Nahj al-Balāgha

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي، فَإِنْ عُدْتُ فَعُدْ لي بِالْمَغْفِرَةِ.

O my Allāh! Forgive me what Thou knowest about me more than I do. If I return (to the sins) Thou return to forgiveness.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا وَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَفْسِي، وَلَمْ تَجِدْ لَهُ وَفَاءً عِنْدي.

My Allah forgive me what I had promised to myself but Thou didst not find its fulfilment with me.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا تَقَرَّبْتُ بِهِ إِلَيْكَ بِلِسَانِي ثُمَّ خَالَفَهُ قَلْبِي.

My Allah forgive me that with what I sought nearness to Thee with my tongue but my heart opposed and did not perform it.

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي رَمَزَاتِ الاْلْحَاظِ وَسَقَطَاتِ الاْلْفَاظِ وَشَهَوَاتِ الْجَنَانِ ، وَهَفَوَاتِ اللِّسَانِ.

My Allah forgive me winking of the eye, vile utterances, desires of the heart and errors of speech.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لبعض أصحابه لمّا عزم على المسير إِلى الخوارج، فقال له: يا أميرالمؤمنين إن سرت في هذا الوقت، خشيتُ ألاَّ تظفر بمرادك، من طريق علم النجوم، فقال (عليه السلام):

When [1] Amīr al-mu’minin decided to set out for the battle with the Khārijites someone said, “If you set out at this moment then according to astrology I fear you will not be successful in your aim,” whereupon Amīr al-mu’minin said:

أَتَزْعَمُ أَنَّكَ تَهْدِي إِلَى السَّاعَةِ الَّتِي مَنْ سَارَ فِيهَا صُرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءُ؟ وَتُخَوِّفُ مِنَ السَّاعَةِ الَّتي مَنْ سَارَ فِيهَا حَاقَ بِهِ الضُّرُّ؟ فَمَنْ صَدَّقَكَ بِهذَا فَقَدْ كَذَّبَ الْقُرْآنَ، وَاسْتَغْنَى عَنِ الاِسْتِعَانَةِ بِاللهِ عزّوجلّ فِي نَيْلِ الْمحْبُوبِ وَدَفْعِ الْمَكْرُوهِ، وَتَبْتَغِي في قوْلِكَ لِلْعَامِلِ بِأَمْرِكَ أَنْ يُولِيَكَ الْحَمْدَ دُونَ رَبِّهِ، لاَِنَّكَ ـ بِزَعْمِكَ ـ أَنْتَ هَدَيْتَهُ إِلَى السَّاعَةِ الَّتِي نَالَ فِيهَا النَّفْعَ، وَأَمِنَ الضُّرَّ!!

Do you think you can tell the hour when a man goes out and no evil befall him or can warn of the time at which if one goes out harm will accrue? Whoever testifies to this falsifies the Qur’ān and becomes unmindful of Allāh in achieving his desired objective and in warding off the undesirable. You cherish saying this so that he who acts on what you say should praise you rather than Allāh because according to your misconception you have guided him about the hour in which he would secure benefit and avoid harm.

ثم أقبل (عليه السلام) على الناس فقال : أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِيَّاكُمْ وَتَعَلُّمَ النُّجُومِ، إِلاَّ مَا يُهْتَدَى بِهِ في بَرٍّ أَوْ بَحْر، فَإِنَّهَا تَدْعُو إِلَى الْكَهَانَةِ، والمُنَجَّمُ كَالْكَاهِنِ، وَالْكَاهِنُ كَالسَّاحِرِ، وَالسَّاحِرُ كَالْكَافِرِ! وَالْكَافِرُ في النَّارِ! سِيرُوا عَلَى اسْمِ اللهِ.

Then Amīr al-mu’minin advanced towards the people and said: O people ! Beware of learning the science of stars except that with which guidance is sought on land or sea, because it leads to divining and an astrologer is a diviner, while the diviner is like the sorcerer, the sorcerer is like the unbeliever and the unbeliever would be in Hell. Get forward in the name of Allāh.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) بعد فراغه من حرب الجمل، في ذم النساء ببيان نقصهن

After the Battle of Jamal, [1] Amīr al-mu’minin said about physical defects of women

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، إِنَّ النِّسَاءَ نَوَاقِصُ الاْيمَانِ، نَوَاقِصُ الْحُظُوظِ، نَوَاقِصُ الْعُقُولِ: فَأَمَّا نُقْصَانُ إِيمَانِهِنَّ فَقُعُودُهُنَّ عَنِ الصَّلاةِ وَالصِّيَامِ فِي أَيَّامِ حَيْضِهِنَّ، وَأَمَّا نُقْصَانُ عُقُولِهِنَّ فَشَهَادَةُ امْرَأَتَيْنِ مِنْهُنّ كَشَهَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ الْوَاحِدِ، وَأَمَّا نُقْصَانُ حُظُوظِهِنَّ فَمَوَارِيثُهُنَّ عَلَى الاْنْصَافِ مِنْ مَوارِيثِ الرِّجَالِ; فَاتَّقُوا شِرَارَ النِّسَاءِ، وَكُونُوا مِنْ خِيَارِهِنَّ عَلَى حَذَر، وَلاَتُطِيعُوهُنَّ فِي المَعْرُوفِ حَتَّى لاَ يَطْمَعْنَ فِي المُنكَرِ.

O ye peoples! Women are deficient in faith, deficient in shares and deficient in intelligence. As regards the deficiency in their faith, it is their abstention from prayers and fasting during their menstrual period. As regards deficiency in their intelligence it is because the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man. As for the deficiency of their shares that is because of their share in inheritance being half of men. So beware of the evils of women. Be on your guard even from those of them who are (reportedly) good. Do not obey them even in good things so that they may not attract you to evils.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في الزهد

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