Creation of Universe

Age of Ignorance, Household of Muhammad, hypocrites

Shaqshaqiya (literally, "roar of the camel"), in which Alī lays out his claim to the caliphate and his superiority over his predecessors

His far-sightedness and his steadfastness in Islam

When Abbas and Abu Sufyan offered to pay allegiance to him for the caliphate after Muhammad''s death

On being advised not to chase Talha and Zubayr for fighting

The hypocrites

About Zubayr at a time for which it was appropriate

Cowardice of his enemies in the Battle of the Camel

Talha and Zubayr

When he gave the standard of the Battle of the Camel to his son Mohammad

When, after his victory in the Battle of the Camel, one of his comrades said, "I wish my brother had been present and he too would have seen what success and victory God had given you"

Condemning the people of Basra

Also in condemnation of the people of Basra

After resuming the land grants made by Uthman

Delivered when the people of Madina swore allegiance to him

About those who sit for dispensation of justice among people but are not fit for it

In disparagement of contradictory views among Muslim jurists

Treachery and hypocrisy of al-Ashath al-Kindi

Death and taking lessons from it

Advice to keep light in this world

About those who accused him of killing Uthman

Keeping aloof from envy, and good behavior towards kin

Exhorting people for jihad

When his men were overpowered by Muawiya''s men

People after Muhammad''s death, the settlement between Muawiya and Amr ibn al-As

The transient nature of this world and importance of the next world

About those who found pretexts at the time of jihad

In connection with Uthman''s killing

Before the Battle of the Camel, he sent Ibn Abbas to Zubayr to advise him back to obedience

Disparagement of the world and categories of people

At the time of setting for the Battle of the Camel

Exhorting people to fight against the people of Syria

After arbitration

Warning the people of Nahrawan of their fate

His steadfastness and precedence in Islam

In disparagement of those in doubt

In disparagement of those who shrink from fighting

In response to the slogan of Kharijites: "Judgment belongs to God alone"

In condemnation of treason

Heart''s desires and hopes

In response to a suggestion of war

When Masqala defected to Syria

The greatness of God and the lowliness of this world

When he decided to march towards Syria

Calamities befalling Kufa

At the time of marching towards Syria

God''s greatness and sublimity

Admixture of right and wrong

When his men were prevented from taking water from the River Euphrates

Reward and punishment in the next world

On the description of the Day of Sacrifice

On the swear of allegiance

When his men showed impatience on his delay in giving them permission to fight in Siffin

Steadiness on the battlefield

Muawiya swallows whatever he gets and craves for what he does not get

Addressing the Kharijites

When he was told that the Kharijites had crossed the bridge of Nahrawan

When he was told that the Kharijites had been totally annihilated

Do not fight the Kharijites after me!

When he was warned of being killed by deceit

Transience of this world

Decline and destruction of this world

Attributes of God

Ways of fighting

On hearing the account of what took place in Saqifah of Bani-Sa''ida

When Mohammad ibn Abi Bakr, governor of Egypt, was overpowered and killed

Admonishing his companions for careless behavior

In the morning of the day he was fatally struck with a sword

In condemnation of the people of Iraq

Praise for Muhammad

When Hasan and Husayn interceded on behalf of Marwan

When the elective committee (or shura) decided to swear allegiance to Uthman

When he learned that the Umayyads blamed him for killing Uthman

Preaching and counseling

Banu Umayyad

One of his supplications

Prophecy of astrologers

Shortcomings of women

Way of preaching and counseling

World and its people

Al-Gharra (literally, "the brilliant"), in which Ali enjoined people to piety

Amr ibn al-As

Perfection of God and counseling

Preparing for the hereafter by following God''s commandments

Faithful and unfaithful believers

Factions of community

Holy Prophet

God''s attributes and some advice

Al-Ashbaah (literally, "the skeletons"), in which Ali talked about the creation of the universe

When people decided to swear allegiance to him after the murder of Uthman

Annihilation of the Kharijites, mischief mongering of the Umayyads, vastness of his own knowledge

God''s praise and eulogy of the prophets

Age of Ignorance and Muhammad''s efforts to disseminate God''s message

In eulogy of Muhammad

Admonishing his companions

Oppression of the Umayyads

Abstinence of the world and vicissitudes of time

Muhammad and his descendants

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) وقد جمع الناس وحضّهم على الجهاد، فسكتوا ملياً، فقال (عليه السلام) مَا بَالُكُمْ أَمُخْرَسُونَ أَنْتُمْ؟ فقال قوم منهم: يا أميرالمؤمنين، إن سرتَ سرنا معك. فقال (عليه السلام):

Amīr al-mu’minīn collected the people and exhorted them [1] to jihād but they observed long silence. Then he said: “What is the matter with you. Have you become dumb?” A group of them replied. “O Amīr al-mu’minīn if you go forth we shall be with you.” Whereupon Amīr al-mu’minīn said :

