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 الله ويثني على نبيّه ويعظ

Allāh’s praise, advice about fear of Allāh and details about the Day of Judgement

[حمد اللّه :] الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَظْهَرَ مِنْ آثَارِ سُلْطَانِهِ وَجَلَالِ كِبْرِيَائِهِ مَا حَيَّرَ مُقَلَ الْعُقُولِ مِنْ عَجَائِبِ قُدْرَتِهِ وَرَدَعَ خَطَرَاتِ هَمَاهِمِ النُّفُوسِ عَنْ عِرْفَانِ كُنْهِ صِفَتِهِ.

Praise be to Allāh who has displayed such effects of His authority and the glory of His sublimity through the wonders of His might that they dazzle the pupils of the eyes and prevent the minds from appreciating the reality of His attributes.

[الشهادتان :] وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ شَهَادَةَ إِيمَانٍ وَإِيقَانٍ وَإِخْلَاصٍ وَإِذْعَانٍ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ وَأَعْلَامُ الْهُدَى دَارِسَةٌ وَمَنَاهِجُ الدِّينِ طَامِسَةٌ فَصَدَعَ بِالْحَقِّ وَنَصَحَ لِلْخَلْقِ وَهَدَى إِلَى الرُّشْدِ وَأَمَرَ بِالْقَصْدِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

I stand witness that there is no god but Allāh by virtue of belief, certainty, sincerity and conviction. I also stand witness that Muḥammad is His slave and His Prophet whom He deputed when the signs of guidance were obliterated and the ways of religion were desolate. So, he threw open the truth, gave advice to the people, guided them towards righteousness and ordered them to be moderate. May Allāh bless him and his descendants.

[العظة :] وَاعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ، أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْلُقْكُمْ عَبَثاً، وَلَمْ يُرْسِلْكُمْ هَمَلاً، عَلِمَ مَبْلَغَ نِعَمِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَأَحَصَى إِحْسَانَهُ إِلَيْكُمْ، فَاسْتَفْتِحُوهُ وَاسْتَنْجِحُوهُ وَاطْلُبُوا إِلَيْهِ وَاسْتَمْنِحُوهُ، فَمَا قَطَعَكُمْ عَنْهُ حِجَابٌ، وَلاَ أُغْلِقَ عَنْكُمْ دُونَهُ بَابٌ، وَإِنْهُ لَبِكُلِّ مَكَان، وَفِي كُلِّ حِين وَأَوَان، وَمَعَ كُلِّ إِنْس وَجَانّ، لاَ يَثْلِمُهُ الْعَطَاءُ، وَلاَ يَنْقُصُهُ الْحِبَاءُ، وَلاَ يَسْتَنْفِدُهُ سَائِلٌ، وَلاَ يَسْتَقْصِيهِ نَائِلٌ،

Know, O creatures of Allāh, that He has not created you for nought and has not left you free. He knows the extent of His favours over you and the quantity of His bounty towards you. Therefore, ask Him for success and for the attainment of aims. Beg before Him and seek His generosity. No curtain hides you from Him, nor is any door closed before you against Him. He is at every place, in every moment and every instance. He is with every man and jinn. Giving does not create any breach in Him. Gifting does not cause Him diminution. A beggar cannot exhaust Him and paying (to others) cannot take Him to the end.

وَلاَ يَلْوِيهِ شَخْصٌ عَنْ شَخْص، وَلاَ يُلْهِيهِ صَوْتٌ عَنْ صَوْت، وَلاَ تَجْجُزُهُ هِبَهٌ عَنْ سَلْب، وَلاَ يَشْغَلُهُ غَضَبٌ عَنْ رَحْمَة، وَلاَ تُوَلِّهُهُ رَحْمَةٌ عَنْ عِقَاب، وَلاَ يُجِنُّهُ الْبُطُونُ عَنِ الظُّهُورِ، وَلاَ يَقْطَعُهُ الظُّهُورُ عَنِ الْبُطُونِ، قَرُبَ فَنأَى، وَعَلاَ فَدَنَا، وَظَهَرَ فَبَطَنَ، وَبَطَنَ فَعَلَنَ، ودَانَ وَلَمْ يُدَنْ، لَمْ يَذْرَاَ الْخَلْقَ بِاحْتِيَال، وَلاَ اسْتَعَانَ بِهِمْ لِكَلاَل

One person cannot turn His attention from another, one voice does not detract Him from another voice, and one grant of favour does not prevent Him from refusing another favour. Anger does not prevent Him from mercy, mercy does not prevent Him from punishing; His concealment does not hide His manifestness and His manifestness does not prevent Him from concealment. He is near and at the same time distant. He is high and at the same time low. He is manifest and also concealed. He is concealed yet well-known. He lends but is not lent anything. He has not created (the things of) creation after devising, nor did He take their assistance on account of fatigue.

أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، فَإِنَّهَا الزِّمَامُ وَالْقِوَامُ، فَتَمَسَّكُوا بِوَثَائِقِهَا، وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَقَائِقِهَا، تَؤُلْ بِكُمْ إِلَى أَكْنَانِ الدَعَةِ، وَأَوْطَانِ السَّعَةِ، وَمَعَاقِلِ الْحِرْزِ، وَمَنَازِلِ الْعِزِّ في ﴿يَوْمٍ تَشْخَصُ فِيهِ الْأَبْصَارُ﴾‏، وَتُظْلِمُ لَهُ الاْقْطَارُ، وَتُعَطَّلُ فِيهِ صُرُومُ الْعِشَارِ، وَيُنْفَخُ فِي الصُّورِ، فَتَزْهَقُ كُلُّ مُهْجَة، وَتَبْكَمُ كُلُّ لَهْجَة، وَتَذِلُّ الشُّمُّ الشَّوَامِخُ، وَالصُّمُّ الرَّوَاسِخُ، فَيَصِيرُ صَلْدُهَا سَرَاباً رَقْرَقاً، وَمَعْهَدُهَا قَاعاً سَمْلَقاً، فَلاَ شَفِيعٌ يَشَفَعُ، وَلاَ حَمِيمٌ يَنْفَعُ، وَلاَ مَعْذِرَةٌ تَدْفَعُ.

I advise you, O creatures of Allāh, to have fear of Allāh, for it is the rein and the mainstay (of religion). Hold fast to its salient points, keep hold of its realities. It will take you to abodes of easiness, places of comfort, fortresses of safety and houses of honour on the Day (of Judgement) when eyes will be wide open, (Qur’ān, 14:42), when there will be darkness all round, when small groups of camels pregnant for ten months will be allowed free grazing, and when the Horn will be blown, then every living being will die, every voice will become dumb the high mountains and hard rocks will crumble (to pieces) so that their hard stones will turn into moving sand and their bases will become level. (On that day) there will be no interceder to intercede and no relation to ward off (trouble), and no excuse will be of avail.

Extrait d’un discours où il loue Dieu, fait l’éloge du Prophète et prêche

[Louange de Dieu :] Louange à Dieu dont les traces de la Royauté et la magnificence de la fierté jettent les intelligences dans rembarras à cause des miracles de Sa Puissance et empêchent les pensées pétries de science de connaître la quiddité de Ses attributs.

[Les deux témoignages :] Je témoigne qu’il n’y a de dieu que Dieu. C’est un témoignage fait de foi, d’assurance, de fidélité et de soumission. Je témoigne aussi que Mouhammad est Son serviteur et Son Envoyé lorsque les bannières de la guidance étaient abaissées et les voies de la religion effacées. Alors Mouhammad suivit la vérité, conseilla les gens, les guida dans la voie véritable et les ordonna de suivre la juste mesure -que le salut de Dieu soit avec lui et les siens.

[La prêche :] Sachez, adorateurs de Dieu, que Dieu ne vous a pas créés sans but que Dieu ne vous a pas créés sans but et ne vous laisse pas à la dérive. Grands sont Ses grâces et Ses bienfaits qu’il vous octroie; demandez-Lui de vous aider dans vos conquêtes et de faire réussir vos travaux. Aucune voile ne Le coupe de vous et aucune de Ses portes n’est fermée devant vous. Il est partout en tout temps et lieu, et avec tout humain et tout Djinn. Il donne sans s’appauvrir: ses dons sont inépuisables quels que soient la quantité des demandes et le nombre des demandeurs. Il donne avec équité, sans distinction entre personnes.

Je vous conseille, adorateurs de Dieu, d’être pieux, car la piété est ce qui vous conduit à vivre dans la justice. En s’agrippant à Ses vérités, la piété vous amène à la tranquillité d’une vie aisée, aux pays de l’abondance, aux forteresses de la circonspection et aux demeures de la puissance, en un jour où «les regards regarderont fixement», les pays succomberont dans les ténèbres et les hommes délaisseront tout pour assurer leur salut. Alors, on souffle dans la trompette, tout le monde meurt, toutes les voix restent muettes, les hautes montagnes s’écrasent humblement par teire... Alors il n’y a pas d'intercesseur, plus d’amis sur lesquels on compte et plus d’excuses valables.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 195