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) يحمد اللّه ويثني على نبيه ويعظ بالتقوى

Importance of fear of Allāh, desolateless of the grave, and about the death of the lover of Ahlu’l-bayt being like that of a martyr

[حمد اللّه :] أَحْمَدُهُ شُكْراً لاِنْعَامِهِ، وَأَسْتَعِينُهُ عَلَى وَظَائِفِ حُقُوقِهِ، عَزِيزَ الْجُنْدِ، عَظِيمَ الْـمَجْدِ.

I praise Him out of gratefulness for His reward, and I seek His assistance in fulfilling His rights. He has a strong army. His dignity is grand.

[الثناء على النبي :] وَأَشهَدُ أنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، دَعَا إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ، وَقَاهَرَ أَعْدَاءَهُ جِهَاداً عَنْ دِينِهِ، لاَ يَثْنِيهِ عَنْ ذلِكَ اجْتِماعٌ على تَكْذِيبِهِ، وَالْتمَاسٌ لاِطْفَاءِ نُورِهِ.

I stand witness that Muḥammad - peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his progeny - is His slave and His Prophet. He called (people) to His obedience and overpowered His enemies by fighting for the sake of His religion. People’s joining together to falsify him and their attempt to extinguish His light did not prevent him from it.

[العظة بالتقوى :] فَاعْتَصِمُوا بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، فَإِنَّ لَهَا حَبْلاً وَثِيقاً عُرْوَتُهُ، وَمَعْقِلاً مَنِيعاً ذِرْوَتُهُ، وَبَادِرُوا الْمَوْتَ وَغَمَرَاتِهِ، وَامْهَدُوا لَهُ قَبْلَ حُلُولِهِ، وأَعِدُّوا لَهُ قَبْلَ نُزُولِهِ، فَإِنَّ الْغَايَةَ الْقِيَامَةُ، وَكَفَى بِذلِكَ وَاعِظاً لِمَنْ عَقَلَ، وَمُعْتَبَراً لِمَنْ جَهِلَ! وَقَبْلَ بُلُوغِ الْغَايَةَ مَا تَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ ضِيقِ الاْرْمَاسِ، وَشِدَّةِ الاْبْلاَسِ، وَهَوْلِ الْمُطَّلَعِ، وَرَوْعَاتِ الْفَزَعِ، وَاخْتلاَفِ الاْضْلاَعِ، وَاسْتِكَاكِ الاْسْمَاعِ، وَظُلْمَةِ اللَّحْدِ، وَخِيفَةِ الْوَعْدِ، وغَمِّ الضَّرِيحِ، وَرَدْمِ الصَّفِيحِ.

[Counselling piety :] You should therefore exercise fear of Allāh because it has a rope whose twist. is strong and its pinnacle is lofty and invulnerable. Hasten toward death in its pangs (by doing good acts) and be prepared for it before its approach, because the ultimate end is the Day of Judgement. This is enough preaching for one who understands and enough of a lesson for one who does not know. What idea do you have, before reaching that end, of the narrowness of grave, the hardship of loneliness, fear of the passage towards the next world, the pangs of fear, the shifting of ribs here and there (due to narrowing of the grave) , the deafness of ears, the darkness of the grave, fear of the promised punishment, the closing of the receptacle of the grave and the laying of stones?

فَاللهَ اللهَ عِبَادَ اللهِ! فَإِنَّ الْدُّنْيَا مَاضِيَةٌ بكُمْ عَلَى سَنَن، وَأَنْتُمْ وَالسَّاعَةُ فِي قَرَن، وَكَأَنَّهَا قَد جَاءَتْ بِأَشْرَاطِهَا، وَأَزِفَتْ بِأَفْرَاطِهَا، وَوَقَفَتْ بِكُمْ عَلَى سِراطِهَا، وَكَأنَّهَا قَدْ أَشْرَفَتْ بِزَلاَزِلِهَا، وَأَنَاخَتْ بِكَلاَكِلِهَا، وَانْصَرَمَتِ الدُّنْيَا بِأَهْلِهَا، وَأَخْرَجَتْهُمْ مَنْ حِضْنِهَا، فَكَانَتْ كَيَوْم مَضَى وَشَهْر انْقَضَى، وَصَارَ جَدِيدُهَا رَثّاً، وَسَمِينُهَا غَثّاً. فِي مَوْقِف ضَنْكِ الْمَقَامِ، وَأُمُور مُشْتَبِهَة عِظَام، ونَار شَدِيد كَلَبُهَا، عَال لَجَبُهَا، سَاطع لَهَبُهَا، مُتَغَيِّظ زَفِيرُهَا، مُتَأَجِّج سَعِيرهَا، بَعِيد خُمُودُهَا، ذَاك وُقُودُهَا، مَخُوف وعِيدُهَا، عُم قَرارُهَا، مُظْلِمَة أَقْطَارُهَا، حَامِيَة قُدُورُهَا، فَظِيعَة أُمُورُهَا.

