Masterpieces of Rhetoric Methood (nahj Al-balagha)

The Best and the Worst of People

When people went to him and complained to him of what had angered them with Uthman bin Affan, and asked him to speak to the third Caliph and to admonish him for their sake. He went to see him and said:

The people are behind me and they have made me an ambassador between you and themselves; but, by Allah, I do not know what to say to you. I know nothing which you do not know, nor can I lead you to any matter of which are you not aware.

You certainly know what we know, we have not come to know anything before you which we could tell you; nor did we learn anything in secret which we should convey to you. You have seen as we have seen and you have heard as we have heard... Then (fear) Allah and have mercy with yourself; for, by Allah, you are not being shown anything of which you are blind, the ways are clear. You should know that the best of Allah’s slaves, before Allah is a just Imam who has been guided and guides others.

the worst man before Allah is an arbitrary Imam who has gone astray and through whom others have gone. I heard the messenger of Allah saying: “On the Day of Judgement the oppressive Imam will be brought without anyone to support him or anyone to advance excuses on his behalf, and then he will be thrown into hell where he will rotate as a hand-mill rotates then he will be confined to its bottom.”

I appeal to you by Allah that you should not be the killed Imam of this nation because it has bean said that “An Imam of this nation will be killed after which killing and fighting will be made open for them till the Day of Judgement, and he will confuse their matters and spread troubles over them. As a result, they will not distinguish right from wrong. They will surge like waves and would be utterly misled.” You should not be like goaded animals for Marwan drives you wherever he likes, after your seniority of age and expiration of life.

He Appropriated (Wealth) and did it excessively

About the assassination of Uthman

If I had ordered his assassination I should have been his killer, but if I had forbidden others to kill him I would be unable to diagnose my responsibility he who helped him cannot now say that Uthman has been let down by Whom I am better than him and that who had let him down can not say Uthman has been helped by whom better than me. I am putting before you his case. He appropriated (wealth) and did it excessively you have burst out in anger and committed excess too. Allah has a practical verdict in both the appropriator and the impatient rebel.

I am like anyone of you

When people decided to swear allegiance at Imam’s hands, after Uthman’s murder.

Leave me and seek someone else. We are facing a matter which has (several) faces and colours, which neither hearts can stand nor intelligence can endure, horizons have clouded over the right path changed in symptoms. You should know that if I respond to you I would lead you towards what I know and would not listen to whatever one may say or admonish. If you leave me then I am like anyone of you perhaps I would be the most obedient to whom you make in charge of your affairs. I am better for you as a counsellor than a leader.

The right cannot be invalidated by Anything

Delivered the second day after people had sworn allegiance to him about what he sends back from the lands that had been taken by Uthman, and the money which Uthman had given from the public funds:

O’ people, surely I am one of you, I have what you have, and what is your duty is mine. Know that every land Uthman has granted, and whatever money he had given from the public funds, should be resumed to the public funds because the old right cannot be invalidated by anything. By Allah, even if I find that by such money have been married or slave-maids have been purchased I would resume it, because there is a wideness in justice, and he who finds it hard to practice justice should find it harder to deal with prejudice.

O’ people, some men of you tomorrow who are engaged in this world enjoyments, then possessed the estate, waded into rivers, rode on horses and purchased enslaved maids, if I prevented them from what they are doing and set right their rights which they know, should not say: “Ibn Abi Talib had deprived as of our rights! Know that whoever man of the Muhajirin (immigrants) and Ansar (supporters) of the com-panions of the Messenger of Allah sees that he has a better dignity than others because of his companionship, then the priority tomorrow is with Allah since you are slaves of Allah and money is Allah’s money and it is divided among you equally, and there is no priority for one to another.

Low persons Become High

Delivered when allegiance was sworn to him at Medina

You should know that the same troubles have returned to you which existed when the prophet was first sent. By Allah who sent the prophet – Peace be upon him – with faith and truth you will be severely sifted, bitterly shaken as in putting the food in a boiling cooking pot till your low becomes high and your high becomes low, some of those who had been left behind would precede and some of those who had preceded would become backward. By Allah, I have not concealed a single word or spoken any lie.

Beware that sins are like unruly horses on which their riders have been placed and their reins have been let loose so that they would break with them into Hell. Beware that piety is like trained horses on whom their riders have been placed with their reins in their hands, so that they would take the riders to Heaven. It is a right and a wrong and everyone of them has its followers.

He who claims perishes, and he who slanders disappointed. He who opposes right frankly perishes. It is enough ignorance for one that he doesn’t know his extent. Hide yourself in your houses and reform yourselves. Repentance is at your back. One should not praise but his creator and shouldn’t blame but himself.

May Allah forgive your past sins

Delivered after Uthman’s murder, and the beginins of his Caliphate

O’ people surely this world deceives him who longs for it and who leans to it. It does not consider him who competes with others to obtain it and overpowers him who overpowers it. By Allah, no people are deprived of the lively pleasures of life after enjoying them, except as a result of sins committed by them, because certainly Allah is not unjust to His slaves.

If people, when calamities befall them and pleasures depart from them, they turn towards Allah with true intention and distracted hearts, He will return them every thing that has fled from them and reform all their corrupted concerns, I fear that you are in a period of examination. In the past there had been matters in which you deflected, and in my view you were not worthy of admiration; but if you return to the right path you would be happy. I have only to strive; but if I want to say, I could say, may Allah forgive your past sins!

The Bribe

Delivered to the army officers when he became the Caliph

Now, what ruined those before you was that they deprived people their rights so people had to purchase it (by bribes), and they practiced wrong against them, then they patterned after them.

If you do not Remain righteous To the officers of his army

Now, it is obligatory on an officer that the distinction he achieves, or the wealth with which he has been exclusively endowed, should not make him change his behaviour towards his subject, and that the riches Allah has bestowed on him should increase him nearness to his people and kindness to his brethren.

Beware, that you have a right on me that I should not delay the fulfillment of any of your rights, and that for me all of you should be equal in rights. When I do all this, it becomes obligatory on you to thank Allah for this bounty and to obey me, and you should not hold back when I call you, nor waste any chance of reform good acts, and you should plunge into adventures for the sake of right. If you do not remain righteous in this, there will be no one of you more humiliated in my view than the one who has deviated, and then I will increase the punishment for him, and he will not find any excuse to avoid this punishment.

Behave Justly with people To his collectors of land tax

Treat people justly in discharging the rights you owe them and act with endurance with regard to their needs, because you are the treasurers of the people and agents of the nation. For the collection of tax (Kharaj) from people do not oblige them sell their winter or summer clothes, not their cattle with which they work. Do not whip anyone for the sake of one dirham. Do not touch the property of any person, whether he is one who prays (a Muslim), or a protected covenantor.

Do I seek victory by unjustice

When he was admonished for prac-ticing equality in the destribution (of shares).

Do you ask me to seek victory by oppressing those over whom I have been appointed? By Allah, I won’t do so as long as the world goes on, and as long as one star leads another in the sky. If it has been my property, I would have distributed it equally among them, then how it would be when the property is that of Allah. Beware; certainly giving wealth in other than its right is a wastefulness and lavishness.