Nahj al-Balāgha

[النصح بالتّقوى :] أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَاللهِ، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ وَطَاعَتِهِ، فَإنَّهَا النَّجَاةُ غَداً، وَالْمَنْجَاةُ أَبَداً. رَهَّبَ فَأبْلَغَ، وَرَغَّبَ فَأَسْبَغَ، وَوَصَفَ لَكُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَانْقِطَاعَهَا، وَزَوَالَهَا وَانْتِقَا لَهَا. فَأَعْرِضُوا عَمَّا يُعْجِبُكُمْ فِيهَا لِقِلَّةِ مَا يَصْحَبُكُمْ مِنْهَا، أَقْرَبُ دَار مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ، وَأَبْعَدُهَا مِنْ رِضْوَانِ اللهِ!

[Drawing lessons from this world :] I advise you, O creatures of Allāh, to exercise fear of Allāh and to obey Him because it is salvation tomorrow and deliverance for ever. He warned (you of chastisement) and did so thoroughly. He persuaded (you towards virtues) and did so fully. He described this world, its cutting away from you, its decay and its shifting. Therefore keep aloof from its attractions, because very little of it will accompany you. This house is the closest to the displeasure of Allāh and the remotest from the pleasure of Allāh.

فَغُضُّوا عَنْكُمْ ـ عِبَادَاللهِ ـ غُمُومَهَا وَأَشْغَا لَهَا، لِمَا قَدْ أَيْقَنْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْ فِرَاقِهَا وَتَصَرُّفِ حَالاَتِهَا. فَاحْذَروُهَا حَذَرَ الشَّفِيقِ النَّاصِحِ، وَالْـمُجِدِّ الْكَادِحِ، وَاعْتَبِرُوا بِمَا قَدْ رَأَيْتُمْ مِنْ مَصَارعِ الْقُرُونِ قَبْلَكُمْ: قَدْ تَزَايَلَتْ أَوْصَالُهُمْ، وَزَالَتْ أسْمَاعُهُمْ وَأَبْصَارُهُمْ، وَذَهَبَ شَرَفُهُمْ وَعِزُّهُمْ، وَانْقَطَعَ سُرُورُهُمْ وَنَعِيمُهُمْ؛ فَبُدِّلُوا بِقُرْبِ الاَوْلاَدِ فَقْدَهَا، وَبِصُحْبَةِ الاَزْوَاجِ مُفَارَقتَهَا. لاَ يَتَفَاخَرُونَ، وَلاَ يَتَنَاصَرُونَ، وَلاَ يَتَنَاسَلُونَ، وَلاَ يَتَزَاوَرُونَ، وَلاَ يَتَجَاوَرُونَ.

So close your eyes, O creatures of Allāh, from its worries and engagements, because you are sure about its separation and its changing conditions. Fear it like a sincere fearer and one who struggles hard, and take a lesson from what you have seen about the falling places of those before you, namely that their joints were made to vanish, their eyes and ears were destroyed, their honour and prestige disappeared and their pleasure and wealth came to an end. The nearness of their children changed into remoteness. The company of their spouses changed into separation with them. They do not boast over each other, nor do they beget children nor meet each other nor live as neighbours.

فَاحْذَروُا، عِبَادَاللهِ، حَذَرَ الْغَالِبِ لِنَفْسِهِ، الْمَانِعِ لِشَهْوَتِهِ، النَّاظِرِ بِعَقْلِهِ؛ فَإنَّ الاْمْرَ وَاضِحٌ، وَالْعَلَمَ قَائِمٌ، وَالطَّرِيقَ جَدَدٌ، وَالسَّبِيلَ قَصْدٌ.

Therefore, fear O creature of Allāh, like the fear of one who has control over himself, who can check his passions and perceive with his wisdom. Surely, the matter is quite clear, the banner is standing, the course is level and the way is straight.

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لبعض أصحابه وقد سأله: كيف دفعكم قومكم عن هذا المقام وأنتم أحق به؟ فقال

One of Amīr al-mu’minīn’s companions (from Banū Asad) asked him: “How was it that your tribe (Quraysh) deprived you of this position (Caliphate) although you deserved it most.” Then in reply he said:

يَا أَخَا بَنِي أَسَد، إنَّكَ لَقَلِقُ الْوَضِينِ، تُرْسِلُ فِي غَيْرِ سَدَد، وَلَكَ بَعْدُ ذِمَامَةُ الصِّهْرِ، وَحَقُّ الْمَسْأَلَةِ، وَقَدِ اسْتَعْلَمْتَ فَاعْلَمْ: أمَّا الاسْتِبْدادُ عَلَيْنَا بِهذَا الْمَقامِ وَنَحْنُ الاْعْلَوْنَ نَسَباً، وَالاشَدُّونَ بِالرَّسُولِ نَوْطاً، فَإنَّهَا كَانَتْ أَثَرَةً شَحَّتْ عَلَيْهَا نُفُوسُ قَوْم، وَسَخَتْ عَنْهَا نُفوسُ آخَرِينَ، وَالْحَكَمُ اللهُ، وَالْمَعْوَدُ إلَيْهِ الْقِيَامَةُ.

