لَهَا حَسِيبٌ غَيْرُكَ.

Therefore, He has appreciated their actions and praised their position.They call Him and breathe in the air of forgiveness, they are ever needy of His bounty and remain humble before His greatness, The length of their grief has pained their hearts, and the length of weeping their eyes. They knock at every door of inclination towards Allāh. They ask Him Whom generosity does not make destitute and from Whom those who approach Him do not get disappointed. Therefore, take account of yourself for your own sake because the account of others will be taken by one other than you.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) قاله عند تلاوته ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنْسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ﴾

Amīr al-mu’minīn recited the verse: “O thou man! What hath beguiled thee from thy Lord, the Most Gracious One.” (Qur’ān, 82:6) Then he said:

أَدْحَضُ مَسْؤُول حُجَّةً، وَأَقْطَعُ مُغْتَرٍّ مَعْذِرَةً، لَقَدْ أَبْرَحَ جَهَالَةً بِنَفْسِهِ.

The addressee (in this verse) is devoid of argument and his excuse is most deceptive. He is detaining himself in ignorance.

يَا أَيُّهَا الاْنْسَانُ، مَا جَرَّأَكَ عَلَى ذَنْبِكَ، وَمَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ، وَمَا آنَسَكَ بِهَلَكَةِ نَفْسِكَ؟ أَمَا مِنْ دَائِكَ بُلوُلٌ، أَمْ لَيْسَ مِنْ نَوْمَتِكَ يَقَظَةٌ؟ أَمَا ترْحَمُ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ مَا تَرْحَمُ مِنْ غَيْرِكَ؟ فَلَرُبَّمَا تَرَى الضَّاحِيَ مِنْ حَرِّ الشَّمْسِ فَتُظِلُّهُ، أَوْ تَرَى الْمُبْتَلَى بِأَلَم يُمِضُّ جَسَدَهُ فَتَبْكِي رَحْمَةً لَهُ! فَمَا صَبَّرَك عَلَى دَائِكَ، وَجَلَّدَكَ عَلَى مُصَابِكَ، وَعَزَّاكَ عَنِ الْبُكَاءِ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَهِيَ أَعَزُّ الاْنْفُسِ عَلَيْكَ! وَكَيْفَ لاَ يُوقِظُكَ خَوْفُ بَيَاتِ نِقْمَة، وَقَدْ تَوَرَّطْتَ بمَعَاصِيهِ مَدَارِجَ سَطَوَاتِهِ!

O man! What has emboldened you to (commit) sins, what has deceived you about your Allāh and what has made you satisfied with the destruction of yourself? Is there no cure for your ailment or no awakening from your sleep? Do you not have pity on yourself as you have on others? Generally, when you see anyone exposed to the heat of the sun you cover him with shade, or if you see anyone afflicted with grief that pains his body you weep out of pity for him. What has then made you patient over your own disease, what has made you firm in your own afflictions, and what has consoled you from weeping over yourself although your life is the most precious of all lives to you, and why does not the fear of an ailment that may befall you in the night keep you wakeful although you lie on the way to Allāh’s wrath due to your sins?

فَتَدَاوَ مِنْ دَاءِ الْفَتْرَةِ فِي قَلْبِكَ بِعَزِيمَة، وَمِنْ كَرَى الْغَفْلَةِ فِي نَاظِرِكَ بِيَقَظَة، وَكُنْ لله مُطِيعاً، وَبِذِكْرِهِ آنِساً، وَتَمَثَّلْ فِي حَالِ تَوَلِّيكَ عَنْهُ إِقْبَالَهُ عَلَيْكَ، يَدْعُوكَ إِلَى عَفْوِهِ، وَيَتَغَمَّدُكَ بِفَضْلِهِ، وَأَنْتَ مُتَوَلٍّ عنْهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ. فَتَعَالى مِنْ قَوِيّ مَا أَكْرَمَهُ! وَتَوَاضَعْتَ مِنْ ضَعِيف مَا أَجْرَأَكَ عَلَى مَعْصِيَتِهِ! وَأَنْتَ فِي كَنَفِ سِتْرِهِ مُقيِمٌ، وَفِي سَعَةِ فَضْلِهِ مَتَقَلِّبٌ، فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ فَضْلَهُ، وَلَمْ يَهْتِكْ عَنْكَ سِتْرَهُ، بَلْ لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْ لُطْفِهِ مَطْرِفَ عَيْن فِي نِعْمَة يُحْدِثُهَا لَكَ، أَوْ سَيِّئَة يَسْتُرُهَا عَلَيْكَ، أَوْ بَلِيَّة يَصْرِفُهَا عَنْكَ، فَمَا ظَنُّكَ بِهِ لَوْ أَطَعْتَهُ!

