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SERMON 37

Amir al-mu'minin's utterance which runs like a Sermon About his own steadfastness in religion and precedence in (acceptance of) belief.

I discharged duties when others lost courage (to do so) and I came forward when others hid themselves. I spoke when others remained mum. I stroke with Divine light when others remained standing. I was the quietest of them in voice but the highest in going forward. I cleaved to its rein and applied myself solely to its pledge like the mountain which neither sweeping wind could move nor storm could shake. No one could find fault with me nor could any speaker speak ill of me.

The low is in my view worthy of honour till I secure (his) right for him while the strong is in my view weak till I take (other's) right from him. We are happy with the destiny ordained by Allah and have submitted to the command of Allah. Do you think I would speak lie about the Prophet of Allah? By Allah I am surely the first to testify him so I will not be the first to falsify him. I looked at my affairs and found that my obedience should have precedence over my allegiance while my pledge with him is a burden on my neck.

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SERMON 38

About naming of doubt as such and disparagement of those in doubt

Doubt is named doubt because it resembles truth. As for
lovers of Allah their conviction serves them as light and the direction of the right path (itself) serves as their guide; while the enemies of Allah in time of doubt call to misguidance in the


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[ 37 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

يجري مجرى الخطبة

وفيه يذكر فضائله - عليه السلام - قاله بعد وقعة النهروان

فَقُمْتُ بِالْأَمْرِ حِينَ فَشِلُوا (1) ، وَتَطَلَّعْتُ حِينَ تَقَبَّعُوا (2) ، وَ نَطَقْتُ حِينَ تَعْتَعُوا (3) وَمَضَيْتُ بِنُورِ اللهِ حِينَ وَقَفُوا، وَكُنْتُ أَخْفَضَهُمْ صَوْتاً، وَأَعْلاَهُمْ فَوْتاً (4) ، فَطِرْتُ بِعِنَانِهَا (5) ، وَاسْتَبْدَدْتُ بِرِهَانِهَا (6) ، كَالْجَبَلِ لاَ تُحَرِّكُهُ الْقَوَاصِفُ، وَلاَ تُزِيلُهُ الْعَوَاصِفُ. لَمْ يَكُنْ لِأَحَدٍ فيَّ مَهْمَزٌ، وَلاَ لِقَائِلٍ فيَّ مَغْمَزٌ (7) ، الذَّلِيلُ عِنْدِي عَزِيزٌ حَتَّى آخُذَ الْحَقَّ لَهُ، وَالْقَوِيُّ عِنْدِي ضَعِيفٌ حَتَّى آخُذَ الْحَقَّ مَنْهُ، رَضِينَا عَنِ اللهِ قَضَاءَهُ، وَسَلَّمْنَا لِلّهِ أَمْرَهُ. أَتَرَاني أَكْذِبُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ وَاللهِ لَأَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ صَدَّقَهُ فَلاَ أَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيْهِ. فَنَظَرْتُ في أَمْرِي، فَإِذَا طَاعَتِي قَدْ سَبَقَتْ بَيْعَتِي، وَإِذَا الميِثَاقُ في عُنُقِي لِغَيْرِي.

[ 38 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

وفيها علة تسمية الشبهة شبهة، ثم بيان حال الناس فيها

وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَتِ الشُّبْهَةُ شُبْهَةً لاَِنَّهَا تُشْبِهُ الْحَقَّ، فَأَمَّا أَوْلِيَاءُ اللهِ فَضِيَاؤُهُمْ فِيهَا الْيَقِينُ، وَدَلِيلُهُمْ سَمْتُ الْهُدَى (1) ، وَأَمَّا أَعْدَاءُ اللهِ فَدُعَاؤُهُمْ فِيهَا


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darkness of doubt and their guide is blindness (of intelligence). One who fears death cannot escape it nor can one who fears for eternal life secure it.

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SERMON 39

In disparagement of those who shrink from fighting

I am faced with men who do not obey when I order and do not respond when I call them. May you have no father! (Woe to you!) What are you waiting for to rise for the cause of Allah? Does not faith join you together or sense of shame rouse you? I stand among you shouting and I am calling you for help but you do not listen to my word and do not obey my orders till circumstances show out their bad consequences. No blood can be avenged through you and no purpose can be achieved with you. I called you for help of your brethren but made noises like the camel having pain in stomach and became loose like the camel of thin back. Then a wavering weak contingent came to me from amongst you: "as if they are being led to death and they are only watching." (1) (Qur'an 8:6)

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Amir al-mu'minin's word "mutadha'ib" means "mudtarib" (i.e. moved or troubled) as they say "tadha'abat ar-rih" (i.e. the winds blow in troubled manner). Similarly the wolf is called "dhi'b" because of its troubled movement.

