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) كتبه إلى أهل الأمصار يقتص فيه ما جرى بينه وبين أهل صفين

Written to the people of various localities describing what took place between him and the people of Ṣiffīn.

وَكَانَ بَدْءُ أَمْرِنَا أَنَّا الْتَقَيْنَا وَالْقَوْمُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ رَبَّنَا وَاحِدٌ، وَنَبِيَّنَا وَاحِدٌ، وَدَعْوَتَنَا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَلَا نَسْتَزِيدُهُمْ فِي الْإِيمَانِ باللهِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ بِرَسُولِهِ، وَلَا يَسْتَزِيدُونَنَا، الْأَمْرُ وَاحِدٌ، إِلَّا مَا اخْتَلَفْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ دَمِ عُثْمَانَ، وَنَحْنُ مِنْهُ بَرَاءٌ.

The whole thing began thus that we and the Syrians met in an encounter although we believe in one and the same Allāh and the same Prophet, and our message in Islam is the same. We did not want them to add anything in the belief in Allāh or in acknowledging His Messenger (may Allāh bless him and his descendants) nor did they want us to add any such thing. In fact, there was complete unity except that we differed on the question of ‘Uthmān’s blood while we were uninvolved in it.

فَقُلْنَا: تَعَالَوْا نُدَاوِ مَا لَا يُدْرَكُ الْيَوْمَ بِإِطْفَاءِ النَّائِرَةِ، وَتَسْكِينِ الْعَامَّةِ، حَتَّى يَشْتَدَّ الْأَمْرُ وَيَسْتَجْمِعَ، فَنَقْوَى عَلَى وَضْعِ الْحَقِّ مَوَاضِعَهُ. فَقَالُوا: بَلْ نُدَاوِيهِ بِالْمُكَابَرَةِ.

We suggested to them to appease the situation by calming the temporary irritation and pacifying the people till matters settled down and stabilized when we would gain strength to put matters right. They however said that they would settle it by war.

فَأَبَوْا حَتَّى جَنَحَتِ الْحَرْبُ وَرَكَدَتْ، وَوَقَدَتْ نِيرَانُهَا وَحَمِشَتْ. فَلَمَّا ضَرَّسَتْنَا وَإِيَّاهُمْ، وَوَضَعَتْ مَخَالِبَهَا فِينَا وَفِيهِمْ، أَجَابُوا عِنْدَ ذلِكَ إِلَى الَّذِي دَعَوْنَاهُمْ إِلَيْهِ، فَأَجَبْنَاهُمْ إِلَى مَا دَعَوْا، وَسَارَعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى مَا طَلَبُوا، حَتَّى اسْتَبَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحُجَّةُ، وَانْقَطَعَتْ مِنْهُمُ الْمَعْذِرَةُ.

Thus, they refused our offer and consequently war spread its wings and came to stay. Its flames rose and became strong. When the war had bitten us as well as them and pierced its talons into us as well as them, they accepted what we had proposed to them. So, we agreed to what they suggested and hastened to meet their request. In this way, the plea became clear to them and no excuse was left to them.

فَمَنْ تَمَّ عَلَى ذلِكَ مِنْهُمْ فَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْقَذَهُ اللهُ مِنَ الْهَلَكَةِ، وَمَنْ لَجَّ وَتَمَادَى فَهُوَ الرَّاكِسُ الَّذِي رَانَ اللهُ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ، وَصَارَتْ دَائِرَةُ السَّوْءِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ.

Now, whoever among them adheres to this will be saved by Allāh from ruin, and whoever shows obstinacy and insistence (on wrong) is the reverser whose heart has been blinded by Allāh and evils will encircle his head.

Extrait d'une lettre écrite aux gouverneurs de provinces et relatant ce qui s’était passé à Saffine

Tout a commencé par notre rencontre avec les gens de Cham, et tout poussait à croire que leurs gens et les nôtres avaient la même doctrine, la même vocation islamique; aucune partie ne saurait se prévaloir sur l’autre en ce qui concerne la foi de Dieu et la croyance en Son Messager. A l’encontre de ce consensus se dressait la responsabilité du meurtre de ‘Outhman, dont nous sommes innocents.

Alors nous dîmes: rémédions ce qui est inconnu jusqu’à ce jour en éteignant la sédition et en tranquillisant le peuple, jusqu’à ce que l’affaire soit éclairée; alors, nous serons en mesure d’éclaircir la vérité. Ils répondirent: Nous rémédions l’affaire par l’entêtement!

Ils ont refusé notre proposition tant et si bien que la guerre s’est éclatée et a continué de faire rage. Lorsqu’elle est devenue recrudescente et que la danse des morts des deux côtés est devenue macabre, ils revinrent à notre proposition antérieure. Nous acceptâmes leur demande de trêve pour leur enlever tout argument et couper toute excuse.

Celui qui, parmi eux, respecte cette trêve sera sauvé par Dieu de la perdition, mais celui qui persiste dans son entêtement en violant ce pacte aura le cœur endurci par Dieu et sera porté responsable des malheurs de la guerre.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 2, Chapter 58