Nahj al-Balāgha

لَمْ يَكُنِ امْرُؤٌ مِنْهَا فِي حَبْرَةٍ إِلاَّ أَعْقَبَتْهُ بَعْدَهَا عَبْرَةً وَلَمْ يَلْقَ منْ سَرَّائِهَا بَطْناًئف إِلاَّ مَنَحَتْهُ مِنْ ضَرَّائِهَا ظَهْراً وَلَمْ تَطُلَّهُ فِيهَا دِيمَةُ رَخَاءٍ إِلاَّ هَتَنَتْ عَلَيهِ مُزْنَةُ بَلاَءٍ! وَحَرِيٌّ إِذَا أَصْبَحَتْ لَهُ مُنْتَصِرَةً أَنْ تُمْسِيَ لَهُ مُتَنَكِّرَةً، وَإِنْ جَانِبٌ مِنْهَا اعْذَوْذَبَ وَاحْلَوْلَى، أَمَرَّ مِنْهَا جَانِبٌ فَأَوْبَى. لاَ يَنَالُ امْرُؤٌ مِنْ غَضَارَتِهَارَغَباً إِلاَّ أَرْهَقَتْهُ مِنْ نَوَائِبِهَا تَعَباً! وَلاَ يُمْسِي مِنْهَا فِي جَنَاحِ أَمْنٍ، إِلاَّ أَصْبَحَ عَلَى قَوَادِمِ خَوْفٍ!

No person gets rejoicing from this world but tears come to him after it, and no one gets its comforts in the front but he has to face hardships in the rear. No one receives the light rain of ease in it but the heavy rain of distress pours upon him. It is just worthy of this world that in the morning it supports a man but in the evening it does not recognize him. If one side of it is sweet and pleasant the other side is bitter and distressing. No one secures enjoyment from its freshness but he has to face hardship from its calamities. No one would pass the evening under the wing of safety but that his morning would be under the feathers of the wing-tip of fear.

غَرَّارَةٌ، غُرُورٌ مَا فِيهَا، فَانِيَةٌ، فَانٍ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا، لاَ خَيْرَ في شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَزْوَادِهَا إِلاَّ التَّقْوَى. مَنْ أَقَلَّ مِنْهَا اسْتَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُؤْمِنُهُ! وَمَنِ اسْتَكْثَرَ مِنْهَا اسْتَكْثَرَ مِمَّا يُوبِقُهُ وَزَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ عَنْهُ. كُمْ مِنْ وَاثِقٍ بِهَا قَدْ فَجَعَتْهُ، وَذِي طُمَأْنِينَةٍ إِلَيْهَا قَدْ صَرَعَتْهُ، وَذِي أُبَّهَةٍ قَدْ جَعَلَتْهُ حَقِيراً، وَذِي نَخْوَةٍ قَدْ رَدَّتْهُ ذَلِيلاً! سُلْطَانُهَا دُوَّلٌ وَعَيْشُهَا رَنِقٌ وَعَذْبُهَا أُجَاجٌ وَحُلْوُهَا صَبِرٌ وَغِذَاؤُهَا سِمَامٌ وَأَسْبَابُهَا رِمَامٌ حَيُّهَا بِعَرَضِ مَوْتٍ، وَصَحِيحُهَا بَعَرَضِ سُقْمٍ! مُلْكُهَا مَسْلُوبٌ، وَعَزِيزُهَا مَغْلُوبٌ، وَمَوْفُورُهَا مَنْكُوبٌ، وَجَارُهَا مَحْرُوبٌ.

It is deceitful, and all that is there in it is deception. It is perishable and all that is on it is to perish. There is no good in its provisions except in piety. Whoever takes little from it collects much of what would give him safety, while one who takes much from it takes much of what would ruin him. He would shortly depart from his collection. How many people relied on it but it distressed them; (how many) felt peaceful with it but it tumbled them down; how many were prestigious but it made them low and how many were proud but it made them disgraceful. Its authority is changing. Its life is dirty. Its sweet water is bitter. Its sweetness is like myrrh. Its food are poisons. Its means are weak. The living in it is exposed to death; the healthy in it is exposed to disease. Its realm is (liable to be) snatched away. The strong in it is (liable to be) defeated and the rich is (liable to be) afflicted with misfortune. The neighbour in it is (liable to be) plundered.

أَلَسْتُمْ فِي مَسَاكِنِ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ أَطْوَلَ أَعْمَاراً، وَأَبْقَى آثَاراً، وَأَبْعَدَ آمَالاً، وَأَعَدَّ عَدِيداً، وَأَكْثَفَ جُنُوداً! تَعَبَّدُوا لِلدُّنْيَا أَيَّ تَعَبُّدٍ، وَآثَرُوهَا أَيَّ إِيثَارٍ، ثُمَّ ظَعَفُوا عَنْهَا بَغَيْرِ زَادٍ مُبَلِّغٍ وَلاَ ظَهْرٍ قَاطِعٍ. فَهَلْ بَلَغَكُمْ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا سَخَتْ لَهُمْ نَفْساً بِفِدْيَةٍ أَوْ أَعَانَتْهُمْ بِمَعُونَةٍ؟ أَوْ أَحْسَنَتْ لَهُمْ صُحْبَةً؟ بَلْ أَرْهَقَتْهُمْ بَالْفَوَادِحِ وَأوْهَنَتْهُمْ بِالْقَوَارِعِ وَضَعْضَعَتْهُمْ بِالنَّوَائِبِ، وَعَفَّرَتْهُمْ لِلْمَنَاخِرَ، وَوَطِئَتْهُمْ بَالْمَنَاسِمِ وَأَعَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ﴿رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ﴾.

