Nahj al-Balāgha

أَمَا رَأَيْتُمُ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُلُونَ بَعِيداً، وَيَبْنُونَ مَشِيداً، وَيَجْمَعُونَ كَثِيراً! أَصْبَحَتْ بُيُوتُهُمْ قُبُوراً، وَمَا جَمَعُوا بُوراً، وَصَارَتْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ لِلْوَارِثِينَ، وَأَزْوَاجُهُمْ لِقَوْم آخَرِينَ، لاَ فِي حَسَنَة يَزِيدُونَ، وَلاَ مِنْ سَيِّئَة يَسْتَعْتِبُونَ! فَمَنْ أَشْعَرَ التَّقْوَى قَلْبَهُ بَرَّزَ مَهَلُهُ، وَفَازَ عَمَلُهُ. فَاهْتَبِلُوا هَبَلَهَا، وَاعْمَلُوا لِلْجَنَّةِ عَمَلَهَا، فَإِنَّ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ تُخْلَقْ لَكُمْ دَارَ مُقَام، بَلْ خُلِقَتْ لَكُمْ مَجَازاً لِتَزَوَّدُوا مِنْهَا الاَعْمَالَ إِلَى دَارِ الْقَرَارِ; فَكُونُوا مِنْهَا عَلى أَوْفَاز، وَقَرِّبُوا الظُّهُورَ لِلزِّيَالِ.

Did you not witness those who engaged in long-reaching desires, built strong buildings, amassed much wealth but their houses turned to graves and their collections turned into ruin. Their property devolved on the successors and their spouses on those who came after them. They cannot (now) add to their good acts nor invoke (Allāh’s) mercy in respect of evil acts. Therefore, whoever makes his heart habituated to fear Allāh achieves a forward position and his action is successful. Prepare yourself for it and do all that you can for Paradise. Certainly this world has not been made a place of permanent stay for you. But it has been created as a pathway in order that you may take from it the provisions of your (good) actions for the permanent house (in Paradise). Be ready for departure from here and keep close your riding animals for setting off.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يعظّم الله سبحانه ويذكر القرآن والنبي ويعظ الناس

On the Glory of Allāh

[عظمة اللّه تعالى :] وَانْقَادَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَالاخِرَةُ بِأَزِمَّتِهَا، وَقَذَفَتْ إِلَيْهِ السَّماَوَاتُ وَالاَرَضُونَ مَقَالِيدَهَا، وَسَجَدَتْ لَهُ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالاْصَالِ الاْشْجَارُ النَّاضِرَةُ، وَقَدَحَتْ لَهُ مِنْ قُضْبَانِهَا النِّيرَانَ الْمُضِيئَةَ، وَآتَتْ أُكُلَهَا بِكَلِمَاتِهِ الِّثمَارُ الْيَانِعَةُ.

This world and the next have submitted to Him their reins, and the skies and earths have flung their keys towards Him. The thriving trees bow to Him in the morning and evening, and produce for Him — flaming fire from their branches, and at His command, turn their own feed into ripe fruits.

[منها في القرآن :] وَكِتَابُ اللهِ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ، نَاطقٌ لاَ يَعْيَا لِسَانُهُ، وَبَيْتٌ لاَ تُهْدَمُ أَرْكَانُهُ، وَعِزٌّ لاَ تُهْزَمُ أَعْوَانُهُ.

[A part of the same sermon about the Holy Qur’ān :] The Book of Allāh is among you. It speaks and its tongue does not falter. It is a house whose pillars do not fall down, and a power whose supporters are never routed.

[منها في رسول الله :] أَرْسَلَهُ عَلَى حِينِ فَتْرَة مِنَ الرُّسُلِ، وَتَنَازُع مِنَ الاْلْسُنِ، فَقَفَّى بِهِ الرُّسُلَ، وَخَتَمَ بِهِ الْوَحْيَ، فَجَاهَدَ فِي اللهِ الْمُدْبِرِينَ عَنْهُ، وَالْعَادِلِينَ بِهِ.

[A part of the same sermon about the Holy Prophet :] Allāh deputed the Prophet after a gap from the previous prophets when there was much talk (among the people). With him Allāh exhausted the series of prophets and ended the revelation. He then fought for Him those who were turning away from Him and were equating others with Him.

[منها في الدنيا :] وَإِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا مَنْتَهَى بَصَرِ الاْعْمَى، لاَ يُبْصِرُ مِمَّا وَرَاءَهَا شَيئاً، وَالْبَصِيرُ يَنْفُذُهَا بَصَرُهُ، وَيَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الدَّارَ وَرَاءَهَا، فَالبَصِيرُ مِنْهَا شَاخِصٌ، وَالاْعْمَى إِلَيْهَا شَاخِصٌ، وَالْبَصِيرُ مِنْهَا مُتَزَوِّدٌ، وَالاْعْمَى لَهَا مُتَزَوِّدٌ.

