Nahj al-Balāgha

أمَّا قَوْلُكُمْ: أَكُلَّ ذلِكَ كَرَاهِيَةَ الْمَوْتِ؟ فَوَاللهِ مَا أُبَالِي دَخَلْتُ إِلَى المَوْتِ أَوْ خَرَجَ المَوْتُ إِلَيَّ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكُمْ: شَكّاً في أَهْلِ الشَّامِ! فَوَاللهِ مَا دَفَعْتُ الْحَرْبَ يَوْماً إِلاَّ وَأَنَا أَطْمَعُ أَنْ تَلْحَقَ بِي طَائِفَةٌ فَتَهْتَدِيَ بِي، وَتَعْشُوَ إِلى ضَوْئِي، فهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَقْتُلَهَا عَلَى ضَلالِهَا، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ تَبُوءُ بِآثَامِهَا.

Well, as for your idea whether this (delay) is due to my unwillingness for death, then by Allāh I do not care whether I proceed towards death or death advances towards me. As for your impression that it may be due to my misgivings about the people of Syria (ash-Shām), well, by Allāh, I did not put off war even for a day except in the hope that some group may join me, find guidance through me and see my light with their weak eyes. This is dearer to me than to kill them in the state of their misguidance although they would be bearing their own sins.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) يصف أصحاب رسول الله وذلك يوم صفين حين أمر الناس بالصلح

About steadiness in the battlefield

وَلَقَدْ كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله)، نَقْتُلُ آبَاءَنا وَأَبْنَاءَنَا وَإخْوَانَنا وَأَعْمَامَنَا، مَا يَزِيدُنَا ذلِكَ إلاَّ إِيمَاناً وَتَسْلِيماً، وَمُضِيّاً عَلَى اللَّقَمِ، وَصَبْراً عَلى مَضَضِ الاْلَمِ، وَجِدّاً عَلى جِهَادِ الْعَدُوِّ، وَلَقَدْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ مِنَّا وَالاْخَرُ مِنْ عَدُوِّنا يَتَصَاوَلاَنِ تَصَاوُلَ الْفَحْلَيْنِ، يَتَخَالَسَانِ أَنْفُسَهُمَا، أيُّهُمَا يَسْقِي صَاحِبَهُ كَأْسَ المَنُونِ، فَمَرَّةً لَنَا مِنْ عَدُوِّنَا، ومَرَّةً لِعَدُوِّنا مِنَّا،

In the company of the Prophet of Allāh we used to fight our parents, sons, brothers and uncles, and this continued us in our faith, in submission, in our following the right path, in endurance over the pangs of pain and in our fight against the enemy. A man from our side and one from the enemy would pounce upon each other like energetic men contesting as to who would kill the other; sometime our man got over his adversary and some-time the enemy’s man got over ours.

فَلَمَّا رَأَى اللهُ صِدْقَنَا أَنْزَلَ بِعَدُوِّنَا الْكَبْتَ، وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْنَا النَّصرَ، حَتَّى اسْتَقَرَّ الاْسْلاَمُ مُلْقِياً جِرَانَهُ وَمُتَبَوِّئاً أَوْطَانَهُ، وَلَعَمْرِي لَوْ كُنَّا نَأْتِي مَا أَتَيْتُمْ، مَا قَامَ لِلدِّينِ عَمُودٌ، وَلاَ اخْضَرَّ لِلاِيمَانِ عُودٌ، وَأَيْمُ اللهِ لَتَحْتَلِبُنَّهَا دَماً، وَلَتُتْبِعُنَّهَا نَدَماً!

When Allāh had observed our truth He sent ignominy to our foe and sent His succour to us till Islam got established (like the camel) with neck on the ground and resting in its place. By my life, if we had also behaved like you, no pillar of (our) religion could have been raised, nor the tree of faith could have borne leaves. By Allāh, certainly you will now milk our blood (instead of milk) and eventually you will face shame. [1]