Are you not (residing) in the houses of those before you, who were of longer ages, better traces, had bigger desires, were more in numbers and had greater armies. How they devoted themselves to the world and how they showed preference to it? Then they left it without any provision that could convey them through, or the back (of a beast for riding) to carry them. Did you get the news that the world was ever generous enough to present ransom for them, or gave them any support or afforded them good company? It rather inflicted them with troubles, made them languid with calamities, molested them with catastrophes, threw them down on their noses, trampled them under hoofs and helped the “vicissitudes of time” (52:30) against them.

فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُمْ تَنَكُّرَهَا لِمَنْ دَانَ لَهَا وَآثَرَهَا وَأَخْلَدَ إِلَيْهَا، حِينَ ظَعَنُوا عَنْهَا لَفِرَاقِ الاْبَدِ. هَلْ زَوَّدَتْهُمْ إِلاَّ السَّغَبَ أَوْ أَحَلَّتْهُمْ إِلاَّ الضَّنْكَ أوْ نَوَّرَتْ لَهُمْ إِلاَّ الظُّلْمَةَ؟ أَوْ أَعْقَبَتْهُمْ إِلاَّ النَّدَامَةَ؟ أَفَهذِهِ تُؤْثِرُونَ؟ أَمْ إِلَيْهَا تَطْمَئِنُّونَ؟ أَمْ عَلَيْهَا تَحْرِصُونَ؟ فَبِئْسَتِ الدَّارُ لَمَنْ لَمْ يَتَّهِمْهَا، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهَا عَلَى وَجَلٍ مِنْهَا! فَاعْلَمُوا ـ وَأَنْتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ ـ بِأَنَّكُمْ تَارِكُوهَا وَظَاعِنُونَ عَنْهَا، وَاتَّعِظُوا فِيهَا بِالَّذِينَ ﴿قَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً﴾: حُمِلُوا إِلَى قُبُورِهِمْ فَلاَ يُدْعَوْنَ رُكْبَاناً وَأُنْزِلُوا الاْجْدَاثَ فَلاَ يُدْعَوْنَ ضِيفَاناً، وَجُعِلَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الصَّفِيحِ أَجْنَانٌ وَمِنَ التُّرَابِ أَكْفَانٌ، وَمِنَ الرُّفَاتِ جِيرَانٌ.

You have observed its strangeness towards those who went near it, acquired it and appropriated it, till they depart from it for good. Did it give them any provision other than starvation, or make them stay in other than narrow places, or give them light other than gloom, or give them in the end anything other than repentance? Is this what you much ask for or remain satisfied with, or towards which you feel greedy? How bad is this abode for him he did not suspect it (to be so) and did not entertain fear from it? You should know, as you do know, that you have to leave it and depart from it. While in it, take lesson from those “who proclaimed ‘who is more powerful than we’” (Qur’ān, 41:15) but they were carried to their graves, though not as riders. They were then made to stay in the graves, but not as guests. Graves were made for them from the surface of the ground. Their shrouds were made from earth. Old bones were made their neighbour.

فَهُمْ جِيرَةٌ لاَ يُجِيبُونَ دَاعِياً، وَلاَ يَمْنَعُونَ ضَيْماً، وَلاَ يُبَالُونَ مَنْدَبَةً، إِنْ جِيدُوا لَمْ يَفْرَحُوا، وَإِنْ قُحِطُوا لَمْ يَقْنَطُوا، جَمِيعٌ وَهُمْ آحَادٌ، وَجِيرَةٌ وَهُمْ أَبْعَادٌ، مُتَدَانُونَ لاَ يَتَزَاوَرُونَ، وَقَرِيبُونَ لاَ يَتَقَارَبُونَ، حُلَمَاءُ قَدْ ذَهَبَتْ أَضْغَانُهُمْ، وَجُهَلاءُ قَدْ مَاتَتْ أَحْقَادُهُمْ، لاَ يُخْشَى فَجْعُهُمْ، وَلاَ يُرْجَى دَفْعُهُمْ، اسْتَبْدَلُوا بِظَهْرِ الاْرْضِ بَطْناً، وَبِالسَّعَةِ ضِيقاً، وَبِالاْهْلِ غُرْبَةً، وَبِالنُّورِ ظُلْمَةً، فَجَاؤُوهَا كَمَا فَارَقُوهَا، حُفَاةً عُرَاةً، قَدْ ظَعَنُوا عَنْهَا بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ إِلَى الْحَيَاةِ الْدَّائِمَةِ وَالدَّارِ الْبَاقِيَةِ، كَمَا قَالَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ: ﴿كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ ۚ وَعْدًا عَلَيْنَا ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ﴾.

