Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Tirlib 431
putting sentences together, speaking briefly and using images to
express meaning. In conclusion, this speech has a special
importance because of what it contains of religious, literary and
personal references. It represents a powerful indication of the
character of its author, Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ihn Ahi mib
(&I. It tells of his sound understanding of Islamic concepts that
deal with the nature of this world, the goal of human existence
and the ultimate destination of humanity. This speech explains
the conclusions that Amir al-Mu'miueen 'Ali ibn Ahi T2ib
(&) reached concerning that, and it tells us of the deep insight
that he had. This is supported by his clarity of mind and purity of
heart, in addition to other sublime spiritual and intellectual
qualities that were granted to him as a result of his piety, his
adherence to the teachings of Islam, his relying on his Lord and
his feeling content with His decree. All of that helped him to
attain this high literaq level in this piece of prose. Thus in the
field of literature, he was indeed a knight of the word and a
leader of literary expression, as he was a just and ascetic leader, a
wise and experienced rnler, and a knight whom no one could
resist.379
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) , . paid attention to making use of
different occasions to exhort and remind the people; he did not limit it
to Friday sermons only. When he walked with the funeral procession
and heard the voices of the bereaved family raised in weeping as the
body was placed in the niche in the grave, he would say: "Why are
you weeping? By Allah, if they could see what your deceased one is
seeing, they would be distracted from their deceased one by what
they see. Death will come back again and again, until none of them is
left. So fear Allah, 0 slaves of Allah, and strive hard in righteous
deeds. Hasten to do good deeds before death, the destroyer of
pleasures, comes. The pleasures of this world will not last, and you
cannot feel secure against the calamities of this world, for it is