Nahjul Balagha, the Path to Virtue

Introduction:
Imam Ali’s book, Nahjul-Balagha, is a compilation of the sermons, letters and brief speeches of ‘the Lion of Allah’ - Imam Ali (AS). The compilation of this work was undertaken by Seyyed Ali Naqi (Faiz-ul-Islam) more than 100 years ago. Undoubtedly “Nahjul-Balagha” is one of the pillars of Islamic ideology. It is an infinite ocean of scientific, literary, religious, social, behavioral and political subjects, which after the Miraculous Qur’an and the Narratives of the Holy Prophet (SAW), is probably the single most eloquent and informative Book ever written in the annals of history. It is a Guidance for the misled; a Remedy for the irremediable and a Shelter of security for the distressed ones.
So, for those people who want to attain everlasting happiness and be immune from suffering and misfortune, it is an essential role-model to follow.
  We begin with the first sermon for the benefit of our esteemed readers as below:
  “In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.”
  1st Sermon: In this sermon Imam Ali (AS) reflects on the Source of Creation of the heaven and earth as well as on the creation of Adam (AS) as follows:-
‘Praise and thanks due to Allah, whose praise and eulogy no one is capable of rendering, because they cannot praise and eulogize Him as He merits sufficiently; those who keep count of the number of His blessings are helpless and lose count, because His blessings are infinite and unending; while those who strive to respond in kind to His bestowed blessings are rendered incapable to repay His dues. Therefore, the ultimate degree of thanksgiving is for His creations to acknowledge and confess their incapacity and helplessness to return His kindness.
The truth of Allah can be understood only by those who strive loftily; the One whom even the intelligence and sagacity of the deep-sea divers cannot reach, so how is it possible for the rest of us to discover the truth of His being.
A God whose attributes are infinite, but to Whom no fixed attribute can be assigned; a God for Whom the elements of time and age are inconsequential, so how can one attribute time for His presence or absence, for He alone is the Creator and is free of a need to be present in time.
Therefore, he is the Beginning and the End and the element of time doesn’t hold for Him that He may have a beginning and an end. And because time involves movement, and movement requires a body, therefore, it is impossible to attribute the element of time to Him.
He created the creatures by His own will and power, and dispersed the winds by His blessings and kindness; He steadied the motions of the earth by means of huge boulders and mountains so that the earth was firm and didn’t sway. As the Holy Qur’an states in Chapter 16, Verse 15:
“And He has cast great mountains in the earth lest it might be convulsed with you, and rivers and roads that you may give aright.” (And thus cause you to be thrown from one end to the other end). (16:15) - (translation from Shakir)