Nahj al-Balāgha

ومنها في صفة العالم : الْعَالِمُ مَنْ عَرَفَ قَدْرَهُ، وَكَفَى بِالْمَرءِ جَهْلاً أَلاَّ يَعْرِفَ قَدْرَهُ; وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَبْغَضَ الرِّجَالِ إِلَى اللهِ لَعَبْدٌ وَكَّلَهُ اللهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، جَائِرٌ عَنْ قَصْدِ السَّبِيلِ، سَائِرٌ بَغَيْرِ دَلِيل، إِنْ دُعِيَ إِلَى حَرْثِ الدُّنْيَا عَمِلَ، أوْ إِلَى حَرْثِ الاْخِرَةِ كَسِلَ! كَأَنَّ مَا عَمِلَ لَهُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَأَنَّ مَا وَنَى فِيهِ سَاِقطٌ عَنْهُ!

[A part of the same sermon on the attributes of a learned person :] Learned is he who knows his worth. It is enough for a man to remain ignorant if he knows not his worth. Certainly, the most hated man with Allāh is he whom Allāh has left for his own self. He goes astray from the right path, and moves without a guide. If he is called to the plantation of this world he is active, but if he is called to the plantation of the next world he is slow. As though what he is active for is obligatory upon him whereas in whatever he is slow was not required of him.

ومنها في آخر الزمان : وَذلِكَ زَمَانٌ لاَ يَنْجُو فِيهِ إِلاَّ كُلُّ مٌؤْمِنٍ نُوَمَةٍ إِنْ شَهِدَ لَمْ يُعْرَفْ، وَإِنْ غَابَ لَمْ يُفْتَقَدْ، أُولَئِكَ مَصَابِيحُ الْهُدَى، وَأَعْلاَمُ السُّرَى لَيْسُوا بِالْمَسَايِيحِ وَلاَ الْمَذَايِيعِ الْبُذُرِ أُولَئِكَ يَفْتَحُ اللهُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَيَكْشِفُ عَنْهُمْ ضَرَّاءَ نِقْمَتِهِ

[A part of the same sermon concerning future times :] There would be a time wherein only a sleeping (inactive) believer would be safe (such that) if he is present he is not recognized but if he is absent he is not sought after. These are the lamps of guidance and banners of night journeys. They do not spread calumnies nor divulge secrets, nor slander. They are those for whom Allāh would open the doors of His mercy and keep off from them the hardships of His chastisement.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، سَيَأْتي عَلَيْكُمْ زَمَانٌ يُكْفَأُ فِيهِ الاْسْلاَمُ، كَمَا يُكْفَأُ الاْنَاءُ بِمَا فِيهِ. أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَعَاذَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْ يَجُورَ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَلَمْ يُعِذْكُمْ مِنْ أَنْ يَبْتَلِيكُمْ، وَقَدْ قَالِ جَلَّ مِنْ قَائِل: ﴿إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ﴾.

O people! a time will come to you when Islam would be capsized as a pot is capsized with all its contents. O people, Allāh has protected you from that He might be hard on you but He has not spared you from being put on trial. Allāh the Most Sublime of all speakers has said : Verily in this are signs and We do only try (the people). (Qur’ān, 23:30)

قال السيد الشريف: أما قوله (عليه السلام): «كلّ مؤمِن نُوَمَة» فإنما أَراد به: الخامل الذكر القليل الشر. والمساييح: جمع مِسياح، وهو: الذي يسيح بين الناس بالفساد والنمائم. والمذاييع: جمع مِذْياع، وهو: الذي إذا سمع لغيره بفاحشة أذاعها، ونوّه بها. والبُذُرُ: جمع بَذُور وهو: الذي يكثر سفهه ويلغو منطقه.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: As regards Amīr al-mu’minīn’s words “kullu mu'minin nuwamah” (every sleeping believer), he implies thereby one who is talked of little and causes no evil. And the word “al-masayiḥ” is the plural of “misyaḥ”. He is one who spreads trouble among people through evils and calumnies. And the word “al-madhāyi'” is the plural of “midhyā'”. He is one who on hearing of an evil about some one spreads it and shouts about it. And “al-budhur” is the plural of “badhur”. He is one who excels in foolishness and speaks rubbish.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

