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SERMON 190

Importance of fear of Allah desolateless of the grave and about the death of the lover of Ahlu'l-bayt being like that of a martyr

I praise Him out of gratefulness for His reward and I seek His assistance in fulfilling His rights. He has a strong army. His dignity is grand.

The Prophet's Character

I stand witness that Muhammad - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny - is His slave and His Prophet. He called (people) to His obedience and overpowered His enemies by fighting for the sake of His religion. People's joining together to falsify him and their attempt to extinguish His light did not prevent him from it.

You should therefore exercise fear of Allah because it has a rope whose twist is strong and its pinnacle is lofty and invulnerable. Hasten toward death in its pangs (by doing good acts) and be prepared for it before its approach because the ultimate end is the Day of Judgement. This is enough preaching for one who understands and enough of a lesson for one who does not know. What idea do you have before reaching that end of the narrowness of grave the hardship of loneliness fear of the passage towards the next world the pangs of fear the shifting of ribs here and there (due to narrowing of the grave) the deafness of ears the darkness of the grave fear of the promised punishment the closing of the receptacle of the grave and the laying of stones?

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Therefore (fear) Allah (fear) Allah O' creatures of Allah because the world is behaving with you in the usual way and you and the Day of Judgement are in the same rope (close to each other). As though it has come with its signs has approached with its pleas and has made you stand in its way; and as though it has come forward with all its quakings and has settled down with its chest on the ground while the world has parted from its people and has turned them out of its lap. It was like a day that has passed or a month that has gone by. Its new things have become old and the fat ones have become thin.

They are in a narrow place in very complicated affairs and in a fire whose pain is sharp cries are loud flames are rising sound is trembling burning is severe abatement is remote; its fuel is burning its threats are fearful its hollows are hidden its sides are dark its vessels are aflame and everything about it is abominable.

And shall be conveyed those who feared (the wrath of) their Lord in companies unto the garden. . . (Qur'an. 39:73)

They are safe from chastisement away from punishment and kept aloof from fire. Their abode will be peaceful and they will be pleased with their longing and their place of stay. These are the people whose acts in this world were chaste their eyes were tearful their nights in this world were like days because of fearing and seeking forgiveness and their days were like nights because of feeling of loneliness and separation. Therefore Allah made Paradise the place of their (eventual) return and a reward in recompense.... They were most eligible and suitable for it;... (Qur'an 48:26) in the eternal domain and everlasting favours.

Therefore O' creatures of Allah pay regard to all that by being regardful of which one will succeed and by ignoring which one will incur loss and hasten towards your death by means of your (good) acts because you are bound by what you have done in the past and you have to your credit only what

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(good acts) you have sent forward. (Behave in such a way) as though the feared event (death) has come upon you so that you cannot return (to do good acts) nor can you be cleared of evil acts. Allah may prompt us and you for His obedience and obedience of His Prophet and forgive us and you by His great mercy.

Stick to the earth keep patient in trials do not move your hands and swords after the liking of your tongues and do not make haste in matters in which Allah has not asked for haste because any one of you who dies in his bed while he had knowledge of the rights of Allah and the rights of His Prophet and members of the Prophet's house will die as martyr. His reward is incumbent on Allah. He is also eligible to the recompense of what good acts he has intended to do since his intention takes the place of drawing his sword. Certainly for every thing there is a time and a limit.

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SERMON 191

Praise of Allah

Praise be to Allah Whose praise is wide-spread Whose army is over-powering and Whose dignity is grand. I praise Him for His successive favours and His great gifts. His forbearance is high so that He forgives and is just in whatever He decides. He knows what is going on and what has already passed. He crafted all creation by His knowledge and produced it by His intelligence without limitation without learning without following the example of any intelligent producer without committing any mistake and without the availability of any group (for help); I stand witness

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that Muhammad - the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - is His slave and His messenger whom He deputed (at a time) when people were collecting in the abyss and moving in bewilderment. The reins of destruction were dragging them and the locks of malice lay fixed on their hearts.

