( 212 )

SERMON 226

Transience of the world and the helplessness of those in graves

This is a house surrounded by calamities and well-known for deceitfulness. Its conditions do not last and those who inhabit it do not remain safe. Its conditions are variable and its ways changing. Life in it is blameworthy and safety in it is non-existent. Yet its people are targets; it strikes them with its arrows and destroys them through death.

Know O' creatures of Allah that certainly you and all the things of this world that you have are (treading) on the lines of those (who were) before you. They were of longer ages had more populated houses and were of more lasting traces. Their voices have become silent their movements have become stationary their bodies have become rotten their houses have become empty and their traces have been obliterated. Their magnificent places and spread-out carpets were changed to stones laid-in-blocks and cave-like dug out graves whose very foundation is based on ruins and whose construction has been made with soil. Their positions are contiguous but those settled in them are like far flung strangers. They are among the people of their area but feel lonely and they are free from work but still engaged (in activity). They feel no attachment with homelands nor do they keep contact among themselves like neighbours


( 213 )

[ 226 ] ومن خطبة له عليه السلام

في التنفير من الدنيا

دَارٌ بِالْبَلاَءِ مَحْفُوفَةٌ، وَبِالْغَدْرِ مَعْرُوفَةٌ، لاَ تَدُومُ أَحْوَالُهَا، وَلاَ يَسْلَمُ نُزَّالُهَا (1) .

أَحْوَالٌ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ، وَتَارَاتٌ مُتَصَرِّفَةٌ (2) ، الْعَيْشُ فِيهَا مَذْمُومٌ، وَالْأَمَانُ مِنْهَا مَعْدُومٌ، وَإِنَّمَا أَهْلُهَا فِيهَا أَغْرَاضٌ مُسْتهْدَفَةٌ (3) ، تَرْمِيهِمْ بِسِهَامِهَا، وَتُفْنِيهِمْ بِحِمَامِهَا (4)

ووَاعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ أَنَّكُم وَمَا أَنْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى سَبِيلِ مَنْ قَدْ مَضَى قَبْلَكُمْ، مِمَّنْ كَانَ أَطْوَلَ مِنْكُمْ أَعْمَاراً، وَأَعْمَرَ دِيَاراً، وَأَبْعَدَ آثَاراً (5) ، أَصْبَحَتْ أَصْوَاتُهُمْ هَامِدَةً، وَرِيَاحُهُمْ رَاكِدَةً (6) ، وَ أَجْسَادُهُمْ بِالِيَةً، وَدِيَارُهُمْ خَالِيَةً، وَآثَارُهُمْ عَافِيَةً (7) ، فَاسْتَبْدَلُوا بِالْقُصُورِ الْمُشَيَّدَةِ، وَالنَّمارِقِ (8) الْمُمَهَّدَةِ (9) ، الصُّخُورَ وَالْأَحْجَارَ الْمُسَنَّدَةَ، وَالْقُبُورَ اللاَّطِئَةَ (10) الْمُلْحَدَةَ (11) ، الَّتي قَدْ بُنِيَ عَلَى الْخَرَابِ فِنَاؤُهَا (12) ، وَشُيِّدَ بِالتُّرَابِ بِنَاؤُهَا، فَمَحَلُّهَا مُقْتَرِبٌ، وَسَاكِنُهَا مُغْتَرِبٌ، بَيْنَ أَهْلِ مَحَلَّةٍ مُوحِشِينَ، وَأهْلِ فَرَاغٍ مُتَشَاغِلِينَ، لاَيَسْتَأْنِسُونَ بِالْأَوْطَانِ، وَلاَ يَتَوَاصَلُونَ تَوَاصُلَ الْجِيْرَانِ، عَلَى مَا بَيْنَهُمْ


( 214 )

despite nearness of neighbourhood and priority of abodes. And how can they meet each other when decay has ground them with its chest and stones and earth have eaten them.

It is as though you too have gone where they have gone the same sleeping place has caught you and the same place has detained you. What will then be your position when your affairs reach their end and graves are turned upside down (to throw out the dead)?

