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.
4 passages
٤٢٠. وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ (عليه السلام) كَانَ جَالِساً فِي أَصْحَابِهِ، فَمَرَّتْ بِهِمُ امْرَأَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ، فَرَمَقَهَا الْقَوْمُ بِأَبْصَارِهِمْ فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) :
420. It is related that Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, was sitting with his companions when a beautiful woman passed by them and they began to look at her whereupon Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said:
Open record →إِنَّ أَبْصَار هذِهِ الْفُحُولِ طَوَامِحُ وَإِنَّ ذلِكَ سَبَبُ هَبَابِهَا فإِذَا نَظَرَ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى امْرَأَةٍ تُعْجِبُهُ فَلْيُلاَمِسْ أَهْلَهُ، فَإِنَّمَا هِيَ امْرَأَهٌ كَامْرَأَةٍ.
The eyes of these men are covetous and this glancing is the cause of their becoming covetous. Whenever anyone of you sees a woman who attracts him, he should meet his wife because she is a woman like his wife.
Open record →فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ: قَاتَلَهُ اللَّهُ، كَافِراً مَا أَفْقَهَهُ. فَوَثَبَ الْقَوْمُ لِيَقْتُلُوهُ، فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) :
Then, one of the Khārijites said: Allāh may kill this heretic. How logical he is! The people then leapt towards him to kill him but Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said:
Open record →رُوَيْداً إِنَّمَا هُوَ سَبٌّ بِسَبٍّ، أَوْ عَفْوٌ عَنْ ذَنْبٍ.
Wait a bit. There should either be abuse for abuse or else pardon from the offence.
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.