Advice about fear of Allah and an account of this world and its people

I advise you O' creature of Allah that you should have fear of Allah because it is a right of Allah over you and it creates your right over Allah and that you should seek Allah's help in it and its help in (meeting) Allah. Certainly for today fear of Allah is a protection and a shield and for tomorrow (the Day of Judgement) it is the road to Paradise. Its way is clear and he who treads it is the gainer. Whoever holds it guards it. It has presented itself to the people who have already passed and to those coming from behind because they will need it tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement) when Allah will revive His creation again take back what He has given and take account of what He has bestowed. How few will be those who accept it and practise it as it ought to be practised. They will be very few in number and they are the people who correspond to the description given by Allah the Glorified when He says:

... And very few of My creatures are grateful! (Qur'an. 34:13)

Therefore hasten with your ears towards it and intensify your efforts for it. Make it a substitute for all your past (short-comings) to take their place as a successor and make it your supporter against every opponent. Turn your sleep into wakefulness by its help and pass your days with it. Make it the equipment of your hearts wash your sins with it treat your ailments with it and hasten towards your death with it. Take a lesson from

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him who neglects it so that others who follow it should not take a lesson from you (i.e. from your neglecting it). Beware therefore; you should take care of it and should take care of yourselves through it.

Keep away from this world and proceed towards the next world infatuatedly. Do not regard humble he whom fear Allah has given a high position and do not accord a high position to him whom this world has given a high position. Do not keep your eyes on the shining clouds of the world do not listen to him who speaks of it do not respond to him who calls towards it do not seek light from its glare and do not die in its precious things because its brightness is deceitful its words are false its wealth is liable to be looted and its precious thing are to be taken away.

Beware this world attracts and then turns away. It is stubborn refusing to go ahead. It speaks lies and misappropriates. It disowns and is ungrateful. It is malicious and abandons (its lovers). It attracts but causes trouble. Its condition is changing its step shaking its honour disgrace its seriousness jest and its height lowliness. It is a place of plunder and pillage and ruin and destruction. Its people are ready with their feet to drive to overtake and to depart. Its routes are bewildering its exits are baffling and its schemes end in disappointment. Consequently strongholds betray them houses throw them out and cunning fails them.

Some of them are like hocked camel some like butchered meat some like severed limbs some like spilt blood some are biting their hands (in pain) some are rubbing their palms (in remorse) some are holding their cheeks on their hands (in anxiety) some are cursing their own views and some are retreating from their determination. But the time for action has gone away and the hour of calamity has approached while (there was no longer) the time to escape (Qur'an 38:3). Alas! Alas! what has been lost is lost! what has gone is gone! The world has passed in its usual manner.

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So wept not on them the heavens and the earth nor were they respited. (Qur'an 44:29)

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SERMON 192

Known as "al-Khutbah al-Qasi'ah" (Sermon of Disparagement)

(It comprises disparagement of Satan [Iblis] for his vanity and his refusing to prostrate before Adam [pbuh] and his being the first to display bigotry and to act through vanity; it comprises a warning to people treading in Satan's path)

Praise be to Allah who wears the apparel of Honour and Dignity and has chosen them for Himself instead of for His creation. He has made them inaccessible and unlawful for others. He has selected them for His own great self and has hurled a curse on him who contests with Him concerning them.

Allah's trial and the vanity of Iblis

Then He put His angels on trial concerning these attributes in order to distinguish those who are modest from those who are vain. Therefore Allah who is aware of whatever is hidden in the hearts and whatever lies behind the unseen said:

. . . "Verily I am about to create man from clay " And when I have completed and have breathed into him of My spirit then fall ye prostrating in obeisance unto him. And did fall prostrating in obeisance the angels all together Save lblis;... (Qur'an. 38:71-74)

His vanity stood in his way. Consequently he felt proud over Adam by virtue of his creation and boasted over him on account of his origin. Thus this enemy of Allah is the leader of

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those who boast and the fore-runner of the vain. It is he who laid the foundation of factionalism quarreled with Allah about the robe of greatness put on the dress of haughtiness and took off the covering of humility. Do you not see how Allah made him low on account of his vanity and humiliated him for his feigning to be high? He discarded him in this world and provided for him burning fire in the next world.