There shall every soul realise what it hath sent before and they shall be brought back to Allah their true Lord and what they did fabricate (the false deities) will vanish (away) from them. (Qur'an 10:30)

* * * * *

SERMON 227

Supplication

O' my Allah! Thou art the most attached to Thy lovers and the most ready to assist those who trust in Thee. Thou seest them in their concealments knowest whatever is in their consciences and art aware of the extent of their intelligence. Consequently their secrets are open to Thee and their hearts are eager from Thee. If loneliness bores them Thy remembrance gives them solace. If distresses befall them they beseech Thy protection because they know that the reins of affairs are in Thy hands and that their movements depend upon Thy commands .

O' my Allah! if I am unable to express my request or cannot see my needs then guide me towards my betterment and take my betterment and take my heart towards the correct goal. This is not against (the mode of) Thy guidance nor anything new against Thy ways of support.



( 215 )

مِنْ قُرْبِ الْجِوَارِ، وَدُنُوِّ الدَّارِ، وَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَزَاوُرٌ، وَقَدْ طَحَنَهُمْ بِكَلْكَلِهِ (13) الْبِلَى (14) ، وَأَكَلَتْهُمُ الْجَنَادِلُ (15) وَالثَّرَى (16) !

وَكَأَنْ قَدْ صِرْتُمْ إِلَى مَا صَارُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَارْتَهَنَكُمْ ذَلِكَ الْمَضْجَعُ (17) ، وَضَمَّكُمْ ذَلِكَ الْمُسْتَوْدَعُ، فَكَيْفَ بِكُمْ لَوْ تَنَاهَتْ (18) بِكُمُ الْأُمُورُ، وبُعْثِرَتِ الْقُبُورُ! (19) : (هُنَالِكَ تَبْلُو (20) كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَا أَسْلَفَتْ وَرُدُّوا إِلَى اللهِ مَوْلاَهُمُ الْحَقِّ وَضَلَّ عَنْهُمْ ما كَانُوا يفْتَرُون)

[ 227 ] ومن دعاء له عليه السلام

يلجأ فيه إلى الله لِيهديه إلى الرشاد

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ آنَسُ (1) الْآنِسِينَ لْأَوْلِيَائِكَ، وَأَحْضَرُهُمْ بِالْكِفايَةِ لِلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ عَلَيْكَ. تُشَاهِدُهُمْ فِي سَرَائِرِهِمْ، وَتَطَّلِعُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي ضَمَائِرِهِمْ، وَتَعْلَمُ مَبْلَغَ بَصَائِرِهِمْ، فَأَسْرَارُهُمْ لَكَ مَكْشُوفَةٌ، وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَيْكَ مَلْهُوفَةٌ (2) ، إِنْ أَوْحَشَتْهُمُ الْغُرْبَةُ آنَسَهُمْ ذِكْرُكَ، وَإِنْ صُبَّتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَصَائِبُ لَجَؤُوا إِلَى الْإِسْتِجَارَةِ بِكَ، عِلْماً بَأَنَّ أَزِمَّةَ الْأُمُورِ بِيدِكَ، وَمَصَادِرَهَا عَنْ قَضَائِكَ.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ فَهِهْتُ (3) عَنْ مسْأَلَتِي، أَوْ عَمِيتُ عَنْ طِلْبَتِي (4) ، فَدُلَّنِي عَلَى مَصَالِحِي، وَخُذْ بِقَلْبِي إِلَى مَرَاشِدِي (5) ، فَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِنُكْرٍ (6) مِنْ هِدَايَاتِكَ، وَلاَ بِبِدْعٍ (7) مِنْ كِفَايَاتِكَ.


( 216 )

O' my Allah! deal with me through Thy forgiveness and do not deal with me according to Thy justice.

* * * * *

SERMON 228

About a companion who passed away from this world before the occurrence of troubles.