ومن كلام له عليه السلام في صفة رجل مذموم ثم في فضله هو عليه السلام

Amīr al-mu’minīn said to his companions about Mu‘āwiyah

أما إنِّهُ سِيَظْهَرُ عَلَيْكُمْ بَعْدِي رَجُلٌ رَحْبُ الْبُلْعُومِ، مُنْدَحِقُ الْبَطْنِ، يَأْكُلُ مَا يَجِدُ، وَيَطْلُبُ مَا لاَ يَجِدُ، فَاقْتُلُوهُ، وَلَنْ تَقْتُلُوهُ! أَلاَ وَإِنَّهُ سَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِسَبِّي وَالْبَرَاءَةِ مِنِّي; فَأَمَّا السَّبُّ فَسُبُّونِي، فَإِنَّهُ لي زَكَاةٌ،وَلَكُمْ نَجَاةٌ; وَأَمَّا الْبَرَاءَةُ فَلاَ تَتَبَرَّأُوا مِنِّي، فَإِنِّي وَلِدْتُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، وَسَبَقْتُ إِلَى الاْيمَانِ وَالْهِجْرَةِ.

Soon after me there would be put on you a man with a broad mouth and a big belly. He would swallow whatever he gets and would crave for what he does not get. You should kill him but (I know) you would not kill him. He would command you to abuse me and to renounce me. As for abusing, you do abuse me because that would mean purification for me and salvation for you. As regards renunciation, you should not renounce me because I have been born on the natural religion (Islam) and was foremost in (accepting) it as well as in Hijrah (migrating from Mecca to Medina). [1]

ومن كلامه (عليه السلام) كلم به الخوارج حين اعتزلوا الحكومة و تنادوا أن لا حكم إلا لله

Addressing the Khārijites Amīr al-mu’minīn said:

أَصَابَكُمْ حَاصِبٌ، وَلاَ بَقِيَ مِنْكُمْ آبرٌ، أَبَعْدَ إِيمَاني بِاللهِ وَجِهَادِي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) أَشْهَدُ عَلَى نَفْسِي بِالْكُفْرِ !لَقَدْ ﴿ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُهْتَدِينَ!﴾ فَأُوبُوا شَرَّ مَآب، وَارْجِعُوا عَلَى أَثَرِ الاْعْقَابِ، أَمَا إِنَّكُمْ سَتَلْقَوْنَ بَعْدِي ذُلاًّ شَامِلاً، وَسَيْفاً قَاطِعاً، وَأَثَرَةً يَتَّخِذُهَا الظَّالِمونَ فِيكُمْ سُنَّةً.

Storm may overtake you while there may be none to prick you (for reforms). Shall I be witness to my becoming heretic after acceptance of Faith and fighting in the company of the Prophet?! “In that case I shall be misguided and I shall not be on the right path.” (Qur’ān, 6:56). So you should return to your evil places, and get back on the traces of your heels. Beware! Certainly you will meet, after me, overwhelming disgrace and sharp sword and tradition that will be adopted by the oppressors as a norm towards you. [1]

قال الشريف: قوله عليه السلام : «ولا بقي منكم آبر» يُروى على ثلاثة أوجه: أحدها أن يكون كما ذكرناه، بالراء، من قولهم: رجلٌ آبِرٌ: للذي يأبر النخل، أي: يصلحه. ويروى: «آثِرٌ»، يُراد به: الذي يأثر الحديث، أي: يحكيه ويرويه، وهو أصح الوجوه عندي، كأنه عليه السلام قال: لا بقي منكم مُخبر! ويروى: «آبِز» ـ بالزاي معجمة ـ وهو: الواثب، والهالك أيضاً يقال له: آبزٌ

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: In the words “wala baqiyah minkum abirun” used by Amīr al-mu’minīn the “ābir” has been related with “bā'” and “rā'” and it has been taken from the Arab saying “rajulun ābirun” which means the man who prunes the date-palm trees and improves them. In one version the word is “āthir” and its meaning is “relator of news.” In my view this is more appropriate, as though Amīr al-mu’minīn intends to say that there should remain none to carry news. In one version the word appears as “ābiz” with “zā'” which means one who leaps. One who dies is also called “ābiz”.

وقال (عليه السلام) لمّا عزم على حرب الخوارج وقيل له: إن القوم قد عبروا جسر النهروان

When Amīr al-mu’minīn showed his intention to fight the Khārijites he was told that they had crossed the bridge of Nahrawan and gone over to the other side. Amīr al-mu’minīn said :