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) يتبرّأ من الظلم

About keeping aloof from oppression and misappropriation. ‘‘Aqīl’s condition of poverty and destitution

وَاللهِ لاَنْ أَبِيتَ عَلَى حَسَكِ السَّعْدَانِ مُسَهَّداً، أَوْ أُجَرَّ فِي الاْغْلاَلِ مُصَفَّداً، أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَلْقَى اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ظَالِماً لِبَعْضِ الْعِبَادِ، وَغَاصِباً لِشَيْء مِنَ الْحُطَامِ، وَكَيْفَ أَظْلِمُ أَحَداً لِنَفْس يُسْرِعُ إِلَى الْبِلَى قُفُولُهَا، وَيَطُولُ فِي الثَّرَى حُلُولُهَا؟!

By Allāh, I would rather pass a night in wakefulness on the thorns of as-sa‘dān (a plant having sharp prickles) or be driven in chains as a prisoner than meet Allāh and His Messenger on the Day of Judgement as an oppressor over any person or a usurper of anything out of worldly wealth. And how can I oppress any one for (the sake of a life) that is fast moving towards destruction and is to remain under the earth for a long time?

وَاللهِ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ عَقِيلاً وَقَدْ أمْلَقَ حَتَّى اسْتماحَنِي مِنْ بُرِّكُمْ صَاعاً، وَرَأَيْتُ صِبْيَانَهُ شُعْثَ الشُّعُورِ، غُبْرَ الاْلْوَانِ، مِنْ فَقْرِهِمْ، كَأَنَّمَا سُوِّدَتْ وُجُوهُهُمْ بِالْعِظْلِمِ، وَعَاوَدَنِي مُؤَكِّداً، وَكَرَّرَ عَلَيَّ الْقَوْلَ مُرَدِّداً، فَأَصْغَيْتُ إِلَيْهِ سَمَعِي، فَظَنَّ أَنِّي أَبِيعُهُ دِينِي، وَأَتَّبِعُ قِيَادَهُ، مُفَارِقاً طَرِيقِي، فَأَحْمَيْتُ لَهُ حَدِيدَةً، ثُمَّ أَدْنَيْتُهَا مِنْ جِسْمِهِ لِيَعْتَبِرَ بِهَا، فَضَجَّ ضَجِيجَ ذِي دَنَف مِنْ أَلَمِهَا، وَكَادَ أَنْ يَحْتَرِقَ مِنْ مِيسَمِهَا،

By Allāh, I certainly saw (my brother) ‘Aqīl fallen in destitution and he asked me a ṣā‘ (about three kilograms in weight) out of your (share of) wheat, and I also saw his children with dishevelled hair and a dusty countenance due to starvation, as though their faces had been blackened by indigo. He came to me several times and repeated his request to me again and again. I heard him, and he thought I would sell my faith to him and follow his tread leaving my own way. Then I (just) heated a piece of iron and took it near his body so that he might take a lesson from it, then he cried as a person in protracted illness cries with pain and he was about to get burnt with its branding.

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ : ثَكِلَتْكَ الثَّوَاكِلُ، يَا عَقِيلُ ! أَتَئِنُّ مِنْ حَدِيدَة أَحْمَاهَا إِنْسَانُهَا لِلَعِبِهِ، وَتَجُرُّنِي إِلَى نَار سَجَرَهَا جَبَّارُهَا لِغَضَبِهِ! أَتَئِنُّ مِنَ الاَذَى وَلاَ أَئِنُّ مِنْ لَظىً؟

Then I said to him, “Moaning women may moan over you, O ‘Aqīl. Do you cry on account of this (heated) iron which has been made by a man for fun while you are driving me towards the fire which Allāh, the Powerful, has prepared for (a manifestation of) His wrath? Should you cry from pain, but I should not cry from the flames?”

وَأَعْجَبُ مِنْ ذلِكَ طَارِقٌ طَرَقَنَا بِمَلْفَوفَة فِي وِعَائِهَا، وَمَعْجُونَة شَنِئْتُهَا، كَأَنَّمَا عُجِنَتْ بِريقِ حَيَّة أَوْ قَيْئِهَا، فَقُلْتُ: أَصِلَةٌ، أَمْ زَكَاةٌ، أَمْ صَدَقَةٌ؟ فَذلِكَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْنَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ! فَقَالَ: لاَ ذَا وَلاَ ذَاكَ، وَلكِنَّهَا هَدِيَّةٌ، فَقُلْتُ: هَبِلَتْكَ الْهَبُولُ! أَعَنْ دِينِ اللهِ أَتَيْتَنِي لِتَخْدَعَنِي؟ أَمُخْتَبِطٌ أَنْتَ أَمْ ذُوجِنَّة، أَمْ تَهْجُرُ؟

