Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في التنفير من الدنيا

Transience of the world and the helplessness of those in graves

دَارٌ بِالْبَلاَءِ مَحْفُوفَةٌ، وَبِالْغَدْرِ مَعْرُوفَةٌ، لاَ تَدُومُ أَحْوَالُهَا، وَلاَ يَسْلَمُ نُزَّالُهَا. أَحْوَالٌ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ، وَتَارَاتٌ مُتَصَرِّفَةٌ، الْعَيْشُ فِيهَا مَذْمُومٌ، وَالاْمَانُ مِنْهَا مَعْدُومٌ، وَإِنَّمَا أَهْلُهَا فِيهَا أَغْرَاضٌ مُسْتهْدَفَةٌ، تَرْمِيهِمْ بِسِهَامِهَا، وَتُفْنِيهِمْ بِحِمَامِهَا.

This is a house surrounded by calamities and well-known for deceitfulness. Its conditions do not last and those who inhabit it do not remain safe. Its conditions are variable and its ways changing. Life in it is blameworthy and safety in it is non-existent. Yet its people are targets; it strikes them with its arrows and destroys them through death.

وَاعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ أَنَّكُم وَمَا أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى سَبِيلِ مَنْ قَدْ مَضَى قَبْلَكُمْ، مِمَّنْ كَانَ أَطْوَلَ مِنْكُمْ أَعْمَاراً، وَأَعْمَرَ دِيَاراً، وَأَبْعَدَ آثَاراً، أَصْبَحَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمْ هَامِدَةً، وَرِيَاحُهُمْ رَاكِدَةً، وَأَجْسَادُهُمْ بِالِيَةً، وَدِيَارُهُمْ خَالِيَةً، وَآثَارُهُمْ عَافِيَةً،

Know, O creatures of Allāh, that, certainly, you and all the things of this world that you have are (treading) on the lines of those (who were) before you. They were of longer ages, had more populated houses and were of more lasting traces. Their voices have become silent, their movements have become stationary, their bodies have become rotten, their houses have become empty and their traces have been obliterated.

فَاسْتَبْدَلُوا بِالْقُصُورِ الْمُشَيَّدَةِ، وَالـنَّمارِقِ الْمُمَهَّدَةِ، الصُّخُورَ وَالاْحْجَارَ الْمُسَنَّدَةَ، وَالْقُبُورَ اللاَّطِئَةَ الْمُلْحَدَةَ، الَّتي قَدْ بُنِيَ عَلَى الْخَرَابِ فِنَاؤُهَا، وَشُيِّدَ بِالتُّرَابِ بِنَاؤُهَا، فَمَحَلُّهَا مُقْتَرِبٌ، وَسَاكِنُهَا مُغْتَرِبٌ، بَيْنَ أَهْلِ مَحَلَّة مُوحِشِينَ، وَأهْلِ فَرَاغ مُتَشَاغِلِينَ، لاَيَسْتَأْنِسُونَ بِالاْوْطَانِ، وَلاَ يَتَوَاصَلُونَ تَوَاصُلَ الْجِيْرَانِ، عَلَى مَا بَيْنَهُمْ مِنْ قُرْبِ الْجِوَارِ، وَدُنُوِّ الدَّارِ، وَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَزَاوُرٌ، وَقَدْ طَحَنَهُمْ بِكَلْكَلِهِ الْبِلَى، وَأَكَلَتْهُمُ الْجَنَادِلُ وَالثَّرَى؟

Their magnificent places and spread-out carpets were changed to stones, laid-in-blocks and cave-like dug out graves whose very foundation is based on ruins and whose construction has been made with soil. Their positions are contiguous, but those settled in them are like far flung strangers. They are among the people of their area but feel lonely, and they are free from work but still engaged (in activity). They feel no attachment with homelands nor do they keep contact among themselves like neighbours despite nearness of neighbourhood and priority of abodes. And how can they meet each other when decay has ground them with its chest, and stones and earth have eaten them.

وَكَأَنْ قَدْ صِرْتُمْ إِلَى مَا صَاروا إِلَيْهِ، وَارْتَهَنَكُمْ ذلِكَ الْمَضْجَعُ، وَضَمَّكُمْ ذلِكَ الْمُسْتَوْدَعُ، فَكَيْفَ بِكُمْ لَوْ تَنَاهَتْ بِكُمُ الاْمُورُ، وبُعْثِرَتِ الْقُبُورُ؟ ﴿هُنَالِكَ تَبْلُو كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا أَسْلَفَتْ ۚ وَرُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ ۖ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ﴾

It is as though you too have gone where they have gone, the same sleeping place has caught you and the same place has detained you. What will then be your position when your affairs reach their end and graves are turned upside down (to throw out the dead)? “There shall every soul realise what it hath sent before, and they shall be brought back to Allāh, their true Lord, and what they did fabricate (the false deities) will vanish (away) from them.” (Qur’ān, 10:30)

ومن دعاء له (عليه السلام) يلجأ فيه إلى الله لِيهديه إلى الرشاد

Supplication (seeking guidance to the right path)

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ آنَسُ الاْنِسِينَ لاِوْلِيَائِكَ، وَأَحْضَرُهُمْ بِالْكِفايَةِ لِلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ عَلَيْكَ، تُشَاهِدُهُمْ فِي سَرَائِرِهِمْ، وَتَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي ضَمائِرِهِمْ، وَتَعْلَمُ مَبْلَغَ بَصَائِرِهِمْ، فَأَسْرَارُهُمْ لَكَ مَكْشُوفَةٌ، وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَيْكَ مَلْهُوفَةٌ، إِنْ أَوْحَشَتْهُمُ الْغُرْبَةُ آنَسَهُمْ ذِكْرُكَ، وَإِنْ صُبَّتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَصَائِبُ لَجأُوا إِلَى الاْسْتِجَارَةِ بِكَ، عِلْماً بَأَنَّ أَزِمَّةَ الاْمُورِ بِيدِكَ، وَمَصَادِرَهَا عَنْ قَضَائِكَ.

O My Allāh! Thou art the most attached to Thy lovers and the most ready to assist those who trust in Thee. Thou seest them in their concealments, knowest whatever is in their consciences, and art aware of the extent of their intelligence. Consequently, their secrets are open to Thee and their hearts are eager from Thee. If loneliness makes them desolate, Thy remembrance gives them solace. If distresses befall them, they beseech Thy protection, because they know that the reins of affairs are in Thy hands, and that their movements depend upon Thy commands.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ فَهِهْتُ عَنْ مسْأَلَتِي، أَوْ عَمِيتُ عَنْ طِلْبَتِي، فَدُلَّنِي عَلَى مَصَالِحِي، وَخُذْ بِقَلْبِي إِلَى مَرَاشِدِي، فَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ بِنُكْر مِنْ هِدَايَاتِكَ، وَلاَ بِبِدْع مِنْ كِفَايَاتِكَ.

O My Allāh! If I am unable to express my request or cannot see my needs, then guide me towards my betterment and take my heart towards the correct goal, for this is not against (the mode of) Thy guidance nor anything new against Thy ways of support.

اللَّهُمَّ احْمِلْنِي عَلَى عَفْوِكَ، وَلاَ تَحْمِلْنِي عَلَى عدْلِكَ.

O My Allāh! Deal with me through Thy forgiveness and do not deal with me according to Thy justice.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) يريد به بعض أصحابه

About a companion who passed away from this world before the occurrence of troubles.