Nahj Al Balaghah

8/17/2019 Nahj Al Balaghah

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Sermon 1

In this sermon he recalls the creation of Earth and Sky and the birth

of Adam

Prai se i s due t o Al l ah whose wor t h cannot be descr i bed by speaker s,whose bount i es cannot be count ed by cal cul at or s and whose cl ai m ( t o

obedi ence) cannot be sat i sf i ed by t hose who at t empt t o do so, whomt he

hei ght of i nt el l ect ual cour age cannot appr eci at e, and t he di vi ngs of

under st andi ng cannot r each; He f or whose descr i pt i on no l i mi t has been

l ai d down, no eul ogy exi st s, no t i me i s ordai ned and no dur at i on i s

f i xed. He br ought f or t h cr eat i on t hr ough Hi s Omni pot ence, di sper sed

wi nds t hr ough Hi s Compassi on, and made f i r m t he shaki ng ear t h wi t h

r ocks.

The f or emost i n r el i gi on i s t he acknowl edgement of Hi m, t he per f ect i onof acknowl edgi ng Hi m i s t o t est i f y Hi m, t he per f ect i on of t est i f yi ng

Hi m i s t o bel i eve i n Hi s Oneness, t he per f ect i on of bel i evi ng i n Hi s

Oneness i s t o r egar d Hi m Pur e, and t he per f ect i on of Hi s pur i t y i s t o

deny Hi m at t r i but es, because ever y at t r i but e i s a pr oof t hat i t i s

di f f er ent f r om t hat t o whi ch i t i s at t r i but ed and ever yt hi ng t o whi ch

somet hi ng i s at t r i but ed i s di f f er ent f r om t he at t r i but e. Thus whoever

at t aches at t r i but es t o Al l ah r ecogni ses Hi s l i ke, and who r ecogni ses

Hi s l i ke r egar ds Hi m t wo; and who r egar ds Hi m t wo r ecogni ses par t s f or

Hi m; and who r ecogni ses part s f or Hi m mi st ook Hi m; and who mi st ook Hi m

poi nt ed at Hi m; and who poi nt ed at Hi m admi t t ed l i mi t at i ons f or Hi m;and who admi t t ed l i mi t at i ons f or Hi m numbered Hi m.

Whoever sai d i n what i s He, hel d t hat He i s cont ai ned; and whoever sai d

on what i s He hel d He i s not on somethi ng el se. He i s a Bei ng but not

t hr ough phenomenon of comi ng i nt o bei ng. He exi st s but not f r om non-

exi st ence. He i s wi t h ever yt hi ng but not i n physi cal near ness. He i s

di f f er ent f r om ever yt hi ng but not i n physi cal separ at i on. He act s but

wi t hout connot at i on of movement s and i nst r ument s. He sees even when

t her e i s none t o be l ooked at f r om among Hi s cr eat i on. He i s onl y One,

such t hat t here i s none wi t h whom He may keep company or whom He maymi ss i n hi s absence.

The Creation of the Universe

He i ni t i at ed creat i on most i ni t i al l y and commenced i t or i gi nal l y,

wi t hout under goi ng r ef l ect i on, wi t hout maki ng use of any exper i ment ,

wi t hout i nnovat i ng any movement , and wi t hout exper i enci ng any



aspi r at i on of mi nd. He al l ot t ed al l t hi ngs t hei r t i mes, put t oget her

t hei r var i at i ons gave them t hei r pr oper t i es, and det er mi ned t hei r

f eat ur es knowi ng t hem bef or e creat i ng t hem, r eal i si ng f ul l y t hei r

l i mi t s and conf i nes and appr eci at i ng t hei r pr opensi t i es and

i nt r i caci es.

When Al mi ght y cr eat ed t he openi ngs of atmosphere, expanse of f i r mamentand st r ata of wi nds, He f l owed i nt o i t water whose waves were st ormy

and whose sur ges l eapt one over t he ot her . He l oaded i t on dashi ng wi nd

and br eaki ng t yphoons, or der ed t hem t o shed i t back ( as r ai n) , gave t he

wi nd cont r ol over t he vi gour of t he r ai n, and acquai nt ed i t wi t h i t s

l i mi t at i ons. The wi nd bl ew under i t whi l e wat er f l owed f ur i ousl y over

i t .

Then Al mi ght y cr eated f or t h wi nd and made i t s movement st er i l e,

per pet uat ed i t s posi t i on, i nt ensi f i ed i t s mot i on and spr ead i t f ar and

wi de. Then He ordered t he wi nd t o r ai se up deep waters and t o i nt ensi f yt he waves of t he oceans. So t he wi nd chur ned i t l i ke t he chur ni ng of

cur d and pushed i t f i er cel y i nt o t he f i r mament t hr owi ng i t s f r ont

posi t i on on t he r ear and t he st at i onar y on t he f l owi ng t i l l i t s l evel

was r ai sed and t he sur f ace was f ul l of f oam. Then Al mi ght y rai sed t he

f oam on t o t he open wi nd and vast f i r mament and made theref r om t he

seven ski es and made t he l ower one as a st at i onary sur ge and the upper

one as pr ot ect i ve cei l i ng and a hi gh edi f i ce wi t hout any pol e t o

suppor t i t or nai l t o hol d i t t oget her . Then He decor at ed t hem wi t h

st ar s and t he l i ght of met eor s and hung i n i t t he shi ni ng sun and

ef f ul gent moon under t he revol vi ng sky, movi ng cei l i ng and r ot at i ng

f i r mament .

The Creation of the Angels

Then He cr eated t he openi ngs bet ween hi gh ski es and f i l l ed t hemwi t h

al l cl asses of Hi s angel s. Some of t hem ar e i n pr ost r at i on and do not

kneel up. Ot her s i n kneel i ng posi t i on and do not st and up. Some of t hem

ar e i n ar r ay and do not l eave t hei r posi t i on. Ot her s ar e ext ol l i ng

Al l ah and do not get t i r ed. The sl eep of t he eye or t he sl i p of wi t , or

l anguor of t he body or t he ef f ect of f or get f ul ness does not ef f ectt hem.

Among t hem are those who work as t r ust ed bearers of Hi s message, t hose

who serve as speaki ng t ongues f or Hi s pr ophets and those who carr y t o

and f r o Hi s order s and i nj unct i ons. Among t hem ar e t he pr ot ect or s of

Hi s cr eat ur es and guards of t he door s of t he gardens of Par adi se. Among



t hem ar e those al so whose st eps ar e f i xed on ear t h but t hei r necks ar e

pr ot r udi ng i nt o t he ski es, t hei r l i mbs ar e get t i ng out on al l si des,

t hei r shoul der s are i n accor d wi t h t he col umns of t he Di vi ne Thr one,

t hei r eyes ar e downcast bef or e i t , t hey have spr ead down t hei r wi ngs

under i t and they have r endered between themsel ves and al l el se

cur t ai ns of honour and screens of power . They do not t hi nk of t hei rCr eat or t hr ough i mage, do not i mput e t o Hi m at t r i but es of t he cr eat ed,

do not conf i ne Hi m wi t hi n abodes and do not poi nt at Hi m t hr ough

i l l ust r at i ons.

Description of the Creation of Adam

Al l ah col l ect ed f r om har d, sof t , sweet and sour ear t h, cl ay whi ch He

dr i pped i n wat er t i l l i t got pur e, and kneaded i t wi t h moi st ur e t i l l i t

became gl uey. Fr om i t He car ved an i mage wi t h cur ves, j oi nt s, l i mbs and

segment s. He sol i di f i ed i t t i l l i t dr i ed up f or a f i xed t i me and a

known dur at i on. Then He bl ew i nt o i t out of Hi s Spi r i t wher eupon i tt ook t he pat t ern of a human bei ng wi t h mi nd t hat governs hi m,

i nt el l i gence whi ch he makes use of , l i mbs t hat serve hi m, or gans t hat

change hi s posi t i on, sagaci t y t hat di f f er ent i at es bet ween t r ut h and

unt r ut h, t ast es and smel l s, col our s and speci es. He i s a mi xt ur e of

cl ays of di f f er ent col our s, cohesi ve mat er i al s, di ver gent

cont r adi ctor i es and di f f er i ng pr oper t i es l i ke heat , col d, sof t ness and

hardness.

Then Al l ah asked t he angel s t o f ul f i l Hi s promi se wi t h t hem and t o

accompl i sh t he pl edge of Hi s i nj unct i on t o t hem by acknowl edgi ng Hi mt hr ough pr ost r at i on t o Hi m and submi ssi on t o Hi s honour ed posi t i on. So

Al l ah sai d:

"Be prostrate towards Adam and they prostrated except Iblis ( Sat an) . "

( Qur ' an, 2: 34; 7: 11; 17: 61; 18: 50; 20: 116)

Sel f - i mpor t ance wi t hhel d hi m and vi ce over came hi m. So that he t ook

pr i de i n hi s own cr eat i on wi t h f i r e and t r eat ed cont empt uousl y t he

creat i on of cl ay. So Al l ah al l owed hi m t i me i n or der t o l et hi m f ul l y

deserve Hi s wr at h, and t o compl et e ( man' s) t est and t o f ul f i l t he

pr omi se ( He had made t o Satan) . Thus, He sai d:

"Verily you have been allowed time till the known Day. " ( Qur ' an,

15: 38; 38: 81)

Ther eaf t er , Al l ah i nhabi t ed Adam ( p. b. u. h. ) i n a house wher e He made

hi s l i f e pl easant and hi s st ay saf e, and He caut i oned hi m of I bl i s and



Then Al l ah chose f or Muhammmad, peace be upon hi m and on hi s progeny,

t o meet Hi m, sel ect ed hi m f or Hi s own near ness, r egar ded hi m t oo

di gni f i ed t o r emai n i n t hi s wor l d and deci ded t o r emove hi m f r om t hi s

pl ace of t r i al . So He dr ew hi m t owar ds Hi msel f wi t h honour . Al l ah may

shower Hi s bl essi ng on hi m, and hi s pr ogeny.

The Holy Qur'an and Sunnah

But t he Pr ophet l ef t among you t he same whi ch ot her Prophet s l ef t among

t hei r peopl es, because Pr ophet s do not l eave t hem unt ended ( i n dar k)

wi t hout a cl ear path and a st andi ng ensi gn, namel y t he Book of your

Cr eat or cl ar i f yi ng i t s per mi ssi on and pr ohi bi t i ons, i t s obl i gat i ons and

di scret i on, i t s r epeal i ng i nj unct i ons and t he r epeal ed ones, i t s

per mi ssi bl e mat t er s and compul sory ones, i t s par t i cul ar s and t he

gener al ones, i t s l essons and i l l ust r at i ons, i t s l ong and t he shor t

ones, i t s cl ear and obscur e ones, det ai l i ng i t s abbr evi at i ons and

cl ar i f yi ng i t s obscur i t i es .

I n i t t here ar e some ver ses whose knowl edge [ 1] i s obl i gat or y and

ot her s whose i gnor ance by t he peopl e i s per mi ssi bl e. I t al so cont ai ns

what appear s t o be obl i gatory accordi ng t o the Book [ 2] but i t s r epeal

i s si gni f i ed by t he Pr ophet ' s act i on ( sunnah) or t hat whi ch appear s

compul sory accor di ng t o t he Prophet ' s act i on but t he Book al l ows not

f ol l owi ng i t . Or t her e ar e t hose whi ch ar e obl i gat or y i n a gi ven t i me

but not so af t er t hat t i me. I t s pr ohi bi t i ons al so di f f er . Some ar e

maj or r egar di ng whi ch t her e exi st s t he t hr eat of f i r e ( Hel l ) , and

ot her s are mi nor f or whi ch t her e ar e pr ospect s of f or gi veness. Ther ear e al so t hose of whi ch a smal l por t i on i s al so accept abl e ( t o Al l ah)

but t hey are capabl e of bei ng expanded.

In this very sermon he spoke about Hajj

Al l ah has made obl i gatory upon you t he pi l gr i mage (hajj) t o Hi s sacr ed

House whi ch i s t he t ur ni ng poi nt f or t he peopl e who go t o i t as beast s

or pi geons go t owar ds spr i ng wat er . Al l ah t he gl or i f i ed made i t a si gn

of t hei r suppl i cat i on bef or e Hi s Gr eat ness and thei r acknowl edgement of

Hi s Di gni t y. He sel ect ed f r om among Hi s cr eat i on t hose who on l i st eni ng

t o Hi s cal l r esponded t o i t and t est i f i ed Hi s wor d. They st ood i n t he

posi t i on of Hi s Pr ophet s and r esembl ed Hi s angel s who sur r ound t he

Di vi ne Thr one secur i ng al l t he benef i t s of per f or mi ng Hi s wor shi p and

hast eni ng t owar ds Hi s pr omi sed f or gi veness. Al l ah t he gl or i f i ed made i t

( Hi s sacr ed House) an embl em f or I sl am and an obj ect of r espect f or

t hose who t ur n t o i t . He made obl i gat or y i t s pi l gr i mage and l ai d down

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i t s cl ai m f or whi ch He hel d you r esponsi bl e t o di schar ge i t . Thus,

Al l ah t he gl or i f i ed sai d:

". . .And (purely) for Allah, is incumbent upon mankind, the pilgrimage

to the House, for those who can afford to journey thither. And whoever

denieth then verily, Allah is Selfsufficiently independent of the

worlds" ( Qur ' an, 3: 96) .

Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . "The f or emost i n r el i gi on ( din) i s Hi s knowl edge. " The l i t er al

meani ng of din i s obedi ence, and i t s popul ar sense i s code, whet her

l i t er al sense i s t aken or t he popul ar one, i n ei t her case, i f t he mi nd

i s devoi d of any concept i on of Di vi ni t y, t her e woul d be no quest i on of

obedi ence, nor of f ol l owi ng any code; because when t her e i s no ai m

t her e i s no poi nt i n advanci ng t owar ds i t ; wher e t her e i s no obj ect i n

vi ew t her e i s no sense i n maki ng ef f or t s t o achi eve i t . Never t hel ess,when t he nat ur e and gui di ng f acul t y of man br i ng hi m i n cont act wi t h a

super i or Aut hor i t y and hi s t ast e f or obedi ence and i mpul se of

submi ssi on subj ugat es hi m bef or e a Dei t y, he f i nds hi msel f bound by

cer t ai n l i mi t at i ons as agai nst abj ect f r eedom of act i vi t y. These ver y

l i mi t at i ons ar e din ( Rel i gi on) whose poi nt of commencement i s knowl edge

of Al l ah and acknowl edgement of Hi s Bei ng.

Af t er poi nt i ng out t he essent i al s of Di vi ne knowl edge Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

has descr i bed i t s i mpor t ant const i t uent s and condi t i ons. He has hel d

t hose st ages of such knowl edge whi ch peopl e general l y regard as t hepoi nt of hi ghest appr oach t o be i nsuf f i ci ent . He says t hat i t s f i r st

st age i s t hat wi t h t he nat ur al sense of sear ch f or t he unknown and t he

gui dance of consci ence or on hear i ng f r om t he f ol l ower s of r el i gi ons an

i mage of t he Unseen Bei ng known as Al l ah i s f ormed i n the mi nd. Thi s

i mage i n f act i s t he f or er unner of t he obl i gat i on t o t hi nki ng and

r ef l ect i on and t o seeki ng Hi s knowl edge. But t hose who l ove i dl eness,

or ar e under pr essur e of envi r onment , do not under t ake t hi s sear ch

despi t e cr eat i on of such i mage and t he i mage f ai l s t o get t est i f i ed. I n

t hi s case t hey r emai n depr i ved of Di vi ne knowl edge, and si nce t hei r

i naccess t o t he st age of t est i f yi ng af t er t he f or mat i on of i mage i s byvol i t i on t hey deserve t o be quest i oned about i t . But one who i s moved

by t he power of t hi s i mage goes f ur t her and consi der s t hi nki ng and

r ef l ect i on necessar y.

I n t hi s way one r eaches t he next st age i n t he at t ai nment of Di vi ne

knowl edge, namel y t o sear ch f or t he Cr eat or t hr ough di ver si f i cat i on of

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r el at i onshi p t o al l creat or s. Thi s i s because al l t he creat i on shoul d

have one and t he same r el at i onshi p t o al l t he cr eat or s as al l t he

cr eat ed i n t hei r capaci t y t o accept ef f ect and al l t he creat or s i n

t hei r capaci t y t o pr oduce ef f ect shoul d be si mi l ar . I n shor t t her e i s

no way but t o acknowl edge Hi m as One because i n bel i evi ng i n numerous

cr eat or s t her e r emai ns no possi bi l i t y of t he exi st ence of any ot hert hi ng, and dest r uct i on pr oves i mpl i ci t f or t he ear t h, t he sky and

ever yt hi ng i n cr eat i on. Al l ah t he gl or i f i ed has expr essed t hi s argument

i n t he f ol l owi ng wor ds:

"Had there been in (the heavens and the earth [other] ) gods except

Allah, they both had been in disorder. . ." ( Qur ' an, 21: 22) .

The f our t h st age i s t hat Al l ah shoul d be r egar ded f r ee of al l def ect s

and def i ci enci es, and devoi d of body, f or m, i l l ust r at i on, si mi l ar i t y,posi t i on of pl ace or t i me, mot i on, st i l l ness, i ncapabi l i t y and

i gnor ance because ther e can be no def i ci ency or def ect i n t he per f ect

Bei ng nor can anyone be deemed l i ke Hi m because al l t hese at t r i but es

br i ng down a bei ng f r om t he hi gh posi t i on of t he Cr eat or t o t he l ow

posi t i on of t he cr eat ed. That i s why al ong wi t h Uni t y, Al l ah has hel d

pur i t y f r om def i ci ency of equal i mpor t ance.

"Say: 'He (Allah) is One (alone).

Allah, the needless.

He begetteth not, nor is He begotten.

And there is none like unto Him" ( Qur ' an, 112: 1- 4) .

"Vision perceiveth Him not, and He perceiveth (all) vision; He is the

Subtle, the All-aware" ( Qur ' an, 6: 104) .

"So coin ye not any similitudes to Allah; verily Allah knoweth (every

thing) and ye know not." ( Qur ' an, 16: 74) .

". . .Nothing whatsoever (is there) like the like of Him; and He(alone) is the All-hearing and the All-seeing." ( Qur ' an, 42: 11)

The f i f t h st age of compl et i ng Hi s Knowl edge i s t hat at t r i but es shoul d

not be put i n Hi m f r om out si de l est t her e be dual i t y i n Hi s Oneness,

and devi at i ng f r om i t s pr oper connot at i on Uni t y may f al l i n t he

l abyr i nt h of one i n t hr ee and t hr ee i n one, because Hi s Bei ng i s not a

combi nat i on of essence and f or m so t hat at t r i but e may cl i ng t o Hi m l i ke



smel l i n t he f l ower s or br i ght ness i n t he st ar s. Rat her , He i s t he

f ount ai n head of al l at t r i but es and needs no medi um f or mani f est at i on

of Hi s per f ect At t r i but es. I f He i s named Omni sci ent i t i s because t he

si gns of hi s knowl edge ar e mani f est . I f He i s cal l ed Omni pot ent i t i s

because ever y par t i cl e poi nt s t o Hi s Omni pot ence and Act i vi t y, and i f

t o Hi m i s at t r i but ed t he power t o l i st en or t o see i t i s because t hecohesi on of t he ent i r e cr eat i on and i t s admi ni st r at i on cannot be done

wi t hout hear i ng or seei ng but t he exi st ence of t hese at t r i but es i n Hi m

cannot be hel d t o be i n t he same way as i n the cr eat i on namel y t hat He

shoul d be capabl e to know onl y af t er He acqui r es knowl edge or He shoul d

be power f ul and st r ong onl y af t er ener gy runs i nt o Hi s l i mbs because

t aki ng at t r i but es as separ at e f r om Hi s Bei ng woul d connot e dual i t y and

wher e t her e i s dual i t y uni t y di sappear s.

That i s how Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has r ej ect ed t he i dea of at t r i but es bei ng

addi t i on t o Hi s Bei ng, pr esent ed Uni t y i n i t s t r ue si gni f i cance, and

di d not al l ow Uni t y t o be t ai nt ed wi t h st ai ns of mul t i pl i ci t y. Thi s

does not mean t hat adj ect i ves cannot at al l be at t r i but ed t o Hi m, as

t hi s woul d be gi vi ng suppor t t o t hose who ar e gr opi ng i n t he dar k abyss

of negat i vi sm, al t hough ever y nook and comer i n t he ent i r e exi st ence i s

br i mmi ng wi t h Hi s at t r i but es and ever y par t i cl e of cr eat i on st ands

wi t ness t hat He has knowl edge, He i s power f ul , He hear s, He sees. He

nur t ur es under Hi s care and al l ows gr owt h under Hi s mercy. The

i nt ent i on i s t hat f or Hi m not hi ng can be suggest ed t o serve as an

adj unct t o Hi m, because Hi s sel f i ncl udes at t r i but es and Hi s at t r i but es

connot e Hi s Sel f .

Let us l ear n t hi s ver y t heme i n t he wor ds of al - I mam Abu `Abdi l l ah

J a`f ar i bn Muhammmad as- Sadi q ( p. b. u. h. ) compar i ng i t wi t h t he bel i ef

i n Uni t y adopt ed by ot her r el i gi ons and t hen appr eci at e who i s t he

exponent of t he t r ue concept of Uni t y.

The I mam says:

"Our Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, t he Magni f i cent has ever had knowl edge as Hi s

Sel f even t hough t her e was not hi ng t o know, si ght as Hi s Sel f even

t hough t here was nothi ng t o know, si ght as Hi s Sel f even t hough t herewas nothi ng t o behol d, hear i ng as Hi s Sel f even t hough t here was

nothi ng t o hear , and Pot ence as Hi s Sel f even t hough t here was nothi ng

t o be under Hi s Potence. When He creat ed t he thi ngs and t he obj ect of

knowl edge came i nt o exi st ence Hi s knowl edge became r el ated t o t he

known, hear i ng r el at ed t o t he hear d, si ght r el at ed t o t he seen, and



pot ence r el at ed t o i t s obj ect . " ( at-Tawhid by ash- Shaykh as- Saduq,

p. 139)

Thi s i s t he bel i ef over whi ch t he I mams of t he Pr ophet ' s f ami l y ar e

unani mous, but t he maj or i t y gr oup has adopt ed a di f f erent cour se by

cr eat i ng t he i dea of di f f er ent i at i on bet ween Hi s Sel f and At t r i but es.

ash- Shahr i st ani says on page 42 of hi s book Kitab al-milal wa'n-nihal:

Accor di ng t o Abu' l - Hasan al - Ash`ar i , Al l ah knows t hr ough ( t he at t r i but e

of ) knowl edge, i s Power f ul t hr ough act i vi t y, speaks t hr ough speech,

hear s t hr ough hear i ng and sees t hr ough si ght .

I f we r egar d at t r i but es di st i nct f r om Sel f i n t hi s manner t her e woul d

be t wo al t er nat i ves; ei t her t he at t r i but es must have exi st ed i n Hi m

f r om ever or t hey must have occur r ed l at er . I n t he f i r st case we have

t o r ecogni se as many et er nal obj ect s as t he at t r i but es whi ch al l wi l l

shar e wi t h Hi m i n bei ng et er nal , but "Al l ah i s above what t he peopl edeem Hi m t o have equal s. " I n t he second case i n addi t i on t o subj ect i ng

Hi m t o t he al t er nat i ons i t woul d al so mean t hat bef or e t he acqui r i ng of

t he at t r i but es He was nei t her sci ent , nor power f ul , nor hear er nor

behol der and t hi s r uns count er t o t he basi c t enet of I sl am.

". . . Allah hath decreed trade lawful and hath forbidden interest. .

." ( Qur ' an, 2: 275)

"And when you have finished the prayer remember Allah standing, and

sitting, and reacting, and when ye are secure (from danger) establish

prayer . . ." ( Qur ' an, 4: 103)

"O' ye men! eat of what is in the earth lawful and good and follow not

the foot-steps of Satan; for verily he is an open enemy unto you."

( Qur ' an, 2: 168)

"(And) say thou:'I am only a man like you, it is revealed unto me that

your god is but one God, therefore whosoever desireth to meet his Lord,

let him do good deeds, and associate not any one in the worship of his

Lord'." ( Qur ' an, 18: 110)

"What! enjoin ye upon the people righteousness and ye forget your own

selves? Yet ye read the scripture? What: do ye not understand?"

( Qur ' an, 2: 44) .



"So we made it a lesson for (those of) their own times and for those

(of their posterity) who came after them and an exhortation unto those

who guard (themselves) against evil." ( Qur ' an, 2: 66)

"He it is Who fashioneth you in the wombs (of your mot hers) as He

liketh; There is no god but He, the All-mighty, the All-wise." ( Qur ' an,

3: 5)

"Obedience and a fair word; but when the affair is determined then if

they be true to Allah, it would certainly be better for them." ( Qur ' an,

47: 21)

"O' those who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women

against their will; and do not straiten them in order that ye may take

a part of what ye have given, unless they are guilty of manifest

lewdness; but deal kindly with them, and if ye hate them, it may be

that ye hate a thing while Allah hath placed in it abundant good." ( Qur ' an, 4: 19)

"Say thou (unt o t he peopl e of t he Book), 'Dispute ye with us about

Allah; whereas He is our Lord and your Lord, and for us are our deeds

and for you are your deeds; to Him (al one) we are (excl usi vel y) loyal?"

( Qur ' an, 2: 139)

"Ther e i s a l esson i n i t f or hi m who f ear s Al l ah, " and i l l ust r at i on as

"The exampl e of t hose who spend t hei r weal t h i n t he way of Al l ah i s

l i ke a gr ai n whi ch gr ows seven ear s each one of whi ch bear s hundr ed

gr ai ns. " I t has unspeci f i c and speci f i c ver ses. Unspeci f i c i s one whi chhas no l i mi t at i on on speci f i cat i on such as "Recal l when Moses t ol d hi s

peopl e ' Al l ah commands you t o sacr i f i ce a cow. ' "

Speci f i c i s one wher e denot at i on i s l i mi t ed such as Al l ah says t hat

" t he cow shoul d be such that i t has nei t her been used f or pl oughi ng nor

f or i r r i gat i on f i el ds. " Ther e i s cl ear and obscur e i n i t . Cl ear i s that

whi ch has no i nt r i cacy such as "Ver i l y Al l ah has sway over ever ythi ng, "

whi l e obscur e i s t hat whose meani ng has compl i cat i on such as " t he

Merci f ul ( Al l ah) occupi es t he t hr one, " whose appar ent meani ng gi ves t he

i mpr essi on as i f Al l ah i s bodi l y si t t i ng on t he Thr one al t hough t hei nt ent i on i s t o pr ess Hi s aut hor i t y and cont r ol . I n i t t her e ar e br i ef

i nj unct i ons such as " est abl i sh pr ayer " and t hose of deep meani ngs such

as t he ver ses about whi ch says:

"That t he sense i s not known except t o Al l ah and those i mmersed i n

knowl edge. " Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n di l ates upon t hi s t heme i n a



di f f er ent st yl e, he says t hat t her e ar e some t hi ngs i n i t whi ch ar e

necessary t o know, such as "So know t hat t here i s no god but Al l ah" and

t here ar e ot hers whi ch ar e not necessary t o know such as "alif lam mim"

et c. I t has al so i nj unct i ons whi ch have been r epeal ed by the Prophet ' s

act i on such as "As f or your women who commi t adul t ery get f our mal e

wi t nesses and i f f our wi t nesses do appear shut such women i n t he houset i l l deat h ends t hei r l i f e. " Thi s puni shment was cur r ent i n ear l y I sl am

but was l at er r epl aced by st oni ng i n t he case of mar r i ed women. I n i t

t her e ar e some i nj unct i ons whi ch r epeal ed t he Prophet ' s act i on such as

"Tur n your f ace t owar ds Masj i d al - har am" by whi ch t he i nj unct i on f or

f aci ng Bayt al - maqdi s was r epeal ed. I t al so cont ai ns i nj unct i ons whi ch

ar e obl i gat or y onl y at a par t i cul ar t i me af t er whi ch t hei r obl i gat i on

ends, such as"when t he cal l f or pr ayer i s made on Fr i day t hen hast en

t owar ds r emembr ance of Al l ah. " I t has al so i ndi cat ed gr ades of

pr ohi bi t i ons as t he di vi si on of si ns i nt o l i ght and ser i ous ones -

l i ght such as "Tel l t he bel i ever s t o l ower t hei r eyes" and ser i ous onessuch as " whoever ki l l s a Bel i ever wi l f ul l y hi s awar d i s t o r emai n i n

Hel l f or ever . " I t al so cont ai ns i nj unct i ons wher e a l i t t l e per f or mance

i s enough but t her e i s scope f or f ur t her per f or mance such as " Read t he

Qur ' an as much as you easi l y can. "

"Verily your Lord, certainly is He the All-mighty, the All-merciful."

( Qur ' an, 26: 9)

"Say thou ( O' Our Pr ophet Muhammmad) unto the believer men that they

cast down their gaze and guard their private parts; that is purer for

them; verily Allah is All-aware of what ( al l ) ye do." ( Qur ' an, 24: 30)

"Not equal are those of the believers who sit ( hol di ng back) other than

those hurt, and those who strive in the way of Allah with their wealth

and their selves ( l i ves) . Allah hath raised the strivers with their

wealth and selves ( l i ves) , in rank above those sitting ( hol di ng back) ;

Unto all ( i n f ai th) Allah hath promised good; but those who strive, He

hath distinguished above those who sit ( hol di ng [ by] ) a great

recompense." ( Qur ' an, 4: 95)

"Verily, thy Lord knowest that thou standest up ( i n t he Ni ght Pr ayer ) night two-third of the night, and ( somet i mes) half of it, and

( somet i mes) a third of it, and a group of those with thee; and Allah

measureth ( wel l ) the night and the day; Knoweth He that never can ye

take (correct) account of it, so turneth He unto you ( mer ci f ul l y) so

recite ye whatever be easy ( i n t he pr ayer s) to be read of the Qur'an;

Knoweth He that there may be among you sick, and others travelling in



the earth seeking of the grace of Allah, and others fighting in the way

of Allah, so recite ye as much as it can easily be done of it, and

establish ye the ( r egul ar ) prayers, and pay ye the ( pr escr i bed) poor-

rate, and offer ye unto Allah a goodly loan; and whatsoever of good ye

send on before hand for yourselves, ye will ( sur el y) find it with

Allah, that is the best and the greatest recompense; and seek ye theforgiveness of Allah; Verily, Allah is Oft-forgiving, the Most

Merciful." ( Qur ' an, 73: 20)

*****

Sermon 2

Delivered on return from Siffin. Arabia before proclamation of Prophet

Hood

I pr ai se Al l ah seeki ng compl et i on of Hi s Bl essi ng, submi t t i ng t o Hi s

Gl or y and expect i ng saf et y f r om commi t t i ng Hi s si ns. I i nvoke Hi s hel p

bei ng i n need of Hi s Suf f i ci ency ( of pr ot ect i on) . He whom He gui des

does not get ast r ay, He wi t h whom He i s host i l e get s no pr ot ect i on. He

whom He suppor t s does not r emai n needy. Prai se i s most wei ght y of al l

t hat i s wei ghed and t he most val uabl e of al l t hat i s t r easur ed.

I st and wi t ness t hat t her e i s no god but Al l ah t he One. He has no l i ke.

My t est i mony has been t est ed i n i t s f r ankness, and i t s essence i s our

bel i ef . We shal l cl i ng t o i t f or ever t i l l we l i ve and shal l st or e i t

f aci ng t he t r i bul at i ons t hat over t ake us because i t i s t he f oundat i on

st one of Bel i ef (iman) and t he f i r st st ep t owar ds good act i ons and

Di vi ne pl easure. I t i s t he means t o keep Sat an away.

I al so st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) i s Hi s sl ave and

Hi s Pr ophet . Al l ah sent hi m wi t h t he i l l ust r i ous rel i gi on, ef f ecti ve

embl em, wr i t t en Book, [ 1] ef f ul gent l i ght , spar kl i ng gl eam and deci si ve

i nj unct i on i n or der t o di spel doubt s, pr esent cl ear pr oof s, admi ni st er

warni ng t hr ough si gns and t o warn of puni shment s. At t hat t i me peopl e

had f al l en i n vi ces wher eby t he rope of r el i gi on had been br oken, t he

pi l l ar s of bel i ef had been shaken, pr i nci pl es had been sacr i l eged,

syst em had become topsy t ur vy, openi ngs were nar r ow, passage was dark,

gui dance was unknown and dar kness pr evai l ed.





Al l ah was bei ng di sobeyed, Satan was gi ven support and Bel i ef had been

f or saken. As a r esul t t he pi l l ar s of r el i gi on f el l down, i t s t r aces

coul d not be di scerned, i t s passages had been dest r oyed and i t s st r eet s

had f al l en i nt o decay. Peopl e obeyed Sat an and t r eaded hi s pat hs. They

sought wat er f r om hi s wat er i ng pl aces. Thr ough t hem Sat an' s embl ems got

f l yi ng and hi s st andar d was r ai sed i n vi ces whi ch t r ampl ed t he peopl eunder t hei r hoof s, and t r eaded upon t hem wi t h t hei r f eet . The vi ces

st ood on t hei r t oes ( i n f ul l st at ur e) and t he peopl e i mmer sed i n t hem

were st r ayed, perpl exed, i gnorant and seduced as t hough i n a good

house[ 2] wi t h bad nei ghbour s. I nst ead of sl eep t hey had wakef ul ness and

f or ant i mony t hey had t ear s i n t he eyes. They were i n a l and where the

l ear ned wer e i n br i dl e ( keepi ng t hei r mout hs shut ) whi l e t he i gnor ant

wer e honour ed.

I n t he same ser mon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n ref er r ed to Al an- Nabi ( t he

Househol d of t he Hol y Pr ophet ) as under :

They ar e t he t r ust ees of Hi s secr et s, shel t er f or Hi s af f ai r s, sour ce

of knowl edge about Hi m, cent r e of Hi s wi sdom, val l eys f or Hi s books and

mount ai ns of Hi s r el i gi on. Wi t h t hem Al l ah st r ai ght ened t he bend of

r el i gi on' s back and r emoved t he t r embl i ng of i t s l i mbs.

I n the same Sermon he spoke about t he hypocr i t es

They sowed vi ces, wat er ed t hem wi t h decept i on and har vest ed

dest r uct i on.

( Al u Muhammad)

None i n t he I sl ami c communi t y can be t aken at par wi t h t he Pr ogeny[ 3]

of t he Pr ophet ( Al u Muhammad) . One who was under t hei r obl i gat i on

cannot be matched wi t h them. They are t he f oundat i on of r el i gi on and

pi l l ar of Bel i ef . The f or war d r unner has t o t ur n back t o t hem whi l e t he

f ol l ower has t o over t ake t hem. They possess t he chi ef char act er i st i cs

f or vi ceger ency. I n t hei r f avour exi st s t he wi l l and successi on ( of t he

Pr ophet ) . Thi s i s t he t i me when r i ght has r et ur ned t o i t s owner and

di ver t ed t o i t s cent r e of r et ur n.

Foot not es by t r ansl at or :

[ 1] . The Pr eserved Recor d.

[ 2] . Good House means ' Mecca' whi l e t he bad nei ghbours mean t he

' Unbel i ever s of Qur aysh. '











[ 3] . About t he Pr ogeny of t he Pr ophet Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has sai d t hat no

person i n t he wor l d can be br ought at par wi t h t hem, nor can any one be

deemed t hei r equal i n subl i mi t y, because the wor l d i s over l aden wi t h

t hei r obl i gat i ons and has been abl e to secur e et er nal bl essi ngs onl y

t hr ough t hei r gui dance. They ar e t he cor ner st one and f oundat i on of

r el i gi on and t he sust enance f or i t s l i f e and sur vi val . They ar e suchst r ong pi l l ar s of knowl edge and bel i ef t hat t hey can t ur n away t he

st ormy f l ow of doubt and suspi ci on. They are such mi ddl e cour se among

t he paths of excess and backwardness t hat i f some one goes f ar t owards

excess and exaggerat i on or f al l s behi nd t hen unl ess he comes back or

st eps f or war d t o that mi ddl e cour se he cannot be on t he pat h of I sl am.

They possess al l t he char act er i st i cs whi ch gi ve t he super i or i t y i n t he

r i ght f or vi ceger ency and l eader shi p. Consequent l y, no one el se i n t he

ummah enj oys t he r i ght of pat r onage and guar di anshi p. That i s why the

Pr ophet decl ar ed t hem hi s vi ceger ent s and successors. About wi l l and

successi on t he comment at or I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d Mu`t azi l i wr i t es t hat t her ecan be no doubt about t he vi cegerency of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n but

successi on cannot i mpl y successi on i n posi t i on al t hough t he Shi `i t e

sect has so i nt er pr et ed i t . I t r at her i mpl i es successi on of l ear ni ng.

Now, i f accor di ng t o hi m successi on i s t aken t o i mpl y successi on i n

l ear ni ng even he does not seem t o succeed i n achi evi ng hi s obj ect ,

because even by thi s i nt er pr et at i on t he r i ght of succeedi ng t he Pr ophet

does not devol ve on any ot her per son. When i t i s agr eed t hat l ear ni ng

i s t he most essent i al r equi r ement of khilafah ( cal i phat e) because t he

most i mpor t ant f unct i ons of t he Pr ophet ' s Cal i ph consi st of

di spensat i on of j ust i ce, sol vi ng pr obl ems of r el i gi ous l aws, cl ar i f yi ngi nt r i caci es and admi ni st r at i on of r el i gi ous penal t i es. I f t hese

f unct i ons ar e t aken away f r om t he Pr ophet ' s deput y hi s posi t i on wi l l

come down t o t hat of a wor l dl y r ul er . He cannot be regarded as t he

pi vot of r el i gi ous aut hor i t y. Ther ef or e ei t her we shoul d keep

gover nment al aut hor i t y separ at e f r om Pr ophet ' s vi ceger ency or accept

t he successor of Pr ophet ' s knowl edge t o sui t t hat posi t i on.

The i nter pret at i on of I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d coul d be accept abl e i f Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n had ut t er ed t hi s sent ence al one, but observi ng t hat i t was

ut t er ed soon af t er `Al i ' s ( p. b. u. h. ) r ecogni t i on as Cal i ph and j ustaf t er i t t he sent ence "Ri ght has r et ur ned t o i t s owner " exi st s, t hi s

i nt er pr et at i on of hi s seems basel ess. Rat her , t he Pr ophet ' s wi l l cannot

i mpl y any ot her wi l l except t hat f or vi ceger ency and cal i phat e, and

successi on woul d i mpl y not successi on i n pr oper t y nor i n knowl edge

because t hi s was not an occasi on t o ment i on i t here but i t must mean

t he successi on i n t he r i ght l eader shi p whi ch st ood pr oved as f r om Al l ah





not onl y on t he gr ound of ki nshi p but on t he gr ound of qual i t i es of

per f ecti on.

Sermon 3

Sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah

Known as the Sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah[ 1]

Beware! By Al l ah t he son of Abu Quhaf ah ( Abu Bakr ) [ 2] dressed hi msel f

wi t h i t ( t he cal i phat e) and he cer t ai nl y knew t hat my posi t i on i n

r el at i on t o i t was t he same as t he posi t i on of t he axi s i n r el at i on t ot he hand- mi l l . The f l ood wat er f l ows down f r om me and t he bi r d cannot

f l y upt o me. I put a cur t ai n agai nst t he cal i phat e and kept mysel f

det ached f r om i t .

Then I began t o t hi nk whet her I shoul d assaul t or endur e cal ml y t he

bl i ndi ng dar kness of t r i bul at i ons wher ei n t he gr own up ar e made f eebl e

and t he young gr ow ol d and t he t r ue bel i ever act s under st r ai n t i l l he

meet s Al l ah ( on hi s deat h) . I f ound t hat endur ance t her eon was wi ser .

So I adopt ed pat i ence al t hough t here was pr i cki ng i n t he eye and

suf f ocat i on ( of mor t i f i cat i on) i n t he t hr oat . I wat ched t he pl under i ngof my i nher i t ance t i l l t he f i r st one went hi s way but handed over t he

Cal i phat e t o I bn al - Khat t ab af t er hi msel f .

( Then he quot ed al - A`sha' s ver se) :

My days are now passed on the camel's back (in difficulty) while there

were days (of ease) when I enjoyed the company of Jabir's brother

Hayyan.[ 3]

I t i s st r ange t hat dur i ng hi s l i f et i me he wi shed t o be r el eased f r om

t he cal i phat e but he conf i r med i t f or t he ot her one af t er hi s deat h. Nodoubt t hese t wo shar ed i t s udder s st r i ct l y among t hemsel ves. Thi s one

put t he Cal i phate i n a t ough encl osur e where the ut t erance was haught y

and t he t ouch was r ough. Mi st akes were i n pl ent y and so al so t he

excuses t her ef or e. One i n cont act wi t h i t was l i ke t he r i der of an

unr ul y camel . I f he pul l ed up i t s r ei n t he ver y nost r i l woul d be sl i t ,

but i f he l et i t l oose he woul d be t hr own. Consequent l y, by Al l ah









peopl e got i nvol ved i n reckl essness, wi ckedness, unst eadi ness and

devi at i on.

Never t hel ess, I r emai ned pat i ent despi t e l engt h of per i od and st i f f ness

of t r i al , t i l l when he went hi s way ( of deat h) he put t he mat t er ( of

Cal i phat e) i n a gr oup[ 4] and r egar ded me t o be one of t hem. But good

Heavens! what had I t o do wi t h t hi s " consul t at i on"? Where was any doubtabout me wi t h r egar d t o t he f i r st of t hem t hat I was now consi der ed

aki n t o t hese ones? But I r emai ned l ow when t hey were l ow and f l ew hi gh

when t hey f l ew hi gh. One of t hemt ur ned agai nst me because of hi s

hat r ed and t he ot her got i ncl i ned t he ot her way due to hi s i n- l aw

r el at i onshi p and t hi s t hi ng and t hat t hi ng, t i l l t he t hi r d man of t hese

peopl e st ood up wi t h heavi ng br east s between hi s dung and f odder . Wi t h

hi m hi s chi l dr en of hi s gr and- f at her , ( Umayyah) al so st ood up

swal l owi ng up Al l ah' s weal t h[ 5] l i ke a camel devour i ng t he f ol i age of

spr i ng, t i l l hi s r ope br oke down, hi s act i ons f i ni shed hi m and hi s

gl ut t ony br ought hi m down pr ost r at e.

At t hat moment , nothi ng took me by surpr i se, but t he cr owd of peopl e

r ushi ng t o me. I t advanced t owards me f r om every si de l i ke t he mane of

t he hyena so much so t hat Hasan and Husayn wer e get t i ng cr ushed and

bot h t he ends of my shoul der garment were torn. They col l ect ed around

me l i ke t he herd of sheep and goat s. When I t ook up t he rei ns of

gover nment one par t y br oke away and another t ur ned di sobedi ent whi l e

t he r est began act i ng wr ongf ul l y as i f t hey had not hear d t he wor d of

Al l ah sayi ng:

That abode in the hereafter, We assign it for those who intend not to

exult themselves in the earth, nor ( t o make) mischief ( t her ei n) ; and

the end is (best) for the pious ones.

( Qur ' an, 28: 83)

Yes, by Al l ah, t hey had hear d i t and under st ood i t but t he wor l d

appear ed gl i t t er i ng i n t hei r eyes and i t s embel l i shment s seduced them.

Behol d, by Hi m who spl i t t he gr ai n ( t o gr ow) and cr eat ed l i vi ng bei ngs,

i f peopl e had not come t o me and suppor t er s had not exhaust ed t he

argument and i f t here had been no pl edge of Al l ah wi t h t he l ear ned t o

t he ef f ect t hat t hey shoul d not acqui esce i n t he gl ut t ony of t he

oppr essor and t he hunger of t he oppr essed I woul d have cast t he rope of

Cal i phat e on i t s own shoul der s, and woul d have gi ven t he l ast one the

same t r eat ment as t o t he f i r st one. Then you woul d have seen t hat i n my

vi ew t hi s wor l d of your s i s no bet t er t han t he sneezi ng of a goat .







( I t i s sai d t hat when Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r eached here i n hi s sermon a man

of I r aq st ood up and handed hi m over a wr i t i ng. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n began

l ooki ng at i t , when I bn Àbbas sai d, "O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, I wi sh you

r esumed your Sermon f r omwhere you br oke i t . " Thereupon he repl i ed, "O'

I bn Àbbas i t was l i ke t he f oam of a Camel whi ch gushed out but

subsi ded. " I bn Àbbas says t hat he never gr i eved over any ut t erance ashe di d over t hi s one because Ami r al - mu' mi ni n coul d not f i ni sh i t as he

wi shed t o. )

ash-Sharif ar-Radi says: The wor ds i n t hi s sermon " l i ke t he r i der of a

camel " mean t o convey t hat when a camel r i der i s st i f f i n dr awi ng up

t he r ei n t hen i n t hi s scuf f l e t he nost r i l get s br ui sed, but i f he l et s

i t l oose i n spi t e of t he camel ' s unr ul i ness, i t woul d t hr ow hi m

somewhere and woul d get out of cont r ol . "ashnaq an-naqah" i s used when

t he r i der hol ds up t he r ei n and r ai ses t he camel ' s head upwar ds. I n t he

same sense t he wor d "shanaqa an-naqah" i s used. I bn as- Si kki t has

ment i oned thi s i n Islah al-mantiq . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has sai d "ashnaqa

laha" i nst ead of "ashnaqaha", t hi s i s because he has used t hi s wor d i n

harmony wi t h "aslasa laha" and harmony coul d be retai ned onl y by usi ng

both i n the same f orm. Thus, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has used "ashnaqa laha"

as t hough i n pl ace of "in rafaà laha ra'saha", t hat i s , " i f he stops

i t by hol di ng up t he r ei ns. "


[ 1] . Thi s sermon i s known as t he sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah, and i s

count ed among t he most f amous sermons of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n. I t wasdel i ver ed at ar - Rahbah. Al t hough some peopl e have deni ed i t t o be Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s ut t er ance and by at t r i but i ng i t t o as- Sayyi d ar - Radi ( or

ash- Shar i f ar - Radi ) have l ai d bl ame on hi s acknowl edged i nt egr i t y, yet

t r ut h- l ovi ng schol ar s have deni ed i t s ver aci t y. Nor can t her e be any

gr ound f or t hi s deni al because Àl i ' s ( p. b. u. h. ) di f f er ence of vi ew i n

t he mat t er of Cal i phat e i s not a secr et mat t er , so that such hi nt s

shoul d be regarded as somethi ng al i en. And the event s whi ch have been

al l uded t o i n t hi s ser mon ar e pr eserved i n t he annal s of hi st or y whi ch

t est i f i es t hem wor d by wor d and sent ence by sent ence. I f t he same

event s whi ch ar e rel at ed by hi st or y ar e recount ed by Ami r al - mu' mi ni nt hen what i s t he gr ound f or denyi ng them? I f t he memory of di scour agi ng

ci r cumst ances f aced by hi m soon af t er t he deat h of t he Pr ophet appear ed

unpal at abl e t o hi m i t shoul d not be sur pr i si ng. No doubt t hi s sermon

hi t s at t he pr est i ge of cer t ai n per sonal i t i es and gi ves a set back t o

t he f ai t h and bel i ef i n t hem but t hi s cannot be sust ai ned by denyi ng

t he sermon t o be Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ut t er ance, unl ess t he t r ue event s





ar e anal ysed and t r ut h unvei l ed; ot her wi se j ust denyi ng i t t o be Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s ut t er ance because i t cont ai ns di spar agement of cer t ai n

i ndi vi dual s car r i es no wei ght , when si mi l ar cr i t i ci sm has been r el at ed

by ot her hi st or i ans as wel l . Thus ( Abu Ùt hman) Àmr i bn Bahr al - J ahi z

has r ecor ded t he f ol l owi ng words of a ser mon of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and

t hey ar e not l ess wei ght y t han t he cr i t i ci sm i n t he "Ser mon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah. "

Those t wo passed away and t he t hi r d one r ose l i ke t he cr ow whose

cour age i s conf i ned t o t he bel l y. I t woul d have been bet t er i f bot h hi s

wi ngs had been cut and hi s head sever ed.

Consequent l y, t he i dea t hat i t i s t he pr oduct i on of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi

i s f ar f r om t r ut h and a r esul t of par t i sanshi p and par t i al i t y. Or el se

i f i t i s t he r esul t of some r esear ch i t shoul d be br ought out .

Ot her wi se, r emai ni ng i n such wi shf ul i l l usi on does not al t er t he t r ut h,

nor can t he f orce of deci si ve argument s be cur bed down by meredi sagr eement and di spl easure.

Now we set f or t h t he evi dence of t hose schol ar s and t r adi t i oni st s who

have cl ear l y hel d i t t o be Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s pr oduct i on, so t hat i t s

hi st or i cal i mpor t ance shoul d become known. Among these schol ar s some

ar e t hose bef or e as- Sayyi d ar - Radi ' s per i od, some ar e hi s

cont emporar i es and some ar e t hose who came af t er hi m but t hey al l

r el at ed i t t hr ough t hei r own chai n of aut hor i t y.

1) I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d al - Mu`t azi l i wr i t es t hat hi s mast er Abu' l - KhayrMusaddi q i bn Shabi b al - Wasi t i ( d. 605 A. H. ) st at ed t hat he hear d t hi s

ser mon f r om ash- Shaykh Abu Muhammad Àbdul l ah i bn Ahmad al - Baghdadi ( d.

567 A. H. ) known as I bn al - Khashshab and when he r eached wher e I bn

Àbbas expr essed sor r ow f or t hi s ser mon havi ng remai ned i ncompl ete I bn

al - Khashshab sai d t o hi m t hat i f he had hear d t he expr essi on of sorr ow

f r om I bn Àbbas he woul d have cer t ai nl y asked hi m i f t her e had r emai ned

wi t h hi s cousi n any f ur t her unsat i sf i ed desi r e because except i ng t he

Prophet he had al r eady spar ed nei t her t he pr edecessor s nor f ol l ower s

and had ut t er ed al l t hat he wi shed t o ut t er . Why shoul d t her ef or e be

any sor r ow t hat he coul d not say what he wi shed? Musaddi q says t hat I bnal - Khashshab was a man of j ol l y hear t and decent t ast e. I i nqui r ed f r om

hi m whether he al so r egarded t he sermon t o be a f abr i cat i on when he

r epl i ed "By Al l ah, I bel i eve i t t o be Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor d as I

bel i eve you t o be Musaddi q i bn Shabi b. " I sai d t hat some peopl e r egard

i t t o be as- Sayyi d ar - Radi ' s product i on when he repl i ed: "How can ar -

Radi have such gut s or such st yl e of wr i t i ng. I have seen as- Sayyi d ar -



Radi ' s wr i t i ngs and know hi s st yl e of composi t i on. Nowher e does hi s

wr i t i ng mat ch wi t h t hi s one and I have al r eady seen i t i n books wr i t t en

t wo hundr ed year s bef or e t he bi r t h of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi , and I have

seen i t i n f ami l i ar wr i t i ngs about whi ch I know by whi ch schol ar s or

men of l et t er s t hey wer e compi l ed. At t hat t i me not onl y ar - Radi but

even hi s f ather Abu Ahmad an- Naqi b has not been born. "2) Ther eaf t er I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d wr i t es t hat he saw t hi s sermon i n t he

compi l at i ons of hi s mast er Abu' l - Qasi m ( Àbdul l ah i bn Ahmad) al - Bal khi

( d. 317 A. H. ) . He was t he I mam of t he Mu' t azi l i t es i n t he r ei gn of al -

Muqt adi r Bi l l ah whi l e al - Muqt adi r ' s per i od was f ar ear l i er t han t he

bi r t h of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi .

3) He f ur t her wr i t es t hat he saw t hi s sermon i n Abu J a`f ar ( Muhammad

i bn Àbd ar - Rahman) , I bn Qi bah' s book al-Insaf . He was t he pupi l of

Abu' l - Qasi m al - Bal khi and a theol ogi an of I mami yyah ( Shi ì t e) sect .( Sharh of I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 1, pp. 205- 206)

4) I bn Maytham al - Bahr ani ( d. 679 A. H. ) wr i t es i n hi s comment ar y t hat

he had seen one such copy of t hi s sermon whi ch bore wr i t i ng of al -

Muqt adi r Bi l l ah' s mi ni st er Abu' l - Hasan Àl i i bn Muhammad i bn al - Fur at

( d. 312 A. H. ) . ( Sharh al-balaghah, vol . 1. , pp. 252- 253)

5) al - Àl l amah Muhammad Baqi r al - Maj l i si has r el at ed t he f ol l owi ng

chai n of aut hor i t y about t hi s Ser mon f r om ash- Shaykh Qut bu' d- Di n ar -

Rawandi ' s compi l at i on Minhaj al-baraàh fi Sharh Nahj al-balaghah:

ash- Shaykh Abu Nasr al - Hasan i bn Muhammad i bn I brahi m i nf ormed me f r om

al - Haj i b Abu' l - Waf a' Muhammad i bn Badi `, al - Husayn i bn Ahmad i bn Badi `

and al - Husayn i bn Ahmad i bn Àbd ar - Rahman and they f r om al - Haf i z Abu

Bakr ( Ahmad i bn Musa) i bn Marduwayh al - I sbahani ( d. 416 A. H. ) and he

f r om al - Haf i z Abu' l - Qasi m Sul ayman i bn Ahmad at - Tabar ani ( d. 360 A. H. )

and he f r om Ahmad i bn Àl i al - Abbar and he f r om I s' haq i bn Saì d Abu

Sal amah ad- Di mashqi and he f r omKhul ayd i bn Da`l aj and he f r om Àt a'

i bn Abi Rabah and he f r om I bn Àbbas. ( Bihar al-anwar , 1st ed. vol . 8,

pp. 160- 161)

6) I n t he cont ext al - Àl l amah al - Maj l i si has wr i t t en t hat t hi s ser mon

i s al so cont ai ned i n t he compi l at i ons of Abu Àl i ( Muhammad i bn Àbd

al - Wahhab) al - J ubba ' i ( d. 303 A. H. ) .

