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.
11 passages
ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في صفة الدنيا
About the world and its people
Open record →مَا أَصِفُ مِنْ دَار أَوَّلُهَا عَنَاءٌ وَآخِرُهَا فَنَاءٌ! فِي حَلاَلِهَا حِسَابٌ، وَفِي حَرَامِهَا عِقَابٌ. مَنِ اسْتَغْنَى فِيهَا فُتِنَ، وَمَنِ افْتَقَرَ فِيهَا حَزِنَ، وَمَنْ سَاعَاهَا فَاتَتْهُ، وَمَنْ قَعَدَ عَنْهَا وَاتَتْهُ، وَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ بِهَا بَصَّرَتْهُ، وَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ إلَيْهَا أَعْمَتْهُ.
In what way shall I describe this world whose beginning is grief and whose end is destruction? [1] The lawful actions performed here have to be accounted for, while for the forbidden ones there is punishment. Whoever is rich here faces mischief and whoever is poor gets grief. One who hankers after it does not get it. If one keeps away from it then it advances towards him. If one sees through it, it would bestow him sight, but if one has his eye on it then it would blind him.
Open record →قال الشريف : أقول: وإذا تأمل المتأمل قوله (عليه السلام): «وَمَنْ أبْصَرَبِهَا بصّرَتْهُ» وجد تحته من المعنى العجيب، والغرض البعيد، ما لا تُبلغ غايته ولا يدرك غوره، لا سيما إذا قرن إليه قوله: «ومَن أبْصَرَ إليها أعْمَتْهُ»، فإنه يجد الفرق بين «أبصر بها» و«أبصر إليها» واضحاً نيراً عجيباً باهراً! صلوات اللّه وسلامه عليه.
as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: If a thinker thinks over this phrase of Amīr al-mu’minin “waman abṣara bihā baṣṣarat-hu” (“If one sees through it, it would bestow him sight”) he would find there-under very amazing meaning and farreaching sense whose purpose cannot be appreciated and whose aim cannot be understood particularly when he joins it with Amīr al-mu’minin’s phrase “waman abṣara ilayhā a'mat-hu” (“If one has his eye on it, then it would blind him”) he would find the difference between “abṣara bihā” and “abṣara lahā”, clear, bright, wonderful and shining.
Open record →ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يحمد اللّه ويثني على نبيه ويوصي بالزهد والتقوى
Praise of Allāh
Open record →الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الْفَاشِي فِي الْخَلْقِ حَمْدُهُ وَالْغَالِبِ جُنْدُهُ وَالْمُتَعَالِي جَدُّهُ أَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ التُّؤَامِ وَآلَائِهِ الْعِظَامِ الَّذِي عَظُمَ حِلْمُهُ فَعَفَا وَعَدَلَ فِي كُلِّ مَا قَضَى وَعَلِمَ مَا يَمْضِي وَمَا مَضَى مُبْتَدِعِ الْخَلَائِقِ بِعِلْمِهِ وَمُنْشِئِهِمْ بِحُكْمِهِ بِلَا اقْتِدَاءٍ وَلَا تَعْلِيمٍ وَلَا احْتِذَاءٍ لِمِثَالِ صَانِعٍ حَكِيمٍ وَلَا إِصَابَةِ خَطَإٍ وَلَا حَضْرَةِ مَلَإٍ.
Praise be to Allāh Whose praise is wide-spread, Whose army is over-powering and Whose dignity is grand. I praise Him for His successive favours and His great gifts. His forebearance is high so that He forgives and is just in whatever He decides. He knows what is going on and what has already passed. He crafted all creation by His knowledge and produced it by His intelligence without limitation, without learning, without following the example of any intelligent producer, without committing any mistake and without the availability of any group (for help);
Open record →[الرسول الأعظم :] وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ ابْتَعَثَهُ وَالنَّاسُ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي غَمْرَةٍ وَيَمُوجُونَ فِي حَيْرَةٍ قَدْ قَادَتْهُمْ أَزِمَّةُ الْحَيْنِ وَاسْتَغْلَقَتْ عَلَى أَفْئِدَتِهِمْ أَقْفَالُ الرَّيْنِ.