A stranger incident than this is that a man [1] came to us in the night with a closed flask full of honey paste but I disliked it as though it was the saliva of a serpent or its vomit. I asked him whether it was a reward, or zakāt (poor-tax) or charity, for these are forbidden to us members of the Prophet’s family. He said it was neither this nor that but a present. Then I said, “Childless women may weep over you. Have you come to deviate me from the religion of Allāh, or are you mad, or have you been overpowered by some jinn, or are you speaking without senses?”

وَاللهِ لَوْ أُعْطِيتُ الاْقَالِيمَ السَّبْعَةَ بِمَا تَحْتَ أَفْلاَكِهَا، عَلَى أَنْ أَعْصِيَ اللهَ فِي نَمْلَة أَسْلُبُهَا جِلْبَ شَعِيرَة مَا فَعَلْتُهُ، وَإِنَّ دُنْيَاكُمْ عِنْدِي لاَهْوَنُ مِنْ وَرَقَة فِي فَمِ جَرَادَة تَقْضَمُهَا، مَا لِعَلِيّ وَلِنَعِيم يَفْنَى، وَلَذَّة لاَ تَبْقَى!

By Allāh, even if I am given all the domains of the seven (stars) with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allāh to the extent of snatching one grain of barley from an ant I would not do it. For me your world is lighter than the leaf in the mouth of a locust that is chewing it. What has ‘Alī to do with bounties that will pass away and pleasures that will not last? We seek protection of Allāh from the slip of wisdom and the evils of mistakes, and from Him we seek succour.

Extrait de ses paroles où il se déclare innocent de l’injustice

Que je passe la nuit sur un lit d’épines, sujet à l’insomnie, ou que je sois traîné dans mes chaînes m’est plus agréable que de rencontrer Dieu et Son Messager le Jour de la Résurrection après avoir commis des injustices envers quelques croyants ou spolié un bien périssable quelconque. Comment commettrai-je une iniquité contre une personne sachant que tout homme s’achemine vers la pourriture et la décomposition sous terre?

Par Dieu! J’ai vu mon frère ‘Akil tellement appauvri qu’il m’a sollicité de lui donner une mesure de blé appartenant à la communauté; j’ai vu aussi ses garçons, les cheveux en désordre et le teint poussiéreux à cause de leur pauvreté, comme si leurs visages étaient noircis par la suie. Il me sollicite de nouveau, répétant sa requête. En l’écoutant, il a cru que j’agirais contre mes principes et suivrais son chemin qui est le contraire du mien. Je fis alors chauffer un fer que j’approchai de son corps pour qu’il considère le châtiment du Feu. U hurla de douleur comme un malade car il faillit être brûlé par son contact.

Je lui dis alors: «Que les femmes te pleurent, ‘Akil! Tu te plains d’un fer chauffé par plaisanterie et tu veux m’entraîner vers un Feu allumé par la colère du Très-Puis-sant?! Tu gémis d’une simple douleur alors que moi je ne gémirais pas des feux de la Géhenne?!

Plus étrange encore était [Al Àsh’ath bin Kaïss] qui m’est venu présenter une pâtisserie que j’ai haïe comme si elle était pétrie avec la salive ou le vomissement d’une vipère. Je lut dis: Est-ce un don, une dîme ou bien une aumône? Cela nous est interdit, nous les gens de la Maison! Il dit: C’est ni l’un, ni l’autre, mais c’est un cadeau. Je dis: Que ta mère soit privée de ton enfant! Es-tu venu me leurrer et détourner de la religion de Dieu?! Serais-tu devenu fou ou bien tu divagues?!

Par Dieu, si les sept régions du monde m’étaient données avec tout ce qu’elles contiennent pour que je désobéisse à Dieu, ne fût-ce que de spolier une fourmi d’un grain d’orge, je les refuserais. La vie terrestre à laquelle vous vous attachez est plus futile à mes yeux qu’une feuille dans la bouche d’une sauterelle. Qu’a-t-il ‘Ali à faire d’un bonheur éphémère et d’un plaisir passager?! Nous nous réfugions auprès de Dieu et demandons Son aide pour qu’il nous protège des défaillances de la raison et des faux pas!

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 224