Nahj al-Balāgha

[ومنها :] حَتَّى تَقُومَ الْحَرْبُ بِكُمْ عَلَى سَاقٍ بَادِياً نَوَاجِذُهَا مَمْلُوءَةً أَخْلَافُهَا حُلْواً رَضَاعُهَا عَلْقَماً عَاقِبَتُهَا أَلَا وَفِي غَدٍ وَسَيَأْتِي غَدٌ بِمَا لَا تَعْرِفُونَ يَأْخُذُ الْوَالِي مِنْ غَيْرِهَا عُمَّالَهَا عَلَى مَسَاوِئِ أَعْمَالِهَا وَتُخْرِجُ لَهُ الْأَرْضُ أَفَالِيذَ كَبِدِهَا وَتُلْقِي إِلَيْهِ سِلْماً مَقَالِيدَهَا فَيُرِيكُمْ كَيْفَ عَدْلُ السِّيرَةِ وَيُحْيِي مَيِّتَ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ.

[A part of the same sermon :] (Before this Enjoiner of Good, [1] matters will deteriorate) till war will rage among you with full force, showing forth its teeth, with udders full of sweet milk but with a sour tip. Beware, it will be tomorrow and the morrow will come soon with things which you do not know. The Man in power, not from this crowd, will take to task all those were formerly appointed for their ill deeds and the earth will pour forth its iternal treasures and fling before him easily her keys. He will show you the just way of behaviour and revive the Qur’ān and sunnah which have become lifeless (among people).

[منها :] كَأَنِّي بِهِ قَدْ نَعَقَ بِالشَّامِ وَفَحَصَ بِرَايَاتِهِ فِي ضَوَاحِي كُوفَانَ فَعَطَفَ عَلَيْهَا عَطْفَ الضَّرُوسِ وَفَرَشَ الْأَرْضَ بِالرُّءُوسِ قَدْ فَغَرَتْ فَاغِرَتُهُ وَثَقُلَتْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَطْأَتُهُ بَعِيدَ الْجَوْلَةِ عَظِيمَ الصَّوْلَةِ.

[A part of the same sermon :] As if I see (him), he (the Enjoiner of Evil) [2] is shouting in Syria (ash-Shām) and is extending his banners to the outskirts of Kūfah. He is bent towards it like the biting of the she-camel. He has covered the ground with heads. His mouth is wide open and (the trampling of) his footsteps on the ground have become heavy. His advance is broad and his attacks are severe.

وَاللَّهِ لَيُشَرِّدَنَّكُمْ فِي أَطْرَافِ الْأَرْضِ حَتَّى لَا يَبْقَى مِنْكُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ كَالْكُحْلِ فِي الْعَيْنِ فَلَا تَزَالُونَ كَذَلِكَ حَتَّى تَئُوبَ إِلَى الْعَرَبِ عَوَازِبُ أَحْلَامِهَا فَالْزَمُوا السُّنَنَ الْقَائِمَةَ وَالْآثَارَ الْبَيِّنَةَ وَالْعَهْدَ الْقَرِيبَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ بَاقِي النُّبُوَّةِ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّمَا يُسَنِّي لَكُمْ طُرُقَهُ لِتَتَّبِعُوا عَقِبَهُ.

By Allāh, he will disperse you throughout the earth till only a few of you remain, like kohl in the eye. You will continue like this till the Arabs return to their senses. You should therefore stick to established ways, clear signs and the early period which has the lasting virtues of the Prophethood. You should know that Satan makes his ways easy so that you may follow him on his heels.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في وقت الشورى

On the occasion of the Consultative Committee (after the death of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb)

لَنْ يُسْرِعَ أَحَدٌ قَبْلِي إِلَى دَعْوَةِ حَقٍّ، وَصِلَةِ رَحِم، وَعَائِدَةِ كَرَم. فَاسْمَعُوا قَوْلي، وَعُوا مَنْطِقِي، عَسَى أَنْ تَرَوْا هذَا الاْمْرَ مِنْ بَعْدِ هذَا الْيَوْمِ تُنْتَضَى فِيهِ السُّيُوفُ، وَتُخَانُ فِيهِ الْعُهُودُ، حَتَّى يَكُونَ بَعْضُكُمْ أَئِمَّةً لاِهْلِ الضَّلاَلَةِ، وَشِيعَةً لاِهْلِ الْجَهَالَةِ.

