Nahj al-Balāgha

[عظة الناس :] أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّهُ مَنِ اسْتَنْصَحَ اللهَ وُفِّقَ، وَمَنِ اتَّخَذَ قَوْلَهُ دَلِيلاً هُدِيَ ﴿لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ﴾؛ فَإِنَّ جَارَ اللهِ آمِنٌ، وَعَدُوَّهُ خَائِفٌ، وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ عَرَفَ عَظَمَةَ اللهِ أَنْ يَتَعَظَّمَ، فَإِنَّ رِفْعَةَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا عَظَمَتُهُ أَنْ يَتَوَاضَعُوا لَهُ، وَسَلاَمَةَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا قُدْرَتُهُ أَنْ يَسْتَسْلِمُوا لَهُ، فَلاَ تَنْفِرُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ نِفَارَ الصَّحِيحِ مِنَ الاْجْرَبِ، وَالْبَارِي مِنْ ذِي السَّقَمِ.

[About Ahlu’I-bayt :] O people, he who seeks counsel from Allāh secures guidance, and he who adopts His word as guide is led towards what is more straight, because Allāh’s lover feels secure and His opponent feels afraid. It does not behoove one who knows His greatness to assume greatness, but the greatness of those who know His greatness is that they should know before Him, and the safety for those who know what His power is lies in submitting to Him. Do not be scared away from the truth like the scaring of the healthy from the scabbed person, or the sound person from the sick.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَعْرِفُوا الرُّشْدَ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي تَرَكَهُ، وَلَنْ تَأْخُذُوا بِمَيثَاقِ الْكِتَابِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي نَقَضَهُ، وَلَنْ تَمَسَّكُوا بِهِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذَي نَبَذَهُ; فَالْـتَمِسُوا ذلِكَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَهْلِهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ عَيْشُ الْعِلْمِ، وَمَوْتُ الْجَهْلِ، هُمْ الَّذِينَ يُخْبِرُكُمْ حُكْمُهُمْ عَنْ عِلْمِهِمْ، وَصمْتُهُمْ عَنْ مَنْطِقِهِمْ، وَظَاهِرُهُمْ عَنْ بَاطِنِهِمْ، لاَ يُخَالِفُونَ الدِّينَ وَلاَ يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ، فَهُوَ بَيْنَهُمْ شَاهِدٌ صَادِقٌ، وَصَامِتٌ نَاطِقٌ.

You should know that you will never know guidance unless you know who has abandoned it, you will never abide by the pledges of the Qur’ān unless you know who has broken them, and will never cling to it unless you know who has forsaken it. Seek these things from those who own them because they are the life spring of knowledge and death of ignorance. They are the people whose commands will disclose to you their (extent of) knowledge, their silence will disclose their (capacity of) speaking and their outer appearance will disclose their inner self. They do not go against religion, and do not differ from one another about it, while it is among them a truthful witness and a silent speaker.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في ذكر أهل البصرة

About Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr and the people of Baṣrah

كُلُّ وَاحِد مِنْهُمَا يَرْجُو الاْمْرَ لَهُ، وَيَعْطِفُهُ عَلَيْهِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِ، لاَ يَمُتَّانِ إِلَى اللهِ بِحَبْل، وَلاَ يَمُدَّانِ إِلَيْهِ بَسَبَب. كُلُّ واحِد مِنْهُمَا حَامِلُ ضَبٍّ لِصَاحِبِهِ، وَعَمَّا قَلِيل يُكْشَفُ قِنَاعُهُ بِهِ! وَاللهِ لَئِنْ أَصَابُوا الَّذِي يُرِيدُونَ لَيَنْتَزِعَنَّ هذَا نَفْسَ هذَا، وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّ هذَا عَلَى هذَا، قَدْ قَامَتِ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ، فَأَيْنَ الْـمُحْتَسِبُونَ؟! قَدْ سُنَّتْ لَهُمُ السُّنَنُ، وَقُدِّمَ لَهُمُ الْخَبَرُ، وَلِكُلِّ ضَلَّة عِلَّةٌ، وَلِكُلِّ نَاكِث شُبْهِةٌ. وَاللهِ لاَ أَكُونُ كَمُسْتَمِعِ اللَّدْمِ، يَسْمَعُ النَّاعِيَ، وَيَحْضُرُ الْبَاكِيَ، ثُمَّ لاَ يَعْتَبِرُ!

Both of these two (Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr) wishes the Caliphate for himself, and is drawing towards himself as against the other fellow. They do not employ any connection for getting access to Allāh nor proceed towards Him through any means. Both of them bears malice against the other. Shortly his veil over it will be uncovered. By Allāh, if they achieve what they aim at, one of them will kill the other, and one will finish the other. The rebellious party has stood up. Where are the seekers of virtue; for the paths have already been determined and they have been given the news. For every misguidance there is a cause and for every break of pledge there is a misrepresentation. By Allāh, I shall not be like him who listens to the voice of mourning, hears the man who brings news of death and also visits the mourner yet does not take lesson.

ومن كلامه (عليه السلام) قبل موته

Before his passing away (last will)

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، كُلُّ امْرِىء لاَق بِمَا يَفِرُّ مِنْهُ فِي فِرَارِهِ، وَالاْجَلُ مَسَاقُ النَّفْسِ، وَالْهَرَبُ مِنْهُ مُوَافَاتُهُ. كَمْ أَطْرَدْتُ الاَيَّامَ أَبْحَثُهَا عَنْ مَكْنُونِ هذَا الاَمْرِ، فَأَبَى اللهُ إِلاَّ إِخْفَاءَهُ، هَيْهَاتَ! عِلْمٌ مَخْزُونٌ!

O people, every one has to meet what he wishes to avoid by running away. [1] Death is the place to which life is driving. To run away from it means to catch it. How many days did I spent in searching for the secret of this matter, but Allāh did not allow save its concealment. Alas! It is a treasured knowledge.

أَمَّا وَصِيَّتِي: فَاللهَ لاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئاً، وَمُحَمَّداً فَلاَ تُضَيِّعُوا سُنَّتَهُ، أَقِيمُوا هذَيْن الْعَمُودَيْنِ، وَأَوْقِدُوا هذَيْنِ الْمِصْبَاحَيْنِ، وَخَلاَكُمْ ذَمٌّ مَالَمْ تَشْرُدُوا، حُمِّلَ كُلُّ امْرِىء مَجْهُودَهُ، وَخُفِّفَ عَنِ الْجَهَلَةِ، رَبٌّ رَحِيمٌ، وَدِينٌ قَوِيمٌ، وَإِمَامٌ عَلِيمٌ. أَنَا بِالاْمْسِ صَاحِبُكُمْ، وَأَنَا الْيَوْمَ عِبْرَةٌ لَكُمْ، وَغَداً مُفَارِقُكُمْ! غَفَرَ اللهُ لي وَلَكُمْ!

As for my last will, it is that concerning Allāh, do not believe in a partner for Him, and concerning Muḥammad (S), do not disregard his sunnah. Keep these two pillars and burn these two lamps. Till you are not divided, no evil will come to you. [2] Every one of you has to bear his own burden. It has been kept light for the ignorant. Allāh is Merciful. Faith is straight. The leader (Prophet) is the holder of knowledge. Yesterday I was with you; today I have become the object of a lesson for you; and tomorrow I shall leave you. Allāh may forgive me and you.

إِنْ تَثْبُتِ الْوَطْأَةُ فِي هذِهِ الْمَزَلَّةِ فَذَاكَ، وَإِنْ تَدْحَضِ الْقَدَمُ فَإِنَّا كُنَّا فِي أَفْيَاءِ أَغْصَان، وَمَهَابِّ رِيَاح، وَتَحْتَ ظِلِّ غَمَام، اضْمَحَلَّ فِي الْجَوِّ مُتَلَفَّقُهَا، وَعَفَا في الارْضِ مَخَطُّهَا. وَإِنَّمَا كُنْتُ جَاراً جَاوَرَكُمْ بَدَنِي أَيَّاماً، وَسَتُعْقَبُونَ مِنِّي جُثَّةً خَلاَءً سَاكِنَةً بَعْدَ حَرَاك، وَصَامِتَةً بَعْدَ نُطْق لِيَعِظْكُمْ هُدُوِّي، وَخُفُوتُ إِطْرَاقِي، وَسُكُونُ أَطْرَافِي، فَإِنَّهُ أَوْعَظُ لَلْمُعْتَبِرِينَ مِنَ الْمَنْطِقِ الْبَلِيغِ وَالْقَوْلِ الْمَسْمُوعِ. وَدَاعِيكُم وَدَاعُ امْرِىء مُرْصِد لِلتَّلاَقِي! غَداً تَرَوْنَ أَيَّامِي، وَيُكْشَفُ لَكُمْ عَنْ سَرَائِرِي، وَتَعْرِفُونَنِي بَعْدَ خُلُوِّ مَكَانِي وَقِيَامِ غَيْرِي مَقَامِي.

If the foot remains firm in this slippery place, well and good . But if the foot slips, this is because we are under the shade of branches, the passing of the winds and the canopy of the clouds whose layers are dispersed in the sky, and whose traces disappeared [3] in the earth. I was your neighbour. My body kept you company for some days and shortly you will find just an empty body of mine which would be stationary after (all its) movement and silent after speech so that my calmness, the closing of my eyes, and the stillness of my limbs may provide you counsel, because it is more of a counsel for those who take a lesson (from it) than eloquent speech and a ready word. I am departing from you like one who is eager to meet (someone). Tomorrow you will look at my days, then my inner side will be disclosed to you and you will understand me after the vacation of my place and its occupation by someone else.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يومي فيها إلى الملاحم و يصف فئة من أهل الضلال

About future events and some activities of the hypocrites

وَأَخَذُوا يَمِيناً وَشِمَالاً ظَعْنَاً فِي مَسَالِكَ الْغَيِّ، وَتَرْكاً لِمَذَاهِبِ الرُّشْدِ، فَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوا مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مُرْصَدٌ، وَلاَ تَسْتَبْطِئُوا مَا يَجِيءُ بِهِ الْغَدُ، فَكَمْ مِنْ مُسْتَعْجِل بِمَا إِنْ أَدْركَهُ وَدَّ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يُدْرِكْهُ، وَمَا أَقْرَبَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ تَبَاشِيرِ غَد! يَاقَوْمِ، هذَا إِبَّانُ وُرُودِ كُلِّ مَوْعُود، وَدُنُوٍّ مِنْ طَلْعَةِ مَا لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ مَنْ أَدْرَكَهَا مِنَّا يَسْرِي فِيهَا بِسِرَاج مُنِير، وَيَحْذُوفِيهَا عَلَى مِثَالِ الصَّالِحِينَ، لِيَحُلَّ فِيهَا رِبْقاً، وَيُعْتِقَ رِقّاً، وَيَصْدَعَ شَعْباً، وَيَشْعَبَ صَدْعاً، فِي سُتْرَة عَنِ النَّاسِ لاَ يُبْصِرُ الْقَائِفُ أَثَرَهُ وَلَوْ تَابَعَ نَظَرَهُ. ثُمَّ لَيُشْحَذَنَّ فِيهَا قَوْمٌ شَحْذَ الْقَيْنِ النَّصْلَ تُجْلَى بِالتَّنْزِيلِ أَبْصَارُهُمْ، وَيُرْمَى بِالتَّفْسِيرِ فِي مَسَامِعِهمْ، وَيُغْبَقُونَ كَأْسَ الْحِكْمَةِ بَعْدَ الصَّبُوحِ.

They took to the right and the left piercing through to the ways of evil and leaving the paths of guidance. Do not make haste for a matter which is to happen and is awaited, and do not wish for delay in what the morrow is to bring for you. For, how many people make haste for a matter, but when they get it they begin to wish they had not got it. How near is today to the dawning of tomorrow. O my people, this is the time for the occurrence of every promised event and the approach of things which you do not know. Whoever from among us will be during these days will move through them with a burning lamp and will tread on the footsteps of the virtuous, in order to unfasten knots, to free slates, to divide the united and to unite the divided. He will be in concealment from people. The stalker will not find his footprints even though he pursues with his eye. Then a group of people will be sharpened like the sharpening of swords by the blacksmith. Their sight will be brightened by revelation, the (delicacies of) commentary will be put in their ears and they will be given drinks of wisdom, morning and evening.