Nahj al-Balāgha

الاْحَدُ لاَ بِتَأْوِيلِ عَدَد، وَالْخَالِقُ لاَ بِمَعْنَى حَرَكَة وَنَصَب، وَالسَّمِيعُ لاَ بِأَدَاة، وَالْبَصِيرُ لاَ بِتَفْرِيقِ آلَة، وَالشَّاهِدُ لاَبِمُمَاسَّه، وَالْبَائِنُ لاَبِتَرَاخِي مَسَافَة، وَالظّاهِرُ لاَبِرُؤيَة، وَالْبَاطِنُ لاَ بِلَطَافَة. بَانَ مِنَ الاْشْيَاءِ بَالْقَهْرِ لَهَا، وَالْقُدْرَةِ عَلَيْهَا، وَبَانَتِ الاْشْيَاءُ مِنْهُ بَالْخُضُوعِ لَهُ، وَالرُّجُوعِ إِلَيْهِ.

He is One but not by the first in counting, is Creator but not through activitiy or labour, is Hearer but not by means of any physical organ, is Looker but not by a stretching of eyelids, is Witness but not by nearness, is Distinct but not by measurement of distance, is Manifest but not by seeing and is Hidden but not by subtilty (of body). He is Distinct from things because He overpowers them and exercises might over them, while things are distinct from Him because of their subjugation to Him and their turning towards Him.

مَنْ وَصَفَهُ فَقَدْ حَدَّهُ، وَمَنْ حَدَّهُ فَقَدْ عَدَّهُ، وَمَنْ عَدَّهُ فَقَدْ أَبْطَلَ أَزَلَهُ، وَمَنْ قَالَ: كَيْفَ، فَقَدِ اسْتَوْصَفَهُ، وَمَنْ قَالَ: أَيْنَ، فَقَدْ حَيَّزَهُ. عَالِمٌ إِذْ لاَ مَعْلُومٌ، وَرَبٌّ إِذْ لاَ مَرْبُوبٌ، وَقَادِرٌ إِذْ لاَ مَقْدُورٌ.

He who describes Him limits Him. He who limits Him numbers Him. He who numbers Him rejects His eternity. He who said “how” sought a description for Him. He who said “where” bounded him. He is the Knower even though there be nothing to be known. He is the Sustainer even though there be nothing to be sustained. He is the Powerful even though there be nothing to be overpowered.

منها في أئمّة الدين : فَقَدْ طَلَعَ طَالِعٌ، وَلَمَعَ لاَ مِعٌ، وَلاَحَ لاَئِحٌ، وَاعْتَدَلَ مَائِلٌ، وَاسْتَبْدَلَ اللهُ بِقَوْم قَوْماً، وَبِيَوم يَوْماً، وَانْتَظَرْنَا الْغِيَرَ انْتِظَارَ الْـمُجْدِبِ الْمَطَرَ. وَإِنَّمَا الاَئِمَّةُ قُوَّامُ اللهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ، وَعُرَفَاؤُهُ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ، لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَنْ عَرَفَهُمْ وَعَرَفُوهُ، وَلاَ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ إِلاَّ منْ أَنْكَرَهُمْ وَأَنْكَرُوهُ.

[A part of the same sermon about the Divine leaders (Imāms) :] The riser has risen, the sparkler has sparkled, the appearer has appeared and the curved has been straightened. Allāh has replaced one people with another and one day with another. We awaited these changes as the famine-stricken await the rain. Certainly the Imāms are the vicegerents of Allāh over His creatures and they make the creatures know Allāh. No one will enter Paradise except he who knows them and knows Him, and no one will enter Hell except he who denies them and denies Him.

