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 الغاية من البعثة والزمان المقبل

The purpose of the deputation of the Holy Prophet and the condition of the time when people would go against the Qur’ān

فَبَعَثَ اللهُ مُحَمَّداً بِالْحَقِّ لِيُخْرِجَ عِبَادَهُ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الاْوْثَانِ إِلَى عِبَادَتِهِ، وَمِنْ طَاعَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ، بِقُرْآن قَدْ بَيَّنَهُ وَأَحْكَمَهُ، لِيَعْلَمَ الْعِبَادُ رَبَّهُمْ إِذْ جَهِلُوهُ، وَلِيُقِرُّوا بِهِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَحَدُوهُ، وَلِيُثْبِتُوهُ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْكَرُوهُ. فَتَجَلَّى سُبْحَانَهُ لَهُمْ فِي كِتَابِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا رَأَوْهُ، بِمَا أَرَاهُمْ مِنْ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَخَوَّفَهُمْ مِنْ سَطْوَتِهِ، وَكَيْفَ مَحَقَ مَنْ مَحَقَ بِالْمَثُلاَتِ، وَاحْتَصَدَ مَنِ احْتَصَدَ بِالنَّقِمَاتِ!

Allāh deputed Muḥammad (S) with Truth so that he may take out His people from the worship of idols towards His worship and from obeying Satan towards obeying Him and sent him with the Qur’ān which He explained and made strong, in order that the people may know their sustainer (Allāh) since they were ignorant of Him, may acknowledge Him since they were denying Him, and accept Him since they were refusing (to believe in) Him. Because He, the Glorified, revealed Himself to them through His Book without their having seen Him, by means of what He showed them out of His might and made them fear His sway. How He destroyed those whom He wished to destroy through His chastisement and ruined those whom He wished to ruin through His retribution !

[الزمان المقبل :] وَإِنَّهُ سَيَأْتي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِي زَمَانٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ أَخْفَى مِنَ الْحَقِّ، وَلاَ أَظْهَرَ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ، وَلاَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ عَلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ ذلِكَ الزَّمَانِ سِلْعَةٌ أَبْوَرَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ إِذَا تُلِيَ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ، وَلاَ أَنْفَقَ مِنْهُ إِذَا حُرِّفَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ، وَلاَ فِي الْبِلاَدِ شَيءٌ أنْكَرَ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ، وَلاَ أَعْرَفَ مِنَ المُنكَرِ!

[On the future :] Certainly, a time will come upon you after me when nothing will be more concealed than rightfulness, nothing more apparent than wrongfulness— and nothing more current than untruth against Allāh and His Prophet. For the people of this period nothing will be more valueless than the Qur’ān being recited as it ought to be recited, nor anything more valuable than the Qur’ān being misplaced from its position. And in the towns nothing will be more hated than virtue, nor anything more acceptable than vice.

فَقَدْ نَبَذَ الْكِتَابَ حَمَلَتُهُ، وَتَنَاسَاهُ حَفَظَتُهُ; فَالْكِتَابُ يَوْمَئِذ وَأَهْلُهُ مَنْفِيَّانِ طَرِيَدانِ، وَصَاحِبَانِ مُصْطَحِبَانِ فِي طَرِيق وَاحِد لاَ يُؤْوِيهِمَا مُؤْو; فَالْكِتَابُ وَأَهْلُهُ فِي ذلِكَ الزَّمَانِ فِي النَّاسِ وَلَيْسَا فِيهِمْ، وَمَعَهُمْ وَلَيْسَا مَعَهُمْ! لاِنَّ الضَّلاَلَةَ لاَ تُوَافِقُ الْهُدَى، وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعَا، فَاجْتَمَعَ الْقَوْمُ عَلَى الْفُرْقَةِ، وَافْتَرَقُوا عَنِ الْجَمَاعَةِ، كَأَنَّهُمْ أَئِمَّةُ الْكِتَابِ وَلَيْسَ الْكِتَابُ إِمَامَهُمْ، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ عِنْدَهُمْ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ اسْمُهُ، وَلاَ يَعْرِفُونَ إِلاَّ خَطَّهُ وَزَبْرَهُ، وَمِنْ قَبْلُ مَا مَثَّلُوا بِالصَّالِحِينَ كُلَّ مُثْلَة، وَسَمَّوْا صِدْقَهُمْ عَلَى اللهِ فِرْيَةً، وَجَعَلُوا فِي الْحَسَنَةِ العُقُوبةَ السَّيِّئَةَ.

