Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) قد تقدّم مختارها برواية ونذكرها هاهنا برواية أخرى لتغاير الروايتين

(This sermon has already appeared earlier but due to the difference between the two versions we have quoted it again here). Its subject is the downfall of the world and reward and punishment in the next world.

(التزهيد في الدنيا) أَلَا وَإِنَّ الدُّنْيَا قَدْ تَصَرَّمَتْ وَآذَنَتْ بِانْقِضَاءٍ وَتَنَكَّرَ مَعْرُوفُهَا وَأَدْبَرَتْ حَذَّاءَ فَهِيَ تَحْفِزُ بِالْفَنَاءِ سُكَّانَهَا وَتَحْدُو بِالْمَوْتِ جِيرَانَهَا وَقَدْ أَمَرَّ فِيهَا مَا كَانَ حُلْواً وَكَدِرَ مِنْهَا مَا كَانَ صَفْواً فَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهَا إِلَّا سَمَلَةٌ كَسَمَلَةِ الْإِدَاوَةِ أَوْ جُرْعَةٌ كَجُرْعَةِ الْمَقْلَةِ لَوْ تَمَزَّزَهَا الصَّدْيَانُ لَمْ يَنْقَعْ فَأَزْمِعُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الرَّحِيلَ عَنْ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ الْمَقْدُورِ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا الزَّوَالُ وَلَا يَغْلِبَنَّكُمْ فِيهَا الْأَمَلُ وَلَا يَطُولَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيهَا الْأَمَدُ.

Beware, the world is wrapping itself up and has announced its departure. Its known things have become strangers and it is speedily moving backward. It is advancing its inhabitants towards destruction and driving its neighbours towards death. Its sweet things (enjoyments) have become sour, and its clear things have become polluted. Consequently, what has remained of it is just like the remaining water in a vessel or a mouthful of water in the measure. If a thirsty person drinks it his thirst is not quenched. O creatures of Allāh get ready to go out of this world for whose inhabitants decay is ordained, and (beware) heart’s wishes should overpower you, nor should you take your stay (in life) to be long.

(ثواب الزهاد) فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ حَنَنْتُمْ حَنِينَ الْوُلَّهِ الْعِجَالِ وَدَعَوْتُمْ بِهَدِيلِ الْحَمَامِ وَجَأَرْتُمْ جُؤَارَ مُتَبَتِّلِي الرُّهْبَانِ وَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَوْلَادِ الْتِمَاسَ الْقُرْبَةِ إِلَيْهِ فِي ارْتِفَاعِ دَرَجَةٍ عِنْدَهُ أَوْ غُفْرَانِ سَيِّئَةٍ أَحْصَتْهَا كُتُبُهُ وَحَفِظَتْهَا رُسُلُهُ لَكَانَ قَلِيلًا فِيمَا أَرْجُو لَكُمْ مِنْ ثَوَابِهِ وَأَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ عِقَابِهِ.

By Allāh, if you cry like the she-camel that has lost its young one, call out like the cooing of pigeons, make noise like devoted recluses and turn to Allāh leaving your wealth and children as a means to secure His nearness and high position with Him or the forgiveness of sins which have been covered by His books and recorded by His angels it would be less than His reward that I expect for you or His retribution that I fear about you.

(نعم الله) وَتَاللهِ لَوِ انْمَاثَتْ قُلوبُكُمُ انْمِيَاثاً، وَسَالَتْ عُيُونُكُمْ مِنْ رَغْبَة إِلَيْهِ وَرَهْبَة مِنْهُ دَماً، ثُمَّ عُمِّرْتُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا، مَا الدُّنْيَا بَاقِيَةٌ، مَا جَزَتْ أَعْمَالُكُمْ [عَنْكُمْ] ـ وَلَوْ لَمْ تُبْقُوا شَيْئاً مِنْ جُهْدِكُمْ ـ أَنْعُمَهُ عَلَيْكُمُ الْعِظَامَ، وَهُدَاهُ إِيَّاكُمْ لِلاْيمَانِ.

By Allāh, if your hearts melt down thoroughly and your eyes shed tears of blood either in hope for Him or for fear from Him and you are also allowed to live in this world all the time that it lasts even then your actions cannot pay for His great bounties over you and His having guided you towards faith.

ومن خطبة له عليه السلام في ذكرى يوم النحر وصفة الأضحية

On the description of the Day of Sacrifice (Id al-Aḍḥa) and the qualities of the animal for sacrifice

وَ مِنْ تَمامِ الاْضْحِيَّةِ اسْتِشْرافُ اُذُنِها، وَ سَلامَةُ عَيْنِها. فَاِذا سَلِمَتِ الاْذُنُ وَالْعَيْنُ سَلِمَتِ الاْضْحِيَّةُ وَ تَمَّتْ، وَلَوْ كانَتْ عَضْباءَ لْقَرْنِ تَجُرُّ رِجْلَها اِلَى الْمَنْسَكِ.

For an animal to be fully fit for sacrifice it is necessary that both its ears should be raised upwards and its eyes should be healthy. If the ears and the eyes are sound the animal of sacrifice is sound and perfect, even though its horn be broken or it drags its feet to the place of sacrifice.

قال السيد الشريف: وَالْمَنْسَـكُ هُنَـا الْمَـذْبَـحُ.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Here place of sacrifice means place of slaughter.

وَمِنْ كَلام لَهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فى ذِكْرِ الْبَيْعَةِ وفيه يصف أصحابه بصفين حين طال منعهم له من قتال أهل الشام

On the swearing of allegiance

فَتَدَاكُّوا عَلَيَّ تَدَاكَّ الاِْبِلِ الْهِيمِ يَوْمَ وِرْدِهَا، قَدْ أَرْسَلَهَا رَاعِيهَا، وَخُلِعَتْ مَثَانِيهَا، حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُمْ قَاتِليَّ، أَوْ بَعْضُهُمْ قَاتِلُ بَعْض لَدَيَّ، وَقَدْ قلَّبْتُ هذَا الاْمْرَ بَطْنَهُ وَظَهْرَهُ حَتَّى مَنَعَنِي النَّوْمَ، فَمَا وَجَدْتُنِي يَسَعْني إِلاَّ قِتَالُهُمْ أَوِ الْجُحُودُ بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ مُحَمَّدٌ(صلى الله عليه وآله)، فَكَانَتْ مُعَالَجَةُ الْقِتَالِ أَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ مُعَالَجَةِ الْعِقَابِ، وَمَوْتَاتُ الدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ مَوْتَاتِ الاْخِرَةِ.

They leapt upon me as the camels leap upon each other on their arrival for drinking water, having been let loose after unfastening of their four legs till I thought they would either kill me or kill one another in front of me. I thought over this matter in and out to the extent that it prevented me from sleeping. But I found no way except to fight them or else to reject what-ever has been brought by Muḥammad (S), I found that to face war was easier for me than to face the retribution, and the hardships of this world were easier than the hardships of the next world.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) وقد استبطأ أصحابه إذنه لهم في القتال بصفين

When Amīr al-mu’minīn’s men showed impatience on his delay in giving them permission to fight in Ṣiffīn, he said: