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 كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى عبد الله بن العباس بعد مقتل محمد بن أبي بكر

To ‘Abdullāh ibn al-‘Abbās after Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr had been killed.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ مِصْرَ قَدِ افْتُتِحَتْ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ قَدِ اسْتُشْهِدَ، فَعِنْدَ اللهِ نَحْتَسِبُهُ، وَلَداً نَاصِحاً، وَعَامِلًا كَادِحاً، وَسَيْفاً قَاطِعاً، وَرُكْناً دَافِعاً. وَقَدْ كُنْتُ حَثَثْتُ النَّاسَ عَلَى لَحَاقِهِ، وَأَمَرْتُهُمْ بِغِيَاثِهِ قَبْلَ الْوَقْعَةِ، وَدَعَوْتُهُمْ سِرّاً وَجَهْراً، وَعَوْداً وَبَدْءاً، فَمِنْهُمُ الْآتِي كَارِهاً، وَمِنْهُمُ الْمُعْتَلُّ كَاذِباً، وَمِنْهُمُ الْقَاعِدُ خَاذِلًا.

Now then, Egypt has, been conquered and Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr, may Allāh have mercy on him, has been martyred. We seek his reward from Allāh. He was a son who was a well-wisher, a hard worker, a sharp sword and a bastion of defence. I had roused the people to join him and ordered them to reach him to help before this incident. I called to them secretly as well as openly repeatedly. Some of them came half-heartedly, some put up false excuses and some sat away leaving me.

أَسْأَلُ اللهَ تَعَالى أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لِي مِنْهُمْ فَرَجاً عَاجِلًا، فَوَاللهِ لَوْ لَا طَمَعِي عِنْدَ لِقَائِي عَدُوِّي فِي الشَّهَادَةِ، وَتَوْطِينِي نَفْسِي عَلَى الْمَنِيَّةِ، لَأَحْبَبْتُ أَلَّا أَبْقَى مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَوْماً وَاحِداً، وَلَا أَلْتَقِيَ بِهِمْ أَبَداً.

I ask Allāh the Sublime, to give me early relief from them, for by Allāh, had I not been yearning to meet the enemy for martyrdom and not prepared myself for death, I would not have liked to be with these people for a single day nor ever to face the enemy with them.

Extrait d’une lettre adressée à ‘Abdullah bin Al ‘Abbas après le meurtre de Mouhammad ibn Abi Bakr

L’Egypte a été conquise et Mouhammad ibn Abi Bakr -que Dieu ait son âme- est tombé martyr. Aux yeux de Dieu, nous le comptons comme un fils sincère, un travailleur acharné, une épée tranchante et un soutien puissant. J’avais incité les gens à le rejoindre et leur ai demandé de l’aider avant la collision des combattants; j’ai réitéré mes appels en secret et publiquement. Quelques-uns sont venus malgré eux, d’autres ont prétexté faussement la maladie et d’autres enfin se sont abstenus de le rejoindre par manquement à leur devoir.

Je demande à Dieu de me sauver rapidement de ces gens. Par Dieu, n’était-ce mon envie d’être martyr en rencontrant mon ennemi et mon inclinaison à rencontrer la mort, j’aurais aimé de ne jamais les rencontrer, fût-ce un jour.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 2, Chapter 35