ʿĪsā ibn Dāb said: When ʿAlī—may Allah be pleased with him—returned from al-Nahrawān, he rose to address the people and said, after praising Allah, extolling Him, and invoking blessings upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:
“To proceed: Allah has made your victory illustrious; therefore set out at once against your enemy from among the people of Syria.
They stood before him and said, “Commander of the Believers, our arrows are spent, our swords have grown dull, and the points of our lances have worn away. Return with us to our city so that we may equip ourselves with better weapons; perhaps the Commander of the Believers will also reinforce our numbers with those who left us or were slain, for that will strengthen us against our foe.” The one who voiced this was al-Ashʿath ibn Qays al-Kindī. ʿAlī approved their request(1) and marched on with the army until he encamped at al-Nukhaylah. There he ordered them to remain in the camp, ready themselves for combat with their enemy, and cut down their visits to their wives and children. They stayed with him for a few days, holding fast(2) to his view and command, after which they slipped away until none remained but the leading(3) members of his company.
ʿAlī then stood among those who were left and preached:
“Praise belongs to Allah, Creator of all beings, Splitter of the dawn, Reviver of the dead, and Resurrector of those in the graves. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
“I counsel you to fear Allah, for the best means a servant can employ is faith, striving in His path, and the word of sincerity, for that is the innate nature. Establish the prayer, for it is the religion; give the zakah, for it is among the obligations of Allah(4); fast the month of Ramadan, for it is a shield against His punishment(5); perform the pilgrimage to the House, for it removes poverty and wipes away sin; uphold the ties of kinship, for they increase wealth, lengthen life-span, and win affection within the family; give charity in secret, for it expiates sin and extinguishes the Lord’s anger; do good, for it wards off an evil death and protects against dreadful calamities.
“Immerse yourselves in the remembrance of Allah, for it is the finest remembrance; aspire to what has been promised to the God-fearing, for the promise of Allah is the truest promise; follow the guidance of your Prophet ﷺ, for it is the best guidance; adhere to his sunnah, for it is the best of ways; learn the Book of Allah, for it is the noblest discourse; gain understanding of the religion, for it is the springtime of hearts; seek healing in its light, for it is a remedy for what is in the breasts; recite it well, for it is the most beautiful of narratives. When it is recited to you, listen and pay heed that you may be shown mercy; and when you are guided to its knowledge, act upon what you have learned so that you may be rightly guided.
“For the scholar who does not act in accordance with his knowledge is like the bewildered ignorant person who never rises above his ignorance(6). Indeed, I see that the proof stands heavier and the regret lasts longer for that scholar who has cast off his knowledge than for the ignorant one perplexed in his ignorance; both are astray and ruined. Do not entertain doubts, lest you fall into misgivings, and do not let misgivings lead you to disbelief(7). Do not grant yourselves licence, lest you become heedless, and do not become heedless concerning the truth, lest you incur loss(8).
“Know that part of prudence is to place your trust, and part of trust is not to be deceived. The most sincere among you to himself is the most obedient among you to his Lord, and the most treacherous among you to himself is the most disobedient among you to his Lord. Whoever obeys Allah is secure…"