No one preceded me in inviting people to truthfulness, in giving consideration to kinship and practising generosity. So, hear my word and preserve what I say. Maybe you will see soon after today that over this matter swords will be drawn and pledges will be broken, so much so that some of you will become leaders of the people of misguidance and followers of people of ignorance.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في النهي عن عيب الناس

About backbiting and speaking ill of others [1]

وَإِنَّمَا يَنْبَغِي لاَِهْلِ الْعِصْمَةِ وَالْمَصْنُوعِ إِلَيْهمْ فِي السَّلاَمَةِ أَنْ يَرْحَمُوا أَهْلَ الذُّنُوبِ وَالْمَعْصِيَةِ، وَيَكُوَنَ الشُّكْرُ هُوَ الْغَالِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَالْحَاجِزَ لَهُمْ عَنْهُمْ، فَكَيْفَ بِالْعَائِبِ الَّذِي عَابَ أَخَاهُ وَعَيَّرَهُ بِبَلْوَاهُ! أَمَا ذَكَرَ مَوْضِعَ سَتْرِ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ مَنْ ذُنُوبِهِ [مِـ ]مَّا هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ الَّذِي عَابَهُ بِهِ! وَكَيْفَ يَذُمُّهُ بِذَنْب قَدْ رَكِبَ مِثْلَهُ؟! فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ رَكِبَ ذلِكَ الذَّنْبَ بَعَيْنِهِ فَقَدْ عَصَى اللهَ فِيَما سِوَاهُ، مِمَّا هُو أَعْظَمُ مِنْهُ، وَايْمُ اللهِ لَئِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَصَاهُ فِي الْكَبِيرِ، وَعَصَاهُ فِي الصَّغِيرِ، لجُرْأتُهُ عَلَى عَيْبِ النَّاسِ أَكْبَرُ!

Those who do not commit sins and have been gifted with safety (from sins) should take pity on sinners and other disobedient people. Gratefulness should be mostly their indulgence and it should prevent them from (finding faults with) others. What about the backbiter who blames his brother and finds fault with him? Does he not remember that Allāh has concealed the sins which he committed while they were bigger than his brother’s sins pointed out by him? How can he vilify him about his sins when he has himself committed one like it? Even if he has not committed a similar sin he must have committed bigger ones. By Allāh, even if he did not commit big sins but committed only small sins, his exposing the sins of people is itself a big sin.

يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ، لاَ تَعْجَلْ فِي عَيْبِ أَحَد بِذَنْبِهِ، فَلَعَلَّهُ مَغْفُورٌ لَهُ، وَلاَ تَأْمَنْ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ صَغِيرَ مَعْصِيَة، فَلَعَلَّكَ مُعَذَّبٌ عَلَيْهِ; فَلْيَكْفُفْ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِنْكُمْ عَيْبَ غَيْرِهِ لِمَا يَعْلَمُ مِنْ عَيْبِ نَفْسِهِ، وَلْيَكُنِ الشُّكْرُ شَاغِلاً لَهُ عَلَى مُعَافَاتِهِ مِمَّا ابْتُلِيَ بِهِ غَيْرُهُ.

O creature of Allāh, do not be quick in exposing anyone’s sin for he may be forgiven for it, and do not feel yourself safe even for a small sin because you may be punished for it. Therefore, every one of you who comes to know the faults of others should not expose them in view of what he knows about his own faults, and he should remain busy in thanks that he has been saved from what others have been indulging in.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في النهي عن سماع الغيبة وفي الفرق بين الحقّ والباطل

Against reliance on heresy

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَنْ عَرَفَ مِنْ أَخِيهِ وَثِيقَةَ دِين وَسَدَادَ طَرِيق، فَلاَ يَسْمَعَنَّ فِيهِ أَقَاوِيلَ الرِّجَالِ، أَمَا إِنَّهُ قَدْ يَرْمِي الرَّامِي، وَتُخْطِيءُ السِّهَامُ، وَيَحِيكُ الْكَلاَمُ، وَبَاطِلُ ذلِكَ يَبْورُ، وَاللهُ سَمِيعٌ وَشَهِيدٌ. أَمَا إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ إِلاَّ أَرْبَعُ أَصَابِعَ.

O people! If a person knows his brother to be steadfast in faith and of correct ways he should not lend ear to what people may say about him. Sometimes the bowman shoots arrows but the arrow goes astray; similarly talk can be off the point. Its wrong perishes, while Allāh is the Hearer and the Witness. There is nothing between truth and falsehood except four fingers.