Nahjul Balagah
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a)
The blessed compilation arranged by Sayyid Sharif al-Radi
Sermons of Imam Ali (a)
241 sermons from Nahjul Balagah — English translation
Sermon Sermon 224Sermon (224): Your prayer words
O Allah! You are more familiar with your friends than all those who have them, and are always ready to meet the needs of those who trust in you. So...
Sermon Sermon 225Sermon (225): He said about one of his Companions who had left the world before the chaos and temptation
By Allah's reward for the performance of such and such a person, he straightened the crookedness and cured the disease.…
Sermon Sermon 226Sermon (226): He said about his allegiance
A similar sermon has been given earlier in the statement of pledge of allegiance by him in slightly different words.…
Sermon Sermon 227Sermon (227): He said about the one who is afraid of death and who practices asceticism
Indeed, the fear of Allah is the key to guidance and the storehouse of the hereafter (of desires), the cause…
Sermon Sermon 228Sermon (228): When he left for Basra, he said
On his way to Basra, Ameerul Momineen (A.S.) delivered this sermon at Dhi Qar, and it has been mentioned by…
Sermon Sermon 229Sermon (229): Abdullah Ibn Zam'ah asked him for wealth and he said:
Abdullah Ibn Zam'ah, who was counted among his group, came to Hazrat to ask for some wealth during his caliphate,…
اِلهِی کَفٰی بِی عِزّاً اَنْ اَکُونَ لَکَ عَبْداً
My Lord! It is enough honor for me that I am Your servant.
Wisdom
Short yet profound sayings
Wisdom (493): The worst brother is the one to suffer for. Sayyid Razi says that this is because it causes more pain, sorrow and hardship than what is possible, and the brother for whom hardship is done, will inevitably suffer from it. So he became the bad brother.
The worst brother is the one to suffer for. Sayyid Razi says that this is because it causes more pain, sorrow and hardship than what is possible, and the brother for whom hardship is done, will inevitably suffer from it.…
Wisdom (494): When a believer insults his brother, it will be a cause of separation from him.
When a believer insults his brother, it will be a cause of separation from him.
Wisdom (490): When Ziyad Ibn Abiyya was appointed as the governor of Persia and its neighboring regions in the Qaim of Abd Allah Ibn Abbas, during a mutual conversation in which he wanted to prevent him from receiving advance payments, he said: Follow the path of justice. Abstain from wrongdoing and cruelty because the result of wrongdoing will be that they will have to leave their homes and wrongdoing will invite them to take up the sword.
When Ziyad Ibn Abiyya was appointed as the governor of Persia and its neighboring regions in the Qaim of Abd Allah Ibn Abbas, during a mutual conversation in which he wanted to prevent him from receiving advance payments, he said:…
Wisdom (491): The heaviest sin is that which the one who commits considers it to be light
The heaviest sin is that which the one who commits considers it to be light
Wisdom (492): Allah did not take a pledge from the ignorant to learn until He took a pledge from the knowledgeable not to hesitate to teach.
Allah did not take a pledge from the ignorant to learn until He took a pledge from the knowledgeable not to hesitate to teach.
Wisdom (482): A time will come upon the people that will bring shame, in which the rich man will be stingy with his wealth, even though he is not commanded to do so. Therefore, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, "Do not forget to treat each other with kindness." In this age, wicked people will rise up and righteous people will be considered dishonorable, and people will be bought and sold from forced and helpless people. However, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade buying (wool) from forced and needy people.
A time will come upon the people that will bring shame, in which the rich man will be stingy with his wealth, even though he is not commanded to do...
Wisdom (483): Two types of people will suffer about me. One is an overachiever in love and the other is a slanderer. Sayyid Razi says that this saying of Hazrat is like saying that two types of people perished about me, one who cheats in love, and the other one who has enmity and enmity.
Two types of people will suffer about me. One is an overachiever in love and the other is a slanderer. Sayyid Razi says that this saying of Hazrat is like saying that two types of people perished about me, one…
Wisdom (484): Hazrat was asked about monotheism and justice, he said Tawheed is not to bind him to your illusion and it is justice not to accuse him.
