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 عهد له (عليه السلام) إلى محمد بن أبي بكر (رضي الله عنه) حين قلده مصر

Given to Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr (may Allāh be pleased with him), when Amīr al-mu’minīn appointed him as the Governor of Egypt.

فَاخْفِضْ لَهُمْ جَنَاحَكَ، وَأَلِنْ لَهُمْ جَانِبَكَ، وَابْسُطْ لَهُمْ وَجْهَكَ، وَآسِ بَيْنَهُمْ فِي اللَّحْظَةِ وَالنَّظْرَةِ، حَتَّى لَا يَطْمَعَ الْعُظَمَاءُ فِي حَيْفِكَ لَهُمْ، وَلَا يَيْأَسَ الضُّعَفَاءُ مِنْ عَدْلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ. فَإِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُسَائِلُكُمْ مَعْشَرَ عِبَادِهِ عَنِ الصَّغِيرَةِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ وَالْكَبِيرَةِ، وَالظَّاهِرَةِ وَالْمَسْتُورَةِ، فَإِنْ يُعَذِّبْ فَأَنْتُمْ أَظْلَمُ، وَإِنْ يَعْفُ فَهُوَ أَكْرَمُ.

Behave humbly with the people, keep yourself lenient, meet them large-heartedly, accord them equal treatment so that the big should not expect injustice from you in their favour and the low should not be despondent of your justice to them. Allāh, the Sublime, will certainly question you, O’ community of His creatures, about your actions, small or big, open or concealed. If He punishes you it is because you have been oppressive, and if He forgives, then it is because He is the Most Generous.

وَاعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ، أَنَّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ذَهَبُوا بِعَاجِلِ الدُّنْيَا وَآجِلِ الْآخِرَةِ، فَشَارَكُوا أَهْلَ الدُّنْيَا فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ، وَلَمْ يُشَارِكُهم [يُشَارِكُوا] أَهْلُ الدُّنْيَا فِي آخِرَتِهِمْ، سَكَنُوا الدُّنْيَا بَأَفْضَلِ مَا سُكِنَتْ، وَأَكَلُوهَا بِأَفْضَلِ مَا أُكِلَتْ، فَحَظُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا بِمَا حَظِيَ بِهِ الْمُتْرَفُونَ، وَأَخَذُوا مِنْهَا مَا أَخَذَهُ الْجَبَابِرَةُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ، ثُمَّ انْقَلَبُوا عَنْهَا بِالزَّادِ الْمُبَلِّغِ، وَالْمَتْجَرِ الرَّابِحِ، أَصَابُوا لَذَّةَ زُهْدِ الدُّنْيَا فِي دُنْيَاهُمْ، وَتَيَقَّنُوا أَنَّهُمْ جِيرَانُ اللهِ غَداً فِي آخِرَتِهِمْ، لَا تُرَدُّ لَهُمْ دَعْوَةٌ، وَلَا يَنْقُصُ لَهُمْ نَصِيبٌ مِنْ لَذَّةٍ.

Know, O’ creatures of Allāh, that the God-fearing have shared the joys of this transient world as well as the next coming world, for they shared with the people of this world in their worldly matters while their people did not share with them in the matters of the next world. They lived in this world in the best manner of living and ate the choicest food and consequently they enjoyed herein all that the people with ease of life enjoyed, and secured from it what the haughty and the vain secured. Then, they departed from it after taking provision enough to take them to the end of their journey and after doing a profitable transaction. They tasted the pleasure of renouncing the world in this world, and they firmly believed that on the coming day in their next life they would be neighbours of Allāh, where their call would not be repulsed nor would their share of pleasure be small.

فَاحْذَرُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ الْمَوْتَ وَقُرْبَهُ، وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُ عُدَّتَهُ، فَإِنَّهُ يَأْتِي بِأَمْر عَظِيم، وَخَطْبٍ جَلِيلٍ، بِخَيْرٍ لَا يَكُونُ مَعَهُ شَرٌّ أَبَداً، أَوْ شَرٍّ لَا يَكُونُ مَعَهُ خَيْرٌ أَبَداً، فَمَنْ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ مِنْ عَامِلِهَا! وَمَنْ أَقْرَبُ إِلى النَّارِ مِنْ عَامِلِهَا!

