Nahj al-Balāgha

فَاعْتَبِرُوا بَمَا أَصَابَ الاْمَمَ المُسْتَكْبِرِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مِنْ بَأْسِ اللهِ وَصَوْلاَتِهِ، وَوَقَائِعِهِ وَمَثُلاَتِهِ، وَاتَّعِظُوا بِمَثَاوِي خُدُودِهِمْ، وَمَصَارعِ جُنُوبِهِمْ، وَاسْتَعِيذوا بِاللهِ مِنْ لَوَاقِحِ الْكبْرِ، كَمَا تَسْتَعِيذُونَهُ مِنْ طَوَارِقِ الدَّهْرِ،

[Taking lessons from the past peoples :] Take instruction from how Allāh’s wrath, violence, chastisement and punishment fell upon the arrogant nations before you. Take admonition from the resting places of their cheeks and their bodies, and seek Allāh’s protection from the dangers of pride, as you seek His protection from calamities.

فَلَوْ رَخَّصَ اللهُ فِي الْكِبْرِ لاِحَد مِنْ عِبَادِهِ لَرَخَّصَ فِيهِ لِخَاصَّةِ أَنبِيَائِهِ [وَأَولِيائِهِ]، وَلكِنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ كَرَّهَ إِلَيْهِمُ التَّكَابُرَ، وَرَضِيَ لَهُمُ التَّوَاضُعَ، فَأَلْصَقُوا بِالاْرْضِ خُدُودَهُمْ، وَعَفَّرُوا فِي التُّرَابِ وُجُوهَهُمْ، وَخَفَضُوا أَجْنِحَتَهُمْ لِلْمُؤمِنِينَ، وَكَانُوا قَوْماً مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ، قَدِ اخْتَبَرَهُمُ اللهُ بالْـمَخْمَصَةِ، وَابْتَلاَهُمْ بِالْـمَجْهَدَةِ، وَامْتَحَنَهُمْ بِالْـمَخَاوِفِ، وَمَخَضَهُمْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ،

Certainly, if Allāh were to allow anyone to indulge in pride He would have allowed it to his selected prophets and vicegerents. But Allāh, the Sublime, disliked vanity for them and liked humbleness for them. Therefore, they laid their cheeks on the ground, smeared their faces with dust, bent themselves down for the believers and remained humble people. Allāh tried them with hunger, afflicted them with difficulty, tested them with fear, and upset them with troubles.

فَلاَ تَعْتَبِرُوا الرِّضَى وَالسُّخْطَ بِالمَالِ وَالْوَلَدِ جَهْلاً بِمَوَاقِعِ لْفِتْنَةِ، وَالاْخْتِبَارِ فِي مَوَاضِعِ الْغِنَى وَالاْفْتِقارِ، فَقَدْ قَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ ﴿أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّمَا نُمِدُّهُم بِهِ مِن مَّالٍ وَبَنِينَ. نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ ۚ بَل لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾، فَإِنَّ اللهَ سْبْحَانَهْ يَخْتَبِرُ عِبَادَهُ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ فِي أَنْفُسِهمْ بِأَوْلِيَائِهِ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ.

Therefore, do not regard wealth and progeny the criterion for Allāh’s pleasure and displeasure, as you are not aware of the chances of mischief and trials during richness and power as Allāh, the Glorified, the Sublime, has said: “What! Think they that what We aid them with of wealth and children, We are hastening unto them the good things? Nay! They (only) perceive not.” (Qur’ān, 23:55-56) Certainly, Allāh the Glorified, tries His creatures who are vain about themselves through His beloved persons who are humble in their eyes.