If Allah had wanted to create Adam from a light whose glare would have dazzled the eyes whose handsomeness would have amazed the wits and whose smell would have caught the breath He could have done so; and if He had done so people would have bowed to him in humility and the trial of the angels through him would have become easier. But Allah the Glorified tries His creatures by means of those things whose real nature they do not know in order to distinguish (good and bad) for them through the trial and to remove vanity from them and keep them and keep them aloof from pride and self-admiration.

You should take a lesson from what Allah did with Satan; namely He nullified his great acts and extensive efforts on account of the vanity of one moment although Satan had worshipped Allah for six thousand years - whether by the reckoning of this world or of the next world is not known. Who now can remain safe from Allah after Satan by committing a similar disobedience? None at all. Allah the Glorified cannot let a human being enter Paradise if he does the same thing for which Allah turned out from it an angel. His command for the inhabitants in the sky and

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of the earth is the same. There is no friendship between Allah and any individual out of His creation so as to give him license for an undesirable thing which He has held unlawful for all the worlds.

Warning against Satan

Therefore you should fear lest Satan infects you with his disease or leads you astray through his call or marches on you with his horsemen and footmen because by my life he has put the arrow in the bow for you has stretched the bow strongly and has aimed at you from a nearby position and:

He (Satan) said: "My Lord! because Thou hast left me to stray certainly will I adorn unto them the path of error and certainly will I cause them all to go astray." (Qur'an 15:39)

Although he (Satan) had said so only by guessing about the unknown future and by wrong conjecturing yet the sons of vanity the brothers of haughtiness and the horsemen of pride and intolerance proved him to be true so much so that when disobedient persons from among you bowed before him and his greed about you gained strength; and what was a hidden secret turned into a clear fact he spread his full control over you and marched with his forces towards you.

Then they pushed you into the hollows of disgrace threw you into the whirlpools of slaughter and trampled you wounding you by striking your eyes with spears cutting your throats tearing your nostrils breaking your limbs and taking you in ropes of control towards the fire already prepared. In this way he became more harmful to your religion and a greater kindler of flames (of mischief) about your worldly matters than the enemies against whom you showed open opposition and against whom you marched your forces.

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You should therefore spend all your force against him and all your efforts against him because by Allah he boasted over your (i.e. Adam's) origin questioned your position and spoke lightly of your lineage. He advanced on you with his army and brought his footmen towards your path. They are chasing you from every place and they are hitting you at every finger joint. You are not able to defend by any means nor can you repulse them by any determination. You are in the thick of disgrace the ring of straitness the field of death and the way of distress.

You should therefore put out the fires of haughtiness and the flames of intolerance that are hidden in your hearts. This vanity can exist in a Muslim only by the machinations of Satan his haughtiness mischief and whisperings. Make up your mind to have humility over your heads to trample self-pride under your feet and to cast off vanity from your necks. Adopt humility as the weapon between you and your enemy Satan and his forces. He certainly has from every people fighters helpers footmen and horsemen. Do not be like him who feigned superiority over the son of his own mother without any distinction given to him by Allah except the feeling of envy which his feeling of greatness created in him and the fire of anger that vanity kindled in his heart. Satan blew into his nose his own vanity after which Allah gave him remorse and made him responsible for the sins of all killers up to the Day of Judgement.

Caution against vanity and boasting about ignorance

Beware! you strove hard in revolting and created mischief on the earth in open opposition to Allah and in challenging the believers over fighting. (You should fear) Allah! Allah! in feeling

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proud of your vanity and boasting over ignorance because this is the root of enmity and the design of Satan wherewith he has been deceiving past people and bygone ages with the result that they fell into the gloom of his ignorance and the hollows of his misguidance submitting to his driving and accepting his leadership. In this matter the hearts of all the people were similar and centuries passed by one after the other in just the same way and there was vanity with which chests were tightened.