7) I n connect i on wi t h t hi s ver y aut hent i ci t y al - Àl l amah al - Maj l i si

wr i t es:



al - Qadi Àbd al - J abbar i bn Ahmad al - Asad' abadi ( d. 415A. H. ) who was a

st r i ct Mu`t azi l i t e expl ai ns some expr essi ons of t hi s ser mon i n hi s book

al-Mughni and t r i es t o pr ove t hat i t does not st r i ke agai nst any

pr ecedi ng cal i ph but does not deny i t t o be Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s

composi t i on. ( ibid., p. 161)

8) Abu J a`f ar Muhammad i bn Àl i , I bn Babawayh ( d. 381 A. H. ) wr i t es:

Muhammad i bn I br ahi m i bn I s' haq at - Tal aqani t ol d us t hat Àbd al - Àzi z

i bn Yahya al - J al udi ( d. 332 A. H. ) t ol d hi m t hat Abu Àbdi l l ah Ahmad i bn

Àmmar i bn Khal i d t ol d hi m t hat Yahya i bn Àbd al - Hami d al - Hi mmani ( d.

228 A. H. ) t ol d hi m t hat Ì sa i bn Rashi d r el at ed t hi s ser mon f r om Àl i

i bn Hudhayf ah and he f r om Ì kr i mah and he f r om I bn Àbbas. ( Ì l al ash-

shar a' i `, vol . 1, chap. 122, p. 144; Maàni al - akhbar , chap. 22, pp. 360-

361)

9) Then I bn Babawayh r ecor ds t he f ol l owi ng chai n of aut hor i t i es : -

Muhammad i bn Àl i Maj i l awayh rel ated t hi s ser mon t o us and he t ook i t

f r omhi s uncl e Muhammad i bn Abi ' l - Qasi m and he f r omAhmad i bn Abi

Àbdi l l ah ( Muhammad i bn Khal i d) al - Bar qi and he f r om hi s f at her and he

f r om ( Muhammad) I bn Abi Ùmayr and he f r om Aban i bn Ùt hman and he f r om

Aban i bn Taghl i b and he f r om Ì kr i mah and he f r om I bn Àbbas. ( Ìlal

ash-shara'i`, vol . 1, chap. 122, p. l 46; Maàni al-akhbar , chap. 22, p. 361)

10) Abu Ahmad al - Hasan i bn Àbdi l l ah i bn Saì d al - Àskar i ( d. 382 A. H. )

who count s among gr eat schol ars of t he Sunni s has wr i t t en comment ary

and expl anat i on of t hi s ser mon t hat has been r ecor ded by I bn Babawayhi n Ìlal ash-shara'i` and Maàni al-akhbar .

11) as- Sayyi d Ni `mat ul l ah al - J aza' i r i wr i t es:

The aut hor of Kitab al-gharat Abu I s' haq, I br ahi m i bn Muhammad ath-

Thaqaf i al - Kuf i ( d. 283 A. H. ) has r el at ed t hi s ser mon t hrough hi s own

chai n of aut hor i t i es. The dat e of compl et i on of wr i t i ng t hi s book i s

Tuesday t he 13t h Shawwal 255 A. H. and i n t he same year , Mur t ada al -

Musawi was born. He was ol der i n age than hi s br other as- Sayyi d ar -

Radi . ( Anwar an-Nu`maniyyah, p. 37)

12) as- Sayyi d Radi ad- Di n Abu' l - Qasi m Àl i i bn Musa, I bn Tawus al -

Husayni al - Hul l i ( d. 664 A. H. ) has r el at ed t hi s ser mon f r omKitab al-

gharat wi t h t he f ol l owi ng chai n of aut hor i t i es: -

Thi s ser mon was r el at ed t o us by Muhammad i bn Yusuf who r el at ed i t f r om

al - Hasan i bn Àl i i bn Àbd al - Kar i m az- Za`f ar ani and he f r om Muhammad



i bn Zakar i yyah al - Ghal l abi and he f r om Ya`qub i bn J a`f ar i bn Sul ayman

and he f r om hi s f at her and he f r om hi s gr and- f at her and he f r om I bn

Àbbas. ( Tr ansl at i on of at-Tara'if , p. 202)

13) Shaykh at - Ta' i f ah, Muhammad i bn al - Hasan at - Tusi ( d. 460 A. H. )

wr i t es:

( Abu' l - Fat h Hi l al i bn Muhammad i bn J a`f ar ) al - Haf f ar r el at ed t hi s

ser mon t o us. He r el at ed i t f r om Abu' l - Qasi m ( I smaì l i bn Àl i i bn

Àl i ) ad- Di `bi l i and he f r om hi s f at her and he f r om hi s br ot her Di `bi l

( i bn Àl i al - Kuzaì ) and he f r om Muhammad i bn Sal amah ash- Shami and he

f r om Zur arah i bn A`yan and he f r om Abu J a`f ar Muhammad i bn Àl i and he

f r om I bn Àbbas. ( al-Amali, p. 237)

14) ash- Shaykh al - Muf i d ( Muhammad i bn Muhammad i bn an- Nu`man, d. 413

A. H. ) who was t he t eacher of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi wr i t es about t he chai n

of aut hor i t i es of t hi s ser mon:

A number of r el at er s of t r adi t i ons have r el at ed t hi s sermon f r om I bn

Àbbas t hr ough numerous chai ns. (al-Irshad , p. 135)

15) Àl am al - Huda ( embl em of gui dance) as- Sayyi d al - Mur t ada who was t he

el der br ot her of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi has r ecor ded i t on pp. 203, 204 of

hi s book ash-Shafi.

16) Abu Mansur at - Tabar si wr i t es:

A number of r el at er s have gi ven an account of t hi s ser mon f r om I bnÀbbas t hr ough var i ous chai ns. I bn Àbbas sai d t hat he was i n the

audi ence of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n at ar - Rahbah ( a pl ace i n Kuf ah) when

conver sat i on t ur ned t o Cal i phate and t hose who had pr eceded hi m as

Cal i phs, when Ami r al - mu' mi ni n br eat hed a si gh and del i ver ed t hi s

ser mon. ( al-Ihtijaj, p. 101)

17) Abu' l - Muzaf f ar Yusuf i bn Àbdi l l ah and Si bt i bn al - J awzi al - Hanaf i

( d. 654 A. H. ) wr i t es:

Our ash- Shaykh Abu' l - Qasi m an- Naf i s al - Anbar i r el at ed t hi s ser mon t o us

t hr ough hi s chai n of aut hor i t i es t hat ends wi t h I bn Àbbas, who sai dt hat af t er al l egi ance had been pai d t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n as Cal i ph he

was si t t i ng on the pul pi t when a man f r om t he audi ence enqui r ed why he

had r emai ned qui et t i l l t hen wher eupon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s

ser mon extempor e. ( Tadhkarat khawass al-ummah, p. 73)



18) al - Qadi Ahmad i bn Muhammad, ash- Shi hab al - Khaf aj i ( d. 1069 A. H. )

wr i t es wi t h r egar d t o i t s aut hent i ci t y:

I t i s st at ed i n t he ut t er ances of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n Àl i ( Al l ah may be

pl eased wi t h hi m) t hat " I t i s st r ange dur i ng l i f e t i me he ( Abu Bakr)

want ed t o gi ve up t he Cal i phat e but he st r engt hened i t s f oundat i on f or

t he ot her one af t er hi s deat h. " ( Sharh durrat al-ghawwas, p. 17)

19) ash- Shaykh Àl a ad- Dawl ah as- Si mnani wr i t es:

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n Sayyi d al - Àr i f i n Àl i ( p. b. u. h. ) has st at ed i n one of

hi s br i l l i ant Ser mons "t hi s i s t he Shi qshi qah t hat bur st f or t h. " ( al-

Ùrwah li ahl al-khalwah wa'l-jalwah, p3, manuscr i pt i n Nasi r i ah

Li br ar y, Lucknow, I ndi a)

20) Abu' l - Fadl Ahmad i bn Muhammad al - Maydani ( d. 518 A. H. ) has wr i t t en

i n connect i on wi t h t he wor d Shi qshi qah:

One ser mon of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n Àl i i s known as Khut bah ash-

Shi qshi qi yyah ( t he ser mon of t he Camel ' s Foam) . (Majma` al-amthal,

vol . 1, p. 369)

21) I n f i f t een pl aces i n an-Nihayah whi l e expl ai ni ng t he wor ds of t hi s

ser mon Abu' s- Saàdat Mubar ak i bn Muhammad, I bn al - At hi r al - J azar i ( d.

606 A. H. ) has acknowl edged i t t o be Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ut t er ance.

22) Shaykh Muhammad Tahi r Patni whi l e expl ai ni ng t he same words i n

Majma` bihar al-anwart est i f i es t hi s sermon t o be Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s bysayi ng, "Àl i says so. "

23) Abu' l - Fadl i bn Manzur ( d. 711 A. H. ) has acknowl edged i t as Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s ut t er ance i n Lisan al-Àrab, vol . 12, p. 54 by sayi ng, "I n t he

sayi ngs of Àl i i n hi s ser mon ' I t i s t he camel ' s f oam t hat bur st f or t h

t hen subsi ded. ' "

24) Maj du' d- Di n al - Fi r uz' abadi ( d. 816/ 817 A. H. ) has r ecor ded under t he

wor d "Shiqshiqah" i n hi s l exi con ( al-Qamus, vol . 3, p. 251) :

Khutbah ash-Shiqshiqiyyah i s by Àl i so named because when I bn Àbbasasked hi m t o r esume i t wher e he had l ef t i t , he sai d "O' I bn Àbbas! i t

was t he f oam of a camel t hat bur st f or t h t hen subsi ded. "

25) The compi l er of Muntaha al-adab wr i t es:

Khutbah ash-Shiqshiqiyyah of Àl i i s at t r i but ed t o Àl i ( Al l ah may

honour hi s f ace) .



26) ash- Shaykh Muhammad Àbduh, Muf t i of Egypt , r ecogni si ng i t as Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s ut t er ance, has wr i t t en i t s expl anat i ons.

27) Muhammad Muhyi ' d- Di n Àbd al - Hami d, Prof essor i n the Facul t y of

Ar abi c Language, al - Azhar Uni ver si t y has wr i t t en annot at i ons on Nahj

al-balaghah addi ng a f oreword i n t he begi nni ng wherei n he r ecogni ses

al l such sermons whi ch cont ai n di spar agi ng remar ks t o be t he ut t er ancesof Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

I n t he f ace of t hese evi dences and undeni abl e pr oof s i s t her e any scope

t o hol d t hat i t i s not Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s pr oduct i on and t hat as- Sayyi d

ar - Radi pr epar ed i t hi msel f ?

[ 2] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has r ef er r ed t o Abu Bakr ' s accessi on t o the

Cal i phat e met aphor i cal l y as havi ng dr essed hi msel f wi t h i t . Thi s was a

common met aphor . Thus, when Ùt hman was cal l ed to gi ve up t he Cal i phat e

he r epl i ed, "I shal l not put of f t hi s shi r t whi ch Al l ah has put on me. "No doubt Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has not at t r i but ed t hi s dr essi ng of Cal i phat e

t o Al l ah but t o Abu Bakr hi msel f because accordi ng t o unani mous opi ni on

hi s Cal i phat e was not f r om Al l ah but hi s own af f ai r . That i s why Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n sai d t hat Abu Bakr dr essed hi msel f wi t h t he Cal i phat e. He

knew t hat t hi s dress had been st i t ched f or hi s own body and hi s

posi t i on wi t h r el at i on t o t he Cal i phat e was t hat of t he axi s i n t he

hand- mi l l whi ch cannot r et ai n i t s cent r al posi t i on wi t hout i t nor be of

any use. Si mi l ar l y, he hel d "I was t he cent r al pi vot of t he Cal i phat e,

wer e I not t her e, i t s ent i r e system woul d have gone ast r ay f r om t he

pi vot . I t was I who act ed as a guar d f or i t s organi sat i on and or der andgui ded i t t hr ough al l di f f i cul t i es. Cur r ent s of l ear ni ng f l owed f r om my

bosom and wat er ed i t on al l si des. My posi t i on was hi gh beyond

i magi nat i on but l ust of wor l d seeker s f or government became a t umbl i ng

st one f or me and I had t o conf i ne mysel f t o secl usi on. Bl i ndi ng

darkness pr evai l ed al l r ound and t her e was i nt ense gl oom ever ywher e.

The young grew ol d and t he ol d depar t ed f or t he graves but t hi s

pat i ence- br eaki ng per i od woul d not end. I kept watchi ng wi t h my eyes

t he pl under i ng of my own i nher i t ance and saw t he passi ng of Cal i phate

f r om one hand t o t he other but r emai ned pat i ent as I coul d not st op

t hei r hi gh- handedness f or l ack of means. "

Need For The Prophet's Caliph And The Mode Of His Appointment

Af t er t he Pr ophet of I sl am t he pr esence of such a per sonal i t y was

i nevi t abl e who coul d st op t he communi t y f r om di si nt egr at i on and guar d

t he r el i gi ous l aw agai nst change, al t er at i on and i nt er f er ence by those





who want ed t o t wi st i t t o sui t t hei r own desi r es. I f t hi s ver y need i s

deni ed t hen t here i s no sense i n at t achi ng so much i mport ance t o the

successi on of t he Pr ophet t hat t he assembl age i n Saqi f ah of Banu

Sa`i dah shoul d have been consi dered more i mport ant t han t he bur i al of

t he Pr ophet . I f t he need i s r ecogni sed, t he quest i on i s whet her or not

t he Pr ophet t oo r eal i sed i t . I f i t i s hel d he coul d not at t end t o i tand appr eci at e i t s need or absence of need i t woul d be the bi ggest

pr oof f or r egar di ng t he Pr ophet ' s mi nd t o be bl ank f or t hi nki ng of

means t o st op t he evi l s of i nnovat i ons and apost asy i n spi t e of havi ng

gi ven war ni ngs about t hem. I f i t i s sai d t hat he di d r eal i se i t but had

t o l i ve i t unr esol ved on account of some advant age then i nst ead of

keepi ng i t hi dden t he advant age shoul d be cl ear l y i ndi cat ed ot her wi se

si l ence wi t hout pur pose woul d const i t ut e del i nquency i n t he di schar ge

of t he obl i gat i ons of Pr ophet hood. I f t her e was some i mpedi ment , i t

shoul d be di scl osed ot her wi se we shoul d agr ee t hat j ust as t he Pr ophet

di d not l eave any i t em of r el i gi on i ncompl et e he di d not l eave t hi smat t er ei t her and di d pr opose such a cour se of act i on f or i t , t hat i f

i t was act ed upon rel i gi on woul d have r emai ned saf e agai nst t he

i nt er f er ence of ot her s.

The quest i on now i s what was t hat cour se of act i on. I f i t i s t aken t o

be the consensus of opi ni on of t he communi t y t hen i t cannot t r ul y t ake

pl ace as i n such consensus acqui escence of ever y i ndi vi dual i s

necessary; but t aki ng i nt o account t he di f f erence i n human t emperament s

i t seems i mpossi bl e that t hey woul d agr ee on any si ngl e poi nt . Nor i s

t her e any exampl e where on such mat t ers t her e has been no si ngl e voi ceof di ssent . How t hen can such a f undament al need be made dependent on

t he occurr ence of such an i mpossi bl e event - need on whi ch conver ges

t he f ut ur e of I sl am and t he good of t he Musl i ms. Ther ef or e, t he mi nd i s

not pr epar ed t o accept t hi s cr i t er i on. Nor i s t r adi t i on i n har mony wi t h

i t , as al - Qadi `Adud ad- Di nal - ' I j i has wr i t t en i n Sharh al-mawaqif :

You shoul d know t hat Cal i phat e cannot depend upon unani mi t y of el ect i on

because no l ogi cal or t r adi t i onal ar gument can be advanced f or i t .

I n f act when t he advocat es of unani mous el ect i on f ound t hat unani mi t y

of al l vot es i s di f f i cul t t hey adopt ed t he agr eement of t he maj or i t y asa subst i t ut e f or unani mi t y, i gnor i ng t he di f f er ence of t he mi nor i t y. I n

such a case al so i t of t en happens t hat t he f or ce of f ai r and f oul or

cor r ect and i ncor r ect ways t ur ns t he f l ow of t he maj or i t y opi ni on i n

t he di r ect i on wher e t her e i s nei t her i ndi vi dual di st i nct i on nor

personal mer i t as a r esul t of whi ch competent persons r emai n hi dden

whi l e i ncompet ent i ndi vi dual s s t and f or war d. When capabi l i t i es r emai n



so curbed and personal ends st and i n t he way as hur dl es, how can t here

be expect at i on f or t he el ect i on of cor r ect per son. Even i f i t i s

assumed t hat al l vot ers have an i ndependent unbi ased vi ew, t hat none of

t hem has hi s own obj ect i ve and t hat none has any ot her consi derat i on,

i t i s not necessar y t hat ever y ver di ct of t he maj or i t y shoul d be

cor r ect , and t hat i t cannot go ast r ay. Exper i ence shows t hat af t erexper i ment t he maj or i t y has hel d i t s own ver di ct t o be wr ong. I f ever y

ver di ct of t he maj or i t y i s cor r ect t hen i t s f i r st ver di ct shoul d be

wr ong because t he ver di ct whi ch hol ds i t wr ong i s al so t hat of t he

maj or i t y. I n t hi s ci r cumst ances i f t he el ect i on of t he Cal i ph goes

wr ong who woul d be responsi bl e f or t he mi st ake, and who shoul d f ace t he

bl ame f or t he r ui nat i on of t he I sl ami c pol i t y. Si mi l ar l y on whom woul d

be t he l i abi l i t y f or t he bl oodshed and sl aught er f ol l owi ng t he t ur moi l

and act i vi t y of t he el ect i ons. When i t has been seen t hat even t hose

who sat i n t he audi ence of t he Hol y Pr ophet coul d not be f r ee of mut ual

quar r el and st r i f e how can ot her s avoi d i t .

I f wi t h a vi ew t o avoi d mi schi ef i t i s l ef t t o t he peopl e of aut hor i t y

t o choose anyone t hey l i ke t hen her e t oo t he same f r i ct i on and conf l i ct

woul d pr evai l because here agai n convergence of human temper ament s on

one poi nt i s not necessary nor can t hey be assumed t o r i se above

per sonal ends. I n f act her e t he chances of conf l i ct and col l i si on woul d

be st r onger because i f not al l at l east most of t hem woul d t hemsel ves

be candi dat es f or t hat posi t i on and woul d not spar e any ef f or t t o

def eat t hei r opponent , cr eat i ng i mpedi ment s i n hi s way as best as

possi bl e. I t s i nevi t abl e consequence woul d be mut ual st r uggl e andmi schi ef - monger i ng. Thus, i t woul d not be possi bl e t o war d of f t he

mi schi ef f or whi ch t hi s devi ce was adopt ed, and i nst ead of f i ndi ng a

pr oper i ndi vi dual t he communi t y woul d j ust become an i nst r ument f or t he

achi evement of per sonal benef i t s of t he ot her s. Agai n, what woul d be

t he cr i t er i on f or t hese peopl e i n aut hor i t y? The same as has usual l y

been, namel y whoever col l ect s a f ew suppor t er s and i s abl e t o creat e

commot i on i n any meet i ng by use of f orcef ul words woul d count among the

peopl e of aut hor i t y. Or woul d capabi l i t i es al so be j udged? I f t he mode

of j udgi ng t he capabi l i t i es i s agai n t hi s ver y common vot e t hen t he

same compl i cat i ons and conf l i ct s woul d ar i se her e t oo, t o avoi d whi cht hi s way was adopt ed. I f t her e i s some ot her st andar d, t hen i nst ead of

j udgi ng t he capabi l i t i es of t he vot er s by i t why not j udge t he per son

who i s consi der ed sui t abl e f or t he posi t i on i n vi ew. Fur t her , how many

persons i n aut hor i t y woul d be enough t o gi ve a ver di ct ? Appar ent l y a

verdi ct once accept ed woul d be pr ecedent f or good and the number t hat



woul d gi ve t hi s ver di ct woul d become t he cr i t er i on f or f ut ur e. al - Qadi

Àdud ad- Di n al - ' I j i wr i t es:

Rather t he nomi nat i on of one or t wo i ndi vi dual s by the peopl e i n

aut hor i t y i s enough because we know t hat t he compani ons who were st r i ct

i n rel i gi on deemed i t enough as t he nomi nat i on of Abu Bakr by Ùmar and

of Ùt hman by Àbd ar - Rahman. ( Sharh al-mawaqif , p. 351 )

Thi s i s t he account of t he "unani mous el ect i on" i n t he Hal l of Bani

Saì dah and t he act i vi t y of t he consul t at i ve assembl y: t hat i s, one

man' s act i on has been gi ven t he name of unani mous el ect i on and one

i ndi vi dual ' s deed gi ven t he name of consul t at i ve assembl y. Abu Bakr had

wel l under st ood t hi s r eal i t y t hat el ect i on means t he vot e of a per son

or t wo onl y whi ch i s t o be at t r i but ed t o common si mpl e peopl e. That i s

why he i gnor ed the requi r ement s of unani mous el ect i on, maj or i t y vot e or

met hod of choosi ng thr ough el ect oral assembl y and appoi nt ed Ùmar by

nomi nat i on. À' i shah al so consi der ed t hat l eavi ng t he quest i on ofcal i phat e t o t he vot e of a f ew par t i cul ar i ndi vi dual s meant i nvi t i ng

mi schi ef and t r oubl e. She sent a word t o Ùmar on hi s death sayi ng:

Do not l eave t he I sl ami c communi t y wi t hout a chi ef . Nomi nate a Cal i ph

f or i t and l eave i t not wi t hout an aut hor i t y as ot her wi se I appr ehend

mi schi ef and t r oubl e.

When t he el ect i on by t hose i n aut hor i t y pr oved f ut i l e i t was gi ven up

and onl y "mi ght i s r i ght " became t he cr i t er i a- namel y whoever subdues

ot her s and bi nds t hem under hi s sway and cont r ol i s accept ed as t heCal i ph of t he Pr ophet and hi s t r ue successor . These ar e t hose sel f -

adopt ed pr i nci pl es i n t he f ace of whi ch al l t he Pr ophet ' s sayi ngs

ut t er ed i n t he "Feast of t he Rel at i ves, " on t he ni ght of hijrah, at t he

bat t l e of Tabuk, on t he occasi on of conveyi ng t he Qur ' ani c chapt er "al-

Bara'ah" ( at-Tawbah, chap. 9) and at Ghadi r ( t he spr i ng of ) Khumm. The

st r ange t hi ng i s t hat when each of t he f i r st t hr ee cal i phat es i s based

on one i ndi vi dual ' s choi ce how can t hi s ver y r i ght t o choose be deni ed

t o t he Pr ophet hi msel f , par t i cul ar l y when t hi s was t he onl y way t o end

al l t he di ssensi on, namel y t hat t he Pr ophet shoul d have hi msel f set t l ed

i t and saved t he communi t y f r om f ut ur e di st ur bances and spar ed i t f r oml eavi ng t hi s deci si on i n t he hands of peopl e who wer e themsel ves

i nvol ved i n per sonal ai ms and obj ect s. Thi s i s t he cor r ect pr ocedur e

whi ch st ands t o reason and whi ch has al so t he suppor t of t he Pr ophet ' s

def i ni t e sayi ngs.



Ùt hman' s success were pr esent t herei n. I f we l ook at i t s members we

see t hat one of t hem namel y Àbd ar - Rahman i bn Àwf i s t he husband of

Ùt hman' s si st er , next Sa`d i bn Abi Waqqas besi des bear i ng mal i ce

t owar ds Àl i i s a rel at i on and ki nsman of Àbd ar - Rahman. Nei t her of

t hemcan be t aken t o go agai nst Ùt hman. The t hi r d Tal hah i bn

Ùbaydi l l ah about whom Prof . Muhammad Àbduh wr i t es i n hi s annot at i onon Nahj al-balaghah:

Tal hah was i ncl i ned t owar ds Ùt hman and t he r eason f or i t was no l ess

t han t hat he was agai nst Àl i , because he hi msel f was at - Taymi and Abu

Bakr ' s accessi on t o t he Cal i phate had cr eat ed bad bl ood between Bani

Taym and Banu Hashi m.

As r egar ds az- Zubayr , even i f he had vot ed f or Àl i , what coul d hi s

si ngl e vot e achi eve. Accor di ng t o at - Tabar i ' s st at ement Tal hah was not

pr esent i n Medi na at t hat t i me but hi s absence di d not st and i n t he way

of Ùt hman' s success. Rat her even i f he were pr esent , as he di dact ual l y reach at t he meet i ng ( of t he Commi t t ee) , and he i s t aken t o be

Àl i ' s suppor t er , st i l l t her e coul d be no doubt i n Ùt hman' s success

because Ùmar ' s sagaci ous mi nd had set t he worki ng pr ocedur e t hat :

I f t wo agr ee about one and the ot her t wo about another t hen Àbdul l ah

i bn Ùmar shoul d act as t he ar bi t r at or . The gr oup whom he or ders shoul d

choose t he Cal i ph f r om among themsel ves. I f t hey do not accept

Àbdul l ah i bn Ùmar ' s ver di ct , suppor t shoul d be gi ven t o t he gr oup

whi ch i ncl udes Àbd ar - Rahman i bn Àwf , but i f t he others do not agr ee

t hey shoul d be beheaded f or opposi ng t hi s ver di ct . ( at - Tabar i , vol . 1,pp. 2779- 2780; I bn al - At hi r , vol . 3, p. 67) .

Here di sagr eement wi t h the verdi ct of Àbdul l ah i bn Ùmar has no

meani ng si nce he was di r ect ed t o suppor t t he gr oup whi ch i ncl uded Àbd

ar - Rahman i bn Àwf . He had ordered hi s son Àbdul l ah and Suhayb t hat :

I f t he peopl e di f f er , you shoul d si de wi t h t he maj or i t y, but i f t hr ee

of t hem ar e on one si de and t he ot her t hr ee on t he ot her , you shoul d

si de wi t h t he gr oup i ncl udi ng Àbd ar - Rahman i bn Àwf . ( at - Tabar i ,

vol . 1, pp. 2725, 2780; I bn al - At hi r , vol . 3, pp. 51, 67) .

I n t hi s i nst r uct i on t he agr eement wi t h t he maj or i t y al so means suppor t

of Àbd ar - Rahman because t he maj or i t y coul d not be on any ot her si de

si nce f i f t y bl ood- t hi r st y swor ds had been put on t he heads of t he

opposi t i on gr oup wi t h or der s t o f al l on t hei r heads on Àbd ar - Rahman' s

behest . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s eye had f or e- r ead i t at t hat ver y moment



t hat t he Cal i phat e was goi ng t o Ùt hman as appear s f r om hi s f ol l owi ng

words whi ch he spoke t o al - Àbbas i bn Àbd al - Mut t al i b:

"The Cal i phate has been t ur ned away f r omus. " al - Àbbas asked how coul d

he know i t . Then he repl i ed, "Ùt hman has al so been coupl ed wi t h me and

i t has been l ai d down t hat t he maj or i t y shoul d be suppor t ed; but i f t wo

agr ee on one and t wo on t he ot her , t hen suppor t shoul d be gi ven t o thegr oup whi ch i ncl udes Àbd ar - Rahman i bn Àwf . Now Sa`d wi l l support hi s

cousi n Àbd ar - Rahman who i s of course the husband of Ùt hman' s

si st er . " (ibid )

However , af t er Ùmar ' s deat h t hi s meet i ng t ook pl ace i n t he r oom of

À' i shah and on i t s door st ood Abu Tal hah al - Ansar i wi t h f i f t y men

havi ng dr awn swords i n t hei r hands. Tal hah st art ed t he pr oceedi ngs and

i nvi t i ng al l ot her s t o be wi t ness sai d t hat he gave hi s r i ght of vot e

t o Ùt hman. Thi s t ouched az- Zubayr ' s sense of honour as hi s mother

Saf i yyah daught er of Àbd al - Mut t al i b was t he si st er of Pr ophet ' sf at her . So he gave hi s r i ght of vot e t o Àl i . Ther eaf t er Sa`d i bn Abi

Waqqas made hi s r i ght of vot e t o Àbd ar - Rahman. Thi s l ef t t hr ee

members of t he consul t at i ve commi t t ee out of whom Àbd ar - Rahman sai d

t hat he was wi l l i ng t o gi ve up hi s own r i ght of vot e i f Àl i ( p. b. u. h. )

and Ùt hman gave hi m t he r i ght t o choose one of t hemor one of t hese

t wo shoul d acqui r e t hi s r i ght by wi t hdr awi ng. Thi s was a t r ap i n whi ch

Àl i had been ent angl ed f r om al l si des namel y t hat ei t her he shoul d

abandon hi s own r i ght or el se al l ow Àbd ar - Rahman t o do as he wi shed.

The f i r st case was not possi bl e f or hi m; t hat i s, t o gi ve up hi s own

r i ght and el ect Ùt hman or Àbd ar - Rahman. So, he cl ung t o hi s r i ght ,

whi l e Àbd ar - Rahman separat i ng hi msel f f r om i t assumed t hi s power and

sai d t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, " I pay you al l egi ance on your f ol l owi ng t he

Book of Al l ah, t he sunnah of t he Pr ophet and t he conduct of t he two

Shaykhs, ( Abu Bakr and Ùmar ) . Àl i r epl i ed, "Rat her on f ol l owi ng t he

Book of Al l ah, t he sunnah of t he Pr ophet and my own f i ndi ngs. " When he

got t he same r epl y even af t er r epeat i ng t he quest i on t hr i ce he t ur ned

t o Ùt hman sayi ng, "Do you accept t hese condi t i ons. " He had no r eason

t o ref use and so he agr eed t o the condi t i ons and al l egi ance was pai d t o

hi m. When Ami r al mu' mi ni n saw hi s r i ght s bei ng t hus t r ampl ed he sai d:"Thi s i s not t he f i r st day when you behaved agai nst us. I have onl y t o

keep good pat i ence. Al l ah i s t he Hel per agai nst what ever you say. By

Al l ah, you have not made Ùt hman Cal i ph but i n t he hope t hat he woul d

gi ve back the Cal i phat e t o you. "



Af t er r ecor di ng t he event s of ash-Shura ( consul t at i ve commi t t ee) , I bn

Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en t hat when al l egi ance had been pai d t o Ùt hman,

Àl i addressed Ùt hman and Àbd ar - Rahman sayi ng, "May Al l ah sow t he

seed of di ssensi on among you, " and so i t happened t hat each turned a

bi t t er enemy of t he ot her and Àbd ar - Rahman di d not ever af t er speak

t o Ùt hman t i l l deat h. Even on deat h bed he t ur ned hi s f ace on seei nghi m.

On seei ng t hese event s t he quest i on ar i ses whether ash-Shura

( consul t at i ve commi t t ee) means conf i ni ng t he mat t er t o si x per sons,

t her eaf t er t o t hr ee and f i nal l y t o one onl y. Al so whet her t he condi t i on

of f ol l owi ng t he conduct of t he two Shaykhs f or Cal i phat e was put by

Ùmar or i t was j ust a hur dl e put by Àbd ar - Rahman between Àl i

( p. b. u. h. ) and t he Cal i phat e, al t hough t he f i r st Cal i ph di d not put

f or t h t hi s condi t i on at t he t i me of nomi nat i ng t he second Cal i ph,

namel y t hat he shoul d f ol l ow t he f or mer ' s f oot st eps. What t hen was t he

occasi on f or t hi s condi t i on her e?

However , Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had agr eed t o par t i ci pat e i n i t i n or der t o

avoi d mi schi ef and t o put an end t o ar gui ng so t hat ot her s shoul d be

si l enced and shoul d not be abl e t o cl ai m t hat t hey woul d have vot ed i n

hi s f avour and t hat he hi msel f evaded t he consul t at i ve commi t t ee and

di d not gi ve t hem an oppor t uni t y of sel ect i ng hi m.

[ 5] About t he r ei gn of t he t hi r d Cal i ph, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says t hat

soon on Ùthman' s comi ng to power Banu Umayyah got gr ound and began

pl under i ng t he Bayt al-mal ( publ i c f und) , and j ust as cat t l e on seei nggr een gr ass af t er dr ought t r ampl e i t away, t hey reckl essl y f el l upon

Al l ah' s money and devour ed i t . At l ast t hi s sel f - i ndul gence and

nepot i sm br ought hi m t o the st age when peopl e besi eged hi s house, put

hi m t o swor d and made hi m vomi t al l t hat he had swal l owed.

The mal admi ni st r at i on t hat t ook pl ace i n t hi s per i od was such t hat no

Musl i m can r emai n unmoved t o see t hat Compani ons of hi gh posi t i on were

l yi ng uncar ed f or , t hey wer e st r i cken wi t h pover t y and surr ounded by

penni l essness whi l e cont r ol over Bayt al-mal ( publ i c f und) was t hat of

Banu Umayyah, government posi t i ons were occupi ed by thei r young andi nexper i enced per sons, speci al Musl i m pr oper t i es wer e owned by t hem,

meadows pr ovi ded gr azi ng but t o t hei r cat t l e, houses wer e bui l t but by

t hem, and orchar ds were but f or t hem. I f any compassi onate person spoke

about t hese excesses hi s r i bs wer e br oken, and i f someone agi t at ed t hi s

capi t al i sm he was ext er ned f r om t he ci t y. The uses t o whi ch zakat and

char i t i es whi ch were meant f or t he poor and t he wr etched and t he publ i c





f und whi ch was t he common pr oper t y of t he Musl i ms wer e put may be

obser ved f r om t he f ol l owi ng f ew i l l ust r at i ons;

1) al - Hakam i bn Abi ' l - Às who had been exi l ed f r om Medi na by t he

Pr ophet was al l owed back i n t he ci t y not onl y agai nst t he Pr ophet ' s

sunnah but al so agai nst t he conduct of t he f i r st t wo Cal i phs and he was

pai d t hr ee hundr ed t housand Di r hams f r om t he publ i c f und. ( Ansab al-

ashraf , vol . 5, pp. 27, 28, 125)

2) al - Wal i d i bn Ùqbah who has been named hypocr i t e i n t he Qur ' an was

pai d one hundr ed thousand Di r hams f r om t he Musl i m' s publ i c f und. (al-

Ìqd al-farid , vol . 3, p. 94)

3) The Cal i ph mar r i ed hi s own daughter Umm Aban t o Marwan i bn al - Hakam

and pai d hi m one hundr ed thousand Di r hams f r om t he publ i c f und. ( Sharh

of I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 1, pp. 198- 199) .

4) He mar r i ed hi s daught er À' i shah t o Har i t h i bn al - Hakam and gr ant ed

hi m one hundr ed t housand Di r hams f r om t he publ i c f und. ( ibid . )

5) Àbdul l ah i bn Khal i d was pai d f our hundr ed t housand Di r hams. (al-

Maàrif of I bn Qut aybah, p. 84)

6) Al l owed t he khums ( one f i f t h r el i gi ous dut y) f r om Af r i ca ( amount i ng

t o f i ve hundr ed t housand Di nars) t o Marwan i bn al - Hakam. ( ibid )

7) Fadak whi ch was wi t hhel d f r om t he angel i c daught er of t he Pr ophet on

t he gr ound of bei ng gener al char i t y was gi ven as a royal f avour t oMar wan i bn al - Hakam. ( ibid . )

8) Mahzur a pl ace i n t he commerci al area of Medi na whi ch had been

decl ar ed a publ i c t r ust by the Pr ophet was gi f t ed t o Har i t h i bn al -

Hakam. ( ibid . )

9) I n t he meadows ar ound Medi na no camel except t hose of Banu Umayyah

were al l owed t o gr aze. ( Sharh of I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . l , p. l 99)

10) Af t er hi s deat h ( Ùt hman' s) one hundr ed and f i f t y t housand Di nar s

( gol d coi ns) and one mi l l i on Di r hams ( si l ver coi ns) wer e f ound i n hi shouse. Ther e was no l i mi t t o t ax f r ee l ands; and t he t ot al val ue of t he

l anded est at e he owned i n Wadi al - Qura and Hunayn was one hundr ed

t housand Di nars. There were count l ess camel s and horses. (Muruj adh-

dhahab, vol . l , p. 435)

11) The Cal i ph' s r el at i ons r ul ed al l t he pr i nci pal ci t i es. Thus, at

Kuf ah, al - Wal i d i bn Ùqbah was t he governor but when i n t he st ate of



i nt oxi cat i on of wi ne he l ed t he mor ni ng pr ayer i n f our i nst ead of t wo

r akàh and peopl e agi t ated he was r emoved, but t he Cal i ph put i n hi s

pl ace a hypocr i t e l i ke Saì d i bn al - Às. I n Egypt Àbdul l ah i bn Sa`d

i bn Abi Sar h, i n Syr i a Muawi yah i bn Abi Suf yan, and i n Basr ah,

Àbdul l ah i bn Àmi r were t he governors appoi nt ed by hi m ( ibid . )

*****

Sermon 4

Amir al-mu'minin's far-sightedness and his staunch conviction in Belief

Through us you got gui dance i n t he dar kness and secur ed hi gh posi t i on,

and t hr ough us you got out of t he gl oomy ni ght . The ears whi ch do not

l i st en t o t he cr i es may become deaf . How can one who r emai ned deaf t o

t he l oud cr i es ( of t he Qur ' an and t he Pr ophet ) l i st en t o ( my) f eebl e

voi ce. The hear t t hat has ever pal pi t at ed ( wi t h f ear of Al l ah) may get

peace.

I al ways appr ehended f r om you consequences of t r eacher y and I had seen

you t hr ough i n t he gar b of t he decei t f ul . The cur t ai n of r el i gi on had

kept me hi dden f r om you but t he t r ut h of my i nt ent i ons di scl osed you t ome. I st ood f or you on t he path of t r ut h among mi sl eadi ng t r acks where

you met each other but t her e was no l eader and you dug but got no

wat er .

Today I am maki ng t hese dumb t hi ngs speak t o you ( i . e. my suggest i ve

i deas and deep musi ngs et c. ) whi ch ar e f ul l of descr i pt i ve power . The

opi ni on of t he per son who abandons me may get ast r ay. I have never

doubt ed i n t he t r ut h si nce i t has been shown to me. Musa ( Moses) [ 1]

di d not ent er t ai n f ear f or hi s own sel f . Rat her he appr ehended mast er y

of t he i gnorant and away of devi at i on. Today we st and on t he cr oss-

r oads of t r ut h and unt r ut h. The one who i s sur e of get t i ng wat er f eel s

no t hi rs t .






[ 1] . The ref er ence i s t o that even of Moses when sorcer er s wer e sent f or

t o conf r ont hi m and t hey showed t hei r sorcery by t hr owi ng r opes and

st i cks on t he gr ound and Moses f el t af r ai d. Thus, t he Qur ' an r ecor ds:

. . . it seemed to him (Moses), by their sorcery as if they were

running. Then Moses felt in himself a fear. We said: Fear not! Verily

thou art the uppermost. ( 20: 66- 68)

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says t hat t he gr ound f or Moses f ear was not t hat si nce

he saw r opes and st i cks movi ng he mi ght have ent ert ai ned f ear f or hi s

l i f e but t he cause of hi s f ear was l est peopl e be i mpr essed wi t h t hi s

sorcer y and get ast r ay, and unt r ut h mi ght pr evai l on account of t hi s

cr af t . That i s why Moses was not consol ed by sayi ng t hat hi s l i f e was

saf e but by sayi ng t hat he woul d pr ove super i or , and hi s cl ai m woul d be

uphel d. Si nce hi s f ear was f or t he def eat of t he t r ut h and vi ct or y of

t he unt r ut h, not f or hi s own l i f e, t he consi der at i on was gi ven t o hi m

f or t he vi ctor y of t r ut h and not f or t he pr ot ecti on of hi s l i f e.

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n al so means t hat he t oo had t he same f ear viz. t hat t he

peopl e shoul d not be caught i n t he t r ap of t hese ( Tal hah, az- Zubayr ,

et c. ) and f ai l i nt o mi sgui dance by get t i ng ast r ay f r om t he t r ue f ai t h.

Ot her wi se, he hi msel f never f ear ed f or hi s own l i f e.

*****

Sermon 5

Delivered when the Holy Prophet died ...

Delivered when the Holy Prophet died and `Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib

and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb offered to pay allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin

for the Caliphate

O' Peopl e! [ 1]

St eer cl ear t hr ough t he waves of mi schi ef by boat s of del i ver ance, t ur n

away f r om t he pat h of di ssensi on and put of f t he cr owns of pr i de.

Prosper ous i s one who r i ses wi t h wi ngs ( i . e. when he has power ) or el se

he remai ns peacef ul and ot her s enj oy ease. I t ( i . e. t he aspi r at i on f or







Cal i phat e) i s l i ke t ur bi d wat er or l i ke a mor sel t hat woul d suf f ocat e

t he per son who swal l ows i t . One who pl ucks f r ui t s bef or e r i peni ng i s

l i ke one who cul t i vat ed i n anot her ' s f i el d.

I f I speak out t hey woul d cal l me gr eedy t owar ds power but i f I keep

qui et t hey woul d say I was af r ai d of deat h. I t i s a pi t y t hat af t er al l

t he ups and downs ( I have been t hr ough) . By Al l ah t he son of Abu Tal i b[ 2] i s mor e f ami l i ar wi t h deat h t han an i nf ant wi t h t he br east of i t s

mot her . I have hi dden knowl edge, i f I di scl ose i t you wi l l st ar t

t r embl i ng l i ke r opes i n deep wel l s.


[ 1] . When the Hol y Pr ophet di ed Abu Suf yan was not i n Medi na. He was

comi ng back when on hi s way he got t he news of t hi s t r agedy. At once he

enqui r ed who had become t he l eader and Chi ef . He was t ol d t hat peopl e

had pai d al l egi ance t o Abu Bakr . On hear i ng t hi s t he acknowl edgedmi schi ef - monger of Ar abi a went i nt o deep t hought and event ual l y went t o

Àbbas i bn Àbd al - Mut t al i b wi t h a pr oposal . He sai d t o hi m, "Look,

t hese peopl e have by cont r i vance made over t he Cal i phate t o t he Taym

and depr i ved Banu Hashi m of i t f or good, and af t er hi msel f t hi s man

woul d pl ace over our heads a haught y man of Banu Àdi . Let us go t o

Àl i i bn Àbi Tal i b and ask hi m t o get out of hi s house and t ake t o

ar ms t o secur e hi s r i ght . " So t aki ng Àbbas wi t h hi m he came t o Àl i

and sai d: "Let me your hand; I pay al l egi ance t o you and i f anyone

r i ses i n opposi t i on I woul d f i l l t he st r eet s of Medi na wi t h men of

caval r y and i nf ant r y. " Thi s was t he most del i cat e moment f or Ami r al -mu' mi ni n. He regarded hi msel f as t he t r ue head and successor of t he

Prophet whi l e a man wi t h t he backi ng of hi s t r i be and par t y l i ke Abu

Suf yan was r eady t o suppor t hi m. J ust a si gnal was enough t o i gni t e the

f l ames of war . But Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s f or esi ght and r i ght j udgement

saved t he Musl i ms f r om ci vi l war as hi s pi er ci ng eyes per cei ved t hat

t hi s man want ed t o st ar t ci vi l war by r ousi ng t he passi ons of t r i bal

par t i sanshi p and di st i nct i on of bi r t h, so t hat I sl am shoul d be st r uck

wi t h a convul si on t hat woul d shake i t t o i t s r oot s. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

t her ef or e rej ect ed hi s counsel and admoni shed hi m sever el y and spoke

f or t h t he words, whereby he has st opped peopl e f r ommi schi ef monger i ng,and undue concei t , and decl ar ed hi s st and t o be t hat f or hi m t her e wer e

onl y two cour ses - ei t her t o t ake up ar ms or t o si t qui et l y at home. I f

he rose f or war t here was no support er so t hat he coul d suppr ess t hese

r i si ng i nsur genci es. The onl y cour se l ef t was qui et l y t o wai t f or t he

oppor t uni t y t i l l ci r cumst ances wer e f avour abl e.







Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s qui et ness at t hi s st age was i ndi cat i ve of hi s hi gh

pol i cy and f ar - si ght edness, because i f i n t hose ci r cumst ances Medi na

had become the cent r e of war i t s f i r e woul d have engul f ed t he whol e of

Ar abi a i n i t s f l ames. The di scor d and scuf f l e t hat had al r eady begun

among muhajirun ( t hose who came f r om Mecca) and ansar ( t he l ocal s of

Medi na) woul d have i ncr eased t o maxi mum, t he wi r e- pul l i ngs of t hehypocr i t es woul d have had f ul l pl ay, and I sl am' s shi p woul d have been

caught i n such a whi r l pool t hat i t s bal anci ng woul d have been

di f f i cul t ; Ami r al - mu' mi ni n suf f er ed t r oubl e and t r i bul at i ons but di d

not r ai se hi s hands. Hi st or y i s wi t ness t hat dur i ng hi s l i f e at Mecca

t he Pr ophet suf f er ed al l sort s of t r oubl es but he was not pr epar ed t o

cl ash or st r uggl e by abandoni ng pat i ence and endur ance, because he

r eal i sed t hat i f war t ook pl ace at t hat st age t he way f or I sl am' s

gr owt h and f r ui t i on woul d be cl osed. Of cour se, when he had col l ect ed

suppor t er s and hel per s enough t o suppr ess t he f l ood of unbel i ef and

cur b t he di st ur bances, he r ose t o f ace t he enemy. Si mi l ar l y, Ami r al -mu' mi ni n, t r eat i ng t he l i f e of t he Pr ophet as a t or ch f or hi s gui dance

r ef r ai ned f r om exhi bi t i ng t he power of hi s ar m because he was r eal i si ng

t hat r i si ng agai nst t he enemy wi t hout hel per s and suppor t er s woul d

become a sour ce of r evol t and def eat i nst ead of success and vi ct or y.

Ther ef or e, on t hi s occasi on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has l i kened t he desi r e f or

Cal i phat e t o t ur bi d wat er or a mor sel suf f ocat i ng t he t hr oat . Thus,

even where peopl e had f orci bl y snat ched t hi s morsel and want ed t o

swal l ow i t by f or ci bl e t hr ust i ng, i t got st uck up i n t hei r t hr oat . They

coul d nei t her swal l ow i t nor vomi t i t out . That i s, t hey coul d nei t her

manage i t as i s appar ent f r om t he bl under s t hey commi t t ed i n connect i onwi t h I sl ami c i nj unct i ons, nor wer e t hey r eady t o cast of f t he knot f r om

t hei r neck.

He r ei t er at ed t he same i deas i n di f f er ent wor ds t hus: " I f had I

at t empt ed t o pl uck the unr i pe f r ui t of Cal i phat e t hen by thi s t he

orchar d woul d have been desol ated and I t oo woul d have achi eved

not hi ng, l i ke t hese peopl e who cul t i vat e on ot her ' s l and but can

nei t her guar d i t , nor wat er i t at pr oper t i me, nor r eap any cr op f r om

i t . The posi t i on of t hese peopl e i s t hat i f I ask t hem t o vacat e i t so

t hat t he owner shoul d cul t i vat e i t hi msel f and pr ot ect i t , t hey say howgr eedy I am, whi l e i f I keep qui et t hey t hi nk I am af r ai d of deat h.

They shoul d t el l me on what occasi on di d I ever f eel af r ai d, or f l ew

f r om bat t l e- f i el d f or l i f e, wher eas ever y smal l or bi g encount er i s

proof of my br aver y and a wi t ness t o my dar i ng and cour age. He who

pl ays wi t h swor ds and st r i kes agai nst hi l l ocks i s not af r ai d of deat h.

I am so f ami l i ar wi t h deat h t hat even an i nf ant i s not so f ami l i ar wi t h



t he br east of i t s mot her . Har k! The r eason f or my si l ence i s t he

knowl edge that t he Pr ophet has put i n my bosom. I f I di vul ge i t you

woul d get per pl exed and bewi l der ed. Let some days pass and you woul d

know t he reason of my i nact i on, and percei ve wi t h your own eyes what

sor t s of peopl e woul d appear on t hi s scene under t he name of I sl am, and

what dest r uct i on t hey woul d br i ng about . My si l ence i s because t hi swoul d happen, ot her wi se i t i s not si l ence wi t hout r eason. "

A Per si an hemi st ch says:

"Silence has meaning which cannot be couched in words."

[ 2] . About deat h Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says t hat i t i s so dear t o hi m t hat

even an i nf ant does not so l ove t o l eap t owar ds t he sour ce of i t s

nour i shment whi l e i n i t s mot her ' s l ap. An i nf ant ' s at t achment wi t h t he

br east of i t s mot her i s under t he ef f ect of a nat ur al i mpul se but t he

di ct ates of natur al i mpul ses change wi t h t he advance of age. When t hel i mi t ed per i od of i nf ancy ends and t he i nf ant ' s t emper ament changes, he

does not l i ke even t o l ook at what was so f ami l i ar t o hi m but r at her

t ur ns hi s f ace f r om i t i n di sgust . But t he l ove of pr ophet s and sai nt s

f or uni on wi t h Al l ah i s ment al and spi r i t ual , and ment al and spi r i t ual

f eel i ngs do not change, nor does weakness or decay occur i n t hem. Si nce

deat h i s t he means and f i r st r ung t owar ds t hi s goal t hei r l ove f or

deat h i ncr eases t o such an extent t hat i t s r i gour s become t he cause of

pl easur e f or t hem and i t s bi t t er ness pr oves t o be t he sour ce of del i ght

f or t hei r t ast e. Thei r l ove f or i t i s t he same as t hat of t he t hi r st y

f or t he wel l or t hat of a l ost passenger f or hi s goal . Thus when Ami ral - mu' mi ni n was wounded by `Abd ar - Rahman i bn Mul j am' s f atal at t ack, he

sai d, " I was but l i ke t he wal ker who has r eached ( t he goal ) or l i ke

t he seeker who has f ound ( hi s obj ect ) and what ever i s wi t h Al l ah i s

good f or t he pi ous. " The Pr ophet al so sai d t hat t her e i s no pl easur e

f or a bel i ever ot her t han uni on wi t h Al l ah.

*****

Sermon 6

Delivered on being advised not to chase...





Delivered on being advised not to chase Talhah ibn Ùbaydillah and az-

Zubayr ibn al-Àwwam for fighting

By Al l ah I shal l not be l i ke t he badger [ 1] , whi ch f ei gns sl eep on

cont i nuous ( sound of ) st one- t hr owi ng t i l l he who i s i n sear ch of i t

f i nds i t or he who i s on t he l ook out f or i t over power s i t . Rat her , I

shal l ever st r i ke t he devi at or s f r om t r ut h wi t h t he hel p of t hose whoadvance towar ds i t , and t he si nner s and doubt er s wi t h t he hel p of t hose

who l i st en t o me and obey, t i l l my day ( of deat h) comes. By Al l ah I

have been cont i nual l y depr i ved of my r i ght f r om t he day the Prophet

di ed t i l l t oday.


[ 1] . When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n showed i nt ent i on t o chase Tal hah and az-

Zubayr , he was advi sed t o l eave t hemon t hei r own l est he recei ved some

har m f r om t hem. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n ut t er ed t hese wor ds i n r epl y, t he sumt otal wher eof i s: "How l ong can I be a mer e spect at or t o my r i ght bei ng

snat ched and keep qui et . Now, so l ong as I have br eat h of l i f e I shal l

f i ght t hem and make t hem suf f er t he consequences of t hei r conduct . They

shoul d not t hi nk that I can be easi l y over - power ed l i ke t he badger . "

Dabu` means badger . I t s ni ckname i s Umm Àmi r and Umm Tur r ayq. I t i s

al so cal l ed " t he gl ut t on" , because i t swal l ows ever ythi ng and eat s up

what ever i t get s as i f sever al bel l i es wer e cont ai ned i n one, and t hey

do not have t hei r f i l l . I t i s al so cal l ed Na`thal. I t i s a ver y si mpl e

and si l l y ani mal . I t s sl yness i s appar ent f r om t he way i t i s easi l ycaught . I t i s sai d t hat t he hunt er sur r ounds i t s den and st r i kes i t

wi t h hi s f oot or a st i ck, and cal l s out sof t l y, "Bow you head Umm

Turr ayq, conceal your sel f Umm Àmi r . " On r epeat i ng t hi s sent ence and

pat t i ng t he gr ound, i t conceal s i t sel f i n a cor ner of t he den. Then t he

hunt er says, "Umm Àmi r i s not i n i t s den, i t i s sl eepi ng. " On hear i ng

t hi s i t st r et ches i t s l i mbs and f ei gns sl eep. The hunt er t hen put s t he

knot i n i t s f eet and dr ags i t out , and i f f al l s l i ke a cowar d i nt o hi s

hand wi t hout r esi st ance.

