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) وتشتمل على قدم الخالق وعظم مخلوقاته ويختمها بالوعظ

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الْمَعْرُوفِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رُؤْيَة، الْخَالِقِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّة، الَّذِي لَمْ يَزَلْ قَائِماً دَائِماً; إِذْ لاَ سَمَاءٌ ذَاتُ أَبْرَاج، وَلاَ حُجُبٌ ذَاتُ إِرْتَاج، وَلاَ لَيْلٌ دَاج، وَلاَ بَحْرٌ سَاج، وَلاَ جَبَلٌ ذُوفِجَاج، وَلاَ فَجٌّ ذُواعْوِجَاج، وَلاَ أَرْضٌ ذَاتُ مِهَاد، وَلاَ خَلْقٌ ذُوااعْتِماد: ذلِكَ مُبْتَدِعُ الْخَلْقِ وَوَارِثُهُ، وَإِلهُ الْخَلْقِ وَرَازِقُهُ. وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ دَائِبَانِ فِي مَرْضَاتِهِ: يُبْلِيَانِ كُلَّ جَدِيد، وَيُقَرِّبَانِ كُلَّ بَعِيد.

Praise be to Allāh who is well-known without being seen, Who creates without pondering over, Who has ever been existent when there was no sky with domes, nor curtains with lofty doors, nor gloomy night, nor peaceful ocean, nor mountains with broad pathways, nor curved mountain roads, nor earth of spread floors, nor self-reliant creatures. He is the Originator of creation and their Master. He is the God of the creation and its feeder. The sun and the moon are steadily moving in pursuit of His will. They make every fresh thing old and every distant thing near.

قَسَمَ أَرْزَاقَهُمْ، وَأَحْصَى آثَارَهُمْ وَأَعْمَالَهُمْ، وَعَدَدَ أنْفاسَهُمْ، وَخَائِنَةَ أعْيُنِهِمْ وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ مِنَ الضَّمِيرِ، وَمُسْتَقَرَّهُمْ وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهُمْ مِنَ الاْرْحَامِ وَالظُّهُورِ، إِلَى أَنْ تَتَنَاهَى بِهِمُ الْغَايَاتُ.

He distributed their sustenance and has counted their deeds and acts, the number of their breaths, their concealed looks, and whatever is hidden in their bosoms. He knows their places of stay and places of last resort in the loins and wombs till they reach their end.

هُوَ الَّذِي اشْتَدَّتْ نِقْمَتُهُ عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِ فِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَاتَّسَعَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لاِوْلِيَائِهِ فِي شِدَّةِ نِقْمَتِهِ، قَاهِرُ مَنْ عَازَّهُ، وَمُدَمِّرُ مَنْ شَاقَّهُ، وَمُذِلُّ مَنْ نَاوَاهُ، وَغَالِبُ مَنْ عَادَاهُ. مَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَاهُ، وَمَنْ سَأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ، وَمَنْ أَقْرَضَهُ قَضَاهُ، وَمَنْ شَكَرَهُ جَزَاهُ.

His punishment on enemies is harsh despite the extent of His Mercy, and His compassion of His friends is vast despite His harsh punishment. He overpowers one who wants to overcome Him, and destroys one who clashes with Him. He disgraces one who opposes Him and gains sway over one who bears Him hostility. He is sufficient for one who relies on Him. He gives one who asks Him. He repays one who lends to Him. He rewards one who thanks Him.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، زِنُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُوزَنُوا، وَحَاسِبُوهَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُحَاسَبُوا، وَتَنَفَّسُوا قَبْلَ ضِيقِ الْخِنَاقِ، وَانْقَادُوا قَبْلَ عُنْفِ السِّيَاقِ، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يُعَنْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لَهُ مِنْهَا وَاعِظٌ وَزَاجِرٌ، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا زَاجِرٌ وَلاَ وَاعِظٌ.

O creatures of Allāh, weigh yourselves before you are weighed and assess yourselves before you are assessed. Breath before suffocation of the throat. Be submissive before you are harshly driven. Know that if one does not help himself in acting as his own adviser and warner then no one else can (effectively) be his adviser or warner.

Extrait d’un discours où il disserte de l’éternité du Créateur et termine par une homélie

Grâce à Dieu qui est connu sans être vu, qui a créé sans préméditation et qui existe toujours. Il n’existe ni un ciel avec des constellations, ni des voiles [nuages] à portières, ni des nuits obscures, ni une mer tranquille, ni une montagne avec de larges vallées, ni un anticlinal recourbé, ni un terrain plat et uni, ni une créature courageuse sans ce Créateur de l'univers qu’il gère par sa Providence tant que le soleil et la lune continuent à faire son bon plaisir, usant tout ce qui est nouveau et faisant approcher tout ce qui est éloigné.

Dieu a pourvu les créatures d’aliments, recensé leurs vestiges, leurs œuvres, leur nombre, le regard de leurs yeux vers l’illicite, la conscience cachée dans leur for intérieur, leurs lieux de repos, même dans les utérus maternels, et ce jusqu’à la fin de leur existence.

C’est Lui dont le courroux, malgré sa grande miséricorde, s’accentue sur Ses adversaires et dont la miséricorde envers Ses amis s’élargit malgré Son courroux. Il est le vainqueur de quiconque tend à s’associer à sa magnificence, le destructeur de celui qui lui déclare la guerre, l’humiliateur de celui qui ne fait pas sa volonté et le vainqueur de ses ennemis. Il fait suffire celui qui se confie à Lui, donne à celui qui l’implore et récompense celui qui fait de bonnes actions.

O serviteurs de Dieu, pesez vos actes avant qu’on ne vous pèse, et réglez vos comptes avant qu’on ne vous demande des comptes. Respirez bien avant que l’agonie ne coupe votre respiration. Laissez-vous conduire par des incitations bénignes avant qu’on ne vous conduise avec violence. Sachez enfin que celui dont la conscience n’est pas guidée par Dieu pour qu’il prêche et réprimande soi-même, ne sera ni prêché, ni réprimandé par une autre conscience.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 90