Hazrat was asked about monotheism and justice, he said Tawheed is not to bind him to your illusion and it is justice not to accuse him.
Wisdom (485): There is no virtue in keeping silent with the words of wisdom, just as there is no virtue in speaking with ignorance.
There is no virtue in keeping silent with the words of wisdom, just as there is no virtue in speaking with ignorance.
Wisdom (486): He said in one of the prayers of Taal Baran: God's Bar! Water us with submissive clouds, not with those clouds that are rebellious and loud Sayyid Razi says that this speech contains strange eloquence. In such a way that Amirul Momineen (peace be upon him) has compared the clouds with thunder, lightning, wind and lightning to those camels that kick their feet on the ground with their mouths and throw their litter and knock down their riders. And Abar, devoid of these terrible things, has been likened to camels which are submissive in milking and ride according to the will of the rider.
He said in one of the prayers of Taal Baran: God's Bar! Water us with submissive clouds, not with those clouds that are rebellious and loud Sayyid Razi says that...
Letters
Important letters of Imam Ali (a)
Letter Letter 64Letter (64): Muawiya replied
As you have written (before Islam) there was agreement and unity between us and you. But yesterday there was a…
Letter Letter 65Letter (65): Names of Muawiya
Now is the time to see the clear truths and take advantage of them, but you are following the religion…
Letter Letter 66Letter (66): Names of Abdullah Ibn Abbas
This letter has already been recorded in another text. A servant is never happy with the thing that was going…
Letter Letter 67Letter (67): In the name of Makkah Qasim Ibn Abbas
Provide services for the Hajj for the people. And remind them of the Gardens of Allah's Remembrance. If the need…
Letter Letter 68Letter (68): Before his caliphate, Salman Farsi had written under the name Rahmatullah
The example of the world is like a snake that seems soft to the touch. But its poison is deadly.…
Letter Letter 69Letter (69): Names of Haris Hamdani
Hold fast to the rope of the Qur'an, take advice from it, consider its halal as halal and its forbidden…
Letter Letter 70Letter (70): In the name of Al-Madinah Sahl Ibn Hanif An-Nasari
About some of the inhabitants of Madinah who went to meet Muawiyah. I have come to know that some of…
Letter Letter 71Letter (71): In the name of Munzar Ibn Jaru Abdi, while he betrayed some of the things that you had entrusted to him.
The incident is that your father's healthy attitude deceived me about you. I used to think that you would also…
About Nahjul Balagah
Nahjul Balagah is the unparalleled collection of sermons, wisdom and letters of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), compiled by Sayyid Sharif al-Radi in the 4th century AH. This website is an effort to present that great trust in clear, accessible English.
Nahjul Balagha — frequently asked questions
What is Nahjul Balagha?
Nahj al-Balagha ("The Peak of Eloquence") is the best-known collection of the sermons, letters and short wisdom sayings of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a), the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad (s). It was compiled by al-Sharif al-Radi in 400 AH (c. 1010 CE) and is one of the most studied works of Arabic eloquence and Islamic ethics.
Who compiled Nahjul Balagha?
It was compiled by al-Sharif al-Radi (d. 406 AH / 1015 CE), a scholar and poet of Baghdad, who selected Imam Ali's words and arranged them in three parts: sermons (khutbas), letters (maktoob) and sayings (hikmat).
How many sermons, letters and sayings are in Nahjul Balagha?
Common printed editions contain about 241 sermons, 79 letters and 480 sayings; numbering differs slightly between editions. This website currently has 238 sermons, 497 sayings and 79 letters, each on its own numbered page.
Can I read Nahjul Balagha online for free in English, Urdu or Arabic?
Yes. The complete Nahjul Balagha is free to read on this website in Urdu, English and Arabic. Every sermon, letter and saying has its own page that can be shared and cited.
How do I find a specific sermon, letter or saying?
Type the section and number in the search box — for example "Sermon 1", "Wisdom 50" or "Letter 53" (Imam Ali's famous letter to Malik al-Ashtar) — and you will be taken straight to that page.