[تواضع الأنبياء :] وَلَقَدْ دَخَلَ مُوسَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ وَمَعَهُ أَخُوهُ هَارُونُ(عليهما السلام) عَلَى فِرْعَوْنَ، وَعَلَيْهِمَا مَدَارِعُ الصُّوفِ، وَبِأَيْدِيهِمَا الْعِصِيُّ، فَشَرَطَا لَهُ ـ إِنْ أَسْلَمَ ـ بَقَاءَ مُلْكِهِ، وَدَوامَ عِزِّهِ، فَقَالَ: أَلاَ تَعْجبُونَ مِنْ هذَيْنِ يَشْرِطَانِ لِي دَوَامَ الْعِزِّ، وَبَقَاءَ الْمُلْكِ، وَهُمَا بِمَا تَرَوْنَ مِنْ حَالِ الْفَقْرِ وَالذُّلِّ، فَهَلاَّ أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَسَاوِرَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَب؟ إِعْظَاماً لِلذَّهَبِ وَجَمْعِهِ، وَاحْتِقَاراً لِلصُّوفِ وَلُبْسِهِ!

[The humility of the Prophets (peace be on them) :] When Mūsā son of ‘Imrān went to Pharaoh along with his brother Hārūn (Aaron) wearing (coarse) shirts of wool and holding sticks in their hands, they guaranteed him retention of his country and continuity of his honour if he submitted; but he said: “Do you not wonder at these two men guaranteeing me the continuity of my honour and the retention of my country although you see their poverty and lowliness. Otherwise, why do they not have gold bangles on their wrists?” He said so feeling proud of his gold and collected possessions, and considering wool and its cloth as nothing.

وَلَوْ أَرَادَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ بأَنْبِيَائِهِ حَيْثُ بَعَثَهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ لَهُمْ كُنُوزَ الْذِّهْبَانِ، وَمَعَادِنَ الْعِقْيَانِ، وَمَغَارِسَ الْجِنَانِ، وَأَنْ يَحْشُرَ مَعَهُمْ طَيْرَ السَّماءِ وَوُحُوشَ الاْرَضِينَ لَفَعَلَ، وَلَوْ فَعَلَ لَسَقَطَ الْبَلاَءُ، وَبَطَلَ الْجَزَاءُ، وَاضْمَحَلَّتِ الاْنْبَاءُ، وَلَمَا وَجَبَ لِلْقَابِلِينَ أُجُورُ الْمُبْتَلِينَ، وَلاَ اسْتَحَقَّ الْمُؤمِنُونَ ثَوَابَ الْـمُحْسِنِينَ، وَلاَ لَزِمَتِ الاْسْمَاءُ مَعَانِيَهَا، وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ جَعَلَ رُسُلَهُ أُولِي قُوَّة فِي عَزَائِمِهِمْ، وَضَعَفَةً فِيَما تَرَى الاْعْيُنُ مِنْ حَالاَتِهِمْ، مَعَ قَنَاعَة تَمْلاُ الْقُلُوبَ وَالْعُيُونَ غِنىً، وَخَصَاصَة تَمْلاَ الاْبْصَارَ وَالاْسْمَاعَ أَذىً.

When Allāh, the Glorified, deputed His prophets, if He had wished to open for them treasures and mines of gold and (surround them with) planted gardens and to collect around them birds of the skies and beasts of the earth, He could have done so. If He had done so then there would have been no trial, nor recompense and no tidings (about the affairs of the next world). Those who accepted (His message) could not be given the recompense falling due after trial and the believers could not deserve the reward for good acts, and all these words [2] would not have retained their meanings. But Allāh, the Glorified, makes His Prophets firm in their determination and gives them weakness of appearance as seen from the eyes, along with contentment that fills the hearts and eyes resulting from care-freeness, and with want that pains the eyes and ears.

وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الاْنْبِيَاءُ أَهْلَ قُوَّة لاَ تُرَامُ، وَعِزَّة لاَ تُضَامُ، وَمُلْك تُمَدُّ نُحْوَهُ أَعْنَاقُ الرِّجَالِ، وَتُشَدُّ إِلَيْهِ عُقَدُ الرِّحَالِ، لَكَانَ ذلِكَ أَهْوَنَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ فِي الاْعَتِبَارِ، وَأَبْعَدَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الاْسْتَكْبَارِ، وَلامَنُوا عَنْ رَهْبَة قَاهِرَة لَهْمْ، أَوْ رَغْبَة مَائِلَة بِهِمْ، فَكَانَتِ النِّيَّاتُ مُشْتَرَكَةً، وَالْحَسَنَاتُ مُقْتَسَمَةً. وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سْبْحَانَهُ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الاْتِّبَاعُ لِرُسُلِهِ، وَالْتَّصْدِيقُ بِكُتُبِهِ، وَالْخُشُوعُ لِوَجْهِهِ، وَالاْسْتِكَانَةُ لاِمْرِهِ، وَالاْسْتِسْلاَمُ لِطَاعَتِهِ، أُمُوراً لَهُ خَاصَّةً، لاَ تَشُوبُهَا مِنْ غَيْرِهَا شَائِبَةٌ، وَكُلَّمَا كَانَتِ الْبلْوَى وَالاْخْتِبَارُ أَعْظَمَ كَانَتِ الْمَثُوبَةُ وَالْجَزَاءُ أَجْزَلَ.

