Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) وهي من خطبته التي تشتمل على ذكر الملاحم

About the vicissitudes of time

لْحَمْدُ للهِ الاْوَّلِ قَبْلَ كُلِّ أَوِّل، وَالاْخِرِ بَعْدَ كُلِّ آخِر، بِأَوَّلِيَّتِهِ وَجَبَ أَنْ لاَ أَوَّلَ لَهُ، وَبِآخِرِيَّتِهِ وَجَبَ أَنْ لاَ آخِرَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ شَهَادَةً يُوَافِقُ فِيهَا السِّرُّ الاْعْلاَنَ، وَالْقَلْبُ اللِّسَانَ.

He (Allāh) is the First before every first and the Last after every last. His Firstness necessitates that there is no (other) first before Him and His Lastness necessitates that there is no other last after Him. I do stand witness that there is no god but Allah both openly as well as secretly, with heart as well as with tongue.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، لاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي، وَلاَ يَسْتَهْوِيَنَّكُمْ عِصْيَاني، وَلاَ تَتَرَامَوْا بِالاْبْصَارِ عِنْدَ مَا تَسْمَعُونَهُ مِنِّي. فَوَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ، وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ، إِنَّ الَّذِي أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ (صلى الله عليه وآله)، مَا كَذَبَ الْمُبَلِّغُ، وَلاَ جَهِلَ السَّامِعُ،

O people, do not commit the crime of opposing me, do not be seduced into disobeying me and do not wing at each other with eyes when you hear me. By Allāh, Who germinates the seed and blows the wind, whatever I convey to you is from the Prophet. Neither the conveyor (of Allāh’s message, i.e. the Prophet) lied nor the hearer misunderstood.

لَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى ضِلِّيل قَدْ نَعَقَ بِالشَّامِ ،وَفَحَصَ بِرَايَاتِهَ فِي ضَوَاحِي كُوفَانَ. فإِذَا فَغَرَتْ فَاغِرَتُهُ، وَاشْتَدَّتْ شَكِيمَتُهُ، وَثَقُلَتْ فِي الاْرْضِ وَطْأَتُهُ، عَضَّتِ الْفِتْنَةُ أَبْنَاءَهَا بِأَنْيَابِهَا، وَمَاجَتِ الْحَرْبُ بِأَمْوَاجِهَا، وَبَدَا مِنَ الاْيَّامِ كُلُوحُهَا، وَمِنَ اللَّيَالِي كُدُوحُهَا. فَإِذَا يَنَعَ زَرْعُهُ، وَقَامَ عَلَى يَنْعِهِ، وَهَدَرَتْ شَقَاشِقُهُ، وَبَرَقَتْ بَوَارِقُهُ، عُقِدَتْ رَايَاتُ الْفِتَنِ الْمُعْضِلَةِ، وَأَقْبَلْنَ َالْلَيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ، وَالْبَحْرِ الْمُلْتَطِمِ. هذا، وَكَمْ يَخْرِقُ الْكُوفَةَ مِنْ قَاصِف، وَيَمُرُّ عَليْهَا مِنْ عَاصِف !وَعَنْ قَلِيل تَلْتَفُّ الْقُرُونُ بِالْقُرُونِ، وَيُحْصَدُ الْقَائِمُ، وَيُحْطَمُ الْـمَحْصُودُ.

Well, it is as though I see a misguided man [1] who is shouting in Syria (ash-Shām) and has put his banners in the outskirt of Kūfah. When his mouth would be fully opened, his recalcitrance would become intense and his steps on earth would become heavy (and tyrannic) then the disorder (so created) would cut the people with its teeth and war would rage with (all) its waves, days would become severe and nights full of toil. So when the crop grows and stands on stalks, its foam shoots forth and its lightning shines, the banners of misguiding rebellion would fire up and shoot forth like darkening night and surging sea. This and how many other storms would rend Kūfah and gales would sweep over it, and shortly heads would clash with heads, the standing crop would be harvested and the harvest would be smashed.

و من خطبة له (عليه السلام) تجري هذا المجرى و فيها ذكر يوم القيامة و أحوال الناس المقبلة

On the same subject — Day of Judgement.

[يوم القيامة] وَذلِكَ يَوْمٌ يَجْمَعُ اللهُ فِيهِ الاْوَّلِينَ والاْخِرِينَ لِنِقَاشِ الْحِسَابِ وَجَزَاءِ الاْعْمَالِ، خُضُوعاً، قِياماً، قَدْ أَلْجَمَهُمُ الْعَرَقُ وَرَجَفَتْ بِهِمُ الاْرْضُ فَأَحْسَنُهُمْ حَالاً مَنْ وَجَدَ لِقَدَمَيْهِ مَوْضِعاً، وَلِنَفْسِهِ مُتَّسَعاً.

