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) في معنى الخوارج لمّا أنكروا تحكيم الرجال ويذمّ فيه أصحابه، قال (عليه السلام):

About the Khārijites and their opinion on Arbitration

إِنَّا لَمْ نُحَكِّمِ الرِّجَالَ، وَإِنَّمَا حَكَّمْنَا الْقُرْآنَ. وهذَا الْقُرْآنُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ خَطٌّ مَسْتُورٌ بَيْنَ الدَّفَّتَيْنِ، لاَ يَنْطِقُ بِلِسَان، وَلاَ بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ تَرْجُمَان، وَإِنَّمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنْهُ الرِّجَالُ. وَلَمَّا دَعَانَا الْقَوْمُ إِلَى أَنْ نُحَكِّمَ بَيْنَنَا الْقُرْآنَ لَمْ نَكُنِ الْفَرِيقَ الْمُتَوَلِّيَ عَنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ، وقَالَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ: ﴿فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللهِ وَالرَّسُولِ﴾،

We did not name people the arbitrators but we named the Qur’ān the arbitrator. The Qur’ān is a book, covered, between two flaps, and it does not speak. It should therefore necessarily have an interpreter. Men alone can be such interpreters. When these people invited us to name the Qur’ān as the arbitrator between us, we could not be the party turning away from the Book of Allāh, since Allāh has said : “. . . And then if ye quarrel about anything refer it to Allāh and the Prophet . . .” (Qur’ān, 4:59)

فَرَدُّهُ إِلَى اللهِ أَنْ نَحْكُمَ بِكِتَابِهِ، وَرَدُّهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ أَنْ نَأْخُذَ بسُنَّتِهِ; فَإِذَا حُكِمَ بِالصِّدْقِ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ، فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِهِ، وَإِنْ حُكمَ بسُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ فَنَحْنُ أَوْلاَهُمْ بِهِ.

Reference to Allāh means that we decide according to the Qur’ān while reference to the Prophet means that we follow his sunnah. Now therefore, if arbitration were truly done through the Book of Allāh (Qur’ān), we would be the most rightful of all people for the Caliphate; or if it were done by the sunnah of the Holy Prophet, we would be the most preferable of them.

وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكُمْ: لِمَ جَعَلْتَ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُمْ أَجَلاً فِي التَّحْكِيمِ؟ فَإِنَّمَا فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ لِيَتَبَيَّنَ الْجَاهِلُ، وَيَتَثَبَّتَ الْعَالِمُ، وَلَعَلَّ اللهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ فِي هذِهِ الْهُدْنَةِ أَمْرَ هذِهِ الاْمَّةِ، وَلاَ تُؤْخَدُ بِأَكْظَامِهَا، فَتَعْجَلَ عَنْ تَبَيُّنِ الْحَقِّ، وَتَنْقَادَ لاِوَّلِ الْغَيِّ. إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ اللهِ مَنْ كَانَ الْعَمَلُ بِالْحَقِّ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ـ وَإِنْ نَقَصَهُ وَكَرَثَهُ ـ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ وَإِنْ جَرَّ إِلَيْهِ فَائِدَةً وَزَادَهُ،

Concerning your point why I allowed a time lag between myself and them with regard to the Arbitration, I did so in order that the ignorant may find out (the truth) and one who already knows may hold with it firmly. Possibly Allāh may, as a result of this peace, improve the condition of these people, and they will not be caught by the throats and will not, before indication of the right, fall into rebellion as before. Certainly the best man before Allāh is he who loves most to act according to right, even though it causes him hardship and grief, rather than according to wrong, even though it gives him benefit and increase.

فَأَيْنَ يُتَاهُ بِكُمْ؟! وَمِنْ أَيْنَ أُتِيتُمْ؟! اسْتَعِدُّوا لِلْمَسِيرِ إِلَى قَوْم حَيَارَى عَنِ الْحَقِّ لاَ يُبْصِرُونَهُ، وَمُوزَعِينَ بِالْجَوْرِ لاَ يَعْدِلُونَ بِهِ، جُفَاة عَنِ الْكِتَابِ، نُكُب عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ. مَا أَنْتُمْ بَوَثِيقَة يُعْلَقُ بِهَا، وَلاَ زَوَافِرَ يُعْتَصَمُ إِلَيْهَا، لَبِئْس حُشَّاشُ نَارِ الْحَرْبِ أَنْتُمْ! أُفٍّ لَكُمْ! لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْكُمْ بَرْحاً، يَوْماً أُنَادِيكُمْ وَيَوْماً أُنَاجِيكُمْ، فَلاَ أحْرارُ صِدْق عِنْدَ النِّدَاءِ، وَلاَ إِخْوَانُ ثِقَة عِنْدَ النَّجَاءِ!

So, where are you being mislead and from where have you been brought (to this state)? Be prepared to march to the people who have deviated from the right and do not see it, have been entangled in wrongdoing and are not corrected. They are away from the Book and turned from the (right) path. You are not trustworthy to rely upon, nor are you holders of honour to be adhered to. You are very bad in kindling the fire of fighting. Woe to you! I had to bear a lot of worries from you. Some day I call you (to jihād) and some day I speak to you in confidence, you are neither true free men at the time of call, nor trustworthy brothers at the time of speaking in confidence.

Extrait de ses paroles après avoir entendu le jugement des deux arbitres

Ce n’est pas aux hommes de nous arbitrer, mais au Coran. Ce Coran est une écriture cachée entre deux couvertures; il n’a pas une langue qui parle, mais a besoin d’un interprète. Or les hommes parlent à sa place. Lorsque les adversaires nous invitèrent à laisser le Coran arbitrer entre nous, nous n’étions pas le parti qui avait tourné le dos au Livre de Dieu -qu’il soit loué- qui a dit: «Si vous vous disputez en quoi que ce soit, renvoyez-le à Allah et au Messager» (Les Femmes, 59).

Dieu renvoie la dispute au jugement de Son Livre et à la Sounna du Prophète. Si l’on juge équitablement d’après le livre de Dieu, nous sommes ceux à qui échoit le droit. Si, par contre, on juge par la Sounna du Messager de Dieu, nous l’emportons sur nos adversaires quant au triomphe de notre droit.

Or, vous venez de me demander: pourquoi as-tu accepté un délai dans l’arbitrage entre toi et eux? En effet j’ai fait cela pour que l’ignorant sache la vérité et le savant soit sûr d’elle, et dans l’espérance que Dieu rectifie durant cette trêve les affaires de cette nation. Celle-ci ne devait pas être sous la pression du temps et, par-là, s’éloigne de la vérité et se laisse égarer. Chez Dieu, le meilleur homme est celui qui préfère agir conformément au droit et à la vérité- même si cela le gêne - et non celui qui suit le mensonge par utilité.

Où vous laissez-vous égarer? Par qui êtes-vous conduits? Préparez-vous à combattre des gens égarés du droit chemin, poussés par l’injustice qu’ils ne substituent pas par la justice, éloignés du Livre, déviés du chemin. Vous n'etes pas l’anse la plus solide pour qu’on s'accroche à vous, ni des auxiliaires auprès desquels on cherche refuge. Malheur à vous qui êtes les allumeurs du feu de la guerre! Fi à vous! J’ai rencontré du mal chez vous; je vous appelle un jour et je me communique à vous un autre jour, et je ne trouve en vous ni des hommes libérés par la vérité lorsque je vous appelle, ni des frères de confiance lors d’une communication.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 125