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 خطبة له (عليه السلام) في ذكر المكاييل والموازين

About measures and weights, the transience of this world and the condition of its people

عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّكُمْ ـ وَمَا تَأْمُلُونَ مِنْ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا ـ أَثْوِيَاءُ مُؤَجَّلُونَ، وَمَدِينُونَ مُقْتَضَوْنَ: أَجَلٌ مَنْقُوصٌ، وَعَمَلٌ مَحْفُوظٌ، فَرُبَّ دَائِب مُضَيَّعٌ، وَرُبَّ كَادِح خَاسِرٌ. قَدْ أَصْبَحْتُمْ فِي زَمَن لاَ يَزْدَادُ الْخَيْرُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ إِدْبَاراً، وَالشَّرُّ إِلاَّ إِقْبَالاً، وَالشَّيْطَانُ فِي هَلاَكِ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ طَمَعاً، فَهذا أَوَانٌ قَوِيَتْ عُدَّتُهُ، وَعَمَّتْ مَكِيدَتُهُ، وَأَمْكَنَتْ فَرِيسَتُهُ.

O creatures of Allāh! You and whatever you desire from this world are like guests with fixed periods of stay, and like debtors called upon to pay. Life is getting short while (the records of) actions are being preserved. Many strivers are wasting (their efforts) and many of those who exert are heading towards harm. You are in a period when steps of virtue are moving backwards, steps of evil are moving forward and Satan is increasing his eagerness to ruin people. This is the time that his equipment is strong, his traps have been spread and his prey has become easy (to catch).

اضْرِبْ بِطَرْفِكَ حَيْثُ شِئْتَ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَهَلْ تُبْصِرُ إِلاَّ فَقِيراً يُكَابِدُ فَقْراً، أَوْ غَنِيّاً بَدَّلَ نِعْمَةَ اللهِ كُفْراً، أَوْ بَخِيلاً اتَّخَذَ الْبُخْلَ بِحَقِّ اللهِ وَفْراً، أَوْ مُتَمَرِّداً كَأَنَّ بِأُذُنِهِ عَنْ سَمْعِ الْموَاعِظِ وَقْراً! أَيْنَ خِيارُكُمْ وَصُلَحَاؤُكُمْ؟! وَأَيْنَ أَحْرَارُكُمْ وَسُمَحَاؤُكُمْ؟! وَأَيْنَ الْمُتَوَرِّعُونَ في مَكَاسِبِهِمْ، والْمُتَنَزِّهُونَ فِي مَذَاهِبِهمْ؟! أَلَيْسَ قَدْ ظَعَنُوا جَمِيعاً عَنْ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا الدَّنِيَّةِ، وَالْعَاجِلَةِ المُنَغِّصَةِ، وَهَلْ خُلِّفْتُمْ إِلاَّ فِي حُثَالَة لاَ تَلْتَقِي بِذَمِّهِمْ الشَّفَتَانِ، اسْتِصْغَاراً لِقَدْرِهِمْ، وَذَهَاباً عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ؟! فَـ ﴿إِنَّا لِلهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ﴾،

Cast your glance over people wherever you like, you will see either a poor man suffering from poverty, or a rich man ignoring Allāh despite His bounty over him, or a miser increasing his wealth by trampling on Allāh’s obligations, or an unruly person closing his ears to all counsel. Where are your good people; where are your virtuous people? Where are your high spirited men and generous men? Where are those of you who avoid deceit in their business and remain pure in their behaviour? Have they not all departed from this ignoble, transitory and troublesome world? Have you not been left among people who are just like rubbish and so low that lips avoid mention of thern and do not move even to condemn their low position. “Verily we are Allāh’s and verily unto Him shall we return.” (Qur’ān, 2:156)

﴿ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ﴾ فَلاَ مُنْكِرٌ مُغَيِّرٌ، وَلاَ زَاجرٌ مُزْدَجِرٌ. أَفَبِهذَا تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تُجَاوِرُوا اللهَ فِي دَارِ قُدْسِهِ، وَتَكُونُوا أَعَزَّ أَوْلِيَائِهِ عِنْدَهُ؟ هَيْهَاتَ! لاَ يُخْدَعُ اللهُ عَنْ جَنَّتِهِ، وَلاَ تُنَالُ مَرْضَاتُهُ إِلاَّ بِطَاعَتِهِ. لَعَنَ اللهُ الاْمِرِينَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ التَّارِكِينَ لَهُ، وَالنَّاهِينَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ الْعَامِلِينَ بِهِ!

Mischief has appeared and there is no one to oppose and change it, nor anyone to dissuade from it or desist from it. Do you, with these qualities, hope to secure abode in the purified neighbourhood of Allāh and to be regarded His staunch lovers? Alas! Allāh cannot be deceived about His paradise and His will cannot be secured save by His obedience. Allāh may curse those who advise good but they themselves avoid it, and those who desist others from evil but they themselves act upon it.

O serviteurs de Dieu! Malgré ce que vous espérez de ce monde, vous n’êtes que des hôtes à terme fixé, des débiteurs sollicités: vos délais peuvent être raccourcis, mais vos actes restent constants. Il arrive souvent qu’un homme qui persévère à amasser les biens de ce monde soit perdant. Vous vivez dans une époque où le bien accélère sa fuite, le mal gagne de plus en plus du terrain et Satan s’enhardit contre les hommes pour les faire perdre. En ce temps, les armes de Satan sont abondantes, ses stratagèmes se sont étendus et ses proies deviennent faciles à atteindre.

Jette ton regard où tu veux! Vois-tu autre chose qu’un pauvre qui se débat dans la misère, un riche qui substitue l’athéisme à la grâce de Dieu, un avare qui considère l’avarice envers Dieu comme une épargne ou un rebelle dont les oreilles sont bouchées quand il s’agit d’entendre les prêches! Où sont vos hommes vertueux, intègres, libres et généreux? Où sont ceux qui s’abstiennent de gagner ce qui est illicite et qui s’éloignent de tout ce qui peut souiller?! N’ont-ils pas quitté ce monde vil et cette vie amère? N’êtes-vous pas nés parmi un rebut de gens que les lèvres ne bougent que pour les blâmer, traiter avec mépris ou ignorer? «Nous sommes à Dieu et vers Lui nous retournerons!».

«La corruption apparaît» sans qu’il y ait un opposant qui la conteste ou quelqu’un qui réprimande et redresse les torts. Est-ce avec cela que vous comptez être dans le voisinage de Dieu dans sa demeure sainte, et que vous ambitionnez être Ses meilleurs amis? Loin d’ici! On ne peut pas gagner le Paradis de Dieu par des tromperies, et l’on n’arrive à contenter Dieu qu’en Lui obéissant. Que Dieu maudisse ceux qui ordonnent de faire le bien tout en faisant le mal!

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 129