Nahj al-Balāgha

Exhorting his followers to fight

Volume 1 Section 124 6 narrations
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Sermons 4 Warfare/Jihad 1

In this chapter

hadith 542
To exhort his followers to fight [1]
ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في حضّ أصحابه على القتال
Tags Warfare/Jihad
hadith 543
Put the armoured man forward and keep the unarmoured one behind. Grit your teeth because this will make the swords skip off the skull, and dodge on the sides of the spears for it changes the direction of their blades. Close the eyes because it strengthens the spirit and gives peace to the heart. Kill the voices because this will keep off spiritlessness.
فَقَدِّمُوا الدَّارِعَ، وَأَخِّرُوا الْحَاسِرَ، وَعَضُّوا عَلَى الاْضْرَاسِ فَإِنَّهُ أَنْبَى لِلسُّيُوفِ عَنِ الْهَامِ، وَالْتَوُوا فِي أَطْرَافِ الرِّمَاحِ فَإِنَّهُ أَمْوَرُ لِلاْسِنَّةِ، وَغُضُّوا الاْبْصَارَ فَإِنَّهُ أَرْبَطُ لَلْجَأْشِ وَأسْكَنُ لِلْقُلُوبِ، وَأَمِيتُوا الاْصْوَاتَ فَإِنَّهُ أطْرَدُ لِلْفَشَلِ.
Tags Sermons
hadith 544
Do not let your banner bend down, nor leave it alone. Do not give it to anyone except the brave and the defenders of honour among you because they alone endure the befalling of troubles; they surround the banners and encircle them on both sides, their rear and their front. They do not separate from them lest they give them over (to the enemy). They do not go ahead of them lest they leave them alone. Everyone should deal with his adversary and also help his comrade by his own life, and should not leave the adversary to his comrade lest both his own adversary and his comrade’s join against him.
وَرَايَتَكُمْ فَلاَ تُمِيلُوهَا وَلاَ تُخِلُّوهَا، وَلاَ تَجْعَلُوهَا إِلاَّ بِأَيْدِي شُجْعَانِكُمْ، وَالمَانِعِينَ الذِّمَارَ مِنْكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الصَّابِرِينَ عَلَى نُزُولِ الْحَقَائِقِ هُمُ الَّذِينَ يَحُفُّونَ بِرَايَاتِهمْ، وَيَكْتَنِفُونَهَا: حفَافَيْهَا، وَوَرَاءَهَا، وَأَمَامَهَا، لاَ يَتَأَخَّرُونَ عَنْهَا فَيُسْلِمُوهَا، وَلاَ يَتَقَدَّمُونَ عَلَيْهَا فَيُفْرِدُوهَا. أَجْزَأَ امْرُؤٌ قِرْنَهُ، وَآسَى أَخَاهُ بِنَفْسِهِ، وَلَمْ يَكِلْ قِرْنَهُ إِلَى أَخِيهِ فَيَجْتَمِعَ عَلَيْهِ قِرْنُهُ وَقِرْنُ أَخِيهِ.
Tags Sermons
hadith 545
By Allāh, even if you run away from the sword of today you would not remain safe from the sword of the next world. You are the foremost among the Arabs and great figures. Certainly in running away there is the wrath of Allāh, unceasing disgrace and lasting shame. And certainly a runner-away does not lengthen his life, nor does any thing come to intervene between him and his day (of death). Who is there to go towards Allāh like the thirsty going to the water? Paradise lies under the edges of spears. Today the reputations (about the valour of warriors) will be tested. By Allāh! I am more eager to meet them (in combat) than they are for (returning to) their houses. O my Allāh! If they reject truth disperse their group, divide their words (opinion) and destroy them on account of their sins.
وَايْمُ اللهِ لَئِنْ فَرَرْتُمْ مِنْ سَيْفِ الْعَاجِلَةِ، لاَ تَسْلَمُوا مِنْ سَيْفِ الاْخِرَةِ، أَنْتُمْ لَهَامِيمُ الْعَرَبِ، وَالسَّنَامُ الاْعْظَمُ، إِنَّ فِي الْفِرَارِ مَوْجِدَةَ اللهِ، وَالذُّلَّ اللاَّزِمَ، وَالْعَارَ الْبَاقِيَ، وَإِنَّ الْفَارَّ لَغَيْرُ مَزِيد فِي عُمُرِهِ، وَلاَ مَحْجُوز بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ يَوْمِهِ. مَنْ رائِحٌ إِلَى اللهِ كَالظَّمَآنِ يَرِدُ الْمَاءَ؟ الْجَنَّةُ تَحْتَ أَطْرَافِ الْعَوَالِي ! الْيَوْمَ تُبْلَى الاْخْبَارُ! وَاللهِ لاَنَا أَشْوَقُ إِلَى لِقَائِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ إِلَى دِيَارِهِمْ . اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ رَدُّوا الْحَقَّ فَافْضُضْ جَمَاعَتَهُمْ، وَشَتِّتْ كَلِمَتَهُمْ، وَأَبْسِلْهُمْ بِخَطَايَاهُمْ.
Tags Sermons
hadith 546
They will not budge from their stand till the continuous striking of spears causes piercings (of wounds) through which wind may pass, and the hitting of swords cuts through the skull, cleaves bones and breaks forearms and legs, till they are attacked by contingent after contingent and assaulted by detachments which are followed by reserves for support, till their cities are continuously assailed by force after force, and till the horses trample even the extreme ends of the lands, the tracks of their beast and their meadows.
إِنَّهُمْ لَنْ يَزُولُوا عَنْ مَوَاقِفِهمْ دُونَ طَعْن دِرَاك يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ النَّسِيمُ، وَضَرْب يَفْلِقُ الْهَامَ، وَيُطِيحُ العِظَامَ، وَيُنْدِرُ السَّوَاعِدَ وَالاْقدْاَمَ، وَحَتَّى يُرْمَوْا بِالمَنَاسِرِ تَتْبَعُهَا الْمَنَاسَرُ، وَيُرْجَمُوا بِالْكَتَائِبِ، تَقْفُوهَا الْحَلاَئِبُ حَتَّى يُجَرَّ بِبِلاَدِهِمُ الْخَمِيسُ يَتْلُوهُ الْخَمِيسُ، وَحَتَّى تَدْعَقَ الْخُيُولُ فِي نَوَاحِر أَرْضِهِمْ، وَبِأَعْنَانِ مَسَارِبِهِمْ وَمَسَارِحِهِمْ.
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hadith 547
as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says : “ad-da‘q” means trampling, e.g., “taduqqu’l-khuyūlu biḥawāfirihā ardahum” (the horses trample the ground with their hoofs). “nawāḥini arḍihim” means lands opposite each other, it is said, “manāzilu banī fulānin tatanāḥaru” meaning the ‘houses of so-and-so are opposite each other.’
قال الشريف : الدّعْقُ: الدّقُّ، أي: تَدُقُّ الخُيُولُ بِحَوَافِرِهَا أرْضَهُمْ. نَوَاحِرُ أَرْضِهِمْ: مُتَقَابِلاَتُهَا، يُقَالُ: مَنَازِلُ بَنِي فُلان تتَنَاحَرُ، أيْ: تَتَقَابَلُ.