( 538 )

SERMON147

The purpose of the deputation of the Holy Prophet and the condition of the time when people would go against the Qur'an

Allah deputed Muhammad (p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) with Truth so that he may take out His people from the worship of idols towards His worship and from obeying Satan towards obeying Him and sent him with the Qur'an which He explained and made strong in order that the people may know their sustainer (Allah) since they were ignorant of Him may acknowledge Him since they were denying Him and accept Him since they were refusing (to believe in) Him. Because He the Glorified revealed Himself to them through His Book without their having seen Him by means of what He showed them out of His might and made them fear His sway. How He destroyed those whom He wished to destroy through His chastisement and ruined those whom He wished to ruin through His retribution!

On the future

Certainly a time will come upon you after me when nothing will be more concealed than rightfulness nothing more apparent than wrongfulness and nothing more current than untruth against Allah and His Prophet. For the people of this period nothing will be more valueless than the Qur'an being recited as it ought to be recited nor anything more valuable than the Qur'an being misplaced from its position. And in the towns nothing will be more hated than virtue nor anything more acceptable than vice.

The holders of the book will throw it away and its memorisers would forget it. In these days the Qur'an and its people will be exiled and expelled. They will be companions keeping together on one path but no one will offer them asylum. Consequently
at this time the Qur'an and its people will be among


( 539 )

[ 147 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

الغاية من البعثة

فَبَعَثَ اللهُ مُحَمَّداً بِالْحَقِّ لِيُخْرِجَ عِبَادَهُ مِنْ عِبَادَةِ الْأُوْثَانِ إِلَى عِبَادَتِهِ، وَمِنْ طَاعَةِ الشَّيْطَانِ إِلَى طَاعَتِهِ، بِقُرْآن قَدْ بَيَّنَهُ وَأَحْكَمَهُ، لِيَعْلَمَ الْعِبَادُ رَبَّهُمْ إِذْ جَهِلُوهُ، وَلِيُقِرُّوا بِهِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَحَدُوهُ، وَلِيُثْبِتُوهُ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْكَرُوهُ. فَتَجَلَّى لَهُمْ سُبْحَانَهُ (1) فِي كِتَابِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَكُونُوا رَأَوْهُ، بِمَا أَرَاهُمْ مِنْ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَخَوَّفَهُمْ مِنْ سَطْوَتِهِ، وَكَيْفَ مَحَقَ مَنْ مَحَقَ بِالْمَثُلاَتِ (2) ، وَاحْتَصَدَ مَنِ احْتَصَدَ بِالنَّقِمَاتِ!

الزمان المقبل

وَإِنَّهُ سَيَأْتي عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِي زَمَانٌ لَيْسَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ أَخْفَى مِنَ الْحَقِّ، وَلاَ أَظْهَرَ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ، وَلاَ أَكْثَرَ مِنَ الْكَذِبِ عَلَى اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ ذلِكَ الزَّمَانِ سِلْعَةٌ أَبْوَرَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ إِذَا تُلِيَ حَقَّ تِلاَوَتِهِ، وَلاَ أَنْفَقَ مِنْهُ (3) إِذَا حُرِّفَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ، وَلاَ فِي الْبِلاَدِ شَيءٌ أنْكَرَ مِنَ الْمَعْرُوفِ، وَلاَ أَعْرَفَ مِنَ المُنكَرِ! فَقَدْ نَبَذَ الْكِتَابَ حَمَلَتُهُ، وَتَنَاسَاهُ حَفَظَتُهُ; فَالْكِتَابُ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَأَهْلُهُ طَرِيدَانِ مَنْفِيَّانِ، وَصَاحِبَانِ مُصْطَحِبَانِ فِي طَرِيقٍ وَاحِدٍ لاَ يُؤْوِيهِمَا مُؤْوٍ; فَالْكِتَابُ وَأَهْلُهُ فِي ذلِكَ الزَّمَانِ فِي


( 54 )

the people but not among them will be with them but not with them because misguidance cannot accord with guidance even though they may be together. The people will have united on division and will therefore have cut away from the community as though they were the leaders of the Qur'an and not the Qur'an their leader. Nothing of it will be left with them except its name and they will know nothing save its writing and its words. Before that they will inflict hardships on the virtuous naming the latter's truthful views about Allah false allegations and enforcing for virtues the punishment of the vice.

Those before you passed away because of the lengthening of their desires and the forgetting of their death till that promised event befell them about which excuses are turned down repentance is denied and punishment and retribution is inflicted.

About Ahlu'l-bayt

O' people he who seeks counsel from Allah secures guidance and he who adopts His word as guide is led towards what is more straight because Allah's lover feels secure and His opponent feels afraid. It does not behove one who knows His greatness to assume greatness but the greatness of those who know His greatness is that they should know before Him and the safety for those who know what His power is lies in submitting to Him. Do not be scared away from the truth like the scaring of the healthy from the scabbed person or the sound person from the sick.

You should know that you will never know guidance unless you know who has abandoned it you will never abide by the pledges of the Qur'an unless you know who has broken them and will never cling to it unless you know who has forsaken
it. Seek these things from those who own them because


( 541 )

النَّاسِ وَلَيْسَا فِيهِمْ، وَمَعَهُمْ وَلَيْسَا مَعَهُمْ! لِأَنَّ الضَّلاَلَةَ لاَ تُوَافِقُ الْهُدَى، وَإِنِ اجْتَمَعَا. فَاجْتَمَعَ الْقَوْمُ عَلَى الْفُرْقَةِ، وَافْتَرَقُوا عَنِ الْجَمَاعَةِ، كَأَنَّهُمْ أَئِمَّةُ الْكِتَابِ وَلَيْسَ الْكِتَابُ إِمَامَهُمْ، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ عِنْدَهُمْ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ اسْمُهُ، وَلاَ يَعْرِفُونَ إِلاَّ خَطَّهُ وَزَبْرَهُ (4) ، وَمِنْ قَبْلُ مَا مَثَّلُوا (5) بِالصَّالِحِينَ كُلَّ مُثْلَةٍ، وَسَمَّوْا صِدْقَهُمْ عَلَى اللهِ فِرْيَةً (6) ، وَجَعَلُوا فِي الْحَسَنَةِ العُقُوبةَ السَّيِّئَةَ.

وَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِطُولِ آمَالِهِمْ وَتَغَيُّبِ آجَالِهِمْ، حَتَّى نَزَلَ بِهِمُ الْمَوْعُودُ (7) الَّذِي تُرَدُّ عَنْهُ الْمَعْذِرَةُ، وَتُرْفَعُ عَنْهُ التَّوْبَةُ، وَتَحُلُّ مَعَهُ الْقَارِعَةُ (8) وَالنِّقْمَةُ.

عظة الناس

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّهُ مَنِ اسْتَنْصَحَ اللهَ وُفِّقَ، وَمَنِ اتَّخَذَ قَوْلَهُ دَلِيلاً هُدِيَ (لِلَّتَي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ); فَإِنَّ جَارَ اللهِ آمِنٌ، وَعَدُوَّهُ خَائِفٌ، وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي لِمَنْ عَرَفَ عَظَمَةَ اللهِ أَنْ يَتَعَظَّمَ، فَإِنَّ رِفْعَةَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا عَظَمَتُهُ أَنْ يَتَوَاضَعُوا لَهُ، وَسَلاَمَةَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا قُدْرَتُهُ أَنْ يَسْتَسْلِمُوا لَهُ، فَلاَ تَنْفِرُوا مِنَ الْحَقِّ نِفَارَ الصَّحِيحِ مِنَ الْأَجْرَبِ، وَالْبَارِي (9) مِنْ ذِي السَّقَمِ (10) . وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ لَنْ تَعْرِفُوا الرُّشْدَ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي تَرَكَهُ، وَلَنْ تَأْخُذُوا بِمَيثَاقِ الْكِتَابِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذِي نَقَضَهُ، وَلَنْ تَمَسَّكُوا بِهِ حَتَّى تَعْرِفُوا الَّذَي نَبَذَهُ. فَالْتَمِسُوا ذلِكَ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَهْلِهِ،


( 542 )

they are the life spring of knowledge and death of ignorance. They are the people whose commands will disclose to you their (extent of) knowledge their silence will disclose their (capacity of) speaking and their outer appearance will disclose their inner self. They do not go against religion and do not differ from one other about it while it is among them a truthful witness and a silent speaker.

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SERMON 148

About Talhah and az-Zubayr and the people of Basrah

Both of these two (Talhah and az-Zubayr) wishes the Caliphate for himself and is drawing towards himself as against the other fellow. They do not employ any connection for getting access to Allah nor proceed towards Him through any means. Both of them bear malice against the other. Shortly his veil over it will be uncovered. By Allah if they achieve what they aim at one of them will kill the other and one will finish the other. The rebellious party has stood up. Where are the seekers of virtue; for the paths have already been determined and they have been given the news. For every misguidance there is a cause and for every break of pledge there is a misrepresentation. By Allah I shall not be like him who listens to the voice of mourning hears the man who brings news of death and also visits the mourner yet does not take lesson.

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( 543 )

فَإِنَّهُمْ عَيْشُ الْعِلْمِ، وَمَوْتُ الْجَهْلِ، هُمْ الَّذِينَ يُخْبِرُكُمْ حُكْمُهُمْ عَنْ عِلْمِهِمْ، وَصمْتُهُمْ عَنْ مَنْطِقِهِمْ، وَظَاهِرُهُمْ عَنْ بَاطِنِهِمْ، لاَ يُخَالِفُونَ الدِّينَ وَلاَ يَخْتَلِفُونَ فِيهِ، فَهُوَ بَيْنَهُمْ شَاهِدٌ صَادِقٌ، وَصَامِتٌ نَاطِقٌ.

[ 148 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

في ذكر أهل البصرة

كُلُّ وَاحِد مِنْهُمَا يَرْجُو الْأَمْرَ لَهُ، وَيَعْطِفُهُ عَلَيْهِ دُونَ صَاحِبِهِ، لاَ يَمُتَّانِ (1) إِلَى اللهِ بِحَبْلٍ، وَلاَ يَمُدَّانِ إِلَيْهِ بَسَبَبٍ (2) . كُلُّ واحِد مِنْهُمَا حَامِلُ ضَبٍّ (3) لِصَاحِبِهِ، وَعَمَّا قَلِيل يُكْشَفُ قِنَاعُهُ بِهِ! وَاللهِ لَئِنْ أَصَابُوا الَّذِي يُرِيدُونَ لَيَنْتَزِعَنَّ هذَا نَفْسَ هذَا، وَلَيَأْتِيَنَّ هذَا عَلَى هذَا، قَدْ قَامَتِ الْفِئَةُ الْبَاغِيَةُ، فَأَيْنَ الْمُحْتَسِبُونَ (4) ؟! قَدْ سُنَّتْ لَهُمُ السُّنَنُ، وَقُدِّمَ لَهُمُ الْخَبَرُ. وَلِكُلِّ ضَلَّةٍ عِلَّةٌ، وَلِكُلِّ نَاكِثٍ شُبْهِةٌ. وَاللهِ لاَ أَكُونُ كَمُسْتَمِعِ اللَّدْمِ (5) ، يَسْمَعُ النَّاعِيَ، وَيَحْضُرُ الْبَاكِيَ، ثُمَّ لاَ يَعْتَبِرُ!

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