You should cure the disease of languor in your heart by determination, and the sleep of neglectfulness in your eyes by wakefulness. Be obedient to Allāh, and love His remembrance, and picture to yourself that you are running away while He is approaching you. He is calling you to His forgiveness and concealing your faults with His kindness, while you are fleeing away from Him towards others. Certainly, Great is Allāh the powerful, Who is so generous, and how humble and weak are you and still so bold to commit His disobedience although you live in His protection and undergo changes of life in the expanse of His kindness. He does not refuse you His kindness and does not remove His protection from you. In fact, you have not been without His kindness even for a moment, whether it be a favour that He conferred upon you or a sin of yours that He has concealed or a calamity that He has warded off from you. What is your idea about Him if you had obeyed Him?

وَايْمُ اللهِ لَوْ أَنَّ هذِهِ الصِّفَةَ كَانَتْ فِي مُتَّفِقَيْنِ فِي الْقُوَّةِ، مُتَوَازِيَيْنِ فِي الْقُدْرَ، لَكُنْتَ أَوَّلَ حَاكِم عَلى نَفْسِكَ بِذَمِيمِ الاْخْلاَقِ، وَمَسَاوِىءِ الاْعَمْالِ. وَحَقّاً أَقُولُ! مَا الدُّنْيَا غَرَّتْكَ، وَلكِنْ بِهَا اغْتَرَرْتَ، وَلَقَدْ كَاشَفَتْكَ الْعِظَاتِ، وَآذَنَتْكَ عَلَى سَوَاء، وَلَهِيَ بِمَا تَعِدُكَ مِنْ نُزُولِ الْبَلاَءِ بِجِسْمِكَ، وَالنَّقْصِ فِي قُوَّتِكَ، أَصْدَقُ وَأَوْفَى مِنْ أَنْ تَكْذِبَكَ، أَوْ تَغُرَّكَ، وَلَرُبَّ نَاصِح لَهَا عِنْدَكَ مُتَّهَمٌ، وَصَادِق مِنْ خَبَرِهَا مُكَذَّبٌ،

By Allāh, if this had been the case with two persons equal in power and matching in might (one being inattentive and the other showering favours upon you) then you would have been the first to adjudge yourself to be of bad behaviour and evil deeds. I truthfully say that the world has not deceived you but you have had yourself deceived by it. The world had opened to you the curtains and divulged to you (everything) equally. And in all that it foretold you about the troubles befalling your bodies and the decay in your power, it has been too true and faithful in promise, and did not speak a lie to you or deceive you. There are many who advise you about it but they are blamed, and speak the truth about it but they are opposed.

وَلَئِنْ تَعَرَّفْتهَا فِي الدِّيَارِ الْخَاوِيَةِ، وَالرُّبُوعِ الْخَالِيَةِ، لَتَجِدَنَّهَا مِنْ حُسْنِ تَذْكِيرِكَ، وَبَلاَغِ مَوْعِظَتِكَ، بِمَحَلَّةِ الشَّفِيقِ عَلَيْكَ، وَالشَّحِيحِ بك! وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْضَ بِهَا دَاراً، وَمَحَلُّ مَنْ لَمْ يُوَطِّنْهَا مَحَلاًّ! وَإِنَّ السُّعَدَاءَ بالدُّنْيَا غَداً هُمُ الْهَارِبُونَ مِنْهَا الْيَوْمَ.

If you understand the world by means of dilapidated houses and forlorn abodes, then with your good understanding and far reaching power of drawing lessons you will find it like one who is kind over you and cautious about you. It is good abode for him who does not like it as an abode, and a good place of stay for him who does not regard it a permanent home for stay. Only those who run away from this world today will be regarded virtuous tomorrow.