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SERMON 132

Warning about death and counselling

We praise Him for whatever He takes or gives or whatever He inflicts on us or tries us with. He is aware of all that is hidden and He sees all that is concealed. He knows all that breasts contain or eyes hide. We render evidence that there is no god except He and that Muhammad - peace be upon him and his progeny - has been chosen by Him and deputised by Him -evidence tendered both secretly and openly by heart and by tongue.

A part of the same sermon

By Allah certainly it is reality not fun truth not falsehood. It is none else than death. Its caller is making himself heard and its dragsman is making haste. The majority of the people should not deceive you. You have seen those who lived before you amassed wealth feared poverty and felt safe from its (evil) consequences the longevity of desires and the (apparent) distance from death. How then death overtook them turned them out of their homelands and took them out of their places of safety. They were borne on coffins people were busy about them one after another carrying them on their shoulders and supporting them with their hands.

Did you not witness those who engaged in long-reaching desires built strong buildings amassed much wealth but their houses turned to graves and their collections turned into ruin. Their property devolved on the successors and their spouses on those who came after them. They cannot (now) add to their good


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[ 132 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

يعظ فيها ويزهد في الدنيا

حمد الله

نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا أَخَذَ وَأَعْطَى، وَعَلَى مَا أَبْلَى وَابْتَلَى (1) ، الْبَاطِنُ لِكُلِّ خَفِيَّة، الْحَاضِرُ لِكُلِّ سَرِيرَةٍ، العَالِمُ بِمَا تُكِنُّ الصُّدُورُ، وَمَا تَخُونُ الْعُيُونُ. وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ غَيْرُهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً نَجِيبُهُ وَبَعِيثُهُ (2) ، شَهَادَةً يُوَافِقُ فِيهَا السِّرُّ الْأَعْلاَنَ، وَالْقَلْبُ اللِّسَانَ.

عظة الناس

و منها: فَإِنَّهُ وَاللهِ الْجِدُّ لاَ اللَّعِبُ، وَالْحَقُّ لاَ الْكَذِبُ، وَمَا هُوَ إِلاَّ الْمَوْتُ أَسْمَعَ دَاعِيهِ (3) ، وَأَعْجَلَ حَادِيهِ (4) ، فَلاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ سَوَادُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ، فَقَدْ رَأَيْتَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِمَّنْ جَمَعَ الْمَالَ وَحَذِرَ الْإِقْلاَلَ، وَأَمِنَ الْعَوَاقِبَ ـ طُولَ أَمَلٍ وَاسْتِبْعَادَ أَجَلٍ ـ كَيْفَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الْمَوْتُ فَأَزْعَجَهُ عَنْ وَطَنِهِ، وَأَخَذَهُ مِنْ مَأْمَنِهِ، مَحْمُولاً عَلَى أَعْوَادِ الْمَنَايَا يَتَعَاطَى بِهِ الرِّجَالُ الرِّجَالَ، حَمْلاً عَلَى المَنَاكِبِ وَإِمْسَاكاً بِالْأَنَامِلِ. أَمَا رَأَيْتُمُ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُلُونَ بَعِيداً، وَيَبْنُونَ مَشِيداً، وَيَجْمَعُونَ كَثِيراً! أَصْبَحَتْ بُيُوتُهُمْ قُبُوراً، وَمَا جَمَعُوا بُوراً، وَصَارَتْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ لِلْوَارِثِينَ، وَأَزْوَاجُهُمْ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ، لاَ فِي حَسَنَةٍ يَزِيدُونَ، وَلاَ


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acts nor invoke (Allah's) mercy in respect of evil acts. Therefore whoever makes his heart habituated to fear Allah achieves a forward position and his action is successful. Prepare yourself for it and do all that you can for Paradise. Certainly this world has not been made a place of permanent stay for you. But it has been created as a pathway in order that you may take from it the provisions of your (good) actions for the permanent house (in Paradise). Be ready for departure from here and keep close your riding animals for setting off.

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SERMON 133

On the Glory of Allah

This world and the next have submitted to Him their reins and the skies and earths have flung their keys towards Him. The thriving trees bow to Him in the morning and evening and produce for Him flaming fire from their branches and at His command turn their own feed into ripe fruits.

A part of the same sermon about the Holy Qur'an

The Book of Allah is among you. It speaks and its tongue does not falter. It is a house whose pillars do not fall down and a power whose supporters are never routed.

A part of the same sermon about the Holy Prophet

Allah deputised the Prophet after a gap from the previous prophets when there was much talk (among the people). With him Allah exhausted the series of prophets and ended the revelation. He then fought for Him those who were turning away


( 501 )

مِنْ سَيِّئَةٍ يَسْتَعْتِبُونَ! فَمَنْ أَشْعَرَ التَّقْوَى قَلْبَهُ بَرَّزَ مَهَلُهُ (5) ، وَفَازَ عَمَلُهُ. فَاهْتَبِلُوا (6) هَبَلَهَا، وَاعْمَلُوا لِلْجَنَّةِ عَمَلَهَا، فَإِنَّ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ تُخْلَقْ لَكُمْ دَارَ مُقَامٍ، بَلْ خُلِقَتْ لَكُمْ مَجَازاً لِتَزَوَّدُوا مِنْهَا الْأَعْمَالَ إِلَى دَارِ الْقَرَارِ; فَكُونُوا مِنْهَا عَلى أَوْفَازٍ (7) ، وَقَرِّبُوا الظُّهُورَ (8) لِلزِّيَالِ (9) .

