( 322 )

SERMON 88

About the division of the community into factions

So now certainly Allah did not break the neck of any unruly tyrant in this world except after allowing him time and opportunity and did not join the broken bone of any people (ummah) until He did not inflict calamity and distress upon them. Even less than what sufferings and misfortunes have yet to fall upon you or have already befallen you are enough for giving lessons. Every man with a heart is not intelligent every ear does not listen and every eye does not see.

I wonder and there is no reason why I should not wonder about the faults of these groups who have introduced alterations in their religious pleas who do not move on the footsteps of their Prophet nor follow the actions of the vicegerent. They do not believe in the unknown and do not avoid the evil. They act on the doubts and tread in (the way of) their passions. For them good is whatever they consider good and evil is whatever they consider evil. Their reliance for resolving distresses is on themselves. Their confidence in regard to dubious matters is on their own opinions as if every one of them is the Leader (Imam) of himself. Whatever he has decided himself he considers it to have been taken through reliable sources and strong factors.

* * * * *

SERMON 89

About the Holy Prophet

Allah sent the Prophet when the mission of other Prophets had stopped and the peoples were in slumber for a long time.


( 323 )

[ 88 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

وفيها بيان للاسباب التي تهلك الناس

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحانَهُ لَمْ يَقْصِمْ (1) جَبَّارِي دَهْرٍ قَطُّ إِلاّ بَعْدَ تَمْهِيلٍ وَرَخَاءٍ، وَلَمْ يَجْبُرْ عَظْمَ (2) أَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ إِلاَّ بَعْدَ أَزْلٍ (3) وَبَلاَءٍ، وَفِي دُونِ مَا اسْتَقْبَلْتُمْ مِنْ عِتْبٍ (4) وَاسْتَدْبَرْتُمْ مِنْ خَطْبٍ مُعْتَبَرٌ! وَمَا كُلُّ ذِي قَلْبٍ بَلَبِيبٍ، وَلاَ كُلُّ ذِي سَمْعٍ بِسَمِيعٍ، وَلاَ كُلُّ نَاظِرٍ بِبَصِيٍر. فَيَا عَجَباً! وَمَا لِيَ لاَ أَعْجَبُ مِنْ خَطَإِ هذِهِ الْفِرَقِ عَلَى اختِلاَفِ حُجَجِهَا فِي دِينِهَا! لاَ يَقْتَصُّونَ أَثَرَ نَبِيٍّ، وَلاَيَقْتَدُونَ بَعَمَلِ وَصِيٍّ، وَلاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بَغَيْبٍ، وَلاَ يَعِفُّونَ (5) عَنْ عَيْبٍ، يَعْمَلُونَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ، وَيَسِيرُونَ فِي الشَّهَوَاتِ، الْمَعْرُوفُ فِيهمْ مَا عَرَفُوا، وَالْمُنْكَرُ عِنْدَهُمْ مَا أَنْكَرُوا، مَفْزَعُهُمْ فِي الْمُعْضِلاَتِ إِلَى أَنْفُسِهمْ، وَتَعْوِيلُهُمْ فِي الْمُهِمَّاتِ عَلَى آرَائِهِمْ، كَأَنَّ كُلَّ امْرِىءٍ مِنْهُمْ إِمَامُ نَفْسِهِ، قَدْ أَخَذَ مِنْهَا فِيَما يَرَى بَعُرىً ثِقَاتٍ، وأَسْبَابٍ مُحْكَمَاتٍ.

[ 89 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

في الرسول الاعظم صلى الله عليه وآله وبلاغ الامام عنه

أَرْسَلَهُ عَلَى حِينِ فَتْرَة (1) مِنَ الرُّسُلِ، وَطُولِ هَجْعَةٍ مِنَ الْأُمَمِ،


( 324 )

Evils were raising heads all matters were under disruption and in flames of wars while the world was devoid of brightness and full of open deceitfulness. Its leaves had turned yellow and there was absence of hope about its fruits. While water had gone underground. The minarets of guidance had disappeared and signs of destruction had appeared. It was stern to its people and frowned in the face of its seeker. Its fruit was vice and its food was carcass. Its inner dress was fear and outer cover was sword.

