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SERMON 184

One of the Kharijites al-Burj ibn Mus'hir at-Ta'i raised the slogan "Command behoves only Allah" in such a way that Amir al-mu'minin heard it. On hearing it he said:

Keep quite may Allah make you ugly O' you with broken tooth. Certainly by Allah when truth became manifest even then your personality was weak and your voice was lose. But when wrong began to shout loudly you again sprouted up like the horns of a kid.

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SERMON 185

Praise of Allah and His wonderful creatures

Praise be to Allah. He is such that senses cannot perceive Him place cannot contain Him eyes cannot see Him and veils cannot cover Him. He proves His eternity by the coming into existence of His creation and (also) by originating His creation (He proves) His existence and by their (mutual) similarity He proves that there is nothing similar to Him. He is true in His promise. He is too high to be unjust to His creatures. He stands by equity among His creation and practices justice over them in His commands. He provides evidence through the creation of things of His being from ever through their marks of incapability of His power and through their powerlessness against death of His eternity.

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He is One but not by counting. He is everlasting without any limit. He is existent without any support. Minds admit of Him without (any activity of the) senses. Things which can be seen stand witness to Him without confronting Him. Imagination cannot encompass Him. He manifests Himself to the imagination with his help for the imagination and refuses to be imagined by the imagination. He has made imagination the arbiter (in this matter). He is not big in the sense that volume is vast and so His body is also big. Nor is He great in the sense that His limits should extend to the utmost and so His frame be extensive. But He is big in position and great in authority.

About the Holy Prophet

I stand witness that Muhammad is His slave His chosen Prophet and His responsible trustee -- may Allah bless him and his descendants. Allah sent him with undeniable proofs a clear success and open paths. So he conveyed the message declaring the truth with it. He led the people on the (correct) highway established signs of guidance and minarets of light and made Islam's ropes strong and its knots firm.

A part of the same sermon

About the creation of animal species

Had they pondered over the greatness of His power and the vastness of His bounty they would have returned to the right path and feared the punishment of the Fire; but hearts are sick and eyes are impure. Do they not see the small things He has created how He strengthened their system and opened for them hearing and sight and made for them bones and skins? Look at the ant with

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its small body and delicate form. It can hardly be seen in the corner of the eye nor by the perception of the imagination - how it moves on the earth and leaps at its livelihood. It carries the grain to its hole and deposits it in its place of stay. It collects during the summer for its winter and during strength for the period of its weakness. Its livelihood is guaranteed and it is fed according to fitness. Allah the Kind does not forget it and (Allah the Giver) does not deprive it even though it may be in dry stone or fixed rocks.

If you have thought about its digestive tracts in its high and low parts the carapace of its belly and its eyes and its ears in its head you would be amazed at its creation and you would feel difficulty in describing it. Exalted is He who made it stand on its legs and erected it on its pillars (of limbs). No other originator took part with Him in its origination and no one having power assisted Him in its creation. If you tread on the paths of your imagination and reach its extremity it will not lead you anywhere except that the Originator of the ant is the same as He who is the Originator of the date-palm because everything has (the same) delicacy and detail and every living being has little difference.

The Creation of the Universe

In His creation the big the delicate the heavy the light the strong the weak are all equal.⁽¹⁾ So is the sky the air the winds and the water. Therefore you look at the sun moon vegetation,

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plants water stone the difference of this night and day the springing of the streams the large number of the mountains the height of their peaks the diversity of languages and the variety of tongues. Then woe be to him who disbelieves in the Ordainer and denies the Ruler. They believe that they are like grass for which there is no cultivator nor any maker for their diverse shapes. They have not relied on any argument for what they assert nor on any research for what they have heard. Can there be any construction without a Constructor or any offence without an offender.

The wonderful creation of the locust

If you wish you can tell about the locust (as well). Allah gave it two red eves lighted for them two moon -- like pupils made for it small ears opened for it a suitable mouth and gave it keen sense gave it two teeth to cut with and two sickle-like feet to grip with. The farmers are afraid of it in the matter of crops since they cannot drive it away even though they may join together. The locust attacks the fields and satisfies its desires (of hunger) from them although its body is not equal to a thin finger.

About the Glory of Allah

Glorified is Allah before Whom every one in the skies or the earth bows in prostration willingly or unwillingly submits to Him by placing his cheeks and face (in the dust) drops before Him (in obedience) peacefully and humbly and hands over to Him full control in fear and apprehension.

