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) بعد انصرافه من صفين وفيها حال الناس قبل البعثة وصفة آل النبي ثمّ صفة قوم آخرين

One of his (a.s) sermons, delivered after his departure from Ṣiffin, in which he describes the state of the people before the Proclamation of the Prophet (sw), the characteristics of the family of the Prophet, and then the characteristics of another group of people.

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

Book 1, Chapter 2