*****

Sermon 7







About the hypocrites

They [ 1] have made Satan t he mast er of t hei r af f ai r s, and he has t aken

t hem as par t ner s. He has l ai d eggs and hat ched t hem i n t hei r bosoms. He

cr eeps and cr awl s i n t hei r l aps. He sees t hr ough t hei r eyes, and speaks

wi t h t hei r t ongues. I n t hi s way he has l ed t hem t o si nf ul ness and

ador ned f or t hem f oul t hi ngs l i ke t he act i on of one whom Sat an has madepart ner i n hi s domai n and speaks unt r ut h t hr ough hi s t ongue.


[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says about t he hypocr i t es ( i . e. t hose who opposed

hi m bef or e and dur i ng hi s Cal i phat e) t hat t hey ar e par t ner s i n act i on

of Sat an and hi s hel pers and suppor t er s. He t oo has bef r i ended t hem so

much t hat he has made hi s abode wi t h t hem, r esi des on thei r bosoms,

l ays eggs and hatches young one f r omt hem t here, whi l e t hese young ones

j ump and pl ay i n t hei r l aps wi t hout demur . He means t hat Sat ani c evi li deas t ake bi r t h i n t hei r bosoms and gr ow and t hr i ve t her e. Ther e i s no

r est r ai n on t hem, nor r est r i ct i on of any ki nd. He has so per meat ed i n

t hei r bl ood and mi ngl ed i n t hei r spi r i t t hat bot h have become

compl et el y uni f i ed. Now eyes ar e t hei r s but si ght i s hi s, t he t ongue i s

t hei r s but t he wor ds are hi s, as t he Pr ophet had sai d, "Ver i l y, Sat an

per meat es t he pr ogeny of Adam l i ke bl ood. " That i s, j ust as t he

ci r cul at i on of bl ood does not st op, i n t he same way t he qui ck

success i on of Satan' s evi l i deas know no br eak and he dr aws man t owards

evi l i n sl eep and wakef ul ness, and i n ever y post ur e, r i si ng or si t t i ng.

He so pai nt s t hem wi t h hi s dye t hat t hei r wor d and act i on r ef l ect anexact por t r ai t of hi s wor d and act i on. Those whose bosoms shi ne wi t h

t he ef f ul gence of f ai t h pr event such evi l i deas but some ar e al r eady

r eady t o wel come those evi l s and t hese ar e t he persons who under t he

gar b of I sl am ar e ever af t er advancement of her esy.

* * * * *

Sermon 8

Said about az-Zubayr at a time for which it was appropriate







They [ 1] t hunder l i ke cl ouds and shone l i ke l i ght ni ng but despi t e bot h

t hese thi ngs t hey exhi bi t ed cowar di ce, whi l e we do not t hunder t i l l we

pounce upon t he f oe nor do we show f l ow ( of words) unt i l we have not

vi r t ual l y rai ned.


[ 1] . About t he peopl e of J amal ( i . e. t he enemy i n t he bat t l e of J amal )

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says t hat t hey rose t hunder i ng, shout i ng and

st ampedi ng but when encount er t ook pl ace t hey were seen f l yi ng l i ke

st r aw. At one t i me they made l oud cl ai ms t hat t hey woul d do thi s and

woul d do t hat and now t hey showed such cowardi ce as t o f l ee f r om t he

bat t l e- f i el d. About hi msel f Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says, t hat "We do not

t hr eat en t he enemy bef or e bat t l e, nor ut t er boast s, nor t er r or i se the

enemy by rai si ng unnecessary cr i es because i t i s not t he way of t he

br ave t o use t he tongue i nst ead of t he hand. " That i s why on t hi s

occasi on he sai d t o hi s comr ades. "Bewar e of excessi ve t al k as i t i scowar di ce. "

*****

Sermon 10

About Talhah and az-Zubayr

Beware! Sat an [ 1] has col l ected hi s gr oup and assembl ed hi s horsemen

and f oot - sol di er s. Sur el y, wi t h me i s my sagaci t y. I have nei t her

decei ved mysel f nor ever been decei ved. By Al l ah I shal l f i l l t o t he

br i m f or t hem a ci st er n f r om whi ch I al one woul d dr aw wat er . They can

nei t her t ur n away f r om i t nor r et ur n t o i t .


[ 1] . When Tal hah and az- Zubayr br oke away by vi ol at i ng t he Oat h ofal l egi ance and set f or Basr ah i n t he company of À' i shah, Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n spoke i n t hese words whi ch are par t of t he l ong speech.

I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en t hat i n t hi s ser mon Sat an denot es t he real

Sat an as wel l as Muàwi yah because Muàwi yah was secr et l y conspi r i ng

wi t h Tal hah and az- Zubayr and i nst i gat i ng t hem t o f i ght agai nst Ami r











al - mu' mi ni n; but t he r ef er ence t o t he r eal Sat an i s mor e appr opr i at e,

obvi ous and i n accor d wi t h t he si t uat i on and ci r cumst ances.

*****

Sermon 11

When Amir al-mu'minin gave the standard to his son ...

Delivered in the Battle of Jamal when Amir al-mu'minin gave the

standard to his son Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah [ 1]

Mount ai ns [ 2] may move f r omt hei r posi t i on but you shoul d not move f r om

your s. Gr i t your t eet h. Lend t o Al l ah your head ( i n f i ght i ng f or Al l ah,

gi ve your sel f t o Al l ah) . Pl ant your f eet f i r ml y on t he gr ound. Have

your eye on t he remot est f oe and cl ose your eyes ( t o t hei r numer i cal

maj or i t y) . And keep sur e t hat succour i s but f r om Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed.


[ 1] . Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah was Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s son but cal l ed

I bn Hanaf i yyah af t er hi s mother . Hi s mother ' s name was Khawl ah bi nt

J a`f ar . She was known as Hanaf i yyah af t er her t r i be Banu Hani f ah. Whenpeopl e of Yamamah were decl ared apost ates f or r ef usi ng t o pay zakat

( r el i gi ous t ax) and wer e ki l l ed and t hei r women- f ol k wer e br ought t o

Medi na as sl ave gi r l s, t hi s l ady al so came to Medi na wi t h t hem. When

her t r i besmen came t o know i t t hey appr oached Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and

r equest ed hi m t o save her f r om t he bl emi sh of sl aver y and pr ot ect her

f ami l y honour and pr est i ge. Consequent l y, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n set her f r ee

af t er pur chasi ng and mar r i ed her e wher eaf t er Muhammad was born.

Most hi st or i ans have wr i t t en hi s sur name as Abu' l - Qasi m. Thus, t he

aut hor of al-Isti`ab ( vol . 3, pp. 1366, 1367- 1368, 1370, 1371- 1372) hasnarr at ed t he opi ni on of Abu Rashi d i bn Haf s az- Zuhr i t hat f r om among

t he sons of t he compani ons ( of t he Pr ophet ) he came acr oss f our

i ndi vi dual s ever yone of whom was named Muhammad and surnamed Abu' l -

Qasi m, namel y ( I ) Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah, ( 2) Muhammad i bn Abu Bakr

( 3) Muhammad i bn Tal hah and ( 4) Muhammad i bn Sa`d. Af t er t hi s he wr i t es

t hat Muhammad i bn Tal hah' s name and sur name was gi ven by t he Prophet .









al - Waqi di wr i t es t hat t he name and sur name of Muhammad i bn Abu Bakr was

suggest ed by À' i shah. Appar ent l y t he Hol y Pr ophet ' s gi vi ng t he name of

Muhammad i bn Tal hah seems i ncor r ect si nce f r omsome t r adi t i ons i t

appear s t hat t he Prophet had r eserved i t f or a son of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

and he was Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah.

As r egar ds hi s sur name i t i s sai d t hat t he Pr ophet had par t i cul ar i sedi t and t hat he had t ol d Àl i t hat a son woul d be bor n t o you af t er me

and I have gi ven hi m my name and sur name and af t er t hat i t i s not

per mi ssi bl e f or anyone i n my peopl e to have t hi s name and surname

t oget her .

Wi t h t hi s opi ni on bef ore us how can i t be cor r ect t hat t he Prophet had

gi ven t hi s ver y name and surname t o anyone el se si nce par t i cul ar i sat i on

means t hat no one el se woul d share i t . Moreover , some peopl e have

r ecorded t he sur name of I bn Tal hah as Abu Sul ayman i nst ead of Abu' l -

Qasi m and t hi s f ur t her conf i r ms our vi ew poi nt . Si mi l ar l y, i f t hesur name of Muhammad i bn Abu Bakr was on the gr ound t hat hi s son' s name

was Qasi m, who was among the t heol ogi ans of Medi na, t hen what i s t he

sense i n À' i shah havi ng suggest ed i t . I f she had suggest ed i t al ong

wi t h the name how coul d Muhammad i bn Abu Bakr t ol erat e i t l at er on

si nce havi ng been br ought up under t he car e of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t he

Prophet ' s sayi ng coul d not r emai n conceal ed f r om hi m. Mor eover , most

peopl e have recor ded hi s surname as Abu Àbd ar - Rahman, whi ch weakens

t he vi ew of Abu Rashi d.

Let al one t hese peopl e' s surname bei ng Abu' l - Qasi m, even f or I bn al -Hanaf i yyah t hi s surname i s not pr oved. Al t hough I bn Khal l i kan ( i n

Wafayat al-a`yan, vol . 4, p. 170) has t aken t hat son of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

f or whom t he Pr ophet had par t i cul ar i sed t hi s sur name to be Muhammad i bn

al - Hanaf i yyah, yet al - Àl l amah al - Mamaqani ( i n Tanqih al-maqal, vol . 3,

Par t 1, p. 112) wr i t es:

I n appl yi ng t hi s t r adi t i on t o Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah, I bn Khal l i kan

has got i nt o conf usi on, because t he son of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n whom t he

Pr ophet ' s name and sur name t ogether have been gi f t ed by t he Pr ophet ,

and whi ch i s not per mi ssi bl e t o be gi ven t o any one el se, i s t o t heawai t ed l ast I mam ( may our l i ves be hi s r ansom) , and not t o Muhammad

i bn al - Hanaf i yyah, nor i s t he sur name Abu' l - Qasi m est abl i shed f or hi m,

r at her some of t he Sunni s bei ng i gnor ant of t he r eal i nt ent i on of t he

Prophet , have t aken t o mean I bn al - Hanaf i yyah.



However , Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah was pr omi nent i n r i ght eousness and

pi et y, subl i me i n r enunci at i on and wor shi p, l of t y i n knowl edge and

achi evement s and hei r of hi s f at her i n br aver y. Hi s per f or mance i n t he

bat t l es of J amal and Si f f i n had cr eat ed such i mpr essi on among the Ar abs

t hat even warr i ors of consequence t r embl ed at hi s name. Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n t oo was pr oud of hi s cour age and val our , and al ways pl aced hi mf or war d i n encount er s. ash- Shaykh al - Baha' i has wr i t t en i n al-Kashkul

t hat Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b kept hi m abr east i n t he bat t l es and di d not

al l ow Hasan and Husayn t o go ahead, and used t o say, "He i s my son

whi l e t hese two ar e sons of t he Pr ophet of Al l ah. " When a Khar i j i t e

sai d t o I bn al - Hanaf i yyah t hat Àl i t hr ust hi m i nt o t he f l ames of war

but saved away Hasan and Husayn he repl i ed t hat he hi msel f was l i ke the

r i ght hand and Hasan and Husayn l i ke Àl i ' s t wo eyes and t hat Àl i

pr ot ect ed hi s eyes wi t h hi s r i ght hand. But al - Àl l amah al - Mamaqani has

wr i t t en i n Tanqih al-Maqal t hat t hi s was not t he r epl y of I bn al -

Hanaf i yyah but of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hi msel f . When dur i ng t he bat t l e ofSi f f i n Muhammad ment i oned t hi s mat t er t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n

compl ai ni ng t one he repl i ed, "You are my r i ght hand whereas t hey ar e my

eyes, and t he hand shoul d pr ot ect t he eyes. "

Appar ent l y i t seems t hat f i r st Ami r al - mu' mi ni n must have gi ven t hi s

r epl y and t her eaf t er someone mi ght have ment i oned i t t o Muhammad i bn

al - Hanaf i yyah and he must have repeat ed t he same repl y as t here coul d

be no more el oquent r epl y t han t hi s one and i t s el oquence conf i r ms t he

vi ew t hat i t was or i gi nal l y t he out come of t he el oquent t ongue of Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n and was l at er appr opr i ated by Muhammad al - Hanaf i yyah.Consequent l y, bot h t hese vi ews can be hel d to be cor r ect and t her e i s

no i ncongr ui t y between them. However , he was born i n the rei gn of t he

second Cal i ph and di ed i n t he rei gn of Àbd al - Mal i k i bn Mar wan at t he

age of si xty- f i ve year s. Some wr i t er s have r ecor ded t he year of hi s

deat h as 80 A. H. and other s as 81 A. H. There i s a di f f er ence about t he

pl ace of hi s deat h as wel l . Some have put i t as Medi na, some Ayl ah and

some Ta' i f .

[ 2] . When i n t he Bat t l e of J amal Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent Muhammad i bn al -

Hanaf i yyah t o t he bat t l e- f i el d, he t ol d hi m t hat he shoul d f i x hi msel fbef ore t he enemy l i ke t he mount ai n of determi nat i on and r esol ut eness so

t hat t he onsl aught of t he ar my shoul d not be abl e t o di spl ace hi m, and

shoul d charge t he enemy wi t h cl osed t eet h because by pr essi ng t eet h

over t he t eet h t ensi on occur s i n t he ner ves of t he skul l as a r esul t of

whi ch t he st r oke of t he swor d goes ami ss, as he sai d at anot her pl ace

al so viz. "Pr ess t oget her t he t eet h. I t sends ami ss t he edge of t he





swor d. " Then he says, "My chi l d, l end your head t o Al l ah i n or der t hat

you may be abl e t o achi eve et er nal l i f e i n pl ace of t hi s one, because

f or a l ent ar t i cl e t her e i s t he r i ght t o get i t back. Ther ef or e, you

shoul d f i ght bei ng heedl ess of your l i f e, ot her wi se al so i f your mi nd

cl i ngs t o l i f e you wi l l hesi t at e t o advance t owar ds deat hl y encount er s

and t hat woul d t el l upon your r eput at i on of br aver y. Look, don' t l etyour st eps f al t er because t he enemy i s embol dened at t he f al t er i ng of

st eps, and f al t er i ng st eps f ast ens t he f eet of t he enemy. Keep t he l ast

l i nes of t he enemy as your ai m so that t he enemy may be overawed wi t h

l of t i ness of your i nt ent i ons and you may f eel ease i n t ear i ng t hr ough

t hei r l i ves, and t hei r movement shoul d al so not r emai n conceal ed f r om

you. Look, do not pay heed t o thei r super i or i t y i n number s, ot her wi se

your val our and cour age woul d suf f er . " Thi s sent ence can al so mean t hat

one shoul d not wi de open t he eyes t o be dazzl ed by t he shi ni ng of

weapons, and t he enemy may make an at t ack by t aki ng advant age of t he

si t uat i on. Al so, al ways bear i t i n mi nd t hat vi ctor y i s f r om Al l ah. "I fAl l ah hel ps you no one can over power you. " Ther ef or e, i nst ead of

r el yi ng on mater i al means seek Hi s support and succour .

( Remember O' ye Bel i ever s! ) If Allah helpeth you, none shall overcome

you. . . ( Qur ' an, 3: 159)

*****

Sermon 12

When Allah gave him (Amir al-mu'minin) victory over the enemy at the

Battle of Jamal ...

When [ 1] Allah gave him (Amir al-mu'minin) victory over the enemy at

the Battle of Jamal one of his comrades said on that occasion, "I wish

my brother so-and-so had been present and he too would have seen what

success and victory Allah had given you," whereupon Amir al-mu'minin

said:

"Di d your br ot her hol d me f r i end?"





He sai d: "Yes, "

Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d:

I n t hat case he was wi t h us. Rat her i n t hi s ar my of our s even t hose

persons were al so pr esent who ar e st i l l i n t he l oi ns of men and wombs

of women. Shor t l y, t i me wi l l br i ng t hem out and f ai t h wi l l get st r engt ht hrough t hem.


[ 1] . I f a per son f al l s shor t i n hi s act i ons despi t e means and equi pment ,

t hi s woul d be i ndi cat i ve of t he weakness of hi s wi l l . But i f t her e i s

an i mpedi ment i n t he way of act i on or hi s l i f e comes t o an end as a

r esul t of whi ch hi s act i on r emai ns i ncompl et e, t hen i n t hat case Al l ah

woul d not depr i ve hi m of t he r ewar d on t he basi s t hat act i ons are

j udged by i ntent i on. Si nce hi s i ntent i on i n any case was t o per f or m t he

act i on, t her ef or e he shoul d deserve r ewar d t o some extent .

I n t he case of act i on, t here may be absence of r eward because act i on

can i nvol ve show or pr et ence but i nt ent i on i s hi dden i n t he dept h of

hear t . I t can have not a j ot of show or af f ect at i on. The i nt ent i on

woul d r emai n at t he same l evel of f r ankness, t r ut h, per f ect i on and

cor r ectness where i t i s, even t hough there may be no act i on due t o some

i mpedi ment . Even i f t her e i s no occasi on f or f or mi ng i nt ent i on but

t here i s pass i on and zeal i n t he hear t , a man woul d deser ve r eward on

t he basi s of hi s hear t ' s f eel i ngs. Thi s i s t o what Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has

al l uded i n t hi s ser mon, namel y t hat " I f your br ot her l oved me he woul dshar e t he r eward wi t h t hose who secur ed mart yrdomf or our support . "

*****

Sermon 13

Condemning the people of Basrah

You wer e t he ar my of a woman[ 1] and i n t he command of a quadruped. When

i t grumbl ed you r esponded, and when i t was wounded ( hamst r ung) you f l ed

away. Your char act er i s l ow and your pl edge i s br oken. Your f ai t h i s

hypocr i sy. Your wat er i s bracki sh. He who st ays wi t h you i s l aden wi t h







si ns and he who f orsakes you secur es Al l ah' s mercy. As t hough I see

your mosque pr omi nent , r esembl i ng t he sur f ace of a boat , whi l e Al l ah

has sent chast i sement f r omabove and f r om bel ow i t and every one who i s

on i t i s dr owned. [ 2]

Another version

By Al l ah, your ci t y woul d cer t ai nl y be dr owned so much so t hat as

t hough I see i t s mosque l i ke t he upper par t of a boat or a si t t i ng

ost r i ch.

Another version

Li ke t he bosomof a bi r d i n deep sea.

Another version

Your ci t y i s t he most st i nki ng of al l t he ci t i es as r egar ds i t s cl ay,t he near est t o wat er and r emot est f r om t he sky. I t cont ai ns ni ne t ent hs

of evi l . He who ent er s i t i s surr ounded wi t h hi s si ns and he who i s out

of i t enj oys Al l ah' s f or gi veness. I t seems as t hough I l ook at t hi s

habi t at i on of your s t hat wat er has so engul f ed i t t hat not hi ng can be

seen of i t except t he hi ghest par t of mosque appear i ng l i ke t he bosom

of a bi r d i n deep sea.


[ 1] . I bn Maytham wr i t es t hat when t he Bat t l e of J amal ended t hen on t he

t hi r d day af t er i t Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t he mor ni ng pr ayer i n t hecent r al mosque of Basr ah and af t er f i ni shi ng i t st ood on t he r i ght si de

of t he pr ayer pl ace r ecl i ni ng agai nst t he wal l and del i ver ed t hi s

ser mon wherei n he descr i bed t he l owness of character of t he peopl e of

Basr ah and t hei r sl yness, namel y t hat t hey got enf l amed at ot her s'

i nst i gat i on wi t hout anyt hi ng of t hei r own and maki ng over t hei r command

t o a woman cl ung t o a camel . They br oke away af t er swear i ng al l egi ance

and exhi bi t ed t hei r l ow char act er and evi l nat ur e by pr act i si ng doubl e

f acedness. I n t hi s sermon woman i mpl i es À' i shah and quadr uped i mpl i es

t he camel ( J amal ) af t er whi ch t hi s bat t l e has been named t he "Bat t l e of

J amal . "

Thi s bat t l e or i gi nat ed i n t hi s way t hat when al t hough dur i ng t he l i f e

t i me of Ùt hman, À' i shah used t o oppose hi m and had l ef t f or Mecca

l eavi ng hi m i n si ege and as such she had a shar e i n hi s assassi nat i on

detai l s of whi ch woul d be st ated at some sui t abl e pl ace but when on her

r etur n f r omMecca t owards Medi na she hear d f r omÀbdul l ah i bn Sal amah







t hat af t er Ùt hman al l egi ance had been pai d t o Àl i ( as Cal i ph) she

suddenl y excl ai med, " I f al l egi ance has been pai d t o Àl i , I wi sh t he

sky had bur st on t he ear t h. Let me go back t o Mecca. " Consequent l y she

deci ded t o r etur n t o Mecca and began sayi ng, "By Al l ah Ùt hman has been

ki l l ed hel pl essl y. I shal l cer t ai nl y avenge hi s bl ood. " On seei ng t hi s

wi de change i n the st ate of af f ai r s Abu Sal amah sai d, "What ar e yousayi ng as you your sel f used t o say "Ki l l t hi s Na`thal ; he had t ur ned

unbel i ever . " Ther eupon she repl i ed, "Not onl y I but ever yone used t o

say so; but l eave t hese thi ngs and l i st en t o what I am now sayi ng, t hat

i s bet t er and deser ves mor e at t ent i on. I t i s so st r ange t hat f i r st he

was cal l ed upon t o r epent but bef or e gi vi ng hi m an oppor t uni t y to do so

he has been ki l l ed. " On t hi s Abu Sal amah r eci t ed t he f ol l owi ng ver ses

addr essi ng her :

You started it and now you are changing and raising storms of wind and

rain.

You ordered for his killing and told us that he had turned unbeliever.

We admit that he has been killed but under your orders and the real

Killer is one who ordered it.

Nevertheless, neither the sky fell over us nor did the sun and moon

fall into eclipse.

Certainly people have paid allegiance to one who can ward off the enemy

with power and grandeur, does not allow swords to come near him and

loosens the twist of the rope, that is, subdues the enemy.

He is always fully armed for combat and the faithful is never like the

traitor.

However , when she reached Mecca wi t h a passi on f or vengeance she began

r ousi ng t he peopl e t o avenge Ùt hman' s bl ood by ci r cul at i ng st or i es of

hi s havi ng been vi ct i mi sed. The f i r st t o r espond t o t hi s cal l was

Àbdul l ah i bn Àmi r al - Hadr ami who had been the governor of Mecca i n

Ùt hman' s r ei gn and wi t h hi m Marwan i bn al - Hakam, Saì d i bn al - Às and

other Umayyads r ose t o support her . On t he ot her si de Tal hah i bnÙbaydi l l ah and az- Zubayr i bn al - Àwwamal so reached Mecca f r om Medi na.

Fr om Yemen Ya`l a i bn Munabbi h who had been gover nor t her e dur i ng

Ùt hman' s cal i phat e and t he f or mer gover nor of Basr ah, Àbdul l ah i bn

Àmi r i bn Kur ayz al so r eached t her e, and j oi ni ng t oget her began

pr epar i ng t hei r pl ans. Bat t l e had been deci ded upon but di scussi on was

about t he venue of conf r ont at i on. À' i shah' s opi ni on was t o make Medi na



t he venue of t he bat t l e but some peopl e opposed and hel d that i t was

di f f i cul t t o deal wi t h Medi ni t es, and t hat some ot her pl ace shoul d be

chosen as t he venue. At l ast af t er much di scussi on i t was deci ded t o

mar ch t owards Basr ah as t her e was no dear t h of men t o suppor t t he

cause. Consequent l y on the st r engt h of Àbdul l ah i bn Àmi r ' s count l ess

weal t h, and t he of f er of si x hundr ed t housand Di r hams and si x hundr edcamel s by Ya`l a i bn Munabbi h t hey pr epared an army of t hree t housand

and set of f t o Basr ah. There was a smal l i nci dent on t he way on account

of whi ch À' i shah r ef used t o advance f ur t her . What happened was t hat at

a pl ace she hear d t he barki ng of dogs and enqui r ed f r omt he camel

dr i ver t he name of t he pl ace. He sai d i t was Haw' ab. On hear i ng t hi s

name she recal l ed t he Pr ophet ' s admoni t i on when he had sai d to hi s

wi ves, " I wi sh I coul d know at whi ch of you t he dogs of Haw' ab woul d

bark. " So when she r eal i sed t hat she her sel f was t hat one she got t he

camel seat ed by pat t i ng and expr essed her i nt ent i on t o abandon t he

march. But t he devi ce of her compani ons saved t he deter i orat i ngsi t uat i on. Àbdul l ah i bn az- Zubayr swor e t o assure her t hat i t was not

Haw' ab, Tal hah seconded hi m and f or her f ur t her assurance al so sent f or

f i f t y per sons t o st and wi t ness t o i t . When al l t he peopl e wer e on one

si de what coul d a si ngl e woman do by opposi ng. Event ual l y t hey were

success f ul and À' i shah r esumed her f orward march wi t h t he same

ent husi asm.

When t hi s ar my r eached Basr ah, peopl e were f i r st amazed t o see t he

r i di ng ani mal of À' i shah. J ar i yah i bn Qudamah came f or war d and sai d,

"O' mot her of t he f ai t hf ul , t he assassi nat i on of Ùt hman was onet r agedy but t he gr eat er t r agedy i s t hat you have come out on t hi s

cursed camel and r ui ned your honour and est eem. I t i s bet t er t hat you

shoul d get back. " But si nce nei t her t he i nci dent at Haw' ab coul d det er

her nor coul d t he Qur ' ani c i nj unct i on: "Keep sitting in your houses"

( 33: 33) st op her , what ef f ect coul d t hese voi ces pr oduce. Consequent l y,

she di sr egar ded al l t hi s.

When t hi s ar my t r i ed t o ent er t he ci t y t he Governor of Basr ah Ùt hman

i bn Hunayf came f orward t o st op t hem and when t he t wo par t i es came f ace

t o f ace t hey dr ew t hei r swords out of t he sheaths and pounced upon eachot her . When a good number had been ki l l ed f r om ei t her si de À' i shah

i nt er vened on t he basi s of her i nf l uence and t he two gr oups agr eed t hat

t i l l t he ar r i val of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t he exi st i ng admi ni st r at i on shoul d

cont i nue and Ùt hman i bn Hunayf shoul d cont i nue on hi s post . But onl y

t wo days had el apsed when t hey made a ni ght l y at t ack on Ùt hman i bn

Hunayf , ki l l ed f or t y i nnocent per sons, beat Ùt hman i bn Hunayf , pl ucked



ever y hai r of hi s bear d, t ook hi m i n t hei r cust ody and shut hi m up.

Then t hey at t acked publ i c t r easur y and whi l e r ansacki ng i t ki l l ed

t went y per sons on t he spot , and beheaded f i f t y mor e af t er ar r est i ng

t hem. Then they at t acked the gr ai n st or e, wher eupon an el der l y nobl e of

Basr ah Hukaym i bn J abal ah coul d not cont r ol hi msel f and r eachi ng t her e

wi t h hi s men sai d t o Àbdul l ah i bn az- Zubayr , "Spar e some of t hi s gr ai nf or t he ci t y' s popul ace. Af t er al l t her e shoul d be a l i mi t t o

oppr essi on. You have spr ead ki l l i ng and dest r uct i on al l r ound and put

Ùt hman i bn Hunayf i n conf i nement . For Al l ah' s sake keep of f t hese

r ui ni ng act i vi t i es and r el ease Ùt hman i bn Hunayf . I s t her e no f ear of

Al l ah i n your hear t s?" I bn az- Zubayr sai d, "Thi s i s vengeance of

Ùt hman' s l i f e. " Hukaym i bn J abal ah r et or t ed, "Wer e those who have been

ki l l ed assassi ns of Ùt hman? By Al l ah, i f I had suppor t er s and comr ades

I shoul d have cer t ai nl y avenged t he bl ood of t hese Musl i ms whom you

have ki l l ed wi t hout r eason. " I bn az- Zubayr r epl i ed, "We shal l not gi ve

anythi ng out of t hi s gr ai n, nor wi l l Ùt hman i bn Hunayf be r el eased. "At l ast t he bat t l e r aged between t hese t wo part i es but how coul d a f ew

i ndi vi dual s deal wi t h such a bi g f or ce? The r esul t was t hat Hukaymi bn

J abal ah, hi s son al - Ashraf i bn Hukaymi bn J abal ah, hi s brot her ar - Ri ' l

i bn J abal ah and sevent y per sons of hi s t r i be wer e ki l l ed. I n shor t ,

ki l l i ng and l oot i ng pr evai l ed al l r ound. Nei t her anyone' s l i f e was

secur e nor was t here any way t o save one' s honour or pr opert y.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was i nf ormed of t he march t o Basr ah he set out t o

st op i t wi t h a f or ce whi ch consi st ed of sevent y of t hose who had t aken

par t i n t he bat t l e of Badr and f our hundr ed out of t hose compani ons whohad t he honour of bei ng pr esent at t he Al l egi ance of Ri dwan ( Di vi ne

Pl easure) . When he st opped at t he st age of Dhiqar he sent hi s son Hasan

( p. b. u. h. ) and Àmmar i bn Yasi r t o Kuf ah t o i nvi t e i t s peopl e t o

f i ght i ng. Consequent l y, despi t e i nt er f er ence of Abu Musa al - Ashàr i

seven t housand combat ant s f r om t her e j oi ned Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ar my.

He l ef t t hat pl ace af t er pl aci ng t he army under var i ous commanders. Eye

wi t nesses st at e t hat when t hi s f or ce r eached near Basr ah f i r st of al l a

cont i ngent of ansar appear ed f oremost . I t s st andard was hel d by Abu

Ayyub al - Ansar i . Af t er i t appear ed anot her cont i ngent of 1000 whose

commander was Khuzaymah i bn Thabi t al - Ansar i . Then another cont i ngentcame i n si ght . I t s s t andard was borne by Abu Qatadah i bn ar - Rabi `. Then

a cr owd of a t housand ol d and young per sons was seen. They had si gns of

pr ost r at i on on t hei r f or eheads and vei l of f ear of Al l ah on t hei r f ace.

I t seemed as i f t hey were st andi ng bef ore t he Di vi ne Gl ory on t he Day

of J udgement . Thei r Commander r ode a dark horse, was dr essed i n whi t e,

had bl ack t ur ban on hi s head and was r eci t i ng t he Qur ' an l oudl y. Thi s



enemy' s r anks f r om one end t o the ot her . To whi chever r ow he tur ned, i t

became cl ear and t o whatever si de he di r ect ed hi msel f bodi es were seen

f al l i ng and heads r ol l i ng i n t he hoof s of hor ses. When af t er convul si ng

t he rows he retur ned t o hi s posi t i on he sai d to Muhammad i bn al -

Hanaf i yyah, "Look, my son, bat t l e i s f ought l i ke t hi s. " Sayi ng t hi s he

gave the st andar d t o hi m and order ed hi m t o pr oceed. Muhammad advancedt owards t he enemy wi t h a cont i ngent of ansar . The enemy al so came out

movi ng and bal anci ng t hei r spear s. But t he br ave son of t he val i ant

f ather convul sed r ows over r ows whi l e t he ot her war r i or s al so made the

bat t l e- f i el d gl or y and l ef t heaps of dead bodi es.

From t he ot her si de al so t her e was f ul l demonst r at i on of spi r i t of

sacr i f i ce. Dead bodi es wer e f al l i ng one over t he ot her but t hey

cont i nued sacr i f i ci ng t hei r l i ves devot edl y ar ound t he camel .

Par t i cul ar l y t he condi t i on of Banu Dabbah was t hat al t hough t hei r hands

wer e bei ng sever ed f r om t he el bows f or hol di ng t he r ei ns of t he camel ,

and bosoms were bei ng pi erced yet t hey had t he f ol l owi ng bat t l e- song on

t hei r t ongues:

a) To us death is sweeter than honey. We are Banu Dabbah, camel

rearers.

b) We are sons of death when death comes. We announce the death of

`Uthman with the edges of spears.

c) Give us back our chief and there is an end to it.

The l ow char act er and i gnor ance f r om f ai t h of t hese Banu Dabbah, can bewel l under st ood by t hat one i nci dent whi ch al - Mada' i ni has nar r at ed. He

wr i t es t hat i n Basr ah t here was a man wi t h mut i l ated ear . He asked hi m

i t s r eason when he sai d, " I was wat chi ng t he si ght of dead bodi es i n

t he bat t l e- f i el d of J amal when I saw a wounded man who somet i mes r ai sed

hi s head and somet i mes dashed i t back on t he gr ound. I appr oached near .

Then t he f ol l owi ng t wo ver ses wer e on hi s l i ps:

a) Our mother pushed us into the deep waters of death and did not get

back till we had thoroughly drunk.

b) By misfortune we obeyed Banu Taym who are none but slave men and

slave girls.

"I t ol d hi m i t was not t he t i me t o r eci t e ver ses; he shoul d r at her

r ecal l Al l ah and r eci t e t he kalimat ash-shahadah ( ver se of t est i mony) .

On my sayi ng thi s he saw me wi t h angr y l ooks and ut t er i ng a severe

abuse and sai d, "You ar e aski ng me t o reci t e kalimat ash-shahadah, get



f r i ght ened at t he l ast moment and show i mpat i ence. " I was ast oni shed t o

hear t hi s and deci ded t o r et ur n wi t hout sayi ng anythi ng f ur t her . When

he saw me r et ur ni ng he sai d, "Wai t ; f or your sake I am pr epar ed t o

r eci t e, but t each me. " I dr ew cl ose t o t each hi m t he kalimah when he

asked me to get cl oser . When I got cl oser he caught my ear wi t h hi s

t eet h and di d not l eave i t t i l l he t or e i t f r om t he r oot . I di d nott hi nk i t pr oper t o mol est a dyi ng man and was about t o get back abusi ng

and cur si ng hi m when he asked me to l i st en one more thi ng. I agr eed t o

l i st en l est he had an unsat i sf i ed wi sh. He sai d t hat when I shoul d get

t o my mot her and she enqui r ed who had bi t t en my ear I shoul d say that

i t was done by Ùmayr i bn al - Ahl ab ad- Dabbi who had been decei ved by a

woman aspi r i ng to become t he commander of t he f ai t hf ul ( head of t he

s tat e) . "

However , when t he dazzl i ng l i ght ni ng of swor ds f i ni shed t he l i ves of

t housands of persons and hundr eds of Banu Azd and Banu Dabbah wer e

ki l l ed f or hol di ng t he r ei n of t he camel , Ami r al - mu' mi ni n or der ed,

"Ki l l t he camel f or i t i s Sat an. " Sayi ng t hi s he made such a sever e

at t ack t hat t he cr i es of "Peace" and "Prot ect i on" r ose f r om al l r ound.

When he reached near t he camel he or dered Buj ayr i bn Dul j ah t o ki l l t he

camel at once. Consequent l y, Buj ayr hi t hi m wi t h such f ul l mi ght t hat

t he camel f el l i n agony on t he si de of i t s bosom. No sooner t han t he

camel f el l t he opposi t e ar my took t o heel s and t he car r i er hol di ng

À' i shah was l ef t l onel y and unguarded. The compani on of Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n t ook cont r ol of t he car r i er and under or der s of Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n, Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr escor t ed À' i shah t o t he house ofSaf i yyah bi nt al - Har i t h.

Thi s encount er commenced on t he 10t h of J umada at h- t hani yah, 36 A. H. ,

i n t he af t ernoon and came t o an end t he same eveni ng. I n i t f r omAmi r

al - mu' mi ni n' s ar my of t went y two t housand, one t housand and sevent y or

accor di ng t o anot her ver si on f i ve hundr ed per sons wer e ki l l ed as

mar t yr s whi l e f r om À' i shah' s army of t hi r t y t housand, sevent een

t housand per sons wer e ki l l ed, and t he Pr ophet ' s sayi ng, "That peopl e

who assi gned t hei r af f ai r s ( of st at e) t o a woman woul d never pr osper "

was f ul l y cor r obor at ed. ( al-Imamah wa's-siyasah; Muruj adh-dhahab; al-Ìqd al-farid; at-Tarikh, at Tabar i )

[ 2] . I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en t hat as pr ophesi ed by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n,

Basr ah got under f l oods t wi ce - once i n t he days of al - Qadi r Bi l l ah and

once i n t he r ei gn of al - Qa' i m bi Amr i ' l - l ah and t he st at e of f l oodi ng

was j ust t hi s t hat whi l e t he whol e ci t y was under wat er but t he t op





ends of t he mosque were seen about t he sur f ace of t he water and l ooked

l i ke a bi r d si t t i ng on t he si de of i t s bosom.

*****

Sermon 14

This also is in condemnation of the people of Basrah

Your ear t h i s cl ose t o t he sea and away f r om t he sky. Your wi t s have

become l i ght and your mi nds ar e f ul l of f ol l y. You ar e t he ai m of t he

ar cher , a mor sel f or t he eat er and an easy pr ey f or t he hunt er .

*****

Sermon 15

After resuming the land grants made by `Uthman ibn `Affan, he said:

By Al l ah, even i f I had f ound t hat by such money women have been

mar r i ed or sl ave- mai ds have been pur chased I woul d have resumed i t

because ther e i s wi de scope i n di spensat i on of j ust i ce, and he who

f i nds i t har d t o act j ust l y shoul d f i nd i t har der t o deal wi t h

i nj ust i ce.

*****

Sermon 16

Delivered when allegiance was sworn to him at Medina

The r esponsi bi l i t y f or what I say i s guar anteed and I am answer abl e f or

i t . He t o whomexper i ences have cl ear l y shown t he past exempl ary

puni shment s ( gi ven by Al l ah t o peopl es) i s prevent ed by pi et y f r om

f al l i ng i nt o doubt s. You shoul d know t hat t he same t r oubl es have

r etur ned t o you whi ch exi st ed when t he Prophet was f i r st sent .




[ 1] . I n some ver si ons af t er t he wor ds "man abda safhatahu lilhaqqi

halaka" t he words "`inda jahalati'n-nas" al so occur . I n t hat case t he

meani ng of t hi s sent ence woul d be that he who st ands i n f ace of r i ght

di es i n t he est i mat i on of t he i gnor ant .

[ 2] . Pi ety i s t he name of hear t and mi nd bei ng af f ected and i mpr essed by

t he Di vi ne Gr eat ness and Gl or y, as an ef f ect of whi ch t he spi r i t of man

becomes f ul l of f ear of Al l ah, and i t s i nevi t abl e r esul t i s t hat

engr ossment i n wor shi p and pr ayer i ncr eases. I t i s i mpossi bl e t hat

hear t may be f ul l of Di vi ne f ear and t her e be no mani f est at i on of i t i n

act i ons and deeds. And si nce wor shi p and submi ssi on r ef or m t he hear t

and nur t ur e t he spi r i t , pur i t y of hear t i ncreases wi t h t he i ncr ease of

worshi p. That i s why i n t he Qur ' an "taqwa" ( pi et y) has been appl i ed

somet i mes t o f ear , somet i mes t o worshi p and devot i on and somet i mes t o

pur i t y of hear t and spi r i t . Thus i n t he ver se "wa iyyaya fattaqun" ( andMe you f ear [ 16: 2] ) taqwa i mpl i es f ear , i n t he ver se, "ittaqu'l-laha

haqqa tuqatihi" ( worshi p Al l ah as He ought t o be wor shi pped [ 3: 102] ) ,

taqwa i mpl i es wor shi p and devot i on and i n the verse "wa yakhsha'l-laha

wa yattaqhi faulaika humu'l-faizun" ( 24: 52) taqwa i mpl i es pur i t y of

spi r i t and cl eanl i ness of hear t .

I n t he t r adi t i ons taqwa has been assi gned t hr ee degr ees. The f i r st

degr ee i s t hat a man shoul d f ol l ow t he i nj unct i ons and keep al oof f r om

pr ohi bi t i ons. The second degr ee i s t hat r ecommended mat t ers shoul d al so

be f ol l owed and di sl i ked t hi ngs shoul d be avoi ded. The t hi r d degr ee i st hat f or f ear of f al l i ng i nt o doubt s one may abst ai n f r om t he

permi ssi bl e as wel l . The f i r st degr ee i s f or t he common men, t he second

f or t he nobl es and t he t hi r d f or hi gh di gni t ar i es. Al l ah has r ef er r ed

t o these thr ee degr ees i n t he f ol l owi ng ver se:

On those who believe and do good, is no blame for what they ate,

( bef or e) when they did guard themselves and did believe, and did good,

still ( f ur t her mor e) they guard themselves and do good; and Allah loveth

the doers of good. ( Qur ' an, 5: 93)

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says t hat onl y act i on based on pi et y i s l ast i ng, and

onl y t hat act i on wi l l bl ossom and bear f r ui t whi ch i s wat er ed by pi et y

because wor shi p i s onl y t hat wher ei n t he f eel i ng of submi ssi on exi st s.

Thus, Al l ah says:

Is he therefore better who hath laid his foundation on fear of Allah

and ( Hi s) goodwill or he who layeth his foundation on the brink of a







By Al l ah, he i s not capabl e of sol vi ng t he pr obl ems t hat come to hi m

nor i s f i t f or t he posi t i on assi gned t o hi m. What ever he does not know

he does not r egar d i t wor t h knowi ng. He does not r eal i se t hat what i s

beyond hi s r each i s wi t hi n t he r each of ot her s. I f anyt hi ng i s not

cl ear t o hi m he keeps qui et over i t because he knows hi s own i gnor ance.

Lost l i ves ar e cryi ng agai nst hi s unj ust ver di ct s, and pr oper t i es ( t hathave been wr ongl y di sposed of ) are gr umbl i ng agai nst hi m.

I compl ai n t o Al l ah about per sons who l i ve i gnor ant and di e mi sgui ded.

For t hem not hi ng i s mor e wor t hl ess t han Qur ' an i f i t i s r eci t ed as i t

shoul d be r eci t ed, nor anythi ng mor e val uabl e t han t he Qur ' an i f i t s

ver ses ar e removed f r om t hei r pl aces, nor anythi ng mor e vi ci ous t han

vi r t ue nor mor e vi r t uous t han vi ce.


[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has hel d t wo cat egor i es of per sons as t he mostdetest abl e by Al l ah and t he wor st among peopl e. Fi r st l y, t hose who ar e

mi sgui ded even i n basi c t enet s and ar e busy i n t he spr eadi ng of evi l .

Secondl y, t hose who abandon the Qur ' an and sunnah and pronounce

i nj unct i ons t hr ough t hei r i magi nat i on. They creat e a ci r cl e of t hei r

devot ees and popul ar i se t he rel i gi ous code of l aw concoct ed by

t hemsel ves. The mi sgui dance and wr ongf ul ness of such persons does not

r emai n conf i ned t o t hei r own sel ves but t he seed of mi sgui dance sown by

t hem bear s f r ui t and gr owi ng i nt o t he f or m of a bi g t r ee pr ovi des

asyl um t o the mi sgui ded and t hi s mi sgui dance goes on mul t i pl yi ng. And

si nce t hese ver y peopl e ar e t he r eal or i gi nat or s t he wei ght of ot her ' ssi ns i s al so on t hei r shoul der s as t he Qur ' an says:

And certainly they shall bear their own burdens, and (other) burdens

with their own burdens... ( 29: 13)

*****

Sermon 18

Amir al-mu'minin said in disparagement of ...

Amir al-mu'minin said in disparagement of the differences of view among

the theologians.





When [ 1] a pr obl em i s put bef ore anyone of t hemhe passes j udgement on

i t f r om hi s i magi nat i on. When exact l y t he same pr obl em i s pl aced bef or e

anot her of t hem he passes an opposi t e ver di ct . Then t hese j udges go t o

t he chi ef who had appoi nt ed t hem and he conf i r ms al l t he ver di ct s,

al t hough t hei r Al l ah i s One ( and t he same) , t hei r Pr ophet i s one ( and

t he same) , t hei r Book ( t he Qur ' an) i s one (and t he same) .I s i t t hat Al l ah or der ed t hem t o di f f er and t hey obeyed Hi m? Or He

pr ohi bi t ed t hem f r om i t but t hey di sobeyed Hi m? Or ( i s i t t hat ) Al l ah

sent an i ncompl et e Fai t h and sought t hei r hel p t o compl et e i t ? Or t hey

ar e Hi s par t ner s i n t he af f ai r s, so t hat i t i s t hei r shar e of dut y t o

pr onounce and He has t o agr ee? Or i s i t t hat Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed sent a

per f ect f ai t h but t he Pr ophet f el l shor t of conveyi ng i t and handi ng i t

over ( t o t he peopl e) ? The f act i s t hat Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed says:

. . . We have not neglected anything in the Book ( Qur ' an) . . .

( Qur ' an, 6: 38)

And says t hat one par t of t he Qur ' an ver i f i es anot her par t and t hat

t her e i s no di ver gence i n i t as He says:

. . . And if it had been from any other than Allah, they would surely

have found in it much discrepancy. ( Qur ' an, 4 : 82)

Cer t ai nl y t he out si de of t he Qur ' an i s wonder f ul and i t s i nsi de i s deep

( i n meani ng) . I t s wonder s wi l l never di sappear , i t s amazement s wi l l

never pass away and i t s i nt r i caci es cannot be cl ear ed except t hr ough

i t sel f .


[ 1] . I t i s a di sput ed pr obl em t hat wher e t her e i s no cl ear ar gument

about a mat t er i n t he r el i gi ous l aw, whet her t her e does i n r eal i t y

exi st an or der about i t or not . The vi ew adopt ed by Abu' l - Hasan al -

Ash`ar i and hi s mast er Abu `Al i al - J ubba' i i s t hat i n such a case Al l ah

has not or dai ned any par t i cul ar cour se of act i on but He assi gned t he

t ask of f i ndi ng i t out and passi ng a ver di ct t o t he j ur i st s so t hat

what ever t hey hol d as prohi bi t ed woul d be deemed pr ohi bi t ed andwhatever t hey r egard permi ss i bl e woul d be deemed permi ss i bl e. And i f

one has one vi ew and t he other another t hen as many verdi ct s wi l l exi st

as t her e ar e vi ews and each of t hem woul d r epr esent t he f i nal or der .

For exampl e, i f one schol ar hol ds t hat bar l ey mal t i s pr ohi bi t ed and

anot her j ur i st ' s vi ew i s t hat i t i s per mi ssi bl e t hen i t woul d r eal l y be

bot h pr ohi bi t ed and per mi ssi bl e. That i s, f or one who hol ds i t







I n t hi s mat t er t he vi ew adopt ed by al - Ashàr i i s r i ght . I t f ol l ows t hat

di f f er i ng opi ni ons shoul d al l be r i ght . Bewar e, do not bear a bad i dea

about j ur i st s and do not open your t ongue t o abuse t hem.

When cont r ar y t heor i es and di ver gent vi ews ar e accept ed as cor r ect i t

i s st r ange why t he act i on of some conspi cuous i ndi vi dual s are expl ai ned

as mi st akes of deci si on, si nce mi st ake of deci si on by t he mujtahid

cannot be i magi ned at al l . I f t he t heor y of cor r ect ness i s r i ght t he

act i on of Muàwi yah and À' i shah shoul d be deemed r i ght ; but i f t hei r

act i ons can be deemed to be wr ong t hen we shoul d agree that ijtihad can

al so go wr ong, and t hat t he t heor y of cor r ect ness i s wr ong. I t wi l l

t hen r emai n t o be deci ded i n i t s own cont ext whet her f emi ni sm di d not

i mpede the deci si on of À' i shah or whet her i t was a ( wr ong) f i ndi ng of

Muàwi yah or somethi ng el se. However , t hi s t heor y of cor r ectness was

pr opounded i n or der t o cover mi st akes and t o gi ve t hem t he gar b of

Al l ah' s order s so t hat t her e shoul d be no i mpedi ment i n achi evi ng

obj ect i ves nor shoul d anyone be abl e t o speak agai nst any mi sdeeds.

I n t hi s sermon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has r ef er r ed to t hose peopl e who

devi at e f r om t he pat h of Al l ah and, cl osi ng t hei r eyes t o l i ght , gr ope

i n t he dar kness of i magi nat i on, make Fai t h t he vi ct i m of t hei r vi ews

and opi ni ons, pr onounce new f i ndi ngs, pass or der s by thei r own

i magi nat i on and pr oduce di ver gent r esul t s. Then on t he basi s of t he

t heor y of cor r ect ness t hey r egar d al l t hese di ver gent and cont r ar y

or der s as f r om Al l ah, as t hough each of t hei r or der r epr esent s di vi ne

Revel at i on so t hat no order of t hei r s can be wr ong nor can t hey st umbl e

on any occasi on. Thus, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says i n di spr ovi ng t hi s vi ew

t hat :

1) When Al l ah i s One, Book ( Qur ' an) i s one, and Prophet i s one t hen t he

r el i gi on ( t hat i s f ol l owed) shoul d al so be one. And when t he r el i gi on

i s one how can t here be di ver gent orders about any mat t er , because

t her e can be di ver gence i n an order onl y i n case he who passed t he

or der has f or got t en i t , or i s obl i vi ous, or sensel essness over t akes

hi m, or he wi l f ul l y desi r es ent angl ement i n t hese l abyr i nt hs, whi l e

Al l ah and t he Prophet are above t hese t hi ngs. These di ver gences cannot

t her ef or e be at t r i but ed t o t hem. These di ver gences ar e rat her t heout come of t he t hi nki ngs and opi ni ons of peopl e who ar e bent on

t wi st i ng t he del i neat i ons of r el i gi on by thei r own i magi nat i ve

per f ormances.



2) Al l ah must have ei t her f or bi dden t hese di ver gences or or der ed

cr eat i ng t hem. I f He has order ed i n t hei r f avour , wher e i s t hat or der

and at what pl ace? As f or f or bi ddi ng, t he Qur ' an says:

. . .Say thou! 'Hath Allah permitted you or ye forge a lie against

Allah ?' ( 10: 59)

That i s, everyt hi ng t hat i s not i n accor dance wi t h t he Di vi ne or der s i s

a concoct i on, and concoct i on i s f or bi dden and pr ohi bi t ed. For

concoct er s, i n t he next wor l d, t her e i s nei t her success or achi evement

nor pr osper i t y and good. Thus, Al l ah says:

And utter ye not whatever lie describe your tongues (saying): This is

lawful and this is forbidden, to forge a lie against Allah; verily,

those who forge a lie against Allah succeed not. ( Qur ' an, 16: 116)

3) I f Al l ah has l ef t r el i gi on i ncompl et e and t he r eason f or l eavi ng i t

hal f way was t hat He desi r ed t hat t he peopl e shoul d assi st Hi m i n

compl et i ng t he r el i gi ous code and shar e wi t h Hi m i n t he t ask of

l egi sl at i ng, t hen t hi s bel i ef i s obvi ousl y pol yt hei sm. I f He sent down

t he r el i gi on i n compl et e f or m t he Pr ophet must have f ai l ed i n conveyi ng

i t so t hat r oom was l ef t f or ot her s t o appl y i magi nat i on and opi ni on.

Thi s, Al l ah f or bi d, woul d mean a weakness of t he Pr ophet and a bad sl ur

on t he sel ect i on of Al l ah.

4) Al l ah has sai d i n t he Qur ' an t hat He has not l ef t out anyt hi ng i n

t he Book and has cl ar i f i ed each and ever y mat t er . Now, i f an order i s

car ved out i n conf l i ct wi t h t he Qur ' an i t woul d be out si de t her el i gi ous code and i t s basi s woul d not be on knowl edge and per cept i on,

or Qur ' an and sunnah, but i t woul d be per sonal opi ni on and one' s

personal j udgement whi ch cannot be deemed t o have accor d wi t h rel i gi on

and f ai t h.

5) Qur ' an i s t he basi s and sour ce of r el i gi on and t he f ount ai n head of

t he l aws of shariàh. I f t he l aws of shariàh wer e di ver gent t her e

shoul d have been di ver gence i n i t al so, and i f t her e wer e di ver gences

i n i t , i t coul d not be r egar ded as Di vi ne wor d. When i t i s Di vi ne wor d

t he l aws of shariàh cannot be di ver gent , so as t o accept al l di ver gentand cont r ar y vi ews as cor r ect and i magi nat i ve ver di ct s t aken as

Qur ' ani c di ct at es.