The birds are bound by His commands. He knows the number of their feathers and their breaths. He has made their feet to stand on water and on land. He has ordained their livelihoods. He

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knows their species: this is the crow this is the eagle this is the pigeon and this is the ostrich. He called out every bird with its name (while creating it) and provided it with its livelihood. He created heavy clouds and produced from them heavy rain and spread it on various lands. He drenched the earth after its dryness and grew vegetation from it after its barrenness.

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SERMON 186

About the Oneness of Allah. This sermon contains principles of knowledge which no other sermon contains

He who assigns to Him (different) conditions does not believe in His oneness nor does he who likens Him grasp His reality. He who illustrates Him does not signify Him. He who points at Him and imagines Him does not mean Him. Everything that is known through itself has been created and everything that exists by virtue of other things is the effect (of a cause). He works but not with the help of instruments. He fixes measures but not with the activity of thinking. He is rich but not by acquisition.

Times do not keep company with Him and implements do not help Him. His Being precedes times. His Existence precedes non-existence and His eternity precedes beginning. By His creating the senses it is known that He has no senses. By the contraries in various matters it is known that He has no contrary and by the similarity between things it is known that there is nothing similar to Him. He has made light the contrary of darkness brightness that of gloom dryness that of moisture and heat that of cold. He produces affection among inimical things.

He fuses together diverse things brings near remote things and separates things which are joined together. He is not con-

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fined by limits nor counted by numbers. Material parts can surround things of their own kind and organs can point out things similar to themselves. The word ⁽¹⁾ "mundhu" (i.e. since) disproves their eternity the word "qad" (that denotes nearness of time of occurrence) disproves their being from ever and the word "lawla" (if it were not) keep them remote from perfection.

Through them the Creator manifests Himself to the intelligence and through them He is guarded from the sight of the eyes. Stillness and motion do not occur in Him and how can that thing occur in Him which He has Himself made to occur and how can a thing revert to Him which He first created and how can a thing appear in Him which He first brought to appearance. If it had not been so His Self would have become subject to diversity His Being would have become divisible (into parts) and His reality would have been prevented from being deemed Eternal. If there was a front to Him there would have been a rear also for Him . He would need completing only if shortage befell Him. In that case signs of the created would appear in Him and He would become a sign (leading to other objects) instead of signs leading to Him. Through the might of His abstention (from affectedness) He is far above being affected by things which effect others.

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He is that which does not change or vanish. The process of setting does not behove Him. He has not begotten any one lest He be regarded as having been born. He has not been begotten otherwise He would be contained within limits. He is too High to have sons. He is too purified to contact women. Imagination cannot reach Him so as to assign Him quantity. Understanding cannot think of Him so as to give him shape. Senses do not perceive Him so as to feel Him. Hands cannot touch Him so as to rub against Him. He does not change into any condition. He does not pass from one state to another. Nights and days do not turn Him old. Light and darkness do not alter Him.

It cannot be said that He has a limit or extremity or end or termination; nor do things control Him so as to raise Him or lower Him nor does anything carry Him so as to bend Him or keep Him erect. He is not inside things nor outside them. He conveys news but not with the tongue or voice. He listens but not with the holes of the ears or the organs of hearing. He says but does not utter words. He remembers but does not memorise. He determines but not by exercising His mind. He loves and approves without any sentimentality (of heart). He hates and feels angry without any painstaking. When He intends to create someone He says "Be" and there he is but not through a voice that strikes (the ears) is that call heard. His speech is an act of His creation. His like never existed before this. If had been eternal it would have been the second god.

It cannot be said that He came into being after He had not been in existence because in that case the attributes of the created things would be assigned to Him and there would remain no difference between them and Him and He would have no distinction over them. Thus the Creator and the created would become equal and the initiator and the initiated would be on the same level. He created (the whole of) creation without any

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example made by someone else and He did not secure the assistance of any one out of His creation for creating it.

He created the earth and suspended it without being busy retained it without support made it stand without legs raised it without pillars protected it against bendings and curvings and defended it against crumbling and splitting (into parts). He fixed mountains on it like stumps solidified its rocks caused its streams to flow and opened wide its valleys. Whatever He made did not suffer from any flow and whatever He strengthened did not show any weakness.

He manifests Himself over the earth with His authority and greatness. He is aware of its inside through his knowledge and understanding. He has power over every thing in the earth by virtue of His sublimity and dignity. Nothing from the earth that he may ask for defies Him nor does it oppose Him so as to overpower Him. No swift-footed creature can run away from Him so as to surpass Him. He is not needy towards any possessing person so that he should feed Him. All things bow to Him and are humble before His greatness. They cannot flee away from His authority to someone else in order to escape His benefit or His harm. There is no parallel for Him who may match Him and no one like Him so as to equal Him.