إِنَّ اللهَ خَصَّكُمْ بَالاْسْلاَمِ، وَاسْتَخْلَصَكُمْ لَهُ، وَذلِكَ لاِنَّهُ اسْمُ سَلاَمَة، وَجِمَاعُ كَرَامَة، اصْطَفَى اللهُ تَعَالَى مَنْهَجَهُ، وَبَيَّنَ حُجَجَهُ، مِنْ ظَاهِرِ عِلْم، وَبَاطِنِ حِكَم، لاَ تَفْنَى غَرَائِبُهُ، وَلاَ تَنْقَضِي عَجَائِبُهُ، فِيهِ مَرَابِيعُ النِّعَمِ، وَمَصَابِيحُ الظُّلَمِ، لاَ تُفْتَحُ الْخَيْرَاتُ إِلاَّ بِمَفَاتِحِهِ، وَلاَ تُكْشَفُ الظُّلُمَاتُ إِلاَّ بِمَصَابِحِهِ، قَدْ أَحْمَى حِمَاهُ، وَأَرْعَى مَرْعَاهُ، فِيهِ شِفَاءُ الْمُسْتَشْفِي، وَكِفَايَةُ الْمُكْتَفِي.

Allāh the Glorified, has distinguished you with Islam and has chosen you for it. This is because it is the name of safety and the collection of honour. Allāh the Glorified, chose its way and disclosed its pleas through open knowledge and secret maxims. Its (Qur’ān) wonders are not exhausted and its delicacies do not end. It contains blossoming bounties and lamps of darkness. (The doors of) virtues cannot be opened save with its keys, nor can gloom be dispelled save with its lamps. Allāh has protected its inaccesible points (from enemies) and allowed grazing (to its followers) in its pastures. It contains cover (from the ailment of misguidance) for the seeker of cure and full support for the seeker of support.

ومن خطبه له (عليه السلام) في صفات الضالين والغافلين وفيها يعظ الناس

About negligent persons and the characteristics of beasts, carnivores and women

[صفة الضال :] وَهُوَ فِي مُهْلَة مِنَ اللهِ يَهْوِي مَعَ الْغَافِلِينَ، وَيَغْدُومَعَ الْمُذْنِبِينَ، بلاَ سَبِيل قَاصِد، وَلاَ إِمَام قَائِد.

He has been allowed time by Allāh. He is falling into error along with negligent persons and goes early in the morning with sinners, without any road to lead or any Imām to guide.

[منها في صفات الغافلين :] حَتَّى إِذَا كَشَفَ لَهُمْ عَنْ جَزَاءِ مَعْصِيَتِهِمْ، وَاسْتَخْرَجَهُمْ مِنْ جَلاَبِيبِ غَفْلَتِهِمُ، استَقْبَلُوا مُدْبِراً، وَاسْتَدْبَرُوا مُقْبِلاً، فَلَمْ يَنْتَفِعُوا بَمَا أَدْرَكُوا منْ طَلِبَتِهِمْ، وَلاَ بِمَا قَضَوْا مِنْ وَطَرِهِمْ.

[A part of the same sermon :] At last when Allāh will make clear to them the reward for their sins, and take them out from the veils of their neglectfulness they will proceed to what they were running away from, and run away from what they were proceeding to. They will not benefit from the wants they will satisfy or the desires they would fulfil.

إِنِّي أُحَذِّرُكُمْ، وَنَفْسِي، هذِهِ الْمَنْزِلَةَ، فَلْيَنْتَفِعِ امْرُؤٌ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَإِنَّمَا الْبَصِيرُ مَنْ سَمِعَ فَتَفَكَّرَ، وَنَظَرَ فَأَبْصَرَ، وَانْتَفَعَ بِالْعِبَرِ، ثُمَّ سَلَكَ جَدَداً وَاضِحاً يَتَجَنَّبُ فِيهِ الصَّرْعَةَ فِي الْمَهَاوِي، وَالضَّلاَلَ في الْمَغَاوِي، وَلاَ يُعِينُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الْغُوَاةَ بِتَعَسُّف فِي حَقٍّ، أَوْ تَحَرِيف في نُطْق، أَوْ تَخَوُّف مِنْ صِدْق.

I warn you and myself from this position. A man should derive benefit from his own self. Certainly, prudent is he who hears and ponders over it, who sees and observes and who benefits from instructive material and then treads on clear paths wherein he avoids falling into hollows and straying into pitfalls, and does not assist those who misguide him by turning away from truthfulness, changing his words, or fearing truth.

