ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) بعد انصرافه من صفين وفيها حال الناس قبل البعثة وصفة آل النبي ثمّ صفة قوم آخرين

Delivered on return from Ṣiffin. and in it he mentions Arabia before proclamation of Prophethood

أحْمَدُهُ اسْتِتْماماً لِنِعْمَتِهِ، وَاسْتِسْلاَماً لِعِزَّتِهِ، واسْتِعْصَاماً مِنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ، وَأَسْتَعِينُهُ فَاقَةً إِلى كِفَايَتِهِ، إِنَّهُ لاَ يَضِلُّ مَنْ هَدَاهُ، وَلا يَئِلُ مَنْ عَادَاهُ، وَلا يَفْتَقِرُ مَنْ كَفَاهُ; فَإِنَّهُ أَرْجَحُ ما وُزِنَ، وَأَفْضَلُ مَا خُزِنَ.

I praise Allāh seeking completion of His Blessing, submitting to His Glory and expecting safety from committing His sins. I invoke His help being in need of His Sufficiency (of protection). He whom He guides does not get astray, He with whom He is hostile gets no protection. He whom He supports does not remain needy. Praise is most weighty of all that is weighed and the most valuable of all that is treasured.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ، شَهَادَةً مُمْتَحَناً إِخْلاَصُهَا، مُعْتَقَداً مُصَاصُهَا، نَتَمَسَّكُ بها أَبَداً ما أَبْقانَا، وَنَدَّخِرُهَا لاِهَاوِيلِ مَا يَلْقَانَا، فَإِنَّها عَزيمَةُ الاْيمَانِ، وَفَاتِحَةُ الاْحْسَانِ، وَمَرْضَاةُ الرَّحْمنِ، وَمَدْحَرَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ.

I stand witness that there is no god but Allāh the One. He has no like. My testimony has been tested in its frankness, and its essence is our belief. We shall cling to it for ever till we live and shall store it facing the tribulations that overtake us because it is the foundation stone of Belief (imān) and the first step towards good actions and Divine pleasure. It is the means to keep Satan away.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، أرْسَلَهُ بِالدِّينِ المشْهُورِ، وَالعَلَمِ المأْثُورِ، وَالكِتَابِ المسْطُورِ، وَالنُّورِ السَّاطِعِ، وَالضِّيَاءِ اللاَّمِعِ، وَالاَمْرِ الصَّادِعِ، إزَاحَةً لِلشُّبُهَاتِ، وَاحْتِجَاجاً بِالبَيِّنَاتِ، وَتَحْذِيراً بِالايَاتِ، وَتَخْويفاً بِالمَثُلاَتِ، وَالنَّاسُ في فِتَن انْجَذَمَ فِيها حَبْلُ الدِّينِ، وَتَزَعْزَعَتْ سَوَارِي اليَقِينِ، وَاخْتَلَفَ النَّجْرُ، وَتَشَتَّتَ الاْمْرُ، وَضَاقَ الْـمَخْرَجُ، وَعَمِيَ المَصْدَرُ، فَالهُدَى خَامِلٌ، واَلعَمَى شَامِلٌ.

I also stand witness that Muḥammad (S) is His. slave and His Prophet. Allāh sent him with the illustrious religion, effective emblem, written Book, [1] effulgent light, sparkling gleam and decisive injunction in order to dispel doubts, present clear proofs, administer warning through signs and to warn of punishments. At that time people had fallen in vices whereby the rope of religion had been broken, the pillars of belief had been shaken, principles had been sacrileged, system had become topsy-turvy, openings were narrow, passage was dark, guidance was unknown and darkness prevailed.

عُصِيَ الرَّحْمنُ، وَنُصِرَ الشَّيْطَانُ، وَخُذِلَ الاِْيمَانُ، فَانْهَارَتْ دَعَائِمُهُ، وَتَنكَّرَتْ مَعَالِمُهُ، وَدَرَسَتْ سُبُلُهُ، وَعَفَتْ شُرُكُهُ. أَطَاعُوا الشَّيْطَانَ فَسَلَكُوا مَسَالِكَهُ، وَوَرَدُوا مَنَاهِلَهُ، بِهِمْ سَارَتْ أَعْلامُهُ، وَقَامَ لِوَاؤُهُ، في فِتَن دَاسَتْهُمْ بِأَخْفَافِهَا، وَوَطِئَتْهُمْ بأَظْلاَفِهَا وَقَامَتْ عَلَى سَنَابِكِهَا، فَهُمْ فِيهَا تَائِهُونَ حَائِرونَ جَاهِلُونَ مَفْتُونُونَ، في خَيْرِ دَار، وَشَرِّ جِيرَان، نَوْمُهُمْ سُهُودٌ، وَكُحْلُهُمْ دُمُوعٌ، بأَرْض عَالِمُها مُلْجَمٌ، وَجَاهِلُها مُكْرَمٌ.

Allāh was being disobeyed, Satan was given support and Belief had been forsaken. As a result the pillars of religion fell down, its traces could not be discerned, its passages had been destroyed and its streets had fallen into decay. People obeyed Satan and tread his paths. They sought water from his watering places. Through them Satan's emblems got flying and his standard was raised in vices which trampled the people under their hoofs, and treaded upon them with their feet. The vices stood on their toes (in full stature) and the people immersed in them were strayed, perplexed, ignorant and seduced as though in a good house [2] with bad neighbours. Instead of sleep they had wakefulness and for antimony they had tears in the eyes. They were in a land where the learned were in bridle (keeping their mouths shut) while the ignorant were honoured.