May Allah reward such and such man (1) who straightened the curve cured the disease abandoned mischief and established the sunnah. He departed (from this world) with untarnished clothes and little shortcomings. He achieved good (of this world) and remained safe from its evils. He offered Allah's obedience and feared Him as He deserved. He went away and left the people in dividing ways wherein the misled cannot obtain guidance and the guided cannot attain certainty.

(1). Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has written (in Sharh Nahj al-balaghah vol. 14 pp. 3-4) that the reference here is to the second Caliph 'Umar and that these sentences have been uttered in his praise as indicated by the word ''Umar' written under the word 'such and such' in as-Sayyid ar-Radi's own hand in the manuscript of Nahj al-balaghah written by him. This is Ibn Abi'l-Hadid's statement but it is to be seen that if as-Sayyid ar-Radi had written the word ''Umar' by way of explanation it should have existed as other explanations by him have remained in those versions which have been copied from his manuscript. Even now there exists in al-Musil (Iraq) university the oldest copy of Nahj al-balaghah written by the famous calligraphist Yaqut al-Musta'simi; but no one has afforded any clue to this explanation of as-Sayyid ar-Radi. Even if the view of Ibn Abi'l-Hadid is accepted it would be deemed to represent the personal opinion of as-Sayyid ar-Radi which may serve as a supplementary argument in support of an original argument but this personal view cannot be assigned any regular importance.



( 217 )

اللَّهُمَّ احْمِلْنِي عَلَى عَفْوِكَ، وَلاَ تَحْمِلْنِي عَلَى عدْلِكَ.

[ 228 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

يريد به بعض أصحابه

لِلَّهِ بِلَاءُ فُلاَنٍ (1) ، فَلَقَدْ قَوَّمَ (2) الْأَوَدَ، وَدَاوَى الْعَمَدَ (3) ، وَأَقَامَ السُّنَّةَ، وَخَلَّفَ (4) الْفِتْنَةَ! ذَهَبَ نَقِيَّ الثَّوْبِ، قَلِيلَ الْعَيْبِ. أَصَابَ خَيْرَهَا، وَسَبَقَ شَرَّهَا، أَدَّى إِلَى اللهِ طَاعَتَهُ، وَاتَّقَاهُ بِحَقِّهِ، رَحَلَ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي طُرُقٍ مَتَشَعِّبَةٍ (5) ، لاَ يَهْتَدِي بِهَا الضَّالُّ، وَلاَ يَسْتَيْقِنُ الْمُهْتَدِي.


( 218 )

It is strange that two and a half centuries after as-Sayyid ar-Radi namely in the seventh century A.H. Ibn Abi'l Hadid makes the statement that the reference here is to Caliph 'Umar and that as-Sayyid ar-Radi himself had so indicated as a result of which some other annotators also followed the same line but the contemporaries of as-Sayyid ar-Radi who wrote about Nahj al-balaghah have given no such indication in their writings although as contemporaries they should have had better information about as-Sayyid Ar-Radi's writing. Thus al-'Allamah 'Ali ibn Nasir who was a contemporary of as-Sayyid ar-Radi and wrote an annotation of Nahj al-balaghah under the name of A'lam Nahj al-balaghah writes in connection with this sermon:

Amir al-mu'minin has praised one of his own companions for his good conduct. He had died before the troubles that arose after the death of the Prophet of Allah.

This is supported by the annotations of Nahj al-balaghah written by al-'Allamah Qutbu'd-Din ar-Rawandi (d. 573 A.H.). Ibn Abi'l-Hadid (vol. 14 p. 4) and Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani (in Sharh Nahj al-balaghah vol. 4 p. 97) have quoted his following view.

By this Amir al-mu'minin refers to one of his own companions who died before the mischief and disruption that occurred following the death of the Prophet of Allah.