*****



Sermon 19

Amir al-mu'minin was delivering a lecture from the pulpit of Kufah when

Amir al-mu'minin was delivering a lecture from the pulpit of (the

mosque of) Kufah when al-Ashàth ibn Qays [ 1] objected and said, "O'

Amir al-mu'minin this thing is not in your favour but against you." [ 2]

Amir al-mu'minin looked at him with anger and said:

How do you know what i s f or me and what i s agai nst me? ! Curse of Al l ah

and ot her s be on you. You are a weaver and son of a weaver . You are t he

son of an unbel i ever and your sel f a hypocr i t e. You wer e ar r est ed once

by t he Unbel i evers and once by t he Musl i ms, but your weal t h and bi r t hcoul d not save you f r omei t her . The man who cont r i ves f or hi s own

peopl e t o be put t o swor d and i nvi t es deat h and dest r uct i on f or t hem

does deser ve t hat t he near ones shoul d hat e hi m and t he r emote ones

shoul d not t r ust hi m.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Thi s man was ar r est ed once when an unbel i ever

and once i n days of I sl am. As f or Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds t hat t he man

cont r i ved f or hi s own peopl e to be put t o swor d, t he ref er ence her ei n

i s t o the i nci dent whi ch occur r ed t o al - Ashàt h i bn Qays i n

conf r ont at i on wi t h Khal i d i bn Wal i d at Yamamah, where he decei ved hi speopl e and cont r i ved a t r i ck t i l l Khal i d at t acked t hem. Af t er t hi s

i nci dent hi s peopl e ni cknamed hi m "Ùr f an- Nar " whi ch i n t he par l ance

stood f or t rai t or .


AL- ASH̀ ATH I BN QAYS AL- KI NDI

[ 1] . Hi s or i gi nal name was Ma`di Kar i b and surname Abu Muhammad but

because of hi s di shevel l ed hai r he i s bet t er known as al - Ashàt h ( one

havi ng di shevel l ed hai r ) . When af t er Pr ocl amat i on ( of Pr ophet hood) hecame t o Mecca al ong wi t h hi s t r i be, t he Pr ophet i nvi t ed hi m and hi s

t r i be t o accept I sl am. But al l of t hem t ur ned back wi t hout anyone

accept i ng I sl am. When af t er hijrah ( i mmi gr at i on of t he Hol y Pr ophet )

I sl am became est abl i shed and i n f ul l swi ng and deput at i ons began t o

come t o Medi na i n l arge numbers he al so came t o t he Prophet ' s audi ence

wi t h Banu Ki ndah and accept ed I sl am. The aut hor of al-Ìstiàb wr i t es









t hat af t er t he Pr ophet t hi s man agai n t ur ned unbel i ever but when dur i ng

t he Cal i phate of Abu Bakr he was br ought t o Medi na as pr i soner he agai n

accept ed I sl am, t hough t hi s t i me too hi s I sl am was a show. Thus, ash-

Shaykh Muhammad Àbduh wr i t es i n hi s annot at i ons on Nahj al-balaghah:

J ust as Àbdul l ah i bn Ubay i bn Sal ul was a compani on of t he Pr ophet ,

al - Ashàt h was a compani on of Àl i and both were hi gh ranki nghypocri t es.

He l ost one of hi s eyes i n t he bat t l e of Yar muk. I bn Qut aybah has

i ncl uded hi m i n t he l i st of t he one- eyed. Abu Bakr' s si st er Umm Far wah

bi nt Abi Quhaf ah, who was once t he wi f e of an al - Azdi and t hen of Tami m

ad- Dar i mi , was on t he t hi r d occasi on mar r i ed t o t hi s al - Ashàt h. Thr ee

sons were born of her viz. Muhammad, I smaì l and I s' haq. Books on

bi ogr aphy show t hat she was bl i nd. I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has quot ed t he

f ol l owi ng st at ement of Abu' l - Far aj wher ef r om i t appear s t hat t hi s man

was equal l y i nvol ved i n t he assassi nat i on of Àl i ( p. b. u. h. ) :

On t he ni ght of t he assassi nat i on I bn Mul j am came t o al - Ashàt h i bn

Qays and both r et i r ed t o a cor ner of t he mosque and sat t here when Huj r

i bn Àdi passed by t hat si de and he hear d al - Ashàt h sayi ng t o I bn

Mul j am, "Be qui ck now or el se dawn' s l i ght woul d di sgrace you. " On

hear i ng t hi s Huj r sai d t o al - Ashàth, "O' one- eyed man, you ar e

pr epar i ng t o ki l l ' Al i " and hast ened t owar ds Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b, but

I bn Mul j am had pr eceded hi m and st r uck ' Al i wi t h swor d when Huj r t ur ned

back peopl e wer e cr yi ng, "Al i has been ki l l ed. "

I t was hi s daught er who ki l l ed I mam Hasan ( p. b. u. h. ) by poi soni ng hi m.

Masùdi has wr i t t en t hat :

Hi s ( Hasan' s) wi f e J a`dah bi nt al - Ashàth poi soned hi m whi l e Muàwi yah

had conspi r ed wi t h her t hat i f she coul d cont r i ve t o poi son Hasan he

woul d pay her one hundred t housand Di r hams and mar r y her t o Yazi d.

( Muruj adh-dhahab, vol . 2, p. 650)

Hi s son Muhammad i bn al - Ashàt h was act i ve i n pl ayi ng f r aud wi t h Hadr at

Musl i m i bn Àqi l i n Kuf ah and i n sheddi ng I mam Husayn' s bl ood i n

Kar bal a' . But despi t e al l t hese poi nt s he i s among t hose f r om whom al -Bukhar i , Musl i m, Abu Dawud, at - Ti r mi dhi , an- Nasa' i and I bn Maj ah have

r el at ed t r adi t i ons.

[ 2] . Af t er t he bat t l e of Nahr awan, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was del i ver i ng a

sermon i n t he mosque of Kuf ah about i l l ef f ect s of "Ar bi t r at i on" when a

man st ood up and sai d "O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, f i r st you desi st ed us f r om





t hi s Ar bi t r at i on but t her eaf t er you al l owed i t . We cannot under st and

whi ch of t hese two was more cor r ect and pr oper . " On hear i ng t hi s Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n cl apped hi s one hand over t he ot her and sai d, " Thi s i s t he

r ewar d of one who gi ves up f i r m vi ew" t hat i s, t hi s i s t he out come of

your act i ons as you had abandoned f i r mness and caut i on and i nsi st ed on

"Ar bi t r at i on, " but al - Ash`ath mi st ook i t t o mean as t hough Ami r almu' mi ni n i mpl i ed t hat "my worr y was due t o havi ng accept ed

Ar bi t r at i on, " so he spoke out , "O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t hi s br i ngs bl ame

on your own sel f " whereupon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d harshl y:

What do you know what I am sayi ng, and what do you under st and what i s

f or me or agai nst me. You are a weaver and the son of a weaver brought

up by unbel i ever s and a hypocr i t e. Cur se of Al l ah and al l t he wor l d be

upon you.

Comment at or s have wr i t t en sever al r easons f or Ami r al - mu' mi ni n cal l i ng

Ash`ath a weaver . Fi r st r eason i s, because he and hi s f at her l i ke mostof t he peopl e of hi s nat i ve pl ace pur sued t he i ndust r y of weavi ng

cl ot h. So, i n or der t o r ef er t o t he l owl i ness of hi s occupat i on he has

been cal l ed ' weaver ' . Yamanese had other occupat i ons al so but most l y

t hi s pr of essi on was f ol l owed among t hem. Descr i bi ng t hei r occupat i ons

Khal i d i bn Saf wan has ment i oned t hi s one f i r st of al l .

What can I say about a peopl e among whom t her e ar e onl y weavers,

l eat her dyer s, monkey keepers and donkey r i ders. The hoopoe f ound t hem

out , t he mouse f l ooded them and a woman r ul ed over t hem. ( al-Bayan

wa't-tabyin, vol . 1, p. 130)

The second r eason i s t hat "hiyakah" means wal ki ng by bendi ng on ei t her

si de, and si nce out of pr i de and concei t t hi s man used t o wal k

shr uggi ng hi s shoul ders and maki ng bends i n hi s body, he has been

cal l ed "hayik".

The t hi r d r eason i s - - - and i t i s mor e conspi cuous and cl ear - - - t hat

he has been cal l ed a weaver t o denot e hi s f ool i shness and l owl i ness

because ever y l ow per son i s pr over bi al l y known as a weaver . Thei r

wi sdom and sagaci t y can be wel l gauged by t he f act t hat t hei r f ol l i es

had become pr over bi al , whi l e not hi ng at t ai ns pr over bi al st at us wi t hout

pecul i ar char act er i st i cs. Now, t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has al so conf i r med

i t no f ur t her ar gument or r easoni ng i s needed.

The f our t h r eason i s t hat by t hi s i s meant t he per son who conspi r es

agai nst Al l ah and t he Hol y Pr ophet and pr epares webs of whi ch i s t he



pecul i ar i t y of hypocri t es. Thus, i n Wasa'il ash-Shiàh ( vol . 12, p.

101) i t i s stat ed:

I t was ment i oned bef or e I mam J a`f ar as- Sadi q ( p. b. u. h. ) t hat t he weaver

i s accur sed when he expl ai ned t hat t he weaver i mpl i es t he person who

concoct s agai nst Al l ah and t he Pr ophet .

Af t er t he word weaver Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has used the word hypocr i t e, and

t her e i s no conj unct i on i n bet ween t hem i n or der t o emphasi se t he

near ness of meani ng t her eof . Then, on t he basi s of t hi s hypocr i sy and

conceal ment of t r ut h he decl ar ed hi m deservi ng of t he cur se of Al l ah

and al l ot her s, as Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed says:

Verily, those that conceal what we have sent of ( Our ) manifest

evidences and guidance, after what we have (so) clearly shown for

mankind in the Book ( t hey ar e) , those that Allah doth curse them and

( al so) curse them all those who curse ( such ones) . ( Qur ' an, 2: 159)

Af t er t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says t hat "You coul d not avoi d t he

degr adat i on of bei ng pr i soner when you wer e unbel i ever , nor di d these

i gnomi ni es spar e you af t er accept ance of I sl am, and you were t aken

pr i soner . " When an unbel i ever t he event of hi s bei ng t aken pr i soner

occur r ed i n t hi s way t hat when t he t r i be of Banu Mur ad ki l l ed hi s

f at her Qays, he ( al - Ashàth) col l ect ed t he war r i or s of Banu Ki ndah and

di vi ded t hem i n t hr ee gr oups. Over one gr oup he hi msel f t ook t he

command, and on the ot hers he pl aced Kabs i bn Hani ' and al - Qashàm i bn

Yazi d al - Ar qam as chi ef s, and set of f t o deal wi t h Banu Murad. But asmi sf ort une woul d have i t i nst ead of Banu Mur ad he at t acked Banu al -

Har i t h i bn Ka`b. The resul t was t hat Kabs i bn Hani ' and al - Qashàm i bn

Yazi d al - Ar qam wer e ki l l ed and t hi s man was t aken pr i soner al i ve.

Event ual l y he got a rel ease by payi ng thr ee t housand camel s as r ansom.

I n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds, "Your weal t h or bi r t h coul d not save you

f r om ei t her , " t he r ef er ence i s not t o r eal 'fidyah' ( r el ease money)

because he was act ual l y r el eased on payment of r el ease money but t he

i nt ent i on i s t hat nei t her pl ent y of weal t h nor hi s hi gh posi t i on and

pr est i ge i n hi s t r i be coul d save hi m f r om t hi s i gnomi ny, and he coul d

not pr ot ect hi msel f f r om bei ng a pr i soner .

The event of hi s second i mpr i sonment i s t hat when t he Hol y Pr ophet of

I sl am passed away f r om t hi s wor l d a r ebel l i on occur r ed i n t he r egi on of

Hadr amawt f or r epel l i ng whi ch Cal i ph Abu Bakr wr ote t o t he governor of

t he pl ace Zi yad i bn Labi d al - Bayadi . al - Ansar i t hat he shoul d secur e

al l egi ance and col l ect zakat and char i t i es f r om t hose peopl e. When



Zi yad i bn Labi d went t o t he t r i be of Banu Àmr i bn Muàwi yah f or

col l ect i on of zakat he t ook keen f ancy f or a she- camel of Shayt an i bn

Huj r whi ch was ver y handsome and of huge body. He j umped over i t and

t ook possessi on of i t . Shaytan i bn Huj r di d not agr ee t o spar e i t and

sai d t o hi m t o t ake over some ot her she- camel i n i t s pl ace but Zi yad

woul d not agr ee. Shayt an sent f or hi s br ot her al - Àdda' i bn Huj r f orhi s suppor t . On comi ng he t oo had a t al k but Zi yad i nsi st ed on hi s

poi nt and di d not , by any means, consent t o keep of f hi s hand f r om t hat

she- camel . At l ast bot h t hese br ot her s appeal ed t o Masr uq i bn Ma`di

Kar i b f or hel p. Consequent l y, Masr uq al so used hi s i nf l uence so t hat

Zi yad mi ght l eave t he she- camel but he ref used cat egor i cal l y, wher eupon

Masr uq became ent husi ast i c and unt yi ng t he she- camel handed i t over t o

Shayt an. On t hi s Zi yad was i nf ur i ated and col l ect i ng hi s men became

r eady t o f i ght . On t he ot her si de Banu Wal i àh al so assembl ed t o f ace

t hem, but coul d not def eat Zi yad and were badl y beat en at hi s hands.

Thei r women wer e t aken away and proper t y was l ooted. Event ual l y t hosewho had sur vi ved wer e obl i ged to t ake r ef uge under t he pr ot ect i on of

al - Ashàth. Al - Ashàth pr omi sed assi st ance on t he condi t i on t hat he

shoul d be acknowl edged rul er of t he ar ea. Those peopl e agr eed t o t hi s

condi t i on and hi s cor onat i on was al so f or mal l y sol emni sed. Af t er havi ng

hi s aut hor i t y acknowl edged he ar r anged an army and set out t o f i ght

Zi yad. On t he ot her si de Abu Bakr had wr i t t en t o t he chi ef of Yemen,

al - Muhaj i r i bn Abi Umayyah t o go f or t he hel p of Zi yad wi t h a

cont i ngent . Al - Muhaj i r was comi ng wi t h hi s cont i ngent when t hey came

f ace to f ace. Seei ng each ot her t hey dr ew swords and commenced f i ght i ng

at ad- Zur qan. I n t he end al - Ashàt h f l ed f r om t he bat t l e- f i el d andt aki ng hi s r emai ni ng men cl osed hi msel f i n t he f or t of an- Nuj ayr . The

enemy was such as t o l et t hem al one. They l ai d si ege ar ound t he f or t .

Al - Ashàt h t hought how l ong coul d he remai n shut up i n t he f or t wi t h

t hi s l ack of equi pment and men, and that he shoul d thi nk out some way

of escape. So one ni ght he st eal t hi l y came out of t he f or t and met

Zi yad and al - Muhaj i r and conspi r ed wi t h t hem t hat i f t hey gave asyl um

t o ni ne members of hi s f ami l y he woul d get t he f ort gate opened. They

accept ed t hi s t er m and asked hi m t o wr i t e f or t hem t he names of t hose

ni ne per sons. He wr ot e down t he ni ne names and made t hem over t o t hem,

but act i ng on hi s t r adi t i onal wi sdom f or got t o wr i t e hi s own name i nt hat l i st . Af t er set t l i ng t hi s he t ol d hi s peopl e t hat he has secur ed

pr ot ect i on f or t hem and t he gat e of t he f ort shoul d be opened. When t he

gate was opened Zi yad f or ces pounced upon them. They sai d t hey had been

pr omi sed pr otect i on wher eupon Zi yad' s ar my sai d t hat t hi s was wr ong and

t hat al - Ashàt h had asked pr ot ect i on onl y f or ni ne member s of hi s

house, whose names preser ved wi t h t hem. I n shor t ei ght hundr ed persons



wer e put t o sword and hands of sever al women were chopped of f , whi l e

accor di ng t o t he set t l ement ni ne men wer e l ef t of f , but t he case of al -

Ash`at h became compl i cat ed. Event ual l y i t was deci ded he shoul d be sent

t o Abu Bakr and he shoul d deci ded about hi m. At l ast he was sent t o

Medi na i n chai ns al ong wi t h a t housand women pr i soner s. On t he way

r el at i ons and ot her s, men and women, al l hur l ed cur ses at hi m and t hewomen were cal l i ng hi m t r ai t or and one who got hi s own peopl e put t o

sword. Who el se can be a gr eat er t r ai t or? However , when he reached

Medi na Abu Bakr r el eased hi m and on t hat occasi on he was mar r i ed t o Umm

Farwah.

*****

Sermon 20

Death and taking lessons from it

I f you coul d see t hat has been seen by t hose of you who have di ed, you

woul d be puzzl ed and t r oubl ed. Then you woul d have l i st ened and obeyed;

but what t hey have seen i s yet cur t ai ned of f f r om you. Shor t l y, t he

cur t ai n woul d be t hr own of f . You have been shown, pr ovi ded you see and

you have been made t o l i st en pr ovi ded you l i st en, and you have been

gui ded i f you accept gui dance. I spoke unt o you wi t h t r ut h. You havebeen cal l ed al oud by ( i nst r uct i ve) exampl es and warned t hr ough i t ems

f ul l of war ni ngs. Af t er t he heavenl y messenger s ( angel s) , onl y man can

convey message f r om Al l ah. ( So what I am conveyi ng i s f r om Al l ah) .

*****

Sermon 21

Advice to keep light in this world

Your ai m ( r ewar d or puni shment ) i s bef or e you. Behi nd your back i s t he

hour ( of r esur r ect i on) whi ch i s dr i vi ng you on. Keep ( your sel f ) l i ght

and over t ake ( t he f or war d ones) . Your l ast ones ar e bei ng awai t ed by

t he f i r st ones ( who have pr eceded) .



as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I f t hi s ut t er ance of Àl i ( p. b. u. h. ) i s wei ghed

wi t h any ot her ut t er ance except t he wor d of Al l ah or of t he Hol y

Pr ophet , i t woul d pr ove heavi er and super i or i n ever y r espect . For

exampl e, Àl i ' s sayi ng "Keep l i ght and over t ake" i s t he shor t est

expr essi on ever hear d wi t h t he gr eat est sense conveyed by i t . How wi de

i s i t s meani ng and how cl ear i t s spr i ng of wi sdom! We have poi nt ed outt he gr eat ness and meani ngf ul ness of t hi s phr ase i n our book al-

Khasa'is.

*****

Sermon 22

About those who accused him of Ùthman's killing

Bewar e! Sat an has cer t ai nl y st ar t ed i nst i gat i ng hi s f or ces and has

col l ect ed hi s ar my i n or der t hat oppr essi on may reach i t s ext r eme ends

and wr ong may come back t o i t s posi t i on. By Al l ah t hey have not put a

cor r ect bl ame on me, nor have t hey done j ust i ce bet ween me and

t hemsel ves.

They ar e demandi ng of me a r i ght whi ch t hey have abandoned, and a bl ood

t hat t hey have t hemsel ves shed. [ 1] I f I wer e a par t ner wi t h t hem i n i t

t hen t hey t oo have t hei r shar e of i t . But i f t hey di d i t wi t hout met hey al one have t o f ace t he consequences. Thei r bi ggest argument

( agai nst me) i s ( r eal l y) agai nst t hemsel ves. They ar e suckl i ng f r om a

mot her who i s al r eady dr y, and br i ngi ng i nt o l i f e i nnovat i on t hat i s

al r eady dead. How di sappoi nt i ng i s t hi s chal l enger ( t o bat t l e) ? Who i s

t hi s chal l enger and f or what i s he bei ng r esponded t o? I am happy t hat

t he r easoni ng of Al l ah has been exhaust ed bef ore them and He knows

( al l ) about t hem.

The threat to Wage War against them

I f t hey r ef use ( t o obey) I wi l l of f er t hem t he edge of t he swor d whi ch

i s enough a cur er of wr ong and suppor t er of Ri ght .

I t i s st r ange t hey send me wor d t o pr oceed t o t hem f or spear - f i ght i ng

and t o keep r eady f or f i ght i ng wi t h swords. May the mour ni ng women

mour n over t hem. I have ever been so t hat I was never f r i ght ened by





f i ght i ng nor t hr eat ened by cl ashi ng. I enj oy f ul l cer t ai nt y of bel i ef

f r om my Al l ah and have no doubt i n my f ai t h.


[ 1] . When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was accused of Ùt hman' s assassi nat i on he

del i ver ed t hi s sermon t o r ef ut e t hat al l egat i on, wher ei n he says aboutt hose who bl amed hi m t hat : "These seeker s of vengeance cannot say t hat

I al one am t he assassi n and t hat no one el se took par t i n i t . Nor can

t hey f al si f y wi t nessed event s by sayi ng t hat t hey wer e unconcerned wi t h

i t . Why t hen have they put me f oremost f or t hi s avengi ng? Wi t h me they

shoul d i ncl ude t hemsel ves al so. I f I am f r ee of t hi s bl ame t hey cannot

est abl i sh t hei r f r eedom f r om i t . How can t hey det ach t hemsel ves f r om

t hi s puni shment ? The t r ut h of t he mat t er i s t hat by accusi ng me of t hi s

char ge t hei r ai m i s t hat I shoul d behave wi t h t hem i n t he same manner

t o whi ch t hey are accust omed. But t hey shoul d not expect f r om me t hat I

woul d r evi ve t he i nnovat i ons of t he pr evi ous r egi mes. As f or f i ght i ng,nei t her was I ever af r ai d of i t nor am I so now. Al l ah knows my

i nt ent i on and He al so knows t hat t hose st andi ng on t he excuse of t aki ng

r evenge ar e t hemsel ves hi s assassi ns. " Thus, hi st or y cor r obor at es t hat

t he peopl e who managed hi s ( Ùt hman' s) assassi nat i on by agi t at i on and

had even pr event ed hi s bur i al i n Musl i ms' gr aveyar d by hur l i ng st ones

at hi s cof f i n wer e t he same who r ose f or avengi ng hi s bl ood. I n t hi s

connect i on, t he names of Tal hah i bn Ùbaydi l l ah, az- Zubayr i bn al -

Àwwam and À' i shah ar e at t he top of t he l i st si nce on bot h occasi ons

t hei r ef f or t s come t o si ght wi t h conspi cui t y. Thus I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d

wr i t es that :

Those who have wr i t t en t he account of assassi nat i on of Ùt hman st at e

t hat on t he day of hi s ki l l i ng Tal hah' s condi t i on was t hat i n or der t o

obscur e hi msel f f r om t he eyes of t he peopl e he had a vei l on hi s f ace

and was shoot i ng ar r ows at Ùt hman' s house.

And i n t hi s connect i on, about az- Zubayr ' s i deas he wr i t es:

Hi st or i ans have al so st at e that az- Zubayr used t o say "Ki l l Ùt hman. He

has al t er ed your f ai t h. " Peopl e sai d, "Your son i s st andi ng at hi s door

and guardi ng hi m, " and he repl i ed, "Even my son may be l ost , but

Ùt hman must be ki l l ed. Ùt hman wi l l be l yi ng l i ke a car cass on Si r at

t omorr ow. " ( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 9, pp. 35- 36)

About À' i shah, I bn Àbd Rabbi h wr i t es:





al - Mughi r ah i bn Shu`bah came t o À' i shah when she sai d, "O' Abu

Àbdi l l ah, I wi sh you had been wi t h me on the day of J amal ; how arr ows

were pi erci ng thr ough my hawdaj ( camel l i t t er ) t i l l some of t hem st uck

my body. " al - Mughi r ah sai d, " I wi sh one of t hem shoul d have ki l l ed

you. " She sai d, "Al l ah may have pi t y you; why so?" He r epl i ed, "So t hat

i t woul d have been some at onement f or what you had done agai nstÙt hman. " ( al-Ìqd al-farid , vol . 4, p. 294)

*****

Sermon 23

About keeping aloof from envy, and good behaviour towards kith and kin

Now t hen, ver i l y Di vi ne or der s descend f r om heaven t o ear t h l i ke dr opsof r ai n, br i ngi ng t o ever y one what i s dest i ned f or hi m whet her pl ent y

or pauci t y. So i f any one of you obser ves f or hi s br ot her pl ent y of

pr ogeny or of weal t h or of sel f , i t shoul d not be a wor r y f or hi m. So

l ong as a Musl i m does not commi t such an act t hat i f i t i s di scl osed he

has t o bend hi s eyes ( i n shame) and by whi ch l ow peopl e ar e embol dened,

he i s l i ke t he gambl er who expect s t hat t he f i r st dr aw of hi s ar r ow

woul d secur e hi m gai n and al so cover up t he pr evi ous l oss.

Si mi l ar l y, t he Musl i m who i s f r ee f r om di shonest y expect s one of t he

t wo good t hi ngs: ei t her cal l f r om Al l ah and i n t hat case what ever i swi t h Al l ah i s t he best f or hi m, or t he l i vel i hood of Al l ah. He has

al r eady chi l dr en and pr oper t y whi l e hi s f ai t h and r espect ar e wi t h hi m.

Cer t ai nl y, weal t h and chi l dr en ar e t he pl ant at i ons of t hi s wor l d whi l e

vi r t uous deed i s t he pl ant at i on of t he next wor l d. Somet i mes Al l ah

j oi ns al l t hese i n some groups.

Beware of Al l ah agai nst what He has caut i oned you and keep af r ai d of

Hi m t o t he extent t hat no excuse be needed f or i t . Act wi t hout show or

i nt ent i on of bei ng hear d, f or i f a man act s f or some one el se t hen

Al l ah makes hi m over t o that one. We ask Al l ah ( t o gr ant us) t heposi t i ons of t he mar t yrs, company of t he vi r t uous and f r i endshi p of t he

pr ophet s.

O' peopl e! sur el y no one (even t hough he may be r i ch) can do wi t hout

hi s ki nsmen, and t hei r suppor t by hands or t ongues. They al one ar e hi s

suppor t f r om r ear and can war d of f f r om hi m hi s t r oubl es, and t hey ar e



t he most ki nd t o hi m when t r i bul at i ons bef al l hi m. The good memor y of a

man t hat Al l ah ret ai ns among peopl e i s bet t er t han the pr oper t y whi ch

ot her s i nher i t f r om hi m.

In the same sermon

Behol d! I f any one of you f i nds your near ones i n want or st ar vat i on,he shoul d not desi st f r om hel pi ng t hem wi t h t hat whi ch wi l l not

i ncr ease i f t hi s hel p i s not extended, nor decr ease by thus spendi ng

i t . Whoever hol ds up hi s hand f r om ( hel pi ng) hi s ki nsmen, he hol ds onl y

one hand, but at t he t i me of hi s need many hands r emai n hel d up f r om

hel pi ng hi m. One who i s sweet t empered can r etai n t he l ove of hi s

peopl e f or good.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I n t hi s ser mon "al-ghafirah" means pl ent y or

abundance, and t hi s i s der i ved f r om t he Ar ab sayi ng, "al-jamm al-

ghafir " or "al-jamma' al-ghafir " meani ng t hi ck cr owd. I n some versi onsfor "al-ghafirah" "àfwatan" appear s. "àfwah" means t he good and

sel ected par t of anyt hi ng. I t i s sai d "akaltu àfwata 't-taàm" , to

mean " I at e sel ect meal . " About "wa man yaqbid yadahu àn àshiratihi"

appear i ng towards t he end he poi nt s out how beaut i f ul t he meani ng of

t hi s sent ence i s, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i mpl i es t hat he who does not hel p

hi s own ki nsmen wi t hhol ds onl y hi s hand but when he i s i n need of t hei r

assi st ance and woul d be l ooki ng f or t hei r sympathy and support t hen he

woul d remai n depr i ved of t he sympathi es and succour of so many of t hei r

extendi ng hands and marchi ng f eet .

*******

Sermon 24

Exhorting people for jihad

By my l i f e ther e wi l l be no regar d f or anyone nor sl ackeni ng f r om me i n

f i ght i ng agai nst one who opposes r i ght or gr opes i n mi sgui dance. O'

cr eat ur es of Al l ah, f ear Al l ah and f l ee unt o Al l ah f r om Hi s wr at h ( seek

pr ot ect i on i n Hi s Mer cy) . Tread on t he pat h He has l ai d down f or you

and st and by what He has enj oi ned upon you. I n that case Àl i woul d

st and sur et y f or your success ( sal vat i on) event ual l y even t hough you

may not get i t i mmedi at el y ( i . e. i n t hi s wor l d) .

*****



Sermon 25

When Amir al-mu'minin received successive news that ...

When Amir al-mu'minin received successive news that Muàwiyah's men

were occupying cities[ 1] and his own officers in Yemen namely

Ùbaydullah ibn Àbbas and Saìd ibn Nimran came to him retreating

after being overpowered by Busr ibn Abi Artat, he was much disturbed by

the slackness of his own men in jihad and their difference with his

opinion. Proceeding on to the pulpit he said:

Nothi ng ( i s l ef t t o me) but Kuf ah whi ch I can hol d and extend ( whi ch i s

i n my hand t o pl ay wi t h) . ( O' Kuf ah) i f t hi s i s your condi t i on t hat

whi r l wi nds cont i nue bl owi ng t hr ough you t hen Al l ah may dest r oy you.

Then he illustrated with the verse of a poet:

O' Àmr! By your good father's life. I have received only a small bit

of fat from this pot ( f at t hat r emai ns st i cki ng t o i t af t er i t has been

empt i ed) .

Then he continued:

I have been i nf ormed t hat Busr has over powered Yemen. By Al l ah, I have

begun t hi nki ng about t hese peopl e that t hey woul d shor t l y snat ch away

t he whol e count r y t hr ough t hei r uni t y on t hei r wr ong and your di suni t y

( f r om your own r i ght ) , and separ at i on, your di sobedi ence of your I mam

i n mat t er s of r i ght and t hei r obedi ence t o t hei r l eader i n mat t er s of

wr ong, t hei r f ul f i l ment of t he t r ust i n f avour of t hei r mast er and your

bet r ayal , t hei r good wor k i n t hei r ci t i es and your mi schi ef . Even i f I

gi ve you char ge of a wooden bowl I f ear you woul d r un away wi t h i t s

handl e.

O' my Al l ah t hey are di sgust ed of me and I amdi sgust ed of t hem. They

are wear y of me and I am wear y of t hem. Change them f or me wi t h bet t er

ones and change me f or t hemwi t h worse one. O' my Al l ah mel t t hei rhear t s as sal t mel t s i n wat er . By Al l ah I wi sh I had onl y a t housand

horsemen of Banu Fi r as i bn Ghanm ( as t he poet says) :

If you call them the horsemen would come to you like the summer cloud.

( Ther eaf t er Ami r al - mu' mi ni n al i ght ed f r om t he pul pi t ) :





as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I n t hi s ver se the wor d "armiyah" i s pl ural of

"ramiyy " whi ch means cl oud and "hamim" here means summer . The poet has

par t i cul ar i sed t he cl oud of summer because i t moves swi f t l y. Thi s i s

because i t i s devoi d of wat er whi l e a cl oud moves sl owl y when i t i s

l aden wi t h r ai n. Such cl ouds gener al l y appear ( i n Ar abi a) i n wi nt er . By

t hi s ver se t he poet i nt ends t o convey t hat when t hey ar e cal l ed andr ef er r ed t o f or hel p t hey appr oach wi t h r api di t y and t hi s i s bor ne by

t he f i r st l i ne " i f you cal l t hem t hey wi l l r each you. "


[ 1] . When af t er ar bi t r at i on Muàwi yah' s posi t i on was st abi l i sed he

began t hi nki ng of t aki ng possessi on of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ci t i es and

extend hi s domai n. He sent hi s armi es t o di f f er ent ar eas i n or der t hat

t hey mi ght secur e al l egi ance f or Muàwi yah by f or ce. I n t hi s connect i on

he sent Busr i bn Abi Ar t at t o Hi j az and he shed bl ood of t housands of

i nnocent per sons f r om Hi j az upt o Yemen, bur nt al i ve t r i bes af t er t r i besi n f i r e and ki l l ed even chi l dr en, so much so t hat he but cher ed t wo

young boys of Ùbaydul l ah i bn Àbbas t he Governor of Yemen bef ore thei r

mot her J uwayr i yah bi nt Khal i d i bn Qar az al - Ki nani yyah.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n came t o know of hi s sl aught er i ng and bl ood shed

he thought of sendi ng a cont i ngent t o cr ush hi m but due t o cont i nuous

f i ght i ng peopl e had become wear y and showed hear t l essness i nst ead of

zeal . When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n observed thei r shi r ki ng f r om war he

del i ver ed t hi s ser mon wher ei n he roused t hem t o ent husi asm and sel f

r espect , and pr ompt ed t hemt o jihad by descr i bi ng bef or e t hem t heenemy' s wr ongf ul ness and t hei r own shor t - comi ngs. At l ast J ar i yah i bn

Qudamah as- Sa`di r esponded t o hi s cal l and taki ng an army of t wo

t housand set of f i n pur sui t of Busr and chased hi m out of Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s domai n.

*****

Sermon 26

Arabia before proclamation of Prophethood

Al l ah sent Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) as a war ner ( agai nst vi ce) f or al l

t he wor l ds and a t r ust ee of Hi s r evel at i on, whi l e you peopl e of Ar abi a

were f ol l owi ng t he worst r el i gi on and you r esi ded among r ough st ones





and venomous ser pent s. You dr ank di r t y wat er and at e f i l t hy f ood. You

shed bl ood of each ot her and car ed not f or r el at i onshi p. I dol s are

f i xed among you and si ns ar e cl i ngi ng t o you.

Part of the same sermon on the attentiveness of the people

after the death of the Holy Prophet

I l ooked and f ound t hat t her e i s no suppor t er f or me except f ami l y, so

I r ef r ai ned f r om t hr ust i ng t hem unt o deat h. I kept my eyes cl osed

despi t e mot es i n t hem. I dr ank despi t e choki ng of t hr oat . I exer ci sed

pat i ence despi t e t r oubl e i n br eat hi ng and despi t e havi ng t o t ake sour

col ocynt h as f ood.

Part of the same sermon on the settlement between

Muàwiyah and Àmr ibn al-Às

He di d not swear al l egi ance t i l l he got hi m t o agr ee t hat he woul d pay

hi m i t s pr i ce. The hand of t hi s pur chaser ( of al l egi ance) may not be

successf ul and t he cont r act of t he sel l er may f ace di sgrace. Now you

shoul d t ake up ar ms f or war and ar r ange equi pment f or i t . I t s f l ames

have gr own hi gh and i t s br i ght ness has i ncr eased. Cl ot he your sel f wi t h

pat i ence f or i t i s t he best t o vi ctor y. [ 1]


[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had del i ver ed a sermon bef or e set t i ng of f f or

Nahr awan. These ar e t hr ee par t s f r om i t . I n t he f i r st par t he hasdescr i bed t he condi t i on of Ar abi a bef or e Procl amat i on ( of Pr ophet hood) ;

i n t he second he has r ef er r ed t o ci r cumst ances whi ch f or ced hi m t o keep

qui et and i n t he t hi r d he has descr i bed t he conver sat i on and set t l ement

between Muàwi yah and Àmr i bn al - Às. The posi t i on of t hi s mut ual

set t l ement was t hat when Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent J ar i r i bn Àbdi l l ah al -

Baj al i t o Muàwi yah t o secur e hi s al l egi ance he det ai ned J ar i r under

t he excuse of gi vi ng a repl y, and i n t he meant i me he began expl or i ng

how f ar t he peopl e of Syr i a woul d suppor t hi m. When he succeeded i n

maki ng t hemhi s suppor t ers by r ousi ng t hem t o avenge Ùt hman' s bl ood he

consul t ed hi s br ot her Ùt bah i bn Abi Suf yan. He suggest ed, " I f i n t hi s

mat t er Àmr i bn al - Às was associ ated he woul d sol ve most of t he

di f f i cul t i es t hr ough hi s sagaci t y, but he woul d not be easi l y pr epar ed

t o st abi l i se your aut hor i t y unl ess he got t he pr i ce he desi r ed f or i t .

I f you ar e ready f or t hi s he woul d pr ove t he best counsel l or and

hel per . " Muàwi yah l i ked t hi s suggest i on, sent f or Àmr i bn al - Às and

di scussed wi t h hi m, and event ual l y i t was set t l ed t hat he woul d avenge







`Ut hman' s bl ood by hol di ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n l i abl e f or i t i n exchange

f or t he governorshi p of Egypt , and by whatever means poss i bl e woul d not

l et Mu`awi yah' s aut hor i t y i n Syr i a suf f er . Consequent l y, bot h of t hem

f ul f i l l ed t he agr eement and kept t hei r wor ds f ul l y.

*****

Sermon 27

Exhorting people for jihad

Now t hen, surel y jihad i s one of t he door s of Par adi se, whi ch Al l ah has

opened f or Hi s chi ef f r i ends. I t i s t he dr ess of pi et y and t he

pr ot ect i ve ar mour of Al l ah and Hi s t r ust wort hy shi el d. Whoever abandons

i t Al l ah cover s hi m wi t h t he dr ess of di sgr ace and t he cl ot hes ofdi st r ess. He i s ki cked wi t h cont empt and scor n, and hi s hear t i s vei l ed

wi t h scr eens ( of negl ect ) . Tr ut h i s t aken away f r om hi m because of

mi ssi ng jihad . He has t o suf f er i gnomi ny and j ust i ce i s deni ed t o hi m.

Bewar e! I cal l ed you ( i nsi st ent l y) t o f i ght t hese peopl e ni ght and day,

secr et l y and openl y and exhor t ed you t o at t ack t hem bef or e they

at t acked you, because by Al l ah, no peopl e have been at t acked i n t he

hear t s of t hei r houses but t hey suf f er ed di sgr ace; but you put i t of f

t o ot her s and f or sook i t t i l l dest r uct i on bef el l you and your ci t i es

wer e occupi ed. The horsemen of Banu Ghami d[ 1] have reached al - Anbar andki l l ed Hassan i bn Hassan al - Bakr i . They have removed your horsemen f r om

t he gar r i son.

I have come t o know t hat ever y one of t hem ent ered upon Musl i m women

and ot her women under pr otect i on of I sl am and took away thei r ornament s

f r om l egs, ar ms, necks and ear s and no woman coul d r esi st i t except by

pr onounci ng t he verse, "We are for Allah and to Him we shall return."

( Qur ' an, 2 : 156) Then t hey got back l aden wi t h weal t h wi t hout any wound

or l oss of l i f e. I f any Musl i m di es of gr i ef af t er al l t hi s he i s not

t o be bl amed but r at her t her e i s j ust i f i cat i on f or hi m bef or e me.

How st r ange! How st r ange! By Al l ah my hear t si nks t o see the uni t y of

t hese peopl e on t hei r wr ong and your di sper si on f r om your r i ght . Woe

and gr i ef bef al l you. You have become t he target at whi ch arr ows ar e

shot . You ar e bei ng ki l l ed and you do not ki l l . You ar e bei ng at t acked

but you do not at t ack. Al l ah i s bei ng di sobeyed and you r emai n





agr eeabl e t o i t . When I ask you t o move agai nst t hem i n summer you say

i t i s hot weat her . Spar e us t i l l heat subsi des f r om us. When I or der

you t o mar ch i n wi nt er you say i t i s sever el y col d; gi ve us t i me t i l l

col d cl ear s f r om us. These ar e j ust excuses f or evadi ng heat and col d

because i f you r un away f r om heat and col d, you woul d be, by Al l ah,

r unni ng away ( i n a gr eat er degr ee) f r om swor d ( war ) .O' you sembl ance of men, not men, your i nt el l i gence i s t hat of chi l dr en

and your wi t i s t hat of t he occupant s of t he cur t ai ned canopi es ( women

kept i n secl usi on f r om t he out si de wor l d) . I wi sh I had not seen you

nor known you. By Al l ah, t hi s acquai nt ance has brought about shame and

r esul t ed i n r epent ance. May Al l ah f i ght you! You have f i l l ed my hear t

wi t h pus and l oaded my bosom wi t h rage. You made me dr i nk mout hf ul of

gr i ef one af t er t he ot her . You shat t er ed my counsel by di sobeyi ng and

l eavi ng me so much so t hat Qur aysh st art ed sayi ng t hat t he son of Abi

Tal i b i s brave but does not know ( t act i cs of ) war . Al l ah bl ess t hem !

I s any one of t hem mor e f i er ce i n war and mor e ol der i n i t t han I am? I

r ose f or i t al t hough yet wi t hi n t went i es, and her e I am, have cr ossed

over si xt y, but one who i s not obeyed can have no opi ni on.


[ 1] . Af t er t he bat t l e of Si f f i n, Muàwi yah had spr ead ki l l i ng and

bl oodshed al l r ound, and st ar t ed encr oachment s on ci t i es wi t hi n Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s domai n. I n t hi s connect i on he deput i sed Suf yan i bn Àwf

al - Ghami di wi t h a f or ce of si x thousand t o at t ack Hi t , al - Anbar and al -

Mada' i n. Fi r st he r eached al - Mada' i n but f i ndi ng i t desert ed pr oceededt o al - Anbar . Her e a cont i ngent of f i ve hundr ed sol di er s was post ed as

guar d f r om Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s si de, but i t coul d not r esi st t he f i er ce

army of Muàwi yah. Onl y a hundr ed men st uck t o thei r posi t i on and t hey

di d f ace t hem st out l y as f ar as t hey coul d but col l ect i ng t oget her t he

enemy' s f orce made such a sever e at t ack t hat t hey too coul d no more

r esi st and t he chi ef of t he cont i ngent Hassan i bn Hassan al - Bakr i was

ki l l ed al ong wi t h t hi r t y ot her s. When t he bat t l ef i el d was cl ear t he

enemy r ansacked al - Anbar wi t h f ul l f r eedom and l ef t t he ci t y compl et el y

dest r oyed.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n got t he news of t hi s at t ack he ascended t he

pul pi t , and exhor t ed t he peopl e f or cr ushi ng t he enemy and cal l ed t hem

t o jihad , but f r om no quar t er was t her e any voi ce or r esponse. He

al i ght ed f r om t he pul pi t ut t er l y di sgust ed and wor r i ed and i n t he same

condi t i on set of f f or t he enemy on f oot . When peopl e observed t hi s

t hei r sense of sel f r espect and shame was al so awakened and t hey t oo





f ol l owed hi m. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n st opped at an- Nukhayl ah. Peopl e t hen

sur r ounded and i nsi st ed upon hi m t o get back as t hey were enough wi t h

t he enemy. When t hei r i nsi st ence i ncr eased beyond r eckoni ng, Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n consented t o r etur n and Saì d i bn Qays al - Hamdani pr oceeded

f orwar d wi t h a f or ce of ei ght t housand. But Suf yan i bn Àwf al - Ghami di

had gone, so Saì d came back wi t hout any encount er . When Saì d reachedKuf ah t hen - accor di ng t o t he ver si on of I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d - Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n was so deepl y gr i eved and i ndi sposed dur i ng t hose days t o an

extent of not wi shi ng t o ent er t he mosque, but i nst ead sat i n t he

cor r i dor of hi s r esi dence ( t hat connect s t he ent r ance of t he mosque)

and wr ot e t hi s ser mon and gave i t t o hi s s l ave Sa`d to r ead i t over t o

t he peopl e. But al - Mubar r ad ( al-Kamil, vol . 1, pp. 104- 107) has r el at ed

f r om Ùbaydul l ah i bn Haf s al - Taymi , I bn À' i shah, t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

del i ver ed t hi s sermon on a hi gh pace i n an- Nukhayl ah. I bn Mayt hamhas

hel d t hi s vi ew pr ef er abl e.

*****

Sermon 28

About the transient nature of this world and importance of the next

world

So now, surel y t hi s wor l d has t ur ned i t s back and announced i t s

depart ur e whi l e t he next wor l d has appear ed f orward and pr ocl ai med i t s

appr oach. Today i s t he day of pr epar at i on whi l e tomor r ow i s t he day of

r ace. The pl ace t o pr oceed t o i s Par adi se whi l e t he pl ace of doom i s

Hel l . I s t her e no one t o of f er r epent ance over hi s f aul t s bef or e hi s

deat h? Or i s t her e no one t o per f or m vi r t uous act s bef or e t he day of

t r i al ?

Beware, surel y you are i n t he days of hopes behi nd whi ch st ands death.

Whoever act s dur i ng t he days of hi s hope bef ore appr oach of hi s death,

hi s act i on woul d benef i t hi m and hi s deat h woul d not har m hi m. But he

who f ai l s t o act dur i ng t he per i od of hope bef or e t he appr oach of deat hhi s act i on i s a l oss and hi s deat h i s a har m t o hi m. Bewar e, and act

dur i ng a per i od of at t r act i on j ust as you act dur i ng a per i od of dr ead.

Bewar e, surel y I have not seen a covet er f or Par adi se asl eep nor a

dr eader f r om Hel l t o be asl eep. Bewar e, he whom r i ght does not benef i t

must suf f er t he harm of t he wr ong, and he whom gui dance does not keep

f i r m wi l l be l ed away by mi sgui dance t owar ds dest r uct i on.



Beware, you have been order ed i nsi st ent l y t o march and been gui ded how

t o pr ovi de f or t he j our ney. Sur el y the most f r i ght eni ng t hi ng whi ch I

am af r ai d of about you i s t o f ol l ow desi r es and t o wi den t he hopes.

Provi de f or your sel f f r om t hi s wor l d what woul d save you t omor r ow ( on

t he Day of J udgement ) .

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I f t her e coul d be an ut t er ance whi ch woul d dr agby neck t owar ds r enunci at i on i n t hi s wor l d and f or ce t o act i on f or t he

next wor l d, i t i s t hi s ser mon. I t i s enough t o cut of f f r om t he

ent angl ement s of hopes and t o i gni t e t he f l ames of pr eachi ng ( f or

vi r t ue) and war ni ng ( agai nst vi ce) . Hi s most wonder f ul wor ds i n t hi s

ser mon are "Today i s t he day of pr eparat i on whi l e tomorr ow i s t he day

of r ace. The pl ace t o pr oceed t o i s Par adi se whi l e t he pl ace of doom i s

Hel l , " because besi des subl i mi t y of wor ds, gr eat ness of meani ng, t r ue

si mi l es and f act ual i l l ust r at i ons, t her e ar e wonder f ul secret s and

del i cat e i mpl i cat i ons t her ei n.

I t i s hi s sayi ng t hat he pl ace t o pr oceed t o i s Par adi se whi l e t he

pl ace of doom i s Hel l . Her e he has used t wo di f f er ent wor ds t o convey

t wo di f f er ent meani ngs. For Par adi se he has used t he wor d " t he pl ace t o

pr oceed t o" but f or Hel l t hi s word has not been used. One pr oceeds t o a

pl ace whi ch he l i kes and desi r es, and t hi s can be t r ue f or Par adi se

onl y. Hel l does not have t he at t r act i veness t hat i t may be l i ked or

pr oceeded t o. We seek Al l ah' s pr ot ect i on f r om i t . Si nce f or Hel l i t was

not pr oper t o say "t o be pr oceeded t o" Ami r al - mu' mi ni n empl oyed t he

word "doom" i mpl yi ng t he l ast pl ace of st ay where one r eaches even

t hough i t may mean gr i ef and worr y or happi ness and pl easur e.

Thi s wor d i s capabl e of conveyi ng bot h senses. However , i t shoul d be

t aken i n t he sense of "al-masir" or "al-ma'al", that i s, l ast resor t .

Qur ' ani c ver se i s "say thou "Enjoy ye ( your pl easur es yet a whi l e ) ,

for your last resort is unto the ( hel l ) fire" ( 14: 30) . Her e t o say

"sabqatakum" t hat i s, "t he pl ace f or you t o pr oceed t o" i n pl ace of t he

wor d "masirakum" t hat i s, your doom or l ast r esor t woul d not be pr oper

i n any way. Thi nk and ponder over i t and see how wondr ous i s i t s i nner

i mpl i cat i on and how f ar i t s dept h goes wi t h beaut y. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s

ut t er ance i s gener al l y on t hese l i nes. I n some ver si ons t he wor d"sabqah" i s shown as "subqah" whi ch i s appl i ed t o r ewar d f i xed f or t he

wi nner i n a race. However , both t he meani ngs ar e near each ot her ,

because a rewar d i s not f or an undesi r abl e act i on but f or good and

commendabl e per f or mance.

*****



Sermon 29

About those who found pretexts at the time of jihad

O' peopl e, your bodi es are t oget her but your desi r es are di ver gent .

Your t al k sof t ens t he har d st ones and your act i on at t r act s your enemy

t owar ds you. You cl ai m i n your si t t i ngs t hat you woul d do t hi s and

t hat , but when f i ght i ng appr oaches, you say ( t o war ) , " t ur n t hou away"

( i . e. f l ee away) . I f one cal l s you ( f or hel p) t he cal l r ecei ves no

heed. And he who deal s hardl y wi t h you hi s hear t has no sol ace. The

excuses ar e ami ss l i ke t hat of a debt or unwi l l i ng t o pay. The i gnobl e

can not war d of f oppr essi on. Ri ght cannot be achi eved wi t hout ef f or t .

Whi ch i s t he house besi des t hi s one to pr otect ? And wi t h whi ch l eader( I mam) woul d you go f or f i ght i ng af t er me?

By Al l ah! decei ved i s one whom you have decei ved whi l e, by Al l ah! he

who i s successf ul wi t h you r ecei ves onl y usel ess ar r ows. You ar e l i ke

br oken ar r ows t hr own over t he enemy. By Al l ah! I am now i n t he posi t i on

t hat I nei t her conf i r m your vi ews nor hope f or your suppor t , nor

chal l enge the enemy t hrough you. What i s t he mat t er wi t h you? What i s

your ai l ment ? What i s your cur e? The ot her par t y i s al so men of your

shape ( but t hey ar e so di f f er ent i n char act er ) . Wi l l t her e be t al k

wi t hout act i on, car el essness wi t hout pi et y and gr eed i n t hi ngs notr i ght ? ! [ 1]


[ 1] . Af t er t he bat t l e of Nahr awan, Muàwi yah sent ad- Dahhak i bn Qays al -

Fi hr i wi t h a f or ce of f our t housand t owar ds Kuf ah wi t h t he pur pose t hat

he shoul d cr eat e di sorder i n t hi s area, ki l l whomever he f i nds and keep

busy i n bl oodshed and dest r uct i on so t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n shoul d f i nd

no rest or peace of mi nd. He set of f f or t he achi evement of t hi s ai m,

and sheddi ng i nnocent bl ood and spreadi ng dest r uct i on al l r ound r eached

upt o t he pl ace of at h- Tha`l abi yyah. Her e he at t acked a car avan ofpi l gr i ms ( t o Mecca) and l oot ed al l t hei r weal t h and bel ongi ngs. Then at

al - Qut qut anah he ki l l ed t he nephew of Àbdul l ah i bn Masùd, t he Hol y

Pr ophet ' s compani on, namel y Àmr i bn Ùways i bn Masùd t ogether wi t h

hi s f ol l ower s. I n t hi s manner he cr eat ed havoc and bl oodshed al l r ound.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n came to know of t hi s r ack and r ui n he cal l ed hi s

men t o bat t l e i n or der t o put a st op t o t hi s vandal i sm, but peopl e







seemed t o avoi d war . Bei ng di sgust ed wi t h t hei r l et har gy and l ack of

ent husi asm he ascended t he pul pi t and del i ver ed t hi s ser mon, wher ei n he

has r oused t he men t o f eel shame and not t o t r y t o avoi d war but t o

r i se f or t he pr ot ect i on of t hei r count r y l i ke br ave men wi t hout

empl oyi ng wr ong and l ame excuses. At l ast Huj r i bn Àdi al - Ki ndi r ose

wi t h a f or ce of f our t housand f or cr ushi ng the enemy and over t ook hi mat Tadmur . Onl y a smal l encount er had t aken pl ace between the part i es

when ni ght came on and he f l ed away wi t h onl y ni neteen ki l l ed on hi s

si de. I n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s army al so two per sons f el l as mar t yr s.

*****

Sermon 30

Disclosing real facts about assassination of Ùthman ...

Disclosing real facts about assassination of Ùthman Ibn Àffan[ 1] Amir

al-mu'minin said:

I f I had or der ed hi s assassi nat i on I shoul d have been hi s ki l l er , but

i f I had r ef r ai ned ot her s f r om ki l l i ng hi m I woul d have been hi s

hel per . The posi t i on was t hat he who hel ped hi m cannot now say t hat he

i s bet t er t han t he one who deser t ed hi m whi l e he who deser t ed hi m

cannot say t hat he i s bet t er t han t he one who hel ped hi m. I am put t i ng

bef or e you hi s case. He appr opr i at ed ( weal t h) and di d i t badl y. Youpr ot est ed agai nst i t and commi t t ed excess t her ei n. Wi t h Al l ah l i es t he

r eal ver di ct bet ween t he appr opr i at or and t he pr ot est er .


[ 1] . Ùt hman i s t he f i r st Umayyad Cal i ph of I sl am who ascended the

Cal i phate on t he 1st Muharr am, 24 A. H. at t he age of sevent y and af t er

havi ng wi el ded f ul l cont r ol and aut hor i t y over t he af f ai r s of t he

Musl i ms f or t wel ve year s was ki l l ed at t hei r hands on t he 18t h Dhi ' l -

hi j j ah, 35 A. H. and bur i ed at Hashsh Kawkab.