[ 133 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

يعظّم الله سبحانه ويذكر القرآن والنبي ويعظ الناس

عظمة الله تعالى

وَانْقَادَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةُ بِأَزِمَّتِهَا، وَقَذَفَتْ إِلَيْهِ السَّماَوَاتُ وَالْأَرَضُونَ مَقَالِيدَهَا (1) ، وَسَجَدَتْ لَهُ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ الْأَشْجَارُ النَّاضِرَةُ، وَقَدَحَتْ (2) لَهُ مِنْ قُضْبَانِهَا النِّيرَانَ الْمُضِيئَةَ، وَآتَتْ أُكُلَهَا بِكَلِمَاتِهِ الِّثمَارُ الْيَانِعَةُ.

القرآن

منها: وَكِتَابُ اللهِ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ، نَاطقٌ لاَ يَعْيَا لِسَانُهُ، وَبَيْتٌ لاَ تُهْدَمُ أَرْكَانُهُ، وَعِزٌّ لاَ تُهْزَمُ أَعْوَانُهُ.

رسول الله

منها: أَرْسَلَهُ عَلَى حِينِ فَتْرَةٍ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ، وَتَنَازُعٍ مِنَ الْأَلْسُنِ، فَقَفَّى بِهِ الرُّسُلَ، وَخَتَمَ بِهِ الْوَحْيَ، فَجَاهَدَ فِي اللهِ الْمُدْبِرِينَ عَنْهُ،


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from Him and were equating others with Him.

A part of the same sermon about this world

Certainly this world is the end of the sight of the (mentally) blind who see nothing beyond it. The sight of a looker (who looks with the eye of his mind) pierces through and realises that the (real) house is beyond this world. The looker therefore wants to get out of it while the blind wants to get into it. The looker collects provision from it (for the next world) while the blind collects provision for this very world.

A part of the same sermon - A caution

You should know that a man gets satiated and wearied with everything except life because he does not find for himself any pleasure in death. It is in the position of life for a dead heart sight for the blind eye hearing for the deaf ear quenching for the thirsty and it contains complete sufficiency and safety.

The Book of Allah is that through which you see you speak and you hear. Its one part speaks for the other part and one part testifies to the other. It does not create differences about Allah nor does it mislead its own follower from (the path of) Allah. You are joined together in hatred of each other and in the growing of herbage on your filth (i.e. for covering inner dirt by good appearance outside). You are sincere with one another in your love of desires and bear enmity against each other in earning wealth. The evil spirit (Satan) has perplexed you and deceit has misled you. I seek the help of Allah for myself and you.

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وَالْعَادِلِينَ بِهِ.

في الدنيا

منها: وَإِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا مَنْتَهَى بَصَرِ الْأَعْمَى، لاَيُبْصِرُ مِمَّا وَرَاءَهَا شَيئاً، وَالْبَصِيرُ يَنْفُذُهَا بَصَرُهُ، وَيَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الدَّارَ وَرَاءَهَا. فَالبَصِيرُ مِنْهَا شَاخِصٌ، وَالْأَعْمَى إِلَيْهَا شَاخِصٌ، وَالْبَصِيرُ مِنْهَا مُتَزَوِّدٌ، وَالْأَعْمَى لَهَا مُتَزَوِّدٌ.

في عظة الناس

منها : وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ وَيَكَادُ صَاحِبُهُ يَشْبَعُ مِنْهُ وَيَمَلُّهُ، إِلاَّ الْحَيَاةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَجِدُ لَهُ فِي الْمَوْتِ رَاحَةً. وَإِنَمَا ذلِكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْحِكْمَةِ الَّتي هِيَ حَيَاةٌ لِلْقَلْبِ الْمَيِّتِ، وَبَصَرٌ لِلْعَيْنِ الْعَمْيَاءِ، وَسَمْعٌ لَلاُْذُنِ الصَّمَّاءِ، وَرِيٌّ لِلظَّمْآنِ، وَفِيهَا الْغِنَىكُلُّهُ وَالسَّلاَمَةُ.كِتَابُ اللهِ تُبْصِرُونَ بِهِ، وَتَنْطِقُونَ بِهِ، وَتَسْمَعُونَ بِهِ، وَيَنْطِقُ بَعْضُهُ بِبَعْضٍ، وَيَشْهَدُ بَعْضُهُ عَلى بَعْضٍ، وَلاَ يَخْتَلِفُ فِي اللهِ، وَلاَ يُخَالِفُ بِصَاحِبِهِ عَنِ اللهِ. قَدِ اصْطَلَحْتُمْ عَلَى الْغِلِّ (3) فِيَما بَيْنَكُمْ، وَنَبَتَ الْمرْعَى عَلَى دِمَنِكُمْ (4) ، وَتَصَافَيْتُمْ عَلى حُبِّ الْآمَالَ، وَتَعَادَيْتُمْ فِي كَسْبِ الْأَمْوَالِ. لَقَد ِاسْتَهَامَ (5) بِكُمُ الْخَبِيثُ، وَتَاهَ بِكُمُ الْغُرُورُ، وَاللهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ.

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