Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لمّا عزموا على بيعة عثمان

When the Consultative Committee (or Shūrā) decided to swear allegiance to ‘Uthmān, Amīr al-mu’minīn said:

لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ أَنَّي أَحَقُّ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِي، وَوَاللهِ لاَسْلِمَنَّ مَاسَلِمَتْ أُمُورُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِا جَوْرٌ إِلاَّ عَلَيَّ خَاصَّةً، الْتمَاساً لاِجْرِ ذلِكَ وَفَضْلِهِ، وَزُهْداً فِيَما تَنافَسْتُمُوهُ مِنْ زُخْرُفِهِ وَزِبْرِجِهِ.

You have certainly known that I am the most rightful of all others for the Caliphate. By Allāh, so long as the affairs of Muslims remain intact and there is no oppression in it save on myself I shall keep quiet seeking reward for it (from Allāh) and keeping aloof from its attractions and allurements for which you aspire.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لمّا بلغه اتهام بني أُميّة له بالمشاركة في دم عثمان

When Amīr al-mu’minin learnt that the Umayyads blamed him for killing ‘Uthmān, he said:

أَوَلَمْ يَنْهَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ عِلْمُهَا بِي عَنْ قَرْفي أَوَمَا وَزَعَ الْجُهَّالُ سَابِقَتِي عَنْ تُهَمَتِي؟! وَلَمَا وَعَظَهُمُ اللهُ بِهِ أَبْلَغُ مِنْ لِسَاني. أَنَا حَجِيجُ الْمَارِقِينَ وَخَصِيمُ الْمُرْتَابِينَ، عَلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ تُعْرَضُ الاْمْثالُ، وَبِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ تُجَازَى الْعِبَادُ!

Umayyads’s knowledge about me did not desist them from accusing me, nor did my precedence (in accepting Islam) kept off these ignorant people from blaming me. Allāh’s admonitions are more eloquent than my tongue. I am the contester against those who break away from Faith and the opponent of those who entertain doubts. Uncertainties should be placed before Qur’ān, the Book of Allāh (for clarification). Certainly, people will be recompensed according to what they have in their hearts.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في الحث على العمل الصالح

About preaching and counselling

رَحِمَ اللهُ عَبْداً سَمِعَ حُكْماً فَوَعَى وَدُعِيَ إِلَى رَشَادٍ فَدَنَا وَأَخَذَ بِحُجْزَةِ هَادٍ فَنَجَا، رَاقَبَ رَبِّهُ، وَخَافَ ذَنْبَهُ، قَدَّمَ خَالِصاً، وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً، اكْتَسَبَ مَذْخُوراً وَاجْتَنَبَ مَحْذُوراً، رَمَى غَرَضاً، وَأَحْرَزَ عِوَضاً، كابَرَ هَوَاهُ، وَكَذَّبَ مُناهُ، جَعَلَ الصَّبْرَ مَطِيَّةَ نَجَاتِهِ، والتَّقْوَى عُدَّةَ وَفَاتِهِ، رَكِبَ الطَّرِيقَةَ الْغَرَّاءَ وَلَزِمَ الْمحَجَّةَ الْبَيْضَاءَ، اغْتَنَمَ الْمَهَلَ وَبَادَرَ الاْجَلَ، وَتَزَوَّدَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ.

Allāh may bless him who listens to a point of wisdom and retains it, when he is invited to the right path he approaches it, he follows a leader (by catching his waist band) and finds salvation, keeps Allāh before his eyes and fears his sins, performs actions sincerely and acts virtuously, earns treasure of heavenly rewards, avoids vice, aims at (good) objective and reaps recompense, faces his desires and rejects (fake) hopes, makes endurance the means to his salvation and piety the provision for his death, rides on the path of honour and sticks to the highway of truth, makes good use of his time and hastens towards end and takes with him the provision of (good) actions.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) وذلك حين منعه سعيد بن العاص حقه

About Umayyads

إِنَّ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ لَيُفَوِّقُونَني تُرَاثَ مُحَمَّد تَفْوِيقاً، وَاللهِ لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ لُهُمْ لاَنْفُضَنَّهُمْ نَفْضَ اللَّحَّام الْوِذَامَ التَّرِبَةَ!

The Banu Umayyah (Umayyads) are allowing me the inheritance of Muḥammad (S) bit (by bit). By Allāh, if I live I would throw them away as the butcher removes the dust from the dust-covered piece of flesh.

قال الشريف: ويروى: «التراب الوَذَمَة»، وهو على القلب. و قوله (عليه السلام): «لَيُفَوّقونَني» أي: يعطونني من المال قليلاً قليلاً كفُواق الناقة، وهو الحلبة الواحدة من لبنها. والوِذَامُ: جمع وَذَمة، وهي: الحُزّة من الكرش أوالكبد تقع في التراب فتنفض.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: In one version for “al-widhamu 'ttaribah” (dust covered piece of flesh) the words “at-turābu 'lwadhimah” (the soil sticking on a piece of flesh) have been shown. That is, for the adjective the qualified noun and for the qualified noun the adjective has been placed. And by word “layufawwiqunani” Amīr al-mu’minin implies that they allow him bit by bit just a she-camel may be milked a little and then its young one may be made to suck milk so that it may be ready to be milked. And “al-widhām” is the plural of “wadhamah” which means the piece of stomach or of liver which falls on the ground and then the dust is removed from it.

ومن كلمات له (عليه السلام) كان يدعوبها

Supplications of Amīr al-mu’minin.