ومنها: ويعني آل النبي ( صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)

In the same sermon Amīr al-mu’minīn referred to Al an-Nabi (the Household of the Holy Prophet) as under.

هُمْ مَوْضِعُ سِرِّهِ، وَلَجَأُ أَمْرِهِ، وَعَيْبَةُ عِلْمِهِ، وَمَوْئِلُ حُكْمِهِ، وَكُهُوفُ كُتُبِهِ، وَجِبَالُ دِينِه، بِهِمْ أَقَامَ انْحِناءَ ظَهْرِهِ، وَأذْهَبَ ارْتِعَادَ فَرَائِصِهِ.

They are the trustees of His secrets, shelter for His affairs, source of knowledge about Him, centre of His wisdom, valleys for His books and mountains of His religion. With them Allah straightened the bend of religion’s back and removed the trembling of its limbs.

منها: يعني بها قوماً آخرين

In the same Sermon he spoke about the hypocrites

زَرَعُوا الفُجُورَ، وَسَقَوْهُ الغُرُورَ، وَحَصَدُوا الثُّبُورَ،

They sowed vices, watered them with deception and harvested destruction.

لا يُقَاسُ بِآلِ مُحَمَّد (عليهم السلام) مِنْ هذِهِ الاُمَّةِ أَحَدٌ، وَلا يُسَوَّى بِهِمْ مَنْ جَرَتْ نِعْمَتُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أبَداً. هُمْ أَسَاسُ الدِّينِ، وَعِمَادُ اليَقِينِ، إِلَيْهمْ يَفِيءُ الغَالي، وَبِهِمْ يَلْحَقُ التَّالي، وَلَهُمْ خَصَائِصُ حَقِّ الوِلايَةِ، وَفِيهِمُ الوَصِيَّةُ وَالوِرَاثَةُ، الاْنَ إِذْ رَجَعَ الحَقُّ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ، وَنُقِلَ إِلَى مُنْتَقَلِهِ.

None in the Islamic community can be taken at par with the Progeny [3] of the Prophet (Ãlu Muḥammad). One who was under their obligation cannot be matched with them. They are the foundation of religion and pillar of Belief. The forward runner has to turn back to them while the follower has to overtake them. They possess the chief characteristics for vicegerency. In their favour exists the will and succession (of the Prophet). This is the time when right has returned to its owner and diverted to its centre of return.

Extrait d’un discours après avoir quitté Saffine, où il expose l’état des gens avant la Révélation, la qualité des parents du Prophète puis celle d’autres gens.

Je rends grâce à Dieu pour qu’il accomplisse Sa grâce en moi, je me soumets à Sa Seigneurie, je L’implore pour me prémunir du péché, je demande Son aide pour avoir mon pain quotidien; Dieu n’égare pas celui qu’il guide, celui qui est Son ennemi ne sera pas sauvé et celui qu’il prémunit ne sera jamais pauvre. Parmi les pondérables II est le plus pesant et II est le meilleur parmi les emmagasinables.

J’atteste qu’il n’y a de dieu que Dieu seul, sans associés. Mon témoignage, mis à l’épreuve, s’est révélé pur de toute tache; je m’en tiens tant que je suis en vie et le conserve pour affronter ses malheurs, car la Shahada [témoignage] est la vigueur de la foi, l’introduction de la bienfaisance, le contentement du Miséricordieux, la défaite du démon.

J’atteste aussi que Mohammad est Son serviteur et Son Envoyé qui nous a relégué la religion célèbre, le signe connu, le Livre écrit, la lumière éclatante, la clarté lumineuse, l’ordre strict; et ce pour éloigner les incertitudes, exposer les évidences, avertir par les versets et apeurer par les châtiments. Car les gens vivaient dans un état de sédition où la religion faisait défaut, sujets au doute et au scep- ticisme. Coupée de son origine, l’humanité s’étaient dispersée, se trouvant sans issue, errant à l’aveuglette en dehors de la voir

établie par le Miséricordieux Auquel on désobéit pour suivre Satan. Par conséquent, la foi était délaissée; ses fondements étaient abolis, ses indices confondus, ses voies totalement effacées. Les hommes obéissaient à Satan et suivaient ses directives; ils s’abreuvaient de ses sources. Quant à lui, il hissait ses drapeaux au milieu d’eux, rassemblant ses troupes où les hommes étaient piétines par toutes sortes de sabots et d’ongles, et où ils erraient inquiets, ignorants et éprouvés dans la meilleure des demeures [La Mecque] et auprès des pires voisins [les juifs]. Soumis à l’insomnie et aux pleurs, les gens vivaient dans une région qui enchaîne les savants et vénère les ignorants.

Se référant aux membres de la maison du Prophète

Ils sont les dépositaires de son secret [le Prophète], son refuge, le réceptacle de sa science, la référence de sa religion. C’est grâce à eux qu’il s’est redressé et s’est tenu coi, se débarrassant de sa peur viscérale.

Ils ont cultivé la concupiscence qu’ils arrosèrent d’illusions, pour récolter la perte.

Nul parmi cette nation n’est mesurable aux membres de la maison de Mouhammad, et ceux qui ont profité de ses faveurs n’égalisent en rien ceux-ci, car ils sont la base de la religion et le point d’appui de la certitude, sous l’aile desquels se réfugient ceux qui viennent après eux. De plus, ils détiennent en propre le droit de gouverner et chez eux se trouvent et le testament et l’héritage en ce temps où leur dü est acquitté.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #2