Nahj al-Balāgha

مَعَاشِرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ: اسْتَشْعِرُوا الْخَشْيَةَ وَتَجَلْبَبُواالسَّكِينَةَ، وَعَضُّواعَلَى النَّوَاجِذِ فَإِنَّهُ أَنْبَى لِلْسُّيُوفِ عَنِ الْهَامِ وَأَكْمِلُوا اللاَّمَةَ ،وَقَلْقِلُواالسُّيُوفَ فِي أَغْمَادِهَا قَبْلَ سَلِّهَا، وَالْحَظُوا الْخَزْرَ وَاطْعُنُوا الشَّزْرَ وَنَافِحُوا بِالظُّبَا وَصِلُوا السُّيُوفَ بَالْخُطَا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ بِعَيْنِ اللهِ، وَمَعَ ابْنِ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله،

O crowd of Muslims ! Make fear of Allāh the routine of your life. Cover yourselves with peace of mind and clinch your teeth because this makes the sword slip off from the skull. Complete your armour and shake your swords in their sheathes before showing them out. Have your eyes on the enemy. Use your spears on both sides and strike (the enemy) with swords. Keep in mind that you are before Allāh and in the company of the Prophet’s cousin.

فَعَاوِدُوا الْكَرَّ، وَاسْتَحْيُوا مِنَ الْفَرِّ فَإِنَّهُ عَارٌ فِي الاْعْقَابِ وَنَارٌ يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ، وَطِيبُوا عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ نَفْساً، وَامْشُوا إِلَى الْمَوْتِ مَشْياً سُجُحاً وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِهذَا السَّوَادِ الاْعْظَمِ، وَالرِّوَاقِ المُطَنَّبِ، فَاضْرِبُوا ثَبَجَهُ فإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَامِنٌ فِي كِسْرِهِ قَدْ قَدَّمَ لِلْوَثْبَةِ يَداً، وَأَخَّرَ لِلنُّكُوصِ رِجْلاً؛ فَصَمْداً صَمْداً! حَتَّى يَنْجَلِيَ لَكُمْ عَمُودُ الْحَقِّ. ﴿وَأَنتُمُ الْأَعْلَوْنَ وَاللَّـهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَن يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ﴾.

Repeat your attacks and feel ashamed of running away, because it is a shame for posterity and (cause of awarding you) fire on the Day of Judgement. Give your lives (to Allāh) willingly and walk towards death with ease. Beware of this great majority, and the pitched tent and aim at its centre because Satan is hiding in its corner. He has extended his hand for assault and has kept back his foot for running away. Keep one enduring till the light of Truth dawns upon you. “While ye have the upper hand, and Allāh is with you, and never will He depreciate your deeds.” (Qur’ān, 47:35)

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في معنى الانصار قالوا: لمّا انتهت إلى أميرالمؤمنين (عليه السلام) أنباء السقيفة بعد وفاة رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)، قال (عليه السلام): ما قالت الانصار؟ قالوا: قالت: منا أمير ومنكم أمير، قال (عليه السلام):

When after the death of the Prophet news reached Amīr al-mu’minīn about the happening in Saqīfah of Bani Sā‘idah, [1] he enquired what the anṣār said. People said that they were asking for one chief from among them and one from the others, Amīr al-mu’minīn said:

قال (عليه السلام): فَهَلاَّ احْتَجَجْتُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ: بِأَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) وَصَّى بِأَنْ يُحْسَنَ إِلَى مُحْسِنِهمْ، وَيُتَجَاوَزَ عَنْ مُسِيئِهِمْ؟ قالوا: وما في هذا من الحجّة عليهم؟ فقال (عليه السلام): لَوْ كَانَتِ الامارة فِيهمْ لَمْ تَكُنِ الْوَصِيَّةُ بِهِمْ. ثم قال: فَمَاذَا قَالَتْ قُرَيْشٌ؟ قالوا: احتجت بأَنها شجرة الرسول (صلى الله عليه وآله). فقال (عليه السلام): احْتَجُّوا بِالشَّجَرَةِ، وَأَضَاعُوا الَّثمَرَةَ.

