Nahj al-Balāgha

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ: الاْوَّلُ لاَ شَيْءَ قَبْلَهُ، وَالاخِرُ لاَ غَايَةَ لَهُ، لاَ تَقَعُ الاْوْهَامُ لَهُ عَلى صِفَة، وَلاَ تُعْقَدُ الْقُلُوبُ مِنْهُ عَلَى كَيْفِيَّة، وَلاَ تَنَالُهُ التَّجْزِئَةُ وَالتَّبْعِيضُ، وَلاَ تُحِيطُ بِهِ الاْبْصَارُ وَالْقُلُوبُ.

I stand witness that there is no god but Allāh, He is One and there is no partner with Him. He is the First, such that nothing was before Him. He is the Last, such that there is not limit for Him. Imagination cannot catch any of His qualities. Hearts cannot entertain belief about His nature. Analysis and division cannot be applied to Him. Eyes and hearts cannot encompass Him.

ومنها : فَاتَّعِظُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ بِالعِبَرِ النَّوَافِعِ، وَاعْتَبِرُوا بِالاْي السَّوَاطِعِ، وَازْدَجِرُوا بِالنُّذُرِ الْبَوَالِغِ، وَانْتَفِعُوا بِالذِّكْرِ وَالْمَوَاعِظِ، فَكَأَنْ قَدْ عَلِقَتْكُمْ مَخَالِبُ الْمَنِيَّةِ، وَانْقَطَعَتْ مِنْكُمْ عَلاَئِقُ الاْمْنِيَّةِ، وَدَهِمَتْكُمْ مُفْظِعَاتُ الاْمُورِ، وَالسِّيَاقَةُ إِلى الْوِرْدِ المَوْرُودِ، (وَكُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّعَهَا سَائِقٌ وَشَهِيدٌ). سَائِقٌ يَسُوقُهَا إِلَى مَحْشَرِهَا; وَشاهِدٌ يَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهَا بِعَمَلِهَا.

A part of the same sermon : O creatures of Allāh! Take lesson from useful items of instruction and shining indications. Be cautioned by effective items of warning. Get benefit from preaching and admonition. It is as though the claws of death are pressed in you, the connection of hope and desires has been cut asunder, hard affairs have befallen you and your march is towards the place where everyone has to go, namely death. Hence, “with every person there is a driver and a witness” (Qur’ān, 50:21). The driver drives him towards resurrection while the witness furnishes evidence about his deeds.

ومنها في صفة الجنّة : دَرَجَاتٌ مُتَفَاضِلاَتٌ، وَمَنَازِلُ مُتَفَاوِتَاتٌ، لاَ يَنْقَطِعُ نَعِيمُهَا، وَلاَ يَظْعَنُ مُقِيمُهَا، وَلاَ يَهْرَمُ خَالِدُهَا، وَلاَ يَبْأَسُ سَاكِنُهَا.

A part of the same sermon (about Paradise) : In Paradise there are high classes and different places of stay. Its boundary never ends. He who stays in it will never depart from it. He who is endowed with everlasting abode in it will not get old, and its resident will not face want.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) وفيها بيان صفات الحق جلّ جلاله ثمّ عظة الناس بالتقوى والمشورة

About getting ready for the next world and following Allāh’s commandments

قَدْ عَلِمَ السَّرائِرَ، وَخَبَرَ الضَّمائِرَ، لَهُ الاْحَاطَةُ بِكُلِّ شَيْء، وَالْغَلَبَةُ لِكُلِّ شَيْء، وَالْقُوَّةُ عَلى كُلِّ شَيْء.

Allāh knows hidden matters and is aware of inner feelings. He encompasses everything. He has control over everything and power over everything.

[عظة الناس] فَلْيَعْمَلِ الْعَامِلُ مِنْكُمْ فِي أَيَّامِ مَهَلِهِ، قَبْلَ إِرْهَاقِ أَجَلِهِ، وَفِي فَرَاغِهِ قَبْلَ أَوَانِ شُغُلِهِ، وَفِي مُتَنَفَّسِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُؤْخَذَ بِكَظَمِهِ، وَلْـيُمَهِّدْ لِنَفْسِهِ وَقَدَمِهِ، وَلْيَتَزَوَّدْ مِنْ دَارِ ظَعْنِهِ لِدَارِ إِقَامَتِهِ.

Everyone of you should do whatever he has to do during his days of life before approach of death, in his leisure before his occupation, and during the breathing of his breath before it is overtaken by suffocation, should provide for himself and his journey and should collect provision from his place of halt for his place of stay.