Al-'Allamah al-Hajj al-Mirza Habibu'llah al-Khu'i is of the opinion that the person is Malik ibn al-Harith al-Ashtar on the ground that after the assassination of Malik the situation of the Muslim community was such as Amir al-mu'minin explains in this sermon.

al-Khu'i adds that:

Amir al-mu'minin has praised Malik repeatedly such as in his letter to the people of Egypt sent through Malik when he was made the governor of that place and like his utterances when the news of Malik's assassination reached him he said: "Malik! who is Malik? If Malik was a stone he was hard and solid; if he was a rock he was a great rock which had no parallel. Women have become barren to give birth to such as Malik." Amir al-mu'minin had even expressed in some of his utterances that "Malik was to me as I was to the Holy Prophet." Therefore one who possesses such a position certainly de-


( 219 )

serves such attributes and even beyond that. (Sharh Nahj al-balaghah vol. 14 pp. 374-375)

If these words had been about Caliph 'Umar and there was some trustworthiness about it Ibn Abi'l-Hadid would have recorded the authority or tradition and it would have existed in history and been known among the people. But here nothing is found to prove the statement except a few self-concocted events. Thus about the pronouns in the words "khayraha" and "sharraha" he takes them to refer to the caliphate and writes that these words can apply only to one who enjoys power and authority because without authority it is impossible to establish the sunnah or prevent innovation. This is the gist of the argument he has advanced on this occasion; although there is no proof to establish that the antecedent of this pronoun is the caliphate. It can rather refer to the world (when Amir al-mu'minin says "He achieved good [of this world] and remained safe from its evils.") and that would be in accord with the context. Again to regard authority as a condition for the safeguarding of people's interest and the propagation of the sunnah means to close the door to prompting others to good and dissuading them from evil although Allah has assigned this duty to a group of the people without the condition of authority:

And that there should be among you a group who call (mankind) unto virtue and enjoin what is good and forbid wrong; and these are they who shall be successful. (Qur'an 3:104)

Similarly it is related from the Prophet:

So long as people go on prompting for good and dissuading from evil and assisting each other in virtue and piety they will remain in righteousness.

Again Amir al-mu'minin in the course of a will says in general terms:

Establish the pillars of the Unity of Allah and the sunnah and keep both these lamps aflame.

In these sayings there is no hint that this obligation cannot be discharged without authority. Facts also tell us that (despite army and force and power and authority) the rulers and kings could not prevent evil or propagate virtue to the extent to which some unknown godly persons were


( 220 )

able to inculcate moral values by imprinting their morality on heart and minds although they were not backed by any army or force and they didn't have any equipment save destitution. No doubt authority and control can bend heads down before it but it is not necessary that it should also pave the way for virtue in hearts. History shows that most of the rulers destroyed the features of Islam. Islam's existence and progress has been possible by the efforts of those helpless persons who possessed nothing save poverty and discomfiture.

If it is insisted that the reference here should only be to a ruler then why should it not be taken to mean a companion of Amir al-mu'minin who had been the head of a Province such as Salman al-Farisi for whose burial Amir al-mu'minin went to al-Mada'in; and it is not implausible that Amir al-mu'minin might have uttered these words after his burial by way of comments on his life and way of governance. However to believe that they are about Caliph 'Umar is without any proof. In the end Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has quoted the following statements of (the historian) at-Tabari in proof of his hypothesis:

"It is related from al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah that when Caliph 'Umar died Ibnah Abi Hathmah said crying. "Oh 'Umar you were the man who straightened the curve removed ills destroyed mischief revived the sunnah remained chaste and departed without entangling in evils.' (According to at-Tabari) al-Mughirah related that "When 'Umar was buried I came to 'Ali and I wanted to hear something from him about 'Umar. So on my arrival Amir al-mu'minin came out in this state that was wrapped in one cloth after bathing and was jerking the hair of his head and beard and he had no doubt that the Caliphate would come to him. On this occasion he said "May Allah have mercy on 'Umar." Ibnah Abi Hathmah has correctly said that he enjoyed the good of the Caliphate and remained safe from its evils. By Allah she did not say it herself but was made to say so." (at-Tabari vol. 1 p. 2763; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid vol. 12 p. 5; Ibn Kathir vol. 7 p. 140)

