Sermons from Nahjul Balagha

                The sentence is right but what (they think) it means, is wrong. It is true that verdict lies but with Alláh, but these people say that (the function of) governance is only for Alláh. The fact is that there is no escape for men from ruler good or bad. The faithful persons perform (good)

                I am faced with men who do not obey when I order and do not respond when I call them. May you have no father! (Woe to you!) What are you waiting for to rise for the cause of Alláh? Does not faith join you together, or sense of shame rouse you? I stand

                Doubt is named doubt because it resembles truth. As for lovers of Alláh, their conviction serves them as light and the direction of the right path (itself) serves as their guide; while the enemies of Alláh, in time of doubt call to misguidance in the darkness of doubt and their guide is blindness (of

About his own steadfastness in religion and precedence in (acceptance of) belief.                 I discharged duties when others lost courage (to do so), and I came forward when others hid themselves. I spoke when others remained mum. I stroke with Divine light when others remained standing. I was the quietest of them in voice but

                I am warning you that you will be killed on the bend of this canal and on the level of this low area while you will have no clear excuse before Alláh nor any open authority with you. You have come out of your houses and then divine decree entangled you. I had advised

                All praise is due to Alláh even though time has brought (for us) crushing calamity and great occurrence. And I stand witness that there is no god but Alláh the One, there is no partner for Him nor is there with Him any god other than Himself, and that Muhammad is His slave and

To prepare the people for fighting with the people of Syria (ash-Shám)(1) Amír al-mu’minín said:                 Woe to you. I am tired of rebuking you. Do you accept this worldly life in place of the next life? Or disgrace in place of dignity? When I invite you to fight your enemy your eyes revolve as

he came to his audience at Dhíqár and saw that he was stitching his shoe. Then Amír al-mu’minín said to me, “What is the price of this shoe?” I said: “It has no value now.” He then said, “By Alláh, it should have been more dear to me than ruling over you but for the

                O’ people! we have been borne in such a wrongful and thankless period wherein the virtuous is deemed vicious and the oppressor goes on advancing in his excess. We do not make use of what we know and do not discover what we do not know. We do not fear calamity till it befalls.

                If I had ordered his assassination I should have been his killer, but if I had refrained others from killing him I would have been his helper. The position was that he who helped him cannot now say that he is better than the one who deserted him while he who deserted him cannot