So take lesson O' creatures of Allah and recall that (evil doing) with which your fathers and brothers are entangled and for which they have to account. By my life your time is not much behind theirs nor have long periods or centuries lapsed between you and them nor are you much distant from when you were in their loins.

By Allah whatever the Prophet told them I am here telling you the same and whatever you hear today is not different from what they heard yesterday. The eyes that were opened for them and the hearts that were made for them at that time just the same have been given to you at this time. By Allah you have not been told anything that they did not know and you have not been given anything which they were deprived. Certainly you have been afflicted by a calamity (which is like a she-camel) whose nose-string is moving about and whose strap is loose So in whatever condition these deceitful people are should not deceive you because it is just a long shadow whose term is fixed.

* * * * *

SERMON 90

Allah's attributes and some advice

Praise be to Allah who is well-known without being seen Who creates without pondering over Who has ever been existent


( 325 )

وَاعْتِزَامٍ (2) مِنَ الْفِتَنِ، وَانْتَشَار مِنَ الْأُمُورِ، وَتَلَظٍّ (3) مِنَ الْحُرُوبِ، والدُّنْيَا كَاسِفَةُ النُّورِ، ظَاهِرَةُ الْغُرُورِ، عَلَى حِينِ اصْفِرَارٍ مِنْ وَرَقِهَا، وَإِيَاسٍ مِنْ ثَمَرِهَا، وَاغْوِرَارٍ (4) مِنْ مَائِهَا، قَدْ دَرَسَتْ مَنَارُ الْهُدَى، وَظَهَرَتْ أَعْلاَمُ الرِّدَى، فَهِيَ مُتَجَهِّمَةٌ (5) لاَِهْلِهَا، عَابِسَةٌ فِي وَجْهِ طَالِبِهَا، ثَمَرُهَا الْفِتْنَةُ (6) ، وَطَعَامُهَا الْجِيفَةُ (7) ، وَشِعَارُهَا (8) الْخَوْفُ، وَدِثَارُهَا (9) السَّيْفُ. فَاعْتَبِرُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ، وَاذْكُرُوا تِيكَ الَّتي آبَاؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ بِهَا مُرْتَهَنُونَ (10) ، وَعَلَيْهَا مُحَاسَبُونَ. وَلَعَمْرِي مَا تَقَادَمَتْ بِكُمْ وَلاَ بِهِمُ الْعُهُودُ، وَلاَ خَلَتْ فِيَما بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَهُمُ الأَحْقَابُ (11) وَالْقُرُونُ، وَمَا أَنْتُمُ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ يَوْمَ كُنْتُمْ فِي أَصْلاَبِهِمْ بِبَعِيدٍ. وَاللهِ مَا أَسْمَعَكُمُ الرَّسُولُ شَيْئاً إِلاَّ وَهَا أَنَا ذَا الْيَوْمَ مُسْمِعُكُمُوهُ، وَمَا أَسْمَاعُكُمُ الْيَوْمَ بِدُونِ أَسْمَاعِكُمْ بِالْأَمْسِ، وَلاَ شُقَّتْ لَهُمُ الْأَبصَارُ، وَجُعِلَتْ لَهُمُ الْأَفْئِدَةُ في ذلِكَ الْزَمَانِ، إِلاَّ وَقَدْ أُعْطِيتُمْ مِثْلَهَا فِي هذَا الزَّمَانِ. وَوَاللهِ مَا بُصِّرْتُمْ بَعْدَهُمْ شَيْئاً جَهِلُوهُ، وَلاَ أُصْفِيتُمْ بِهِ (12) وَحُرِمُوهُ، وَلَقَدْ نَزَلَتْ بِكُمُ الْبَلِيَّةُ جَائِلاً خِطَامُهَا (13) ، رِخْواً بِطَانُهَا (14) ، فَلاَ يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ مَا أَصْبَحَ فِيهِ أَهْلُ الْغُرُورِ، فَإِنَّمَا هَوَ ظِلٌّ مَمْدُودٌ، إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْدُودٍ.

