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 كلام له (عليه السلام) قاله عند تلاوته ﴿يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ. رِجَالٌ لَا تُلْهِيهِمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلَا بَيْعٌ عَنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ﴾‏

Delivered after reciting the verse: therein declare glory unto Him in the mornings and the evenings; Men whom neither merchandise nor any sale diverteth from the remembrance of Allah. (Qur’ān, 24:36-37)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى جَعَلَ الذِّكْرَ جِلاءً لِلْقُلُوبِ تَسْمَعُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْوَقْرَةِ وَتُبْصِرُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْعَشْوَةِ وَتَنْقَادُ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْمُعَانَدَةِ وَمَا بَرِحَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّتْ آلَاؤُهُ فِي الْبُرْهَةِ بَعْدَ الْبُرْهَةِ وَفِي أَزْمَانِ الْفَتَرَاتِ عِبَادٌ نَاجَاهُمْ فِي فِكْرِهِمْ وَكَلَّمَهُمْ فِي ذَاتِ عُقُولِهِمْ فَاسْتَصْبَحُوا بِنُورِ يَقَظَةٍ فِي الْأَبْصَارِ وَالْأَسْمَاعِ وَالْأَفْئِدَةِ يُذَكِّرُونَ بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ وَيُخَوِّفُونَ مَقَامَهُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْأَدِلَّةِ فِي الْفَلَوَاتِ مَنْ أَخَذَ الْقَصْدَ حَمِدُوا إِلَيْهِ طَرِيقَهُ وَبَشَّرُوهُ بِالنَّجَاةِ وَمَنْ أَخَذَ يَمِيناً وَشِمَالًا ذَمُّوا إِلَيْهِ الطَّرِيقَ وَحَذَّرُوهُ مِنَ الْهَلَكَةِ وَكَانُوا كَذَلِكَ مَصَابِيحَ تِلْكَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَأَدِلَّةَ تِلْكَ الشُّبُهَاتِ

Certainly, Allāh, the Glorified, the Sublime, has made His remembrance the light for hearts which hear with its help despite deafness, see with its help despite blindness and become submissive with its help despite unruliness. In all the periods and times when there were no prophets, there have been persons with whom Allāh, precious are His bounties, whispered through their wits and spoke through their minds. With the help of the bright awakening of their ears, eyes and hearts they keep reminding others of the remembrance of the days of Allāh and making others feel fear for Him like guide-points in wildernesses. Whoever adopts the middle way, they praise his ways and give him the tidings of deliverance, but whoever goes right and left they vilify his ways and frighten him with ruin. In this way, they served as lamps in these darknesses and guides through these doubts.

وَإِنَّ لِلذِّكْرِ لاَهْلاً أَخَذُوهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بَدَلاً، فَلَمْ تَشْغَلْهُمْ تِجَارَةٌ وَلاَ بَيْعٌ عَنْهُ، يَقْطَعُونَ بِهِ أَيَّامَ الْحَيَاةِ، وَيَهْتِفُونَ بِالزَّوَاجِرِ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللهِ، في أَسْمَاعِ الْغَافِلِينَ، وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالقِسْطِ وَيَأْتَمِرُونَ بِهِ، وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ وَيَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَنْهُ، فَكَأَنَّمَا قَطَعُوا الدُّنْيَا إِلَى الاْخِرَةِ وَهُمْ فِيهَا، فَشَاهَدُوا مَاوَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ، فَكَأَنَّمَا اطَّلَعُوا غُيُوبَ أَهْلِ الْبَرْزَخِ فِي طولِ الاْقَامَةِ فِيهِ، وَحَقَّقَتِ الْقِيَامَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ عِدَاتِهَا، فَكَشَفُوا غِطَاءَ ذلِكَ لاِهْلِ الدُّنْيَا، حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَ مَا لاَ يَرَى النَّاسُ، وَيَسمَعُونَ مَا لاَ يَسْمَعُونَ.

There are some people devoted to the remembrance (of Allāh) who have adopted it in place of worldly matters so that commerce or trade does not turn them away from it. They pass their life in it. They speak into the ears of neglectful persons warning against matters held unlawful by Allāh, they order them to practise justice and themselves keep practising it, and they refrain them from the unlawful and themselves refrain from it. It is as though they have finished the journey of this world towards the next world and have beheld what lies beyond it. Consequently, they have become acquainted with all that befell them in the interstice during their long stay therein, and the Day of Judgement fulfils its promises for them. Therefore, they removed the curtain from these things for the people of the world, till it was as though they were seeing what people did not see and were hearing what people did not hear.

فَلَوْ مَثَّلْتَهُمْ لِعَقْلِكَ فِي مَقَاوِمِهِمُ الْـمَحْمُودَةِ، وَمَجَالِسِهِمُ الْمَشْهُودَةِ، وَقَدْ نَشَرُوا دَوَاوِينَ أَعْمَالِهِمْ، وَفَرَغُوا لِـمُحَاسَبَةِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ، وَعَلَى كُلِّ صَغِيرَة وَكَبِيرَة أُمِرُوا بِهَا فَقَصَّرُوا عَنْهَا، أَوْ نُهوُا عَنْهَا فَفَرَّطُوا فِيهَا، وَحَمَّلُوا ثِقَلَ أَوْزَارِهِمْ ظُهُورَهُمْ، فَضَعُفُوا عَنِ الاْسْتِقلاَلِ بِهَا، فَنَشَجُوا نَشِيجاً، وَتَجَاوَبُوا نَحِيباً، يَعِجُّونَ إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ مِنْ مَقَامِ نَدَم وَاعْتِرَاف، لَرَأَيْتَ أَعْلاَمَ هُدىً، وَمَصَابِيحَ دُجىً، قَدْ حَفَّتْ بِهِمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ، وَتَنَزَّلَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّكِينَةُ، وَفُتِحَتْ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّماءِ، وَأَعِدَّتْ لَهُمْ مَقَاعِدُ الْكَرَامَاتِ، فِي مَقْعَد اطَّلَعَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِيهِ،

