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 خطبة له (عليه السلام) وفيها ينصح أصحاب

About troubles which would arise and the Day of Judgement

أَرْسَلَهُ دَاعِياً إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَشَاهِداً عَلَى الْخَلْقِ، فَبَلَّغَ رَسَالاَتِ رَبِّهِ غَيْرَ وَان وَلاَ مُقَصِّر، وَجَاهَدَ فِي اللهِ أَعْدَاءَهُ غَيْرَ وَاهِن وَلاَ مُعَذِّر، إِمَامُ مَنِ اتَّقَى، وَبَصَرُ مَنِ اهْتَدَى.

Allāh deputed him (the Prophet) as a caller towards Truth and a witness over the creatures. The Prophet conveyed the messages of Allāh without being lazy and without any short-coming, and he fought His enemies in the cause of Allāh without being languid and without pleading excuses. He is the foremost of all who practice piety and the power of perception of all those who achieve guidance.

وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ مِمَّا طُوِيَ عَنْكُمْ غَيْبُهُ، إِذاً لَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصُّعُدَاتِ، تَبْكُونَ عَلَى أَعْمَالِكُمْ، وَتَلْتَدِمُونَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، وَلَتَرَكْتُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ لاَ حَارِسَ لها وَلاَ خَالِفَ عَلَيْهَا، وَلَهَمَّتْ كُلَّ امْرِىء مِنْكُمْ نَفْسُهُ، لاَ يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا; وَلَكِنَّكُمْ نَسِيتُمْ مَا ذُكِّرْتُمْ، وَأَمِنْتُمْ مَا حُذِّرْتُمْ، فَتَاهَ عَنْكُمْ رَأْيُكُمْ، وَتَشَتَّتَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَمْرُكُمْ.

[A part of the same sermon, complaining about his men :] If you know what I know of the unknown that is kept wrapped up from you certainly you would have gone out into the open weeping over your deeds and beating yourselves in grief and you would have abandoned your properties without any guard for it on any substitute over it. Everyone would then have cared for his own self without paying attention to anyone else. But you have forgotten what was recalled to you and felt safe from what you had been warned. Consequently, your ideas went astray and your affairs were dispersed.

وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ فَرَّقَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ، وَأَلْحَقَنِي بِمَنْ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِي مِنْكُمْ، قَوْمٌ واللهِ مَيَامِينُ الرَّأْيِ، مَرَاجِيحُ الْحِلْمِ، مَقَاوِيلُ بِالْحَقِّ، مَتَارِيكُ لِلْبَغْيِ. مَضَوْا قُدُماً عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ، وَأَوْجَفُوا عَلَى الْـمَحَجَّةِ، فَظَفِرُوا بَالْعُقْبَى الْدَّائِمَةِ، وَالْكَرَامَةِ الْبَارِدَةِ.

I do long that Allāh may cause separation between me and you and give me those who have a better right to be with me than you. By Allāh, they are people of blissful ideas, enduring wisdom and true speech. They keep aloof from revolt. They trod forward on the path (of Allāh) and ran on the high-road. Consequently, they achieved the everlasting next life and easeful honours.

أَمَا وَاللهِ، لَيُسَلَّطَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غُلاَمُ ثَقِيف الذَّيَّالُ الْمَيَّالُ، يَأْكُلُ خَضِرَتَكُمْ، وَيُذِيبُ شَحْمَتَكُمْ، إِيه أَبَا وَذَحَةَ!

Beware! by Allāh, a tall lad of swinging gait from Banū Thaqīf would be placed over you. He would eat away your vegetation and melt your fat. So, O Aba Wadhāḥah, is that all?

قال السيّد الشريف : الْوَذَحَةُ : الخُنْفُسَاءُ. وهذا القول يومىءُ به إلى الحجاج، وله مع الوذحة حديث ليس هذا موضع ذكره.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: “al-Wadhāḥah” means “al-khunfusā' (dung-beetle).” In this sentence Amir al-mu'minin has referred to al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ath-Thaqafī and he had an incident with “al-khunfusā'”, which need not be related here. [1]

Extrait d’un discours où il prodigue des conseils à ses compagnons

[Dieu] envoya [Mouhammad] pour appeler les gens à Lui et témoigner que Dieu a créé le monde. Il fit parvenir le message aux hommes sans paresse et lutta pour la cause de Dieu avec force et sans excuse. Il est l’Imam des gens pieux et la vue de ceux qui sont bien guidés.

Si vous connaissiez ce que je connais de l’Au-delà vous auriez quitté vos maisons, poussés par la peur vers les chemins, pleurant vos actions, frappant vos poitrines; et vous auriez laissé vos biens sans gardiens ni dépositaires, chacun de vous étant intéressé seulement par son propre salut. Mais vous avez oublié ce qu’on vous a rappelé, vous n’avez pas pris garde des avertissements; alors, votre opinion divague et vous perdez les rênes de la bonne conduite.

J’aurais bien aimé que Dieu me sépare de vous et me fasse suivie ceux qui méritent mieux que vous ma présence: des gens aux opinions bénis, cléments et graves dans leurs manières, attachés à la vérité, haïssant l’injustice. Ils avancent rapidement sur le droit chemin. C’est pour cela qu’ils ont mérité la récompense continue et la dignité bienheureuse...

Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 116