Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) وفيها يعظ ويبيّن فضل القرآن وينهى عن البدعة

Admonishing the people, expounding the excellences of the Qur’ān and forbidding innovation

[عظة الناس :] انْتَفِعُوا بِبَيَانِ اللهِ، وَاتَّعِظُوا بِمَوَاعِظِ اللهِ، وَاقْبَلُوا نَصِيحَةَ اللهِ، فَإنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ أَعْذَرَ إلَيْكُمْ بِالْجَلِيَّةِ، وَاتَّخَذَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْحُجَّةَ، وَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ مَحَابَّهُ مِنَ الاْعْمَالِ، وَمَكَارِهَهُ مِنْهَا، لِتَتَّبِعُوا هذِهِ، وَتَجْتَنِبُوا هذِهِ، فَإنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) كَانَ يَقُولُ: «إنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ، وَإنَّ النَّارَ حُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ».

[Preaching :] (O creatures!) Seek benefit from the sayings of Allāh, be admonished of Allāh and accept the advice of Allāh because Allāh has left no excuse for you by providing clear guidance, has put before you the plea and clarified for you what acts He likes and what acts He hates, so that you may follow the one and avoid the other. The Prophet of Allāh used to say, “Paradise is surrounded by unpleasant things while Hell is surrounded by desires.”

وَاعْلَمُوا أنَّهُ مَا مِنْ طَاعَةِ اللهِ شَيْءٌ إلاَّ يَأْتي فِي كُرْه، وَمَا مِنْ مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ شَيءٌ إلاَّ يَأْتِي فِي شَهْوَة. فَرَحِمَ اللهُ رَجُلاً نَزَعَ عَنْ شَهْوَتِهِ، وَقَمَعَ هَوَى نَفْسِهِ، فَإنَّ هذِهِ النَّفْسَ أَبْعَدُ شَيْء مَنْزِعاً، وَإنَّهَا لاَ تَزَالُ تَنْزِعُ إِلَى مَعْصِيَة فِي هَوىً.

You should know that every obedience to Allāh is unpleasant in appearance while every disobedience to Allāh has the appearance of enjoyment. Allāh may have mercy on the person who kept aloof from his desire and uprooted the appetite of his heart, because this heart has far-reaching aims and it goes on pursuing disobedience through desires.

وَاعْلَمُوا ـ عِبَادَ اللهِ ـ أَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يُصْبِحُ وَلاَ يُمْسِي إلاَّ وَنَفْسُهُ ظَنُونٌ عِنْدَهُ، فَلاَ يَزَالُ زَارِياً عَلَيْهَا وَمُسْتَزِيْداً لَهَا، فَكُونُوا كَالسَّابِقِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَالْمَاضِينَ أَمَامَكُمْ، قَوَّضُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا تَقْوِيضَ الرَّاحِلِ، وَطَوَوْهَا طَيَّ الْمَنَازلِ.

You should know, O creatures of Allāh, that a believer should be distrustful of his heart every morning and evening. He should always blame it (for shortcomings) and ask it to add to (its good acts). You should behave like those who have gone before you and the precedents in front of you. They left this world like a traveller and covered it as distance is covered.

[فضل القرآن :] وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ هُوَ النَّاصِحُ الَّذِي لاَ يَغُشُّ، وَالْهَادِي الَّذِي لاَ يُضِلُّ، وَالْمحَدِّثُ الَّذِي لاَ يَكْذِبُ، وَمَا جَالَسَ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ قَامَ عَنْهُ بِزِيَادَة أَوْ نُقْصَان: زِيَادَة فِي هُدىً، أَوْ نُقْصَان مِنْ عَمىً. وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَى أَحَد بَعْدَ الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ فَاقَة، وَلاَ لاحَد قَبْلَ الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ غِنىً; فَاسْتَشْفُوهُ مِنْ أَدْوَائِكُمْ، وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِهِ عَلَى لاَوَائِكُمْ، فَإنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ أَكْبَرِ الدَّاءِ، وَهُوَ الْكُفْرُ وَالنِّفَاقُ، وَالْغَيُّ وَالضَّلاَلُ، فَاسْأَلُوا اللهَ بِهِ، وَتَوَجَّهُوا إِلَيْهِ بِحُبِّهِ، وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا بِهِ خَلْقَهُ، إنَّهُ مَا تَوَجَّهَ الْعِبَادُ إلَى اللهِ بِمِثْلِهِ.