If the prophets possessed authority that could not be assaulted, or honour that could not be damaged or domain towards which the necks of people would turn and the saddles of mounts could be set, it would have been very easy for people to seek lessons and quite difficult to feel vanity. They would have then accepted belief out of fear felt by them or inclination attracting them, and the intention of them all would have been the same, although their actions would have been different. Therefore, Allāh, the Glorified decided that people should follow His prophets, acknowledge His books, remain humble before His face, obey His command and accept His obedience with sincerity in which there should not be an iota of anything else; and as the trial and tribulation would be stiffer the reward and recompense too should be larger.

[الكعبة المقدسة :] ألاَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ، اخْتَبَرَ الاْوَّلِينَ مِنْ لَدُنْ آدَمَ صَلَّى اللهِ عَلَيْهِ، إِلَى الاخِرِينَ مِنْ هذا الْعَالَمِ، بَأَحْجَار لاَ تَضُرُّ وَلاَ تَنْفَعُ، وَلاَ تُبْصِرُ وَلاَ تَسْمَعُ، فَعَجَلَهَا بَيْتَهُ الْحَرَامَ الَّذِي جَعَلَهُ لِلنَّاسِ قِيَاماً. ثُمَّ وَضَعَهُ بِأَوْعَرِ بِقَاعِ الاْرْضِ حَجَراً، وَأَقَلِّ نَتَائِقِ الدُّنْيَا مَدَراً، وَأَضْيَقِ بُطُونِ الاْوْدِيَةِ قُطْراً، بَيْنَ جِبَال خَشِنَة، وَرِمَال دَمِثَة، وَعُيُون وَشِلَة، وَقُرىً مُنْقَطِعَة، لا يَزْكُو بِهَا خُفٌّ وَلاَ حَافِرٌ وَلاَ ظِلْفٌ.

[The Holy Ka‘bah :] Do you not see that Allāh, the Glorified, has tried all the people among those who came before, beginning with Adam, upto the last ones in this world with stones which yield neither benefit nor harm, which neither see nor hear. He made those stones into His sacred house which He made a standby for the people. He placed it in the most rugged stony part of the earth and on a highland with least soil thereon, among the most narrow valleys between rough mountains, soft sandy plains, springs of scanty water and scattered habitants, where neither camels nor horses nor cows and sheep can prosper.

ثُمَّ أَمَرَ آدَمَ وَوَلَدَهُ أَنْ يَثْنُوا أَعْطَافَهُمْ نَحْوَهُ، فَصَارَ مَثَابَةً لِمُنْتَجَعِ أَسْفَارِهمْ، وَغَايَةً لِمُلْقَى رِحَالِهِمْ، تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِ ثِمَارُ الاْفْئِدَةِ مِنْ مَفَاوِزِ قِفَار سَحِيقَة، وَمَهَاوِي فِجَاج عَمِيقَة، وَجَزَائِرِ بِحَار مُنْقَطِعَة، حَتَّى يَهُزُّوا مَنَاكِبَهُمْ ذُلُلاً يُهَلِّلُونَ لله حَوْلَهُ، وَيَرْمُلُونَ عَلَى أَقْدَامِهِمْ شُعْثاً غُبْراً لَهُ، قَدْ نَبَذُوا السَّرَابِيلَ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ، وَشَوَّهُوا بِإِعْفَاءِ الشُّعُورِ مَحَاسِنَ خَلْقِهِمُ، ابْتِلاَءً عَظِيماً، وَامْتِحاناً شَدِيداً، وَاخْتِبَاراً مُبِيناً، وَتَمْحِيصاً بَلِيغاً، جَعَلَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى سَبَباً لِرَحْمَتِهِ، وَوُصْلَةً إِلَى جَنَّتِهِ.