Caution against obeying haughty leaders and elders

Beware! beware of obeying your leaders and elders who felt proud of their achievements and boasted about their lineage. They hurled the (liability for) things on Allah and quarrelled with Allah in what He did with them contesting His decree and disputing His favours. Certainly they are the main foundation of obstinacy the chief pillars of mischief and the swords of pre-Islamic boasting over forefathers. Therefore fear Allah do not become antagonistic to His favours on you nor jealous of His bounty over you ⁽¹⁾ and do not obey the claimants (of Islam) whose dirty water you drink along with your clean one whose ailments you mix with your healthiness and whose wrongs you allow to enter into your rightful matters.

They are the foundation of vice and the linings of disobedience. Satan has made them carriers of misguidance and the soldiers with whom he attacks men. They are interpreters through whom he speaks in order to steal away your wits enter into your eyes and blow into your ears. In this way he makes you the victim of his arrows the treading ground of his footsteps and source

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of strength for his hands. Take instruction from how he brought Allah's wrath violence chastisement and punishment on those who were vain among the past people. Take admonition from their lying on their cheeks and falling on their sides and seek Allah's protection from the dangers of vanity as you seek His protection from calamities.

The humbleness of the Holy Prophet

Certainly. if Allah were to allow anyone to indulge in pride He would have allowed it to his selected prophets and vicegerents. But Allah the Sublime disliked vanity for them and liked humbleness for them. Therefore they laid their cheeks on the ground smeared their faces with dust bent themselves down for the believers and remained humble people. Allah tried them with hunger afflicted them with difficulty tested them with fear and upset them with troubles. Therefore do not regard wealth and progeny the criterion for Allah's pleasure and displeasure as you are not aware of the chances of mischief and trials during richness and power as Allah the Glorified the Sublime has said:

What! Think they that what We aid them with of wealth and children We are hastening unto them the good things? Nay! they (only) perceive not. (Qur'an 23:55-56)

Certainly Allah the Glorified tries His creatures who are vain about themselves through His beloved persons who are humble in their eyes.

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When Musa son of 'Imran went to Pharaoh along with his brother Harun (Aaron) wearing (coarse) shirts of wool and holding sticks in their hands they guaranteed him retention of his country and continuity of his honour if he submitted; but he said: "Do you not wonder at these two men guaranteeing me the continuity of my honour and the retention of my country although you see their poverty and lowliness. Otherwise why do they not have gold bangles on their wrists?" He said so feeling proud of his gold and collected possessions and considering wool and its cloth as nothing.

When Allah the Glorified deputed His prophets if He had wished to open for them treasures and mines of gold and (surround them with) planted gardens and to collect around them birds of the skies and beasts of the earth He could have done so. If He had done so then there would have been no trial nor recompense and no tidings (about the affairs of the next world). Those who accepted (His message) could not be given the recompense falling due after trial and the believers could not deserve the reward for good acts and all these words ⁽²⁾ would not have retained their meanings. But Allah the Glorified makes His Prophets firm in their determination and gives them weakness of appearance as seen from the eyes along with contentment that fills the hearts and eyes resulting from care-freeness and with want that pains the eyes and ears.

If the prophets possessed authority that could not be assaulted or honour that could not be damaged or domain towards which the necks of people would turn and the saddles of mounts could be set it would have been very easy for people to seek les-

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sons and quite difficult to feel vanity. They would have then accepted belief out of fear felt by them or inclination attracting them and the intention of them all would have been the same although their actions would have been different. Therefore Allah the Glorified decided that people should follow His prophets acknowledge His books remain humble before His face obey His command and accept His obedience with sincerity in which there should not be an iota of anything else; and as the trial and tribulation would be stiffer the reward and recompense too should be larger.

The Holy Ka'bah

Do you not see that Allah the Glorified has tried all the people among those who came before beginning with Adam upto the last ones in this world with stones which yield neither benefit nor harm which neither see nor hear. He made those stones into His sacred house which He made a standby for the people. He placed it in the most rugged stony part of the earth and on a highland with least soil thereon among the most narrow valleys between rough mountains. soft sandy plains springs of scanty water and scattered habitants where neither camels nor horses nor cows and sheep can prosper.