[A part of the same sermon about this world :] Certainly this world is the end of the sight of the (mentally) blind who see nothing beyond it. The sight of a looker (who looks with the eye of his mind) pierces through and realizes that the (real) house is beyond this world. The looker therefore wants to get out of it while the blind wants to get into it. The looker collects provision from it (for the next world) while the blind collects provision for this very world.

[منها في عظة الناس :] وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْء إِلاَّ وَيَكَادُ صَاحِبُهُ يَشْبَعُ مِنْهُ وَيَمَلُّهُ، إِلاَّ الْحَيَاةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَجِدُ لَهُ فِي الْمَوْتِ رَاحَةً، وَإِنَمَا ذلِكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْحِكْمَةِ الَّتي هِيَ حَيَاةٌ لِلْقَلْبِ الْمَيِّتِ، وَبَصَرٌ لِلْعَيْنِ الْعَمْيَاءِ، وَسَمْعٌ لَلاْذُنِ الصَّمَّـاءِ، وَرِيٌّ لِلظَّمْآنِ، وَفِيهَا الْغِنَى كُلُّهُ وَالسَّلاَمَةُ.

[A part of the same sermon — A caution :] You should know that a man gets satiated and wearied with everything except life, because he does not find for himself any pleasure in death. It is in the position of life for a dead heart, sight for the blind eye, hearing for the deaf ear, quenching for the thirsty and it contains complete sufficiency and safety.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْء إِلاَّ وَيَكَادُ صَاحِبُهُ يَشْبَعُ مِنْهُ وَيَمَلُّهُ، إِلاَّ الْحَيَاةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَجِدُ لَهُ فِي الْمَوْتِ رَاحَةً، وَإِنَمَا ذلِكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْحِكْمَةِ الَّتي هِيَ حَيَاةٌ لِلْقَلْبِ الْمَيِّتِ، وَبَصَرٌ لِلْعَيْنِ الْعَمْيَاءِ، وَسَمْعٌ لَلاْذُنِ الصَّمَّـاءِ، وَرِيٌّ لِلظَّمْآنِ، وَفِيهَا الْغِنَى كُلُّهُ وَالسَّلاَمَةُ.

The Book of Allāh is that through which you see, you speak and you hear. Its one part speaks for the other part, and one part testifies to the other. It does not create differences about Allāh nor does it mislead its own follower from (the path of) Allāh. You are joined together in hatred of each other and in the growing of herbage on your filth (i.e., for covering inner dirt by good appearance outside). You are sincere with one another in your love of desires and bear enmity against each other in earning wealth. The evil spirit (Satan) has perplexed you and deceit has misled you. I seek the help of Allāh for myself and you.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) وقد شاوره عمر بن الخطاب في الخروج إلى غزوالروم

Delivered when Caliph ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb consulted [1] Amīr al-mu’minīn about himself, taking part in the march towards Rome (Byzantine Empire).

وَقَدْ تَوَكَّلَ اللهُ لاِهْلِ هَذا الدِّينِ بِإِعْزَازِ الْحَوْزَةِ، وَسَتْرِ الْعَوْرَةِ، وَالَّذِي نَصَرَهُمْ وَهُمْ قَلِيلٌ لاَ يَنْتَصِرُونَ، وَمَنَعَهُمْ وَهُمْ قَلِيلٌ لاَ يَمتَنِعُونَ، حَيٌّ لاَ يَمُوتُ. إِنَّكَ مَتَى تَسِرْ إِلَى هذَا الْعَدُوِّ بِنَفْسِكَ، فَتَلْقَهُمْ بِشَخْصِكَ فَتُنْكَبْ، لاَ تَكُنْ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ كَانِفَةٌ دُونَ أَقْصَى بِلاَدِهِمْ، وَلَيْسَ بَعْدَكَ مَرْجِعٌ يَرْجِعُونَ إِلَيْهِ، فَابْعَثْ إِلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً مِحْرَباً، وَاحْفِزْ مَعَهُ أَهْلَ الْبَلاَءِ وَالنَّصِيحَةِ، فَإِنْ أَظْهَرَ اللهُ فَذَاكَ مَا تُحِبُّ، وَإِنْ تَكُنِ الاْخْرَى، كُنْتَ رِدْءاً للنَّاسِ وَمَثَابَةً لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ.

Allāh has taken upon himself for the followers of this religion the strengthening of boundaries and hiding of the secret places. Allāh helped them when they were few and could not protect themselves. He is living and will not die. If you will yourself proceed towards the enemy and clash with them and fall into some trouble, there will be no place of refuge for the Muslims other than their remote cities, nor any place they would return to. Therefore, you should send there an experienced man and send with hire people of good performance who are well-intentioned. If Allāh grants you victory, then this is what you want. If it is otherwise, you would serve as a support for the people and a returning place for the Muslims.