“Why did you not argue against them (anṣār) that the Prophet had left his will that whoever is good among anṣār should be treated well and whoever is bad he should be forgiven.” People said : “What is there against them in it?” Amīr al-mu’minīn said : “If the Government was for them there should have been no will in their favour.” Then he said : “What did the Quraysh plead?” People said : “They argued that they belong to the lineal tree of the Prophet.” Then Amīr al-mu’minīn said : “They argued with the tree but spoiled the fruits.”

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لمّا قلد محمّد بن أبي بكر مصر فملكت عليه وقتل

When Amīr al-mu’minīn appointed Muḥammad ibn Abi Bakr [1] Governor of Egypt and he was overpowered and killed, Amīr al-mu’minīn said :

وَقَدْ أَرَدْتُ تَوْلِيَةَ مِصْرَ هَاشِمَ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ، وَلَوْ وَلَّيْتُهُ إِيَّاهَا لَما خَلَّى لَهُمُ الْعَرْصَةَ، وَلاَ أَنْهَزَهُمُ الْفُرْصَةَ، بَلاَ ذَمٍّ لِمحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبي بَكْر، فَلَقَدْ كَانَ إِلَيَّ حَبِيباً، وَكَانَ لي رَبِيباً.

I had intended to send Hāshim ibn ‘Utbah to Egypt and had I done so he would have made way for the opponents nor given them time (to get hold of him). This is without reproach to Muḥammad ibn Abi Bakr as I loved him and had brought him up.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في ذمّ أصحابه

Admonishing his companions about careless behaviour Amīr al-mu’minīn said :

كَمْ أُدَارِيكُمْ كَمَا تُدَارَى الْبِكَارُ الْعَمِدَةُ وَالثِّيَابُ الْمتَدَاعِيَةُ! كُلَّما حِيصَتْا مِنْ جَانِبٍ تَهَتَّكَتْ مِنْ آخَرَ، كُلَّما أَطَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ مَنْسِرٌمِنْ مَنَاسِرِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَغْلَقَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ بَابَهُ، وَانْجَحَرَانْجِحَارَ الضَّبَّةِ في جُحْرِهَا، وَالضَّبُعِ فِي وِجَارِهَا.

How long shall I accord you consideration that is accorded to camels with hollow hump, or to worn clothes which when stitched on one side give way on the other. Whenever a vanguard force of Syria (ash-Shām) hovers over you, everyone of you shuts his door and hides himself like the lizard in its hole or a badger in its den.

الذَّلِيلُ وَاللهِ مَنْ نَصَرْتُمُوهُ! وَمَنْ رُمِيَ بِكُمْ فَقَدْ رُمِيَ بِأَفْوَقَ نَاصِلٍ. إِنَّكُمْ ـ وَاللهِ ـ لَكَثِيرٌ فِي الْبَاحَاتِ قَليِلٌ تَحْتَ الرَّايَاتِ، وَإِنِّي لَعَالِمٌ بِمَا يُصْلِحُكُمْ، وَيُقِيمُ أَوَدَكُمْ وَلكِنِّي واللهِ لاَ أَرى إِصْلاَحَكُمْ بَإِفْسَادِ نَفْسِي. أَضْرَعَ اللهُ خُدُودَكُمْ وَأَتْعَسَ جُدُودَكُمْ لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ الْحَقَّ كَمَعْرِفَتِكُمُ الْبَاطِلَ، وَلاَ تُبْطِلُونَ الْبَاطِلَ كَإِبطَالِكُمُ الْحَقَّ!

By Allāh, he whom people like you support must suffer disgrace and he who throws arrows with your support is as if he throws arrows that are broken both at head and tail. By Allāh, within the. courtyard you are quite numerous but under the Banner you are only a few. Certainly, I know what can improve you and how your crookedness can be straightened. But I shall not improve your condition by marring myself. Allāh may disgrace your faces and destroy you. You do not understand the right as you understand the wrong and do not crush the wrong as you crush the right.

وقال (عليه السلام) في سُحرة اليوم الذي ضرب فيه

Spoken on the morning of the day when Amir al-mu'minin was fatally struck with sword.