[عظة الناس :] فَأَفِقْ أَيُّهَا السَّامِعُ مِنْ سَكْرَتِكَ، وَاسْتَيْقِظْ مَنْ غَفْلَتِكَ، وَاخْتَصِرْ مِنْ عَجَلَتِكَ، وَأَنْعِمِ الْفِكْرَ فِيَما جَاءَكَ عَلَى لِسَانِ النَّبِيِّ الاْمِّيِّ (صلى الله عليه وآله) مِمَّا لاَ بُدَّ مِنْهُ وَلاَ مَحِيصَ عَنْهُ، وَخَالِفْ مَنْ خَالَفَ ذلِكَ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ، وَدَعْهُ وَمَا رَضِيَ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَضَعْ فَخْرَكَ، وَاحْطُطْ كِبْرَكَ، وَاذكُرْ قَبْرَكَ، فَإِنَّ عَلَيْهِ مَمَرَّكَ، وَكَمَا تَدِينُ تُدَانُ، وَكَمَا تَزْرَعُ تَحْصُدُ، وَمَا قَدَّمْتَ الْيَوْمَ تَقْدَمُ عَلَيْهِ غَداً، فَامْهَد لِقَدَمِكَ، وَقَدِّمْ لِيَوْمِكَ. فَالْحَذَرَ الْحَذَرَ أَيُّهَا الْمُسْتَمِعُ! وَالْجِدَّ الْجِدَّ أَيُّهَا الْغَافِلُ! ﴿وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ﴾.

[Exhorting the people :] O my listener! be cured from your intoxication, wake up from your slumber, decrease your hasty activity and ponder over what has come to you through the Holy Prophet, the Ummī [1] which is inevitable and inescapable. You should turn away from him who opposes him and leave him and leave whatever he has adopted for himself. Put off your vanity, drop your haughtiness and recall your grave because your way passes over it. You will be dealt with as you deal with others, you will reap what you sow, and what you send today will meet you tomorrow. So provide for your future and send (some good acts) for your day (of reckoning). Fear, fear, O listener! Act, act, O careless! No one will warn you like him who knows.

إِنَّ مِنْ عَزَائِمِ اللهِ فِي الذِّكْرِ الْحَكِيمِ، الَّتِي عَلَيْهَا يُثِيبُ وَيُعَاقِبُ، وَلَهَا يَرْضَى وَيَسْخَطُ، أَنَّهُ لاَ يَنْفَعُ عَبْداً ـ وَإِنْ أَجْهَدَ نَفْسَهُ، وَأَخْلَصَ فِعْلَهُ ـ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، لاَقِياً رَبَّهُ بِخَصْلَة مِنْ هذِهِ الْخِصَال لَمْ يَتُبْ مِنْهَا: أَنْ يُشْرِكَ بِالله فِيَما افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ عِبَادَتِهِ، أَوْ يَشْفِيَ غَيْظَهُ بِهَلاَكِ نَفْسِهِ، أَوْ يُقِرَّ بِأَمْر فَعَلَهُ غَيْرُهُ، أَوْ يَسْتَنْجِحَ حَاجَةً إِلَى النَّاسِ بِإِظْهَارِ بِدْعَة فِي دِينِهِ، أَوْ يَلْقَى النَّاسَ بِوَجْهَيْنِ، أَوْ يَمْشِيَ فِيهِمْ بِلِسَانَيْنِ. اعْقِلْ ذلِكَ فَإِنَّ الْمِثْلَ دَلِيلٌ عَلَى شِبْهِهِ.

One of the firm decisions of Allāh in the Wise Reminder (Qur’ān) upon which He bestows reward or gives punishment, and through which He likes or dislikes is that it will not benefit a man, even though he exerts himself and acts sincerely if he leaves this world to meet Allāh with one of these acts without repenting, namely that he believed in a partner with Allāh during his obligatory worship, or appeased his own anger by killing an individual, or spoke about acts committed by others, or sought fulfilment of his needs from people by introducing an innovation in his religion, or met people with a double face, or moved among them with a double tongue. Understand this because an illustration is a guide for its like.