(1). Mu'awiyah sent a contingent of two thousand soldiers under an-Nu'man ibn Bashir to assault 'Aynu't-Tamr. This place was a defence base of Amir al-mu'minin near Kufah whose incharge was Malik ibn Ka'b al-Arhabi. Although there were a thousand combatants under him but at the moment only hundred men were present there. When Malik noticed the offensive force advancing he wrote to Amir al-mu'-


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الضَّلالُ، وَدَلِيلُهُمُ الْعَمَى، فَمَا يَنْجُو مِنَ المَوْتِ مَنْ خَافَهُ، وَلا يُعْطَى الْبَقَاءَ مَنْ أَحَبَّهُ.

[ 39 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

خطبها عند علمه بغزوة النعمان بن بشير صاحب معاوية لعين التمر

وفيها يبدي عذره، ويستنهض الناس لنصرته

مُنِيتُ بِمَنْ لاَ يُطِيعُ إِذَا أَمَرْت (1) وَلا يُجِيبُ إِذَا دَعَوْتُ، لاَ أَبَا لَكُمْ! مَا تَنْتَظِرُونَ بِنَصْرِكُمْ رَبَّكُمْ؟ أَمَا دِينٌ يَجْمَعُكُمْ، وَلاَ حَمِيَّةَ تُحْمِشُكُمْ (2) ! أَقُومُ فِيكُمْ مُسْتَصْرِخاً (3) ، وَأُنادِيكُمْ مُتَغَوِّثاً (4) ، فَلاَ تَسْمَعُونَ لي قَوْلاً، وَلاَ تُطِيعُون لِي أَمْراً، حَتَّى تَكَشَّفَ الْأُمُورُ عَنْ عَوَاقِبِ الْمَساءَةِ، فَمَا يُدْرَكُ بِكُمْ ثَارٌ، وَلاَ يُبْلَغُ بِكُمْ مَرَامٌ، دَعَوْتُكُمْ إِلَى نَصْرِ إِخْوَانِكُمْ فَجَرْجَرْتُمْ (5) جَرْجَرَةَ الْجَمَلِ الْأَسَرِّ (6) ، وَتَثَاقَلْتُمْ تَثَاقُلَ الْنِّضْوِ الْأَدْبَرِ (7) ، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إِلَيَّ مِنْكُمْ جُنَيْدٌ مُتَذَائِبٌ ضَعِيفٌ (كَأَنَّمَا يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ).

قال السيد الشريف: قوله عليه السلام: «مُتَذَائِبٌ» أي مضطرب، من قولهم: تذاءبت الريح أي اضطرب هبوبها، ومنه سمّي الذئب ذئباً، لاضطراب مشيته.

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minin for help. When Amir al-mu'minin received the message he asked the people for his help but only three hundred men got ready as a result of which Amir al-mu'minin was much disgusted and delivered this sermon in their admonition. When Amir al-mu'minin reached his house after delivering the sermon 'Adi ibn Hatim at-Ta'i came and said "O' Amir al-mu'minin a thousand men of Banu Tayyi' are under me. If you say I shall send them off." Amir al-mu'minin said "It does not look nice that people of one tribe only should meet the enemy. You prepare your force in the Valley of an-Nukhaylah." Accordingly he went there and called people to jihad when besides Banu Tayyi' one thousand other combatants also assembled. They were still preparing to set off when word reached from Malik ibn Ka'b that there was no need for help as he had repulsed the enemy.

The reason of this was that Malik had sent off 'Abdullah ibn Hawalah al-Azdi hastily to Qarazah ibn Ka'b al-Ansari and Mikhnaf ibn Sulaym al-Azdi so that if there was delay in the arrival of support from Kufah he could get help from here in time. 'Abdullah went to both but got no help from Qarazah. However Mikhnaf ibn Sulaym got ready fifty persons under 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mikhnaf and they reached there near evening. Upto that time the two thousand men (of the enemy) had not been able to subdue the hundred men of Malik. When an-Nu'man saw these fifty men he thought that their forces had started coming in so he fled away from the battlefield. Even in their retreat Malik attacked them from rear and killed three of their men.