I stand witness that Muḥammad — the peace and blessing of Allāh be upon him and his descendants — is His slave and His Messenger whom He deputed (at a time) when people were collecting in the abyss and moving in bewilderment. The reins of destruction were dragging them, and the locks of malice lay fixed on their hearts.
Open record →[الوصية بالزهد و التقوى :] أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، فَإِنَّهَا حَقُّ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَالْمُوجِبَةُ عَلَى اللهِ حَقَّكُمْ، وَأَنْ تَسْتَعِينُوا عَلَيْهَا بِاللهِ، وَتَسْتَعِينُوا بِهَا عَلَى اللهِ، فَإِنَّ الْتَّقْوَى فِي الْيَوْمِ الْحِرْزُ وَالْجُنَّةُ، وَفِي غَد الطَّرِيقُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، مَسْلَكُهَا وَاضِحٌ، وَسَالِكُهَا رَابحٌ، وَمُسْتَوْدَعُهَا حَافِظٌ، لَمْ تَبْرَحْ عَارِضَةً نَفْسَهَا عَلَى الاُْمَمِ الْمَاضِينَ وَالْغَابِرينَ لِحَاجَتِهِمْ إِلَيْهَا غَداً، إِذَا أَعَادَ اللهُ مَا أَبْدَى، وَأَخَذَ مَا أَعْطَى، وَسَأَلَ عَمَّا أَسْدَى. فَمَا أَقَلَّ مَنْ قَبِلَهَا، وَحَمَلَهَا حَقَّ حَمْلِهَا! أُولئِكَ الاْقَلُّونَ عَدَداً، وَهُمْ أَهْلُ صِفَةِ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ إِذْ يَقُولُ ﴿وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ﴾
[Advice about fear of Allāh and an account of this world and its people :] I advise you, O creature of Allāh, that you should have fear of Allāh because it is a right of Allāh over you and it creates your right over Allāh, and that you should seek Allāh’s help in it, and its help in (meeting) Allāh. Certainly, for today fear of Allāh is a protection and a shield, and for tomorrow (the Day of Judgement) it is the road to Paradise. Its way is clear and he who treads it is the gainer. Whoever holds it, guards it. It has presented itself to the people who have already passed and to those coming from behind, because they will need it tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement) when Allāh will revive His creation again, take back what He has given and take account of what He has bestowed. How few will be those who accept it and practice it as it ought to be practice. They will be very few in number, and they are the people who correspond to the description given by Allāh, the Glorified, when He says : “. . . And very few of My creatures are grateful!” (Qur’ān, 34:13)
Open record →فَأَهْطِعُوا بِأَسْمَاعِكُمْ إِلَيْهَا، وأكظّوا بِجِدِّكُمْ عَلَيْهَا، وَاعْتَاضُوهَا مِنْ كُلِّ سَلَف خَلَفاً، وَمِنْ كُلِّ مُخَالِف مُوَافِقاً. أَيْقِظُوا بِهَا نَوْمَكُمْ، واقْطَعُوا بِهَا يَوْمَكُمْ، وَأَشْعِرُوهَا قُلُوبَكُمْ، وَارْحَضُوا بِهَا ذُنُوبَكُمْ، وَدَاوُوا بِهَا الاْسْقَامَ، وَبَادِرُوا بِهَا الْحِمَامَ، وَاعْتَبِرُوا بِمَنْ أَضَاعَهَا، وَلاَ يَعْتَبِرَنَّ بِكُمْ مَنْ أَطَاعَهَا. أَلاَ وصُونُوهَا وَتَصَوَّنُوا بِهَا،
Therefore, hasten with your ears towards it and intensify your efforts for it. Make it a substitute for all your past (shortcomings) to take their place as a successor, and make it your supporter against every opponent. Turn your sleep into wakefulness by its help, and pass your days with it. Make it the equipment of your hearts, wash your sins with it, treat your ailments with it and hasten towards your death with it. Take a lesson from him who neglects it, so that others who follow it should not take a lesson from you (i.e., from your neglecting it). Beware, therefore; you should take care of it and should take care of yourselves through it.
