Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في الصالحين من أصحابه

In praise of his faithful companions

أَنْتمُ الاَنْصَارُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ، وَالاِخُوَانُ في الدِّينِ، وَالْجُنَنُ يَوْمَ الْبَأْسِ، وَالْبِطَانَةُ دُونَ النَّاسِ، بِكُمْ أَضْرِبُ الْمُدْبِرَ، وَأَرْجُو طَاعَةَ الْمُقْبِلِ، فَأَعِينُوني بِمُنَاصَحَة خَلِيَّة مِنَ الْغِشِّ، سَلِيمَة مِنَ الرَّيْبِ; فَوَ اللهِ إِنِّي لاَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِالنَّاسِ!

You are supporters of Truth and brethren i faith. You are the shield on the day of tribulation, and (my) trustees among the rest of the people. With your support I strike the runner away and hope for the obedience of him who advances forward. Therefore, extend to me support which is free from deceit and pure from doubt because, by Allāh, I am the most preferable of all for the people.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) وقد جمع الناس وحضّهم على الجهاد، فسكتوا ملياً، فقال (عليه السلام) مَا بَالُكُمْ أَمُخْرَسُونَ أَنْتُمْ؟ فقال قوم منهم: يا أميرالمؤمنين، إن سرتَ سرنا معك. فقال (عليه السلام):

Amīr al-mu’minīn collected the people and exhorted them [1] to jihād but they observed long silence. Then he said: “What is the matter with you. Have you become dumb?” A group of them replied. “O Amīr al-mu’minīn if you go forth we shall be with you.” Whereupon Amīr al-mu’minīn said :

مَا بَالُكُمْ! لاَ سُدِّدْتُمْ لِرُشْد! وَلاَ هُدِيتُمْ لَقَصْد! أَفِي مِثْلِ هذَا يَنْبَغِي لِي أَنْ أَخْرُجَ؟ إِنَّمَا يَخْرُخُ فِي مِثْلِ هذَا رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ أَرْضَاهُ مِنْ شُجْعَانِكُمْ وَذَوِي بَأْسِكُمْ، وَلاَ يَنْبَغِي لِي أَنْ أَدَعَ الْجُنْدَ، وَالْمِصْرَ، وَبَيْتَ الْمَالِ، وَجِبَايَةَ الاْرْضِ، وَالْقَضَاءَ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَالنَّظَرَ في حُقُوقِ الْمُطَالِبِينَ، ثُمَّ أَخْرُجَ فِي كَتِيبَة أَتْبَعُ أُخْرَى، أَتَقَلْقَلُ تَقَلْقُلَ الْقِدْحِ فِي الْجَفِيرِ الْفَارِغِ،

What has happened to you? You may not be guided aright or shown the right path. Should in these circumstances I go forth? In fact, at this time one of the brave and the valorous among you whom I select should go out. It does not suit me to leave the army, the city, the public treasury, the land revenue, the dispensation of justice among Muslims and looking after the demands of the claimants and to follow one contingent after the other moving here and there like featherless arrow moving in the quiver.

وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا قُطْبُ الرَّحَا، تَدُورُ عَلَيَّ وَأَنَا بِمَكَاني، فَإِذَا فَارَقْتُهُ اسْتَحَارَ مَدَارُهَا، وَاضْطَرَبَ ثِفَالُهَا. هذَا لَعَمْرُ اللهِ الرَّأْيُ السُّوءُ. وَاللهِ لَوْلاَ رَجَائِي الشَّهَادَةَ عِنْدَ لِقَائِي الْعَدُوَّ ـ وَلَوْ قَدْ حُمَّ لِي لِقَاؤُهُ ـ لَقَرَّبْتُ رِكَابِي ثُمَّ شَخَصْتُ عَنْكُمْ، فَلاَ أَطْلُبُكُمْ مَا اخْتَلَفَ جَنُوبٌ وَشَمَالٌ.