About the condition of the people before the proclamation of prophethood and the Prophet’s performance in spreading his message

أمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ بَعَثَ مُحَمَّداً (صلى الله عليه وآله)، وَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْعَرَبِ يَقْرَأُ كِتَاباً، وَلاَ يَدَّعِي نُبُوَّةً وَلاَ وَحْياً، فَقَاتَلَ بِمَنْ أطَاعَهُ مَنْ عَصَاهُ، يَسُوقُهُم إِلَى مَنْجَاتِهِمْ، وَيُبَادِرُ بِهِمُ السَّاعَةَ أَنْ تَنْزِلَ بِهِمْ، يَحْسَرُ الْحَسَيرُ، وَيَقِفُ الْكَسِيرُ فَيُقِيمُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يُلْحِقَهُ غَايَتَهُ، إِلاَّ هَالِكاً لاَ خَيْرَ فِيهِ، حَتَّى أَرَاهُمْ مَنْجَاتَهُمْ وَبَوَّأَهُمْ مَحَلَّتَهُمْ، فَاسْتَدَارَتْ رَحَاهُمْ، وَاسْتَقَامَتْ قَنَاتُهُمْ.

So now, certainly Allāh deputed Muḥammad (S) as the Prophet while no one among the Arabs read the Book nor claimed prophethood or revelation. He had to fight those who disobeyed him in company with those who followed him, leading them towards their salvation and hastening with them lest death overtook them. When any weary person sighed or a distressed one stopped he stood at him till he got him his aim, except the worst in whom there was not virtue at all. Eventually he showed them their goal and carried them to their places (of deliverance). Consequently their affairs moved on and their hand-mill began to rotate (i.e. position gained strength), their spears got straightened.

وَايْمُ اللهِ، لَقَدْ كُنْتُ مِنْ سَاقَتِهَا حَتَّى تَوَلَّتْ بِحَذَافِيرِهَا، وَاسْتَوْسَقَتْ فِي قِيَادِهَا، مَا ضَعُفْتُ، وَلاَ جَبُنْتُ، وَلاَ خُنْتُ، وَلاَ وَهَنْتُ، وَايْمُ اللهِ، لاَبْقُرَنَّ الْبَاطِلَ حَتَّى أُخْرِجَ الْحَقَّ مِنْ خَاصِرَتِهِ!

By Allāh, I was among their rear-guard till they turned back on their sides and were flocked in their rope. I never showed weakness or lack of courage, nor did I betray or become languid. By Allāh, I shall split the wrong till I extract right from its flanks.

قال السيد الشريف الرضي: وقد تقدم مختار هذه الخطبة، إلاّ أنني وجدتها في هذه الرواية على خلاف ما سبق من زيادة ونقصان، فأوجبت الحال إثباتها ثانية.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: I have quoted a selected part of this sermon before, but since I have found in the narration that this part differs from the previous one, more or less, I deemed it necessary to quote it again here.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في بعض صفات الرسول الكريم وتهديد بني أمية وعظة الناس

In eulogy of the Holy Prophet

[لرسول الكريم ] حَتَّى بَعَثَ اللهُ مُحَمَّداً(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)، شَهِيداً، وَبَشِيراً، وَنَذِيراً، خَيْرَ الْبَرِيَّةِ طِفْلاً، وَأَنْجَبَهَا كَهْلاً، أَطْهَرَ الْمُطَهَّرِينَ شِيمَةً، وَأَجْوَدَ الْمُسْتَمْطَرِينَ دِيمَةً.

Then Allāh deputed Muḥammad (S) as a witness, giver of good tidings and warner, the best in the universe as a child and the chastest as a grown up man, the purest of the purified in conduct, the most generous of those who are approached for generosity.