Therefore, O’ creatures of Allāh, be afraid of death and its measures and keep ready all that is needed for it. It will come as a big event and a great affair, either as a good in which there will never be any evil, or an evil in which there will never be any good. Who is nearer to Paradise than he who works towards it, and who is nearer to Hell than he who works for it?

وَأَنْتُمْ طُرَدَاءُ الْمَوْتِ، إِنْ أَقَمْتُمْ لَهُ أَخْذَكُمْ، وَإِنْ فَرَرْتُمْ مِنْهُ أَدْرَككُمْ، وَهُوَ أَلْزَمُ لَكُمْ مِنْ ظِلِّكُمْ، الْمَوْتُ مَعْقُودٌ بِنَوَاصِيكُمْ، وَالدُّنْيَا تُطْوَى مِنْ خَلْفِكُمْ. فَاحْذَرُوا نَاراً قَعْرُهَا بَعِيدٌ، وَحَرُّهَا شَدِيدٌ، وَعَذَابُهَا جَدِيدٌ، دَارٌ لَيْسَ فِيها رَحْمَةٌ، وَلَا تُسْمَعُ فِيهَا دَعْوَةٌ، وَلَا تُفَرَّجُ فِيهَا كُرْبَهٌ.

You are being chased by death. If you stop, it will catch you, and if you run away from it, it will grip you. It is more attached to you than your reflection. Death is tied to your fore-locks while the world is being wrapped up from behind you. Therefore, fear the Fire whose hollow is deep, whose flames are severe and whose punishment is novel. It is a place wherein there is no mercy. No call is heard in it. No pain is healed in it.

وَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ أَنْ يَشْتَدَّ خَوْفُكُمْ مِنَ اللهِ، وَأَنْ يَحْسُنَ ظَنُّكُمْ بِهِ، فَاجْمَعُوا بيْنَهُمَا، فَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِنَّمَا يَكُونُ حُسْنُ ظَنِّهِ بِرَبِّهِ عَلَى قَدْرِ خَوْفِهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ، وَإِنَّ أَحْسَنَ النَّاسِ ظَنّاً بِاللهِ أَشَدُّهُمْ خَوْفاً لِلَّهِ.

If it is possible for you to have severe fear of Allāh and to rest hope in Him, then do both these things because every individual can have hope in His Lord to the extent of his fear of His Lord. Certainly, the most hopeful person with Allāh is he who fears Him most.

وَاعْلَمْ ـ يَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنَ أَبِي بَكْر ـ أَنِّي قَدْ وَلَّيْتُكَ أَعْظَمَ أَجْنَادِي فِي نَفْسِي أَهْلَ مِصْرَ، فَأَنْتَ مَحْقُوقٌ أَنْ تُخَالِفَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ، وَأَنْ تُنَافِحَ عَنْ دِينِكَ، وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ إِلَّا سَاعَةٌ مِنَ الدَّهْرِ، وَلَا تُسْخِطِ اللهَ بِرِضَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، فَإِنَّ فِي اللهِ خَلَفاً مِنْ غَيْرِهِ، وَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللهِ خَلَفٌ فِي غَيْرِهِ.

O’ Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, know that I have given you charge of Egypt which is my biggest force. So you are duty-bound to oppose your passions and serve as a shield against your religion even though you may get only an hour in the world; and do not enrage Allāh for pleasing others because (Allāh) is such that He may take the place of others, but others cannot take the place of Allāh.

صَلِّ الصَّلاَةَ لِوَقْتِهَا الْمُوَقَّتِ لَهَا، وَلَا تُعَجِّلْ وَقْتَهَا لِفَرَاغٍ، وَلَا تُؤْخِّرْهَا عَنْ وَقْتِهَا لِاشْتِغَالٍ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ كُلَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ عَمَلِكَ تَبَعٌ لِصَلاَتِكَ.

Say prayers at the appointed time. Do not say it earlier for the sake of (available) leisure nor delay it on account of pre-occupation. Remember that every act of yours is dependent on your prayer.

وَمِنْهُ : فَإِنَّهُ لَا سَوَاءَ، إِمَامُ الْهُدَى وَإِمَامُ الرَّدَى، وَوَلِيُّ النَّبِىِّ وَعَدُوُّ النَّبِيِّ، وَلَقَدْ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله): «إِنِّي لَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي مُؤْمِناً وَلَا مُشْرِكاً، أَمَّا الْمُؤمِنُ فَيَمْنَعُهُ اللهُ بِإِيمَانِهِ، وَأَمَّا الْمُشْرِكُ فَيَقْمَعُهُ اللهُ بِشِرْكِهِ، وَلَكِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ كُلَّ مَنَافِقِ الْجَنَانِ، عَالِمِ اللِّسَانِ، يَقُولُ مَا تَعْرِفُونَ، وَيَفْعَلُ مَا تُنْكِرُونَ.»