The holders of the book will throw it away and its memorizers would forget it. In these days the Qur’ān and its people will be exiled and expelled. They will be companions keeping together on one path, but no one will offer them asylum. Consequently at this time the Qur’ān and its people will be among the people but not among them, will be with them but not with them, because misguidance cannot accord with guidance even though they may be together. The people will have united on division and will therefore have cut away from the community, as though they were the leaders of the Qur’ān and not the Qur’ān their leader. Nothing of it will be left with them except its name, and they will know nothing save its writing and its words. Before that, they will inflict hardships on the virtuous, naming the latter’s truthful views about Allāh false allegations, and enforcing for virtues the punishment of the vice.

وَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِطُولِ آمَالِهِمْ وَتَغَيُّبِ آجَالِهِمْ، حَتَّى نَزَلَ بِهِمُ الْمَوْعُودُ الَّذِي تُرَدُّ عَنْهُ الْمَعْذِرَةُ، وَتُرْفَعُ عَنْهُ التَّوْبَةُ، وَتَحُلُّ مَعَهُ الْقَارِعَةُ وَالنِّقْمَةُ.

Those before you passed away because of the lengthening of their desires and the forgetting of their death, till that promised event befell them about which excuses are turned down, repentance is denied and punishment and retribution is inflicted.

[عظة الناس :] أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّهُ مَنِ اسْتَنْصَحَ اللهَ وُفِّقَ، وَمَنِ اتَّخَذَ قَوْلَهُ دَلِيلاً هُدِيَ ﴿لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ﴾؛ فَإِنَّ جَارَ اللهِ آمِنٌ، وَعَدُوَّهُ خَائِفٌ، وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ عَرَفَ عَظَمَةَ اللهِ أَنْ يَتَعَظَّمَ، فَإِنَّ رِفْعَةَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا عَظَمَتُهُ أَنْ يَتَوَاضَعُوا لَهُ، وَسَلاَمَةَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا قُدْرَتُهُ أَنْ يَسْتَسْلِمُوا لَهُ، فَلاَ تَنْفِرُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ نِفَارَ الصَّحِيحِ مِنَ الاْجْرَبِ، وَالْبَارِي مِنْ ذِي السَّقَمِ.

[About Ahlu’I-bayt :] O people, he who seeks counsel from Allāh secures guidance, and he who adopts His word as guide is led towards what is more straight, because Allāh’s lover feels secure and His opponent feels afraid. It does not behoove one who knows His greatness to assume greatness, but the greatness of those who know His greatness is that they should know before Him, and the safety for those who know what His power is lies in submitting to Him. Do not be scared away from the truth like the scaring of the healthy from the scabbed person, or the sound person from the sick.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَعْرِفُوا الرُّشْدَ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي تَرَكَهُ، وَلَنْ تَأْخُذُوا بِمَيثَاقِ الْكِتَابِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي نَقَضَهُ، وَلَنْ تَمَسَّكُوا بِهِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذَي نَبَذَهُ; فَالْـتَمِسُوا ذلِكَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَهْلِهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ عَيْشُ الْعِلْمِ، وَمَوْتُ الْجَهْلِ، هُمْ الَّذِينَ يُخْبِرُكُمْ حُكْمُهُمْ عَنْ عِلْمِهِمْ، وَصمْتُهُمْ عَنْ مَنْطِقِهِمْ، وَظَاهِرُهُمْ عَنْ بَاطِنِهِمْ، لاَ يُخَالِفُونَ الدِّينَ وَلاَ يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ، فَهُوَ بَيْنَهُمْ شَاهِدٌ صَادِقٌ، وَصَامِتٌ نَاطِقٌ.

