Nahj al-Balaghah
The sermons, letters and sayings attributed to Imam Ali, read from the published Shia library edition with the Arabic and the published English translation side by side.
Topical chapters
Numbers below are this edition's record sequence. Short sayings and long sermons are both split into records, so a sequence number is not the printed sermon, letter or saying number.
9 passages
ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى قُثَمَ بن العبّاس، وهو عامله على مكّة
To Qutham ibn al-‘Abbās, his Governor of Mecca
Open record →أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ عَيْنِي ـ بِالْمَغْرِبِ ـ كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ يُعْلِمُنِي أَنَّهُ وُجِّهَ إِلَى المَوْسِمِ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، الْعُمْيِ الْقُلُوبِ، الصُمِّ الْأَسْمَاعِ، الْكُمْهِ الْأَبْصَارِ، الَّذِينَ يَلْتَمِسُونَ [يَلْبِسُونَ] الْحَقَّ بِالبَاطِلِ، وَيُطِيعُونَ الْـمَخْلُوقَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ، وَيَحْتَلِبُونَ الدُّنْيَا دَرَّهَا بِالدِّينِ، وَيَشْتَرُونَ عَاجِلَهَا بِآجِلِ الْأَبْرَارِ الْمُتَّقِينَ، وَلَنْ يَفُوزَ بِالْخَيْرِ إِلَّا عَامِلُهُ، وَلَا يُجْزَى جَزَاءَ الشَّرِّ إِلَّا فَاعِلُهُ.
My spy in the West has written [1] to me telling me that some people of Syria have been sent for ḥajj who are blind of heart, deaf of ears and devoid of eyesight. They confound the truth with vanity, obey men in disobeying Allāh, claim the milk of the world in the name of religion, and trade in the pleasures of this world by forsaking the rewards of the virtuous and the Godfearing. No one achieves good except he who acts for it, and no one is awarded the recompense of evil except he who commits it.
Open record →فَأَقِمْ عَلَى مَا فِي يَدَيْكَ قِيَامَ الْحَازِمِ الصَّلِيبِ، وَالنَّاصِحِ اللَّبِيبِ، التَّابِعِ لِسُلْطَانِهِ، الْمُطِيعِ لِإِمَامِهِ. وَإِيَّاكَ وَمَا يُعْتَذَرُ مِنْهُ، وَلَا تَكُنْ عِنْدَ النَّعْمَاءِ بَطِراً، وَلَا عِنْدَ الْبَأْسَاءِ فَشِلاً، وَالسَّلَامُ.
Therefore, behave yourself in your duties like an intelligent, experienced, well-wishing and wise man who follows his superior and is obedient to his Imam. You should avoid what you may have to explain. Do not rise up in riches nor lose courage in distress; and that is an end to the matter.
Open record →ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى قثم بن العباس وهو عامله على مكة
To Qutham ibn al-‘Abbās, his Governor of Mecca
Open record →أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَأَقِمْ لِلنَّاسِ الْحَجَّ، وَذَكِّرْهُمْ بِأَيَّامِ اللهِ، وَاجْلِسْ لَهُمُ الْعَصْرَيْنِ، فَأَفْتِ الْمُسْتَفْتِيَ، وَعَلِّمِ الْجَاهِلَ، وَذَاكِرِ الْعَالِمَ، وَلَا يَكُنْ لَكَ إِلَى النَّاسِ سَفِيرٌ إِلَّا لِسَانُكَ، وَلَا حَاجِبٌ إِلَّا وَجْهُكَ، وَلَا تَحْجُبَنَّ ذَا حَاجَةٍ عَنْ لِقَائِكَ بِهَا، فَإِنَّهَا إِنْ ذِيدَتْ عَنْ أَبْوَابِكَ في أَوَّلِ وِرْدِهَا لَمْ تُحْمَدْ فِيمَا بَعْدُ عَلَى قَضَائِهَا.
Now, make arrangements for ḥajj by the people, remind them of the days (to be devoted to) Allāh. Sit for giving them audience morning and evening. Explain the law to the seeker, teach the ignorant and discuss with the learned. There should be no intermediary between you and the people except your tongue, and no guard save your own face. Do not prevent any needy person from meeting you, because if the needy is returned unsatisfied from your door in the first instance then even doing it thereafter will not bring you praise.
Open record →وَانْظُرْ إِلَى مَا اجْتَمَعَ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ مَالِ اللهِ فَاصْرِفْهُ إِلَى مَنْ قِبَلَكَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْعِيَالِ وَالْـمَجَاعَةِ، مُصِيباً بِهِ مَوَاضِعَ الْفَاقَةِ وَالْخَلَّاتِ، وَمَا فَضَلَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَاحْمِلْهُ إِلَيْنَا لِنَقْسِمَهُ فِيمَنْ قِبَلَنَا.
See what has been collected with you of the funds of Allāh (in the public treasury) and spend it over the persons with families, the distressed, the starving and the naked, at your end. Then, send the remaining to us for distribution to those who are on this side.
Open record →وَمُرْ أَهْلَ مَكَّةَ أَلَّا يَأْخُذُوا مِنْ سَاكِنٍ أَجْراً، فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يَقُولُ ﴿سَوَاءً الْعَاكِفُ فِيهِ وَالْبَادِ﴾
Ask the people of Mecca not to charge rent from lodgers, because Allāh, the Glorified, says that: “alike; for the dweller therein as well as the stranger” (Qur’ān, 22:25).
Open record →فَالْعَاكِفُ: الْمُقيِمُ بِهِ، وَالْبَادِي: الَّذِي يَحُجُّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ.
“al-‘ākif” (the dweller) here means he who is living there while “al-bādī” (the stranger) means he who is not among the people of Mecca, comes for ḥajj from outside.
Open record →وَفَّقَنَا اللهُ وَإِيَّاكُمْ لِمحَابِّهِ، وَالسَّلَامُ.
May Allāh grant us and you promptitude for seeking His love (by doing good acts); and that is an end to the matter.
Open record →No licensed commentary edition has been cleared for reproduction, so the reader shows the text without it. No licensed recording is connected, so none is offered.