Thi s f act cannot be deni ed t hat Ùt hman' s ki l l i ng was t he r esul t of hi s

weaknesses and t he bl ack deeds of hi s of f i cer s, ot her wi se, t her e i s no

r eason t hat Musl i ms shoul d have unani mousl y agr eed on ki l l i ng hi m whi l e

no one except a f ew persons of hi s house st ood up t o suppor t and def end

hi m. Musl i ms woul d have cer t ai nl y gi ven consi der at i on t o hi s age,

seni or i t y, pr est i ge and di st i nct i on of compani onshi p of t he Pr ophet but







hi s ways and deeds had so mar r ed t he at mospher e t hat no one seemed

pr epared t o sympathi se and si de wi t h hi m. The oppr essi on and excesses

perpet r ated on hi gh ranki ng compani ons of t he Prophet had r oused a wave

of gr i ef and anger among the Ar ab t r i bes. Ever yone was i nf ur i ated and

l ooked at hi s haught i ness and wr ong doi ngs wi t h di sdai nf ul eyes. Thus,

due t o Abu Dhar r ' s di sgrace, di shonour and exi l e Banu Ghi f ar and t hei rassoci at e t r i bes, due t o Àbdul l ah i bn Masùd' s mer ci l ess beat i ng Banu

Hudhayl and t hei r associ at es, due t o br eaki ng of t he r i bs of Àmmar i bn

Yasi r , Banu Makhzum and t hei r associ at es Banu Zuhr ah, and due t o t he

pl ot f or t he ki l l i ng of Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr , Banu Taym al l had a

st or m of r age i n t hei r hear t s. The Musl i ms of ot her ci t i es wer e al so

br i mf ul of compl ai nt s at t he hands of hi s of f i cer s who under

i nt oxi cat i on of weal t h and t he ef f ect s of l uxur y di d what ever t hey

wi shed and cr ushed whomever t hey want ed. They had no f ear of puni shment

f r om t he cent r e nor appr ehensi on of any enqui r y. Peopl e wer e f l ut t er i ng

t o get out of t hei r t al ons of oppr essi on but no one was r eady to l i st ent o t hei r cr i es of pai n and r est l essness; f eel i ngs of hat r ed wer e r i si ng

but no care was t aken t o put t hem down. The compani ons of t he Prophet

were al so si ck of hi m as t hey saw t hat peace was dest r oyed,

admi ni st r at i on was t opsy t ur vy and I sl am' s f eat ur es wer e bei ng

metamorphosed. The poor and t he st arvi ng were cr avi ng f or dr i ed cr ust s

whi l e Banu Umayyah were r ol l i ng i n weal t h. The Cal i phate had become a

handl e f or bel l y- f i l l i ng and a means of amassi ng weal t h. Consequent l y,

t hey too di d not l ag behi nd i n pr epar i ng t he gr ound f or ki l l i ng hi m.

Rat her , i t was at t hei r l et t er s and messages t hat peopl e f r om Kuf ah,

Basr ah and Egypt had col l ect ed i n Medi na. Observi ng t hi s behavi our oft he peopl e of Medi na, Ùt hman wr ote t o Muàwi yah:

So now, cer t ai nl y t he peopl e of Medi na have t ur ned her et i cs, have

t ur ned f ai t h agai nst obedi ence and br oken t he ( oat h of ) al l egi ance. So

you send t o me t he war r i or s of Syr i a on br i sk and st ur dy hor ses.

The pol i cy of act i on adopted by Muàwi yah on r ecei pt of t hi s l et t er

al so thr ows l i ght on t he condi t i on of t he compani ons. Hi st or i an at -

Tabar i wr i t es af t er t hi s:

When t he l et t er r eached Muàwi yah he pondered over i t and consi dered i tbad t o openl y oppose t he compani ons of t he Pr ophet si nce he was aware

of t hei r unani mi t y.

I n vi ew of t hese ci r cumst ances t o regar d t he ki l l i ng of Ùt hman as a

consequence of mer el y ent husi asm and t emporar y f eel i ngs and t o hur l i t

at some i nsur gent s i s t o vei l t he f act , si nce al l t he f actor s of hi s



opposi t i on exi st ed wi t hi n Medi na i t sel f , whi l e t hose comi ng f r om

wi t hout had col l ect ed f or seeki ng r edr ess of t hei r gr i evances at t hei r

cal l . Thei r ai m was onl y i mpr ovement of t he posi t i on, not ki l l i ng or

bl oodshed. I f t hei r compl ai nt s had been hear d t hen t he occasi on f or

t hi s bl oodshed woul d not have ar i sen. What happened was t hat when,

havi ng been di sgust ed wi t h t he oppr essi on and excesses of Àbdul l ah i bnSa`d i bn Abi Sarh, who was f ost er br other of Ùt hman, t he peopl e of

Egypt proceeded t owards Medi na and camped i n t he val l ey of Dhakhushub

near t he ci t y. They sent a man wi t h a l et t er t o Ùt hman and demanded

t hat oppr essi on shoul d be st opped, t he exi st i ng ways shoul d be changed

and r epent ance shoul d be of f er ed f or t he f ut ur e. But i nst ead of gi vi ng

a repl y Ùt hman got t hi s man t ur ned out of t he house and di d not r egard

t hei r demands wor t h at t ent i on. On t hi s t hese peopl e ent er ed t he ci t y t o

r ai se t hei r voi ce agai nst t hi s pr i de and haught i ness, and compl ai ned t o

t he peopl e of t hi s behavi our besi des ot her excesses. On t he ot her si de

many peopl e f r om Kuf ah and Basr ah had al so ar r i ved wi t h t hei rcompl ai nt s and t hey, af t er j oi ni ng t hese ones, pr oceeded f or war d wi t h

t he backi ng of t he peopl e of Medi na and conf i ned Ùt hman wi t hi n hi s

house, al t hough t her e was no r est r i ct i on on hi s goi ng and comi ng t o the

mosque. But i n hi s ser mon on t he ver y f i r st Fr i day he sever el y r ebuked

t hese peopl e and even hel d t hem accur sed, whereupon peopl e got

i nf ur i at ed and t hr ew pebbl es at hi m as a resul t of whi ch he l ost

cont r ol and f el l f r om t he pul pi t . Af t er a f ew days hi s comi ng and goi ng

t o t he mosque was al so banned.

When Ùt hman saw mat t ers deter i orat i ng t o t hi s ext ent he i mpl ored Ami ral - mu' mi ni n ver y submi ssi vel y t o f i nd some way f or hi s r escue and t o

di sper se t he peopl e i n what ever way he coul d. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d,

"On what t erms can I ask t hem t o l eave when t hei r demands are

j ust i f i ed?" Ùt hman sai d, " I aut hor i se you i n t hi s mat t er . Whatever

t erms you woul d set t l e wi t h t hemI woul d be bound by t hem. " So Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n went and met t he Egypt i ans and t al ked t o t hem. They consent ed

t o get back on t he condi t i on t hat al l t he t yranni es shoul d be wi ped of f

and Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr be made governor by removi ng I bn Abi Sarh.

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n came back and put t hei r demand bef or e Ùt hman who

accept ed i t wi t hout any hesi t at i on and sai d t hat t o get over t heseexcesses t i me was r equi r ed. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n poi nt ed out t hat f or

mat t ers concerni ng Medi na del ay had no sense. However , f or other pl aces

so much t i me coul d be al l owed t hat t he Cal i ph' s message coul d r each

t hem. Ùt hman i nsi st ed t hat f or Medi na al so t hr ee days were needed.

Af t er di scussi on wi t h t he Egypt i ans Ami r al - mu' mi ni n agr eed t o i t al so

and t ook al l t he r esponsi bi l i t y ther eof upon hi msel f . Then t hey



di spersed at hi s suggest i on. Some of t hem went t o Egypt wi t h Muhammad

i bn Abi Bakr whi l e some went t o t he val l ey of Dhakhushub and st ayed

t here and t hi s whol e mat t er ended. On t he second day of t hi s event

Marwan i bn al - Hakam sai d t o Ùt hman, " I t i s good, t hese peopl e have

gone, but t o st op peopl e comi ng f r om ot her ci t i es you shoul d i ssue a

st at ement so t hat t hey shoul d not come t hi s way and si t qui et at t hei rpl aces and that st at ement shoul d be t hat some peopl e col l ect ed i n

Medi na on hear i ng some i r r esponsi bl e t al k but when t hey came t o know

t hat whatever t hey hear d was wr ong they were sat i sf i ed and have gone

back. " Ùt hman di d not want t o speak such a cl ear l i e but Marwan

convi nced hi m and he agr eed, and speaki ng i n t he Hol y Pr ophet ' s mosque,

he sai d:

These Egypt i ans had r ecei ved some news about t hei r Cal i ph and when

sat i sf i ed t hat t hey wer e al l basel ess and wr ong t hey went back t o t hei r

ci t i es.

No sooner he sai d thi s t han t here was gr eat hue and cry i n the mosque,

and peopl e began t o shout t o Ùt hman, "Of f er r epent ance, f ear Al l ah;

what i s t hi s l i e you ar e ut t er i ng?" Ùt hman was conf used i n t hi s

commot i on and had t o of f er r epent ance. Consequent l y, he t ur ned t o t he

Ka`bah, moaned i n t he audi ence of Al l ah and r etur ned t o hi s house.

Probabl y af t er t hi s ver y event Ami r al - mu' mi ni n advi sed Ùt hman t hat ,

"You shoul d openl y of f er r epent ance about your past mi sdeeds so t hat

t hese upr i si ngs shoul d subsi de f or good ot her wi se i f t omor r ow peopl e of

some ot her pl ace come you wi l l agai n cl i ng t o my neck t o r i d you oft hem. " Consequent l y, he del i ver ed a speech i n t he Pr ophet ' s mosque

wherei n admi t t i ng hi s mi st akes he of f ered r epent ance and swore to

r emai n car ef ul i n f ut ur e. He t ol d t he peopl e t hat when he al i ght ed f r om

t he pul pi t t hei r r epr esent at i ves shoul d meet hi m, and he woul d r emove

t hei r gr i evances and meet t hei r demands. On t hi s peopl e accl ai med t hi s

act i on of hi s and washed away t hei r i l l - f eel i ngs wi t h t ear s t o a gr eat

ext ent . When he reached hi s house af t er f i ni shi ng f r om her e Marwan

sought per mi ssi on t o say somet hi ng but Ùt hman' s wi f e Na' i l ah bi nt

Far af i sah i nt er vened. Tur ni ng t o Mar wan she sai d, "For Al l ah' s sake you

keep qui et . You woul d say onl y such a thi ng as woul d br i ng but deat h t ohi m. " Mar wan t ook i t i l l and r et or t ed, "You have no r i ght t o i nt er f er e

i n these mat t er s. You ar e t he daught er of t hat ver y per son who di d not

know t i l l hi s deat h how t o per f or m abl ut i on. " Na' i l ah r epl i ed wi t h

f ur y, "You ar e wr ong, and ar e l ayi ng a f al se bl ame. Bef or e ut t er i ng

anyt hi ng about my f ather you shoul d have cast a gl ance on t he f eat ur es

of your f at her . But f or t he consi der at i on of t hat ol d man I woul d have



spoken t hi ngs at whi ch peopl e woul d have shuddered but woul d have

conf i r med every such word. " When Ùt hman saw t he conver sat i on get t i ng

pr ol onged he st opped t hemand asked Marwan t o t el l hi m what he wi shed.

Marwan sai d, "What i s i t you have sai d i n the mosque, and what

r epent ance you have of f ered? I n my vi ew st i cki ng t o t he si n was a

t housand t i mes bet t er t han t hi s r epent ance because however much t hesi ns may mul t i pl y t her e i s al ways scope f or r epent ance, but r epent ance

by f orce i s no repent ance. You have sai d what you have but now see t he

consequences of t hi s open announcement , t hat cr owds of peopl e ar e at

your door . Now go f or war d and f ul f i l t hei r demands. " Ùt hman t hen sai d,

"Wel l , I have sai d what I have sai d, now you deal wi t h t hese peopl e. I t

i s not i n my power t o deal wi t h t hem. " Consequent l y, f i ndi ng out hi s

i mpl i ed consent Marwan came out and addr essi ng t he peopl e spoke out ,

"Why have you assembl ed here? Do you i nt end t o at t ack or t o r ansack?

Remember , you cannot easi l y snat ch away power f r om our hands, t ake out

t he i dea f r omyour hear t s t hat you woul d subdue us. We ar e not t o be

subdued by anyone. Take away your bl ack f aces f r om here. Al l ah may

di sgrace and di shonour you. "

When peopl e not i ced t hi s changed count enance and al t ered pi ct ur e t hey

r ose f r om t her e f ul l of anger and r age and went st r ai ght t o Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n and r el at ed t o hi m t he whol e st or y. On hear i ng i t Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n was i nf ur i ated and i mmedi atel y went t o Ùt hman and sai d t o

hi m, "Good Heavens. How badl y you have behaved wi t h t he Musl i ms. You

have f or saken f ai t h f or t he sake of a f ai t hl ess and char act er l ess man

and have l ost al l wi t . At l east you shoul d have r egar d and

consi der at i on f or your own pr omi se. What i s t hi s t hat at Mar wan' s

betokeni ng you have set of f wi t h f ol ded eyes. Remember he wi l l t hr ow

you i n such a dar k wel l t hat you wi l l never be abl e t o come out of i t .

You have become t he car r i er ani mal of Mar wan so t hat he can r i de on you

howsoever he desi r es and put you on what ever wr ong way he wi shes. I n

f ut ur e I shal l never i nt er vene i n your af f ai r nor t el l peopl e anyt hi ng.

Now you shoul d manage your own af f ai r s. "

Sayi ng al l t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n got back and Na' i l ah got t he chance,

she sai d t o Ùt hman, "Di d I not t el l you t o get r i d of Mar wan ot her wi sehe woul d put such a st ai n on you t hat i t woul d not be removed despi t e

al l ef f or t . Wel l , what i s t he good i n f ol l owi ng t he wor ds of one who i s

wi t hout any respect among t he peopl e and l ow bef ore thei r eyes. Make

Àl i agr ee ot her wi se remember t hat r est or i ng t he di st ur bed st at e of

af f ai r s i s nei t her wi t hi n your power nor i n t hat of Mar wan. " Ùt hman

was i mpr essed by t hi s and sent a man af t er Ami r al - mu' mi ni n but he



r ef used t o meet hi m. Ther e was no si ege around Ùt hman but shame

det er r ed hi m. Wi t h what f ace coul d he come out of t he house? But t here

was no way wi t hout comi ng out . Consequent l y, he came out qui et l y i n t he

gl oom of ni ght and r eachi ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s pl ace, he moaned hi s

hel pl essness and l onel i ness, of f er ed excuses, and al so assur ed hi m of

keepi ng pr omi ses but Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d, "You make a pr omi se i n thePr ophet ' s mosque st andi ng bef or e al l t he peopl e but i t i s f ul f i l l ed i n

t hi s way that when peopl e go t o you they are rebuked and even abuses

ar e hur l ed at t hem. When t hi s i s t he st at e of your under t aki ngs whi ch

t he wor l d has seen, t hen how and on what ground can I t r ust any word of

your s i n f ut ur e. Do not have any expect at i on f r om me now. I am not

pr epar ed t o accept any responsi bi l i t y on your behal f . The t r acks ar e

open bef ore you. Adopt whi chever way you l i ke and t r ead whatever t r ack

you choose. " Af t er t hi s t al k Ùt hman came back and began bl ami ng Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n i n r et or t t o t he ef f ect t hat al l t he di st ur bances wer e

r i si ng at hi s i nst ance and t hat he was not doi ng anythi ng despi t e bei ngabl e t o do ever ythi ng.

On t hi s si de t he r esul t of r epent ance was as i t was. Now l et us see t he

other si de. When af t er cr ossi ng t he border of Hi j az, Muhammad i bn Abi

Bakr r eached t he pl ace Ayl ah on t he coast of t he Red Sea peopl e caught

si ght of a camel r i der who was maki ng hi s camel r un so f ast as t hough

t he enemy was chasi ng hi m. These peopl e had some mi sgi vi ngs about hi m

and theref ore cal l ed hi m and enqui r ed who he was. He sai d he was t he

sl ave of Ùt hman. They enqui r ed wheref ore he was bound. He sai d Egypt .

They enqui r ed t o whom he was goi ng. He r epl i ed t o t he Governor ofEgypt . Peopl e sai d t hat t he Governor of Egypt was wi t h t hem. To whom

was he goi ng t hen? He sai d he was t o go t o I bn Abi Sarh. Peopl e asked

hi m i f any l et t er was wi t h hi m. He deni ed. They asked f or what pur pose

he was goi ng. He sai d he di d not know t hat . One of t hese peopl e thought

t hat hi s cl othes shoul d be sear ched. So t he sear ch was made, but

not hi ng was f ound on hi m. Ki nanah i bn Bi shr at - Tuj i bi sai d, "See hi s

wat er - ski n. " Peopl e sai d, "Leave hi m, how can t her e be a l et t er i n

water! Ki nanah sai d, "You do not know what cunni ng t hese peopl e pl ay. "

Consequent l y, t he water - ski n was opened and seen. There was a l ead pi pe

i n i t wher ei n was a l et t er . When i t was opened and r ead, t he Cal i ph' sor der i n i t was t hat "When Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr and hi s par t y r eaches

you t hen f r om among t hem ki l l so and so, arr est so and so, and put so

and so i n j ai l , but you r emai n on your post . " On r eadi ng t hi s al l wer e

st unned and t hus began t o l ook at one another i n ast oni shment .

A Per si an hemi st i ch says:



Mind was just burst in astonishment as to what wonder it was!

Now pr oceedi ng f orward was r i di ng i nt o t he mout h of deat h, consequent l y

t hey r etur ned t o Medi na t aki ng t he sl ave wi t h t hem. Reachi ng t here t hey

pl aced t hat l et t er bef or e al l t he compani ons of t he Prophet . Whoever

hear d t hi s i nci dent r emai ned st unned wi t h ast oni shment , and t here was

no one who was not abusi ng Ùt hman. Af t er war ds a f ew compani ons went t oÙt hman al ong wi t h t hese peopl e, and asked whose seal was t here on t hi s

l et t er . He r epl i ed t hat i t was hi s own. They enqui r ed whose wr i t i ng i t

was. He sai d i t was hi s secr et ar y' s. They enqui r ed whose sl ave was t hat

man. He r epl i ed t hat i t was hi s. They enqui r ed whose r i di ng beast i t

was. He repl i ed t hat i t was t hat of t he Government . They enqui r ed who

had sent i t . He sai d he had no knowl edge of i t . Peopl e then sai d, "Good

Heavens. Ever ythi ng i s your s but you do not know who had sent i t . I f

you ar e so hel pl ess, you l eave t hi s Cal i phat e and get of f f r om i t so

t hat such a man comes who can admi ni st er t he af f ai r s of t he Musl i ms. "

He r epl i ed, "I t i s not possi bl e t hat I shoul d put of f t he dr ess of

Cal i phat e whi ch Al l ah has put on me. Of cour se, I woul d of f er

r epent ance. " The peopl e sai d, "Why shoul d you speak of r epent ance whi ch

has al r eady been f l out ed on t he day when Marwan was r epr esent i ng you on

your door , and whatever was want i ng has been made up by t hi s l et t er .

Now we are not goi ng t o be duped i nt o t hese bl uf f s. Leave t he Cal i phate

and i f our br et hr en st and i n our way we wi l l hol d t hem up; but i f t hey

pr epar e f or f i ght i ng we t oo wi l l f i ght . Nei t her our hands ar e st i f f nor

our swor ds bl unt . I f you r egar d al l Musl i ms equal l y and uphol d j ust i ce

hand over Marwan t o us t o enabl e us t o enqui r e f r omhi m on whosest r engt h and suppor t he want ed t o pl ay wi t h t he pr eci ous l i ves of

Musl i ms by wr i t i ng t hi s l et t er . " But he r ej ect ed t hi s demand and

r ef used t o hand over Marwan t o t hem, whereupon peopl e sai d t hat t he

l et t er had been wr i t t en at hi s behest .

However , i mpr ovi ng condi t i ons agai n deter i orated and t hey ought t o have

deter i or at ed because despi t e l apse of t he r equi r ed t i me ever y thi ng was

j ust as i t had been and not a j ot of di f f er ence had occur r ed.

Consequent l y, t he peopl e who had st ayed behi nd i n t he val l ey of

Dhakhushub to watch the resul t of r epent ance agai n advanced l i ke af l ood and spread over t he st r eet s of Medi na, and cl osi ng t he bor der s

f r om ever y si de sur r ounded hi s house.

Dur i ng t hese days of si ege a compani on of t he Pr ophet , Ni yar i bn Ì yad

desi r ed t o t al k t o Ùt hman, went t o hi s house and cal l ed hi m. When he

peeped out f r om t he above he sai d, "O' Ùt hman, f or Al l ah' s sake gi ve

up t hi s Cal i phat e and save Musl i ms f r om t hi s bl oodshed. " Whi l e he was



j ust conversi ng, one of Ùt hman' s men ai med at hi m wi t h an ar r ow and

ki l l ed hi m, wher eupon peopl e wer e i nf ur i at ed and shout ed t hat Ni yar ' s

ki l l er shoul d be handed over t o them. Ùt hman sai d i t was not possi bl e

t hat he woul d hand over hi s own suppor t t o them. Thi s st ubbornness

wor ked l i ke a f an on f i r e and i n t he hei ght of f ur y peopl e set f i r e t o

hi s door and began advanci ng f or ent er i ng, when Marwan i bn al - Hakam,Saì d i bn al - Às and Mughi r ah i bn al - Akhnas t oget her wi t h t hei r

cont i ngent s pounced upon t he besi egers and ki l l i ng and bl oodshed

st ar t ed at hi s door . Peopl e want ed t o ent er t he house but t hey wer e

bei ng pushed back. I n t he meanwhi l e, Àmr i bn Hazm al - Ansar i whose

house was adj acent t o t hat of Ùt hman opened hi s door and shout ed f or

advanci ng f r om t hat si de. Thus t hr ough t hi s house t he besi eger s cl i mbed

on t he roof of Ùt hman' s house and descendi ng down f r om t here dr ew

t hei r swor ds. Onl y a f ew scuf f l es had t aken pl ace when al l except

peopl e of Ùt hman' s house, hi s wel l - wi sher s and Banu Umayyah r an away

i n t he st r eet s of Medi na and a f ew hi d themsel ves i n the house of UmmHabi bah bi nt Abi Suf yan ( Muàwi yah' s si st er ) t he rest wer e ki l l ed wi t h

Ùt hman def endi ng hi m t o t he l ast . ( at-Tabaqat, I bn Sa`d, vol . 3, Par t

1, pp. 50- 58; at - Tabar i , vol . 1, pp. 2998- 3025; al-Kamil, I bn al - Athi r ,

vol . 3, pp. 167- 180; I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 2, pp. 144- 161) .

At hi s ki l l i ng sever al poet s wr ot e el egi es. A coupl et f r om t he el egy by

Abu Hur ayr ah i s present ed:

Today people have only one grief but I have two griefs - the loss of my

money bag and the killing of Ùthman.

Af t er obser vi ng t hese event s t he st and of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n becomes

cl ear , namel y t hat he was nei t her suppor t i ng t he gr oup t hat was

i nst i gat i ng at Ùt hman' s ki l l i ng nor can be i ncl uded i n t hose who st ood

f or hi s suppor t and def ence but when he saw t hat what was sai d was not

act ed upon he kept hi msel f al oof .

When bot h t he par t i es are l ooked at t hen among t he peopl e who had

r ai sed t hei r hands of f f r om Ùt hman' s suppor t ar e seen À' i shah, and

accor di ng t o t he popul ar ver si ons ( whi ch i s not r i ght ) t he t hen l i vi ng

persons out of t he t en Pre- i nf ormed ones ( who had been pr e- i nf ormed i nt hi s wor l d by t he Pr ophet f or t hei r bei ng admi t t ed i n Par adi se) , out of

t hose who t ook part i n t he consul t at i ve commi t t ee ( f ormed f or Ùt hman' s

sel ecti on f or Cal i phat e) , ansar , or i gi nal muhajirun, peopl e who t ook

par t i n t he bat t l e of Badr and ot her conspi cuous and di gni f i ed

i ndi vi dual s, whi l e on t he si de ( of Ut hman) ar e seen onl y a f ew sl aves

of t he Cal i ph and a f ew i ndi vi dual s f r om Banu Umayyah. I f peopl e l i ke



Marwan and Saì d i bn al - Às cannot be gi ven pr ecedence over t he

or i gi nal muhajirun t hei r act i ons t oo cannot be gi ven pr ecedence over

t he acti ons of t he l at t er . Agai n, i f ijma` ( consensus of opi ni on) i s

not meant f or par t i cul ar occasi ons onl y then i t woul d be di f f i cul t t o

quest i on t hi s overwhel mi ng unani mi t y of t he compani ons.

*****

Sermon 31

When before the commencement of the Battle of Jamal

When before the commencement of the Battle of Jamal Amir

al-mu'minin sent Àbdullah ibn Àbbas to az-Zubayr ibn al-

Àwwam with the purpose that he should advise him back

to obedience, he said to him on that occasion:

Do not meet Tal hah ( i bn Ùbaydi l l ah) . I f you meet hi m you wi l l f i nd hi m

l i ke an unr ul y bul l whose hor ns are t ur ned t owar ds i t s ear s. He r i des a

f eroci ous r i di ng beast and says i t has been t amed. But you meet az-Zubayr because he i s sof t - t emper ed. Tel l hi m t hat your mat er nal cousi n

says t hat , " ( I t l ooks as i f ) i n t he Hi j az you knew me ( accept ed me) ,

but ( on comi ng here t o) I r aq you do not know me ( do not accept me) . So,

what has di ssuaded ( you) f r omwhat was shown ( by you pr evi ousl y) ?! "

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The l ast sent ence of t hi s ser mon "fama àda

mimma bada" has been hear d onl y f r om Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

*****



Sermon 32

out the disparagement of the world and categories of its people

O' peopl e! we have been borne i n such a wr ongf ul and t hankl ess per i od

wherei n t he vi r t uous i s deemed vi ci ous and t he oppr essor goes on

advanci ng i n hi s excess. We do not make use of what we know and do not

di scover what we do not know. We do not f ear cal ami t y t i l l i t bef al l s.

Peopl e ar e of f our cat egor i es. Among t hem i s one who i s prevent ed f r om

mi schi ef onl y by hi s l ow posi t i on, l ack of means and pauci t y of weal t h.

Then t her e i s he who has drawn hi s swor d, openl y commi t s mi schi ef , has

col l ected hi s hor semen and f oot - men and has devoted hi msel f t o secur i ng

weal t h, l eadi ng t r oops, r i si ng on t he pul pi t and has al l owed hi s f ai t h

t o per i sh. How bad i s t he t r ansact i on t hat you al l ow ( enj oyment of )

t hi s wor l d t o be a pr i ce f or your sel f as an al t er nat i ve f or what t her ei s wi t h Al l ah f or you.

And among t hem i s he who seeks ( benef i t s of ) t hi s wor l d t hr ough act i ons

meant f or t he next wor l d, but does not seek ( good of ) t he next wor l d

t hr ough act i ons of t hi s wor l d. He keeps hi s body cal m ( i n di gni t y) ,

r ai ses smal l st eps, hol ds up hi s cl ot hes, embel l i shes hi s body f or

appear ance of t r ust - wor t hi ness and uses t he posi t i on of Al l ah' s

conni vance as a means of commi t t i ng si ns.

Then t her e i s one whose weakness and l ack of means have hel d hi m back

f r omconquest of l ands. Thi s keeps down hi s posi t i on and he has named

i t cont ent ment and he cl ot hes hi msel f wi t h t he robe of r enunci at i on

al t hough he has never had any connect i on wi t h t hese qual i t i es.

Then t her e r emai n a f ew peopl e i n whose case t he r emembrance of t hei r

r etur n ( t o Al l ah on Doomsday) keeps t hei r eyes bent , and t he f ear of

r esur r ect i on moves t hei r t ear s. Some of t hem ar e scar ed away ( f r om t he

wor l d) and di sper sed; some ar e f r i ght ened and subdued; some ar e qui et

as i f muzzl ed; some ar e pr ayi ng si ncer el y, some ar e gr i ef - st r i cken and

pai n- r i dden whomf ear has conf i ned t o namel essness and di sgrace has

shr ouded t hem, so t hey ar e i n ( t he sea of ) bi t t er wat er , t hei r mout hs

ar e cl osed and t hei r hear t s ar e br ui sed. They pr eached t i l l t hey wer e

t i r ed, t hey wer e oppr essed t i l l t hey wer e di sgraced and t hey wer e

ki l l ed t i l l t hey r emai ned f ew i n number .

The wor l d i n your eyes shoul d be smal l er t han t he bar k of acaci a and

t he cl i ppi ngs of wool . Seek i nst r uct i on f r om t hose who pr eceded you



bef or e t hose who f ol l ow you t ake i nst r uct i on f r om you, and keep al oof

f r om i t r eal i si ng i t s evi l because i t cut s of f even f r om t hose who wer e

more at t ached t o i t t han you.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Some i gnor ant per sons at t r i but ed t hi s ser mon t o

Muàwi yah but i t i s t he speech of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n. There shoul d be no

doubt about i t . What compar i son i s t here between gol d and cl ay or sweetand bi t t er wat er . Thi s has been poi nt ed out by the ski l f ul gui de and

t he exper t cr i t i c Àmr i bn Bahr al - J ahi z as he has ment i oned t hi s

ser mon i n hi s book, al-Bayan wa't-tabyin ( vol . 2, pp. 59- 61) . He has

al so ment i oned who at t r i but ed i t t o Muàwi yah and t hen st at es t hat i t

i s most aki n t o be the speech of Àl i and most i n accor d wi t h hi s way

of cat egor i si ng peopl e and i nf or mat i on about t hei r oppr essi on,

di sgrace, appr ehensi on and f ear . ( On t he ot her hand) we never f ound

Muàwi yah speaki ng on t he l i ves of r enunci at es or wor shi pper s .

*****

Sermon 33

Àbdullah ibn Àbbas says that when Amir al-mu'minin set out ...

Àbdullah ibn Àbbas says that when Amir al-mu'minin set out

for war with the people of Basrah he came to his audience at

Dhiqar and saw that he was stitching his shoe. Then Amir al-

mu'minin said to me, "What is the price of this shoe?" I said:

"It has no value now." He then said, "By Allah, it should have

been more dear to me than ruling over you but for the fact that

I may establish right and ward off wrong." Then he came out

and spoke:

Ver i l y, Al l ah sent Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) when none among t he Ar abs

r ead a book or cl ai med pr ophethood. He gui ded t he peopl e t i l l he t ook

t hem t o t hei r ( cor r ect ) posi t i on and t hei r sal vat i on. So t hei r spear s

( i . e. of f i cer s) became st r ai ght and t hei r condi t i ons set t l ed down.



By Al l ah, sur el y I was i n t hei r l ead t i l l i t t ook shape wi t h i t s wal l s.

I di d not show weakness or cowar di ce. My exi st i ng mar ch i s al so l i ke

t hat . I shal l cer t ai nl y pi er ce t he wr ong t i l l r i ght comes out of i t s

s i de.

What ( cause of conf l i ct ) i s t her e bet ween me and the Qur aysh? By Al l ah,

I have f ought t hem when t hey wer e unbel i ever s and I shal l f i ght t hemwhen t hey have been mi sl ed. I shal l be t he same f or t hemt oday as I was

f or t hem yest er day.

By Al l ah, t he Qur aysh onl y take r evenge agai nst us because Al l ah has

gi ven us ( i . e. t he Hol y Prophet and hi s pr ogeny) pr ef er ence over t hem.

So, we have al l owed t hem i nto our domai n, wher eupon they have become as

t he f or mer poet says:

By my life, you continued drinking fresh milk every morning,

And (continued) eating fine stoned dates with butter;

We have given you the nobility which you did not possess before;

And surrounded (protected) you with thoroughbred horses and tawny-

coloured spears (strong spears) [ 1] .


[ 1] . I n f act , t he ai m of t he poet her e i s t o say t hat t he condi t i on of

t he addr essee' s l i f e, f r om t he mor al and mat er i al poi nt of vi ew, had

been wor se i n t he past , and t hat t he poet and hi s t r i be have gi ven hi mt he best means of l eadi ng t hei r l i ves. But as t he r esul t of t hi s

i mpr oved condi t i on t he addr essee has compl et el y l ost hi msel f and

f or got t en hi s past condi t i on and t hi nks t hat he had had t hi s ki nd of

l i f e previ ous l y.

Now, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n want s t o convey t he same i dea here to the Quraysh

as Fat i mah ( p. b. u. h. ) t he hol y daught er of t he Hol y Pr ophet sai d i n her

speech on Fadak:

( O' Peopl e) . . . You were on the brink of the pit of Hell Fire ( Qur ' an,3: 103) . You were as wor t hl ess as t he mout hf ul of water . You were

mi nor i t y l i ke t he handf ul gr eedy and a spar k of t he hast y. You wer e as

down- t r odden as t he dust under f eet . You dr ank di r t y wat er . You at e

unt anned ski n. You wer e abased and condemned. But Al l ah has r escued you

t hr ough my f at her Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) . . .

*****







Sermon 34

To prepare the people for fighting with the people of Syria ...

To prepare the people for fighting with the people of Syria

(ash-Sham)[ 1] Amir al-mu'minin said:

Woe t o you. I am t i r ed of r ebuki ng you. Do you accept t hi s wor l dl y l i f e

i n pl ace of t he next l i f e? Or di sgr ace i n pl ace of di gni t y? When I

i nvi t e you to f i ght your enemy your eyes r evol ve as t hough you ar e i n

t he cl ut ches of deat h, and i n t he sensel essness of l ast moment s. My

pl eadi ngs ar e not underst ood by you and you r emai n st unned. I t i s as

t hough your hear t s are af f ected wi t h madness so t hat you do not

underst and. You have l ost my conf i dence f or good. Nei t her are you asupport f or me to l ean upon, nor a means t o honour and vi ct ory. Your

exampl e i s t hat of t he camel s whose pr ot ect or has di sappear ed, so t hat

i f t hey ar e col l ect ed f r om one si de t hey di sper se away f r om t he ot her

s i de.

By Al l ah, how bad ar e you f or i gni t i ng f l ames of war . You ar e i nt r i gued

agai nst but do not i nt r i gue ( agai nst t he enemy) . Your boundar i es are

decreasi ng but you do not get enr aged over i t . Those agai nst you do not

sl eep but you ar e unmi ndf ul . By Al l ah, t hose who l eave mat t er s one f or

t he ot her ar e subdued. By Al l ah, I bel i eved about you t hat i f bat t l er ages and deat h hovers ar ound you, you wi l l cut away f r omt he son of

Abi Tal i b l i ke t he sever i ng of head f r om t he t r unk. [ 2]

By Al l ah, he who makes i t possi bl e f or hi s adver sary t o so over power

hi m as t o r emove t he f l esh ( f r om hi s bones) , cr ush hi s bones and cut

hi s ski n i nt o pi eces, t hen i t means t hat hi s hel pl essness i s gr eat and

hi s hear t surr ounded wi t hi n t he si des of hi s chest i s weak. You may

become l i ke t hi s i f you wi sh. But f or me, bef or e I al l ow i t I shal l use

my sharp edged swords of al - Mushr af i yyah whi ch woul d cut as under t he

bones of t he head and f l y away ar ms and f eet . Ther eaf t er , Al l ah wi l l dowhat ever He wi l l s.

O' peopl e, I have a r i ght over you and you have a r i ght over me. As f or

your r i ght over me, t hat i s t o counsel you, t o pay you your dues f ul l y,

t o t each you t hat you may not r emai n i gnorant and i nst r uct you i n

behavi our i sm t hat you may act upon. As f or my r i ght over you, i t i s







f ul f i l ment of ( t he obl i gat i on of ) al l egi ance, wel l - wi shi ng i n pr esence

or i n absence, r esponse when I cal l you and obedi ence when I order you.


[ 1] . The word "ash- Sham" was a name used f or a vast geogr aphi cal area

occupi ed by Musl i m count r i es i n t hose days. Thi s ar ea i ncl uded pr esent -day Syr i a, Lebanon and Pal est i ne. I t s capi t al was Damascus. Wher ever

t he wor d Syr i a i s ment i oned ( i n t hi s book) i t shoul d be under st ood i n

i t s l ar ger meani ng.

[ 2] . Thi s sent ence i s empl oyed f or such sever ance af t er whi ch t her e i s

no occasi on or possi bi l i t y of j oi ni ng. The aut hor of Durrah Najafiyyah

has quot ed sever al vi ews i n i t s expl anat i on:

i ) I bn Dur ayd' s vi ew i s t hat i t means t hat . " J ust as when t he head i s

sever ed i t s j oi ni ng agai n i s i mpossi bl e, i n t he same way you wi l l not

j oi n me af t er once deser t i ng me. "

i i ) al - Muf addal says ar-ra's ( head) was t he name of a man, and a

vi l l age of Syr i a, Bayt ar - r a' s i s named af t er hi m. Thi s man l ef t hi s

home and went away somewher e and never agai n ret urned t o hi s vi l l age

af t er whi ch t he pr overb spr ang up "you went as ar-ra's had gone. "

i i i ) One meani ng of i t i s t hat "J ust as i f t he j oi nt s of t he bones of

t he head are opened t hey cannot be rest ored, i n t he same way you wi l l

not j oi n me af t er cut t i ng f r om me.

i v) I t has al so been sai d t hat t hi s sent ence i s i n t he sense of

separ at i ng compl et el y. Af t er copyi ng t hi s meani ng f r om t he Sharh of

ash- Shaykh Qut bu' d- Di n ar - Rawandi , t he comment ator I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has

wr i t t en that t hi s meani ng i s not cor r ect because when the wor d "ar-

ra's" i s used i n t he sense of whol e i t i s not pr eceded by "alif" and

"lam"

v) I t i s al so t aken t o mean t hat "You wi l l so run away f r om me as one

( f l eei ng f or l i f e) t o save hi s head. " Besi des t hi s, one or t wo ot her

meani ngs have al so been st ated but bei ng r emote t hey are di sr egarded.

Fi r st of al l i t was used by the phi l osopher of Ar abi a Akt ham i bn Sayf i

whi l e t eachi ng uni t y and concor d t o hi s chi l dr en. He says:

O' my chi l dr en do not cut away ( f r om each ot her ) at t he t i me of

cal ami t i es l i ke t he cut t i ng of head, because af t er t hat you wi l l never

get t oget her .







*****

Sermon 35

Amir al-mu'minin said after Arbitration

Amir al-mu'minin said after Arbitration. [ 1]

Al l pr ai se i s due t o Al l ah even t hough t i me has br ought ( f or us)

cr ushi ng cal ami t y and gr eat occur r ence. And I st and wi t ness t hat t her e

i s no god but Al l ah t he One, t her e i s no par t ner f or Hi m nor i s t her e

wi t h Hi m any god other t han Hi msel f , and t hat Muhammad i s Hi s sl ave and

Hi s Pr ophet ( May Al l ah' s bl essi ng and gr eet i ng be upon hi m and hi spr ogeny) .

So now, cer t ai nl y t he di sobedi ence of sympat het i c counsel l or who has

knowl edge as wel l as exper i ence br i ngs about di sappoi nt ment and r esul t

i n r epent ance. I had gi ven you my or der s about t hi s arbi t r at i on and put

bef or e you my hi dden vi ew, i f Qasi r ' s [ 2] or der s wer e f ul f i l l ed but you

r ej ect ed i t ( my or der s) l i ke r ough opponent s and di sobedi ent i nsur gent s

t i l l t he counsel l or hi msel f f el l i n doubt about hi s counsel and t he

f l i nt ( of hi s wi t ) ceased t o gi ve f l ame. Consequent l y, mi ne and your

posi t i on became as t he poet of Hawazi n says:

I gave you my orders at Munàraji'l-liwa but you did not see the good

of my counsel till the noon of next day (when it was too late) . [ 3]


[ 1] . When t he Syr i ans' spi r i t was broken by t he bl oody swor ds of t he

I r aqi s, and t he i ncessant at t acks of t he ni ght of al - Har i r l ower ed

t hei r mor al e and ended thei r aspi r at i ons ` Amr i bn al - Às suggest ed t o

Muàwi yah t he t r i ck t hat t he Qur ' an shoul d be r ai sed on spears and

shout s ur ged f or t h t o t r eat i t as t he ar bi t r at or . I t s ef f ect woul d bet hat some peopl e woul d t r y t o st op t he war and others woul d l i ke t o

cont i nue i t . We woul d t hus di vi de them and be abl e to get t he war

post poned f or anot her occasi on. Consequent l y, copi es of t he Qur ' an wer e

r ai sed on spear s. The r esul t was t hat some br ai nl ess per sons r ai sed hue

and cr y and cr eat ed di vi si on and di st ur bance i n t he army and t he

ef f or t s of si mpl e Musl i ms t ur ned sl ow af t er havi ng been near vi ct or y.











Wi t hout underst andi ng anyt hi ng t hey began t o shout t hat t hey shoul d

pr ef er t he ver di ct of t he Qur ' an over war .

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw t he Qur ' an bei ng the i nst r ument of t hei r

act i vi t i es , he sai d:

"O' peopl e do not f al l i n t hi s t r ap of decei t and t r i cker y. They ar eput t i ng up t hi s devi ce onl y t o escape t he i gnomi ny of def eat . I know

t he char act er of each one of t hem. They ar e nei t her adher ent s of t he

Qur ' an nor have t hey any connect i on wi t h t he f ai t h or r el i gi on. The

ver y pur pose of our f i ght i ng has been t hat t hey shoul d f ol l ow t he

Qur ' an and act on i t s i nj unct i ons. For Al l ah' s sake do not f al l i n

t hei r decei t f ul devi ce. Go ahead wi t h det ermi nat i on and cour age and

st op onl y af t er vanqui shi ng t he dyi ng f oe. " Never t hel ess, t he decei t f ul

i nst r ument of wr ong had worked. The peopl e t ook t o di sobedi ence and

r ebel l i on. Mi sàr i bn Fadaki at - Tami mi and Zayd i bn Husayn at - Ta' i each

wi t h t went y t housand men came f orward and sai d t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, ' O'Àl i , i f you do not r espond t o t he cal l of t he Qur ' an we wi l l deal wi t h

you i n the same manner as we di d wi t h Ùt hman. You end the bat t l e at

once and bow bef or e t he ver di ct of t he Qur ' an. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t r i ed

hi s best t o make t hem underst and but Satan was st andi ng bef ore t hem i n

t he gar b of t he Qur ' an. He di d not al l ow t hem t o do so, and t hey

compel l ed Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t hat he shoul d send someone to cal l Mal i k

i bn al - Har i t h al - Asht ar f r om t he bat t l ef i el d. Bei ng obl i ged, Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n sent Yazi d i bn Hani t o cal l Mal i k back. When Mal i k hear d t hi s

or der he was bewi l der ed and sai d, "Pl ease t el l hi m t hi s i s not t he

occasi on t o l eave t he posi t i on. He may wai t a bi t t hen I wi l l come t o

hi s audi ence wi t h t he t i di ngs of vi ct or y. " Hani conveyed t hi s message

on r etur n but peopl e shout ed t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n must have sent word

t o hi m secr et l y t o cont i nue. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d he never got any

occasi on t o send any secr et message t o hi m. Whatever he sai d was sai d

bef or e t hem. Peopl e sai d he shoul d be sent agai n and t hat i f Mal i k

del ayed hi s r et ur n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n shoul d f or sake hi s l i f e. Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n agai n sent Yazi d i bn Hani and sent wor d t hat r ebel l i on had

occur r ed, he shoul d r etur n i n whatever condi t i on he was. So Hani went

and t ol d Mal i k "You hol d vi ct or y dear or t he l i f e of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.I f hi s l i f e i s dear you shoul d r ai se hands of f t he bat t l e and go t o

hi m. " Leavi ng t he chances of vi ct ory Mal i k st ood up and came to the

audi ence of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n wi t h gr i ef and di sappoi nt ment . Chaos r aged

t her e. He rebuked t he peopl e ver y much but mat t er s had t aken such a

t ur n t hat coul d not be cor r ect ed.



I t was t hen set t l ed t hat ei t her par t y shoul d nomi nat e an ar bi t r at or so

t hat t hey shoul d set t l e t he ( mat t er of ) Cal i phat e accor di ng t o t he

Qur ' an. Fr omMuàwi yah' s s i de Àmr i bn al - Às was deci ded upon and f r om

Ami r al mu' mi ni n' s si de peopl e pr oposed t he name of Abu Musa al -

Ashàr i . Seei ng t hi s wr ong sel ect i on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d, "Si nce you

have not accept ed my or der about arbi t r at i on at l east now agr ee t hat donot make Abu Musa t he ar bi t r at or . He i s not a man of t r ust . Here i s

Àbdul l ah i bn Àbbas and her e i s Mal i k al - Asht ar . Sel ect one of t hem. "

But t hey di d not at al l l i st en t o hi m and st uck t o hi s name. Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n sai d, "Al l r i ght , do what ever you want . The day i s not f ar

when you wi l l cut your own hands t hr ough your mi sdeeds. "

Af t er t he nomi nat i on of arbi t r ators when t he deed of agr eement was

bei ng wr i t t en, t hen wi t h Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b ( p. b. u. h. ) t he wor d Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n was al so wr i t t en. Àmr i bn al - Às sai d, "Thi s shoul d be

r ubbed of f . I f we r egar ded hi m Ami r al - mu' mi ni n why shoul d t hi s bat t l e

have been f ought ?" At f i r st Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r ef used t o r ub i t of f but

when t hey di d not i n any way agr ee, he rubbed i t of f and sai d, "Thi s

i nci dent i s j ust si mi l ar t o the one at al - Hudaybi yah when t he

unbel i ever s st uck on t he poi nt t hat t he wor ds ' Pr ophet of Al l ah' wi t h

t he name of t he Pr ophet shoul d be r emoved and t he Pr ophet di d r emove

i t . " On t hi s Àmr i bn al - Às got angr y and sai d, "Do you t r eat us as

unbel i evers?" Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d, "On what day have you had anyt hi ng

t o do wi t h bel i evers and when have you been thei r support ers?" However ,

af t er t hi s set t l ement , t he peopl e di sper sed, and af t er mut ual

consul t at i on t hese t wo ar bi t r at or s deci ded t hat by r emovi ng bot h Àl iand Muàwi yah f r omt he Cal i phate t he peopl e shoul d be accorded t he

power t o choose whomever t hey desi r ed. When t i me came t o i t s

announcement t here was a meet i ng at Dumatu' l - J andal , a pl ace between

I r aq and Syr i a, and t hen t wo ar bi t r at or s al so reached t her e t o announce

t he j udgement on t he f at e of t he Musl i ms. Act i ng cunni ngl y Àmr i bn al -

Às sai d t o Abu Musa, " I r egar d i t i l l manner t o pr ecede you. You ar e

ol der i n year s and age so f i r st you make t he announcement . " Abu Musa

succumbed t o hi s f l at t ery and came out pr oudl y and st ood bef ore t he

gat her i ng. Addr essi ng t hem he sai d, "O' Musl i ms we have j oi nt l y set t l ed

t hat Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b and Muàwi yah shoul d be r emoved and t he r i ghtt o choose a Cal i ph be accorded t o t he Musl i ms. They shoul d choose

whomever t hey l i ke. " Sayi ng t hi s he sat down. Now t he tur n was f or Àmr

i bn al - Às and he sai d, "O' Musl i ms you have hear d t hat Abu Musa

r emoved Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b. I al so agr ee wi t h i t . As f or Muàwi yah,

t her e i s no quest i on of r emovi ng hi m. Ther ef or e I pl ace hi m i n hi s

posi t i on. " No sooner t hat he sai d t hi s t her e wer e cr i es al l r ound. Abu



Musa cr i ed hoar se t hat i t was a t r i ck, a decei t and t ol d Àmr i bn al -

Às t hat , "You have pl ayed a t r i ck, and your exampl e i s t hat of a dog

on whi ch i f you l oad somethi ng he woul d gasp, or l eave hi m he woul d

gasp. " Àmr i bn al - Às sai d, "Your exampl e i s l i ke t he ass on whom

books ar e l oaded. " However Àmr i bn al - Às' s t r i ck was ef f ect i ve and

Muàwi yah' s shaki ng f eet wer e agai n st abi l i sed. Thi s was t he shor tsket ch of t he Ar bi t r at i on whose basi s was l ai d i n t he Qur ' an and

sunnah. But was i t a ver di ct of t he Qur ' an or t he r esul t of t hose

decei t f ul cont r i vances whi ch peopl e of t hi s wor l d empl oy t o ret ai n

t hei r aut hor i t y? Coul d t hese pages of hi st or y be made a t or ch- gui de f or

t he f ut ur e and t he Qur ' an and sunnah be not used as a means of secur i ng

aut hor i t y or as an i nst r ument of wor l dl y benef i t s.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n got t he news of t hi s l ament abl e resul t of

ar bi t r at i on, he cl i mbed on t he pul pi t and del i ver ed t hi s sermon ever y

word of whi ch savour s of hi s gr i ef and sor r ow and at t he same t i me i t

t hr ows l i ght on soundness of hi s t hi nki ng, cor r ect ness of hi s opi ni on

and f or esi ght ed sagaci t y.

[ 2] . Thi s i s a pr over b whi ch i s used on an occasi on wher e the advi ce of

a counsel l or i s r ej ect ed and af t er war ds i t i s r epent ed. The f act of i t

was t hat t he r ul er of al - Hi r ah namel y J adhi mah al - Abr ash ki l l ed t he

r ul er of al - J azi r ah named Àmr i bn Zar i b wher eaf t er hi s daught er az-

Zabba' was made t he r ul er of al - J azi r ah. Soon af t er accessi on t o t he

t hr one she t hought out t hi s pl an t o avenge her f at her ' s bl ood, t hat she

sent a message t o J adhi mah t hat she coul d not al one car r y on the

af f ai r s of t he st at e and t hat i f he coul d become her pat r on by

accept i ng her as hi s wi f e she woul d be gr atef ul . J adhi mah was more than

puf f ed up at t hi s pr oposal , and pr epar ed hi msel f t o set of f f or al -

J azi r ah wi t h a t housand hor semen. Hi s sl ave Qasi r advi sed hi m much t hat

t hi s was j ust a decei t and t r i ck and t hat he shoul d not pl ace hi msel f

i n t hi s danger ; but hi s wi t had been so bl i nded t hat he coul d not t hi nk

over why az- Zabba' shoul d sel ect t he Mur derer of her f at her f or her

l i f e compani onshi p. Anyhow, he set of f and when he r eached t he border

of al - J azi r ah al t hough az- Zabba' s ar my was pr esent f or hi s r ecept i on

but she nei t her gave any speci al r ecept i on nor of f er ed any war mwel come. Seei ng thi s st at e Qasi r was agai n suspi ci ous and he advi sed

J adhi mah t o get back, but near ness t o t he goal had f ur t her f anned hi s

passi on. He pai d no heed and st eppi ng f ur t her ent er ed t he ci t y. Soon on

ar r i val t her e he was ki l l ed. When Qasi r saw t hi s he sai d, "Had t he

advi ce of Qasi r been f ol l owed. " From t hat t i me thi s pr over b gai ned

cur r ency.





[ 3] . The poet of Hawazi n i mpl i es Dur ayd i bn as- Si mmah. He wr ote t hi s

coupl et af t er t he deat h of hi s br ot her Àbdul l ah i bn as- Si mmah. I t s

f act s are that Àbdul l ah al ong wi t h hi s br ot her l ed an at t ack of t wo

gr oups of Banu J usham and Bani Nasr who were both f r om Hawazi n, and

drove away many camel s. On r et urn when t hey i ntended t o rest at

Munàr aj i ' l - l i wa, Dur ayd sai d i t was not advi sabl e t o st ay t her e l estt he enemy at t acks f r om behi nd, but Àbdul l ah di d not agr ee and st ayed

t her e. The r esul t was t hat as soon as dawn appear ed t he enemy at t acked

and ki l l ed Àbdul l ah on t he spot . Dur ayd al so recei ved wounds but he

sl i pped away al i ve, and af t er t hi s he wr ot e a f ew coupl et s out of whi ch

one coupl et i s t hi s wher ei n he has r ef er r ed t o the dest r uct i on

r esul t i ng f r om hi s advi ce havi ng been r ej ect ed.

Sermon 36

Warning the people of Nahrawan of their fate

Warning the people of Nahrawan [ 1] of their fate

I am war ni ng you t hat you wi l l be ki l l ed on t he bend of t hi s canal and

on t he l evel of t hi s l ow ar ea whi l e you wi l l have no cl ear excusebef ore Al l ah nor any open aut hor i t y wi t h you. You have come out of your

houses and t hen di vi ne decree ent angl ed you. I had advi sed you agai nst

t hi s arbi t r at i on but you r ej ect ed my advi ce l i ke adver sar i es and

opponent s t i l l I t ur ned my i deas i n t he di r ect i on of your wi shes. You

are a gr oup whose heads ar e devoi d of wi t and i nt el l i gence. May you

have no f at her ! ( Al l ah' s woe be t o you! ) I have not put you i n any

cal ami t y nor wi shed you harm.


