References
• Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib. Peak of Eloquence, Nahjul Balagha. Sermons, Letters and Sayings. Translated by Sayed Ali Reza. Elmhurst, New York: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, Inc., 1996. Website: www.koranusa.org.
• Ali, Hazrat. Nahjul Balagha. Lake Mary, Florida. Sermons, Letters and sayings. Translated by Syed Mohammed Askari Jafery. Elmhurst, New York: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an. Inc.
• Imam Ali bin Abu Talib. Nahjul Balaagha. (Arabic text with English translation). Ahlul-Bayt Assembly of America: Potomac, Maryland, 1996
• What Non-Muslims say about Imam Ali, www.al-islam.org.
• Ahmed Ali, S.V. Mir. The Holy Koran Interpreted . Lake Mary, Florida: United Muslim Foundation, 1996.
- What is True Success? Excerpts from Peak of Eloquence (Nahjul Balagha)
- Tributes to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) by Scholars and Historians
- A Glimpse at Some of the Wise Sayings of Ali bin Abu Talib (p)
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Editor’s Note
- The source of knowledge of Ali bin Abu Talib (p)
- 1. To Know God
- Concept of God, His Oneness and His Divine Attributes
- Introduction
- His Praising and Glorifying God
- His Advice to the People to Praise and Thank God
- Oneness and Uniqueness of God
- Divinely Revealed Attributes of God
- About His Might, Greatness, Sublimity, and Omniscience
- About God’s Knowledge
- God Did Not Give Birth to a Son, nor was He Born of Anyone
- God Will Bring an End to This World, and Then Resurrect as He Wills
- God’s Mercy, Forgiveness, and Bounties
- About God’s Eternity
- God’s Bounties and Blessings
- The Creation of Heaven, Earth, and Creation of Adam
- Introduction
- The Creation of the Universe
- Greatness of God; the Creation of the Universe
- More on the Creation of the Universe
- About Creation
- The Magnificence of Creation
- About the Perfection in Creation
- A Description of the Creation of Adam
- Creation of Man (continued)
- More on Man’s Creation
- On the Creation of the First Man and the Deputation of the Prophets
- About Those who are Misguided
- About the Creation of the Ant
- About the Creation of the Bat
- About the Creation of the Peacock and Creation of Birds
- A Description of the Locust
- Concept of God, His Oneness and His Divine Attributes
- 2. To Live A God-Conscious Life
- Advice for Successful Life to His Son
- Introduction
- Importance of God-Consciousness
- How to Pray to God for Your Needs
- Virtues of Patience
- Life of This World
- The Fate of Humankind
- Defend the Cause of God
- Your Dealings with Others
- Vanity is a Folly that Brings Harm
- Give While You Can
- Importance of Self-Respect
- Greed Leads to Destruction
- Treat Your Family Well
- Deal with Your Enemy with Consideration
- How to Deal with Oppression
- Pearls of Wisdom and Guidance to His Son
- Concluding Remarks in the Letter
- Justice, Injustice, and Oppression
- God is Just to His Subjects
- God is Too Exalted to Be Unjust
- God’s Justice is for Both the Rich and the Poor
- Justice in Distribution of Shares from Public Treasury
- Imam Ali’s Exhortation to Avoid Vanity, to Take Pride in Being Just, and to Perform Good Deeds
- About the People who Remember (Praise) God, Practice Justice, and Invite Others to Do the Same
- His Instructions to His Soldiers Not to Initiate Fighting
- His Prayer When Faced with the Enemy
- His Advice to a Government Official
- Part of a Letter Advising His Governors
- His Advice to the Tax Collectors
- One of His Sayings
- Injustice and Oppression
- Rights of Others
- Kindness, Courtesy, Good Behaviour towards Kin
- Virtue, Abstinence, and Qualities of a Believer
- God-Consciousness
- Introduction
- Characteristics of a God-Conscious Person
- Enjoining God-consciousness
- An Example of Tribulations
- An Example of Changing Fortunes
- As for Its (Bitter) Lessons
- An Account of People of the Past and Learning from Their Lives
- Importance of Being God-Conscious
- Advice to Practice God-consciousness and Caution Against the Love of this World
- His Description of a Pious Person
- Benefits to the God-Conscious
- Individuals Whom Neither Merchandise nor Any Sale Diverts from Remembrance of God
- Advice for Successful Life to His Son
- 3. To Connect with God Through Supplication
- 4. To Obtain True Knowledge
- His Discourses on Knowledge
- Introduction
- An Ignorant Scholar
- About the Duties of an Imam (Leader)
- Knowledge of Angels
- Knowledge about God
- Faith Increases Knowledge
- Knowledge in the Qur’an
- More on Knowledge in the Qur’an
- The Qur’an Contains Oceans of Knowledge
- Knowledge about the Rights of God
- Satan Seduces the Learned
- Knowledge of the (Chosen) Members of the Family of the Prophet (s)
- More about Knowledge of the Family of the Prophet (s)
- The Best Knowledge
- We will be Tested According to Our Knowledge
- Knowledge is a Sign of Distinction
- Superficial Knowledge
- Advice to Ponder over Knowledge
- Thinking Deeply
- Knowledge Commands Respect
- People “Live” by Virtue of Their Knowledge after Death
- Knowledge is Power
- Wisdom and Knowledge
- Knowledge is Better than Wealth
- About Knowledge (His Advice to a Companion)
- His Discourses on Knowledge
- 5. To Avoid Worldly Pitfalls
- 6. To Seek Sound Advice
- His Counsel and Preaching, Keys to Success
- Introduction
- His Caution about This World
- His Counsel
- His Admonition
- Support of the Oppressed
- Advice against Corruption and Oppression
