( 240 )

SERMON 237

About collecting provision for the next world while in this world and performing good acts before death

Perform (good) acts while you are still in the vastness of life the books are open (for recording of actions) repentance is allowed the runner away (from Allah) is being called and the sinner is being given hope (of forgiveness) before the (light of) action is put off time expires life ends the door for repentance is closed and angels ascend to the sky.

Therefore a man should derive benefit from himself for himself from the living for the dead from the mortal for the lasting and from the departer for the stayer. A man should fear Allah while he is given age to live upto his death and is allowed time to act. A man should control his self by the rein and hold it with its bridle thus by the rein he should prevent it from disobedience towards Allah and by the bridle he should lead it towards obedience to Allah.

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SERMON 238

About the two arbitrators (Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and 'Amr ibn al-'As) and disparagement of the people of Syria (ash-Sham).

Rude low people and mean slaves. They have been collected from all sides and picked up from every pack. They need to be taught the tenets (of Islam) disciplined instructed trained supervised and led by the hand. They are neither muhajirun (immigrants from Mecca) nor ansar (helpers of Medina) nor those who made their dwellings in the abode (in Medina) and in belief.


( 241 )

[ 237 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام في المسارعة إلى العمل

فَاعْمَلُوا وَأَنْتُمْ فِي نَفَسِ الْبَقَاءِ (1) ، وَالصُّحُفُ مَنْشُورَةٌ (2) ، وَالتَّوْبَةُ مَبْسُوطَةٌ (3) ، وَالْمُدْبِرُ (4) يُدْعَى، وَالْمُسِيءُ يُرْجَى، قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْمُدَ العَمَلُ (5) ، وَيَنَقَطِعَ الْمَهَلُ، وَيَنْقَضِيَ الْأَجَلُ، وَيُسَدَّ بَابُ التَّوْبَةِ، وَتَصْعَدَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ (6) . فَأخَذَ امْرُؤٌ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ لِنَفْسِهِ، وَأَخَذَ مِنْ حَيّ لِمَيِّتٍ، وَمِنْ فَانٍ لِبَاقٍ، وَمِنْ ذَاهِبٍ لِدَائِمٍ. امْرُءٌ خَافَ اللهَ وَهُوَ مُعَمَّرٌ إلَى أَجَلِهِ، وَمَنْظُورٌ (7) إلَى عَمَلِهِ. امْرُءٌ أَلْجَمَ نَفْسَهُ بِلِجَامِهَا، وَزَمَّهَا بِزِمَامِهَا (8) ، فَأَمْسَكَهَا بِلِجَامِهَا عَنْ مَعَاصِي اللهِ، وَقَادَها بِزِمَامِهَا إِلَى طَاعَةِ اللهِ.

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[ 238 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام في شأن الحكمين وذمّ أهل الشام

جُفَاةٌ (1) طَغَامٌ، (2) عَبِيدٌ أَقْزَامٌ (3) ، جُمِّعُوا مِنْ كُلِّ أَوْبٍ، وَتُلُقِّطُوا مِنْ كُلِّ شَوْبٍ (4) ، مِمَّنْ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُفَقَّهَ وَيُؤَدَّبَ، وَيُعَلَّمَ وَيُدَرَّبَ، وَيُوَلَّى عَلَيْهِ، وَيُؤْخَذَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ، لَيْسُوا مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، وَلاَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ تَبَوَّؤُا الدَّارَ وَ الْإِيمَانَ.


( 242 )

Look! They have chosen for themselves one who is nearest of all of them to what they desire while you have chosen one who is nearest to what you dislike. You may certainly recall that the other day 'Abdullah ibn Qays (Abu Musa) was saying: "It is a mischief therefore cut away your bow-string and sheathe your swords." If he was right (in what he said) then he was wrong in marching (with us) without being forced but if he was lying then he should be viewed with suspicion. Therefore send 'Abdullah ibn al-'Abbas to face 'Amr ibn al-'As. Make use of these days and surround the borders of Islam. Do you not see that your cities are being attacked and your prowess is being aimed at?

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SERMON 239

Amir al-mu'minin describes herein the members of the Prophet's family

They are life for knowledge and death for ignorance. Their forbearance tells you of their knowledge and their silence of the wisdom of their speaking. They do not go against right nor do they differ (among themselves) about it. They are the pillars of Islam and the asylums of (its) protection. With them right has returned to its position and wrong has left its place and its tongue is severed from its root. They have understood the religion attentively and carefully not by mere heresy or from relaters because the relaters of knowledge are many but its understanders are few.


( 243 )

أَلاَ وَإِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اخْتَارُوا لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ أَقْرَبَ الْقَوْمِ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ، وَإنَّكُمُ اخْتَرْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ أَقْرَبَ الْقَوْمِ مِمَّا تَكْرَهُونَ. وَإِنَّمَا عَهْدُكُمْ بَعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ بِالْأَمْسِ يَقُولُ: (إِنَّهَا فِتْنَةٌ فَقَطِّعُوا أَوْتَارَكُمْ (5) وَشِيمُوا (6) سُيُوفَكُمْ) فَإِنْ كَانَ صَادِقاً فَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ بِمَسِيرِهِ غَيْرَ مُسْتَكْرَهٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَ كَاذِباً فَقَدْ لَزِمَتْهُ التُّهَمَهُ. فَادْفَعُوا فِي صَدْرِ عَمْرِوبْنِ الْعَاصِ بِعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ، وَخُذُوا مَهَلَ الْأَيَّامِ، وَحُوطُوا قَوَاصِيَ الْإِسْلاَمِ. أَلاَ تَرَوْنَ إِلَى بَلاَدِكُمْ تُغْزَى، وَإِلَى صَفَاتِكُمْ تُرْمَى؟

[239] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام يذكر فيها آل محمد(ص)

هُمْ عَيْشُ الْعِلْمِ، وَمَوْتُ الْجَهْلِ، يُخْبِرُكُمْ حِلْمُهُمْ عَنْ عِلْمِهِمْ، ظَاهِرُهُمْ عَنْ بَاطِنِهِمْ, وَصَمْتُهُمْ عَنْ حِكَمِ مَنْطِقِهِمْ. لاَ يُخَالِفُونَ الْحَقَّ وَلاَ يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ. هُمْ دَعَائِمُ الْإِسْلاَمِ، وَوَلاَئِجُ (1) الْإِعْتِصَامِ، بِهِمْ عَادَ الْحَقُّ فِي نِصَابِهِ (2) ، وَانْزَاحَ الْبَاطِلُ (3) عَنْ مُقَامِهِ، وَانْقَطَعَ لِسَانُهُ عَنْ مَنْبِتِهِ (4) . عَقَلُوا الدِّينَ عَقْلَ وِعَايَةٍ وَرِعَايَةٍ (5) ، لاَ عَقْلَ سَمَاعٍ وَرِوَايَةٍ. فَإِنَّ رُوَاةَ الْعِلْمِ كَثِيرٌ، وَرُعَاتَهُ قَلِيلٌ.


( 244 )

SERMON 240

When 'Uthman ibn 'Affan was surrounded 'Abdullah ibn al-'Abbas brought a letter to Amir al-mu'minin from 'Uthman in which he expressed the desire that Amir al-mu'minin should leave for his estate Yanbu' so that the proposal that was being mooted out for him to become caliph should subside. 'Uthman had this request earlier also. Upon this Amir al-mu'minin said to Ibn al-'Abbas:

O' Ibn al-'Abbas! 'Uthman just wants to treat me like the water-drawing camel so that I may go forward and backward with the bucket. Once he sent me word that I should go out then sent me word that I should come back. Now again he sends me word that I should go out. By Allah I continued protecting him till I feared lest I become a sinner.

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SERMON 241

Exhorting his men to jihad and asking them to refrain from seeking ease

Allah seeks you to thank Him and assigns to you His affairs. He has allowed time in the limited field (of life) so that you may vie with each other in seeking the reward (of Paradise). Therefore tight up your girdles and wrap up the skirts. High courage and dinners do not go together. Sleep causes weakness in the big affairs of the day and (its) darkness obliterates the memories of courage.


( 245 )

[ 240 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام قاله لعبد الله بن العباس,

وقد جاء برسالة من عثمان وهو محصور يسأله فيها الخروج إلى ماله بينبُع، ليقلّ هتف (1) الناس باسمه للخلافة، بعد أن كان سأله مثل ذلك من قبل، فقال عليه السلام: يَابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، مَا يُرِيدُ عُثْمَانُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَجَعَلَنِي جَمَلاً نَاضِحاً بِالْغَرْبِ (2) : أَقْبِلْ وَأَدْبِرْ! بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِليَّ أَنْ أَقْدُمَ، ثُمَّ هُوَ الْآنَ يَبْعَثُ إِلَيَّ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ! وَاللهِ لَقَدْ دَفَعْتُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ آثِماً.

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[ 241 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام يحثّ به أصحابه على الجهاد

وَاللهُ مُسْتأْدِيكُمْ (1) شُكْرَهُ، وَمُوَرِّثُكُمْ أَمْرَهُ، وَمُمْهِلُكُمْ (2) فِي مِضْمارٍ (3) مَحْدُودٍ، لِتَتَنَازَعُوا سَبَقَهُ (4) ، فَشدُّوا عُقَدَ الْمَآزِرِ (5) ، وَاطْوُوا فُضُولَ الْخَوَاصِر (6) ، وَلاَ تَجْتَمِعُ عَزِيمَةٌ وَوَلِيمَةٌ (7) ، وَمَا أَنْقَضَ النَّوْمَ لِعَزَائِمِ الْيَوْمِ،أَمحَى الظُّلَمَ (8) لِتَذَاكِيرِ الْهِمَمِ! و صلي الله على سيدنا محمد النبي الأمي, و على آله مصابيح الدجى و العروة الوثقى, و سلم تسليماً كثيراً.