مَا بَالُكُمْ! لاَ سُدِّدْتُمْ لِرُشْد! وَلاَ هُدِيتُمْ لَقَصْد! أَفِي مِثْلِ هذَا يَنْبَغِي لِي أَنْ أَخْرُجَ؟ إِنَّمَا يَخْرُخُ فِي مِثْلِ هذَا رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ أَرْضَاهُ مِنْ شُجْعَانِكُمْ وَذَوِي بَأْسِكُمْ، وَلاَ يَنْبَغِي لِي أَنْ أَدَعَ الْجُنْدَ، وَالْمِصْرَ، وَبَيْتَ الْمَالِ، وَجِبَايَةَ الاْرْضِ، وَالْقَضَاءَ بَيْنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَالنَّظَرَ في حُقُوقِ الْمُطَالِبِينَ، ثُمَّ أَخْرُجَ فِي كَتِيبَة أَتْبَعُ أُخْرَى، أَتَقَلْقَلُ تَقَلْقُلَ الْقِدْحِ فِي الْجَفِيرِ الْفَارِغِ،

What has happened to you? You may not be guided aright or shown the right path. Should in these circumstances I go forth? In fact, at this time one of the brave and the valorous among you whom I select should go out. It does not suit me to leave the army, the city, the public treasury, the land revenue, the dispensation of justice among Muslims and looking after the demands of the claimants and to follow one contingent after the other moving here and there like featherless arrow moving in the quiver.

وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا قُطْبُ الرَّحَا، تَدُورُ عَلَيَّ وَأَنَا بِمَكَاني، فَإِذَا فَارَقْتُهُ اسْتَحَارَ مَدَارُهَا، وَاضْطَرَبَ ثِفَالُهَا. هذَا لَعَمْرُ اللهِ الرَّأْيُ السُّوءُ. وَاللهِ لَوْلاَ رَجَائِي الشَّهَادَةَ عِنْدَ لِقَائِي الْعَدُوَّ ـ وَلَوْ قَدْ حُمَّ لِي لِقَاؤُهُ ـ لَقَرَّبْتُ رِكَابِي ثُمَّ شَخَصْتُ عَنْكُمْ، فَلاَ أَطْلُبُكُمْ مَا اخْتَلَفَ جَنُوبٌ وَشَمَالٌ.

I am the axis of the mill. It rotates on me while I remain in my position. As soon as I leave it the centre of its rotation would be disturbed and its lower stone would also be disturbed. By Allāh, this is a very bad advice. By Allāh, if I had not been hoping for martyrdom by my meeting with the enemy—and my meeting with him has been ordained, I would have secured my carrier and went away from you and would not have sought you so long as North and South differed.

طَعّانينَ عَيّابينَ حَيّادينَ رَوّاغينَ.! انَّهُ لاَ غَنَاءَ فِي كَثْرَةِ عَدَدِكُمْ مَعَ قِلَّةِ اجْتَماعِ قُلُوبِكُمْ. لَقَدْ حَمَلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ الْوَاضِحِ الَّتي لاَ يَهْلِكُ عَلَيْهَا إِلاَّ هَالِكٌ، مَنِ اسْتَقَامَ فَإِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَنْ زَلَّ فَإِلَى النَّارِ!

There is no benefit in the majority of your numbers because of lack of unity of your hearts. I have put you on the clear path whereon no one will perish except who perishes by himself. He who sticks to it would achieve Paradise and he who deviates goes to Hell.

Extrait de ses paroles où il réunit les gens et les incite au Jihad, mais ils se taisent. S’étant tus, il leur dit: Qu 'avez-vous? Etes-vous muets? Un groupe parmi eux dit: à Prince des croyants, si vous partez nous t'accompagnerons. Alors il dit:

Qu’avez-vous? Vous ne marchez pas dans la voie droite! Vous n’êtes pas guidés vers un but clair! Dois-je aller au Jihad dans de telles conditions? Non, ira à ma place un homme que je choisis parmi les braves dans vos rangs, car il n’est pas convenable que je laisse les soldats, le pays, la trésorerie, les impôts sur la terre, la magistrature, et que je pars à la tête d’un détachement pour poursuivre un autre [ennemi], agité comme une flèche dans le carquois;

car je suis l’axe autour duquel tourne le moulin, et si je pars tout tombe dans le désordre. Ce que vous proposez [marchez et nous te suivrons] est, par Dieu, une opinion déplacée. Pardi, s’il m’était donné d’espérer te martyre dans une bataille contre l’ennemi j’aurais préparé mes montures et je me serais éloigné de vous [en délaissant le califat] et, alors, je ne vous rejoindrai pas tant le sud et le nord sont des antipodes,

car vous êtes des calomniateurs, des détracteurs, des dénigreurs, des astucieux qui dansent sur deux cordes! Vous êtes certes inutiles par la dispersion de vos cœurs, malgré votre grand nombre. Je vous ai conduit sur le chemin clair où ne se perdent que les corrompus. Celui qui continue de suivre ce chemin ira au Paradis, sinon, au Feu!

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 119