Sermon 151

The condition of the people during disorder, and advice against oppression and unlawful earning

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

يحذر من الفتن

The Two Testimonies

الشهادتان

I praise Allah and seek His help from (what led to the) punishment of Satan and his deceitful acts, and (l seek His) protection from Satan's traps and waylayings. I stand witness that there is no god but Allah and I stand witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) and his chosen and his selected one. Muhammad's (S) distinction cannot be paralleled nor can his loss be made good.

Populated places were brightened through him when previously there was dark misguidance, overpowering ignorance and rude habits, and people regarded unlawful as lawful, humiliated the man of wisdom, passed lives when there were no prophets and died as unbelievers.

وَأَحْمَدُ اللهَ وَأَسْتَعِينُهُ عَلَى مَدَاحِرِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَزَاجِرِهِ، وَالاعْتِصَامِ مِنْ حَبَائِلِهِ وَمَخَاتِلِهِ. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَنَجِيبُهُ وَصَفْوَتُهُ، لاَ يُؤَازَى فَضْلُهُ، وَلاَ يُجْبَرُ فَقْدُهُ، أَضَاءَتْ بِهِ الْبِلاَدُ بَعْدَ الضَّلاَلَةِ الْمُظْلِمَةِ، وَالْجَهَالَةِ الْغَالِبَةِ، وَالْجَفْوَةِ الْجَافِيَةِ، وَالنَّاسُ يَسْتَحلُّونَ الْحَرِيمَ، وَيَسْتَذِلُّونَ الْحَكِيمَ، يَحْيَوْنَ عَلَى فَتْرَة، وَيَمُوتُونَ عَلَى كَفْرَةِ!

Warning against Religious Strife

التحذير من الفتن

You, O people of Arabia, will be victims of calamities which have come near. You should avoid the intoxication of wealth, fear the disasters of chastisement, keep steadfast in the darkness and crookedness of mischief when its hidden nature discloses itself, its secrets become manifest and its axis and the pivot of its rotation gain strength. It begins in imperceptible stages but develops into great hideousness. Its youth is like the youth of an adolescent and its marks are like the marks of beating by stone.

ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ مَعْشَرَ الْعَرَبِ أَغْرَاضُ بَلاَيَا قَدِ اقْتَرَبَتْ، فَاتَّقُوا سَكَرَاتِ النِّعْمَةِ، وَاحْذَرُوا بِوَائِقَ النِّقْمَةِ، وَتَثَبَّتُوا فِي قَتَامِ الْعِشْوَةِ، وَاعْوِجَاجِ الْفِتْنَةِ عِنْدَ طُلُوعِ جَنِينِهَا، وَظُهُورِ كَمِينِهَا، وَانْتِصَابِ قُطْبِهَا، وَمَدَارِ رَحَاهَا. تَبْدَأُ فِي مَدَارِجَ خَفِيَّة، وَتَؤُولُ إِلَى فَظَاعَة جَلِيَّة، شِبَابُهَا كَشِبَابِ الْغُلاَمِ، وَآثَارُهَا كَآثَارِ السِّلاَمِ

Oppressors inherit it by (mutual) agreement. The first of them serves as a leader for the latter one and the latter one follows the first one. They vie with each other in (the matter of) this lowly world, and leap over this stinking carcass. Shortly the follower will denounce his connection with the leader, and the leader with the follower. They will disunite on account of mutual hatred and curse one another when they meet. Then after this there will appear another arouser of mischief who will destroy ruined things. The heart will become wavering after being normal, men will be misled after safety, desires will multiply and become diversified and views will become confused.

يَتَوَارَثُهَا الظَّلَمَةُ بالْعُهُودِ! أَوَّلُهُمْ قَائِدٌ لاِخِرِهِمْ، وَآخِرُهُمْ مُقْتَد بأَوَّلِهِمْ، يَتَنَافَسُونَ في دُنْيا دَنِيَّة، وَيَتَكَالَبُونَ عَلى جِيفَة مُرِيحَة، وَعَنْ قَلِيل يَتَبَرَّأُ التَّابِعُ مِنَ الْمَتْبُوعِ، وَالْقَائِدُ مِنَ الْمَقُودِ، فَيَتَزَايَلُونَ بِالْبِغْضَاءِ، وَيَتَلاَعَنُونَ عِنْدَ اللِّقَاءِ.

ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بَعْدَ ذلِكَ طَالِعُ الْفِتْنَةِ الرَّجُوفِ، وَالْقَاصِمَةِ الزَّحُوفِ، فَتَزِيغُ قُلُوبٌ بَعْدَ اسْتِقَامَة، وَتَضِلُّ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَ سَلاَمَة، وَتَخْتَلِفُ الاَهْوَاءُ عِنْدَ هُجُومِهَا، وَتَلْتَبِسُ الاْرَاءُ عِنْدَ نُجُومِهَا.

Whoever proceeds towards this mischief will be ruined and whoever strives for it will be annihilated. They will be biting each other during it as the wild asses bite each other in the herd. The coils of the rope will be disturbed and the face of affairs will be blinded. During it sagacity will be on the ebb, and the oppressors will (get the opportunity to) speak. This mischief will smash the Bedouins with its hammers and crush them with its chest.

In its dust the single marchers will be lost, and in its way the horsemen will be destroyed. It will approach with the bitterness of destiny and will give pure blood (instead of milk). It will breach the minarets of faith and shatter the ties of firm belief. The wise will run away from it while the wicked will foster it. It will thunder and flash (like lightning). It will create a severe disaster. In it kinship will be forsaken and Islam will be abandoned. He who declaims it will also be affected by it, and he who flees from it will (be forced to) stay in it.

مَنْ أَشْرَفَ لَهَا قَصَمَتْهُ، وَمَنْ سَعَى فِيهَا حَطَمَتْهُ، يَتَكَادَمُونَ فِيهَا تَكَادُمَ الْحُمُرِ فِي الْعَانَةِ! قَدِ اضْطَرَبَ مَعْقُودُ الْحَبْلِ، وَعَمِيَ وَجْهُ الاَْمْرِ، تَغِيضُ فِيهَا الْحِكْمَةُ، وَتَنْطِقُ فِيهَا الظَّلَمَةُ، وَتَدُقُّ أَهْلَ الْبَدْوِ بِمِسْحَلِهَا، وَتَرُضُّهُمْ بِكَلْكَلِهَا! يَضِيعُ فِي غُبَارِهَا الْوُحْدَانُ، وَيَهْلِكُ فِي طَرِيقِهَا الرُّكْبَانُ، تَرِدُ بِمُرِّ الْقَضَاءِ، وَتَحْلُبُ عَبِيطَ الدِّمَاءِ، وَتَثْلِمُ مَنَارَ الدِّينَ، وَتَنْقُضُ عَقْدَ الْيَقِينِ، يَهْرُبُ مِنْهَا الاْكْياسُ، وَيُدَبِّرُهَا الاْرْجَاسُ، مِرْعَادٌ مِبْرَاقٌ، كَاشِفَةٌ عَنْ سَاق! تُقْطَعُ فِيهَا الاَرْحَامُ، وَيُفَارَقُ عَلَيْهَا الاِسْلاَمُ! بَرِيُّهَا سَقِيمٌ، وَظَاعِنُهَا مُقِيمٌ!

A part of the same sermon

Among them some will be unavenged martyrs and some will be stricken with fear and seek protection. They will be deceived by pledges and fraudulent belief. You should not become landmarks of mischiefs and signs of innovations but should adhere to that on which the rope of the community has been wound and on which the pillars of obedience have been founded. Proceed towards Allah as oppressed and do not proceed to Him as oppressors. Avoid the paths of Satan and the places of revolt. Do not put in your bellies unlawful morsels because you are facing Him Who has made disobedience unlawful for you, and made the path of obedience easy for you.

بَيْنَ قَتِيل مَطْلُول، وَخَائِف مُسْتَجِير، يَخْتِلُونَ بِعَقْدِ الاَيمَانِ وَبِغُرُورِ الاْيمَانِ; فَلاَ تَكُونُوا أَنْصَابَ الْفِتَنِ، وَأَعْلاَمَ الْبِدَعِ، وَالْزَمُوا مَا عُقِدَ عَلَيْهِ حَبْلُ الْجَمَاعَةِ، وَبُنِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْكَانُ الطَّاعَةِ، وَاقْدَمُوا عَلَى اللهِ مَظْلُومِينَ، وَلاَ تَقْدَمُوا عَلَيْهِ ظَالِمِينَ، وَاتَّقُوا مَدَارِجَ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَهَابِطَ الْعُدْوَانِ، وَلاَ تُدْخِلُوا بُطُونَكُمْ لُعَقَ الْحَرَامِ، فَإِنَّكُمْ بِعَيْنِ مَنْ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُم الْمَعْصِيَةَ، وَسَهَّلَ لَكُمْ سُبُلَ الطَّاعَةِ.

Alternative Sources for Sermon 151

(1) Al-Sayyid al-Yamani, al-Taraz, I, 334.