Then He commanded Adam and his sons to turn their attention towards it. In this way it became the centre of their journey in seeking pastures and the rendezvous for meeting of their carrier-beasts so that human spirits hasten towards it from distant waterless deserts deep and low lying valleys and scattered islands

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in the seas. They shake their shoulders in humbleness recite the slogan of having reached His audience march with swift feet and have dishevelled hair and dusted faces. They throw their pieces of cloth on their backs they have marred the beauty of their faces by leaving the hair uncut as a matter of great test severe tribulation open trial and extreme refining. Allah has made it a means to His mercy and an approach to His Paradise.

If Allah the Glorified had placed His sacred House and His great signs among plantations streams soft and level plains plenty of trees an abundance of fruits a thick population close habitats golden wheat lush gardens green land watered plains thriving orchards and crowded streets the amount of recompense would have decreased because of the lightness of the trial. If the foundation on which the House is borne and the stones with which it has been raised had been of green emerald and red rubies and there had been brightness and effulgence then this would have lessened the action of doubts in the breasts would have dismissed the effect of Satan's activity from the hearts and would have stopped the surging of misgivings in people. But Allah tries His creatures by means of different troubles wants them to render worship through hardships and involves them in distresses all in order to extract out vanity from their hearts to settle down humbleness in their spirits and to make all this an open door for His favours and an easy means for His forgiveness (for their sins).

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Caution against rebellion and oppressiveness

(Fear) Allah! Allah! from the immediate consequence of rebellion (to accrue in this world) and the eventual consequence of weighty oppressiveness (to accrue in the next world) and from the evil result of vanity because it is the great trap of Satan and his big deceit which enters the hearts of the people like a fatal poison. It never goes waste nor misses anyone - neither the learned because of his knowledge nor the destitute ⁽³⁾ in his rags.

The Benefits Of Religious Duties

This is the thing against which Allah has protected His creatures who are believers by means of prayers and alms-giving and suffering the hardship of fasting in the days in which it has been made obligatory in order to give their limbs peacefulness to cast fear in their eyes to make their spirits humble to give their hearts humility and to remove haughtiness from them. All this is achieved through the covering of their delicate cheeks with dust in humility prostrating their main limbs on the ground in humbleness and retracting of their bellies so as to reach to their backs due to fasting by way of lowliness (before Allah) besides giving all sorts of products of the earth to the needy and the destitute by way of alms.

Look what there is in these acts by way of curbing the appearance of pride and suppressing the traces of vanity. I cast my glance and noticed that no one in the world except you feels vanity for anything without a cause which may appeal to the ignorant or a reason which may cling to the minds of the foolish because you feel vanity for something for which no reason is discernible nor any ground.

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As for Satan he felt proud over Adam because of his origin and taunted at him about his creation since he said "I am of fire while you are of clay." In the same way the rich among the prosperous communities have been feeling vanity because of their riches as (Allah) said:

And said they: "We are more (than you) in wealth and in children and we shall not be chastised." (Qur'an 34:35)

Enthusiasm for attractive manners respectable position and taking lessons from the past

In case you cannot avoid vanity your vanity should be for good qualities praiseworthy acts and admirable matters with which the dignified and noble chiefs of the Arab families distinguished themselves as attractive manners high thinking respectable position and good performances. You too should show vanity in praiseworthy habits like the protection of the neighbour the fulfilment of agreements obedience to the virtuous opposition to the haughty extending generosity to others abstention from rebellion keeping aloof from blood-shed doing justice to people suppressing anger and avoiding trouble on the earth. You should also fear what calamities befell peoples before you on account of their evil deeds and detestable actions. Remember during good or bad circumstances what happened to them and be cautious that you do not become like them.

After you have thought over both the conditions of these people attach yourself to everything with which their position became honourable on account of which enemies remained away from them through which safety spread over them by

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reason of which riches bowed before them and as a result of which distinction connected itself with their rope. These things were abstention from division sticking to unity calling each other to it and advising each other about it. You avoid everything which broke their backbone and weakened their power such as malice in the heart hatred in the chest turning away (from each other's help) and withholding the hand from one another's assistance.

Think about the condition of people from among the believers who passed before you. What distresses and trials they were in! Were they not the most over-burdened among all the people and in the most straitened circumstances in the whole world? The Pharaohs took them as slaves. They inflicted on them the worst punishments and bitter sufferings. They continuously remained in this state of ruinous disgrace and severe subjugation. They found no method for escape and no way for protection. Till when Allah the Glorified noticed that they were enduring troubles in His love and bearing distresses out of fear for Him He provided escape from the distress of trials. So He changed their disgrace into honour and fear into safety. Consequently they became ruling kings and conspicuous leaders. and Allah's favours over them reached limits to which their own wishes had not reached.

Look how they were when their groups were united their views were unanimous their hearts were moderate their hands used to help one another their swords were intended for assisting one another their eyes were sharp and their aims were the same. Did they not become masters of the corners of the earth and rulers over the neck of all the worlds? Thereafter also see what

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happened to them towards the end when division overtook them unity became fractured and differences arose between their words and their hearts. They divided into various groups and were scattered fighting among themselves. Then Allah took away from them the apparel of His honour and deprived them of the prosperity produced by His favours. Only their stories have remained among you for the guidance of those who may learn the lesson from them.

You should take a lesson from the fate of the progeny of Ismael the children of Isaac and the children of Israel. How similar are their affairs and how akin are their examples. In connection with the details of their division and disunity think of the days when Kisras of Persia and the Caesars of Rome had become their masters ⁽⁴⁾. They turned them out from the pastures of their lands the rivers of Iraq and the fertility of the world towards thorny forests the passages of (hot) winds and hardships in livelihood. In this way they turned them into just herders of camels. Their houses were the worst in the world and their places of stay were the most drought-stricken. There was not one voice towards which they could turn for protection nor any shade of affection on whose strength they could repose trust.

Their condition was full of distress. Their hands were scattered. Their majority was divided. They were in great anguish and under layers of ignorance. They buried their daughters alive worshipped idols disregarded kinship and practised robbery.

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Now look at the various favours of Allah upon them that He deputed towards them a prophet who got them to pledge their obedience to him and made them unite at his call. (Look) how (Allah's) bounty spread the wings of its favours over them and flowed for them streams of its blessing and the whole community became wrapped in blissful prosperity. Consequently they were submerged under its bounty and enjoyed its lush life. Their affairs were settled under the protection of a powerful ruler and circumstances offered them overpowering honour and all things became easy for them under the auspices of a strong country. They became rulers over the world and kings in the (various) parts of the earth. They became masters of those who were formerly their masters and began issuing commands over those who used to command them. They were so strong that neither did their spears need testing nor did their weapons have any flaw.

Condemning his people

Beware! You have shaken your hands loose from the rope of obedience and broken the divine fort around you by (resorting to) pre-Islamic rules. Certainly it is a great blessing of Allah the Glorified that He has engendered among them unity through the cord of affection in whose shade they walk and take shelter. This is a blessing whose value no one in the whole world realises because it is more valuable than any price and higher than any wealth.

You should know that you have again reverted to the position of the Bedouin Arabs after immigration (to Islam) and have become different parties after having been once united. You do not

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possess anything of Islam except its name and know nothing of belief save its show. You say "The Fire yes. but no shameful position " as if you would throw down Islam on its face in order to defame its honour and break its pledge (for brotherhood) which Allah gave you as a sacred trust on His earth and (a source of) peace among the people. Be sure that if you incline towards anything other than Islam. the unbelievers will fight you. Then there will be neither Gabriel nor Michael neithermuhajirun nor ansar to help you but only the clashing of swords till Allah settles the matter for you.

Certainly there are examples before you of Allah's wrath punishment days of tribulations and happenings. Therefore do not disregard His promises ignoring His punishment making light His wrath and not expecting His violence because Allah the Glorified did not curse the past ages except because they had left off asking others to do good acts and refraining them from bad acts. In fact Allah cursed the foolish for committing sins and the wise because they gave up refraining others from evils. Beware! You have broken the shackles of Islam have transgressed its limits and have destroyed its commands.