[ 1] . The cause of t he bat t l e of Nahr awan was t hat when af t er Ar bi t r at i on

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was r etur ni ng to Kuf ah, t he peopl e who were f oremost

i n pl eadi ng accept ance of Ar bi t r at i on began t o say t hat appoi nt ment of

anyone ot her t han Al l ah as ar bi t r at or i s her esy, and t hat , Al l ah

f or bi d, by accept i ng t he Ar bi t r at i on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t ur ned her et i c.

Consequent l y, by di st ort i ng t he meani ng of "Ther e i s no aut hor i t y same

wi t h Al l ah" t hey made si mpl e Musl i ms share t hei r vi ews and separat i ng









f r omAmi r al - mu' mi ni n encamped at Hani r a' near Kuf ah. When Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n l ear ned of t hese pl ot t i ngs he sent Sa`saàh i bn Suhan al - Àbdi

and Zi yad i bn an- Nadr al - Har i t hi i n t he company of I bn Àbbas t owards

t hem and af t er war ds hi msel f went t o t he pl ace of t hei r st ay and

di sper sed them af t er di scussi on.

When these peopl e r eached Kuf ah t hey began t o spr ead the news t hat Ami ral - mu' mi ni n had br oken t he agr eement of Ar bi t r at i on and t hat he i s

agai n r eady to f i ght agai nst t he Syr i ans. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n l ear ned

t hi s he cont r adi ct ed i t wher eupon t hese peopl e st ood up i n r ebel l i on

and encamped t wel ve mi l es f r om Baghdad i n t he l ow area of t he canal

cal l ed Nahr awan.

On t he ot her si de, af t er hear i ng t he ver di ct of Ar bi t r at i on Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n r ose f or f i ght i ng t he ar my of Syr i a and wr ot e t o t he

Khar i j i t es t hat t he ver di ct passed by t he t wo ar bi t r at or s i n pur suance

of t hei r hear t ' s wi shes i nst ead of t he Qur ' an and sunnah was notaccept abl e to hi m, t hat he had t her ef or e deci ded t o f i ght wi t h t hem and

t hey shoul d suppor t hi m f or cr ushi ng t he enemy. But t he Khar i j i t es gave

hi m t hi s r epl y, "When you had agr eed t o Ar bi t r at i on i n our vi ew you had

t ur ned heret i c. Now i f you admi t your heresy and of f er r epent ance we

wi l l t hi nk over t hi s mat t er and deci de what we shoul d do. " Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n under st ood f r om t hei r r epl y t hat t hei r di sobedi ence and

mi sgui dance had become very ser i ous. To ent ert ai n any ki nd of hope f r om

t hem now was f ut i l e. Consequent l y, i gnor i ng t hem he encamped i n t he

val l ey of an- Nukhayl ah wi t h a vi ew t o marchi ng t owards Syr i a. When t he

ar my had been ar r ayed he came t o know t hat t he men desi r ed t o deal wi t h

t he peopl e of Nahr awan f i r st , and t o move t owar ds Syr i a af t er war ds.

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, however , sai d t hat t hey shoul d be l ef t as t hey wer e,

t hat t hey themsel ves shoul d f i r st move t owar ds Syr i a whi l e t he peopl e

of Nahr awan coul d be deal t wi t h af t er war ds. Peopl e sai d t hat t hey wer e

pr epar ed t o obey ever y or der of hi s wi t h al l t hei r mi ght whet her he

moved t hi s way or t hat way. The army had not moved when news about t he

r ebel l i on of Khar i j i t es began t o r each, and i t was l ear nt t hat t hey had

butcher ed t he governor of Nahr awan namel y Àbdul l ah i bn Khabbab i bn al -

Ar at t and hi s s l ave mai d wi t h t he chi l d i n her womb, and have ki l l edt hree women of Banu Tayyi and Umm Si nan as- Saydawi yyah. Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n sent al - Har i t h i bn Mur r ah al - Àbdi f or i nvest i gat i on but he

t oo was ki l l ed by them. When t hei r r ebel l i on r eached t hi s st age i t was

necessary t o deal wi t h t hem. Consequent l y, t he ar my t ur ned t owards

Nahr awan. On r eachi ng there Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent t hemword t hat t hose

who had ki l l ed Àbdul l ah i bn Khabbab i bn al - Ar at t and i nnocent women



shoul d be handed over t o hi m f or avengi ng bl ood. Those peopl e repl i ed

t hat t hey had ki l l ed t hese per sons j oi nt l y and t hat t hey consi der ed i t

l awf ul t o shed t he bl ood of al l t he peopl e on hi s si de. Even at t hi s

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n di d not t ake t he i ni t i at i ve f or t he bat t l e, but sent

Abu Ayyub al - Ansar i wi t h a message of peace. So he spoke t o t hemal oud,

"Whoever comes under t hi s banner or separates f r omt hat part y and goest o Kuf ah or al - Mada' i n woul d get amnest y and he woul d not be

quest i oned. As a resul t of t hi s Far wah i bn Nawf al al - Ashj a' i sai d t hat

he di d not know why t hey were at war wi t h Ami r al - mu' mi ni n. Sayi ng thi s

he separ at ed al ong wi t h f i ve hundr ed men. Si mi l ar l y gr oup af t er gr oup

began t o separ ate and some of t hem j oi ned Ami r al - mu' mi ni n. Those who

r emai ned numbered f our t housand, and accor di ng t o at - Tabar i ' s account

t hey number ed t wo t housand ei ght hundr ed. These peopl e were not i n any

way pr epar ed t o l i st en t o t he voi ce of t r ut h, and wer e r eady t o ki l l or

be ki l l ed. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had st opped hi s men t o take t he i ni t i at i ve

but t he Khar i j i t es put ar r ows i n thei r bows and br oke and thr ew awayt he sheat hes of t hei r swor ds. Even at t hi s j unct ur e Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

warned t hemof t he di r e consequences of war and t hi s sermon i s about

t hat warni ng and admoni t i on. But t hey were so br i mmi ng wi t h ent husi asm

t hat t hey l eapt on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s f or ce al l of a sudden. Thi s

onsl aught was so severe t hat t he f oot men l ost gr ound but t hey soon

f i xed t hemsel ves f i r ml y t hat t he at t ack of ar r ows and spear s coul d not

di sl odge t hem f r om t hei r posi t i on and t hey soon so cl ear ed away t he

Khar i j i t es t hat except f or ni ne per sons who f l ed away t o save t hei r

l i ves not a si ngl e per son was l ef t al i ve. From Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ar my

onl y ei ght per sons f el l as mar t yr s. The bat t l e took pl ace on t he 9t hSaf ar , 38 A. H.

*****

Sermon 37

Amir al-mu'minin's utterance which runs like a Sermon



About his own steadfastness in religion and precedence in(acceptance

of) belief.

I di schar ged dut i es when ot her s l ost cour age ( t o do so) , and I came

f orward when others hi d t hemsel ves. I spoke when others r emai ned mum. I

st r oke wi t h Di vi ne l i ght when ot her s r emai ned st andi ng. I was t he

qui et est of t hem i n voi ce but t he hi ghest i n goi ng f or war d. I cl eavedt o i t s r ei n and appl i ed mysel f sol el y to i t s pl edge, l i ke t he mount ai n

whi ch nei t her sweepi ng wi nd coul d move nor st orm coul d shake. No one

coul d f i nd f aul t wi t h me nor coul d any speaker speak i l l of me.

The l ow i s i n my vi ew wor t hy of honour t i l l I secur e ( hi s) r i ght f or

hi m whi l e t he st r ong i s i n my vi ew weak t i l l I t ake ( ot her ' s) r i ght

f r omhi m. We ar e happy wi t h t he dest i ny or dai ned by Al l ah and have

submi t t ed t o t he command of Al l ah. Do you t hi nk I woul d speak l i e about

t he Pr ophet of Al l ah? By Al l ah, I am sur el y t he f i r st t o t est i f y hi m,

so I wi l l not be t he f i r st t o f al si f y hi m. I l ooked at my af f ai r s andf ound that my obedi ence shoul d have pr ecedence over my al l egi ance whi l e

my pl edge wi t h hi m i s a bur den on my neck.

Sermon 38

About naming of doubt as such and disparagement of those in doubt

Doubt i s named doubt because i t r esembl es t r ut h. As f or l over s of

Al l ah, t hei r convi ct i on ser ves t hem as l i ght and t he di r ect i on of t he

r i ght pat h ( i t sel f ) ser ves as t hei r gui de; whi l e t he enemi es of Al l ah,

i n t i me of doubt cal l t o mi sgui dance i n t he dar kness of doubt and t hei r

gui de i s bl i ndness ( of i nt el l i gence) . One who f ear s deat h cannot escape

i t nor can one who f ear s f or et er nal l i f e secur e i t .

*****

Sermon 39

In disparagement of those who shrink from fighting



I am f aced wi t h men who do not obey when I order and do not r espond

when I cal l t hem. May you have no f ather ! ( Woe t o you! ) What are you

wai t i ng f or t o r i se f or t he cause of Al l ah? Does not f ai t h j oi n you

t ogether , or sense of shame rouse you? I st and among you shout i ng and I

am cal l i ng you f or hel p, but you do not l i st en t o my wor d, and do notobey my or ders, t i l l ci r cumst ances show out t hei r bad consequences. No

bl ood can be avenged t hrough you and no pur pose can be achi eved wi t h

you. I cal l ed you f or hel p of your br et hr en but made noi ses l i ke t he

camel havi ng pai n i n st omach, and became l oose l i ke t he camel of t hi n

back. Then a waver i ng weak cont i ngent came t o me f r om amongst you: "as

if they are being led to death and they are only watching . " [ 1]

( Qur ' an, 8: 6)

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor d "mutadha'ib" means

"mudtarib" ( i . e. moved or t r oubl ed) , as t hey say "tadha'abat ar-rih"( i . e. t he wi nds bl ow i n t r oubl ed manner ) . Si mi l ar l y t he wol f i s cal l ed

"dhi'b" because of i t s t r oubl ed movement .


[ 1] . Muàwi yah sent a cont i ngent of t wo t housand sol di ers under an-

Nu`man i bn Bashi r t o assaul t Àynu' t - Tamr . Thi s pl ace was a def ence

base of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n near Kuf ah whose i nchar ge was Mal i k i bn Ka`b

al - Ar habi . Al t hough t here were a t housand combatant s under hi m, but at

t he moment onl y hundr ed men were pr esent t her e. When Mal i k not i ced t heof f ensi ve f or ce advanci ng he wr ot e to Ami r al - mu' mi ni n f or hel p. When

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r ecei ved t he message he asked t he peopl e f or hi s hel p

but onl y t hr ee hundr ed men got r eady as a r esul t of whi ch Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n was much di sgust ed and del i ver ed t hi s sermon i n t hei r

admoni t i on. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r eached hi s house af t er del i ver i ng

t he sermon Àdi i bn Hat i m at - Ta' i came and sai d, "O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n a

t housand men of Banu Tayyi ' are under me. I f you say I shal l send t hem

of f . " Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d, " I t does not l ook ni ce t hat peopl e of one

t r i be onl y shoul d meet t he enemy. You pr epar e your f or ce i n t he Val l ey

of an- Nukhayl ah. " Accordi ngl y he went t her e and cal l ed peopl e t o jihad ,when besi des Banu Tayyi ' one t housand other combatant s al so assembl ed.

They wer e st i l l prepar i ng t o set of f when wor d r eached f r om Mal i k i bn

Ka`b t hat t here was no need f or hel p as he had r epul sed the enemy.

The r eason of t hi s was t hat Mal i k had sent of f Àbdul l ah i bn Hawal ah

al - Azdi hast i l y t o Qar azah i bn Ka`b al - Ansar i and Mi khnaf i bn Sul aym







al - Azdi so t hat i f t her e was del ay i n t he ar r i val of suppor t f r om Kuf ah

he coul d get hel p f r om her e i n t i me. `Abdul l ah went t o bot h, but got no

hel p f r om Qar azah. However , Mi khnaf i bn Sul aymgot r eady f i f t y per sons

under `Abd ar - Rahman i bn Mi khnaf and t hey r eached t here near eveni ng.

Upto t hat t i me t he t wo t housand men ( of t he enemy) had not been abl e t o

subdue t he hundr ed men of Mal i k. When an- Nu`man saw t hese f i f t y men het hought t hat t hei r f or ces had st ar t ed comi ng i n so he f l ed away f r om

t he bat t l ef i el d. Even i n t hei r r et r eat Mal i k at t acked t hem f r om r ear

and ki l l ed t hr ee of t hei r men.

*****

Sermon 40

When Amir al-mu'minin heard the cry of Kharijites ...

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hear d t he cr y of Khar i j i t es t hat "Ver di ct i s onl yt hat of Al l ah" he sai d: The sent ence i s r i ght but what ( t hey t hi nk) i t means, i s wr ong. I t i st r ue t hat ver di ct l i es but wi t h Al l ah, but t hese peopl e say t hat ( t hef unct i on of ) gover nance i s onl y f or Al l ah. The f act i s t hat t her e i s noescape f or men f r om r ul er good or bad. The f ai t hf ul per sons per f or m( good) act s i n hi s r ul e whi l e t he unf ai t hf ul enj oys ( wor l dl y) benef i t si n i t . Dur i ng t he r ul e, Al l ah woul d car r y ever yt hi ng t o end. Thr ough

t he r ul er t ax i s col l ect ed, enemy i s f ought , r oadways ar e pr ot ect ed andt he r i ght of t he weak i s t aken f r om t he st r ong t i l l t he vi r t uous enj oyspeace and al l owed pr ot ect i on f r om ( t he oppr essi on of ) t he wi cked.Anot her ver si on:When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hear d t he cr y of t he Khar i j i t es on t he sai dver di ct he sai d:I am expect i ng t he ver di ct ( dest i ny) of Al l ah on you. Then he cont i nued:As f or good government t he pi ous man perf orms good act s i n i t , whi l e i na bad gover nment t he wi cked per son enj oys t i l l hi s t i me i s over anddeat h overt akes hi m.

*****

Sermon 41

In condemnation of treason



O' peopl e! Sur el y f ul f i l ment of pl edge i s t he t wi n of t r ut h. I do notknow a bet t er shi el d ( agai nst t he assaul t s of si n) t han i t . One whor eal i ses t he r eal i t y of r et ur n ( t o t he next wor l d) never bet r ays. Weare i n a per i od when most of t he peopl e regard bet r ayal as wi sdom. I nt hese days t he i gnor ant s cal l i t excel l ence of cunni ng. What i s t he

mat t er wi t h t hem? Al l ah may dest r oy them. One who has been t hrought hi ck and t hi n of l i f e f i nds t he excuses t o be pr event i ng hi m f r omor der s and pr ohi bi t i ons of Al l ah but he di sr egar ds t hem despi t ecapabi l i t y ( t o succumb t o t hem and f ol l ows t he commands of Al l ah) ,whi l e one who has no r est r ai nt s of r el i gi on sei zes t he oppor t uni t y ( andaccept s t he excuses f or not f ol l owi ng t he commands of Al l ah) .*****

Sermon 42

About heart's desires and extended hopes

O' peopl e what I f ear most about you ar e two thi ngs - act i ng accor di ngt o desi r es and extendi ng of hopes. As r egards act i ng accor di ng t odesi r es, t hi s pr event s f r om t r ut h; and as r egar ds ext endi ng of hopes,i t makes one f or get t he next wor l d. You shoul d know t hi s wor l d i smovi ng r api dl y and not hi ng has r emai ned out of i t except l ast par t i cl esl i ke the dr egs of a vessel whi ch has been empt i ed by someone. Beware,t he next wor l d i s advanci ng, and ei t her of t hem has sons i . e.f ol l owers. You shoul d become sons of t he next wor l d and not become sons

of t hi s wor l d because on t he Day of J udgement every son woul d cl i ng t ohi s mot her . Today i s t he Day of act i on and t her e i s no r eckoni ng whi l et omorr ow i s t he Day of r eckoni ng but t here woul d be no (opport uni t yf or) act i on.as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "al-hadhdha' " means r api d but some peopl e haver ead i t "jadhdha' " . Accor di ng t o thi s versi on t he meani ng woul d bet hat t he cycl e of wor l dl y enj oyment s woul d end soon.*****

Sermon 43 After Amir al-mu'minin had sent Jarir ibn `Abdillah al-Bajali



Af t er Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had sent J ar i r i bn Àbdi l l ah al - Baj al i t oMuàwi yah ( f or secur i ng hi s al l egi ance) some of hi s compani onssuggest ed pr epar at i on t o f i ght wi t h hi m t hen he sai d:My pr epar at i on f or war wi t h t he peopl e of Syr i a ( ash- Sham) whi l e J ar i ri bn Àbdi l l ah al - Baj al i i s st i l l t her e woul d be cl osi ng t he door f orSyr i a and pr event i on of i t s peopl e f r om good act i on ( i . e. al l egi ance)

i f t hey i nt end doi ng i t . However , I have f i xed a t i me l i mi t f or J ar i raf t er whi ch he woul d not st ay wi t hout ei t her decept i on or i ndi sobedi ence. My opi ni on i s i n f avour of pat i ence, so wai t a whi l e. ( I nt he meant i me) I do not di sl i ke your get t i ng r eady.I have obser ved t hi s mat t er t hor oughl y f r om al l si des but I do not f i ndany way except war or heresy. Cert ai nl y, t here was over t he peopl e ar ul er ( bef or e me) who br ought about new ( un- I sl ami c) t hi ngs andcompel l ed t he peopl e t o speak out . So t hey di d speak, t hen r ose up andt hereaf t er changed t he whol e syst em.* ****

Sermon 44

When Masqalah ibn Hubayrah ash-Shaybani fled to Muàwiyah ...

When Masqalah [ 1] ibn Hubayrah ash-Shaybani fled to Muàwiyah becausehe had purchased some prisoners of Banu Najiyah from an executive of

Amir al-mu'minin, but when he demanded the price the latter avoided andran to Syria, Amir al-mu'minin said: Al l ah may be bad t o Masqal ah. He act ed l i ke t he nobl e but f l ed awayl i ke a sl ave. Bef or e hi s admi r er coul d speak ( about hi m) he si l enced

hi m and bef or e hi s eul ogi st coul d t est i f y t o hi s good deeds he cl osedhi s mout h. I f he had st ayed behi nd we woul d have t aken f r omhi m what hecoul d easi l y pay and wai t ed f or t he bal ance t i l l hi s money i ncr eased.Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . When af t er Ar bi t r at i on t he Khar i j i t es r ose, a man of Bani Naj i yahf r om t hem named al - Khi r r i t i bn Rashi d an- Naj i st ood up f or i nst i gat i ngpeopl e and set of f t owar ds al - Mada' i n wi t h a gr oup ki l l i ng andmaraudi ng. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent Zi yad i bn Khasaf ah wi t h t hr ee hundr edmen t o check hi m. When t he two f orces met at al - Mada' i n t hey at t ackedeach ot her wi t h swords. Onl y one encount er or so had taken pl ace whent he gl oom of eveni ng pr evai l ed and t he bat t l e had t o be st opped. When

morni ng appear ed Zi yad' s men not i ced t hat f i ve dead bodi es of t heKhar i j i t es wer e l yi ng and t hey themsel ves had cl ear ed of f t hebat t l ef i el d. Seei ng t hi s Zi yad set of f f or Basr ah al ong wi t h hi s men. Ther e he came t o know t hat t he Khar i j i t es had gone t o Ahwaz. Zi yad di dnot move onwards f or pauci t y of f orce and i nf ormed Ami r al - mu' mi ni n ofi t . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n cal l ed back Zi yad and sent Ma`qi l i bn Qays ar -Ri yah' i wi t h t wo t housand exper i enced combat ant s t owards Ahwaz andwr ote t o t he governor of Basr ah Àbdul l ah i bn Àbbas t o send t wo







t housand swordsmen of Basr ah f or t he hel p of Ma`qi l . Consequent l y, t hecont i ngent f r om Basr ah al so j oi ned t hem at Ahwaz and af t er pr operor gani sat i on t hey got r eady f or at t acki ng t he enemy. But al - Khi r r i tmarched on al ong wi t h hi s men t o t he hi l l s of Ramhur muz. These peopl eal so f ol l owed hi m and over t ook hi m near t hese hi l l s. Bot h ar r ayed t hei rf or ces and st ar t ed at t acki ng each ot her . The r esul t of t hi s encount er

was al so that t hr ee hundr ed and sevent y Khar i j i t es wer e ki l l ed i n t hebat t l ef i el d whi l e t he rest r an away. Ma`qi l i nf or med Ami r al - mu' mi ni nof hi s per f ormance and of t he enemy' s r unni ng away when Ami r al -mu' mi ni n di r ect ed hi m t o chase them and so t o shat t er t hei r power t hatt hey shoul d not be abl e t o r ai se heads agai n. On r ecei pt of t hi s orderhe moved on and overt ook hi m on t he coast of t he Persi an gul f where al -Khi r r i t had by per suasi on secur ed t he co- oper at i on of t he peopl e andenl i st i ng men f r om her e and t her e, had col l ect ed a consi der abl e f or ce.When Ma`qi l r eached t her e, he rai sed t he f l ag of peace and announcedt hat t hose who had col l ected f r omhere and t here shoul d get away. Theywoul d not be mol est ed. The ef f ect of t hi s announcement was t hat save

f or hi s own communi t y al l others deser t ed hi m. He organi sed t hose ver ymen and commenced t he bat t l e but val or ous combat ant s of Basr ah andKuf ah di spl ayed such excel l ent use of swor ds t hat i n a shor t t i me onehundr ed and sevent y men of t he i nsur gent s were ki l l ed whi l e an- Nu`mani bn Suhban ar - Rasi b' i encount er ed al - Khi r r i t ( i bn Rashi d an- Naj i ) andevent ual l y f el l ed hi m and ki l l ed hi m. Soon upon hi s f al l t he enemy l ostgr ound and t hey f l ed away f r om t he bat t l ef i el d. Ther eaf t er Ma`qi lcol l ect ed al l t he men, women and chi l dr en f r om t hei r camps at onepl ace. Fr omamong them t hose who were Musl i ms were r el eased af t erswear i ng of al l egi ance. Those who had tur ned her et i cs wer e cal l ed upont o resume I sl am. Consequent l y except one ol d Chr i st i an al l ot her ssecur ed r el ease by accept i ng I sl am and t hi s ol d man was ki l l ed. Then het ook wi t h hi m t hose Chr i st i ans of Bani Naj i yah who had t aken par t i nt hi s r evol t t oget her wi t h t hei r f ami l i es. When Ma`qi l r eached Ar dashi rKhur r ah ( a ci t y of I r an) t hese pr i soner s wai l ed and cr i ed, bef or e i t sgover nor Masqal ah i bn Hubayr ah ash- Shaybani and beseeched humi l i at i vel yt o do somet hi ng f or t hei r r el ease. Masqal ah sent wor d t o Ma`qi l t hr oughDhuhl i bn al - Har i t h t o sel l t hese pr i soner s t o hi m. Ma`qi l agr eed andsol d t hose pr i soner s t o hi m f or f i ve hundr ed t housand Di r hams and t ol dhi m t o di spat ch t he pr i ce i mmedi at el y t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n. He sai d t hathe was sendi ng t he f i r st i nst al ment at once and t he remai ni ngi nst al ment s woul d al so be sent soon. When Ma`qi l met Ami r al - mu' mi ni nhe r el at ed t he whol e event bef or e hi m. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r at i f i ed t hi s

act i on and wai t ed f or t he pr i ce f or some t i me, but Masqal ah obser vedsuch deep si l ence as i f not hi ng was due f r om hi m. At l ast Ami r al -mu' mi ni n sent a messenger t o hi m and sent hi m word t o ei t her send t hepr i ce or t o come hi msel f . On Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s or der he came to Kuf ahand on demand of t he pr i ce pai d two hundred t housand Di r hams but t oevade t he bal ance went away t o Mu`awi yah' s who made hi m t he governor of Tabar ast an. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n came t o know al l t hi s he spoke t hesewor ds ( as i n t hi s ser mon) . I t s sum t ot al i s t hat , "I f he had st ayed we



woul d have been consi der ate t o hi m i n demandi ng t he pr i ce and woul dhave wai t ed f or i mpr ovement of hi s f i nanci al condi t i on, but he f l edaway l i ke sl aves af t er di spl ayi ng a showy act . Tal k about hi s hi ghpersever ance had j ust st ar t ed when peopl e began to di scuss hi s basel essand l owl i ness. "*****

Sermon 45

About Allah's greatness and lowliness of this world

Prai se i s due t o Al l ah f r omWhose mercy no one l oses hope, f r om Whosebount y no one i s depr i ved, f r om Whose f or gi veness no one i sdi sappoi nt ed and f or Whose worshi p no one i s t oo hi gh. Hi s mercy neverceases and Hi s bount y i s never mi ssed. Thi s wor l d i s a pl ace f or whi ch dest r uct i on i s or dai ned and f or i t si nhabi t ant s depar t ur e f r om her e i s dest i ned. I t i s sweet and gr een. I thast ens t owar ds i t s seeker and at t aches t o t he hear t of t he vi ewer . Sodepar t f r om her e wi t h t he best of pr ovi si on avai l abl e wi t h you and donot ask her ei n more than what i s enough and do not demand f r om i t moret han subsi st ence.*****

Sermon 46 When Amir al-mu'minin decided to march towards Syria(ash-Sham) he spokethese words:

My Al l ah, I seek Thy pr ot ect i on f r om t he har dshi ps of j our ney, f r om t hegr i ef of r et ur ni ng and f r om t he scene of devast at i on of pr oper t y andmen. O' Al l ah, Thou ar t t he compani on i n j our ney and Thou ar t one whoi s l ef t behi nd f or ( pr ot ect i on of t he) f ami l y. None except Thee can j oi n t hese t wo because one who i s l ef t behi nd cannot be a compani on i n j ourney nor one who i s i n company on a j ourney can at t he same t i me bel ef t behi nd.as- Sayyi d ar - Radi says: The ear l i er par t of t hi s ser mon i s r el at ed f r omt he Pr ophet but Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has compl et ed i t ver y apt l y by addi ngmost el oquent sent ences at t he end. Thi s addi t i on i s f r om "None except Thee can j oi n" upt o t he end.

*****

Sermon 47

About calamities befalling Kufah



O' Kuf ah, as t hough I see you bei ng dr awn l i ke t he tanned l eat her ofÙkazi [ 1] i n t he market , you are bei ng scr aped by cal ami t i es and bei ngr i dden by sever e t r oubl es. I cer t ai nl y [ 2] know t hat i f any tyranti nt ends evi l f or you Al l ah wi l l af f l i ct hi m wi t h wor r y and f l i ng hi mwi t h a ki l l er ( set someone on hi m t o ki l l hi m) .Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Dur i ng pr e- I sl ami c days a mar ket used t o be or gani sed ever y yearnear Mecca. I t s name was Ùkaz wher e most l y hi des were t r aded as ar esul t of whi ch l eat her was at t r i but ed t o i t . Besi des sal e and pur chasel i t er ar y meet i ngs wer e al so ar r anged and Ar abs used t o at t r actadmi r at i on by r eci t i ng t hei r wor ks. Af t er I sl am, because of t he bet t ercongr egat i on i n t he shape of hajj t hi s market went down.[ 2] . Thi s pr ophecy of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was f ul f i l l ed wor d by wor d andt he wor l d saw how t he peopl e who had commi t t ed t yr anny and oppress i onon the st r engt h of t hei r mast er l y power had t o f ace t r agi c end and whatways of t hei r dest r uct i on wer e engender ed by t hei r bl ood- sheddi ng andhomi ci dal act i vi t i es. Consequent l y, t he end of Zi yad i bn Abi h ( son of

unknown f ather) was t hat when he i nt ended t o del i ver a speech f orvi l i f i cat i on of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n suddenl y par al ysi s over t ook hi m and hecoul d not get out of hi s bed t her eaf t er . The end of t he bl oodshedper pet r at ed by Ùbaydul l ah i bn Zi yad was t hat he f el l a pr ey t o l epr osyand event ual l y bl ood t hi r st y swor ds put hi m t o deat h. The f er oci t y ofal - Haj j aj i bn Yusuf at h- Thaqaf i dr ove hi m t o t he f at e t hat snakescr opped up i n hi s s t omach as a r esul t of whi ch he di ed af t er sever epai n. Ùmar i bn Hubayrah al - Fazar i di ed of l eucoder ma. Khal i d i bnÀbdi l l ah al - Qasr i suf f er ed t he har dshi ps of pr i son and was ki l l ed i n aver y bad way. Musàb i bn az- Zubayr and Yazi d i bn al - Muhal l ab i bn AbiSuf r ah wer e al so ki l l ed by swor ds.*****

Sermon 48

Delivered at the time of marching towards Syria

Prai se i s due to Al l ah when ni ght spreads and dar kens, and pr ai se be toAl l ah whenever t he st ar shi nes and set s. And pr ai se be t o Al l ah whosebount y never mi sses and whose f avour s cannot be repai d.

Wel l , I have sent f orward my vanguard [ 1] and have order ed t hem t or emai n i n camp on t hi s bank of t he Ri ver t i l l my or der r eaches t hem. Myi nt ent i on i s t hat I shoul d cross t hi s wat er over t o t he smal lhabi t at i on of peopl e r esi di ng on t he si des of t he Ti gr i s and r ouse t hemt o march wi t h you t owards t he enemy and keep themas auxi l i ary f orcef or you.as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Here by "mitat " Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has meant t hedi r ect i on wher e he had order ed t he men t o camp and t hat was t he bank of













t he Euphr ates, and "mitat " i s used f or t he bank of a r i ver al t houghi t s l i t er al meani ng i s l evel gr ound wher eas by "nutfah " he means t hewater of t he Euphr at es, and these are amazi ng expr essi ons.Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s ser mon when he camped at t he Val l eyof an- Nukhayl ah on Wednesday t he 5th Shawwal 37 A. H. on hi s way t o

Si f f i n. The Vanguard ment i oned herei n means t he t wel ve t housand personswhom he had sent t owards Si f f i n under t he command of Zi yad i bn an- Nadrand Shur ayh i bn Hani , whi l e the smal l f or ce of al - Mada' i n ment i oned byhi m was a cont i ngent of t wel ve hundred men who had come up i n r esponset o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s cal l .*****

Sermon 49

About Allah's greatness and sublimity

Pr ai se be to Al l ah Who l i es i nsi de al l hi dden t hi ngs, and t owar ds Whomal l open t hi ngs gui de. He cannot be seen by the eye of an onl ooker , butt he eye whi ch does not see Hi m cannot deny Hi m whi l e t he mi nd thatpr oves Hi s exi st ence cannot per cei ve Hi m. He i s so hi gh i n subl i mi t yt hat nothi ng can be more subl i me t han He, whi l e i n near ness, He i s sonear t hat no one can be near er t han He. But hi s subl i mi t y does not putHi m at a di st ance f r om anyt hi ng of Hi s cr eat i on, nor does Hi s near nessbr i ng t hemon equal l evel t o Hi m. He has not i nf ormed ( human) wi t aboutt he l i mi t s of Hi s qual i t i es. Never t hel ess, He has not pr event ed i t f r om

secur i ng essent i al knowl edge of Hi m. So he i s such t hat al l si gns ofexi st ence st and wi t ness f or Hi m t i l l t he denyi ng mi nd al so bel i eves i nHi m. Al l ah i s subl i me beyond what i s descr i bed by t hose who l i ken Hi mt o thi ngs or t hose who deny Hi m.*****

Sermon 50

Admixture of right and wrong

The basi s of t he occur r ence of evi l s ar e t hose desi r es whi ch ar e act edupon and t he orders t hat are i nnovated. They are agai nst t he Book ofAl l ah. Peopl e co- oper at e wi t h each ot her about t hem even t hough i t i sagai nst t he Rel i gi on of Al l ah. I f wr ong had been pur e and unmi xed i twoul d not be hi dden f r om t hose who ar e i n sear ch of i t . And i f r i ghthad been pur e wi t hout admi xt ure of wr ong t hose who bear hat r ed t owardsi t woul d have been si l enced. What i s, however , done i s t hat somet hi ng





i s t aken f r om her e and somet hi ng f r om t her e and t he two ar e mi xed! Att hi s st age Sat an over power s hi s f r i ends and they al one escape f or whomvi r t ue has been appor t i oned by Al l ah f r om bef or e.

Sermon 51

When in Siffin the men of Muàwiyah overpowered the men of Amir al-mu'minin and occupied the bank of RiverEuphrates and prevented them from taking its water, Amiral-mu'minin said:

They[ 1] ar e aski ng you mor sel s of bat t l e. So ei t her you r emai n i ni gnomi ny and t he l owest posi t i on or dr ench your swords wi t h bl ood andquench your t hi r st wi t h wat er . Real deat h i s i n t he l i f e of subj ugat i onwhi l e r eal l i f e i s i n dyi ng as subj ugat or s. Bewar e, Muàwi yah i sl eadi ng a smal l gr oup of i nsurgent s and has kept t hem i n dar k about t het r ue f act s wi t h t he r esul t t hat t hey have made t hei r bosoms t he t ar get sof deat h.Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had not r eached Si f f i n when Muàwi yah post ed f ort yt housand men on t he bank of t he Ri ver t o cl ose the way t o the water i ngpl ace, so t hat none except t he Syr i ans coul d t ake the water . When Ami ral - mu' mi mi n' s f or ce al i ght ed t her e t hey f ound t hat t her e was nowat er i ng pl ace except t hi s one f or t hem t o t ake wat er . I f t her e was onei t was di f f i cul t t o r each t her e by crossi ng hi gh hi l l ocks. Ami r al -mu' mi ni n sent Sa`saàh i bn Suhan al - Àbdi t o Muàwi yah wi t h the requestt o rai se t he cont r ol over wat er . Muàwi yah r ef used. On t hi s si de Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s ar my was t r oubl ed by t hi r st . When Ami r al - mu' mi ni nnot i ced t hi s posi t i on he sai d, "Get up and secur e wat er by di nt ofswor d. " Consequent l y, t hese t hi r st y per sons drew t hei r swor ds out ofsheaths, put arr ows i n t hei r bows and di sper si ng Muàwi yah' s men wentr i ght down i nt o t he Ri ver and t hen hi t t hese guards away and occupi edt he wat er i ng pl ace t hemsel ves.Now, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s men al so desi r ed t hat j ust as Muàwi yah had putr est r i ct i on on wat er by occupat i on of t he wat er i ng pl ace, t he samet r eat ment shoul d be accor ded t o hi m and hi s men and no Syr i an shoul d beal l owed wat er and ever yone of t hem shoul d be made to di e of t hi r st . ButAmi r al - mu' mi ni n sai d, "Do you want t o take the same br ut al st ep whi ch

t hese Syr i ans had t aken? Never pr event anyone f r om water . Whoever want st o dr i nk, may dr i nk and whoever want s t o t ake away may t ake away. "Consequent l y, despi t e occupat i on of t he Ri ver by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' sarmy no one was prevent ed f r om t he water and everyone was gi ven f ul ll i ber t y t o t ake wat er .*****







Sermon 52

(This sermon has already appeared earlier but due to the difference between the two versions we have quoted it again here). Its subject isthe downfall of the world and reward and punishment in the next world.

Bewar e, t he wor l d i s wr appi ng i t sel f up and has announced i t sdepar t ur e. I t s known t hi ngs have become st r anger s and i t i s speedi l ymovi ng backwar d. I t i s advanci ng i t s i nhabi t ant s t owar ds dest r uct i onand dr i vi ng i t s nei ghbour s t owar ds deat h. I t s sweet t hi ngs ( enj oyment s)have become sour , and i t s cl ear t hi ngs have become pol l ut ed.Consequent l y, what has r emai ned of i t i s j ust l i ke t he r emai ni ng wat eri n a vessel or a mout hf ul of wat er i n t he measur e. I f a t hi r st y per sondr i nks i t hi s t hi r st i s not quenched.O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah get r eady to go out of t hi s wor l d f or whosei nhabi t ant s decay i s or dai ned, and ( bewar e) hear t ' s wi shes shoul dover power you, nor shoul d you t ake your st ay ( i n l i f e) t o be l ong. ByAl l ah, i f you cry l i ke t he she- camel t hat has l ost i t s young one, cal lout l i ke t he cooi ng of pi geons, make noi se l i ke devot ed r ecl uses andt ur n t o Al l ah l eavi ng your weal t h and chi l dr en as a means t o secur e Hi snear ness and hi gh posi t i on wi t h Hi m or t he f or gi veness of si ns whi chhave been cover ed by Hi s books and r ecor ded by Hi s angel s i t woul d bel ess t han Hi s r ewar d t hat I expect f or you or Hi s r et r i but i on t hat If ear about you.By Al l ah, i f your hear t s mel t down t hor oughl y and your eyes shed t ear sof bl ood ei t her i n hope f or Hi m or f or f ear f r om Hi m and you ar e al soal l owed t o l i ve i n t hi s wor l d al l t he t i me t hat i t l ast s even t hen youract i ons cannot pay f or Hi s great bount i es over you and Hi s havi nggui ded you t owar ds f ai t h.

Sermon 53

A part of the same sermon on the description of the Day of Sacrifice(`Id al-Adha) and the qualities of the animal for sacrifice

For an ani mal t o be f ul l y f i t f or sacri f i ce i t i s necessar y t hat bot hi t s ear s shoul d be r ai sed upwar ds and i t s eyes shoul d be heal t hy. I ft he ear s and t he eyes ar e sound t he ani mal of sacr i f i ce i s sound andper f ect , even t hough i t s hor n be br oken or i t dr ags i t s f eet t o t he

pl ace of sacr i f i ce.as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Her e pl ace of sacr i f i ce means pl ace ofsl aught er .*****

Sermon 54



On the swearing of allegiance

They l eapt upon me as t he camel s l eap upon each ot her on t hei r ar r i valf or dr i nki ng wat er , havi ng been l et l oose af t er unf ast eni ng of t hei rf our l egs t i l l I t hought t hey woul d ei t her ki l l me or ki l l one anot her

i n f r ont of me. I t hought over t hi s mat t er i n and out t o t he extentt hat i t pr event ed me f r om sl eepi ng. But I f ound no way except t o f i ghtt hem or el se t o r ej ect what ever has been brought by Muhammad ( PBUHAHP) .I f ound t hat t o f ace war was easi er f or me than t o f ace t her et r i but i on, and t he har dshi ps of t hi s wor l d wer e easi er t han t hehar dshi ps of t he next wor l d.*****

Sermon 55

When Amir al-mu'minin's men showed impatience on his delay in givingthem permission to fight in Siffin , he said:

Wel l , as f or your i dea whet her t hi s ( del ay) i s due t o my unwi l l i ngnessf or deat h, t hen by Al l ah I do not car e whether I pr oceed t owar ds deat hor deat h advances t owards me. As f or your i mpr essi on t hat i t may be duet o my mi sgi vi ngs about t he peopl e of Syr i a (ash- Sham) , wel l by Al l ah, Idi d not put of f war even f or a day except i n the hope t hat some gr oupmay j oi n me, f i nd gui dance t hr ough me and see my l i ght wi t h t hei r weakeyes. Thi s i s dear er t o me t han t o ki l l t hem i n t he st at e of t hei rmi sgui dance al t hough t hey woul d be bear i ng t hei r own si ns.*****

Sermon 56

About steadiness in the battlefield

I n t he company of t he Pr ophet of Al l ah we used t o f i ght our parent s,sons, br ot her s and uncl es, and t hi s cont i nued us i n our f ai t h, i nsubmi ssi on, i n our f ol l owi ng t he ri ght pat h, i n endur ance over t hepangs of pai n and i n our f i ght agai nst t he enemy. A man f r om our si deand one f r om t he enemy woul d pounce upon each ot her l i ke ener get i c men

cont est i ng as t o who woul d ki l l t he ot her ; somet i me our man got overhi s adver sary and somet i me the enemy' s man got over our s.When Al l ah had obser ved our t r ut h He sent i gnomi ny t o our f oe and sentHi s succour t o us t i l l I sl am got est abl i shed ( l i ke t he camel ) wi t h neckon t he gr ound and r est i ng i n i t s pl ace. By my l i f e, i f we had al sobehaved l i ke you, no pi l l ar of ( our ) r el i gi on coul d have been r ai sed,nor t he t r ee of f ai t h coul d have bor ne l eaves. By Al l ah, cer t ai nl y you



wi l l now mi l k our bl ood ( i nst ead of mi l k) and event ual l y you wi l l f aceshame. [ 1]Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . ) . When Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr had been ki l l ed Muàwi yah sentÀbdul l ah i bn Àmi r al - Hadr ami t o Basr ah t o exhor t t he peopl e of Basr ahf or avengi ng Ùt hman' s bl ood because t he nat ur al i ncl i nat i on of most of

t he i nhabi t ant s of Basr ah and par t i cul ar l y of Banu Tami m was t owar dsÙt hman. Consequent l y, he st ayed wi t h Banu Tami m. Thi s was t he t i mewhen Àbdul l ah i bn Àbbas, t he governor of Basr ah had gone t o Kuf ah f orcondol ence about Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr , l eavi ng Zi yad i bn Ùbayd ( Abi h)as hi s subst i t ut e. When t he at mospher e i n Basr ah began t o det er i or at eZi yad i nf or med Ami r al - mu' mi ni n of al l t he f act s. Ami r al - mu' mi ni nt r i ed t o get Banu Tami m of Kuf ah r eady but t hey kept compl et e si l enceand gave no r epl y. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw t hi s weakness andshamel essness on t hei r part he gave thi s speech namel y t hat "Dur i ng t hedays of t he Prophet ( PBUH) we di d not see whether t hose ki l l ed at ourhands were our ki t h and ki n, but whoever col l i ded wi t h Ri ght , we were

pr epar ed t o col l i de wi t h hi m. I f we t oo had act ed car el essl y or beengui l t y of i nact i on l i ke you t hen nei t her r el i gi on coul d have t aken r ootnor coul d I sl am pr osper . "The r esul t of t hi s shaki ng was t hat A`yan i bnDabi àh al - Muj ashi ì pr epar ed hi msel f but on reachi ng Basr ah he waski l l ed by t he swor ds of t he enemy. Ther eaf t er , Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sentof f J ar i yah i bn Qudamah as- Sa`di wi t h f i f t y men of Bani Tami m. Fi r st het r i ed hi s best t o canvass hi s own t r i be but i nst ead of f ol l owi ng t her i ght pat h t hey st ooped down t o abusi ng and f i ght i ng. Then J ar i yahcal l ed Zi yad and t he t r i be of Azd f or hi s hel p. Soon on t hei r ar r i val( Àbdul l ah) I bn al - Hadr ami al so came out wi t h hi s men. Swords were usedf r om bot h si des f or some t i me but event ual l y I bn al - Hadr ami f l ed awaywi t h sevent y per sons and t ook r ef uge i n t he house of Sabi l as- Sa`di .When J ar i yah saw no ot her way he got t hi s house set on f i r e. When f i r er ose i nt o f l ames t hey came out i n sear ch of saf et y but coul d notsucceed i n runni ng away. Some of t hem were cr ushed t o deat h under t hewal l whi l e ot her s wer e ki l l ed.

*****

Sermon 57

Amir al-mu'minin said to his companions about Muàwiyah

Soon af t er me t here woul d be put on you a man wi t h a broad mout h and abi g bel l y. He woul d swal l ow whatever he get s and woul d crave f or whathe does not get . You shoul d ki l l hi m but ( I know) you woul d not ki l lhi m. He woul d command you to abuse me and t o r enounce me. As f orabusi ng, you do abuse me because t hat woul d mean pur i f i cat i on f or meand sal vat i on f or you. As r egar ds r enunci at i on, you shoul d not r enounce







me because I have been born on t he natur al r el i gi on ( I sl am) and wasf or emost i n accept i ng i t as wel l as i n Hi j r ah ( mi gr at i ng f r om Mecca t oMedi na) . [ 1]


[ 1] . About t he per son t o whom Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has al l uded i n t hi sser mon some peopl e hol d t hat he i s Zi yad i bn Abi h; some hol d t hat he i sal - Haj j aj i bn Yusuf at h- Thaqaf i and some hol d t hat he i s Mughi r ah i bnShu`bah. But most of t he comment at ors have hel d hi m t o be Muàwi yah andt hi s i s cor r ect because t he qual i t i es t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hasdescr i bed pr ove t r ue f ul l y on hi m al one. Thus I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d haswr i t t en about t he gl ut t onous qual i t y of Muàwi yah t hat once t he Prophetsent f or hi m and he was i nf ormed t hat Muàwi yah was busy eat i ng. Then asecond and t hi r d t i me a man was sent t o cal l hi m but he br ought t hesame news. Ther eupon t he Pr ophet sai d , "May Al l ah never sat i sf y hi sbel l y. " The ef f ect of t hi s cur se was t hat when he f el t t i r ed of eat i ng

he woul d say , "Take away, f or , by Al l ah I am not sat i at ed but I amt i r ed and di sgust ed. " Si mi l ar l y, hi s abusi ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n andor der i ng hi s of f i cer s f or i t ar e such accept ed f act s of hi st or y aboutwhi ch t her e i s no scope of denyi ng. I n t hi s connect i on such words wer eused on t he pul pi t t hat even Al l ah and t he Pr ophet were hi t by t hem. Thus, Umm al - mu' mi ni n Umm Sal amah wr ot e t o Muàwi yah, "Cer t ai nl y youpeopl e abuse Al l ah and t he Pr ophet , and t hi s i s l i ke t hi s t hat you hur labuses on Àl i and t hose who l ove hi m, whi l e I do st and wi t ness t hatAl l ah and t he Pr ophet di d l ove hi m. " (al-Ìqd al-Farid, Vol. 3, p. 131) Thanks t o Ùmar i bn Àbdi l - Àzi z who put a st op t o i t , and i nt r oducedt he f ol l owi ng ver se i n pl ace of abuse i n t he sermons:Verily Allah enjoineth justice and benevolence (to others) and givingunto the kindred, and forbidden lewdness, and evil, and rebellion; He

exhorteth you that ye may take heed ( Qur ' an 16: 90)I n t hi s sermon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has order ed hi s ki l l i ng on t he basi s oft he Prophet ' s order t hat "When you ( O' Musl i ms) see Muàwi yah on mypul pi t , ki l l hi m. " ( Kitab Siffin, pp. 243, 248; Sharh of I bn Abi ' l -Hadi d, Vol . 1, p. 348; Ta'rikh Baghdad , Vol . 12, p. 181; Mizan al-I`tidal, Vol . 2, p. 128; Tahdhib at-tahdhib, Vol . 2, p. 428; Vol . 5, p.110; Vol . 7, p. 324)*****

Sermon 58

Addressing the Kharijites, Amir al-mu'minin said :

St orm may overt ake you whi l e t here may be none t o pr i ck you ( f orr ef or ms) . Shal l I be wi t ness t o my becomi ng her et i c af t er accept ance ofFai t h and f i ght i ng i n the company of t he Pr ophet ?! "In that case I







shall be misguided and I shall not be on the right path." ( Qur ' an,6: 56) . So you shoul d r et ur n t o your evi l pl aces, and get back on t het r aces of your heel s. Bewar e! Cer t ai nl y you wi l l meet , af t er me,over whel mi ng di sgrace and shar p swor d and t r adi t i on t hat wi l l beadopt ed by t he oppr essor s as a norm t owards you. [ 1]

As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I n t he words "wala baqiyah minkum abirun" used

by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t he "abir" has been r el at ed wi t h "ba'" and "ra'" and i t has been t aken f r om t he Ar ab sayi ng "rajulun abirun" whi ch meanst he man who pr unes t he date- pal m t r ees and i mpr oves t hem. I n onever si on t he wor d i s "athir" and i t s meani ng i s " r el at or of good news. "I n my vi ew t hi s i s mor e appr opr i at e, as t hough Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i nt endst o say t hat t her e shoul d r emai n none to car r y news. I n one ver si on t hewor d appear s as "abiz" wi t h "za'" whi ch means one who l eaps. One whodi es i s al so cal l ed "abiz". Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Hi st or y cor r obor at es t hat af t er Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, t he Khar i j i t eshad t o f ace al l sor t s of i gnomi ny and di sgrace and wher ever t hey rai sed

t hei r heads f or cr eat i ng t r oubl e, t hey wer e met wi t h swor ds and spear s. Thus Zi yad i bn Abi h, Ùbaydul l ah i bn Zi yad, al - Haj j aj i bn Yusuf , Musàbi bn az- Zubayr and al - Muhal l ab i bn Abi Suf r ah l ef t no st one unt ur ned i nanni hi l at i ng t hem f r om t he sur f ace of t he gl obe, par t i cul ar l y al -Muhal l ab chased t hem f or ni net een year s, r out ed t hem t hor oughl y andr est ed onl y af t er compl et i ng t hei r dest r uct i on.At - Tabar i wr i t es t hat when t en t housand Khar i j i t es col l ect ed i n Silla

wa sillibra ( t he name of a mount ai n i n Ahwaz) t hen al - Muhal l ab f acedt hem so st eadf ast l y that he ki l l ed seven t housand Khar i j i t es, whi l e t her emai ni ng t hr ee t housand f l ed t owar ds Ki r man f or l i f e. But when t heGover nor of Per si a not i ced t hei r r ebel l i ous act i vi t i es he sur r oundedt hemi n Sabur and ki l l ed a good number of t hemt hen and t here. Thoser emai ned agai n f l ed to I sf ahan and Ki r man. Fr om t her e t hey agai n f or meda cont i ngent and advanced t owar ds Kuf ah vi a Basr ah. Al - Har i t h i bn AbiRabi àh al - Makhzumi and Àbd ar - Rahman i bn Mi khnaf al - Azdi st ood upwi t h si x t housand combat ant s t o st op t hei r advance, and t ur ned them outof I r aq' s boundar i es. I n t hi s way successi ve encount er s compl et el yt r ampl ed t hei r mi l i t ar y power and t ur ni ng t hem out of ci t i es compel l edt hem t o r oam about i n t he desert s. Af t er war ds al so, when t hey r ose i nt he f or m of gr oups t hey wer e crushed. ( at-Ta'rikh, Vol . 2, pp. 580-591) ; I bn al - At hi r , Vol . 4, pp. 196- 206) .*****

Sermon 59

When Amir al-mu'minin showed his intention to fight the Kharijites hewas told that they had crossed the bridge of Nahrawan and gone over tothe other side. Amir al-mu'minin said:







Thei r f al l i ng pl ace i s on t hi s si de of t he r i ver . By Al l ah, not event en of t hem wi l l sur vi ve whi l e f r om your si de not even t en wi l l beki l l ed. [ 1]As- Sayyi d ar - Radi says: I n t hi s sermon "nutfah" i mpl i es t he Ri verEuphr at es, and f or wat er t hi s i s t he ni cest expr essi on, even t houghwat er may be much.

Footnotes by translator:[ 1] Thi s prophecy cannot be at t r i but ed t o wi t and f ar si ght edness,because f ar si ght ed eyes may f or ecast vi ct ory or def eat and pr econcei vet he out come of war but t o t el l about t he cor r ect f i gur es of t he ki l l edon ei t her si de i s beyond t hei r capaci t y. Thi s can be done onl y by onewho can unvei l t he unknown f ut ur e and see the comi ng scene wi t h hi seyes and who sees t he sket ches yet t o appear on t he page of t he f ut ur ewi t h t he hel p of t he l i ght of knowl edge possessed by hi m as I mam.Consequent l y, event s occur r ed j ust accor di ng t o what t hi s i nher i t or oft he Pr ophet ' s knowl edge had sai d, and f r om among t he Khar i j i t es al lexcept ni ne per sons were ki l l ed. Two of t hem f l ed away t o Ùman, t wo t o

Si j i st an, t wo t o Ki r man and t wo t o al - J azi r ah whi l e one escaped t o Tal lMawzan. Of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s par t y onl y ei ght men f el l as mar t yrs.*****

Sermon 60

When Amir al-mu'minin was told that the Kharijites had been totallykilled, he said:

By Al l ah, no, not yet . They st i l l exi st i n t he l oi ns of men and wombsof women. Whenever a chi ef woul d appear f r om among t hem, he woul d be

t hem woul d t ur n t hi eves and r obber s.cut down t i l l t he l ast of [ 1]Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] Thi s prophecy of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n al so proved t r ue wor d by wor d.Ever y chi ef of Khar i j i t es who r ose was put t o swor d. A f ew of t hei rchi ef s who were badl y put t o deat h are ment i oned here:1) Naf i ` i bn Azr aq al - Hanaf i : t he l ar gest gr oup of t he Khar i j i t es namel yal - Azar i qah i s named af t er hi m. He was ki l l ed by Sal amah al - Bahi l idur i ng encount er wi t h t he ar my of Musl i m i bn Ùbays.2) Naj dah i bn Àmi r : t he an- Naj adat al - Àdhi r i yyah sect of Khar i j i t es i snamed af t er hi m. Abu Fudayk al - Khar i j i got hi m ki l l ed.3) Àbdul l ah i bn I bad at - Tami mi : t he sect I badi t e ( I badi yyah) i s named

af t er hi m. He was ki l l ed dur i ng encount er wi t h Àbdul l ah i bn Muhammadi bn Àt i yyah.4) Abu Bayhas Haysam i bn J abi r ad- Dubaì : t he sect of al - Bayhasi yyah i snamed af t er hi m. Ùt hman i bn Hayyan al - Mur r i t he governor of Medi na gothi s hands and f eet sever ed and t hen ki l l ed hi m.5) Ùr wah i bn Udayyah at - Tami mi : Zi yad i bn Abi h ki l l ed hi m dur i ng t her ei gn of Muàwi yah.











