( 444 )

SERMON 116

About troubles which would arise and the Day of Judgement

Allah deputised him (the Prophet) as a caller towards Truth and a witness over the creatures. The Prophet conveyed the messages of Allah without being lazy and without any short-coming and he fought His enemies in the cause of Allah without being languid and without pleading excuses. He is the foremost of all who practise piety and the power of perception of all those who achieve guidance.

A part of the same sermon complaining about his men

If you know what I know of the unknown that is kept wrapped up from you certainly you would have gone out into the open weeping over your deeds and beating yourselves in grief and you would have abandoned your properties without any guard for it or any substitute over it. Everyone would then have cared for his own self without paying attention to anyone else. But you have forgotten what was recalled to you and felt safe from what you had been warned. Consequently your ideas went astray and your affairs were dispersed.

I do long that Allah may cause separation between me and you and give me those who have a better right to be with me than you. By Allah they are people of blissful ideas enduring wisdom and true speech. They keep aloof from revolt. They trod forward on the path (of Allah) and ran on the high road. Consequently they achieved the everlasting next life and easeful honours.

Beware! by Allah a tall lad of swinging gait from Banu Thaqif would be placed over you. He would eat away your vegetation and melt your fat. So O' Aba Wadhahah is that all?


( 445 )

[ 116 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

وفيها ينصح أصحابه

أَرْسَلَهُ دَاعِياً إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَشَاهِداً عَلَى الْخَلْقِ، فَبَلَّغَ رَسَالاَتِ رَبِّهِ غَيْرَ وَانٍ (1) وَلاَ مُقَصِّر، وَجَاهَدَ فِي اللهِ أَعْدَاءَهُ غَيْرَ وَاهِنٍ (2) وَلاَ مُعَذِّرٍ (3) ، إِمَامُ مَنِ اتَّقَى، وَبَصَرُ مَنِ اهْتَدَى.

و منها : وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ مِمَّا طُوِيَ عَنْكُمْ غَيْبُهُ، إِذاً لَخَرَجْتُمْ إِلَى الصُّعُدَاتِ (4) ، تَبْكُونَ عَلَى أَعْمَالِكُمْ، وَتَلْتَدِمُونَ (5) عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ، وَلَتَرَكْتُمْ أَمْوَالَكُمْ لاَ حَارِسَ لها وَلاَ خَالِفَ (6) عَلَيْهَا، وَلَهَمَّتْ (7) كُلَّ امْرِىءٍ مِنْكُمْ نَفْسُهُ، لاَ يَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى غَيْرِهَا; وَلَكِنَّكُمْ نَسِيتُمْ مَا ذُكِّرْتُمْ، وَأَمِنْتُمْ مَا حُذِّرْتُمْ، فَتَاهَ عَنْكُمْ رَأْيُكُمْ، وَتَشَتَّتَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَمْرُكُمْ. وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ اللهَ فَرَّقَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ، وَأَلْحَقَنِي بِمَنْ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِي مِنْكُمْ، قَوْمٌ واللهِ مَيَامِينُ (8) الرَّأْيِ، مَرَاجِيحُ (9) الْحِلْمِ، مَقَاوِيلُ (10) بِالْحَقِّ، مَتَارِيكُ (11) لِلْبَغْيِ. مَضَوْا قُدُماً (12) عَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ، وَأَوْجَفُوا عَلَى (13) الْمَحَجَّةِ (14) ، فَظَفِرُوا بَالْعُقْبَى الْدَّائِمَةِ، وَالْكَرَامَةِ الْبَارِدَةِ (15) . أَمَا وَاللهِ، لَيُسَلَّطَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ غُلاَمُ ثَقِيفٍ الذَّيَّالُ (16) الْمَيَّالُ، يَأْكُلُ خَضِرَتَكُمْ، وَيُذِيبُ شَحْمَتَكُمْ، إِيهٍ أَبَا وَذَحَةَ!


( 446 )

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "al-Wadhahah" means "al-khunfusa' (dung-beetle)." In this sentence Amir al-mu'minin has referred to al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi and he had an incident with "al-Khunfusa '" which need not be related here.(1)

* * * * *

SERMON 117

Rebuking Misers

You spend no wealth in the cause of Him Who gave it nor do you risk your lives for the sake of Him Who created them. You enjoy honour through Allah among His creatures but you do not honour Allah among His creatures. You should derive lessons from your occupying the places of those who were before you and from the departure of your nearest brothers.

* * * * *

SERMON 118

In praise of his faithful companions

You are supporters of Truth and brethren in faith. You are the shield on the day of tribulation and (my) trustees among the rest of the people. With your support I strike the runner away and hope for the obedience of him who advances forward. Therefore extend to me support which is free from deceit and pure from doubt because by Allah I am the most preferable of all for the people.

(1). The detail of this incident is that one day al-Hajjaj stood up for saying prayers when al-khunfusa' advanced towards him. al-Hajjaj held out his hand to stop him but he bit him whereby his hand got swollen and eventually he died of it.

Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has written that "al-Wadhahah" means the dung that remains sticking to the tail of an animal and this surname is intended to disgrace him.


( 447 )

قال الشريف: الْوَذَحَةُ: الخُنْفُسَاءُ. وهذا القول يومىءُ به إلى الحجاج، وله مع الوذحة حديث ليس هذا موضع ذكره.

[ 117 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

يوبخ البخلاء بالمال والنفس

فَلاَ أَمْوَالَ بَذَلُْتموهَا لِلَّذِي رَزَقَهَا، وَلاَ أَنْفُسَ خَاطَرْتُمْ بِهَا لِلَّذِي خَلَقَهَا، تَكْرُمُونَ (1) بِاللهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ، وَلاَ تُكْرِمُونَ اللهَ فِي عِبَادِهِ! فَاعْتَبِرُوا بِنُزُولِكُمْ مَنَازِلَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَانْقِطَاعِكُمْ عَنْ أَوْصَلِ إِخْوَانِكُمْ!

[ 118 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

في الصالحين من أصحابه

أَنْتُمُ الْأَنْصَارُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ، وَالْإِخُوَانُ في الدِّينِ، وَالْجُنَنُ (1) يَوْمَ الْبَأْسِ (2) ، وَالْبِطَانَةُ (3) دُونَ النَّاسِ، بِكُمْ أَضْرِبُ الْمُدْبِرَ، وَأَرْجُو طَاعَةَ الْمُقْبِلِ، فَأَعِينُوني بِمُنَاصَحَةٍ خَلِيَّةٍ مِنَ الْغِشِّ، سَلِيمَةٍ مِنَ الرَّيْبِ; فَوَ اللهِ إِنِّي لَأَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِالنَّاسِ!