Masterpieces of Rhetoric Methood (nahj Al-balagha)

The Continuity of State

Deliver at the battle of siffin

So now, Allah, the Glorified, has, by giving me the authority, have created the right you owe to me, and I owe you like what you owe me. As right is the most vast in description but the most narrow in practice. It does not accrue to any person unless it accrues against him also, and right does not accrue against a person unless it also accrues in his favour.

Then, he the Glorified made of his rights, rights for some people on others. He made them so as to equate with one another and some of them entail some other rights and some rights don’t become valid except by some others. The greatest of these rights that Allah, the Glorified, has made obligatory is the right of the ruler over the ruled and the right of the ruled over the ruler. The ruled cannot prosper unless the rulers are sound, while the rulers cannot be sound unless the ruled are sincer.

If the ruled discharge the rights of the ruler and the ruler discharges their rights, then justice becomes mightly among them, criterion of justice become clear consequently time will improve, the continuance of govern-ment will be expected, and the hopes of enemies disappointed. But if the ruled gain sway over the ruler, or the ruler prejudiced the ruled, then disagreement crops up in every direction sings of inequity appear.

Then desires are acted upon, the Allah’s com-mands are counteracted, diseases of spirits become numerous and there is no hesitation in disregarding even great rights, nor in committing big wrongs. In such circumstances virtuous humili-ated while vicious are honoured.

No person, however great his position in the matter of right, is above being helped to carry on the obligations placed on him by Allah, and no man, however small he may be regarded by others, and however humble he may appear before the eyes, is less than rendering help or being helped.

Here, one of Imam’s companions replied to him by a long speech where he praised him much and mentioned his own listening to him and obeying him, imam said this prominent saying:

In the view of virtuous people, the worst characteristic of rulers is that it may be thought about them that they love haughtiness, and their affairs may be taken to be based on pride.

I would really hate that you may absorb, That I love high praises or to hear eulogies. By the grace of Allah I am not like this so do not address me in the manner tyrrants are addressed, and do not be discreet of me as you do the people of passion and do not associate with me with flattery and do not think I find it heavy if a true thing is said to me, as that who feels disgusted when a truth is said to him or justice is placed before him he would find it more difficult to act upon them! Do not, so, abstain from saying a truth or pointing out justice since I do not regard myself above erring.

Peace Is Prior

When Imam’s companions showed impatience on his delay in giving them permission to fight in Siffin

Well, as for your saying is all this (delay) is due to a hatred of death!? Then by Allah I do not care whether I proceed towards death or death advances towards me as for you saying that it may be due to my suspicious about the people of Al-Sham, well, by Allah, I did not put off war even for a day except in the hope that some group may join me, find guidance through me and see my light with their weak eyes. This is dearer to me than killing them in the state of their misguidance although they draw on themselves the burden of their sins.

The Honourable Instruction

Given to the army before the encoun-ter with the enemy at Siffin

Do not fight them unless they begin the fighting, because, by the grace of Allah, you have a plea that you are in the right and to leave them till they begin fighting will be another plea in your side against them. If, by the will of Allah, the enemy is defeated then do not kill a run away, do not strike a helpless person, do not finish off a wounded person, and do not excite women by any harm even though they may attack your honour with filthy words and abuse your officers!

O’ my Allah! Save the Victor From Excesses

When imam decided to fight the enemy at Siffin

O’ my Allah! The God of this earth which Thou has made it an abode for people and a place for the movement of insects and beasts and countless other creatures seen and unseen and The God of strong mountains which Thou hast made as pegs for the earth and a shelter for creatures. If Thou givest us victory over our enemy, save us from excesses and keep us on the straight path of truth. But if Thou givest them victory over us, then grant us martyrdom and save us from misguiding.

O’ my Allah! Reform relaiton between us and them From a speech of his in Siffin, Imam had heard some of his men abusing the people of Al-sham in reply to their abusing him: I dislike you to be abusers, but if you describe their deeds and recount their situations that would be a better mode of speaking and a more convincing way of arguing. Instead of abusing them you should say:

“O’Allah! Save our blood and their blood, reform the relation and eradicate enmity, and lead them out of their misguidance so that he who is ignorant of the truth may know it, and he who inclines towards excess aggresion refrain from it.

He Spoke with Their Tongues From a sermon of his

They have made Satan the criterion of their affairs, and he has taken them as his traps. He has laid eggs and hatched in their bosoms. He creeps and crawls in their laps so He sees through their eyes, and speaks with their tongues. In this way he has led them to slippery paths and adorned for them stupidity like the action of one whom Satan has made partner in his domain and speaks untruth through his tongue.

They Made Them Officers Over The Heads

Someone asked Imam about fabri-cated traditions and contradictory sayings spreading among people, he said: Certainly, what is at the hand of people is right and wrong, true and false. Allah too had warned you well about the hypocrites and described them fully to you. They have remained after the Holy Prophet. They made advances to the leaders of misguidance and callers towards Hell through falsehood and slandering. So, they inducted them into high offices made them rulers over people and amassed wealth through them. People are always with rulers and after this world except those whom Allah safeguards.

Two Kinds

His speech on those who love and hate him:

Two categories, with regard to me, will be ruined, namely he who loves me too much and the love takes him away from rightfulness, and he who hates me too much and the hatred takes him away from rightfulness. The best one with regard to me is he who is in the middle course. So be with him and be with the great majority because Allah’s hand is with the majority.

And from his speech on those:

Two categories of persons will face ruin on account of me: he who loves me with exaggeration, and he who hates me intensely.

Sahl bin Hunayf Al-Ansari died at Kufa after his return from the battle of Siffin and he was very much loved by Imam as he was one of the strongest supporters of Imam in the way of right. Imam said thereafter:

Even if a mountain loves me it would crumble down.

Just Leaders

Imam went to enquire about the health of his companion Al-Ala’ ibn Ziyad Al-Harithi and when he noticed the vastness of his house said:

What do you do with this vast house in this world? Don’t you need this house more in the next world? Yes, you can use it to attain the next: you can entertain in it guests and be regardful of kinship and to pay all your obligations according to their categories. In this way you can use it to serve your next life.

Then AL-Ala’ said to him: O’ Amir Al-Mu’minin: I want to complain to you about my brother Asim ibn Ziyad. He said: What is the matter with him?

Al-Ala’ said: He has put on a woolen gown and cut himself away from the world. Imam said: present him to me. When he came Imam said:

O’ enemy of yourself. Certainly, the evil (Satan) has mis-quided you. Do you feel no pity for your wife and your children? DO you think that Allah has granted you these benevolences and He dislikes you to take it? You are less important to Him to treat you so.

He said: O’ Amir Al-Mu’minin, you actually put on coare dress and eat rough food.

Imam replied: Woe unto you, I am not like you. Allah has made it obligatory on just leaders that they should maintain themselves at the level of weak people least the poor feel very sad for his poverty.

If I Am Given The Domains Of The Seven Stars

From a speech describing himself as a guard of public funds after his brother Aqil destituted and asked him to give him some grain:

By Allah, I would rather pass a night in wakefulness lying on the thorns of Al-Sadan (plant having sharp prickles) or be driven in chains as a prisoner is dearer to me than meeting Allah and his Messenger on the Day of Judgement as an oppressor of some slaves or a usurper of some thing of the wreckage of this world.

By Allah, even if I had been given all the domains of the seven (stars) with all that exists under the skies in order that I may disobey Allah by ripping of one grain of barley from an ant I would not do it. For me your world is meaner than a leaf in the mouth of a locust chewing it. What has Ali to do with a passing away bounty and a vanishing appetite? We do seek shelter of Allah from the sleep of mind and the ugliness of mistakes, and from Him we seek help.

Moved By Storms

I has been like a mountain which neither sweeping wind could move nor storms could shake. No one could find fault with me nor could any speaker wink at me. The weak in my view is strong till I restore his right and deliver it to him while the strong is in my view weak till I take right from him.

Were it not for the dyespepsia of the Oppressor and hunger of the Oppressed From a sermon of his called Alsheq-sheqeiah

… Till the third man of these people stood up heaving his breasts i.e his stomuch is too full of food. With him the sons of his father also stood up swallowing Allah’s wealth like a camel devouring the foliage of spring till his actions finished him off and his dyespepsia stumble him down. At that moment nothing took me by surprise, but the crowd of people rushing to me from every direction they advanced towards me in a rushing way that Hasan and Husayn were crushed and both the ends of my shoul-der garment were torn.

They gathered around me like a resting herd of sheep and goats. When I took up the reins of government one party breached of homage and another turned disobedient while the rest began acting wrongfully as if they had not heard the word of Allah saying: “That abode in the hereafter, we assign it for those who intend not to exult themselves in the earth, not (to make) mischief therein; and the end is (best) for the pious ones. Yes, by Allah, they had heard it and understood it but the world appeared glittering in their eyes and its embellishments seduced them.

Behold by Him who Has split grain and created spirits hadn’t the presence of those present been and hadn’t the presence of supporters exhusted my argument and hadn’t Allah obligated on theology scientist not to acquiesce in the gluttony of an oppressor and the hunger of an oppressed I would have cast the rope of it i.e Caliphate on its withers, and would have irriga-ted its last with the cup of which I had irrigated its first and you would have seen that in my view this world of yours is cheaper than a sneezing of a goat.

People of Tirck

Surely, fulfillment of peldge is the twin of truth. I do not know a better shield than it. One who has realized the reality of return never betrays. We are in a time in which most of the peo-ple regard betrayal as wisdom. Ignorant people attributed them to excellence of cunnig. What is the matter with them? Allah may destroy them. One who has been experience through thick and thin of life may see the way of the trick but there is a detterrent of Allah’s piety so he gives it up after seeing it with eyes and after being able to act upon while that who has no religion seizes its apportunity.

You and your brother, the Human being