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) يصف فيها المنافقين

نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا وَفَّقَ لَهُ مِنَ الطَّاعَةِ، وَذَادَ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْمَعْصِيةِ، وَنَسْأَلُهُ لِمِنَّتِهِ تَمَاماً، وَبِحَبْلِهِ اعْتِصَاماً. وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، خَاضَ إِلَى رِضْوَانِ اللهِ كُلَّ غَمْرَة، وَتَجَرَّعَ فِيهِ كُلَّ غُصَّة، وَقَدْ تَلَوَّنَ لَه الاَدْنَوْنَ، وَتَأَلَّبَ عَلَيْهِ الاْقْصَوْنَ، وَخَلَعَتْ إِلَيْهِ الْعَرَبُ أَعِنَّتَهَا، وَضَرَبَتْ إِلَى مُحَارَبَتِهِ بُطُونَ رَوَاحِلِهَا، حَتَّى أَنْزَلَتْ بِسَاحَتِهِ عَدَاوَتَهَا، مِنْ أبْعَدِ الدَّارِ، وَأَسْحَقِ الْمَزَارِ.

We praise Allāh for the succour He has given us in carrying out His obedience and in preventing us from disobedience, and we ask Him to complete His favours (to us) and to make us hold on to His rope. We stand witness that Muḥammad is His slave and His Messenger. He entered every hardship in search of Allāh’s pleasure and endured for its sake every grief. His near relations changed themselves for him and those who were remote from him (in relationship) united against him. The Arabs let loose the reins (of their horses to quicken their march) against him, and struck the bellies of their carriers to (rouse them) in fighting against him, so much so that enemies came to his threshold from the remotest places and most distant areas.

أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَأُحَذِّرُكُمْ أَهْلَ النِّفَاقِ، فَإِنَّهُمُ: الضَّالُّونَ الْمُضِلُّونَ، وَالزَّالُّونَ الْمُزِلُّونَ. يَتَلَوَّنُونَ أَلْوَاناً، وَيَفْتَنُّونَ افْتِنَاناً، َيَعْمِدُونَكُمْ بِكُلِّ عِمَاد، وَيَرْصُدُونَكُمْ بِكُلِّ مِرْصَاد. قُلوبُهُمْ دَوِيَّةٌ، وَصِفَاحُهُمْ نَقِيَّةٌ. يَمْشُونَ الْخَفَاءَ، وَيَدِبُّونَ الضَّرَاءَ. وَصْفُهُمْ دَوَاءٌ، وَقَوْلُهُمْ شِفَاءٌ، وَفِعْلُهُمُ الدَّاءُ الْعَيَاءُ. حَسَدَةُ الرَّخَاءِ، وَمُؤَكِّدُوا الْبَلاَءِ، وَمُقْنِطُوا الرَّجَاءِ. لَهُمْ بِكُلِّ طَرِيق صَرِيعٌ، وَإلى كُلِّ قَلْب شَفِيعٌ، وَلِكُلِّ شَجْو دُمُوعٌ.

I advise you, O creatures of Allāh, to fear Allāh and I warn you of the hypocrites, because they are themselves misguided and misguide others, and they have slipped and make others slip too. They change into many colours, and adopt various ways. They support you with all sorts of supports, and lay in waiting for you at every lookout. Their hearts are diseased while their faces are clean. They walk stealthily and tread like the approach of sickness (over the body). Their words speak of cure, but their acts are like incurable diseases. They are jealous of ease, intensify distress, and destroy hopes. Their victims are found lying down on every path, while they have means to approach every heart and they have (false) tears for every grief.

يَتَقَارَضُونَ الثَّنَاءَ، وَيَتَرَاقَبُونَ الْجَزَاء. إِنْ سَأَلُوا ألْحَفُوا، وَإِنْ عَذَلُوا كَشَفُوا، وَإِنْ حَكَمُوا أَسْرَفُوا. قَدْ أَعَدُّوا لِكُلِّ حَقٍّ بَاطِلاً، وَلِكُلِّ قَائِم مَائِلاً، وَلِكُلِّ حَيّ قَاتِلاً، وَلِكُلِّ بَاب مِفْتَاحاً، وَلِكُلِّ لَيْل مِصْبَاحاً. يَتَوَصَّلُونَ إِلَى الطَّمَعِ بِالْيَأْسِ لِيُقيمُوا بِهِ أَسْوَاقَهُمْ، وَيُنَفِّعُوا بِهِ أَعْلاَقَهُمْ. يَقُولُونَ فَيُشَبِّهُونَ، وَيَصِفُونَ فَيُمَوِّهُونَ. قَدْ هيّأُوا الطَّرِيقَ، وَأَضْلَعُوا الْمَضِيقَ. فَهُمْ لُمَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ، وَحُمَةُ النِّيرَانِ ﴿أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ﴾

They eulogise each other and expect reward from each other. When they ask something they insist on it, if they reprove (any one) they disgrace (him), and if they pass verdict they commit excess. They have adopted for every truth a wrong way, for every erect thing a bender, for every living being a killer, for every (closed) door a key and for every night a lamp. They covet, but with despair, in order to maintain with it their markets, and to popularise their handsome merchandise. When they speak they create doubts. When they describe they exaggerate. First they offer easy paths but (afterwards) they make them narrow. In short, they are the party of Satan and the stings of fire. “..they are Satan's Party; Beware! Verily, the party of Satan are the losers.” (Qur’ān, 58:19)

Extrait d’un discours où il décrit l’hypocrite

Adorateurs de Dieu, je vous conseille de craindre Dieu et d’éviter les gens hypocrites. Ils sont dans l’erreur et le péché, et amènent les autres à les suivre. Ils changent de couleur et de parole. Ils vous font porter de lourds fardeaux et sont aux aguets contre vous. Leurs cœurs sont malades quoique leurs visages paraissent calmes. Ils déambulent en cachette comme la maladie contagieuse. Leurs paroles sont l’air d’un remède qui guérit, mais leurs actions sont des maladies inguérissables. Ils jalousent ceux qui sont dans le bien-être, utilisent tout ce qui sert à éprouver autrui et lui font perdre toute espérance. A chaque pas ils renversent un adversaire. Ils se concertent contre le prochain, quoique leurs pleurs abondent dans tes funérailles!

Ils se prêtent des éloges mutuels et attendent que l’un récompense l’autre. S’ils demandent, ils insistent; s’ils cen- surent, ils révèlent les secrets; s’ils gouvernent, ils dépassent les bornes. A chaque vérité ils préparent une contradiction, à chaque position horizontale une autre latérale, à chaque vivant un tueur, à chaque porte une clé, à chaque nuit une lanterne. Ils arrivent à leur ambition en faisant désespérer les autres par des marchés où ils donnent du débit à leurs tromperies, D’après leurs dires, le vrai ressemble au faux et, quand ils décrivent une chose, ils falsifient le récit. Ils font dévier la voie [de la guidance] qui est pourtant facile. Ils sont le groupe de Satan, l’aiguillon du Feu: «Ceux-là sont le parti du Diable et c’est le parti du Diable qui sont assurément les perdants» (La Discussion, 19).

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 194