[The greatness of the Holy Qur’ān :] And know that this Qur’ān is an adviser who never deceives, a leader who never misleads and a narrator who never speaks a lie. No one will sit beside this Qur’ān but that when he rises he will achieve one addition or one diminution — addition in his guidance or elimination in his (spiritual) blindness. You should also know that no one will need any thing after (guidance from) the Qur’ān and no one will be free from want before (guidance from) the Qur’ān. Therefore, seek cure from it for your ailments and seek its assistance in your distresses. It contains a cure for the biggest diseases, namely unbelief, hypocricy, revolt and misguidance. Pray to Allāh through it and turn to Allāh with its love. Do not ask the people through it. There is nothing like it through which the people should turn to Allāh, the Sublime.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ شَافِعٌ مُشَفَّعٌ، وَقَائِلٌ مُصَدَّقٌ، وَأَنَّهُ مَنْ شَفَعَ لَهُ الْقُرْآنُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُفِّعَ فِيهِ، وَمَنْ مَحَلَ بِهِ الْقُرْآنُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ صُدِّقَ عَلَيْه، فَإنَّهُ يُنَادِي مُنَاد يَوْمَ الْقِيَامةِ: أَلاَ إنَّ كُلَّ حَارِث مُبْتَلىً فِي حَرْثِهِ وَعَاقِبَةِ عَمَلِهِ، غَيْرَ حَرَثَةِ الْقُرآنِ; فَكُونُوا مِنْ حَرَثَتِهِ وَأَتْبَاعِهِ، وَاسْتَدِلُّوهُ عَلى رِّبِّكُمْ، وَاسْتَنْصِحُوهُ عَلى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، وَاتَّهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ آرَاءَكُمْ، وَاسْتَغِشُّوا فِيهِ أَهْوَاءَكُمْ.

Know that it is an interceder and its intercession will be accepted. It is a speaker who is testified. For whoever the Qur’ān intercedes on the Day of Judgement, its intercession for him would be accepted. He about whom the Qur’ān speaks ill on the Day of Judgement shall testify to it. On the Day of Judgement an announcer will announce, “Beware, every sower of a crop is in distress except the sowers of the Qur’ān.” Therefore, you should be among the sowers of the Qur’ān and its followers. Make it your guide towards Allāh. Seek its advice for yourselves, do not trust your views against it, and regard your desires in the matter of the Qur’ān as deceitful.

[الحث على العمل :] الْعَمَلَ الْعَمَلَ، ثُمَّ النِّهَايَةَ النِّهَايَةَ، وَالاسْتَقَامَةَ الاسْتِقَامَةَ، ثُمَّ الصَّبْرَ الصَّبْرَ، وَالْوَرَعَ الْوَرَعَ! إنَّ لَكُمْ نِهَايَةً فَانْتَهُوا إلى نِهَايَتِكُمْ، وَإنَّ لَكُمْ عَلَماً فَاهْتَدُوا بِعَلَمِكُمْ، وَإنَّ لِلاْسْلاَمِ غَايَةً فانْتَهُوا إلى غَايَتِهِ، وَاخْرُجُوا إلَى اللهِ بِمَا افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَقِّهِ، وَبَيَّنَ لكُمْ مِنْ وَظَائِفِهِ. أَنَا شَاهِدٌ لَكُمْ، وَحَجِيجٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَنْكُمْ.