- His Advice Against Heedlessness
- Fate of an Oppressive Leader
- Fulfilling the Rights of Others
- Caution against the Deception of this World
- His Advice to Be Obedient to God
- About Verbal Abuse of One’s Enemies
- About Self-Deception, Neglect, and Ignorance
- A Man in the Audience Requested Imam Ali to Preach about Leading a Sober Life
- His Advice (Will) to His Sons
- The Wonderful Human Brain
- The World is a Place to Earn Rewards in the afterlife
- Keys to Success
- Advice to His Son
- His Advice to His Uncle
- His Counsel and Preaching, Keys to Success
- 7. To Govern Justly
- Letter to Maalik-al-Ashtar, the New Governor of Egypt
- Introduction
- Use Mercy and Compassion in Dealing with Your Subjects
- Oppression Invokes God’s Wrath
- The poor and Less Privileged are Strong in Faith
- Deal with All using Justice
- Different Classes of People in the Society
- Choosing the Commander-in-Chief of the Army
- His Concluding Advice
- His Concluding Remarks
- Advice to Governors and Public Officials
- Introduction
- Mutual Rights of the Ruler23 and the Subjects:
- About the Qualities of a Ruler
- Letter to a High Official
- Letter to the Judge of a Province
- Instructions to a Newly Appointed Young Governor of Egypt
- Letter to the Governor of Basra in Iraq
- Letter to a Companion
- Letter to a High Government Official
- Letter to a Corrupt Official
- Instructions to the Governor of a Province with Disloyal People
- Instruction to an Official Dealing with Dissenters
- His Instructions to Army Officers
- His Fiscal Policies, Instructions to Tax Collectors
- Letter to Maalik-al-Ashtar, the New Governor of Egypt
- 8. To Prepare for the Permanent Abode (Afterlife)
- Life of This World, the Hereafter, and Death
- Introduction
- Transient Nature of This World
- Admonishing a Certain Group of People
- Lowliness of this World
- About the Fall and Destruction of this World
- About the World and Worldly People
- Various Types of People in the World and about the World’s Lowliness
- Reason for Our Creation
- Advice on Abstinence (from Indulging in Luxuries) and about the Changing Times
- Cautioning Against the World’s Deceptions
- Beware of the Trap
- About How This World Treats Those Who are Attached to It
- About Collecting Provision for the Next World
- Death and Resurrection
- Spiritual Aspects of Death and Preparation for the Day of Judgment
- The Lesson to Learn from Those Who Have Passed Away
- Learn from Those Who Have Already Passed Away
- About the Angel of Death
- About the Dead and Their Condition in the Graves
- About Paradise
- Life of This World, the Hereafter, and Death
- 9. Ali’s Discourses on Other Topics
- About Prophet Muhammad (s)
- Introduction
- God Chooses His Prophets
- About the Prophethood of Muhammad (s)
- His Invocation of Blessings on Prophet Muhammad (s)
- About His Mission
- Eulogy of Prophet Muhammad (s)
- The Prophet’s Low Regard for the Material World
- He Was the Final Prophet
- The Prophet Came to Dissuade People from Idol Worship
- Muhammad (s) is an Example to Follow
- A Bright Light and a Clear Argument
- The Prophet Brought Honor to the People
- Through the Prophet, God United the People of Arabia
- The Noble Lineage of the Prophet (s)
- About Other Prophets
- Imam Ali (p) About Himself
- Introduction
- Imam Ali (p) Explains His Position
- The Scope of His Knowledge
- His Prophecy about the Future
- About His Knowledge
- About His Status and His Contributions to Islam
- His Reliance upon God
- About His Forbearance
- His Austere Lifestyle and Abstinence from the World’s Allurements
- When a Man Offered Him a Gift
- His Sermon Shortly Before His Death
- Advice to His Family Before Dying
- A Statement of the Prophet (s) to Imam Ali (p)
- About the Family of Muhammad (s)
- Introduction
- About the (Chosen) Members of the Family of the Prophet
- About the Descendants of the Prophet (s)
- To Follow in the Footsteps of the Family of the Prophet (s)
- About the Greatness of the Members of the Prophet’s Family
- Prophet’s Family Members Endowed with Knowledge
- Imam Ali (p) Responding to Those Who Challenged His Status and Authority
- They Speak the Truth and are Treasurers of God
- About the Knowledge of the Family of the Prophet
- The Knower of the Rights of the Prophet and His Family
- About Islam
- About the Qur’an
- Introduction
- The Contents of the Qur’an
- God Says in the Qur’an
- The Qur’an is Free of any Discrepancies
- The Apparent and the Hidden in the Qur’an
- The Qur’an, a Fair Discourse
- Qur’an is a “House with Sturdy Pillars”
- Qur’an is a “Lamp”
- Qur’an is a “Strong Rope”
- Qur’an Contains Knowledge of the Future
- Qur’an is an Advisor
- Qur’an is Proof of God
- Qur’an is the Quencher of Thirst for the Seeker of Knowledge
- K‘aba (the House of God) and the Hajj Pilgrimage
- Islamic Ritual Prayers (Salaat)
- About Satan
- About Divisiveness
- About Faith, Disbelief, and Doubt
- Miscellaneous Topics
- About Prophet Muhammad (s)
- 10. His Selected Sayings Replete with Wisdom and Guidance
- Appendix A: A Short Biography of Imam Ali (p)
- Appendix B: Statements of Prominent Scholars and Historians Regarding Imam Ali (p)
- Appendix C: A Word about the Compiler of Nahjul Balagha
- Appendix D: Names of Prophets and other terms in the Qur’an (Arabic) with corresponding names in the Bible (English)
- Appendix E: Sermon Numbers quoted in this Book
- Appendix F: The Letter numbers quoted in this book
- Appendix G
- Glossary
- References
- Suggested Reading
