Nahj al-Balāgha

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ صِرْتُمْ بَعْدَ الْهِجْرَةِ أَعْرَاباً، وَبَعْدَ الْمُوَالاَةِ أحْزَاباً، مَا تَتَعَلَّقُونَ مِنَ الاْسْلاَمِ إِلاَّ بِاسْمِهِ، وَلاَ تَعْرِفُونَ مِنَ الاْيمَانِ إِلاَّ رَسْمَهُ، تَقُولُونَ: النَّارَ وَلاَ الْعَارَ! كَأَنَّكُمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تُكْفِئُوا الاْسْلاَمَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ، انْتِهَاكاً لِحَرِيمِهِ، وَنَقْضاً لِمِيثَاقِهِ الَّذِي وَضَعَهُ اللهُ لَكُمْ حَرَماً فِي أَرْضِهِ، وأَمْناً بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ. وإِنَّكُمْ إِنْ لَجَأْتُمْ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ حَارَبَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكُفْرِ، ثُمَّ لاَ جَبْرَائِيلُ وَلاَ مِيكَائِيلُ وَلاَ مُهَاجِرُونَ وَلاَ أَنْصَارٌ يَنْصُرُونَكُمْ إِلاَّ الْمُقَارَعَةَ بِالسَّيْفِ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنَكُمْ.

You should know that you have again reverted to the position of the Bedouin Arabs after migration (to Islam), and have become different parties after having been once united. You do not possess anything of Islam except its name, and know nothing of belief save its show. You say, “The Fire yes, but no shameful position,” as if you would throw down Islam on its face in order to defame its honour and break its pledge (for brotherhood) which Allāh gave you as a sacred trust on His earth and (a source of) peace among the people. Be sure that if you incline towards anything other than Islam, the unbelievers will fight you. Then there will be neither Gabriel nor Michael, neither muhājirūn nor anṣār to help you, but only the clashing of swords, till Allāh settles the matter for you.

وَإِنَّ عِنْدَكُمُ الاْمْثَالَ مِنْ بَأْسِ اللهِ تَعَالَى وَقَوَارِعِهِ، وَأَيَّامِهِ وَوَقَائِعِهِ، فَلاَ تَسْتَبْطِئُوا وَعِيدَهُ جَهْلاً بَأَخْذِهِ، وَتَهَاوُناً بِبَطْشِهِ، وَيأْساً مِنْ بَأْسِهِ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَلْعَنِ الْقَرْنَ الْمَاضِيَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ إِلاَّ لِتَرْكِهِمُ الاْمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ، فَلَعَنَ السُّفَهَاءَ لِرُكُوبِ الْمَعَاصِي، وَالْحُلَمَاءَ لِتَرْكِ الْتَّنَاهِيْ!

Certainly, there are examples before you of Allāh’s wrath, punishment, days of tribulations and happenings. Therefore, do not disregard His promises, ignoring His punishment, making light His wrath and not expecting His violence, because Allāh, the Glorified, did not curse the past ages except because they had left off asking others to do good acts and refraining them from bad acts. In fact Allāh cursed the foolish for committing sins and the wise because they gave up refraining others from evils.

أَلاَ وَقَدْ قَطَعْتُمْ قَيْدَ الاْسْلاَمِ، وَعَطَّلْتُمْ حُدُودَهُ، وَأَمَتُّمْ أَحْكَامَهُ. أَلاَ وَقَدْ أَمَرَنِيَ اللهُ بِقِتَالِ أَهْلِ الْبَغْي وَالْنَّكْثِ وَالْفَسَادِ فِي الاْرْضِ، فَأَمَّا النَّاكِثُونَ فَقَدْ قَاتَلْتُ، وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَقَدْ جَاهَدْتُ، وَأَمَّا الْمَارِقَةُ فَقَدْ دَوَّخْتُ، وَأَمَّا شَيْطَانُ الرَّدْهَةِ فَقَدْ كُفِيتُهُ بِصَعْقَة سُمِعْتْ لَهَا وَجْبَةُ قَلْبِهِ وَرَجَّةُ صَدْرِهِ، وَبَقِيَتْ بَقِيَّةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَغْيِ، وَلَئِنْ أَذِنَ اللهُ فِي الْكَرَّةِ عَلَيْهِمْ لاَدِيلَنَّ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا يَتَشَذَّرُ فِي أَطْرَافِ الاْرْضِ تَشَذُّراً!