Therefore, (fear) Allāh, (fear) Allāh, O creatures of Allāh, because the world is behaving with you in the usual way and you and the Day of Judgement are in the same rope (close to each other). As though it has come with its signs, has approached with its pleas and has made you stand in its way; and as though it has come forward with all its quakings and has settled down with its chest on the ground while the world has parted from its people and has turned them out of its lap. It was like a day that has passed or a month that has gone by. Its new things have become old and the fat ones have become thin. They are in a narrow place, in very complicated affairs and in a fire whose pain is sharp, cries are loud, flames are rising, sound is trembling, burning is severe, abatement is remote; its fuel is burning, its threats are fearful, its hollows are hidden, its sides are dark, its vessels are aflame, and everything about it is abominable.

﴿وَسِيقَ الَّذِينَ اتَّقَوْا رَبَّهُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ زُمَرًا﴾، قَدْ أُمِنَ الْعَذَابُ، وَانْقَطَعَ الْعِتَابُ، وَزُحْزِحُوا عَنِ النَّارِ، وَاطْمَأَنَّتْ بِهِمُ الدّارُ، وَرَضُوا المَثْوَى وَالْقَرَارَ، الَّذِينَ كَانَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا زَاكِيةً، وَأَعْيُنُهُمْ بَاكِيَةً، وَكَانَ لَيْلُهُمْ فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ نَهَاراً، تَخَشُّعاً وَاسْتِغفَاراً، وَكَانَ نَهَارُهُمْ لَيْلاً، تَوَحُشّاً وَانَقِطَاعاً، فَجَعَلَ اللهُ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ مَآباً، وَالْجَزَاءَ ثَوَاباً، ﴿وَكَانُوا أَحَقَّ بِهَا وَأَهْلَهَا﴾ في مُلْك دَائِم، وَنَعِيم قَائِم.

“And shall be conveyed those who feared (the wrath of) their Lord in companies unto the garden. . .” (Qur’ān, 39:73) They are safe from chastisement, away from punishment, and kept aloof from fire. Their abode will be peaceful and they will be pleased with their longing and their place of stay. These are the people whose acts in this world were chaste, their eyes were tearful, their night in this world were like days because of fearing and seeking forgiveness, and their days were like nights because of feeling of loneliness and separation. Therefore, Allāh made Paradise the place of their (eventual) return and a reward in recompense, “. . . They were most eligible and suitable for it; . . .” (Qur’ān, 48:26) in the eternal domain and everlasting favours.

فَارْعَوْا عِبَادَ اللهِ مَا بِرِعَايَتِهِ يَفُوزُ فَائِزُكُمْ، وَبِإضَاعَتِهِ يَخْسَرُ مُبْطِلُكُمْ، وَبَادِرُوا آجَالَكُمْ بأَعْمَالِكُمْ، فَإِنَّكُمْ مُرْتَهَنُونَ بِمَا أَسْلَفْتُمْ، وَمَدِينُونَ بِمَا قدَّمْتُمْ، وَكَأَنْ قَدْ نَزَلَ بِكُمُ الْـمَخُوفُ، فَلاَ رَجْعَةً تَنَالُونَ، وَلاَ عَثْرَةً تُقَالُونَ. اسْتَعْمَلَنَا اللهُ وَإِيَّاكُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ وَطَاعَةِ رَسُولِهِ، وعَفَا عَنَّا وَعَنْكُمْ بِفَضْلِ رَحْمَتِهِ.

Therefore, O creatures of Allāh, pay regard to all that by being regardful of which one will succeed and by ignoring which one will incur loss, and hasten towards your death by means of your (good) acts, because you are bound by what you have done in the past and you have to your credit only what (good acts) you have sent forward. (Behave in such a way) as though the feared event (death) has come upon you, so that you cannot return (to do good acts) nor can you be cleared of evil acts. Allāh may prompt us and you for His obedience and obedience of His Prophet, and forgive us and you by His great mercy.

الْزَمُوا الاْرْضَ، وَاصْبِروُا عَلَى الْبَلاءِ، وَلاَ تُحرِّكُوا بأَيْدِيكُمْ وَسُيُوفِكُمْ ]فِي] هَوَى أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ، وَلاَ تَسْتَعْجِلُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُعَجِّلْهُ اللهُ لَكُمْ، فَإِنّهُ مَنْ مَاتَ مِنْكُمْ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ وَهُوَ عَلَى مَعْرِفَةِ حَقِّ رَبِّهِ عَزَّوَجَلّ وَحَقِّ رَسُولِهِ وَأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَيْهِمْ مَاتَ شَهِيداً، وَوَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللهِ، واسْتَوْجَبَ ثَوَابَ مَا نَوَى مِنْ صَالِحِ عَمَلِهِ، وَقَامَتِ النِّيَّةُ مَقَامَ إِصْلاَتِهِ لِسَيْفِهِ، فإِنَّ لِكُلِّ شَيْء مُدَّةً وَأَجَلاً.