Then He commanded Adam and his sons to turn their attention towards it. In this way it became the centre of their journey in seeking pastures and the rendezvous for meeting of their carrier-beasts, so that human spirits hasten towards it from distant waterless deserts, deep and low lying valleys and scattered islands in the seas. They shake their shoulders in humbleness, recite the slogan of having reached His audience, march with swift feet, and have dishevelled hair and dusted faces. They throw their pieces of cloth on their backs, they have marred the beauty of their faces by leaving the hair uncut as a matter of great test, severe tribulation, open trial, and extreme refining. Allāh has made it a means to His mercy and an approach to His Paradise.

وَلَوْ أَرَادَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَضَعَ بَيْتَهُ الْحَرَامَ، وَمَشَاعِرَهُ الْعِظَامَ، بَيْنَ جَنَّات وَأَنْهَار، وَسَهْل وَقَرَار، جَمَّ الاْشْجَارِ، دَانِيَ الِّثمارِ، مُلْتَفَّ الْبُنَى، مُتَّصِلَ الْقُرَى، بَيْنَ بُرَّة سَمْرَاءَ، وَرَوْضَة خَضْرَاءَ، وَأَرْيَاف مُحْدِقَة، وَعِرَاص مُغْدِقَة، وَزُرُوع نَاضِرَة، وَطُرُق عَامِرَة، لَكَانَ قَدْ صَغُرَ قَدْرُ الْجَزَاءِ عَلَى حَسَبِ ضَعْفِ الْبَلاَءِ.

If Allāh, the Glorified, had placed His sacred House and His great signs among plantations, streams, soft and level plains, plenty of trees, an abundance of fruits, a thick population, close habitats, golden wheat, lush gardens, green land, watered plains, thriving orchards and crowded streets, the amount of recompense would have decreased because of the lightness of the trial.

وَلَوْ كَانَ الاْسَاسُ الْـمَحْمُولُ عَلَيْهَا، وَالاْحْجَارُ الْمَرْفُوعُ بِهَا، بَيْنَ زُمُرُّدَة خَضْرَاءَ، وَيَاقُوتَة حَمْرَاءَ، وَنُور وَضِيَاء، لَخَفَّفَ ذلِكَ مُضَارَعَةَ الشَّكِّ فِي الصُّدُورِ، وَلَوَضَعَ مُجَاهَدَةَ إبْلِيسَ عَنِ الْقُلُوبِ، وَلَنَفَى مُعْتَلَجَ الرَّيْبِ مِنَ الْنَّاسِ. وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يَخْتَبِرُ عِبَادَهُ بِأَنْوَاعِ الشَّدَائِدِ، وَيَتَعَبَّدُهُمْ بِأَلْوَانِ الْـمَجَاهِدِ، وَيَبْتَلِيهِمْ بِضُرُوبِ الْمَكَارِهِ، إِخْرَاجاً لِلتَّكَبُّرِ مِنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ، وَإِسْكَاناً لِلتَّذَلُّلِ فِي نُفُوسِهمْ، وَلِيَجْعَلْ ذلِكَ أَبْوَاباً فُتُحاً إِلَى فَضْلِهِ، وَأَسْبَاباً ذُلُلاً لِعَفْوِهِ.

If the foundation on which the House is borne and the stones with which it has been raised had been of green emerald and red rubies, and there had been brightness and effulgence, then this would have lessened the action of doubts in the breasts, would have dismissed the effect of Satan’s activity from the hearts, and would have stopped the surging of misgivings in people. But Allāh tries His creatures by means of different troubles, wants them to render worship through hardships and involves them in distresses, all in order to extract out vanity from their hearts, to settle down humbleness in their spirits and to make all this an open door for His favours and an easy means for His forgiveness (for their sins).