Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في التزهيد من الدنيا

About abstinence of the world and vicissitudes of time

نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا كَانَ، وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ مِنْ أَمْرِنا عَلَى مَا يَكُونُ، وَنَسْأَلُهُ الْمُعَافَاةَ في الاْدْيَانِ، كَمَا نَسَأَلُهُ الْمُعَافَاةَ فِي الاْبْدَانِ.

We praise Allāh for what has happened and seek His succour in our affairs for what is yet to happen, and we beg Him for safety in the faith just as we beg Him for safety in our bodies.

أُوصِيكُمْ عِبادَاللهِ بِالرَّفْضِ لِهذهِ الدُّنْيَا التَّارِكَةِ لَكُمْ وَإِنْ لَمْ تُحِبُّوا تَرْكَهَا، وَالْمُبْلِيَةِ لاَِجْسَامِكُمْ وَإِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ تَجْدِيدَهَا، فَإِنَّمَا مَثَلُكُمْ وَمَثَلُهَا كَسَفْر سَلَكُوا سَبِيلاً فَكَأَنَّهُمْ قَدْ قَطَعُوهُ، وَأَمُّوا عَلَماً فَكَأَنَّهُمْ قَدْ بَلَغُوهُ، وَكَمْ عَسَى الْـمُجْرِي إِلَى الْغَايَةِ أَنْ يَجْرِيَ إِلَيْهَا حَتَّى يَبْلُغَهَا! وَمَا عَسَى أَنْ يَكُونَ بَقَاءُ مَنْ لَهُ يَوْمٌ لاَ يَعْدُوهُ، وَطَالِبٌ حَثِيثٌ يَحْدُوهُ فِي الدُّنُيَا حَتَّى يُفَارِقَهَا!

O creatures of Allāh! I advise you to keep away from this world which is (shortly) to leave you even though you do not like its departure, and which would make your bodies old even though you would like to keep them fresh. Your example and its example is like the travellers who travel some distance and then as though they traverse it quickly or they aimed at a sign and reached it at once. How short is the distance to the aim if one heads towards it and reaches it. And how short is the stage of one who has only a day which he cannot exceed while a swift driver is driving him in this world till he departs from it.

فَلاَ تَنَافَسُوا فِي عِزِّ الدُّنْيَا وَفَخْرِهَا، وَلاَ تَعْجَبُوا بَزِينَتِهَا وَنَعِيمِهَا، وَلاَ تَجْزَعُوا مِنْ ضَرَّائِهَا وَبُؤْسِهَا، فَإِنَّ عِزَّهَا وَفَخْرَهَا إِلَى انْقِطَاع، وَزِينَتَهَا وَنَعِيمَهَا إِلَى زَوَال، وَضَرَّاءَهَا وَبُؤْسَهَا إِلَى نَفَاد، وَكُلُّ مُدَّة فِيهَا إِلَى انْتِهَاء، وَكُلُّ حَيٍّ فِيهَا إِلَى فَنَاء. أَوَلَيْسَ لَكُمْ في آثَارِ الاْوَّلِينَ مُزْدَجَرٌ، وَفِي آبَائِكُمُ الْمَاضِينَ تَبْصِرَةٌ وَمُعْتَبَرٌ، إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ! أَوَلَمْ تَرَوْا إِلَى الْمَاضِينَ مِنْكُمْ لاَ يَرْجِعُونَ، وَإِلَى الْخَلَفِ الباقِي لاَ يَبْقَوْنَ!

So do not hanker after worldly honour and its pride, and do not feel happy over its beauties and bounties nor wail over its damages and misfortunate because its honour and pride would end while its beauty and bounty would perish, and its damages and misfortunates would pass away. Every period in it has an end and every living being in it is to die. Is not there for you a warning in the relics of the predecessors and an eye opener and lesson in your fore-fathers, provided you understand? Do you not see that your predecessors do not come back and the surviving followers do not remain?

أوَلَسْتُمْ تَرَوْنَ أَهْلَ الدُّنْيَا يُمْسُونَ ويُصْبِحُونَ عَلَى أَحْوَال شَتَّى: فَمَيِّتٌ يُبْكَى، وَآخَرُ يُعَزَّى، وَصَرِيعٌ مُبْتَلىً، وَعَائِدٌ يَعُودُ، وَآخَرُ بِنَفْسِهِ يَجُودُ، وَطَالِبٌ لِلدُّنْيَا وَالْمَوْتُ يَطْلُبُهُ، وَغَافِلٌ وَليْسَ بِمَغْفُول عَنْهُ; وَعَلَى أَثَرِ الْمَاضِي مَا يَمْضِي الْبَاقِي!