Stick to the earth, keep patient in trials, do not move your hands and swords after the liking of your tongues, and do not make haste in matters in which Allāh has not asked for haste, because any one of you who dies in his bed while he had knowledge of the rights of Allāh and the rights of His Prophet and members of the Prophet’s house, will die as a martyr. His reward is incumbent on Allāh. He is also eligible to the recompense of what good acts he has intended to do, since his intention takes the place of drawing his sword. Certainly, for every thing there is a time and a limit.

Extrait d’un discours où il rend grâce à Dieu, loue Son Prophète et prêche la piété

[Grâce à Dieu :] Grâce à Dieu pour Ses bienfaits. Je demande Son aide pour que je me charge dignement d’établir Ses droits, Lui dont les troupes sont puissantes et la gloire est grande.

[Louange du Prophète :] J’atteste que Mouhammad est Son serviteur et Son Envoyé qui a appelé à Son Obéissance et a lutté en faveur de Sa religion, non détourné par ceux qui s'étaient réunis pour le discréditer et pour étouffer sa lumière.

[Prêche de la piété :] Ayez recours à la crainte de Dieu, elle est un refuge de grande valeur. Devancez la mort par de bonnes actions et préparez-lui le terrain avant son arrivée. La fin de la vie est la Résurrection des morts: cette vérité suffit pour prêcher les intelligents et donner une leçon aux ignorants! Mais avant d’atteindre cette fin il y a ce que vous savez: l’étroitesse des tombes, la grande et triste désespérance, la prévision des châtiments à encourir lorsqu’on se trouve dans le Barzakh [limite entre la vie terrestre et celle de l’Àu-delà], les crises de peur, l’écrasement des cotes, la surdité de l’ouïe, les ténèbres du tombeau, la peur des promesses et l’anxiété du tombeau fermé par une grande pierre.

Craignez Dieu, ô serviteurs de Dieu. La vie vous mène dans le chemin de ceux qui vous ont devancés, et vous êtes liés à l’Heure qui paraît venir vers vous avec ses signes, s’approcher avec ses indices et vous attend sur son chemin. C’est comme si l’Heure arriverait avec ses séismes et ses poids lourds, et comme si le monde disparaîtrait avec ses habitants qu’il projette loin de lui. La vie terrestre est semlable à un jour ou un mois du passé. Ses nouveautés sont devenues de vieux accoutrements, et ses choses précieuses sont altérées et mauvaises. Vous vous trouverez dans une situation extrêmement pénible, entourés d’équivoques terribles, d’un Feu insatiable, où l’on crie à voix stridente, où les flammes sont éblouissantes, les crépitements effervescents, la chaleur ardente, l’extinction lointaine, la combustion très forte, les menaces terribles et les abîmes ténébreux insondables, un Feu dont les pourtours sont mystérieux, les marmites sont flamboyantes, et la douleur qui en résulte est affreuse.

«Et ceux qui avaient mécru seront conduits par groupe à l’En- fer» (Les Groupes, 71). Mais ceux dont les actions dans ce monde étaient vertueuses et les yeux pleureurs, ceux dont les nuits étaient claires comme le jour à force d’humiliation et de repentir et dont les jours étaient sombres comme la nuit par ascétisme et rejet des jouissances, ceux-ci seront sauvés du châtiment, imblâmables et épargnés par le Feu; leurs demeures seront tranquilles et ils seront satisfaits de leur séjour étemel. Dieu leur fit le Paradis un lieu de retour et de récompense, un lieu qu’ils ont mérité pour s’y réjouir toujours.

Ayez des égards, adorateurs de Dieu, à tout ce qui vous fait gagner et accourez vers vos ternies par vos [bonnes] actions; car vous êtes liés par ce que vous aviez fait auparavant et vous êtes des créanciers auxquels l’argent prêté sera rendu. Vous n’avez pas besoin de présenter des reçus, car Dieu vous relève de vos chutes, Qu’Il nous conserve, vous et moi, dans Son obéissance et celle de Son Envoyé, et qu’il nous pardonne à tous grâce à Sa miséricorde.

Tenez-vous cois et patients dans votre malheur. Ne remuez ni vos mains ni vos épées selon le désir de vos langues, et ne vous hâtez pas tant que Dieu ne vous presse de le faire. Car quiconque meurt sur son lit tout en connaissant le droit de son Seigneur, celui de Son Envoyé et celui des gens de sa Maison, est un martyr auquel Dieu réserve sa récompense pour ses bonnes intentions qui tiennent lieu du fait de tirer son épée. Certes, toute chose a un terme plus ou moins long.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 190