[ 90 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

وتشتمل على قِدم الخالق وعظم مخلوقاته، ويختمها بالوعظ

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الْمَعْرُوفِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رُؤْيَةٍ، الْخَالِقِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّةٍ (1) ،


( 326 )

when there was no sky with domes nor curtains with lofty doors nor gloomy night nor peaceful ocean nor mountains with broad pathways nor curved mountain roads nor earth of spread floors nor self-reliant creatures. He is the Originator of creation and their Master. He is the God of the creation and its feeder. The sun and the moon are steadily moving in pursuit of His will. They make every fresh thing old and every distant thing near.

He distributed their sustenance and has counted their deeds and acts the number of their breaths their concealed looks and whatever is hidden in their bosoms. He knows their places of stay and places of last resort in the loins and wombs till they reach their end.

His punishment on enemies is harsh despite the extent of His Mercy and His compassion on His friends is vast despite His harsh punishment. He overpowers one who wants to overcome Him and destroys one who clashes with Him. He disgraces one who opposes Him and gains sway over one who bears Him hostility. He is sufficient for one who relies on Him. He gives one who asks Him. He repays one who lends to Him. He rewards one who thanks Him.

O' creatures of Allah weigh yourselves before you are weighed and assess yourselves before you are assessed. Breathe before suffocation of the throat. Be submissive before you are harshly driven. Know that if one does not help himself in acting as his own adviser and warner then no one else can (effectively) be his adviser or warner.

* * * * *


( 327 )

الَّذِي لَمْ يَزَلْ قَائِماً دَائِماً; إِذْ لاَ سَمَاءٌ ذَاتُ أَبْرَاجٍ، وَلاَ حُجُبٌ ذَاتُ إِرْتَاجٍ (2) ، وَلاَ لَيْلٌ دَاجٍ (3) ، وَلاَ بَحْرٌ سَاجٍ (4) ، وَلاَ جَبَلٌ ذُوفِجَاجٍ (5) ، وَلاَ فَجٌّ ذُواعْوِجَاجٍ، وَلاَ أَرْضٌ ذَاتُ مِهَادٍ (6) ، وَلاَ خَلْقٌ ذُوااعْتَِمادٍ (7) : ذلِكَ مُبْتَدِعُ الْخَلْقِ (8) وَوَارِثُهُ (9) ، وَإِلهُ الْخَلْقِ وَرَازِقُهُ، وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ دَائِبَانِ (10) فِي مَرْضَاتِهِ: يُبْلِيَانِ كُلَّ جَدِيدٍ، وَيُقَرِّبَانِ كُلَّ بَعِيدٍ.

قَسَمَ أَرْزَاقَهُمْ، وَأَحْصَى آثَارَهُمْ وَأَعْمَالَهُمْ، وَعَدَدَ أنْفاسَهُمْ، وَخَائِنَةَ أعْيُنِهِمْ (11) وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ مِنَ الضَّمِيرِ، وَمُسْتَقَرَّهُمْ وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْحَامِ وَالظُّهُورِ، إِلَى أَنْ تَتَنَاهَى بِهِمُ الْغَايَاتُ.

هُوَ الَّذِي اشْتَدَّتْ نِقْمَتُهُ (12) عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِ فِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَاتَّسَعَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لاَِوْلِيَائِهِ فِي شِدَّةِ نِقْمَتِهِ، قَاهِرُ مَنْ عَازَّهُ (13) ، وَمُدَمِّرُ مَنْ شَاقَّهُ (14) ، وَمُذِلُّ مَنْ نَاوَاهُ (15) ، وَغَالِبُ مَنْ عَادَاهُ. مَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَاهُ، وَمَنْ سَأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ، وَمَنْ أَقْرَضَهُ قَضَاهُ (16) ، وَمَنْ شَكَرَهُ جَزَاهُ.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، زِنُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُوزَنُوا، وَحَاسِبُوهَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُحَاسَبُوا، وَتَنَفَّسُوا قَبْلَ ضِيقِ الْخِنَاقِ، وَانْقَادُوا قَبْلَ عُنْفِ السِّيَاقِ (17) ، وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يُعَنْ (18) عَلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لَهُ مِنْهَا وَاعِظٌ وَزَاجِرٌ، لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا زَاجِرٌ وَلاَ وَاعِظٌ.