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SERMON 74

When the Consultative Committee (or Shura) decided to swear allegiance to 'Uthman Amir al-mu'minin said:

You have certainly known that I am the most rightful of all others for the Caliphate. By Allah so long as the affairs of Muslims remain intact and there is no oppression in it save on myself I shall keep quiet seeking reward for it (from Allah) and keeping aloof from its attractions and allurements for which you aspire.

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SERMON 75

When Amir al-mu'minin learnt that the Umayyads blamed him for killing 'Uthman he said:

Umayyads's knowledge about me did not desist them from accusing me nor did my precedence (in accepting Islam) keep off these ignorant people from blaming me. Allah's admonitions are more eloquent than my tongue. I am the contester against those who break away from Faith and the opposer of those who entertain doubts. Uncertainties should be placed before Qur'an the Book of Allah (for clarification). Certainly people will be recompensed according to what they have in their hearts.

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SERMON 76

About preaching and counselling

Allah may bless him who listens to a point of wisdom and retains it when he is invited to the right path he approaches it


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[ 74 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

لمّا عزموا على بيعة عثمان

لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ أَنَّي أَحَقُّ بِهَا مِنْ غَيْرِي، وَوَاللهِ لَأُسْلِمَنَّ مَاسَلِمَتْ أُمُورُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِا جَوْرٌ إِلاَّ عَلَيَّ خَاصَّةً، الْتِمَاساً لِأَجْرِ ذلِكَ وَفَضْلِهِ، وَزُهْداً فِيَما تَنافَسْتُمُوهُ مِنْ زُخْرُفِهِ وَ زِبْرِجِهِ (1)

[ 75 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

لمّا بلغه اتهام بني أُميّة له بالمشاركة في دم عثمان

أَوَلَمْ يَنْهَ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ عِلْمُهَا بِي عَنْ قَرْفي (1) ؟ أَوَمَا وَزَعَ الْجُهَّالُ سَابِقَتِي عَنْ تُهَمَتِي؟! وَلَمَا وَعَظَهُمُ اللهُ بِهِ أَبْلَغُ مِنْ لِسَاني. أَنَا حَجِيجُ الْمَارِقِينَ (2) ، وَخَصِيمُ الْمُرْتَابِينَ (3) ، عَلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ تُعْرَضُ الْأَمْثالُ (4) ، وَبِمَا فِي الصُّدُورِ تُجَازَى الْعِبَادُ!

[ 76 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

في الحث على العمل الصالح

رَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ حُكْماً (1) فَوَعَى (2) ، وَدُعِيَ إِلَى رَشَاد فَدَنَا (3) ،


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he follows a leader (by catching his waist band) and finds salvation keeps Allah before his eyes and fears his sins performs actions sincerely and acts virtuously earns treasure of heavenly rewards avoids vice aims at (good) objectives and reaps recompense faces his desires and rejects (fake) hopes makes endurance the means to his salvation and piety the provision for his death rides on the path of honour and sticks to the highway of truth makes good use of his time and hastens towards the end and takes with him the provision of (good) actions.

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SERMON 77

About Umayyads

The Banu Umayyah (Umayyads) are allowing me the inheritance of Muhammad (p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) bit (by bit). By Allah if I live I would throw them away as the butcher removes the dust from the dust-covered piece of flesh.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: In one version for "al-widhamu't-taribah" (dust covered piece of flesh) the words "at-turabu'l-wadhimah" (the soil sticking on a piece of flesh) have been shown. That is for the adjective the qualified noun and for the qualified noun the adjective has been placed. Any by the word "layufawwiqunani" Amir al-mu'minin implies that they allow him bit by bit just as a she-camel may be milked a little and then its young one may be made to suck milk so that it may be ready to be milked. And "al-widham" is the plural of "wadhamah" which means the piece of stomach or of liver which falls on the ground and then the dust is removed from it.

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وَأَخَذَ بِحُجْزَةِ (4) هَادٍ فَنَجَا، رَاقَبَ رَبِّهُ، وَخَافَ ذَنْبَهُ، قَدَّمَ خَالِصاً، وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً، اكْتَسَبَ مَذْخُوراً (5) ، وَاجْتَنَبَ مَحْذُوراً، رَمَى غَرَضاً، وَأَحْرَزَ عِوَضاً، كَابَرَ هَوَاهُ (6) ، وَكَذَّبَ مُنَاهُ، جَعَلَ الصَّبْرَ مَطِيَّةَ نَجَاتِهِ، والتَّقْوَى عُدَّةَ وَفَاتِهِ، رَكِبَ الطَّرِيقَةَ الْغَرَّاءَ (7) ، وَلَزِمَ الَْمحَجَّةَ (8) الْبَيْضَاءَ، اغْتَنَمَ الْمَهَلَ (9) ، وَبَادَرَ الْأَجَلَ، وَتَزَوَّدَ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ.

[ 77 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

وذلك حين منعه سعيد بن العاص حقه

إِنَّ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ لَيُفَوِّقُونَني تُرَاثَ مُحَمَّد صَلَّي اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ تَفْوِيقاً، وَاللهِ لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ لُهُمْ لْأَنْفُضَنَّهُمْ نَفْضَ اللَّحَّام الْوِذَامَ التَّرِبَةَ! قال الشريف يروى: «التراب الوَذَمَة»، وهو على القلب (1) . قال الشريف: قوله عليه السلام: «لَيُفَوّقونَني» أي: يعطونني من المال قليلاً كفُواق الناقة، وهو الحلبة الواحدة من لبنها. والوِذَامُ: جمع وَذَمة، وهي: الحُزّة (2) من الكرش أوالكبد تقع في التراب فتنفض.

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