Amir al-mu'minin's high position and wonderful deeds in Islam

Beware! surely Allah has commanded me to fight those who revolt or who break the pledge or create trouble on the earth. As regards pledge-breakers I have fought them as regards deviators from truth I have waged holy war against them and as regards those who have gone out of the faith I have put them in (serious) disgrace ( 5 ). As for Satan of the pit (6) he too has been dealt with by me through the loud cry with which the scream of his heart and shaking of his chest was also heard. Only a small portion of the

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rebels has remained. If Allah allows me one more chance over them I will annihilate them except a few remnants that may remain scattered in the suburb of the cities.

His Courage and Merits "May Peace be Upon him"

Even in my boyhood I had lowered the chest of (the famous men) of Arabia and broken the horn points (i.e. defeated the chiefs) of the tribes of Rabi'ah and Mudar. Certainly you know my position of close kinship and special relationship with the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants. When I was only a child he took charge of me. He used to press me to his chest and lay me beside him in his bed bring his body close to mine and make me smell his smell. He used to chew something and then feed me with it. He found no lie in my speaking nor weakness in any act.

From the time of his weaning Allah had put a mighty angel with him to take him along the path of high character and good behaviour through day and night while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother. Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits and commanded me to follow it. Every year he used to go in seclusion to the hill of Hira' where I saw him but no one else saw him. In those days Islam did not exist in any house except that of the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - and Khadijah while I was the third after these two. I used to see and watch the effulgence of divine revelation and message and breathed the scent of Prophethood.

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When the revelation descended on the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - I heard the moan of Satan. I said "O' Prophet of Allah what is this moan?" and he replied "This is Satan who has lost all hope of being worshipped. O' 'Ali you see all that I see and you hear all that I hear except that you are not a Prophet but you are a vicegerent and you are surely on (the path of) virtue."

I was with him when a party of the Quraysh came to him and said to him "O' Muhammad you have made a big claim which none of your fore-fathers or those of your family have made. We ask you one thing; if you give us an answer to it and show it to us we will believe that you are a prophet and a messenger but if you cannot do it we will know that you are a sorcerer and a liar."

The Messenger of Allah said: "What do you ask for?" They said: "Ask this tree to move for us even with its roots and stop before you." The Prophet said "Verily Allah has power over everything. If Allah does it for you will you then believe and stand witness to the truth?" They said "Yes". Then he said "I shall show you whatever you want but I know that you won't bend towards virtue and there are among you those who will be thrown into the pit and those who will form parties (against me)." Then the Holy Prophet said: "O' tree if you do believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement and know that I am the Prophet of Allah come up with your roots and stand before me with the permission of Allah." By Him who deputed the Prophet with truth the tree did remove itself with its root and came with a great humming sound and a flapping like the flapping of the wings of birds till it stopped before the Messenger of Allah

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while some of its twigs came down onto my shoulders and I was on the right side of the Holy Prophet.

When the people saw this they said by way of pride and vanity. "Now you order half of it to come to you and the other half of it remain (in its place)." The Holy Prophet ordered the tree to do the same. Then half of the tree advanced towards him in an amazing manner and with greater humming. It was about to touch the Prophet of Allah. Then they said disbelieving and revolting "Ask this half to get back to its other half and be as it was." The Prophet ordered it and it returned. Then I said "O' Prophet of Allah I am the first to believe in you and to acknowledge that the tree did what it did just now with the command of Allah the Sublime in testimony to your Prophethood and to heighten your word. Upon this all the people shouted "Rather a sorcerer a liar; it is wonderful sorcery he is very adept in it. Only a man like this (pointing to me) can stand testimony to you in your affairs."

Certainly I belong to the group of people who care not for the reproach of anybody in matters concerning Allah. Their countenance is the countenance of the truthful and their speech is the speech of the virtuous. They are wakeful during the nights (in devotion to Allah) and over beacons (of guidance) in the day. They hold fast to the rope of the Qur'an. revive the traditions of Allah and of His Prophet. They do not boast nor indulge in self conceit nor misappropriate nor create mischief. Their hearts are in Paradise while their bodies are busy in (good) acts.