O brother of Banū Asad! Your girth is loose and you have put it on the wrong way. Nevertheless you enjoy in-law kinship and also the right to ask, and since you have asked, listen. As regards the oppression against us in this matter although we were the highest as regards descent and the strongest in relationship with the Messenger of Allāh. It was a selfish act over which the hearts of people became greedy, although some people did not care for it. The Arbiter is Allāh and to Him is the return on the Day of Judgement.

وَدَعْ عَنْكَ نَهْباً صِيحَ فِي حَجَرَاتِهِ * وَلكِنْ حَدِيثاً مَا حَدِيثُ الرَّوَاحِلِ

“Now leave this story of devastation about which there is hue and cry all round.” [1]

وَهَلُمَّ الْخَطْبَ فِي ابْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، فَلَقَدْ أَضْحَكَنِي الدَّهْرُ بَعْدَ إبْكَائِهِ، وَلاَ غَرْوَوَاللهِ، فَيَا لَهُ خَطْباً يَسْتَفْرِغُ الْعَجَبَ، وَيُكْثِرُ الاَوَدَ، حَاوَلَ الْقَوْمُ إِطْفَاءَ نَورِ اللهِ مِنْ مِصْباحِهِ، وَسَدَّ فَوَّارِهِ مِنْ يَنْبُوعِهِ، وَجَدَحُوا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُمْ شِرْباً وَبِيئاً، فَإنْ تَرْتَفِعْ عَنَّا وَعَنْهُمْ مِحَنُ الْبَلْوَى، أَحْمِلْهُمْ مِنَ الْحَقِّ عَلَى مَحْضِهِ، وَإنْ تَكُنِ الاُخْرَى، ﴿فَلَا تَذْهَبْ نَفْسُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَسَرَاتٍ إِنَّ اللهَ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَصْنَعُونَ﴾.

Come and look at the son of Abū Sufyān (Mu‘āwiyah). Time has made me laugh after weeping. No wonder, by Allāh; what is this affair which surpasses all wonder and which has increased wrongfulness. These people have tried to put out the flame of Allāh’s light from His lamp and to close His fountain from its source. They mixed epidemicproducing water between me and themselves. If the trying hardships were removed from among us, I would take them on the course of truthfulness other wise: “... So let not thy self go (in vain) in grief for them; verily Allāh knoweth all that they do.” (Qur’ān, 35:8)

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) الخالق جلّ وعلا

Attributes of Allāh

الْحَمْدُ لله خَالِقِ الْعِبَادِ، وَسَاطِحِ الْمِهَادِ، وَمُسِيلِ الْوِهَادِ، وَمُخْصِبِ النِّجَادِ، لَيْسَ لاِوَّلِيَّتِهِ ابْتِدَاءٌ، وَلاَ لاِزَلِيَّتِهِ انْقِضَاءٌ، هُوَ الاَوَّلُ لَمْ يَزَلْ، وَالْبَاقي بِلا أَجَل، خَرَّتْ لَهُ الْجِبَاهُ، وَوَحَّدَتْهُ الشِّفَاهُ، حَدَّ الاْشْيَاءَ عِنْدَ خَلْقِهِ لَهَا إبَانَةً لَهُ مِنْ شَبَهِهَا،

Praise be to Allāh, Creator of people; He has spread the earth. He makes streams to flow and vegetation to grow on high lands. His primality has no beginning, nor has His eternity any end. He is the First and from ever. He is the everlasting without limit. Foreheads bow before Him and lips declare His oneness. He determined the limits of things at the time of His creating them, keeping Himself away from any likeness.

لاَ تُقَدِّرُهُ الاْوْهامُ بِالْحُدُودِ وَالحَرَكَاتِ، وَلاَ بِالْجَوَارِحِ وَالاْدَوَاتِ، لاَ يُقَالُ لَهُ:«مَتَى»؟ وَلاَ يُضْرَبُ لَهُ أَمَدٌ «بِحَتَّى»، الظَّاهِرُ لاَ يُقالُ: «مِمَّ»؟ وَالْبَاطِنُ لاَ يُقَالُ: «فِيمَ»؟، لاَ شَبَحٌ فَيُتَقَصَّى، وَلاَ مَحْجُوبٌ فَيُحْوَى، لَمْ يَقْرُبْ مِنَ الاْشْيَاءِ بِالْتِصَاق، وَلَمْ يَبْعُدْ عَنْهَا بِافْتِرَاق،

Imagination cannot surmise Him within the limits of movements, limbs or senses. It cannot be said about Him: “whence”?; and no time limit can be attributed to Him by saying “till”. He is apparent, but it cannot be said “from what”. He is hidden, but it cannot be said “in what”. He is not a body which can die, nor is He veiled so as to be enclosed therein. He is not near to things by way of touch, nor is He remote from them by way of separation.