Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى بعض عماله

To One of his Officers

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّكَ مِمَّنْ أَسْتَظْهِرُ بِهِ عَلَى إِقَامَةِ الدِّينِ، وَأَقْمَعُ بِهِ نَحْوَةَ الْأَثِيمِ، وَأَسُدُّ بِهِ لَهَاةَ الثَّغْرِ الْـمَخُوفِ. فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ عَلَى مَا أَهَمَّكَ، وَاخْلِطِ الشِّدَّةَ بِضِغْثٍ مِنَ اللِّينِ، وَارْفُقْ مَا كَانَ الرِّفْقُ أَرْفَقَ، وَاعْتَزِمْ بِالشِّدَّةِ حِينَ لَا تُغْنِي عَنْكَ إِلَّا الشِّدَّةُ، وَاخْفِضْ لِلرَّعِيَّةِ جَنَاحَكَ، وَابْسِطْ لَهُمْ وَجْهَكَ وَأَلِنْ لَهُمْ جَانِبَكَ، وَآسِ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي اللَّحْظَةِ وَالنَّظْرَةِ، وَالْإِشَارَةِ وَالتَّحِيَّةِ، حَتَّى لَا يَطْمَعَ الْعُظَمَاءُ فِي حَيْفِكَ، وَلَا يَيْأَسَ الضُّعَفَاءُ مِنْ عَدْلِكَ، وَالسَّلَامُ.

Now, you are surely one of those whose help I take in establishing religion and with whose help I break the haughtiness of the sinful and guard critical boundaries. You should seek Allāh’s help in whatever causes you anxiety. Add a little harshness to the mixture of leniency and remain lenient where leniency is more appropriate. Adopt harshness when you cannot do without harshness. Bend your wings (in humbleness) before the subjects. Meet them with your face broad and keep yourself lenient (in behaviour) with them. Treat them equally in looking at them with half eyes or full eyes, in signalling and in greeting so that the great should not expect transgression on your part and the weak should not lose hope in your justice; and that is an end to the matter.

ومن وصية له (عليه السلام) للحسن والحسين (عليهما السلام) لما ضربه ابن ملجم لعنه الله

For Imām al-Ḥasan and Imām al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon them) when (‘Abd ar-Raḥmān) Ibn Muljam (the curse of Allāh be upon him) struck him (fatally with a sword).

أُوصِيكُمَا بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَأَلَّا تَبْغِيَا الدُّنْيَا وَإِنْ بَغَتْكُمَا، وَلَا تَأْسَفَا عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْهَا زُوِيَ عَنْكُمَا، وَقُولَا بِالْحَقِّ، وَاعْمَلَا لِلْأَجْرِ، وَكُونَا لِلظَّالِمِ خَصْماً، وَلِلْمَظْلُومِ عَوْناً.

I advise you (both) to fear Allāh and that you should not hanker after the (pleasures of this) world even though it may run after you. Do not be sorry for anything of this world that you have been denied. Speak the truth and act (in expectation) for reward. Be an enemy of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed.

أُوصِيكُمَا، وَجَمِيعَ وَلَدِي وَأَهْلِي وَمَنْ بَلَغَهُ كِتَابِي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَنَظْمِ أَمْرِكُمْ، وَصَلَاحِ ذَاتِ بَيْنِكُمْ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ جَدَّكُمَا (صلى الله عليه وآله) يَقُولُ: «صَلَاحُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَامَّةِ الصَّلَاةِ وَالصِّيَامِ».

I advise you (both) and all my children and members of my family and everyone whom my writing reaches, to fear Allāh, to keep your affairs in order, and to maintain good relations among yourselves for I have heard your Grandfather (the Holy Prophet – S) saying, “Improvement of mutual differences is better than general prayers and fastings.”

اللهَ اللهَ فِي الْأَيْتَامِ، فَلَا تُغِبُّوا أَفْوَاهَهُمْ، وَلَا يَضِيعُوا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of orphans. So do not allow them to starve and they should not be ruined in your presence.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي جِيرَانِكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ وَصِيَّةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ، مَا زَالَ يُوصِي بِهِمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of your neighbours, because they were the subject of the Prophet’s advice. He went on advising in their favour till we thought he would allow them a share in inheritance.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، لَا يَسْبِقْكُمْ بِالْعَمَلِ بِهِ غَيْرُكُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of the Qur’ān. No one should excel you in acting upon it.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَإِنَّهَا عَمُودُ دِينِكُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of prayer, because it is the pillar of your religion.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي بَيْتِ رَبِّكُمْ، لَا تُخْلُوهُ مَا بَقِيتُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ تُرِكَ لَمْ تُنَاظَرُوا.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of your Lord’s House (Ka‘bah). Do not forsake it so long as you live, because if it is abandoned you will not be spared.