Beware! You have broken the bonds of Islam, transgressed its limits, and destroyed its commands. Beware! Surely Allāh has commanded me to fight those who revolt, or who break the pledge, or create trouble on the earth. As regards pledge-breakers, I have fought them, as regards deviators from truth, I have waged holy war against them, and as regards those who have gone out of the faith, I have put them in (serious) disgrace. [5] As for Satan of the pit, [6] he too has been dealt with by me through the loud cry with which the scream of his heart and shaking of his chest was also heard. Only a small portion of the rebels has remained. If Allāh allows me one more chance over them I will annihilate them except a few remnants that may remain scattered in the suburb of the cities.

[فضل الوحي :] أَنَا وَضَعْتُ [فِي الصِّغَرَ] بَكَلاَكِلِ الْعَرَبِ، وَكَسَرْتُ نَوَاجِمَ قُرُونِ رَبِيعَةَ وَمُضَرَ. وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَوْضِعِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) بِالْقَرَابَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ، وَالْمَنْزِلَةِ الْخَصِيصَةِ: وَضَعَنِي فِي حِجْرِهِ وَأَنَا وليدٌ يَضُمُّنِي إِلَى صَدْرِهِ، وَيَكْنُفُنِي فِي فِرَاشِهِ، وَيُمِسُّنِي جَسَدَهُ، وَيُشِمُّنِي عَرْفَهُ، وَكَانَ يَمْضَغُ الشَّيْءَ ثُمَّ يُلْقِمُنِيهِ، وَمَا وَجَدَ لِي كَذْبَةً فِي قَوْل، وَلاَ خَطْلَةً فِي فِعْل.

Even in my boyhood I had lowered the chest of (the famous men) of Arabia, and broken the horn points (i.e., defeated the chiefs) of the tribes of Rabī‘ah and Muḍar. Certainly, you know my position of close kinship and special relationship with the Prophet of Allāh - peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants. When I was only a child he took charge of me. He used to press me to his chest and lay me beside him in his bed, bring his body close to mine and make me smell his fragrance. He used to chew something and then feed me with it. He found no lie in my speaking, nor weakness in any act.

وَلَقَدْ قَرَنَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) مِنْ لَدُنْ [أَنْ] كَانَ فَطِيماً أَعْظَمَ مَلَك مِنْ مَلاَئِكَتِهِ يَسْلُكُ بِهِ طَرِيقَ الْمَكَارِمِ، وَمَحَاسِنَ أَخْلاَقِ الْعَالَمِ، لَيْلَهُ وَنَهَارَهُ، وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَتَّبِعُهُ اتِّبَاعَ الْفَصِيلِ أَثَرَ أُمِّهِ، يَرْفَعُ لي فِي كُلِّ يَوْم عَلَماً مِنْ أخْلاقِهِ، وَيَأْمُرُني بِالاقْتِدَاءِ بِهِ. وَلَقَدْ كَانَ يُجَاوِرُ فِي كُلِّ سَنَة بِحِرَاءَ، فَأَرَاهُ وَلاَ يَرَاهُ غَيْرِي، وَلَمْ يَجْمَعْ بَيْتٌ وَاحِدٌ يَوْمَئِذ فِي الاْسْلاَمِ غَيْرَ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) وَخَدِيجَةَ وَأَنَا ثَالِثُهُمَا، أَرَى نُورَ الْوَحْيِ وَالرِّسَالَةِ، وَأَشُمُّ رِيحَ النُّبُوَّةِ.

From the time of his weaning, Allāh had put a mighty angel with him to take him along the path of high character and good behaviour through day and night, while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow it. Every year he used to go in seclusion to the hill of Ḥirā’, where I saw him but no one else saw him. In those days Islam did not exist in any house except that of the Prophet of Allāh - peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - and Khadījah, while I was the third after these two. I used to see and watch the effulgence of divine revelation and message, and breathed the scent of Prophethood.

وَلَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَنَّةَ الشَّيْطَانِ حِينَ نَزَلَ الْوَحْيُ عَلَيْهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا هذِهِ الرَّنَّةُ؟ فَقَالَ: «هذَا الشَّيْطَانُ قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ عِبَادَتِهِ، إِنَّكَ تَسْمَعُ مَا أَسْمَعُ، وَتَرَى مَا أَرَى، إِلاَّ أَنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِنَبِيّ، وَلكِنَّكَ وَزِيرٌ، وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خَيْر».

When the revelation descended on the Prophet of Allāh - peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants - I heard the moan of Satan. I said, “O Prophet of Allāh, what is this moan?” and he replied, “This is Satan who has lost all hope of being worshipped. O ‘Alī, you see all that I see and you hear all that I hear, except that you are not a Prophet, but you are a vicegerent and you are surely on (the path of) virtue.”

وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ مَعَهُ (صلى الله عليه وآله) لَمَّا أَتاهُ المَلاَ مِنْ قُريْش، فَقَالُوا لَهُ: يَا مُحُمَّدُ، إِنَّكُ قَدِ ادَّعْيْتَ عَظِيماً لَمْ يَدَّعِهِ آبَاؤُكَ وَلاَ أحَدٌ مِن بَيْتِكَ، وَنَحْنُ نَسَأَلُكَ أَمْراً إِنْ أَجَبْتَنَا إِلَيْهِ وَأَرَيْتَنَاهُ، عَلِمْنَا أَنَّكَ نِبِيٌّ وَرَسُولٌ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّكَ سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ.

I was with him when a party of the Quraysh came to him and said to him, “O Muḥammad, you have made a big claim which none of your fore-fathers or those of your family have made. We ask you one thing; if you give us an answer to it and show it to us, we will believe that you are a prophet and a messenger, but if you cannot do it, we will know that you are a sorcerer and a liar.”

فَقَالَ لهم (صلى الله عليه وآله): «وَمَا تَسْأَلُونَ؟». قَالُوا: تَدْعُو لَنَا هذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ حَتَّى تَنْقَلِعَ بِعُرُوقِهَا وَتَقِفَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ. فَقَالَ (صلى الله عليه وآله): «إِنَّ الله عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ، فإِنْ فَعَلَ اللهُ ذلِكَ لَكُمْ، أَتُؤْمِنُونَ وَتَشْهَدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ؟». قَالُوا: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: «فَإِنِّي سَأُرِيكُمْ مَا تَطْلُبُونَ، وإِنِّي لاَعْلَمُ أَنَّكُمْ لاَ تَفِيئُونَ إِلَى خَيْر، وَإِنَّ فِيكُمْ مَنْ يُطْرَحُ فِي الْقَلِيبِ، وَمَنْ يُحَزِّبُ الاْحْزَابَ». ثُمَّ قَالَ: «يَا أَيَّتُهَا الشَّجَرَةُ إِنْ كُنْتِ تُؤمِنِينَ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الاْخِرِ، وَتَعْلَمِينَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ، فَانْقَلِعِي بعُرُوقِكِ حَتَّى تَقِفِي بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ».

The Messenger of Allāh said: “What do you ask for?” They said: “Ask this tree to move for us, even with its roots, and stop before you.” The Prophet said, “Verily, Allāh has power over everything. If Allāh does it for you, will you then believe and stand witness to the truth?” They said “Yes”. Then he said, “I shall show you whatever you want, but I know that you won’t bend towards virtue, and there are among you those who will be thrown into the pit, and those who will form parties (against me).” Then the Holy Prophet said: “O tree, if you do believe in Allāh and the Day of Judgement, and know that I am the Prophet of Allāh, come up with your roots and stand before me with the permission of Allāh.”

فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيّاً لاَنْقَلَعَتْ بِعُرُوقِهَا، وَجَاءَتْ وَلَهَا دَوِيٌّ شَدِيدٌ، وَقَصْفٌ كَقَصْفِ أَجْنِحَةِ الطَّيْرِ، حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) مُرَفْرِفَةً، وَأَلْقَتْ بِغُصْنِهَا الاْعْلَى عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله)، وَبِبَعْضِ أَغْصَانِهَا عَلَى مَنْكِبِي، وَكُنْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ (عليه السلام).

By Him who deputed the Prophet with truth, the tree did remove itself with its root and came with a great humming sound and a flapping like the flapping of the wings of birds, till it stopped before the Messenger of Allāh and cast its higher branches over the Prophet, while some of its branches came down onto my shoulders, and I was on the right side of the Holy Prophet.

فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ الْقَوْمُ إِلَى ذلِكَ قَالُوا ـ عُلُوّاً وَاسْتِكْبَاراً : فَمُرْهَا فَلْيَأْتِكَ نِصْفُهَا وَيَبْقَى نِصْفُهَا. فَأَمَرَهَا بِذلِكَ، فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِ نِصْفُهَا كَأَعْجَبِ إِقْبَال وَأَشَدِّهِ دَوِيّاً، فَكَادَتْ تَلْتَفُّ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله). فَقَالُوا كُفْراً وَعُتُوّاً : فَمُرْ هذَا النِّصْفَ فَلْيَرْجِعْ إِلَى نِصْفِهِ كَمَا كَانَ. فَأَمَرَهُ فَرَجَعَ.

When the people saw this they said by way of pride and vanity. “Now you order half of it to come to you and the other half of it remain (in its place).” The Holy Prophet ordered the tree to do the same. Then half of the tree advanced towards him in an amazing manner and with greater humming. It was about to touch the Prophet of Allāh. Then they said, disbelieving and revolting, “Ask this half to get back to its other half and be as it was.” The Prophet ordered it and it returned.