Sermon 204

What Amir al-mu'minin said generally to his companions warning them about the dangers of the Day of Judgement

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام)

كان كثيراً ما ينادي به أصحابه

May Allah have mercy on you! Provide yourselves for the journey because the call for departure has been announced. Regard your stay in the world as very short, and return (to Allah) with the best provision that is with you, because surely, in front of you lies a valley, difficult to climb, and places of stay full of fear and dangers.

You have to reach there and stay in them. And know that the eyes of death are approaching towards you. It is as though you are (already) in its talons and it has struck itself against you. Difficult affairs and distressing dangers have crushed you into it. You should therefore cut away all the attachments of this world and assist yourselves with the provision of Allah's fear.

تَجَهَّزُوا رَحِمَكُمُ اللهُ! فَقَدْ نُودِيَ فِيكُمْ بِالرَّحِيلِ، وَأَقِلُّوا الْعُرْجَةَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا، وَانْقَلِبُوا بِصَالِحِ مَا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ مِنَ الزَّادِ، فإنَّ أَمَامَكُمْ عَقَبَةً كَؤُوداً، وَمَنَازِلَ مَخُوفَةً مَهُولَةً، لاَبُدَّ مِنَ الْوُرُودِ عَلَيْهَا، وَالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَهَا. وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مَلاَحِظَ الْمَنِيَّةِ نَحْوَكُمْ دَانِيَةٌ، وَكَأَنَّكُمْ بِمَخَالِبِهَا وَقَدْ نَشِبَتْ فِيكُمْ، وَقَدْ دَهَمَتْكُمْ فِيهَا مُفْظِعَاتُ الاْمُورِ، وَمُعْضِلاَتُ الْـمَحْذُورِ. فَقَطِّعُوا عَلاَئِقَ الدُّنْيَا، وَاسْتَظْهِرُوا بِزَادِ التَّقْوَى.

As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: A part of this saying has been quoted before through another narration.

وقد مضى شيء من هذا الكلام فيما تقدم، بخلاف هذه الرواية.

Alternative Sources for Sermon 204

(1) Al-Saduq, al-'Amali, majlis 75;

(2) al-Mufid, al-Majalis, 116;

(3) al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 110;

(4) al-Tabarsi, Mishkat, 275.