The relater of this event is al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah whose adultery with Umm Jamil the Caliph 'Umar's saving him from the penalty despite the evidence and his openly abusing Amir al-mu'minin in Kufah under Mu'awiyah's behest are admitted facts of history. On this ground what weight his statements can carry is quite clear. From the factual point of view also this story cannot be accepted. Al-Mughirah's statement that Amir al-mu'minin


( 221 )

had no doubt about his Caliphate is against the facts. What were the factors from which he made this guess when the actual facts were to the contrary. If the caliphate was certain for any one it was 'Uthman. Thus at the Consultative Committee 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf said to Amir al-mu'minin: "O' 'Ali! do not create a situation against yourself for I have observed and consulted the people and they all want 'Uthman." (at-Tabari vol. 1 p. 2786; Ibn al-Athir vol. 3 p. 71; Abu'l-Fida' vol. 1 p. 166)

Consequently Amir al-mu'minin was sure not to get the caliphate as has already been stated on the authority of at-Tabari's History under the sermon of the Camel's Foam (ash-Shiqshiqiyyah) namely that on seeing the names of the members of the Consultative Committee Amir al-mu'minin had said to al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib that the caliphate could not be given to anyone except 'Uthman since all the powers had been given to 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf and he was 'Uthman's brother-in-law (sister's husband) and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas was a relative and tribesman of 'Abd ar-Rahman. These two would join in giving the caliphate to him.

At this stage the question arises as to what the reason was that actuated al-Mughirah to prompt Amir al-mu'minin to say something about 'Umar. If he knew that Amir al-mu'minin had good ideas about 'Umar he should have also known his impression; but if he thought that Amir al-mu'minin did not entertain good ideas about him then the purpose of his asking Amir al-mu'minin would be none other than that whatever he may say he would by exposing it create an atmosphere against him and make the members of the Consultative Committee suspicious of him. The views of the members of the Consultative Committee are well understood from the very fact that by putting the condition of following the conduct of the first two Caliphs in electing the caliph they had shown their adherence to them. In these circumstances when al-Mughirah tried to play this trick Amir al-mu'minin said just by way of relating a fact that 'Umar achieved the good (of this world) and remained safe from its evil. This sentence has no connection with praise or eulogy. 'Umar did in his days enjoy all kinds of advantages while his period was free from the mischiefs that cropped up later. After recording this statement Ibn Abi'l-Hadid writes:

From this event the belief gains strength that in this utterance the allusion is towards 'Umar.


( 222 )

If the utterance means the word uttered by Ibnah Abi Hathmah about which Amir al-mu'minin has said that they are not her own heart's voice but she was made to utter them then doubtlessly the reference is to 'Umar but the view that these words were uttered by Amir al-mu'minin in praise of 'Umar is not at all established. Rather from this tradition it is evidently shown that these words were uttered by Ibnah Abi Hathmah. Allah alone knows on what ground the words of Ibnah Abi Hathmah are quoted and then it is daringly argued that these words were uttered by Amir al-mu'minin about 'Umar. It seems Amir al-mu'minin had uttered these words about someone on some occasion then Ibnah Abi Hathmah used similar words on 'Umar's death and then even Amir al-mu'minin's words were taken to be in praise of 'Umar. Otherwise no mind except a mad one can argue that the words uttered by Ibnah Abi Hathmah should be deemed a ground to hold that Amir al-mu'minin said these words in praise of 'Umar. Can it be expected after (a glance at) the sermon of the Camel's Foam that Amir al-mu'minin might have uttered these words. Again it is worth consideration that if these words had been uttered by Amir al-mu'minin on 'Umar's death then at the Consultative Committee when he refused to follow the conduct of the (first) two Caliphs it should have been said to him that only the other day he has said that 'Umar had established the sunnah and banished innovations so that when his conduct was in accord with the sunnah what was the sense in accepting the sunnah but refusing to follow his conduct .

* * * * *