That day would be such that Allāh would collect on it the anteriors and the posteriors, to stand in obedience for exaction of accounts and for award of recompense for deeds. Sweat would flow upto their mouths like reins while earth would be trembling under them. In the best condition among them would be he who has found a resting place for both his feet and an open place for his breath.

[ومنها : حال مقبلة على الناس] فِتَنٌ كَقِطَعِ الْلَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ لاَ تَقُومُ لَهَا قَائِمَةٌ، وَلاَ تُرَدُّ لَهَا رَايَةٌ، تَأْتِيكُمْ مَزْمُومَةً مَرْحُولَةً يَحْفِزُهَا قَائِدُهَا وَيَجْهَدُهَا رَاكِبُهَا، أَهْلُهَا قَوْمٌ شَدِيدٌ كَلَبُهُمْ ، قَلِيلٌ سَلَبُهُمْ يُجَاهِدُهُمْ فِي اللهِ قَوْمٌ أَذِلَّةٌ عِنْدَ الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ، فِي الاْرْضِ مَجْهُولُونَ، وَفِي السَّماءِ مَعْرُوفُونَ. فَوَيْلٌ لَكِ يَا بَصْرَةُ عِنْدَ ذلِكَ، مِنْ جَيْشٍ مِنْ نِقَمِ الله! لاَ رَهَجَ لَهُ، وَلاَ حَسَّ ، وَسَيُبْتَلَى أَهْلُكِ بِالْمَوْتِ الاْحْمَرِ، وَالْجُوعِ الاْغْبَرِ.

[A part of the same sermon about future troubles (fitan) :] The troubles are like a dark night. Horses would not stand for (facing) them nor would their banners turn back. They would approach in full reins and ready with saddles. Their leader would be driving them and the rider would be exerting (them). The trouble-mongers are a people whose attacks are severe. Those who would fight them for the sake of Allāh would be a people who are low in the estimation of the proud, unknown in the earth but well known on the sky. Woe to you O Baṣrah, when an army of Allāh’s infliction would face upon you without (raising) dust of cries. Your inhabitants would then face bloody death and dire hunger.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في التزهيد في الدنيا

About abstemiousness and fear of Allāh

يُّهَا النَّاسُ، انْظُرُوا إِلى الدُّنْيَا نَظَرَ الزَّاهِدِينَ فِيهَا، الصَّادِفِينَ عَنْهَا؛ فَإِنَّهَا وَاللهِ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ تُزِيلُ الثَّاوِيَ السَّاكِنَ، وَتَفْجَعُ الْمُتْرَفَ الاْمِنَ، لاَ يَرْجِعُ مَا تَوَلَّى مَنْهَا فَأَدْبَرَ، وَلاَ يُدْرَى مَا هُوَ آتٍ مِنْهَا فَيُنْتَظَرَ. سُرُورُهَا مَشُوبٌ بِالْحُزْنِ، وَجَلَدُالرِّجَالِ فَيهَا إِلَى الضَّعْفِ وَالْوَهْنِ فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ كَثْرَةُ مَا يُعْجِبُكُمْ فِيهَا لِقِلَّةِ مَا يَصْحَبُكُمْ مِنْهَا

O people ! look at the world like those who abstain from it, and turn away from it. By Allāh, it would shortly turn out its inhabitants and cause grief to the happy and the safe. That which turns and goes away from it never returns and that which is likely to come about is not known or anticipated. Its joy is mingled with grief. Herein men's firmness inclines towards weakness and languidness. The majority of what pleases you here should not mislead you because that which would help you would be little.

رَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأً تَفَكَّرَ فَاعْتَبَرَ، واعْتَبَرَ فَأَبْصَرَ، فَكَأَنَّ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنَ الدٌّنْيَا عَنْ قَلِيل لَمْ يَكُنْ، وَكَأَنَّ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ عَمَّا قَلَيل لَمْ يَزَلْ، وَكُلُّ مَعْدُود مُنْقَض، وَكُلُّ مُتَوَقَّع آت، وَكُلُّ آت قَرِيبٌ دَان.

Allāh may shower His mercy on him who ponders and takes lesson thereby, and when he takes lesson he achieves enlightenment. Whatever is present in this world would shortly not exist, while whatever is to exist in the next world is already in existence. Every countable thing would pass away. Every anticipation should be taken to be coming up and everything that is to come up should be taken as just near.