[About the believers and their good deeds; and the hypocrites and their bad deeds :] Action! action! Then (look at) the end; the end, and (remain) steadfast; steadfast. Thereafter (exercise) endurance, endurance, and piety, piety. You have an objective. Proceed towards your objective. You have a sign. Take guidance from your sign. Islam has an objective. Proceed towards its objective. Proceed towards Allāh’s by fulfilling His rights which He has enjoined upon you. He has clearly stated His demands for you. I am a witness for you and shall plead excuses on your behalf on the Day of Judgement.

[نصائح للناس :] أَلاَ وَإنَّ الْقَدَرَ السَّابِقَ قَدْ وَقَعَ، وَالْقَضَاءَ الْمَاضِيَ قَدْ تَوَرَّدَ، وَإنِّي مُتَكَلِّمٌ بِعِدَةِ اللهِ وَحُجَّتِهِ، قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللَّـهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ﴾،

[Counselling people :] Beware! what had been ordained has occurred and that which had been destined has come into play. I am speaking to you with the promise and pleas of Allāh. Allāh the Sublime, has said : “Verily, those who say: Our Lord is Allāh! and persevere aright, the angels descend upon them (saying): ‘Fear ye not, nor be grieved, and receive the glad tidings of the Garden which ye were promissed’.” (Qur’ān, 41:30)

وَقَدْ قُلْتُمْ «رَبُّنَا اللهُ»، فَاسْتَقِيمُوا عَلَى كِتَابِهِ، وَعَلَى مِنْهَاجِ أَمْرِهِ، وَعَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ مِنْ عِبَادتِهِ، ثُمَّ لاَ تَمْرُقُوا مِنْهَا، وَلاَ تَبْتَدِعُوا فِيهَا، وَلاَ تُخَالِفُوا عَنْهَا; فَإنَّ أَهْلَ الْمُرُوقِ مُنْقَطَعٌ بِهمْ عِنْدَ اللهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.

You have said, ‘“Our Lord is Allāh.” Then keep steadfast to His Book, to the way of His command and to the virtuous course of His worship. Thereafter do not go out of it, do not introduce innovations in it, and do not turn away from it, because those who go away from this course will be cut off from (the mercy of) Allāh on the Day of Judgement.

ثُمَّ إيَّاكُمْ وَتَهْزِيعَ الاْخْلاَقِ وَتَصْرِيفَهَا، وَاجْعَلُوا اللِّسَانَ وَاحِداً، وَلْيَخْتَزِنَ الرَّجُلُ لِسَانَهُ، فَإنَّ هذَا اللِّسَانَ جَمُوحٌ بِصَاحِبِهِ، وَاللهِ مَا أَرَى عَبْداً يَتَّقِي تَقْوَى تَنْفَعُهُ حَتَّى يَخْتَزِنَ لِسَانَهُ، وَإنَّ لِسَانَ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ قَلْبِهِ، وَإنَّ قَلْبَ الْمُنَافِقِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ لِسَانِهِ: لاِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بَكَلاَم تَدَبَّرَهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ، فَإنْ كَانَ خَيْراً أَبْدَاهُ، وَإنْ كَانَ شَرّاً وَارَاهُ، وَإنَّ الْمُنَافِقَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا أَتَى عَلَى لِسَانِهِ لاَ يَدْرِي مَاذَا لَهُ، وَمَاذَا عَلَيْهِ،

Beware from destroying your manners and changing them, maintain one tongue. A man should control his tongue because the tongue is obstinate with its master. By Allāh, I do not find that fear of Allāh benefits a man who practises it unless he controls his tongue. Certainly the tongue of a believer is at the back of his heart while the heart of a hypocrite is at the back of his tongue; because, when a believer intends to say anything, he thinks it over in his mind. If it is good he discloses it, but if it is bad he lets it remain concealed. While a hypocrite speaks whatever comes to his tongue, without knowing what is in his favour and what goes against him.