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) للخوارج أيضاً

فإنْ أَبَيْتُمْ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَزْعُمُوا أَنِّي أَخْطَأْتُ وَضَلَلْتُ، فَلِمَ تُضَلِّلونُ عَامَّةَ أُمَّةِ مُحَمَّد(صلى الله عليه وآله) بِضَلاَلِي، وَتَأْخُذُونَهُمْ بِخَطَئِي، وَتُكَفِّرُونَهُمْ بِذُنُوِبي! سُيُوفُكُمْ عَلَى عَوَاتِقِكُمْ تَضَعُونَهَا مَوَاضِعَ البَراءةِ وَالسُّقْمِ، وَتَخْلِطُونَ مَنْ أَذْنَبَ بِمَنْ لَمْ يُذْنِبْ. وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) رَجَمَ الزَّانِيَ [الْـمُحْصَنَ] ثُمَّ صَلَّى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ وَرَّثَهُ أَهْلَهُ، وَقَتَلَ الْقَاتِلَ وَوَرَّثَ مِيرَاثَهُ أَهْلَهُ، وَقَطَعَ السَّارِقَ وَجَلَدَ الزَّانِيَ غَيْرَ الْمحْصَنِ ثُمَّ قَسَمَ عَلَيْهِمَا مِنَ الْفَيْءِ وَنَكَحَا الْمُسْلِمَاتِ; فَأَخَذَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) بِذُنُوبِهمْ، وَأَقَامَ حَقَّ اللهِ فِيهمْ، وَلَمْ يَمْنَعْهُمْ سَهْمَهُمْ مِنَ الاْسْلاَمِ، وَلَمْ يُخْرِجْ أَسْمَاءَهُمْ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَهْلِهِ.

If you do not stop believing that I have gone wrong and been misled, why do you consider that the common men among the followers of the Prophet Muḥammad (S) have gone astray like me, and accuse them with my wrong, and hold them unbelievers on account of my sins. You are holding your swords on your shoulders and using them right and wrong. You are confusing those who have committed sins with those who have not. You know that the Prophet stoned the protected (married) adulterer, then he also said his burial prayer and allowed his successors to inherit from him. He killed the murderer and allowed his successors to inherit from him. He amputated (the hand of) the thief and whipped the unprotected (unmarried) adulterer, but thereafter allowed their shares from the booty, and they married Muslim women. Thus the Prophet took them to task for their sins and also abided by Allāh’s commands about them, but did not disallow them their rights created by Islam, nor did he remove their names from its followers.

ثُمَّ أَنْتُمْ شِرَارُ النَّاسِ، وَمَنْ رَمَى بِهِ الشَّيْطَانُ مَرَامِيَهُ، وَضَرَبَ بِهِ تِيهَهُ ! وَسَيَهْلِكُ فِيَّ صِنْفَانِ: مُحِبٌّ مُفْرِطٌ يَذْهَبُ بِهِ الْحُبُّ إِلَى غَيْرِ الْحَقِّ، وَمُبْغِضٌ مُفْرِطٌ يَذْهَبُ بِهِ الْبُغْضُ إِلَى غَيْرِ الْحَقِّ، وَخَيْرُ النَّاسِ فيَّ حَالاً الَّنمَطُ الاْوْسَطُ فَالْزَمُوهُ، وَالْزَمُوا السَّوَادَ الاَعْظَم فَإِنَّ يَدَ اللهِ مَعَ الْجَمَاعَةِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْفُرْقَةَ! فَإِنَّ الشَّاذَّ مِنَ النَّاسِ لِلشَّيْطَانِ، كَمَا أَنَّ الشَّاذَّةَ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ لِلذِّئْبِ. أَلاَ مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هذَا الشِّعَارِ فَاقْتُلُوهُ، وَلَوْ كَانَ تَحْتَ عِمَامَتِي هذِهِ،

Certainly you are the most evil of all persons and are those whom Satan has put on his lines and thrown out into his wayless land. With regard to me, two categories of people will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best man with regard to me is he who is on the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority (of Muslims) because Allāh’s hand (of protection) is on keeping unity. You should beware of division because the one isolated from the group is (a prey) to Satan just as the one isolated from the flock of sheep is (a prey) to the wolf. Beware; whoever calls to this course, kill him, even though he may be under this headband of mine.

فَإِنَمَّا حُكِّمَ الْحَكَمَانِ لِيُحْيِيَا مَا أَحْيا الْقُرْآنُ، وَيُمِيتَا مَا أَمَاتَ الْقُرْآنُ، وَإِحْيَاؤُهُ الاجْتِماعُ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِمَاتَتُهُ الافْتَرَاقُ عَنْهُ، فَإِنْ جَرَّنَا الْقُرْآنُ إِلَيْهِمُ اتَّبَعْنَاهُم، وَإِنْ جَرَّهُمْ إِلَيْنَا اتَّبَعُونَا. فَلَمْ آتِ ـ لاَأَبَا لَكُمْ ـ بُجْراً، وَلاَ خَتَلْتُكُمْ عَنْ أَمْرِكُمْ، وَلاَ لبَّسْتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ، إِنَّمَا اجْتَمَعَ رَأْيُ مَلَئِكُمْ عَلَى اخْتِيَارِ رَجُلَيْنِ، أَخَذْنَا عَلَيْهِمَا أَلاَّ يَتَعَدَّيَا الْقُرْآنَ، فَتَاهَا عَنْهُ، وَتَرَكَا الْحَقَّ وَهُمَا يُبْصِرَانِهِ، وَكَانَ الْجَوْرُ هَوَاهُمَا فَمَضَيَا عَليْهِ، وَقَدْ سَبَقَ استِثْنَاؤُنَا عَلَيْهِمَا ـ فِي الْحُكُومَةِ بِالْعَدْلِ، وَالصَّمْدِ لِلْحَقِّ ـ سُوءَ رَأْيِهِمَا، وَجَوْرَ حُكْمِهِمَا.

Certainly the two arbitrators were appointed to revive what the Qur’ān revives and to destroy what the Qur’ān destroys. Revival means to unite on it (in a matter) and destruction means to divide on a matter. If the Qur’ān drives us to them we should follow them, and if it drives them to us they should follow up. May you have no father! (Woe to you), l did not cause you any misfortune, nor have I deceived you in any matter, nor created any confusion. Your own group had unanimously suggested in favour of these two men and we bound them that they would not exceed the Qur’ān but they deviated from it and abandoned the right although both of them were conversant with it. This wrong-doing was the dictate of their hearts and so they trod upon it, althougi we had stipulated that in arbitrating with justice and sticking to rightfulness they would avoid the evil of their own views and the mischief of their own verdict (but since this has happened the award is not acceptable to us).

Extrait de ses paroles où il expose certains préceptes religieux, explique aux Kharijites les questions qui prêtent à confusion et réfute la décision des deux arbitres

Si vous insistiez sur votre prétention que je m’étais trompé et égaré, pourquoi imputer mon erreur à toute la nation de Mouhammad et lui attribuer mes péchés?! Vous portez vos épées sans justes motifs et sans distinguer entre le coupable et l’innocent. Or, vous savez que l’Envoyé de Dieu avait lapidé l’adultère marié, puis prié sur son cadavre et transmis son héritage aux siens; de même, il avait tué le meurtrier et fait hériter ses successeurs, coupé la main d’un voleur et fustigé un adultère célibataire puis distribué à ces deux derniers leur part du butin, et ensuite il les avait mariés à des femmes musulmanes. Ayant puni tous ceux-ci pour leurs forfaits en application des jugements de Dieu, le Prophète ne les a pas privés de leurs droits sur L' islam, ni bannis.

D'autre part, vous êtes de méchantes gens utilisés par Satan pour égarer les autres! L’attitude des gens à mon égard engendre une dichotomie: il y a ceux dont l’amour exagéré pour moi conduit à l’injustice et ceux dont l’excès de haine conduit également à l’injustice. Est juste l’homme dont l’attitude à mon égard garde le juste milieu. Imitez-le et ralliez la majorité des musulmans car la main de Dieu la conserve; prenez garde à la division! Celui qui s’écarte des hommes appartient à Satan, tout comme l’agneau qui s’écarte du troupeau est mangé par le loup. Tuez celui qui prône ce mot d’ordre, même s’il est sous mon autorité!

Les deux arbitres ont été désignés pour donner vie aux préceptes du Coran et proscrire ce qu’il a banni. Or cela implique de se rassembler autour du Coran. Si celui-ci nous obligeait à les suivre, nous les suivrions; et s’il leur imposait d’être avec nous, ils devraient faire de même. Je n’ai point perpétré des actes injustes envers vous, ni vous ai trompés ou induits à Péquivoque. Le fait est que vos notables se sont mis d’accord pour choisir deux hommes qui nous ont promis de s’en tenir au Coran, Ils s’en sont éloignés, se détournant de la vérité qui est devant leurs yeux. Ils ont suivi leurs passions et leur iniquité. D’avance, nous avions fait des réserves sur leur bonne foi et leur esprit de justice; notre attitude sceptique était à sa place, car leur avis était mauvais et leur jugement injuste.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 127