Do you not observe that the people of the world pass mornings and evenings in different conditions? Thus, (somewhere) the dead is wept for, someone is being condoled, someone is prostrate in distress, someone is enquiring about sick, someone is passing his last breath, some-one is hankering after the world while death is looking for him, someone is forgetful but he is not forgotten (by death), and on the footsteps of the predecessors walk the survivors.

أَلاَ فَاذْكُرُوا هَادِمَ اللَّذَّاتِ، وَمُنَغِّصَ الشَّهَوَاتِ، وَقَاطِعَ الاْمْنِيَاتِ، عِنْدَ الْمُسَاوَرَةِ لِلاْعْمَالِ الْقَبِيحَةِ، وَاسْتَعِينُوا اللهَ عَلَى أَدَاءِ وَاجِبِ حَقِّهِ، وَمَا لاَ يُحْصَى مِنْ أَعْدَادِ نِعَمِهِ وَإِحْسَانِهِ.

Beware ! At the time of committing evil deeds remember the destroyer of joys, the spoiler of pleasures, and the killer of desires (namely death). Seek assistance of Allāh for fulfilment of His obligatory rights, and for (thanking Him) for His countless bounties and obligations.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في رسول الله وأهل بيته

About the Holy Prophet and his Descendants

الْحَمْدُ للهِ النَّاشِرِ فِي الْخَلْقِ فَضْلَهُ، وَالْبَاسِطِ فِيهمْ بِالْجُودِ يَدَهُ، نَحْمَدُهُ فِي جَمِيعِ أُمُورِهِ، وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ عَلَى رِعَايَةِ حُقُوقِهِ، وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَإِلهَ غَيْرُهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، أَرْسَلَهُ بِأَمْرِهِ صَادِعاً، وَبِذِكْرِهِ نَاطِقاً، فَأَدَّى أَمِيناً، وَمَضَى رَشِيداً،

Praise be to Allāh Who spreads His bounty throughout the creation, and extends His hand of generosity among them. We praise Him in all His affairs and seek His assistance for fulfilment of His rights. We stand witness that there is no god except He and that Muḥammad (S) is His slave and Prophet. He sent him to manifest His commands and speak about His remembrance. Consequently, he fulfilled it with trustworthiness, and he passed away while on the right path.

وَخَلَّفَ فِينَا رايَةَ الْحَقِّ، مَنْ تَقَدَّمَهَا مَرَقَ، وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا زَهَقَ، وَمَنْ لَزِمَهَا لَحِقَ، دَلِيلُهَا مَكِيثُ الْكَلامِ، بَطِيءُ الْقِيَامِ سَرِيعٌ إِذَا قَامَ، فَإِذَا أَنْتُمْ أَلَنْتُمْ لَهُ رِقَابَكُمْ، وَأَشَرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ بِأَصَابِعِكُمْ، جَاءَهُ الْمَوْتُ فَذَهَبَ بِهِ، فَلَبِثْتُمْ بَعْدَهُ مَا شَاءَ اللهُ حَتَّى يُطْلِعِ اللهُ لَكُمْ مَنْ يَجْمَعُكُمْ وَيَضُمُّ نَشْرَكُمْ، فَلا تَطْمَعُوا فِي غَيْرِ مُقْبِل، وَلاَ تَيْأَسُوا مِنْ مُدْبِر، فَإِنَّ الْمُدْبِرَ عَسَى أَنْ تَزِلَّ بِهِ إِحْدَى قَائِمَتَيْهِ، وَتَثْبُتَ الاْخْرى، فَتَرْجِعَا حَتَّى تَثْبُتَا جَمِيعاً.

He left among us the standard of right. Whoever goes further from it goes out of Faith, whoever lags behind it is ruined. Whoever sticks to it would join (the right) . Its guide is short of speech, slow of steps, and quick when he rises. When you have bent your necks before him and pointed towards him with your fingers his death would occur and would take him away. They would live after him as long as Allāh wills till Allāh brings out for you one who would collect you together and fuse you after diffusion. Do not place expectations in one who does not [1] come forward and do not lose hope in one who is veiled, because it is possible that one of the two feet of the veiled one may slip while the other may remain sticking, till both return to position and stick.

أَلاَ إِنَّ مَثَلَ آلِ مُحَمَّد (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)، كَمَثَلِ نُجُومِ السَّماَءِ: إِذَا خَوَى نَجْمٌ طَلَعَ نَجْمٌ، فَكَأَنَّكُمْ قَدْ تَكَامَلَتْ مِنَ اللهِ فِيكُمُ الصَّنَائِعُ، وَأَتَاكُم مَا كُنْتُمْ تَأْمُلُونَ.

Beware! The example of the descendants (Ãl) of Muḥammad — peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants — is like that of stars in the sky. When one star sets another one rises. So you are in a position that Allah's blessings on you have been perfected and He has shown you what you used to wish for.