Sermon 240
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.
ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) يحثّ فيه أصحابه على الجهاد وَاللهُ مُسْتأْدِيكُمْ شُكْرَهُ، وَمُوَرِّثُكُمْ أَمْرَهُ، وَمُمْهِلُكُمْ فِي مِضْمار مَحْدُود، لِتَتَنَازَعُوا سَبَقَهُ، فَشدُّوا عُقَدَ الْمَـآزِرِ، وَاطْوُوا فُضُولَ الْخَوَاصِر، وَلاَ تَجْتَمِعُ عَزِيمَةٌ وَوَلِيمَةٌ، وَمَا أَنْقَضَ النَّوْمَ لِعَزَائِمِ الْيَوْمِ،أَمحَى الظُّلَمَ لِتَذَاكِيرِ الْهِمَمِ!
Sermon 239
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...