He will destroy the earth after its existence till all that exists on it will become non-existent. But the extinction of the world after its creation is no stranger than its first formation and invention. How could it be? Even if all the animals of the earth whether birds or beasts stabled cattle or pasturing ones of different origins and species dull people and sagacious men -- all jointly try to create (even) a mosquito they are not able to bring it into being and do not understand what is the way to its creation. Their wits are bewildered and wandering. Their powers fall short and fail and return disappointed and tired knowing

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that they are defeated and admitting their inability to produce it also realising that they are too weak (even) to destroy it.

Surely after the extinction of the world Allah the Glorified will remain alone with nothing else beside Him. He will be after its extinction as He was before its production: without time or place or moment or period. At this moment period and time will not exist and years and hours will disappear. There will be nothing except Allah the One the All-powerful. To Him is the return of all matters. Its initial creation was not in its power; and the prevention of its extinction was (also) not in its power. If it had the power to prevent it it would have existed for ever. When He made anything of the world the making of it did not cause Him any difficulty and the creation of anything which He created and formed did not fatigue Him. He did not create it to heighten His authority nor for fear of loss or harm nor to seek its help against an overwhelming foe nor to guard against any avenging opponent with its help nor for the extension of His domain by its help nor for boasting (over largeness of His possession) against a partner nor because He felt lonely and desired to seek its company.

Then after its creation He will destroy it but not because any worry has overcome Him in its upkeep and administration nor for any pleasure that will accrue to Him nor for the cumbrousness of anything over Him. The length of its life does not weary Him so as to induce Him to its quick destruction. But Allah the Glorified has maintained it with His kindness kept it intact

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with His command and perfected it with His power. Then after its destruction He will resuscitate it but not for any need of His own towards it nor to seek the assistance of any of its things against it nor to change over from the condition of loneliness to that of company nor from the condition of ignorance and blindness to that of knowledge and search nor from paucity and need towards needlessness and plenty nor from disgrace and lowliness towards honour and prestige.

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SERMON 187

Regarding the vicissitudes of time

(The mischiefs that are to occur and the absence of lawful ways of livelihood)

May my father and my mother be sacrificed for those few whose names are well-known in the sky and not known on the earth. Beware you should expect what is to befall you such as adversity in your affairs severance of relations and the rising up of inferior people. This will happen when the blow of a sword will be easier for a believer than to secure one Dirham lawfully. This will happen ⁽¹⁾ when the reward of the beggar is more than that of the giver. This will be when you are intoxicated not by drinking but with wealth and plenty you are swearing without compulsion and are speaking lies without compulsion. This will be when troubles hurt you as the saddle hurts the hump of the camel. How long will these tribulations be and how distant the hope (for deliverance from them)?

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O' people throw away the reins of the horses who carry on their backs the weight of your hands (i.e. sins) do not cut away from your chief (Imam) otherwise you will blame yourself for your own doings. Do not jump in the fire which is in flames in front of you; keep away from its courses and leave the middle way for it. Because by my life the believer will die in its flames and others will remain safe in it.

I am among you like a lamp in the darkness. Whoever enters by it will be lit from it. So listen O' men preserve it and remain attentive with the ears of your hearts so that you may understand.

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SERMON 188

Allah's favours

I advise you O' people to fear Allah and to praise Him profusely for His favours to you and His reward for you and His obligations on you. See how He chose you for favours and dealt with you with mercy. You sinned openly; He kept you covered. You behaved in a way to incur His punishment but He gave you more time.

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Condition of persons facing death

I also advise you to remember death and to lessen your heedlessness towards it. Why should you be heedless of Him Who is not heedless of you? Why expect from him (i.e. the angel of death) who will not give you time? The dead whom you have been watching suffice as preachers. They were carried to their graves not riding themselves and were placed in them but not of their own accord. It seems as if they never lived in this world and as if the next world had always been their abode. They have made lonely the place where they were living and are now living where they used to feel lonely. They remained busy about what they had to leave and did not care for where they were to go. Now they cannot remove themselves from&127; evil nor add to their virtues They were attached to the world and it deceived them. They trusted it and it overturned them.

Transience of this world

May Allah have pity on you. You should therefore hasten towards (the preparation of) houses which you have been commanded to populate and towards which you have been called and invited. Seek the completion of Allah's favours on you by exercising endurance in His obedience and abstention from His disobedience because tomorrow is close to today. How fast are the hours of the day how fast are the days in the month how fast are the months in the years and how fast the years in a life.

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