I am the axis of the mill. It rotates on me while I remain in my position. As soon as I leave it the centre of its rotation would be disturbed and its lower stone would also be disturbed. By Allāh, this is a very bad advice. By Allāh, if I had not been hoping for martyrdom by my meeting with the enemy—and my meeting with him has been ordained, I would have secured my carrier and went away from you and would not have sought you so long as North and South differed.

طَعّانينَ عَيّابينَ حَيّادينَ رَوّاغينَ.! انَّهُ لاَ غَنَاءَ فِي كَثْرَةِ عَدَدِكُمْ مَعَ قِلَّةِ اجْتَماعِ قُلُوبِكُمْ. لَقَدْ حَمَلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ الْوَاضِحِ الَّتي لاَ يَهْلِكُ عَلَيْهَا إِلاَّ هَالِكٌ، مَنِ اسْتَقَامَ فَإِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْ زَلَّ فَإِلَى النَّارِ!

There is no benefit in the majority of your numbers because of lack of unity of your hearts. I have put you on the clear path whereon no one will perish except who perishes by himself. He who sticks to it would achieve Paradise and he who deviates goes to Hell.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) يذكر فضله ويعظ الناس

About the greatness of Ahlu’l-bayt and the importance of the laws of Islam

تَاللهِ لَقَدْ عُلِّمْتُ تَبْلِيغَ الرِّسَالاَتِ، وَإِتْمَامَ الْعِدَاتِ، وَتَمَامَ الْكَلِمَاتَ. وَعِنْدَنَا ـ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ ـ أَبْوَابُ الْحُكْمِ وَضِيَاءُ الاْمْرِ. أَلاَ وَإِنَّ شَرَائِعَ الدِّينِ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَسُبُلَهُ قَاصِدَةٌ، مَنْ أَخَذَ بِهَا لَحِقَ وَغَنِمَ، وَمَنْ وَقَفَ عَنْهَا ضَلَّ وَنَدِمَ.

By Allāh, I have knowledge of the conveyance of messages, fulfilment of promises and of entire expressions. We the people of the house (of the Prophet — Ahlu’l-bayt) possess the doors of wisdom and light of governance. Beware that the paths of religion are one and its highways are straight. He who follows them achieves (the aim) and secures (the objective). And he who stood away from it went astray and incurred repentance.

اعْمَلُوا لِيَوْم تُذْخَرُ لَهُ الذَّخَائِرُ، وَتُبْلَى فِيهِ السَّرَائِرُ، وَمَنْ لاَ يَنْفَعُهُ حَاضِرُ لُبِّهِ فَعَازِبُهُ عَنْهُ أَعْجَزُ، وَغَائِبُهُ أَعْوَزُ. وَاتَّقُوا نَاراً حَرُّهَا شَدِيدٌ، وَقَعْرُهَا بَعِيدٌ، وَحِلْيَتُهَا حَدِيدٌ، وَشَرَابُهَا صَدِيدٌ. أَلاَ وَإِنَّ اللِّسَانَ الصَّالِحَ يَجْعَلُهُ اللهُ لِلْمَرْءِ فِي النَّاسِ، خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنَ الْمَالِ يُورِثُهُ مَنْ لاَ يَحْمَدُهُ.

Do act for the day for which provisions are stored, and when the intentions would be tested. If a person’s own intelligence which is present with him does not help him, the wits (of others) which are remote from him are more unhelpful and those which are away from him more useless. Dread the fire whose flame is severe, whose hollow is deep, whose dress is iron and whose drink is bloody puss. Beware! The [1] good name of a man retained by Allāh, the Sublime, among the people is better than wealth inherited by those who would not praise him.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) بعد ليلة الهرير وقد قام رجل من أصحابه فقال: نهيتنا عن الحكومة ثمّ أمرتنا بها، فما ندري أيّ الامرين أَرشد؟ فصفق (عليه السلام) إحدى يديه على الاخرى ثمّ قال:

A man from among the companions of Amīr al-mu’minīn stood up and said, “O Amīr al-mu’minīn, you first stopped us from Arbitration and thereafter gave order for it. We do not know which of these two was more appropriate.” Amīr al-mu’minīn struck one hand over the other and said :