A part of the same : The leader of guidance and the leader of destruction cannot be equal, nor the friend of the Prophet and the enemy of the Prophet. The Messenger of Allāh (S) has told me that: “In respect of my people I am afraid neither of a believer nor of an unbeliever. As for the believer Allāh will afford him protection because of his belief and as for the unbeliever, Allāh will humiliate him because of his unbelief. But I am afraid about everyone of you who is a hypocrite in his heart and learned of speech. He speaks what you hold good but does what you dislike.”

Extrait d’un pacte Adressé à Mouhammad bin Abi Bakr lorsqu’il le nomma gouverneur de l’Egypte

Sois avec tes gouvernés modeste, affable et aimable. Traite-les à pied d’égalité afin que les grands ne nourrissent pas des idées d’injustice et les faibles ne désespèrent de ta justice envers eux. O vous serviteurs de Dieu, Dieu vous demandera compte de vos actions, qu’elles soient petites ou grandes, apparentes ou cachées. S’il châtie, c’est que vous êtes injustes, et s’il pardonne, c’est qu’il est généreux,

Sachez, adorateurs de Dieu, que les gens pieux méritent de gagner et la vie éphémère et la vie future. Ils participent aux biens de ce monde avec les autres, mais ne participent pas avec eux à leur sort. Us habitent ce monde de la meilleure façon possible, goûtent au mieux ses délices, en recueillent les mêmes faveurs que les gens mondains, orgueilleux et tyranniques puis la quittent emportant avec eux leurs provisions et leurs affaires gagnantes. Tout en menant une vie ascétique, ils en goûtent la saveur exquise et sont certains qu’ils seront demain les voisins de Dieu. Leur requête n’est point refusée et leur part des jouissances n’est pas diminuée.

Prenez garde, adorateurs de Dieu, à la mort prochaine, préparez-vous à Paffronter, car elle donne la réponse à une question de très haute importance: sera-t-elle accompagnée d’un bien dépourvu de tout mal ou bien d’un mal qui éloigne tout bien ? Qui donc serait plus proche du Paradis ou du Feu sinon celui qui fait le bien ou celui qui commet le mal ?

Vous êtes le gibier de la mort; si vous l’affrontiez elle vous prendrait et si vous la fuyiez elle vous attraperait, car elle est plus proche de vous que votre ombre. Elle est liée à votre toupet, alors que la vie s’éloigne derrière vous. Gardez-vous donc de tomber dans un Feu insondable, fougueux et au supplice renouvelable. C’est une demeure où il n’y a aucune pitié, où l’on n’exauce aucune prière et où il n’y aura jamais de soulagement.

Si vous arriviez à avoir en même temps une grande crainte de Dieu et une grande confiance en Lui, vous seriez des serviteurs modèles, car ces deux attitudes doivent être d’une importance égale, et l’homme qui a la plus grande confiance en Dieu est celui qui Le craint le plus.

Sache, ô Mouhammad bin Abi Bakr, que je te confie la meilleure de mes troupes : les Egyptiens. Tu dois affronter tes passions, défendre ta religion, même si tu n’as qu’une heure dont tu disposes. Ne mets pas Dieu en colère pour faire plaisir à l’une de Ses créatures, car le contentement de Dieu te suffit pour te passer des autres créatures, et pas le contraire.

Prie aux temps indiqués; n’avance pas le temps de la prière pour t’occuper d’autres choses, ni ne le diffère pour d’autres occupations. Et sache que toutes tes œuvres doivent être en fonction de ta prière.

Il y a une grande différence entre un imam [dirigeant] éclairé et un autre pervers, et entre l’ami du Prophète et son ennemi. L’Envoyé de Dieu me dit un jour: «Je ne crains pour ma nation ni un croyant, ni un associateur; la foi du premier l’empêche de nuire tandis que Dieu empêche le second de le faire. Mais je crains tout hypocrite doué de parole, qui proclame ce que vous savez mais met en œuvre ce que vous détestez».

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 2, Chapter 27