فَاللهَ اللهَ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، فِيَما اسْتَحْفَظَكُمْ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ، وَاسْتَوْدَعَكُمْ مِنْ حُقُوقِهِ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَخْلُقْكُمْ عَبَثاً، وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْكُمْ سُدىً، وَلَمْ يَدَعْكُمْ فِي جَهَالَة وَلاَ عَمىً، قَدْ سَمَّى آثَارَكُمْ، وَعَلِمَ أعْمَالَكُمْ، وَكَتَبَ آجَالَكُمْ، وَأَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكُمُ ﴿الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا﴾، وَعَمَّرَ فِيكُمْ نَبِيَّهُ أَزْمَاناً، حَتَّى أَكْمَلَ لَهُ وَلَكُمْ ـ فِيَما أنْزَلَ مِنْ كِتَابِهِ ـ دِينَهُ الَّذِي رَضِيَ لِنفْسِهِ، وَأَنْهَى إِلَيْكُمْ ـ عَلَى لِسَانِهِ ـ مَحَابَّهُ مِنَ الاْعْمَالِ وَمَكَارِهَهُ، وَنَوَاهِيَهُ وَأَوَامِرَهُ، فَأَلقَى إِلَيْكُمُ الْمِعْذِرَةَ، وَاتَّخَذَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْحُجَّةَ، وَقَدَّمَ إِلَيْكُمْ بِالْوَعِيدِ، وَأَنْذَرَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَاب شَديد.

So remember Allāh, O people, about what He has asked you in His Book to take care of, and about His rights that He has entrusted to you. Verily, Allāh has not created you in vain nor left you unbridled nor let you alone in ignorance and gloom. He has defined what you should leave behind, taught you your acts, ordained your death, sent down to you, “the Book (Qur’ān) explaining everything” (Qur’ān, 16:89) and made His Prophet live among you for long time till He completed for him and for you the message sent through the Qur’ān namely the religion liked by Him, and clarified through him His good acts and evil acts. His prohibitions and His commands. He placed before you His arguments and exhausted his excuses upon you. He put forth to you His promises and warned you of severe retribution.

فَاسْتَدْرِكُوا بَقِيَّةَ أَيَّامِكُمْ، وَاصْبِرُوا لَهَا أَنْفُسَكُمْ، فَإِنَّهَا قَلِيلٌ فِي كَثِيرِ الاْيَّامِ الَّتِى تَكُونُ مِنْكُم فِيهَا الْغَفْلَةُ وَالتَّشَاغُلُ عَنِ الْمَوْعِظَةِ; وَلاَ تُرَخِّصُوا لاِنْفُسِكُمْ، فَتَذْهَبَ بِكُمُ الرُّخَصُ مَذَاهِبَ الْظَّلَمَةِ، وَلاَ تُدَاهِنُوا فَيَهْجُمَ بِكُمُ الاْدْهَانُ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ.

You should therefore make full atonement during your remaining days and let yourselves practice endurance in these days. These days are fewer as against the many days during which you have shown obliviousness and heedlessness towards admonition. Do not allow time to yourselves because it will put you on the path of wrongdoers and do not be easy-going because this will push you towards sinfulness.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّ أَنْصَحَ النَّاسِ لِنَفْسِهِ أَطْوَعُهُمْ لِرَبِّهِ، وَإِنَّ أَغَشَّهُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ أَعْصَاهُمْ لِرَبِّهِ; وَالْمَغْبُونُ مَنْ غَبَنَ نَفْسَهُ، وَالْمَغْبُوطُ مَنْ سَلِمِ لَهُ دِينُهُ، وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ وُعِظَ بِغَيْرِهِ، وَالشَّقِيُّ مَنِ انْخَدَعَ لِهَوَاهُ وَغُرُورِهِ.

O creatures of Allāh! The best adviser for himself is he who is the most obedient to Allāh, and the most deceiving for himself is he who is the most disobedient to Allāh. Deceived is he who deceived his own self. Enviable is he whose Faith is safe. Fortunate is he who takes lesson from others, while unfortunate is he who fell victim to his desires.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ يَسِيرَ الرِّيَإِ شِرْكٌ، وَمُجَالَسَةَ أَهْلِ الْهَوَى مَنْسَاةٌ لِلاْيمَانِ، وَمَحْضَرَةٌ لِلشَّيْطَانِ. جَانِبُوا الْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّهُ مُجَانِبٌ لِلاْيمَانِ، الصَّادِقُ عَلَى شَفَا مَنْجَاة وَكَرَامَة، وَالْكَاذِبُ عَلَى شَرَفِ مَهْوَاة وَمَهَانَة. لاَ تَحَاسَدُوا، فَإِنَّ الْحَسَدَ يَأْكُلُ الاْيمَانَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ النَّارُ الْحَطَبَ، وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا فَإِنَّهَا الْحَالِقَةُ، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الاْمَلَ يُسْهِي الْعَقْلَ، وَيُنْسِي الذِّكْرَ، فَأَكْذِبُوا الاْمَلَ فَإِنَّهُ غُرُورٌ، وَصَاحِبُهُ مَغْرُورٌ.

You should know that even the smallest hypocrisy is like believing in more than one God, and keeping company of people who follow their desires is the key to obliviousness from religion, and is the seat of Satan. Be on your guard against falsehood because it is contrary to Faith. A truthful person is on the height of salvation and dignity, while the liar is on the edge of ignominy and degradation. Do not be jealous because jealousy eats away Faith just as fire eats away dried wood. Do not bear malice because, it is scraper (of virtues). And know that desires make wit forgetful and make memory oblivious. You should falsify desire because it is a deception, and he who has desires is in deceit.