6) Qat ar i i bn al - Fuj a' h al - Mazi ni at - Tami mi : when he encount er ed t hear my of Suf yan i bn al - Abr ad al - Kal bi i n Tabar ast an t hen Sawr ah i bn al -Hur r ad- Dar i mi ki l l ed hi m.7) Abu Bi l al Mi r das i bn Udayyah at - Tami mi : was ki l l ed i n encount er wi t hÀbbas i bn Akhdar al - Mazi ni .8) Shawdhab al - Khar i j i al - Yashkur i : was ki l l ed dur i ng encount er wi t h

Saì d i bn Àmr al - Har ashi .9) Hawt harah i bn Wada` al - Asadi : was ki l l ed at t he hands of a man ofBanu Tayyi '10) al - Must awr i d i bn Ùl l af ah at - Taymi : was ki l l ed by Ma`qi l i bn Qaysar - Ri yahi i n t he rei gn of Muàwi yah.11) Shabi b i bn Yazi d ash- Shaybani : di ed by bei ng dr owned i n r i ver .12) Ì mr an i bn al - Har i t h ar - Rasi bi : was ki l l ed i n t he bat t l e of Dul ab.13, 14) Zahhaf at - Ta' i and Qur ayb i bn Mur r ah al - Azdi : wer e ki l l ed i nencount er wi t h Banu Tahi yah.15) az- Zubayr i bn Àl i as- Sal i t i at - Tami mi : was ki l l ed i n encount er wi t hÀt t ab i bn War qa' ar - Ri yahi .

16) Àl i i bn Bashi r i bn al - Mahz al - Yar buì : al - Haj j aj i bn Yusuf at h- Thaqaf i got hi m ki l l ed.17) Ùbaydul l ah i bn Bashi r : was ki l l ed i n encount er wi t h al - Muhal l ab i bnAbi Suf r ah i n t he bat t l e of Dul ab.18) Abu' l - Wazi ` ar - Rasi bi : a man i n t he gr aveyar d of Banu Yashkur f el l eda wal l on hi m and ki l l ed hi m.19) Àbdu Rabbi h as- Saghi r : was ki l l ed i n encount er wi t h al - Muhal l ab i bnAbi Suf r ah.20) Al - Wal i d i bn Tar i f ash- Shaybani : was ki l l ed i n encount er wi t h Yazi di bn Mazyad ash- Shaybani .21- 24) Àbdul l ah i bn Yahya al - Ki ndi , al - Mukht ar i bn Àwf al - Azdi ( AbuHamzah ash- Shar i ) , Abr ahah i bn as- Sabbah and Bal j i bn Ùqbah al - Asadi :wer e ki l l ed by Àbd al - Mal i k i bn Àt i yyah as- Sa`di i n t he r ei gn ofMar wan i bn Muhammad ( t he l ast of t he Umayyad cal i phs) .*****

Sermon 61

Amir al-mu'minin also said:

Do not f i ght [ 1] t he Khar i j i t es af t er me, because one who seeks r i ght

but does not f i nd i t , i s not l i ke one who seeks wr ong and f i nds i t .as- Sayyi d ar - Radi says: Ami r al - mu' mi ni n means Muàwi yah and hi s men.Foot not es by t r ansl at or :[ 1] . The r eason f or st oppi ng peopl e f r om f i ght i ng t he Khar i j i t es wast hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was cl ear l y per cei vi ng t hat af t er hi m aut hor i t yand power woul d devol ve on peopl e who woul d be i gnorant of t he properoccasi on of jihad , and who wi l l make use of sword onl y t o mai nt ai nt hei r sway. And t her e wer e t hose who excel l ed even Khar i j i t es i n







hol di ng and cal l i ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n bad. So t hose who are t hemsel vesi n t he wr ong have no r i ght t o f i ght ot her s i n t he wr ong. Agai n, t hosewho ar e wi l f ul l y i n t he wr ong can be al l owed t o f i ght t hose who ar e i nt he wr ong by mi st ake. Thus, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds make t hi s f actcl ear t hat t he mi sgui dance of Khar i j i t es was not wi l f ul but underSat an' s i nf l uence. They mi st ook wr ong as r i ght and st uck t o i t . On t he

other hand, t he posi t i on of mi sgui dance of Muàwi yah and hi s par t y wast hat t hey rej ect ed r i ght r eal i si ng i t as r i ght and appr opr i at ed wr ongas t he code of t hei r conduct f ul l y knowi ng t hat i t was wr ong. Thei raudaci t y i n t he mat t er of r el i gi on r eached t he st age t hat i t cannei t her be r egar ded as a resul t of mi sunderst andi ng nor can i t becovered under t he garb of err or of j udgement , because t hey openl yt r ansgr essed t he l i mi t s of r el i gi on and pai d no heed t o t he Pr ophet ' si nj unct i ons i n compar i son wi t h t hei r own vi ew. Thus, I bn Abi ' l - Hadi dhas wr i t t en ( vol . 5, p. 130) t hat when t he Pr ophet ' s compani on Abu' d-Darda' saw ut ensi l s of gol d and si l ver bei ng used by Muàwi yah he sai dhe had hear d t he Pr ophet sayi ng, "One who dr i nks i n vessel s of gol d and

si l ver wi l l f eel f l ames of t he f i r e of Hel l i n hi s st omach" wher euponMuàwi yah sai d, "As f or me, l do not f i nd any har m i n i t . " Si mi l ar l y,cr eat i ng Zi yad i bn Abi h' s bl ood r el at i onshi p wi t h hi msel f by hi s ownopi ni on i n t ot al di sr egar d of t he Pr ophet ' s i nj unct i on, abusi ng t hedescendant s of t he Pr ophet over t he pul pi t , t r ansgr essi ng t he l i mi t s ofshariàh, sheddi ng bl ood of i nnocent per sons and pl aci ng over Musl i ms( as so cal l ed Khal i f ah) a vi ci ous i ndi vi dual and t hus openi ng t he wayt o di sbel i ef and at hei sm ar e event s t hat t o at t r i but e t hem t o anymi sunder st andi ng i s l i ke wi l f ul l y cl osi ng eyes t o f act s.*****

Sermon 62

When Amir al-mu'minin was warned of being killed by deceit, he said:

Sur el y, t here i s a st r ong shi el d of Al l ah over me. When my day woul dcome i t woul d get away f r om me and hand me over t o deat h. At t hat t i menei t her an ar r ow woul d go ami ss nor a wound woul d heal up.****

Sermon 63

About the transience of the world

Bewar e ! sur el y t hi s wor l d i s a pl ace f r om whi ch pr ot ect i on cannot besought except whi l e one i s i n i t . The act i on whi ch i s per f or med onl yf or t hi s wor l d cannot secur e sal vat i on. Peopl e ar e t est ed i n i t t hr oughcal ami t i es. Those who have t aken wor l dl y pl easures her e wi l l be t akenout f r om t hem ( by deat h) and wi l l be quest i oned about t hem. Andwhat ever ( good act i ons) t hey have achi eved f or t he ot her wor l d, t hey



Sermon 67 When after the death of the Prophet news reached Amir al-mu'minin aboutthe happening in Saqifah of Bani Saìdah,[ 1] he enquired what the ansar

said. People said that they were asking for one chief from among themand one from the others, Amir al-mu'minin said: Why di d you not argue agai nst t hem ( ansar ) t hat t he Pr ophet had l ef thi s wi l l t hat whoever i s good among ansar shoul d be t r eat ed wel l andwhoever i s bad he shoul d be f orgi ven.People said: "What i s t her e agai nst t hem i n i t ?"

Amir al-mu'minin said: " I f t he Gover nment was f or t hem t her e shoul d have been no wi l l i n t hei ravour . "f

Then he said:

"What di d t hPeople said: "They ar gued t hat t hey bel ong t o t he l i neal t r ee of t he

e Qur aysh pl ead?"

Pr ophet .Then Amir al-mu'minin said:

"They ar gued wi t h t he t r ee but spoi l ed t he f r ui t s. "Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Fr om what happened i n t he Saqi f ah of Bani Saì dah i t appear s t hatt he gr eat est argument of muhajirun agai nst ansar and t he basi s of t hef or mer ' s success was t hi s ver y poi nt t hat si nce t hey wer e the ki t h andki n of t he Pr ophet no one el se coul d deserve t he Cal i phat e. On thi sver y gr ound the bi g crowd of ansar became r eady t o l ay down thei rweapons bef ore t hr ee muhajirun, and t he l at t er succeeded i n wi nni ng t he

Cal i phat e by pr esent i ng t hei r di st i nct i on of descent . Thus i nconnect i on wi t h t he event s of Saqi f ah at - Tabar i wr i t es t hat when t heansar assembl ed i n Saqi f ah of Bani Saì dah t o swear al l egi ance on t hehand of Sa`d i bn Ùbadah, somehow Abu Bakr , Ùmar and Abu Ùbaydah i bnal - J ar r ah al so got t he hi nt and r eached t her e. Ùmar had t hought outsomethi ng f or t hi s occasi on and he rose t o speak but Abu Bakr st oppedhi m, and he hi msel f st ood up. Af t er pr ai se of Al l ah and t he i mmi gr at i onof t he muhajirun and t hei r pr ecedence i n I sl am he sai d: They ar e t hose who wor shi pped Al l ah f i r st of al l and accept ed bel i ef i nAl l ah and hi s Pr ophet ' s f r i ends and hi s Ki t h and Ki n. These al onet heref ore must deser ve t he Cal i phate. Whoever cl ashes wi t h t hem commi t s

excess.When Abu Bakr f i ni shed hi s speech al - Hubab i bn al - Mundhi r st ood up and,t ur ni ng t o t he ansar, he sai d: "O' gr oup of ansar ! Do not gi ve yourr ei ns i n t he hands of ot her s. The popul ace i s under your car e. You ar emen of honour , weal t h and t r i be and gat her i ng. I f t he muhajirun haveprecedence over you i n some mat t er s you t oo have precedence over t hemi n ot her mat t er s. You gave t hem r ef uge i n your houses. You ar e thef i ght i ng ar m of I sl am. Wi t h your hel p I sl am st ood on i t s own f eet . I n







your ci t i es pr ayer of Al l ah was est abl i shed wi t h f r eedom. Saveyour sel ves f r om di vi si on and di sper si on and st i ck t o your r i ghtuni t edl y. I f t he muhajirun do not concede t o your r i ght t el l t hem t her eshoul d be one chi ef f r om us and one f r om t hem. "No sooner al - Hubab sat down af t er sayi ng t hi s t hen Ùmar r ose and spoket hus:

Thi s can' t be t hat t here be t wo r ul er s at one t i me. By Al l ah, t he Ar abswi l l never agr ee to have you as t he head of t he st at e si nce the Pr ophetwas not f r om amongst you. Cer t ai nl y, t he Ar abs wi l l not car e t he l eastobj ect i on i n t hat t he Cal i phat e i s al l owed t o one i n whose houseProphet hood r est s so t hat t he r ul er shoul d al so be f r om t he same house.For t hose who di ssent cl ear argument s can be put f or t h. Whoever comesi n conf l i ct wi t h us i n t he mat t er of t he aut hor i t y and r ul er shi p ofMuhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) he i s l eani ng t owar ds wr ong, i s a si nner andi s f al l i ng i nt o destr uct i on.Af t er Ùmar, al - Hubab agai n st ood up and sai d t o t he ansar , "Look,st i ck t o your poi nt and do not pay heed t o t he vi ews of t hi s man or hi s

suppor t er s. They want t o t r ampl e your r i ght , i f t hey do not consentt ur n hi m and t hem out of your ci t i es and appr opr i at e t he Cal i phat e. Whoel se t han you can deserve i t more?"When al - Hubab f i ni shed Ùmar scol ded hi m. There was use of bad wordsf r om t hat si de al so, and t he posi t i on began t o wor sen. On seei ng t hi sAbu Ùbaydah i bn al - J arr ah spoke wi t h t he i nt ent i on of cool i ng downansar and t o wi n t hem over t o hi s si de and sai d:"O' ansar ! You ar e t he peopl e who suppor t ed us and hel ped us i n ever ymanner . Do not now change your ways and do not gi ve up your behavi our . "But t he ansar r ef used t o change t hei r mi nd. They were pr epared t o swearal l egi ance t o Sa`d and peopl e j ust want ed t o appr oach hi m when a man ofSa`d' s t r i be Bashi r i bn Àmr al - Khazr aj i st ood up and sai d:"No doubt we came f or war d f or jihad , and gave suppor t t o t he r el i gi on,but our ai m i n doi ng t hus was t o pl ease Al l ah and t o obey Hi s Pr ophet .I t does not behove us t o cl ai m super i or i t y and cr eat e t r oubl e i n t hemat t er of t he cal i phat e. Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) was f r om Qur aysh andt hey have a gr eat er r i ght f or i t , and ar e mor e appr opr i at e f or i t . " Assoon as Bashi r ut t ered t hese words di vi si on occur r ed among t he ansar ,and thi s was hi s ai m, because he coul d not see a man of hi s own t r i ber i si ng so hi gh. The muhajirun t ook t he best advant age of t hi s di vi si onamong t he ansar , and Ùmar and Abu Ùbaydah deci ded to swear al l egi ancet o Abu Bakr . They had j ust got f or war d f or t he act when Bashi r f i r st ofal l put hi s hand on t hat of Abu Bakr and af t er t hat Ùmar and Abu

Ùbaydah swor e the al l egi ance. Then t he peopl e of Bashi r ' s t r i be cameand swor e al l egi ance, and t r ampl ed Sa`d i bn Ùbadah under t hei r f eet .Dur i ng t hi s t i me Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was occupi ed i n t he f uner al bat h andbur i al of t he Pr ophet . When af t erwards he hear d about t he assembl age att he Saqi f ah and he came t o know t hat t he muhajirun had won t he scor eover ansar by pl eadi ng t hemsel ves t o be f r om t he t r i be of t he Pr ophethe ut t er ed t he f i ne sent ence t hat t hen ar gued on t he l i neal t r ee bei ngone but spoi l ed i t s f r ui t s, who ar e t he member s of hi s f ami l y. That i s,



i f muhajirun's cl ai m was acceded f or bei ng f r om t he l i neal t r ee of t hePr ophet , how can t hose who ar e t he f r ui t s of t hi s t r ee be i gnor ed? I ti s s t r ange t hat Abu Bakr who connect s wi t h t he Prophet i n t he sevent hgenerat i on above and Ùmar who connect s wi t h hi m i n the ni nt hgenerat i on above may be hel d of t he t r i be and f ami l y of t he Pr ophet and

was hi s f i r st cousi n, he i s r ef used t he st at us of a br ot her .he who

*****

Sermon 68

When Amir al-mu'minin appointed Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr [ 1] Governor ofEgypt and he was overpowered and killed, Amir al-mu'minin said:

I had i nt ended t o send Hashi m i bn Ùt bah t o Egypt and had l done so hewoul d have made way f or t he opponent s nor gi ven t hem t i me ( t o get hol dof hi m) . Thi s i s wi t hout r epr oach t o Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr as I l ovedhi m and had br ought hi m up.Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr ' s mot her was Asma' bi nt Ùmays whom Ami r al -mu' mi ni n marr i ed af t er Abu Bakr ' s deat h. Consequent l y, Muhammad l i vedand was brought up under t he car e of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and he i mbi bedhi s ways and manners. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n too l oved hi m much and regardedhi m as hi s son, and used t o say "Muhammad i s my son f r om Abu Bakr . " Hewas bor n i n t he j our ney f or t he l ast hajj ( of t he Prophet ) and di ed asmar t yr i n 38 A. H. at t he age of t went y ei ght year s.On access i on t o t he Cal i phate Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had sel ected Qays i bnSa`d i bn Ùbadah as t he Governor of Egypt but ci r cumst ances so

devel oped t hat he had t o be removed and Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr had t o besent t her e as Gover nor . The pol i cy of Qays t her e was t hat he di d notwant t o t ake any ser i ous s t ep agai nst t he Ùt hmani group but Muhammad' svi ew was di f f er ent . Af t er t he l apse of a mont h he sent t hem wor d t hati n case t hey di d not obey hi m t hei r exi st ence t her e woul d bei mpossi bl e. Upon t hi s t hese peopl e or gani sed a f r ont agai nst hi m, andengaged t hemsel ves i n secr et wi r e- pul l i ngs, but became conspi cuoussoon. Af t er ar bi t r at i on t hey star t ed creat i ng t r oubl e wi t h t he sl oganof vengeance. Thi s pol l ut ed t he at mosphere of Egypt . When Ami r al -mu' mi ni n came t o know t hese deter i orated condi t i ons he gave t hegover nor shi p of Egypt t o Mal i k i bn al - Har i t h al - Asht ar and sent hi m of f

t here i n order t hat he mi ght suppr ess i nsur gent el ement s and save t headmi ni st r at i on f r om get t i ng wor se, but he coul d not escape t he evi ldesi gns of t he Umayyads and was ki l l ed by poi son whi l e on hi s way. Thus, t he gover nor shi p of Egypt r emai ned wi t h Muhammad i bn Abi Bakr .On t hi s s i de, t he per f or mance of Àmr i bn al - Às i n connect i on wi t h t heAr bi t r at i on made Muàwi yah r ecal l hi s own pr omi se. Consequent l y, hegave hi m si x t housand combat ant s and set hi m of f t o at t ack Egypt . WhenMuhammad i bn Abi Bakr knew of t he advanci ng f or ce of t he enemy he wr ot e







t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n f or hel p. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r epl i ed t hat he woul d besoon col l ect i ng hel p f or hi m but i n t he meant i me he shoul d mobi l i se hi sown f or ces. Muhammad mobi l i sed f our t housand men under hi s banner anddi vi ded t hem i nt o two par t s. He kept one par t wi t h hi msel f and on t heother he pl aced Ki nanah i bn Bi shr at - Tuj i bi i n command and ordered hi mt o go f orward to check t he enemy' s advance. When t hey set t l ed down i n

camp bef ore t he enemy var i ous par t i es of t he enemy began at t acki ng thembut t hey f aced t hem wi t h cour age and val our . At l ast Mu`awi yah i bnHudayj as- Sakuni al - Ki ndi made an assaul t wi t h f ul l f or ce. These peopl edi d not t ur n away f r om t he enemy' s swor ds but f aced t hem st eadf ast l yand f el l as mar t yr s i n act i on. The ef f ect of t hi s def eat was t hatMuhammad i bn Abi Bakr ' s men got f r i ght ened and deser t ed hi m. Fi ndi nghi msel f al one Muhammad f l ed away and sought r ef uge i n a deser t ed pl ace. The enemy however got news about hi m t hrough someone and t r aced hi m outwhen he was dyi ng wi t h t hi r st . Muhammad asked f or water but t hese cr uelmen r ef used and but chered hi m t hi r st y. Then t hey put hi s body i n t hebel l y of a dead ass and bur nt i t .

Mal i k i bn Ka`b al - Ar habi had al r eady l ef t Kuf ah wi t h t wo t housand menbut bef ore he coul d r each Egypt i t had been occupi ed by t he enemy.*****

Sermon 69

Admonishing his companions about careless behaviour Amir al-mu'mininsaid:

How l ong shal l I accor d you consi der at i on t hat i s accor ded t o camel s

wi t h hol l ow hump, or t o worn cl othes whi ch when st i t ched on one si degi ve way on t he ot her . Whenever a vanguard f orce of Syr i a (ash- Sham)hover s over you, ever yone of you shut s hi s door and hi des hi msel f l i ket he l i zar d i n i t s hol e or a badger i t i t s den. By Al l ah, he whom peopl el i ke you support must suf f er di sgrace and he who t hr ows ar r ows wi t hyour suppor t i s as i f he t hr ows ar r ows t hat ar e br oken bot h at head andt ai l . By Al l ah, wi t hi n t he cour t yar d you ar e qui t e numer ous but undert he banner you ar e onl y a f ew. Cert ai nl y, I know what can i mpr ove youand how your cr ookedness can be st r ai ght ened. But I shal l not i mpr oveyour condi t i on by mar r i ng mysel f . Al l ah may di sgrace your f aces anddest r oy you. You do not underst and t he r i ght as you underst and t he

wr ong and do not cr ush t he wr ong as you cr ush t he r i ght .*****

Sermon 70



Spoken on the morning of the day when Amir al-mu'minin was fatallystruck with sword.

I was s i t t i ng when sl eep over t ook me. I saw t he Pr ophet of Al l ah appearbef or e me, and I sai d: "O' Prophet of Al l ah ! what cr ookedness andenmi t y I had t o f ace f r om t he peopl e. " The pr ophet of Al l ah sai d:" I nvoke ( Al l ah) evi l upon t hem, " but I sai d, "Al l ah may change them f or

me wi t h bet t er ones and change me f or t hem wi t h a worse one.as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "al-awad" means cr ookedness and "al-ladad" means enmi t y, and thi s i s t he most el oquent expr essi on.*****

Sermon 71In condemnation of the people of Iraq

Now t hen, O ' peopl e[ 1] of I r aq! You ar e l i ke the pr egnant woman who,on compl et i on of t he per i od of pr egnancy del i ver s a dead chi l d and herhusband i s al so dead and her per i od of wi dowhood i s l ong whi l e onl yr emot e r el at i on i nher i t s her . By Al l ah, I di d not come t o you of my ownaccor d. I came t o you by f orce of ci r cumst ances. I have come t o knowt hat you say `Al i speaks l i e. May Al l ah f i ght you! Agai nst whom do Ispeak l i e? Whet her agai nst Al l ah? But I am t he f i r st t o have bel i evedi n hi m. Whet her agai nst Hi s Pr ophet ? But I am t he f i r st who t est i f i edt o hi m. Cer t ai nl y not . By Al l ah i t was a way of expr essi on whi ch youf ai l ed t o appr eci at e, and you wer e not capabl e of i t . Woe t o you. I amgi vi ng out t hese measur es of ni ce expr essi on f r ee of any cost . I wi sht her e were vessel s good enough to hol d them.Certainly, you will understand it after some time. ( Qur ' an, 38: 88)Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . When af t er Ar bi t r at i on t he I r aqi s di spl ayed l et har gy andhear t l essness i n r et al i at i ng t he cont i nuous at t acks of Mu`awi yah, Ami ral - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s sermon abusi ng and admoni shi ng t hem. Herei nhe has r ef er r ed t o t hei r bei ng decei ved at Si f f i n and has l i kened t hemt o a woman who has f i ve qual i t i es:i ) Fi r st l y, she i s pr egnant . Thi s i mpl i es t hat t hese peopl e had f ul lcapabi l i t y t o f i ght , and wer e not l i ke a bar r en woman f r om whom not hi ngi s expect edi i ) Secondl y, she has compl et ed t he per i od of pr egnancy. That i s t heyhad passed over al l di f f i cul t st ages and had appr oached near t he f i nalgoal of vi ctor y.

i i i ) Thi r dl y, she wi l f ul l y mi scar r i es her chi l d. That i s af t er comi ngcl ose t o vi ct or y t hey came down t o set t l ement and i nst ead of achi evi ngt he covet ed goal f aced di sappoi nt ment .i v) Four t hl y, her per i od of wi dowhood i s l ong. That i s t hey f el l i nsuch a st ate as t hough t hey had no pr otect or or pat r on and t hey werer oami ng about wi t hout any rul er .







v) Fi f t hl y, her successors woul d be di st ant per sons. That i s t he peopl eof Syr i a who had no rel at i onshi p wi t h t hem woul d occupy t hei rpr oper t i es.*****

Sermon 72Herein Amir al-mu'minin tells people how to pronounce "as-salat" (toinvoke Divine blessing) on the Prophet.

My Al l ah, t he Spr eader of t he sur f aces ( of ear t h) and Keeper ( i nt act )of al l ski es, Cr eat or of hear t s on good and evi l nat ur e, send Thychoi cest bl essi ngs and gr owi ng f avours on Muhammad Thy servant and ThyProphet who i s t he l ast of t hose who pr eceded ( hi m) and an opener f orwhat i s cl osed, pr ocl ai mer of t r ut h wi t h t r ut h, r epul ser of t he f or cesof wr ong and crusher of t he onsl aught s of mi sgui dance. As he wasbur dened ( wi t h r esponsi bi l i t y of pr ophet hood) so he bor e i t st andi ng by Thy commands, advanci ng t owar ds Thy wi l l , wi t hout shr i nki ng of st eps ofweakness of det er mi nat i on, l i st eni ng t o Thy r evel at i on, pr eser vi ng Thyt est ament , pr oceedi ng f orward i n t he spreadi ng of Thy commands t i l l hel i t f i r e f or i t s seeker and l i ght ed t he pat h f or t he gr oper i n t hedar k.Hear t s achi eved gui dance t hr ough hi m af t er bei ng r i dden wi t h t r oubl es.He i nt r oduced cl ear l y gui di ng si gns and shi ni ng i nj unct i ons. He i s Thyt r ust ed t r ust ee, t he t r easur er of Thy t r easur ed knowl edge, Thy wi t nesson t he Day of J udgement , Thy envoy of t r uth and Thy Messenger t owardst he peopl e. My Al l ah pr epar e l ar ge pl ace f or hi m under Thy shade andaward hi m mul t i pl yi ng good by Thy bount y.My Al l ah, gi ve hei ght t o hi s const r uct i on above al l ot her

const r uct i ons, hei ght en hi s posi t i on wi t h Thee, gr ant per f ect i on t o hi sef f ul gence and per f ect f or hi m hi s l i ght . I n r ewar d f or hi s di schar gi ng Thy prophet shi p, grant hi m t hat hi s t est i mony be admi t t ed and hi sspeech be l i ked f or hi s speech i s j ust , and hi s j udgement s ar e cl ear -cut . My Al l ah put us and hi m t oget her i n t he pl easur es of l i f e,cont i nuance of bount y, sat i sf act i on of desi r es, enj oyment of pl easur es.ease of l i vi ng, peace of mi nd and gi f t s of honour .*****

Sermon 73 Amir al-mu'minin said about Marwan ibn al-Hakam at Basrah. When Marwanwas taken on the day of Jamal, he asked Hasan and Husayn (p.b.u.t.) tointercede on his behalf before Amir al-mu'minin. So they spoke to Amiral-mu'minin about him and he released him. Then they said, "O' Amir al-

mu'minin he desires to swear you allegiance" Whereupon Amir al-mu'mininsaid:



Di d he not swear me al l egi ance af t er t he ki l l i ng of Ùt hman? Now I donot need hi s al l egi ance, because hi s i s t he hand of a J ew. I f he swear sme al l egi ance wi t h hi s hand he woul d vi ol at e i t af t er a shor t whi l e.Wel l , he i s t o get power f or so l ong as a dog l i cks hi s nose. He i s t hef at her of f our r ams ( who wi l l al so r ul e) . The peopl e wi l l f ace dayst hr ough hi m and hi s sons. [ 1]

Footnotes by translator:[ 1] . Marwan i bn al - Hakamwas the nephew ( br other ' s son) and son- i n- l awof Ùt hman. Due t o t hi n body and tal l st atur e he was known wi t h theni ckname "Khayt Bat i l " ( t he thr ead of wr ong) . When Àbd al - Mal i k i bnMarwan ki l l ed Àmr i bn Saì d al - Ashdaq, hi s br ot her Yahya i bn Saì dsai d:O' sons of Khayt Bat i l ( t he t hr ead of t he wr ong) you have pl ayed decei ton Àmr and peopl e l i ke you bui l d t hei r houses ( of aut hor i t y) on decei tand t r eacher y.Al t hough hi s f at her al - Hakam i bn Abi al - Às had accept ed I sl am at t het i me of t he f al l of Mecca but hi s behavi our and act i vi t i es wer e ver y

pai nf ul t o t he Pr ophet . Consequent l y, t he Pr ophet cur sed hi m and hi sdescendant s and sai d, "Woe wi l l bef al l my peopl e f r om t he pr ogeny oft hi s man. " At l ast i n vi ew of hi s i ncreasi ng i nt r i gues t he Pr ophetexter ned hi m f r om Medi na t owar ds t he val l ey of Waj j ( i n Ta' i f ) andMarwan al so went wi t h hi m. Prophet di d not t her eaf t er al l ow t hem ent r yi n Medi na al l hi s l i f e. Abu Bakr and Ùmar di d l i kewi se, but Ùt hmansent f or bot h of t hem dur i ng hi s r ei gn, and r ai sed Mar wan t o suchhei ght as t hough t he r ei ns of cal i phat e r est ed i n hi s hands. Ther eaf t erhi s ci r cumst ances became so f avour abl e that on t he deat h of Muàwi yahi bn Yazi d he became t he Cal i ph of t he Musl i ms. But he had j ust r ul edonl y f or ni ne mont hs and ei ght een days t hat deat h over t ook hi m i n sucha way that hi s wi f e sat wi t h t he pi l l ow on hi s f ace and di d not getaway ti l l he br eat hed hi s l ast . The f our sons t o whom Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has r ef er r ed wer e t he f our sonsof Àbd al - Mal i k i bn Marwan namel y al - Wal i d, Sul ayman, Yazi d andHi sham, who ascended t he Cal i phate one af t er t he ot her and col our ed t hepages of hi st ory wi t h t hei r st or i es. Some comment ators have r egardedt hi s r ef erence t o Marwan' s own sons whose names are Àbd al - Mal i k, Àbdal - Àzi z, Bi shr and Muhammad. Out of t hese Àbd al - Mal i k di d becomeCal i ph of I sl am but Àbd al - Àzi z became gover nor of Egypt , Bi shr of

nd Muhammad of al - J azi r ah.I r aq a*****

Sermon 74







When the Consultative Committee (or Shura) decided to swear allegianceto `Uthman, Amir al-mu'minin said:

You have cer t ai nl y known t hat I am t he most r i ght f ul of al l ot her s f ort he Cal i phat e. By Al l ah, so l ong as t he af f ai r s of Musl i ms r emai ni nt act and t her e i s no oppr essi on i n i t save on mysel f I shal l keepqui et seeki ng r ewar d f or i t ( f r om Al l ah) and keepi ng al oof f r om i t s

at t r act i ons and al l ur ement s f or whi ch you aspi r e.*****

Sermon 75 When Amir al-mu'minin learnt that the Umayyads blamed him for killing`Uthman, he said:

Umayyads' s knowl edge about me di d not desi st t hemf r omaccusi ng me, nordi d my pr ecedence ( i n accept i ng I sl am) keep of f t hese i gnor ant peopl ef r ombl ami ng me. Al l ah' s admoni t i ons ar e more el oquent t han my t ongue.I am t he cont est er agai nst t hose who br eak away f r om Fai t h and t heopposer of t hose who ent er t ai n doubt s. Uncert ai nt i es shoul d be pl acedbef or e Qur ' an, t he Book of Al l ah ( f or cl ar i f i cat i on) . Cer t ai nl y, peopl ewi l l be r ecompensed accordi ng t o what t hey have i n t hei r hear t s.*****

Sermon 76

About preaching and counseling

Al l ah may bl ess hi m who l i st ens t o a poi nt of wi sdom and r et ai ns i t ,when he i s i nvi t ed t o t he r i ght pat h he appr oaches i t , he f ol l ows al eader ( by cat chi ng hi s wai st band) and f i nds sal vat i on, keeps Al l ahbef or e hi s eyes and f ear s hi s si ns, per f or ms act i ons si ncer el y and act svi r t uousl y, ear ns t r easur e of heavenl y rewar ds, avoi ds vi ce, ai ms at( good) obj ect i ves and reaps r ecompense, f aces hi s desi r es and rej ect s( f ake) hopes, makes endur ance the means t o hi s sal vat i on and pi ety t hepr ovi si on f or hi s deat h, r i des on t he pat h of honour and st i cks t o t hehi ghway of t r ut h, makes good use of hi s t i me and hast ens t owards t heend and t akes wi t h hi m t he pr ovi si on of ( good) act i ons.*****

Sermon 77

About Umayyads



The Banu Umayyah ( Umayyads) ar e al l owi ng me t he i nher i t ance of Muhammad( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) bi t ( by bi t ) . By Al l ah, i f I l i ve I woul d t hr ow t hemaway as t he but cher r emoves t he dust f r om t he dust - covered pi ece off l esh.as- Sayyi d ar - Radi says: I n one ver si on f or "al-widhamu't-taribah" (dust

cover ed pi ece of f l esh) t he wor ds "at-turabu'l-wadhimah" ( t he soi lst i cki ng on a pi ece of f l esh) have been shown. That i s, f or t headj ect i ve t he qual i f i ed noun and f or t he qual i f i ed noun t he adj ect i vehas been pl aced. Any by t he word "layufawwiqunani" Ami r al - mu' mi ni ni mpl i es t hat t hey al l ow hi m bi t by bi t j ust as a she- camel may bemi l ked a l i t t l e and t hen i t s young one may be made t o suck mi l k so t hati t may be ready t o be mi l ked. And "al-widham" i s the pl ur al of"wadhamah" whi ch means t he pi ece of st omach or of l i ver whi ch f al l s ont he gr ound and t hen t he dust i s r emoved f r om i t .*****

Sermon 78Supplications of Amir al-mu'minin

O' my Al l ah! Forgi ve me what Thou knowest about me more t han I do. I f Ir et ur n ( t o t he si ns) Thou r et ur n t o f or gi veness. My Al l ah f or gi ve mewhat I had pr omi sed t o mysel f but Thou di dst not f i nd i t s f ul f i l mentwi t h me. My Al l ah f orgi ve me that wi t h what I sought near ness t o Theewi t h my t ongue but my hear t opposed and di d not per f orm i t . My Al l ahf or gi ve me wi nki ngs of t he eye, vi l e ut t er ances, desi r es of t he hear t

and er r or s of speech.

*****

Sermon 79 When[ 1] Amir al-mu'minin decided to set out for the battle with theKharijites someone said, "If you set out at this moment then according

to astrology I fear you will not be successful in your aim," whereupon Amir al-mu'minin said: Do you t hi nk you can t el l t he hour when a man goes out and no evi lbef al l hi m or can war n of t he t i me at whi ch i f one goes out har m wi l laccr ue? Whoever t est i f i es t o t hi s f al si f i es t he Qur ' an and becomesunmi ndf ul of Al l ah i n achi evi ng hi s desi r ed obj ect i ve and i n war di ngof f t he undesi r abl e. You cher i sh sayi ng t hi s so t hat he who act s onwhat you say shoul d pr ai se you r ather t han Al l ah because accor di ng t o





t hat t hey shoul d r eal i se t hat t he good act has been perf ormed becauseof i t s bei ng good and t hat t hei r pl easur e or wi sh has not hi ng t o dowi t h i t . I f t hey have even t he doubt t hat t hei r pl easur es has been kepti n vi ew i n i t t hey woul d sl owl y i ncr ease i n t hei r demands and woul dwi sh t hat t hey shoul d be obeyed i n al l mat t er s however evi l , t hei nevi t abl e consequence wher eof wi l l be dest r uct i on and rui n. ash- Shaykh

Muhammad `Abduh wr i t es about t hi s vi ew of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n as under :Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has sai d a t hi ng whi ch i s cor r obor at ed by exper i encesof cent ur i es.*****

Sermon 81 About the way of preaching and counseling

O' peopl e! abst i nence i s t o shor t en desi r es, t o thank f or bount i es andt o keep of f pr ohi bi t i ons. I f t hi s i s possi bl e t hen ( at l east ) t hepr ohi bi t i ons shoul d not over power your pat i ence. Al l ah has exhaust edt he excuse bef or e you thr ough cl ear , shi ni ng ar gument s and open, br i ghtbooks.*****

Sermon 82 About the world and its people

I n what way shal l I descr i be t hi s wor l d whose begi nni ng i s gr i ef and

whose end i s dest r uct i on?[ 1] The l awf ul act i ons per f ormed here have t obe account ed f or , whi l e f or t he f or bi dden ones t her e i s puni shment .Whoever i s r i ch her e f aces mi schi ef and whoever i s poor get s gr i ef . Onewho hanker s af t er i t does not get i t . I f one keeps away f r om i t t hen i tadvances t owar ds hi m. I f one sees t hr ough i t , i t woul d best ow hi msi ght , but i f one has hi s eye on i t t hen i t woul d bl i nd hi m.as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I f a t hi nker t hi nks over t hi s phr ase of Ami ral - mu' mi ni n "waman absara biha bassarat'hu" ( "I f one sees t hr ough i t ,i t woul d best ow hi m si ght " ) he woul d f i nd t her eunder ver y amazi ngmeani ng and f ar - r eachi ng sense whose pur pose cannot be appr eci ated andwhose ai m cannot be under st ood par t i cul ar l y when he j oi ns i t wi t h Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s phr ase "waman absara ilayha a`mat'hu" ( "I f one, has hi seye on i t , t hem i t woul d bl i nd hi m) he woul d f i nd t he di f f er encebet ween "absara biha" and "absara laha", cl ear , br i ght , wonder f ul andshi ni ng.Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . "The begi nni ng of t he wor l d i s gr i ef and i t s end i s dest r uct i on. " Thi s sent ence cont ai ns t he same t r uth whi ch t he Qur ' an has present ed i nt he ver se:







*****

Sermon 83This sermon is called the al-Gharra' and it is one of the most

wonderful sermons of Amir al-mu'minin.Pr ai se be t o Al l ah who i s Hi gh above al l el se, and i s Near ( t hecr eat i on) t hr ough Hi s bount y. He i s t he Gi ver of al l r ewar d anddi st i nct i on, and Di spel l er of al l cal ami t i es and har dshi ps. I pr ai seHi m f or Hi s cont i nuous mer cy and Hi s copi ous bount i es.I bel i eve i n Hi m as He i s t he Fi r st of al l and He i s Mani f est . I seekgui dance f r om Hi m as He i s Near and i s t he Gui de. I seek Hi s succour asHe i s Mi ght y and Subduer . I depend upon Hi m as He i s Suf f i cer andSupport er . And I st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad ( bl essi ng of Al l ah be onhi m and hi s pr ogeny) i s Hi s sl ave and Hi s Prophet . He sent hi m f orenf orcement of Hi s commands, f or exhaust i ng Hi s pl eas and f or

st et er nal puni shment ) .pr esent i ng war ni ngs ( agai nEnjoining people to Piety

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah I advi se you t o have f ear of Al l ah Who hasf ur ni shed i l l ust r at i ons and Who has t i med f or you your l i ves. He hasgi ven you cover i ng of dr ess[ 1] and He has scat t er ed f or you l i vel i hood.He has surr ounded you wi t h Hi s knowl edge. He has or dai ned r ewar ds. Hehas best owed upon you vast bount i es and extensi ve gi f t s. He has warnedyou t hrough f ar r eachi ng argument s, and He has counted you by number s.He has f i xed f or you ages ( t o l i ve) i n t hi s pl ace of t est and house ofi nstr uct i on. You ar e on t est i n t hi s wor l d and have t o r ender account about i t .Caution against this world

Cer t ai nl y t hi s wor l d i s a di r t y wat er i ng pl ace and a muddy sour ce ofdr i nki ng.I t s appear ance i s at t r acti ve and i t s i nsi de i s dest r ucti ve. I t i s adecept i on, a vani shi ng r ef l ect i on and a bent pi l l ar . When i t s despi serbegi ns t o l i ke i t and he who i s not acquai nt ed wi t h i t f eel s sat i sf i edwi t h i t , t hen i t r ai ses and put s down i t s f eet ( i n j oy) , ent r aps hi m i ni t s t r ap, makes hi m t he t ar get of i t s arr ows and put s r ound hi s neckt he r ope of deat h t aki ng hi m t o t he nar r ow gr ave and f ear f ul abode i nor der t o show hi m hi s pl ace of st ay and t he recompense of hi s act s. Thi s goes on f r om generat i on t o gener at i on. Nei t her deat h st ops f r omcut t i ng t hem asunder nor do t he sur vi vor s keep al oof f r om commi t t i ng of

si ns.Death and Resurrection

They ar e emul at i ng each ot her and proceedi ng i n groups t owar ds t hef i nal obj ect i ve and t he rendezvous of deat h, t i l l when mat t er s come toa cl ose, t he wor l d di es and r esur r ect i on dr aws near . Al l ah[ 2] woul dt ake t hem out f r om t he cor ner s of t he gr aves, t he nest s of bi r ds. t hedens of beast s and t he cent r es of deat h. They hast en t owards Hi mcommand and r un t owar ds t he pl ace f i xed f or t hei r f i nal r et ur n gr oup by







gr oup, qui et , st andi ng and ar r ayed i n r ows. They wi l l be wi t hi n Al l ah' ssi ght and wi l l hear ever y one who woul d cal l t hem. They woul d be havi ng t he dress of hel pl essness and cover i ng ofsubmi ssi on and i ndi gni t y. ( At t hi s t i me) cont r i vances woul d di sappear ,desi r es woul d be cut , hear t s woul d si nk qui et l y, voi ces woul d be cur beddown, sweat woul d choke t he t hr oat , f ear woul d i ncr ease and ears woul d

r esound wi t h t he t hunder i ng voi ce of t he announcer cal l i ng t owar ds t hef i nal j udgement , award of r ecompense, st r i ki ng of puni shment and payi ngof r ewar d.The limitations of life

Peopl e have been creat ed as a pr oof of ( Hi s) power, have been br oughtup wi t h aut hor i t y, t hey ar e made t o di e t hr ough pangs, and pl aced i ngr aves where t hey t ur n i nt o cr umbs. Then t hey woul d be r esurr ect ed oneby one, awarded t hei r r ecompense and woul d have to account f or t hei ract i ons, each one separatel y. They had been al l owed t i me t o seekdel i ver ance, had been shown t he r i ght path and had been al l owed t o l i veand seek f avours, t he dar kness of doubt s had been r emoved, and t hey had

been l et f r ee i n t hi s per i od of l i f e as a t r ai ni ng pl ace i n or der t omake pr eparat i on f or t he r ace on t he Day of J udgement , t o sear ch f ort he obj ect i ve wi t h t hought f ul ness, t o get t i me necessary t o secur e

e next pl ace of st ay.benef i t s and pr ovi de f or t h No happiness without Piety

How appr opr i at e ar e these i l l ust r at i ons and ef f ect i ve admoni t i onspr ovi ded t hey ar e recei ved by pur e hear t s, open ear s, f i r m vi ews andshar p wi t s. Fear Al l ah l i ke hi m who l i st ened ( good advi ce) and bowedbef or e i t , when he commi t t ed si n he admi t t ed i t , when he f el t f ear heact ed vi r t uousl y, when he appr ehended he hast ened ( t owards good act s) ,when he bel i eved he per f ormed vi r t uous act s, when he was asked t o t akel esson ( f r om t he happeni ngs of t hi s wor l d) he di d t ake t he l esson, whenhe was asked t o desi st he abst ai ned ( f r om evi l ) , when he r esponded t ot he cal l ( of Al l ah) he l eaned ( t owar ds hi m) , when he tur ned back ( t oevi l ) he repent ed, when he f ol l owed he al most i mi t ated and when he wasshown ( t he r i ght pat h) he saw i t .Such a man was busy i n sear ch of t r ut h and got r i d ( of t he wor l dl yevi l s) by r unni ng away. He col l ect ed pr ovi si on ( of good act s) f orhi msel f , pur i f i ed hi s i nner sel f , bui l t f or t he next wor l d, and t ookwi t h hi msel f pr ovi si on f or t he day of hi s depar t ur e, keepi ng i n vi ewhi s j our ney, hi s r equi r ement and t he posi t i on of hi s need. He sentahead of hi m f or t he abode of hi s st ay ( i n t he next wor l d) . O'cr eat ur es of Al l ah, f ear Al l ah keepi ng i n vi ew t he reason why He

cr eat ed you and be af r ai d of Hi m t o the ext ent He has advi sed you t odo. Make your sel f deser ve what He has promi sed you, by havi ngconf i dence i n t he t r ut h of Hi s pr omi se and ent er t ai ni ng f ear f or t heDay of J udgement .

A part of the same sermonReminding people of Allah's bounties

He has made f or you ear s t o pr eserve what i s i mpor t ant , eyes t o havesi ght i n pl ace of bl i ndness and l i mbs whi ch consi st of many ( smal l er )



make hi m f or get pai n. He r at her l i es under sever al ki nds of deat hs andmoment - t o- moment puni shment . We seek ref uge wi t h Al l ah.The lesson to be learnt from those who have passed away

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah! wher e ar e those who wer e al l owed ( l ong) ages t ol i ve and they enj oyed bount y. They wer e t aught and they l ear nt ; t heywere gi ven t i me and t hey passed i t i n vai n; t hey were kept heal t hy and

t hey f or got ( t hei r dut y) . They wer e al l owed l ong per i od ( of l i f e) , wer ehandsomel y provi ded, were warned of gr i evous puni shment and wer epr omi sed bi g r ewar ds. You shoul d avoi d si ns t hat l ead t o dest r uct i onand vi ces t hat at t r act wr at h ( of Al l ah) .O' peopl e who possess eyes and ear s and heal t h and weal t h! I s t here anypl ace of pr ot ect i on, any shel t er of saf et y, or asyl um or haven, oroccasi on t o r un away or t o come back ( t o t hi s wor l d) ? I f not , "how are

you then turned away" ( Qur ' an, 6: 95; 10: 34; 35: 3; 40: 62) and wi t her ar eyou avert i ng? By what t hi ngs have you been decei ved? Cert ai nl y, t heshar e of ever y one of you f r om t hi s ear t h i s j ust a pi ece of l and equalt o hi s own st atur e and si ze where he woul d l i e on hi s cheeks cover ed

wi t h dust . The pr esent i s an oppor t une moment f or act i ng.O' creat ur es of Al l ah, si nce t he neck i s f r ee f r om t he l oop, and spi r i ti s al so unf et t er ed, now you have t i me f or seeki ng gui dance: you ar e i nease of body; you can assembl e i n cr owds, t he r est of l i f e i s bef or eyou; you have oppor t uni t y of act i ng by wi l l ; t her e i s oppor t uni t y f orr epent ance, and peacef ul ci r cumst ances. ( But you shoul d act ) bef or e youar e over t aken by nar r ow ci r cumst ances and di st r ess, or f ear andweakness, bef ore the appr oach of t he awai t ed deat h and bef ore sei zure

wer f ul .by t he Al mi ght y, t he Poas-Sayyid ar-Radi says: I t i s r el at ed t hat when Ami r al - mu' mi ni ndel i ver ed t hi s sermon peopl e began t o t r embl e, t ear s f l owed f r om t hei reyes and t hei r hear t s wer e f r i ght ened. Some peopl e cal l t hi s ser mon t heBr i l l i ant Ser mon ( al-Khutbatu'l-Gharra')Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Al l ah has f ur ni shed ever y cr eat ur e wi t h nat ur al dr ess, whi ch i s t hemeans of pr ot ect i ng i t f r om col d and heat . Thus, some ani mal s arecover ed i n f eat her s and some car r y appar el s of wool on t hei r bodi es.But t he hi gh degr ee of i nt el l i gence of man and t he qual i t y of shame andmodest y i n hi m demands di st i nct i on f r om ot her cr eat ur es. Consequent l y,t o mai nt ai n t hi s di st i nct i on he has been t aught t he ways of cover i nghi s body. I t was t hi s nat ur al i mpul se t hat when Adamwas made to gi veup hi s dress he began to cover hi s body wi t h l eaves. The Qur ' an says:So when they tested (o f ) the tree their shameful things got displayed

unto them and they began covering themselves with leaves of the garden... ( Qu' r an, 7: 22) Thi s was t he puni shment awar ded f or hi s commi t t i ng what was bet t er f orhi m t o omi t . When r emoval of dr ess i s puni shment i t s put t i ng on woul dbe a f avour , and si nce t hi s i s pecul i ar t o man i t has been par t i cul ar l yment i oned.[ 2] . The i nt ent i on i s t hat Al l ah woul d r esur r ect al l t he dead, event hough they had been eaten by beast s and been merged i n t hei r bodi es.







I t s ai m i s t o r ef ut e t he vi ew of t he phi l osopher s who hol d t hat t her esur r ect i on of t he non- exi st ent i s i mpossi bl e and who do not t her ef or ebel i eve i n t he physi cal r esur r ect i on. Thei r ar gument br i ef l y i s t hat at hi ng whi ch has l ost exi st ence by deat h cannot r et ur n t o l i f e.Consequent l y, af t er t he dest r uct i on of t hi s wor l d t he r et ur n of any ofi t s bei ngs t o l i f e i s out of quest i on. But t hi s bel i ef i s not cor r ect

because di sper sal of t he par t s does not mean i t s non- exi st ence, so ast o say that put t i ng t hese par t s t oget her agai n woul d i nvol ver esur r ect i on of t he non- exi st ent . On t he other hand separ at ed anddi sper sed par t s cont i nue t o exi st i n some f or m or t he ot her . Of cour se,i n t hi s connect i on t hi s obj ect i on has some f or ce t hat when ever y per soni s t o be resurr ect ed i n hi s own f or m, t hen i n case one per son has eat ent he ot her , t hen i n such a case i t woul d be i mpossi bl e t o r esur r ectei t her of t hem wi t h hi s own const i t uent par t s, si nce t hi s woul d i nvol vecr eat i ng def i ci ency of par t s i n t hat who had eat en t he ot her . To t hi s met aphysi ci ans have r epl i ed t hat i n everybody t her e ar e someconst i t uent s whi ch ar e essent i al and ot her s whi ch ar e non- essent i al .

The essent i al const i t uent s r emai n const ant f r om t he begi nni ng t i l l endof l i f e and suf f er no change or al t er at i on, and r esur r ect i on wi t hr egar d t o such const i t uent s woul d not cr eate any def i ci ency i n t he man

e t he ot her .who at*****

Sermon 84 About Àmr ibn al-Às

I am sur pr i sed at t he son of an- Nabi ghah t hat he says about me amongt he peopl e of Syr i a ( ash- Sham) t hat I am a j est er and t hat I am engagedi n f r ol i cs and f un. He sai d wr ong and spoke si nf ul l y. Bewar e, t he wor stspeech i s what i s unt r ue. He speaks and l i es. He pr omi ses and br eakst he pr omi se. He begs and st i cks, but when someone begs f r omhi m hewi t hhol ds mi ser l y. He bet r ays t he pl edge and i gnor es ki nshi p.When i n a bat t l e, he commands and admoni shes but onl y upt i l t he swordsdo not come i nt o act i on. When such a moment ar r i ves hi s great t r i ck i st o t ur n naked[ 1] bef or e hi s adver sary. By Al l ah, surel y t he remembr anceof deat h has kept me away f r omf un and pl ay whi l e obl i vi ousness aboutt he next wor l d has pr event ed hi m f r om speaki ng t r ut h. He has not swor n

al l egi ance to Muàwi yah wi t hout pur pose; but has bef or ehand got hi m t oagr ee t hat he wi l l have t o pay i t s pr i ce, and gave hi m an awar d f orf or saki ng r el i gi on.Foot not es by t r ansl at or :[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n her e ref er s t o the i nci dent when t he ' Conquer or ofEgypt ' Àmr i bn al - Às exhi bi t ed t he f eat of hi s cour age by di spl ayi nghi s pr i vat e par t s. What happened was t hat when i n t he bat t l ef i el d ofSi f f i n he and Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had an encount er , he render ed hi msel f







naked i n or der t o war d of f t he bl ow of t he swor d. At t hi s Ami r al -mu' mi ni n t ur ned hi s f ace away and spar ed hi m hi s l i f e. The f amous Ar abpoet al - Far azdaq sai d about i t : Ther e i s no good i n war di ng of f t r oubl e by i gnomi ny as was done one dayby Àmr i bn al - Às by di spl ay of hi s pr i vat e par t s.Even i n t hi s i gnobl e act Àmr i bn al - Às had not t he cr edi t of doi ng i t

hi msel f , but had r ather f ol l owed another one who had pr eceded hi m,because t he man who f i r st adopt ed t hi s devi ce was Tal hah i bn Abi Tal hahwho had saved hi s l i f e i n t he bat t l e of Uhud by becomi ng naked bef oreAmi r al - mu' mi ni n, and so he showed t hi s way t o t he others. Thus,besi des Àmr i bn al - Às t hi s t r i ck was pl ayed by Busr i bn Abi Ar t atal so t o save hi msel f f r om t he swor d of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n. When af t er t heper f ormance of t hi s not abl e deed Busr went t o Muàwi yah t he l at t err ecal l ed Àmr i bn al - Às' s act as pr ecedent i n or der t o r emove t hi sman' s shamef ul ness and sai d, "O' Busr , no mat t er . Ther e i s not hi ng t of eel shamef ul about i t i n vi ew of Àmr i bn al - Às' s pr ecedent bef or eyou. "

* ****

Sermon 85

About the perfection of Allah and counseling

I st and wi t ness t hat t her e i s no god but Al l ah, He i s One and t her e i sno par t ner wi t h Hi m. He i s t he Fi r st , such t hat not hi ng was bef or e Hi m.He i s t he Last , such t hat t her e i s not l i mi t f or Hi m. I magi nat i oncannot cat ch any of Hi s qual i t i es. Hear t s cannot ent er t ai n bel i ef about

Hi s nat ur e. Anal ysi s and di vi si on cannot be appl i ed t o Hi m. Eyes andhear t s cannot compar e Hi m.