They are neighbours who do not answer a caller nor ward off trouble, nor pay heed to mourner. If they get rain they do not feel happy, and if they face famine they do not get disappointed. They are together but each one apart. They are close together but do not see each other. They are near but do not meet. They are enduring and have no hatred. They are ignorant and their malice has died away. There is no fear of trouble from them and no hope of their warding off (troubles). They have exchanged the back (surface) of the earth with its stomach (interior), vastness with narrowness, family with loneliness, and light with darkness. They have come to it (this world) as they had left it with bare feet and naked bodies. They departed from it with their acts towards the continuing life and everlasting house as Allāh has said: “.. As we caused the first creation, so will We get it return. (It is) a promise binding Us, verily We were doing it.” (Qur’ān, 21:104)

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) ذكر فيها ملك الموت وتوفية الانفس وعجز الخلق عن وصف الله

About the Angel of Death and departing of spirit and man’s incapacity to describe Allāh

هَلْ تُحِسُّ بِهِ إِذَا دَخَلَ مَنْزِلاً؟ أَمْ هَلْ تَرَاهُ إِذَا تَوَفَّى أَحَداً؟ بَلْ كَيْفَ يَتَوَفَّى الْجَنِينَ فِي بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ؟! أَيَلِجُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ بَعْضِ جَوَارِحِهَا؟ أَمِ الرُّوحُ أَجَابَتْهُ بَإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا؟ أَمْ هُوَ سَاكِنٌ مَعَهُ فِي أَحْشَائِهَا؟ كَيْفَ يَصِفُ إِلهَهُ مَنْ يَعْجَزُ عَنْ صِفَةِ مَخْلُوق مِثْلِهِ؟!

Do you feel when the Angel of Death enters a house, or do you see him when he takes out life of anyone? How does he take out the life of an embryo in the womb of his mother? Does he reach it through any part of her body or the spirit responded to his call with the permission of Allāh? Or does he stay with him in the mother’s interior? How can he who is unable to describe a creature like this, describe Allāh?

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في ذم الدنيا

About this world and its people

وَأُحَذّرُكُمُ الدُّنْيَا، فَإِنَّهَا مَنْزِلُ قُلْعَة، وَلَيْسَتْ بِدَارِ نُجْعَة، قَدْ تَزَيَّنَتْ بَغُرُورِهَا، وَغَرَّتْ بِزِينَتِهَا، دَارُهَا هَانَتْ عَلَى رَبِّهَا، فَخَلَطَ حَلاَلَهَا بِحَرَامِهَا، وَخَيْرَهَا بِشَرِّهَا، وَحَيَاتَهَا بِمَوتِهَا، وَحُلْوَهَا بِمُرِّهَا، لَمْ يُصْفِهَا اللهُ لاَوْلِيَائِهِ، وَلَمْ يَضِنَّ بِهَا عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِ، خَيْرُهَا زَهِيدٌ، وَشَرُّهَا عَتِيدٌ، وَجَمْعُهَا يَنْفَدُ، وَمُلْكُهَا يُسْلَبُ، وَعَامِرُهَا يَخْرَبُ. فَمَا خَيْرُ دَار تُنْقَضُ نَقْضَ الْبِنَاءَ، وَعُمُر يَفْنَى فَنَاءَ الزَّادِ، وَمُدَّة تَنْقَطِعُ انْقِطَاعَ السَّيْرِ!

I warn you of the world for it is the abode of the unsteady. It is not a house for foraging. It has decorated itself with deception and deceives with its decoration. It is a house which is low before Allāh. So He has mixed its lawful with its unlawful, its good with its evil, its life with its death, and its sweetness with its bitterness. Allāh has not kept it clear for His lovers, nor has He been niggardly with it towards His foes. Its good is sparing. Its evil is ready at hand. Its collection would dwindle away. Its authority would be snatched away. Its habitation would face desolation. What is the good in a house which falls down like fallen construction or in an age which expires as the provision exhausts, or in time which passes like walking?

فاجْعَلُوا مَا افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ طَلِبَتِكُمْ، وَاسْأَلُوهُ مِنْ أَدَاءِ حَقِّهِ مَا سَأَلَكُمْ، وَأَسْمِعُوا دَعْوَةَ الْمَوْتِ آذَانَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُدْعَى بِكُمْ. إِنَّ الزَّاهِدِينَ في الدُّنْيَا تَبْكِي قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِنْ ضَحِكُوا، وَيَشْتَدُّ حُزْنُهُمْ وَإِنْ فَرِحُوا، وَيَكْثُرُ مَقْتُهُمْ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَإِنِ اغْتُبِطُوا بِمَا رُزِقُوا.

Include whatever Allāh has made obligatory on you in your demands. Ask from Him fulfilment of what He has asked you to do. Make your ears hear the call of death before you are called by death. Surely the hearts of the abstemious weep in this world even though they may (apparently) laugh, and their grief increases even though they may appear happy. Their hatred for themselves is much even though they may be envied for the subsistence they are allowed.