You should know that you will never know guidance unless you know who has abandoned it, you will never abide by the pledges of the Qur’ān unless you know who has broken them, and will never cling to it unless you know who has forsaken it. Seek these things from those who own them because they are the life spring of knowledge and death of ignorance. They are the people whose commands will disclose to you their (extent of) knowledge, their silence will disclose their (capacity of) speaking and their outer appearance will disclose their inner self. They do not go against religion, and do not differ from one another about it, while it is among them a truthful witness and a silent speaker.

Extrait d’un discours : La fin du Message

Dieu envoya Mouhammad pour annoncer la vérité et détourner Ses serviteurs de l’adoration des idoles et de l ’obéissance de Satan, et ce via un Coran qu’il a rendu clair et bien structuré, afin qu’ils connaissent leur Seigneur qu’ils ignoraient de croire en Lui après avoir été athées et pour affirmer Son existence après l’avoir déniée. Sans qu’ils aient pu Le voir, Il s’est révélé à eux dans son Livre, leur montrant Sa puissance, les intimidant par Sa force en racontant comment Il a anéanti des peuples anciens par Ses châtiments et fauché d’autres par les vengeances.

[Le temps futur :] Un temps viendra après moi où il n’y aura rien de plus caché que la vérité, de plus patent que l’injustice et le mensonge contre Dieu et Son Envoyé, Les gens qui vivrons en ce temps-là n’achèteront plus le Livre s’il est bien exposé, mais se précipiteront à l’acheter s’il est altéré. Le pays ne connaîtra rien de plus désapprouvé que ce qui est convenable, et rien de plus convenable que ce qui est désapprouvé!

Ceux qui auront porté le Livre le rejetteront, et ceux qui l’auront connu par cœur l’oublieront. En ce temps-là, le Livre et ses gens seront chassés et bannis, allant de pair par un même chemin, sans trouver quelqu’un qui les héberge. Ils seront parmi les hommes mais non avec eux! Car l’errance ne correspond pas à la bonne guidance, même si elles sont juxtaposées. Les gens se mettront d’accords pour se séparer et se sépareront de la collectivité, comme s’ils étaient le imams du Livre et non le contraire. Il ne leur reste du Livre que son nom et ne connaissent que sa calligraphie et son écriture. Or, ils avaient auparavant puni les bons pour en faire un exemple, taxé de mensonges leur attachement véritable à Dieu et considéré leurs bonnes œuvres dignes du châtiment conservé aux mauvaises actions.

Ceux qui vous ont devancés avaient, eux aussi, péri en mettant leurs espérances dans la vie terrestre et en oubliant la vie future. La mort, après laquelle le repentir ne vaudra rien, les a conduits vers la calamité extrême.

[La prêche :] O vous les hommes! Celui qui accepte le conseil de Dieu réussira et celui qui se guide par ses paroles sera bien dirigé vers la meilleure voie. Le voisin de Dieu est en sécurité et son ennemi est effrayé. Celui qui connaît la grandeur de Dieu ne doit pas s’enorgueillir, car si les hommes s’humiliaient devant Sa grandeur ils atteindraient un rang élevé, et s’ils se soumettaient à Lui ils seraient indemnes devant Son pouvoir. Ne vous effrayez pas de la vérité comme ferait un homme sain devant les galeux et les malades.

Sachez que vous ne connaîtrez la marche dans la voie véritable que lorsque vous aurez connu ceux qui font délaissée; vous ne vous attacherez à l’alliance avec le Livre que lorsque vous aurez connu ceux qui l’ont contredit, et vous ne vous engagerez avec lui que lorsque vous aurez connu ceux qui s’en sont séparés. Adressez-vous donc à ceux qui connaissent bien le Livre, car ils sont les nourritures de la science et les ennemis de l’ignorance. Ce sont eux dont le bon jugement révèle leur savoir, leur silence exprime leur logique, leurs apparences décèlent leurs bonnes intentions. Ils ne contredisent pas la religion et ne dépassent pas ses lois, et le Livre est entre leurs mains un témoin véridique et un silencieux éloquent.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 147