If you picture them in your mind in their admirable positions and well-known sittings, when they have opened the records of their actions and are prepared to render an account of themselves in respect of the small as well as the big things they were ordered to do but they failed to do, or were ordered to refrain from but they indulged therein, and they realised the weight of their burden (of bad acts) on their backs, and they felt too weak to bear them, then they wept bitterly and spoke to each other while still crying and bewailing to Allāh in repentance and acknowledgement (of their shortcomings), you would find them to be emblems of guidance and lamps in darkness, angels would be surrounding them, peace would be descending upon them, the doors of the sky would be opened for them and positions of honour would be assigned to them in the place of which Allāh had informed them.

فَرَضِيَ سَعْيَهُمْ، وَحَمِدَ مَقَامَهُمْ، يَتَنَسَّمُونَ بِدُعَائِهِ رَوْحَ ا لتَّجَاوُزِ، رَهَائِنُ فَاقَة إِلَى فَضْلِهِ، وَأُسَارَى ذِلَّة لِعَظَمَتِهِ، جَرَحَ طُولُ الاْسَى قُلُوبَهُمْ، وَطُولُ الْبُكَاءِ عُيُونَهُمْ. لِكُلِّ بَابِ رَغْبَة إِلَى اللهِ سُبحانَهُ مِنْهُمْ يَدٌ قَارِعةٌ، يَسْأَلُونَ مَنْ لاَ تَضِيقُ لَدَيْهِ الْمَنَادِحُ، وَلاَ يَخِيبُ عَلَيْهِ الرَّاغِبُونَ. فَحَاسِبْ نَفْسَكَ لِنَفْسِكَ، فَإِنَّ غَيْرَهَا مِنَ الاْنْفُسِ لَهَا حَسِيبٌ غَيْرُكَ.

Therefore, He has appreciated their actions and praised their position.They call Him and breathe in the air of forgiveness, they are ever needy of His bounty and remain humble before His greatness, The length of their grief has pained their hearts, and the length of weeping their eyes. They knock at every door of inclination towards Allāh. They ask Him Whom generosity does not make destitute and from Whom those who approach Him do not get disappointed. Therefore, take account of yourself for your own sake because the account of others will be taken by one other than you.

Extrait de ses paroles (Prononcé après avoir dit): «[Les croyants] exaltent Dieu le matin et le soir, sans être distraits par la vente et l’achat».

Dieu -que son nom soit loué- a fait du rappel de Ses attributs une clarté pour les cœurs, un remède contre la surdité, la cécité et le retus. Au temps où il n’y avait pas de prophètes sur terre. Dieu avait des adorateurs qu’il inspirait spirituellement et parlait à leurs intellects. Ceux-ci illuminèrent leurs lampes d’une lumière qui éveillait leurs vues, leurs ouïes et leurs cœurs. Ils rappelèrent les travaux de Dieu, répandirent Sa crainte dans les cœurs, comme autant de repères dans les régions arides. Ils louèrent ceux qui suivaient le juste milieu dans leur comportement et leur annoncèrent le salut; ils vilipendèrent ceux qui zigzaguaient sur leur chemin et les mirent en garde contre la perdition; ainsi, ils étaient des lanternes qui dissipaient les ténèbres et des jalons qui éloignaient les malentendus.

Le rappel de Dieu avait donc des tenants qui avaient banni le monde, délaissé les transactions et menaient une vie où ils clamaient les interdictions divines dans les oreilles des insouciants, ordonnaient la justice quais pratiquaient et interdisaient le blâmable qu’ils fuyaient. Ils paraissaient en train de traverser la vie terrestre tout en étant vivants, mais voyant ce qu’il y a au-delà d’elle, comme s’ils étaient au courant de l’Au-delà, derrière la barrière [Al Barzakh] qui sépare la vie terrestre de la vie future. La Résurrection leur révéla ses promesses qu’ils ont dévoilées aux hommes, comme s’ils voyaient et entendaient ce que ceux-ci ne voient ni n’entendent.

Imaginez-vous les hom- mes dans leurs lieux de séjour connus et dignes d’éloges, en train d’inscrire leurs oeuvres et de régler leurs comptes; leurs négligences dans l’accomplissement de tout acte, petit ou grand; leurs désobéissances aux interdictions; leurs péchés qui alourdissent leurs dos; leur repentir accompagné de gémissement..... Si tu imagines tout cela tu verras les bannières de la bonne guidance, les lanternes du soir, entourés des anges et jouissant de la tranquillité. Les portes du Ciel leur sont ouvertes et les sièges d’honneur leur sont préparés.

Dieu est content de leurs œuvres et loue leur position. Par leurs prières ils s’attendent à être impunis. Ils sont des otages dont la pauvreté aspire aux dons de Dieu et des prisonniers qui s’humilient devant Sa Grandeur. Leur longue tristesse a blessé leurs cœurs et leurs pleurs continus ont flétri leurs yeux. Leurs mains frappent à la porte de leur désir de voir Dieu, Ils implorent Celui qui s’étend au-delà de l’espace et qui ne déçoit pas ceux qui Le désirent. Fais donc tes propres comptes et ne sois pas celui qui demande des comptes à des âmes qui seront jugées par d’autres.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 222