Open record →وَكُونُو عَنِ الدُّنْيَا نُزَّاهاً، وَإِلَى الاْخِرَةِ وُلاَّهاً وَلاَ تَضَعُوا مَنْ رَفَعَتْهُ التَّقْوَى، وَلاَ تَرْفَعُوا مَنْ رَفَعَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا، وَلاَ تَشِيمُوا بَارِقَهَا، وَلاَ تَسْمَعُوا نَاطِقَهَا، وَلاَ تُجِيبُوا نَاعِقَهَا، وَلاَ تَسْتَضِيئُوا بِإِشْرَاقِهَا، وَلاَ تُفْتَنُوا بِأَعْلاَقِهَا، فَإِنَّ بَرْقهَا خَالِبٌ، وَنُطْقَهَا كَاذِبٌ، وَأَمْوَالَهَا مَحْرُوبةٌ، وَأَعْلاَقَهَا مَسْلُوبَةٌ.
Keep away from this world and proceed towards the next world infatuatedly. Do not regard humble he whom fear of Allāh has given a high position, and do not accord a high position to him whom this world has given a high position. Do not keep your eyes on the shining clouds of the world, do not listen to him who speaks of it, do not respond to him who calls towards it, do not seek light from its glare, and do not die in its precious things, because its brightness is deceitful, its words are false, its wealth is liable to be looted, and its precious thing are to be taken away.
Open record →أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْمُتَصَدِّيَةُ الْعَنُونُ، وَالْجَامِحَةُ الْحَرُونُ، وَالْمَائِنَةُ الْخَأُون، وَالْجَحُودُ الْكَنُودُ، وَالْعَنُودُ الصَّدُودُ، وَالْحَيُودُ الْمَيُودُ. حَالُهَا انْتِقَالٌ، وَوَطْأَتُهَا زِلْزَالٌ، وَعِزُّهَا ذُلٌّ، وَجِدُّهَا هَزْلٌ، وَعُلْوُهَا سُفْلٌ، دَارُ حَرَب وَسَلَب، وَنَهْب وَعَطَب، أَهْلُهَا عَلَى سَاق وَسِيَاق، وَلَحَاق وَفِرَاق. قَدْ تَحَيَّرَتْ مَذَاهِبُهَا، وَأَعْجَزَتْ مَهَارِبُهَا، وَخَابَتْ مَطَالِبُهَا، فَأَسْلَمَتْهُمُ الْمَعَاقِلُ، وَلَفَظَتْهُمُ الْمَنَازِلُ، وَأَعْيَتْهُمُ الْـمَحَاوِلُ
Beware, this world attracts and then turns away. It is stubborn, refusing to go ahead. It speaks lies and misappropriates. It disowns and is ungrateful. It is malicious and abandons (its lovers). It attracts but causes trouble. Its condition is changing, its step shaking, its honour disgrace, its seriousness jest, and its height lowliness. It is a place of plunder and pillage, and ruin and destruction. Its people are ready with their feet to drive, to overtake and to depart. Its routes are bewildering, its exits are baffling, and its schemes end in disappointment. Consequently, strongholds betray them, houses throw them out and cunning fails them.
Open record →فَمِنْ نَاج مَعْقُور، وَلَحْم مَجْزُور، وَشِلْو مَذْبُوح، وَدَم مَسْفُوح، وَعَاضّ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، وَصَافِق لِكَفَّيْهِ، وَمُرْتَفِق بِخَدَّيْهِ، وَزَار عَلَى رَأْيِهِ، وَرَاجِع عَنْ عَزْمِهِ، وَقَدْ أَدْبَرَتِ الْحِيلَةُ، وَأَقْبَلَتِ الْغِيلَةُ، ﴿وَّلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ﴾ هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ! قَدْ فَاتَ مَا فَاتَ، وَذَهَبَ مَا ذَهَبَ، ومَضَتِ الدُّنْيَا لِحَالِ بَالِهَا ﴿فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنظَرِينَ﴾.
Some of them are like hocked camel, some like butchered meat, some like severed limbs, some like spilt blood, some are biting their hands (in pain) some are rubbing their palms (in remorse), some are holding their cheeks on their hands (in anxiety), some are cursing their own views and some are retreating from their determination. But the time for action has gone away and the hour of calamity has approached, while (there was no longer) the time to escape (Qur’ān, 38:3). Alas! Alas! What has been lost is lost! What has gone is gone! The world has passed in its usual manner. “So wept not on them the heavens and the earth nor were they respited.” (Qur’ān, 44:29)
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