A part of the same sermon

O' creat ur es of Al l ah! t ake l esson f r om usef ul i t ems of i nst r uct i on andshi ni ng i ndi cat i ons. Be caut i oned by ef f ect i ve i t ems of war ni ng. Getbenef i t f r om pr eachi ng and admoni t i on. I t i s as t hough t he cl aws ofdeat h are pr essed i n you, t he connect i on of hope and desi r es has beencut asunder , har d af f ai r s have bef al l en you and your mar ch i s t owar dst he pl ace where everyone has t o go, namel y death. Hence, "with every

person there is a driver and a witness" ( Qur ' an, 50: 21) . The dr i verdr i ves hi m t owar ds r esur r ect i on whi l e t he wi t ness f ur ni shes evi dence

about hi s deeds. A part of the same sermon (about Paradise)

I n Par adi se t her e ar e hi gh cl asses and di f f er ent pl aces of st ay. I t sboundar y never ends. He who st ays i n i t wi l l never depar t f r om i t . Hewho i s endowed wi t h ever l ast i ng abode i n i t wi l l not get ol d, and i t sr esi dent wi l l not f ace want .



Sermon 86

About getting ready for the next world and following Allah'scommandments

Al l ah knows hi dden mat t er s and i s awar e of i nner f eel i ngs. Heencompasses everyt hi ng. He has cont r ol over everyt hi ng and power overeveryt hi ng. Ever yone of you shoul d do whatever he has t o do dur i ng hi sdays of l i f e bef or e t he appr oach of deat h, i n hi s l ei sur e bef or e hi soccupat i on, and dur i ng t he br eat hi ng of hi s br eat h bef or e i t i sover t aken by suf f ocat i on, shoul d pr ovi de f or hi msel f and hi s j our neyand shoul d col l ect pr ovi si on f r om hi s pl ace of hal t f or hi s pl ace ofst ay.So r emember Al l ah, O' peopl e, about what He has asked you i n Hi s Bookt o take car e of , and about Hi s r i ght s t hat He has ent r ust ed t o you.Ver i l y, Al l ah has not cr eat ed you i n vai n nor l ef t you unbr i dl ed norl ef t you al one i n i gnorance and gl oom. He has def i ned what you shoul dl eave behi nd. t aught you your act s, or dai ned your deat h, sent down t oyou. "the Book ( Qur ' an) explaining everything" ( Qur ' an, 16: 89) and madeHi s Prophet l i ve among you f or a l ong t i me t i l l He compl et ed f or hi mand f or you the message sent t hr ough the Qur ' an namel y t he rel i gi onl i ked by Hi m, and cl ar i f i ed t hr ough hi m Hi s good act s and evi l act s,Hi s prohi bi t i ons and Hi s commands.He pl aced bef ore you Hi s ar gument s and exhaust ed hi s excuses upon you.He put f or t h t o you Hi s promi ses and war ned you of sever e r et r i but i on. You shoul d t her ef or e make f ul l at onement dur i ng your r emai ni ng days andl et your sel ves pr act i ce endur ance i n t hese days. These days ar e f eweras agai nst t he many days dur i ng whi ch you have shown obl i vi ousness and

heedl essness t owar ds admoni t i on. Do not al l ow t i me t o your sel vesbecause i t wi l l put you on t he path of wr ong- doer s and do not be easy-goi ng because t hi s wi l l push you t owar ds si nf ul ness.O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah! t he best advi ser f or hi msel f i s he who i s t hemost obedi ent t o Al l ah, and t he most decei vi ng f or hi msel f i s he who i st he most di sobedi ent t o Al l ah. Decei ved i s he who decei ved hi s ownsel f . Envi abl e i s he whose Fai t h i s saf e. For t unat e i s he who t akesl esson f r om ot her s, whi l e unf or t unat e i s he who f el l vi ct i m t o hi sdesi r es. You shoul d know t hat even t he smal l est hypocr i sy i s l i kebel i evi ng i n more t han one God, and keepi ng company of peopl e whof ol l ow t hei r desi r es i s t he key t o obl i vi ousness f r om r el i gi on, and i s

t he seat of Sat an.Be on your guar d agai nst f al sehood because i t i s cont r ar y t o Fai t h. At r ut hf ul per son i s on t he hei ght of sal vat i on and di gni t y, whi l e t hel i ar i s on t he edge of i gnomi ny and degr adat i on. Do not be j eal ousbecause j eal ousy eat s away Fai t h j ust as f i r e eat s away dr i ed wood. Donot bear mal i ce because, i t i s a scraper ( of vi r t ues) . And know t hatdesi r es make wi t f orget f ul and make memory obl i vi ous. You shoul d



f al si f y desi r e because i t i s a decept i on, and he who has desi r es i s i ndecei t .*****

Sermon 87The Qualities of a faithful believer

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah! t he most bel oved of Al l ah i s he whom Al l ah hasgi ven power ( t o act ) agai nst hi s passi ons, so t hat hi s i nner si de i s( submer ged i n) gr i ef and t he out er si de i s cover ed wi t h f ear . The l ampof gui dance i s bur ni ng i n hi s hear t . He has pr ovi ded ent er t ai nment f ort he day t hat i s t o bef al l hi m. He r egar ds what i s di st ant t o be nearhi msel f and t akes t he har d t o be l i ght . He l ooks at and per cei ves; her emembers ( Al l ah) and enhances ( t he t empo of hi s) act i ons. He dr i nks

sweet wat er t o whose source hi s way has been made easy. So he dr i nks t osat i sf act i on and t akes t he l evel pat h. He has put of f t he cl ot hes ofdesi r es and got r i d of wor r i es except one wor r y pecul i ar t o hi m. He i ssaf e f r ommi sgui dance and t he company of peopl e who f ol l ow t hei rpassi ons. He has become t he key t o t he door s of gui dance, and the l ockf or t he door s of dest r uct i on.He has seen hi s way and i s wal ki ng on i t . He knows hi s pi l l ar ( ofgui dance) and has cr ossed over hi s deep water . He has caught hol d oft he most r el i abl e suppor t s and t he st r ongest r opes. He i s on t hat l evelof convi ct i on whi ch i s l i ke t he br i ght ness of t he sun. He has sethi msel f f or Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, f or per f or mance of t he most subl i me

act s of f aci ng al l t hat bef al l s hi m and t aki ng ever y step needed f ori t . He i s t he l amp i n dar kness. He i s t he di spel l er of al l bl i ndness,key to t he obscure, r emover of compl exi t i es, and a gui de i n vastdeser t s. When he speaks he makes you under st and whereas when he remai nssi l ent t hen i t i s saf e t o do so. He di d ever yt hi ng onl y f or Al l ah andso Al l ah al so made hi m Hi s own. Consequent l y, he i s l i ke t he mi nes ofHi s f ai t h and as a st ump i n Hi s ear t h. He has enj oi ned upon hi msel f ( t of ol l ow) j us t i ce. The f i r st st ep of hi s j ust i ce i s t he r ej ect i on of desi r es f r om hi shear t . He descr i bes r i ght and act s accor di ng t o i t . Ther e i s no goodwhi ch he has not ai med at nor any l i kel y pl ace ( of vi r t ue) of t he

Qur ' an. Theref ore the Qur ' an i s hi s gui de and l eader . He gets down whent he Qur ' an put s down hi s wei ght and he set t l es wher e the Qur ' an set t l eshi m down.The Characteristics of an unfaithful believer

Whi l e t he ot her ( ki nd of ) man i s he who cal l s hi msel f l ear ned but he i snot so. He has gl eaned i gnor ance f r om t he i gnor ant and mi sgui dance f r omt he mi sgui ded. He has set f or t he peopl e a t r ap ( made) of t he ropes ofdecei t and unt r ue speech. He takes t he Qur ' an accor di ng t o hi s own



vi ews and r i ght af t er hi s passi ons. He makes peopl e f eel saf e f r om bi gsi ns and t akes l i ght t he ser i ous cr i mes. He says t hat he i s wai t i ng f or( cl ar i f i cat i on of ) doubt s but he r emai ns pl unged t her ei n, and t hat hekeeps al oof f r om i nnovat i ons but act ual l y he i s i mmer sed i n t hem. Hi sshape i s t hat of a man, but hi s hear t i s t hat of a beast . He does notknow t he door of gui dance t o f ol l ow nor t he door of mi sgui dance t o keep

al oof t her ef r om. These ar e l i vi ng dead bodi es. About the Descendants (`Itrah) of the Holy Prophet

"So wither are you going to" ( Qur ' an, 81: 26) and "how are you thenturned away?" ( Qur ' an, 6: 95; 10: 34; 35: 3; 40: 62) . Ensi gns ( of gui dance)ar e st andi ng, i ndi cat i ons ( of vi r t ue) ar e cl ear , and t he mi nar et s ( ofl i ght ) have been f i xed. Where ar e you bei ng taken ast r ay and how areyou gropi ng whi l e you have among you t he descendant s of t he Pr ophet ? They ar e t he r ei ns of Ri ght , ensi gns of Fai t h and t ongues of t r uth.Accor d t o themt he same good posi t i on as you accor d t o the Qur ' an, andcome t o t hem ( f or quenchi ng t he t hi r st of gui dance) as t he t hi r st ycamel s appr oach t he water spr i ng.

O' peopl e t ake t hi s sayi ng[ 1] of t he l ast of t he Pr ophet s t hat he whodi es f r om among us i s not dead, and he who decays ( af t er dyi ng) f r omamong us does not r eal l y decay. Do not say what you do not under st and,because most of t he Ri ght i s i n what you deny. Accept t he argument ofone agai nst whom you have no ar gument . I t i s I . Di d I not act bef or eyou on the gr eat er thaqal ( ath-thaqal al-akbar , i . e. t he Qur ' an) anddi d I not r et ai n among you t he smal l er thaqal ( ath-thaqal-al-asghar ,i . e. t he descendant s of t he Pr ophet ) . [ 2] I f i xed among you t he st andardof f ai t h, and I t aught you t he l i mi t s of l awf ul and unl awf ul . I cl ot hedyou wi t h t he gar ment s of saf et y wi t h my j ust i ce and spread f or you ( t hecarpet of ) vi r t ue by my word and deed.I showed you hi gh manner s t hr ough mysel f . Do not exerci se youri magi nat i on about what t he eye cannot see or t he mi nd cannot concei ve.

A part of the same sermon, about Banu Umayyah

Ti l l peopl e begi n t hi nki ng t hat t he wor l d i s at t ached t o t he Umayyads,woul d be shower i ng i t s benef i t s on t hem, and l ead t hem t o i t s cl earspr i ng f or wat er i ng, and t hat t hei r whi p and swor d wi l l not be removedf r om t he peopl e. Whoever t hi nks so i s wr ong. Ther e ar e r at her a f ewdr ops f r om t he j oys of l i f e whi ch t hey woul d suck f or a whi l e and t henvomi t out t he whol e of i t .Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Thi s sayi ng of t he Pr ophet i s a def i ni t e pr oof of t he vi ew t hat t hel i f e of any one f r om among t he Ahl u' l - bayt ( Househol d of t he Hol y

Pr ophet ) does not come t o an end and t hat appar ent deat h makes nodi f f er ence i n t hei r sense of l i vi ng, al t hough human i nt el l i gence i sunabl e to compr ehend t he condi t i ons and happeni ngs of t hat l i f e. Ther ear e many t r uths beyond thi s wor l d of senses whi ch human mi nd cannot yetunderst and. Who can say how i n t he nar r ow cor ner of t he gr ave where i ti s not possi bl e even t o br eat he, r epl i es wi l l be gi ven t o t he quest i onsof t he angel s Munkar and Naki r ? Si mi l ar l y, what i s t he meani ng of l i f eof t he mar t yrs i n t he cause of Al l ah, who have nei t her sense nor









mot i on, can nei t her see nor hear ? Al t hough t o us t hey appear t o bedead, yet t he Qur ' an t est i f i es to t hei r l i f e.And say not of those who are slain in the path of Allah that they are

dead; Nay, ( t hey ar e) living, but ye perceive not. ( 2: 154)At anot her pl ace i t says about t hei r l i f e:Reckon not those who are slain in the way of Allah, to be dead; Nay!

alive they are with their Lord being sustained. ( 3: 169)When r est r i ct i on has been pl aced on mi nd and t ongue even i n r espect oft he common mart yr s t hat t hey shoul d not be cal l ed dead nor consi dereddead, how woul d not t hose i ndi vi dual s whose necks were reser ved f orswor d and pal at e f or poi son be l i vi ng f or al l t i mes t o come.About t hei r bodi es Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has sai d t hat by passage of t i me nosi gns of agei ng or decay occur i n t hem, but t hey r emai n i n t he samest at e i n whi ch t hey f el l as mar t yrs. Ther e shoul d be not hi ng st r ange i ni t because dead bodi es pr eserved t hr ough mat er i al means st i l l exi st .When i t i s possi bl e t o do so thr ough mat er i al means wi l l i t be out oft he Power of t he Omni pot ent Cr eat or t o pr eser ve agai nst change and

decay t he bodi es of t hose upon whom He has best owed t he sense ofever l ast i ng l i f e? Thus about t he mar t yrs of Badr , t he Hol y Pr ophetsai d:Shroud them even wi t h t hei r wounds and f l owi ng bl ood because when t heywoul d r i se on t he Day of J udgement bl ood woul d be pushi ng out of t hei rt hr oat s .[ 2] . "ath-thaqal al-akbar" i mpl i es t he Qur ' an and "ath-thaqal al-asghar" means Ahl u' l - bayt ( t he Househol d of t he Hol y Pr ophet ) as i n t hePr ophet ' s sayi ng: "Ver i l y, I am l eavi ng among you ( t he) t wo pr eci oust hi ngs ( of hi gh est i mat i on and of car e) , " t he r ef er ence i s t o Qur ' anand Ahl u' l - bayt . Ther e ar e sever al r easons f or usi ng t hi s wor d Fi r st l y,"thaqal" means t he ki t of a t r avel l er , and si nce t he ki t i s much i nneed, i t i s pr ot ect ed car ef ul l y. Secondl y, i t means a pr eci ous t hi ng;and si nce t hi s i s of gr eat i mpor t ance, one i s bound t o f ol l ow t hei nj unct i ons of t he Qur ' an and t he act i ons of Ahl u' l - bayt . So t hey havebeen cal l ed ' pr eci ous t hi ngs' . Si nce Al l ah has made ar r angement s f ort he pr ot ect i on of t he Qur ' an and Ahl u' l - bayt t i l l doomsday so t hey havebeen cal l ed "thaqalayn" . So t he Pr ophet bef or e l eavi ng t hi s wor l d f ort he next , decl ar ed t hem t o be hi s val uabl e possessi ons and or der edpeopl e t o pr eserve t hem. Thi r dl y, t hen have been cal l ed "Thaqalayn" ( pr eci ous t hi ngs) i n vi ew of t hei r pur i t y and hi gh val ue. Thus I bnHaj ar al - Hayt ami wr i t es: The Pr ophet has cal l ed t he Qur ' an and hi s Descendant s as "thaqalayn"

( t wo pr eci ous t hi ngs) because "thaqal" means a pure, chast e andpr eserved t hi ng, and ei t her of t hese two wer e r eal l y so, each of t hemi s t he t r easur e of Di vi ne knowl edge and a sour ce of schol ar l y secr et sand r el i gi ous commandment s. For t hat r eason t he Pr ophet desi r ed t hepeopl e t o f ol l ow t hem and t o st i ck t o t hem and t o secur e knowl edge f r omt hem. Among them t he most deservi ng of at t achment i s t he I mam andSchol ar of t he f ami l y of t he Pr ophet namel y `Al i i bn Abi Tal i b ( Al l ahmay honour hi s f ace) because of hi s great i nsi ght and copi ousness of





knowl edge whi ch we have al r eady descr i bed. ( as-Sawa`iq al-muhriqah, p.90)Si nce t he Pr ophet has wi t h r egar d t o appar ent i mpl i cat i on at t r i but edt he Qur ' an t o Al l ah and t he descendant s t o hi msel f , t her ef or e i nkeepi ng wi t h t he nat ur al st at us t he Qur ' an has been cal l ed t he bi ggerwei ght whi l e the descendant s, t he smal l er wei ght . Ot her wi se f r om t he

poi nt of vi ew of bei ng f ol l owed bot h ar e equal and f r om t he poi nt ofvi ew of ut i l i t y i n t he devel opment of char act er t her e can be noquest i on i n t he st at us of t he speaki ng par t y ( t he Ahl u' l - bayt ) bei nghi gher t han t he si l ent one ( t heQur ' an*****

) .

Sermon 88 About the division of the community into factions

So now, cer t ai nl y, Al l ah di d not br eak t he neck of any unr ul y t yrant i nt hi s wor l d except af t er al l owi ng hi m t i me and oppor t uni t y and di d not j oi n t he broken bone of any peopl e (ummah) unt i l He di d not i nf l i ctcal ami t y and di st r ess upon t hem. Even l ess t han what suf f er i ngs andmi sf or t unes have yet t o f al l upon you or have al r eady bef al l en you ar eenough f or gi vi ng l essons. Ever y man wi t h a hear t i s not i nt el l i gent ,every ear does not l i st en and every eye does not see.I wonder , and t here i s no reason why I shoul d not wonder , about t hef aul t s of t hese gr oups who have i nt r oduced al t er at i ons i n t hei rr el i gi ous pl eas, who do not move on t he f oot st eps of t hei r Pr ophet norf ol l ow t he act i ons of t he vi ceger ent . They do not bel i eve i n t heunknown and do not avoi d the evi l . They act on t he doubt s and t r ead i n

( t he way of ) t hei r passi ons. For t hem good i s what ever t hey consi dergood and evi l i s what ever t hey consi der evi l . Thei r r el i ance f orr esol vi ng di st r esses i s on t hemsel ves. Thei r conf i dence i n r egar d t odubi ous mat t er s i s on t hei r own opi ni ons as i f ever y one of t hem i s t heLeader ( I mam) of hi msel f . Whatever he has deci ded hi msel f he consi ders

have been taken thr ough rel i abl e sour ces and st r ong f act or s.i t t o*****

Sermon 89 About the Holy Prophet

Al l ah sent t he Pr ophet when t he mi ss i on of other Prophets had st oppedand t he peopl es wer e i n sl umber f or a l ong t i me. Evi l s wer e rai si ngheads, al l mat t er s wer e under di sr upt i on and i n f l ames of war s, whi l e



t he wor l d was devoi d of br i ght ness, and f ul l of open decei t f ul ness. I t sl eaves had t ur ned yel l ow and there was absence of hope about i t sf r ui t s. Whi l e water had gone undergr ound. The mi narets of gui dance haddi sappear ed and si gns of dest r uct i on had appear ed. I t was st er n t o i t speopl e and f r owned i n t he f ace of i t s seeker . I t s f r ui t was vi ce andi t s f ood was carcass. I t s i nner dr ess was f ear and out er cover was

swor d.So t ake l esson, O' creat ur es of Al l ah, and r ecal l t hat ( evi l doi ng)wi t h whi ch your f at her s and br ot her s ar e ent angl ed, and f or whi ch t heyhave t o account . By my l i f e, your t i me i s not much behi nd t hei r s, norhave l ong per i ods or cent ur i es l apsed between you and t hem, nor are youmuch di st ant f r om when you wer e i n t hei r l oi ns.By Al l ah, what ever t he Pr ophet t ol d t hem, I am her e t el l i ng you t hesame and whatever you hear t oday i s not di f f erent f r omwhat t hey hear dyest erday. The eyes t hat were opened f or t hemand t he hear t s t hat weremade f or t hemat t hat t i me, j ust t he same have been gi ven t o you att hi s t i me. By Al l ah, you have not been t ol d anythi ng t hat t hey di d not

know and you have not been gi ven anyt hi ng whi ch t hey were depr i ved.Cer t ai nl y you have been af f l i ct ed by a cal ami t y ( whi ch i s l i ke a she-camel ) whose nosest r i ng i s movi ng about and whose st r ap i s l oose So i nwhat ever condi t i on t hese decei t f ul peopl e ar e shoul d not decei ve you,because i t i s j ust a l ong shadow whose t er m i s f i xed.*****

Sermon 90 Allah's attributes and some advice

Prai se be t o Al l ah who i s wel l - known wi t hout bei ng seen, Who creat eswi t hout ponder i ng over , Who has ever been exi st ent when t here was nosky wi t h domes, nor cur t ai ns wi t h l of t y door s, nor gl oomy ni ght , norpeacef ul ocean, nor mount ai ns wi t h br oad pat hways, nor curved mount ai nr oads, nor ear t h of spr ead f l oor s, nor sel f - r el i ant creat ur es. He i st he Or i gi nat or of cr eat i on and t hei r Mast er . He i s t he God of t hecr eat i on and i t s f eeder . The sun and t he moon ar e st eadi l y movi ng i npur sui t of Hi s wi l l . They make ever y f r esh t hi ng ol d and ever y di st antt hi ng near .He di st r i but ed t hei r sust enance and has count ed t hei r deeds and act s,t he number of t hei r br eat hs, t hei r conceal ed l ooks, and what ever i s

hi dden i n t hei r bosoms. He knows t hei r pl aces of st ay and pl aces ofl ast r esor t i n t he l oi ns and wombs t i l l t hey reach t hei r end.Hi s puni shment on enemi es i s har sh despi t e t he ext ent of Hi s Mercy, andHi s compassi on on Hi s f r i ends i s vast despi t e Hi s har sh puni shment . Heoverpower s one who wants t o over come Hi m, and dest r oys one who cl asheswi t h Hi m. He di sgraces one who opposes Hi m and gai ns sway over one whobear s Hi m host i l i t y. He i s suf f i ci ent f or one who r el i es on Hi m. He



gi ves one who asks Hi m. He repays one who l ends t o Hi m. He rewar ds onewho t hanks Hi m.O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, wei gh your sel ves bef or e you ar e wei ghed andassess your sel ves bef or e you ar e assessed. Br eat he bef or e suf f ocat i onof t he t hr oat . Be submi ssi ve bef or e you ar e har shl y dr i ven. Know t hati f one does not hel p hi msel f i n act i ng as hi s own advi ser and war ner

t hen no one el se can ( ef f ect i vel y) be hi s advi ser or war ner .*****

Sermon 91This sermon is known as the Sermon of Skeletons[ 1] (Khutbatu'l-Ashbah)and it holds one of the highest positions among the sermons of Amir al-

mu'minin. Mas`adah ibn Sadaqah has related from al-Imam Ja`far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (p.b.u.t.) saying: "Amir al-mu'minin delivered thissermon from the pulpit of (the mosque of) Kufah when someone asked him,'O' Amir al-mu'minin! describe Allah for us in such a way that we mayimagine that we see Him with eyes so that our love and knowledge mayincrease about Him.' Amir al-mu'minin became angry at this (request ofthe questioner) and ordered the Muslims to gather in the mosque. So

many Muslims gathered in the mosque that the place was over-crowded.Then Amir al-mu'minin ascended the pulpit while he was still in a stateof anger and his colour was changed. After he had praised Allah andextolled Him and sought His blessings on the Prophet he said: Description of Allah Prai se be t o Al l ah whomr ef usal t o gi ve away and st i ngi ness do not maker i ch and Whom muni f i cence and generosi t y do not make poor , al t hougheveryone who gi ves away l oses ( t o t hat ext ent ) except He, and ever y

mi ser i s bl amed f or hi s ni ggar dl i ness. He obl i ges t hr ough benef i ci albount i es and pl ent i f ul gi f t s and gr ant s. The whol e cr eat i on i s Hi sdependant s ( i n sust enance)[ 2] . He has guar ant eed t hei r l i vel i hood andordai ned t hei r sust enance. He has pr epared t he way f or t hose who tur nt o Hi m and t hose who seek what i s wi t h Hi m. He i s as generous aboutwhat He i s asked as He i s about t hat f or whi ch He i s not asked. He i st he Fi r st f or whom t her e was no ' bef or e' so t hat t her e coul d beanyt hi ng bef or e Hi m. He i s t he Last f or whom t her e i s no ' af t er ' sot hat t her e coul d be anythi ng af t er Hi m. He pr event s t he pupi l s of t heeyes f r om seei ng Hi m or per cei vi ng Hi m. Ti me does not change over Hi m,so as t o admi t of any change of condi t i on about Hi m. He i s not i n any

pl ace so as t o al l ow Hi m movement ( f r om one pl ace t o anot her ) .I f He gi ves away al l t hat t he mi nes of t he mount ai ns emi t out or t hegol d, si l ver , pear l s and cut t i ngs of cor al whi ch t he shel l s of t heocean vomi t out , i t woul d not af f ect hi s muni f i cence, nor di mi ni sh t heextent of what He has. ( I n f act ) He woul d st i l l have such t r easur es ofbount y as woul d not decr ease by the demands of t he cr eat ur es, becauseHe i s t hat gener ous Bei ng Whom t he beggi ng of beggars cannot make poornor t he per t i naci t y of beseecher s make mi ser .







Attributes of Allah as described in the Holy Qur'an

Then l ook on quest i oner , be conf i ned t o t hose of Hi s at t r i but es whi cht he Qur ' an had descr i bed and seek l i ght f r om t he ef f ul gence of i t sgui dance. Leave t o Al l ah t hat knowl edge whi ch Satan has prompt ed you t oseek and whi ch nei t her t he Qur ' an enj oi ns you t o seek nor i s t her e anyt r ace of i t i n t he act i ons or sayi ngs of t he Pr ophet and ot her l eader s

(A`immah) of gui dance. Thi s i s t he ext r eme l i mi t of Al l ah' s cl ai m uponyou. Know t hat f i r m i n knowl edge ar e t hose who ref r ai n f r om openi ng t hecur t ai ns t hat l i e agai nst t he unknown, and t hei r acknowl edgement ofi gnor ance about t he detai l s of t he hi dden unknown pr event s t hemf r omf ur t her pr obe. Al l ah pr ai ses t hem f or t hei r admi ssi on t hat t hey ar eunabl e t o get knowl edge not al l owed t o t hem. They do not go deep i nt ot he di scussi on of what i s not enj oi ned upon t hem about knowi ng Hi m andt hey cal l i t f i r mness. Be cont ent wi t h t hi s and do not l i mi t t heGr eat ness of Al l ah af t er t he measur e of your own i nt el l i gence, of el seyou woul d be among the dest r oyed ones.He i s Power f ul , such t hat when i magi nat i on shoot s i t s ar r ows t o

compr ehend t he ext r emi t y of Hi s power , and mi nd, maki ng i t sel f f r ee oft he danger s of evi l t hought s, t r i es t o f i nd Hi m i n t he dept h of Hi sr eal m, and hear t s l ong t o gr asp r eal i t i es of Hi s at t r i but es andopeni ngs of i nt el l i gence penet r at e beyond descr i pt i on i n or der t osecur e knowl edge about Hi s Bei ng, cr ossi ng t he dar k pi t f al l s of t heunknown and concent r at i ng t owards Hi m He woul d t ur n t hem back. Theywoul d r et ur n def eat ed admi t t i ng t hat t he real i t y of Hi s knowl edgecannot be compr ehended by such r andomef f or t s, nor can an i ota of t he

ent er t he under st andi ng of t hi nker s.subl i mi t y of Hi s Honour About Allah's creation

He or i gi nat ed the creat i on wi t hout any exampl e whi ch He coul d f ol l owand wi t hout any speci men prepared by any known cr eat or t hat was bef oreHi m. He showed us t he r eal m of Hi s Mi ght , and such wonders whi ch speakof Hi s Wi sdom. The conf essi on of t he cr eat ed t hi ngs t hat t hei rexi st ence owes i t sel f t o Hi m made us r eal i se t hat ar gument has beenf ur ni shed about knowi ng Hi m ( so t hat t her e i s no excuse agai nst i t ) . The si gns of Hi s cr eat i ve power and st andard of Hi s wi sdom ar e f i xed i nt he wonderf ul t hi ngs He has cr eat ed. Whatever He has cr eat ed i s anar gument i n Hi s f avour and a gui de towar ds Hi m. Even a si l ent t hi ng i sa gui de towar ds Hi m as t hough i t speaks, and i t s gui dance towards t heCr eat or i s cl ear .( O' Al l ah) I st and wi t ness t hat he who l i kens Thee wi t h t hesepar at eness of t he l i mbs or wi t h t he j oi ni ng of t he ext r emi t i es of hi s

body di d not acquai nt hi s i nner sel f wi t h knowl edge about Thee, and hi shear t di d not secur e convi ct i on t o t he ef f ect t hat t her e i s no par t nerf or Thee. I t i s as t hough he has no hear d t he ( wr ongf ul ) f ol l ower sdi scl ai mi ng t hei r f al se gods by sayi ngs "By Allah, we were certainly in

manifest error when we equalled you with the Lord of the worlds." ( Qur ' an, 26: 97- 98) . They ar e wr ong who l i ken Thee to thei r i dol s, anddr ess Thee wi t h appar el of t he cr eat ur es by t hei r i magi nat i on,at t r i but e t o Thee par t s of body by thei r own t hi nki ng and consi der Thee



af t er t he cr eat ur es of var i ous t ypes, t hr ough t he wor ki ng of t hei ri nt el l i gence. I st and wi t ness t hat whoever equat ed Thee wi t h anythi ngout of Thy cr eat i on t ook a match f or Thee, and whoever t akes a matchf or Thee i s an unbel i ever , accor di ng t o what i s st at ed i n Thyunambi guous ver ses and i ndi cated by t he evi dence of Thy cl earar gument s. ( I al so st and wi t ness t hat ) Thou ar t t hat Al l ah who cannot

be conf i ned i n ( t he f et t er s of ) i nt el l i gence so as t o admi t change ofcondi t i on by ent er i ng i t s i magi nat i on nor i n t he shackl es of mi nd so ast o become l i mi t ed and an obj ect of al t er at i ons.

A part of the same sermon About the greatest perfection in Allah's creation

He has f i xed l i mi t s f or ever y t hi ng He has cr eat ed and made t he l i mi t sf i r m, and He has f i xed i t s wor ki ng and made the wor ki ng del i cate. Hehas f i xed i t s di r ect i on and i t does not t r ansgr ess t he l i mi t s of i t sposi t i on nor f al l shor t of r eachi ng t he end of i t s ai m. I t di d notdi sobey when i t was commanded t o move at Hi s wi l l ; and how coul d i t doso when al l mat t er s ar e gover ned by Hi s wi l l . He i s t he Pr oducer of

var i et i es of t hi ngs wi t hout exer ci se of i magi nat i on, wi t hout t he ur geof an i mpul se, hi dden i n Hi m, wi t hout ( t he benef i t of ) any exper i mentt aken f r om t he vi ci ssi t udes of t i me and wi t hout any par t ner who mi ghthave assi st ed Hi m i n cr eat i ng wonder f ul t hi ngs. Thus t he cr eat i on was compl et ed by Hi s or der and i t bowed t o Hi sobedi ence and r esponded t o Hi s cal l . The l azi ness of any sl ug or t hei ner t ness of any excuse- f i nder di d not pr event i t f r om doi ng so. So Hest r ai ght ened t he cur ves of t he t hi ngs and f i xed t hei r l i mi t s. Wi t h Hi spower He cr eat ed coher ence i n t hei r cont r adi ct or y par t s and j oi nedt oget her t he f act or s of si mi l ar i t y. Then He separ at ed t hem i n var i et i eswhi ch di f f er i n l i mi t s, quant i t i es, pr oper t i es and shapes. Al l t hi s i snew cr eat i on. He made t hemf i r m and shaped t hemaccor di ng as He wi shedand i nvent ed t hem.

A part of the same sermon, containing description of the sky

He has ar r anged t he depr essi ons and el evat i ons of t he openi ngs of t hesky. He has j oi ned t he br eadt hs of i t s breaches, and has j oi ned t hemwi t h one another . He has made easy the appr oach t o i t s hei ght s f ort hose ( angel s) who come down wi t h Hi s commands and t hose ( angel s) whogo up wi t h t he deeds of t he cr eat ur es. He cal l ed i t when i t was yet ( i nt he f or m of ) vapour . At once t he l i nks of i t s j oi nt s j oi ned up. ThenAl l ah opened up i t s cl osed door and put t he sent i nel s of met eor s at i t shol es, and hel d t hem wi t h Hi s hands ( i . e. power ) f r om f al l i ng i nt o t hevast ness of ai r .

He commanded i t t o remai n st at i onary i n obedi ence t o Hi s commands. Hemade i t s sun t he br i ght i ndi cat i on f or i t s day, and moon t he gl oomyi ndi cat i on f or i t s ni ght . He t hen put t hem i n mot i on i n t hei r or bi t sand or dai ned t hei r ( pace of ) movement i n t he st ages of t hei r pat hs i nor der t o di st i ngui sh wi t h t hei r hel p bet ween ni ght and day, and i norder t hat t he reckoni ng of years and cal cul at i ons may be known byt hei r f i xed movement s. Then He hung i n i t s vast ness i t s sky and putt her ei n i t s decor at i on consi st i ng of smal l br i ght pear l s and l amp- l i ke



st ar s. He shot at t he over - hear er s ar r ows of br i ght met eor s. He putt hem i n mot i on on t hei r appoi nt ed r out i ne and made them i nt o f i xedst ar s, movi ng st ar s, descendi ng st ar s, ascendi ng st ar s, omi nous s t ar sand l ucky st ar s.

A part of the same sermon, containing description of Angels

Then Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, cr eated f or i nhabi t i ng of Hi s ski es and

popul at i ng t he hi gher st r at a of hi s r eal m new ( var i et y of ) creat ur esnamel y the angel s. Wi t h t hem He f i l l ed t he openi ngs of i t s cavi t i es andpopul at ed wi t h t hem t he vast ness of i t ci r cumf er ence. I n bet ween t heopeni ngs of t hese cavi t i es t her e r esounds t he voi ces of angel sgl or i f yi ng Hi m i n t he encl osur es of subl i mi t y, ( behi nd) cur t ai ns ofconceal ment and i n vei l s of Hi s Gr eat ness. And behi nd t hi s r esoundi ngwhi ch deaf ens t he ear s t her e i s t he ef f ul gence of l i ght whi ch def i est he appr oach of si ght t o i t , and consequent l y t he si ght st ands,di sappoi nt ed at i t s l i mi t at i on.He cr eat ed t hem i n di f f er ent shapes and wi t h di ver se char act er i st i cs. They have wi ngs. They gl or i f y t he subl i mi t y of Hi s Honour . They do not

appr opr i at e t o t hemsel ves Hi s ski l l t hat shows i t sel f i n creat i on. Nordo they cl ai m t hey cr eat e anyt hi ng i n whi ch He i s unpar al l el ed. "But

they are rather honoured creatures who do not take precedence over Him

in uttering anything, and they act according to His command." ( Qur ' an,21: 26- 27) . He has made t hem t he t r ust ees of Hi s r evel at i on and sentt hem t o Pr ophet s as hol der s of Hi s i nj unct i ons and pr ohi bi t i ons. He hasi mmuni sed themagai nst t he wavi ness of doubt s. Consequent l y no oneamong t hem goes ast r ay f r om t he pat h of Hi s wi l l . He has hel ped t hemwi t h t he benef i t s of succour and has cover ed t hei r hear t s wi t h humi l i t yand peace. He has opened f or t hem door s of submi ssi on t o Hi s Gl or i es.He has f i xed f or t hem br i ght mi nar et s as si gns of Hi s Oneness. Thewei ght s of si ns do not bur den t hem and t he r ot at i on of ni ght s and daysdoes not make t hem move. Doubt s do not at t ack wi t h ar r ows t he f i r mnessof t hei r f ai t h. Mi sgi vi ngs do not assaul t t he bases of t hei r bel i ef s. The spar k of mal i ce does not i gni t e among t hem. Amazement does nott ar ni sh what knowl edge of Hi m t hei r hear t s possess, or Hi s gr eat nessand awe of Hi s gl or y t hat r esi des i n t hei r bosoms. Evi l t hought s do notl ean t owar ds t hem t o af f ect t hei r i magi nat i on wi t h t hei r own r ust .Among t hemare those who ar e i n t he f r ame of heavy cl ouds, or i n t hehei ght of l of t y mount ai ns, or i n t he gl oom of over - power i ng dar kness.And t here ar e those whose f eet have pi erced t he l owest boundar i es oft he ear t h. These f eet ar e l i ke whi t e ensi gns whi ch have gone f or t h i nt ot he vast expanse of wi nd. Under t hem bl ows t he l i ght wi nd whi ch r et ai ns

t hem upt o i t s l ast end.Occupat i on i n Hi s wor shi p has made t hem car ef r ee, and r eal i t i es ofFai t h have ser ved as a l i nk between t hemand Hi s knowl edge. Thei rbel i ef i n Hi m has made them concent r at e on Hi m. They l ong f r om Hi m notf r omothers. They have t ast ed t he sweet ness of Hi s knowl edge and havedr unk f r om t he sat i at i ng cup of Hi s l ove. The r oot s of Hi s f ear havebeen i mpl ant ed i n t he dept h of t hei r hear t s. Consequent l y t hey havebent t hei r st r ai ght backs thr ough Hi s wor shi p. The l engt h of t he



humi l i t y, and ext r eme near ness has not r emoved f r omt hemt he r ope oft hei r f ear . They do not ent er t ai n pr i de so as t o make much of t hei r act s. Thei rhumi l i t y bef or e t he gl or y of Al l ah does not al l ow t hem t o est eem t hei rown vi r t ues. Languor does not af f ect t hem despi t e thei r l ongaf f l i ct i on. Thei r l ongi ngs ( f or Hi m) do not l essen so t hat t hey mi ght

t ur n away f r om hope i n ( Al l ah) t hei r Sust ai ner . The t i ps of t hei rt ongues do not get dr y by const ant pr ayer s ( t o Al l ah) . Engagement s ( i not her mat t er s) do not bet ake t hem so as t o t ur n t hei r ( l oud) voi ces f orHi m i nt o f ai nt ones. Thei r shoul der s do not get di spl aced i n t hepost ur es of wor shi p. They do not move t hei r necks ( t hi s and t hat way)f or comf or t i n di sobedi ence of Hi s command. Fol l i es of negl i gence donot act agai nst t hei r det er mi nat i on t o st r i ve, and t he decept i ons ofdesi r es do not over come thei r cour age. They r egar d t he Mast er of t he Throne ( Al l ah) as t he st or e f or t he dayof t hei r need. Because of t hei r l ove ( f or Hi m) t hey tur n t o Hi m evenwhen ot her s t ur n t o t he cr eat ur es. They do not r each t he endi ng l i mi t

of Hi s wor shi p. Thei r passi onat e f ondness f or Hi s wor shi p does not t ur nt hem except t o t he spr i ngs of t hei r own hear t s, spr i ngs whi ch ar e neverdevoi d of Hi s hope and Hi s f ear . Fear ( of Al l ah) never l eaves t hem sot hat t hey mi ght sl acken i n t hei r ef f or t s, nor have t empt at i onsent r apped t hem so t hat t hey mi ght pr ef er t hi s l i ght sear ch over t hei r( ser i ous ) ef f or t . They do not consi der t hei r past ( vi r t uous) deeds as bi g, f or i f t heyhad consi dered t hem bi g t hen f ear woul d have wi ped away hopes f r omt hei r hear t s. They di d not di f f er ( among t hemsel ves) about t hei rSust ai ner as a resul t of Sat an' s cont r ol over t hem. The vi ce ofseparat i on f r omone another di d not di sper se t hem. Rancour and mut ualmal i ce di d not overpower t hem. Ways of waver i ng di d not di vi de t hem.Di f f er ences of degr ee of cour age di d not r ender t hem i nt o di vi si ons. Thus t hey ar e devot ees of f ai t h. Nei t her cr ookedness ( of mi nd) , norexcess, nor l et har gy nor l anguor br eaks t hem f r om i t s r ope. Ther e i snot t he t hi nnest poi nt i n t he ski es but t her e i s an angel over i t i npr ost r at i on ( bef or e Al l ah) or ( busy) i n qui ck per f or mance ( of Hi scommands) . By l ong wor shi p of t hei r Sust ai ner t hey i ncr ease t hei r

er i ncreases i n t hei r hear t s.knowl edge, and t he honour of t hei r Sust ai n A part of the same sermon, in descriptionof earth and its spreading on water

Al l ah spr ead t he ear t h on st ormy and t umul t uous waves and t he dept hs ofswol l en seas, where waves cl ashed wi t h each ot her and hi gh sur ges l eapt

over one anot her . They emi t t ed f oam l i ke t he hecamel at t he t i me ofsexual exci t ement . So the tumul t of t he st ormy water was subdued by t hewei ght of t he ear t h, when t he ear t h pr essed i t wi t h i t s chest i t sshoot i ng agi t at i on eased, and when t he ear t h r ol l ed on i t wi t h i t sshoul der bones t he wat er meekl y submi t t ed. Thus af t er t he t umul t of i t ssur ges i t became tame and overpowered, and an obedi ent pr i soner of t heshackl es of di sgr ace, whi l e t he ear t h spr ead i t sel f and became sol i d i nt he st or my dept h of t hi s wat er . ( I n t hi s way) t he ear t h put an end t o



Al l ah may bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s - and Hi s pl eas and warni ngsr eached f i nal i t y.He or dai ned l i vel i hoods[ 3] wi t h pl ent y and wi t h pauci t y. He di st r i but edt hem nar r owl y as wel l as pr of usel y. He di d i t wi t h j ust i ce t o t estwhomever He desi r ed, wi t h pr osper i t y or wi t h dest i t ut i on, and t o t estt hr ough i t t he gr at ef ul ness or endur ance of t he r i ch and t he poor . Then

He coupl ed pl ent y wi t h mi sf or t unes of dest i t ut i on, saf et y wi t h t hedi st r esses of cal ami t i es and pl easur es of enj oyment wi t h pangs ofgr i ef . He cr eat ed f i xed ages and made them l ong or shor t and ear l i er orl at er , and ended t hem up wi t h deat h. He had made deat h capabl e ofpul l i ng up t he r opes of ages and cut t i ng t hem asunder .He[ 4] knows t he secr et s of t hose who conceal t hem, t he secr etconver sat i on of t hose who engage i n i t , t he i nner f eel i ngs of t hose whoi ndul ge i n guesses, t he est abl i shed cer t ai nt i es, t he i nkl i ngs of t heeyes, t he i nner cont ent s of hear t s and dept hs of t he unknown. He al soknows what can be hear d onl y by bendi ng t he hol es of t he ears, t hesummer r esor t s of ant s and wi nt er abodes of t he i nsect s, r esoundi ng of

t he cr i es of wai l i ng women and t he sound of st eps. He al so knows t hespot s i n t he i nner sheat hs of l eaves wher e f r ui t s gr ow, t he hi di ngpl aces of beast s namel y caves i n mount ai ns and val l eys, t he hi di nghol es of mosqui t oes on t he t r unks of t r ees and t hei r her bage, t hespr out i ng poi nt s of l eaves i n t he br anches, t he dr i ppi ng poi nt s ofsemen passi ng t hr ough passages of l oi ns, smal l r i si ng cl ouds and t hebi g gi ant ones, t he dr ops of r ai n i n t he t hi ck cl ouds, t he par t i cl es ofdust scat t er ed by whi r l wi nds t hr ough t hei r ski r t s, t he l i nes er ased byr ai n f l oods, t he movement s of i nsect s on sand- dunes, t he nest s ofwi nged cr eat ur es on t he cl i f f s of mount ai ns and t he si ngi ng ofchat t er i ng bi r ds i n t he gl oom of t hei r br oodi ng pl aces.And He knows whatever has been t r easur ed by mother - of - pear l s, andcover ed under t he waves of oceans, al l t hat whi ch i s conceal ed undert he dar kness of ni ght and al l t hat on whi ch t he l i ght of day i sshi ni ng, as wel l as al l t hat on whi ch somet i mes dar kness pr evai l s andsomet i mes l i ght shi nes, t he t r ace of ever y f oot st ep, t he f eel of ever ymovement , t he echo of every sound, t he mot i on of every l i p, t he abodeof ever y l i vi ng bei ng, t he wei ght of ever y par t i cl e, t he sobs of ever ysobbi ng hear t , and what ever i s t her e on t he ear t h l i ke f r ui t s of t r eesor f al l i ng l eaf , or t he set t l i ng pl ace of semen, or t he congeal i ng ofbl ood or cl ot and t he devel opi ng of l i f e and embr yo.On al l t hi s He suf f er s no t r oubl e, and no i mpedi ment hamper s Hi m i n t hepr eservat i on of what he cr eat ed nor any l anguor or gr i ef hi nder s Hi m

f r om t he enf orcement of commands and management of t he cr eat ures. Hi sknowl edge penet r at es t hr ough t hem and t hey ar e wi t hi n Hi s count i ng. Hi s j ust i ce ext ends t o al l of t hem and Hi s bount y encompasses t hem despi t et hei r f al l i ng shor t of what i s due t o Hi m.O' my Al l ah! t hou deservest handsome descr i pt i on and t he hi ghestest eem. I f wi sh i s di r ect ed t owar ds Thee, Thou ar t t he best t o bewi shed f or . I f hope i s r eposed i n Thee, Thou ar t t he Most Honour ed t obe hoped f r om. O' my Al l ah! Thou hast best owed on me such power t hat I







do not pr ai se any one ot her t han Thee, and I do not eul ogi se any onesave Thee. I do not di r ect my pr ai se t owar ds ot her s who ar e sour ces ofdi sappoi nt ment and cent r es of mi sgi vi ngs. Thou hast kept away my t onguef r om t he pr ai ses of human bei ngs and eul ogi es of t he creat ed and t hesust ai ned. O' my Al l ah! ever y pr ai ser has on whom he pr ai ses t he r i ghtof r eward and recompense. Cert ai nl y, I have t ur ned t o Thee wi t h my eye

at t he t r easur es of Thy Mer cy and st or es of f or gi veness.O' my Al l ah! here st ands one who has si ngl ed Thee wi t h Oneness t hat i s Thy due and has not r egar ded any one deser vi ng of t hese prai ses andeul ogi es except Thee. My want t owards Thee i s such t hat nothi ng except Thy gener osi t y can cur e i t s dest i t ut i on, nor provi de f or i t s needexcept Thy obl i gat i on and Thy gener osi t y. So do gr ant us i n t hi s pl ace Thy wi l l and make us f r ee f r om st r et chi ng hands t o anyone ot her t han Thee. "Certainly, Thou art powerful over every thing. " ( Qur ' an, 66: 8) .Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . The name of t hi s ser mon i s t he Sermon of "al-Ashbah". "ashbah" i st he pl ur al of shabah whi ch means skel et on, si nce i t cont ai ns

descr i pt i on of angel s and ot her ki nds of bei ngs i t has been named byt hi s name. The ground f or bei ng angr y on t he quest i oner was t hat hi s r equest wasunconnect ed wi t h t he obl i gat i ons of shari`ah and beyond l i mi t s of humancapaci t y.[ 2] . Al l ah i s t he Guar ant or of sust enance and Pr ovi der of l i vel i hood asHe says:No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on

Allah. . . ( Qur ' an, 11: 6)But Hi s bei ng guarant or means t hat He has provi ded ways f or ever yone t ol i ve and ear n l i vel i hood, and has al l owed ever y one equal shar es i nf or est s, mount ai ns, r i ver s, mi nes and i n t he vast ear t h, and has gi veneveryone t he r i ght t o make use of t hem. Hi s bount i es ar e not conf i nedt o any si ngl e per son, nor i s t he door of Hi s sust enance cl osed t o anyone. Thus, Al l ah says:All We do aid, these and ( al so) those out of the bounty of thy Lord;and the bounty of thy Lord is not confined . ( Qur ' an, 17: 20)I f some one does not secur e t hese thi ngs t hr ough l anguor or ease andsi t s ef f or t l ess i t i s not possi bl e t hat l i vel i hood woul d r each hi sdoor . Al l ah has l ai d t he t abl e wi t h mul t i f ar i ous f eeds but t o get t hemi t i s necessary t o extend t he hand. He has deposi t ed pear l s i n t hebot t om of t he sea but i t r equi r es di vi ng t o get t hem out . He has f i l l edt he mount ai ns wi t h rubi es and pr eci ous st ones but t hey cannot be had

wi t hout di ggi ng t he st ones. The ear t h cont ai ns t r easur es of gr owt h butbenef i t cannot be dr awn f r om t hem wi t hout sowi ng of seed. Heaps ofedi bl es l i e scat t er ed on al l f our si des of t he ear t h but t hey cannot becol l ected wi t hout t he t r oubl e of t r avel l i ng. Thus, Al l ah says:... Traverse ye then its broad sides, and eat ye of His provision . .

.( Qur ' an, 67: 15)Al l ah' s pr ovi di ng l i vel i hood does not mean t hat no ef f or t i s needed i nsear chi ng l i vel i hood or no goi ng out of t he house i s r equi r ed f or i t ,







Consequent l y, Al l ah, t he Wi se the Omni sci ent has put t he or gani sat i onf or l i vel i hood on moder at e and pr opor t i onat e l i nes, and i n or der t oemphasi se t he i mport ance of l i vel i hood and sust enance and to keep t hemcor r el at ed wi t h each ot her has i nt r oduced di f f er ences i n t hedi st r i but i on of l i vel i hood. Somet i mes, t hi s di f f er ence and unequaldi st r i but i on owes i t sel f t o t he di f f er ence of human ef f or t and

somet i mes i t i s t he consequence of over al l ar r angement of t he af f ai r sof t he Uni ver se and Di vi ne act s of wi sdom and obj ect i ves. Thi s i sbecause, i f by pover t y and want He has t est ed t he poor i n endurance andpat i ence, i n af f l uence and weal t h t her e i s sever e t est of t he r i ch byway of t hanks- gi vi ng and gr at i f yi ng t he ri ght s of ot her s, namel ywhet her t he r i ch per son gr at i f i es t he cl ai ms of t he poor and t hedi st r essed, and whet her he takes car e of t he dest i t ut e or not . Agai n,wher e t her e i s weal t h t her e woul d al so be danger s of al l sort s.Somet i mes t her e woul d be danger t o t he weal t h and proper t y andsomet i mes f ear of pover t y and want .Consequent l y, t here woul d be many per sons who woul d be more sat i sf i ed

and happy f or l ack of weal t h. For t hem t hi s dest i t ut i on and want woul dbe f ar bet t er t han t he weal t h whi ch mi ght snat ch away t hei r comf ort andpeace. Moreover somet i mes t hi s very weal t h whi ch one hol ds dearer t hanl i f e becomes t he cause of l oss of one' s l i f e. Fur t her , i t has al so beenseen t hat so l ong as weal t h was l acki ng char acter was above r epr oach,l i f e was unbl emi shed, but t he moment pr oper t y and weal t h changed i nt opl ent y t he conduct worsened, character became f aul t y and there appear edt he vi ce of dr i nk, cr owd of beaut i es and gat her i ng of si ngi ng andmusi c. I n such a case t he absence of weal t h was a bl essi ng. However ,bei ng i gnor ant of Al l ah' s obj ect i ves, man cr i es out and bei ng af f ect edby t r ansi t or y di st r ess begi ns compl ai ni ng but does not r eal i se f r om howmany vi ces whi ch coul d have accr ued owi ng t o weal t h he has r emai nedal oof . Ther ef or e, i f weal t h pr oduces conveni ences, pover t y serves as aguar d f or t he char act er .[ 4] . The el oquence wi t h whi ch Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has t hr own l i ght onAl l ah' s at t r i but es of knowl edge and t he subl i me wor ds i n whi ch he haspi ct ur ed t he al l - engr ossi ng qual i t y of Hi s knowl edge cannot but i mpr esst he mi nd of t he most di e- har d opponent . Thus, I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d haswr i t t en:I f Ar i st ot l e, who bel i eved t hat Al l ah i s onl y awar e of t he uni ver se andnot of i t s par t i cul ar s, had hear d t hi s speech, hi s hear t t oo woul d havei ncl i ned, hi s hai r woul d have st ood on end and hi s t hi nki ng woul d haveundergone a dr amat i c change. Do you not see t he br i ght ness, f orce,

vehemence, subl i mi t y, gl or y, ser i ousness and r i peness of t hi s speech?Besi des t hese qual i t i es, t her e i s sweet ness, col our f ul ness, del i cacyand smoot hness i n i t . I have not f ound any ut t er ance si mi l ar t o i t . Ofcour se, i f t her e i s any ut t er ance mat chi ng i t , t hat can be t he wor d ofAl l ah onl y. And t her e i s no wonder i n i t , because he i s an of f - shoot oft he same t r ee ( of t he Pr ophet I br ahi m, who set up t he Uni t y of Al l ah) ,a di st r i but or y of t he same r i ver and a r ef l ect i on of t he same l i ght .( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 7, pp. 23- 24)





sel f i shness and l ust f or power had become root ed i n t hem, t hei rt hi nki ng af f ect ed by mat er i al i sm and t hey had become habi t uat ed t ot r eat i ng government as t he means f or secur i ng t hei r ends. Now t heywoul d l i ke t o mat er i al i se t he Di vi ne Cal i phat e t oo and pl ay wi t h i t . I nt hese ci r cumst ances i t woul d be i mpossi bl e t o change t he ment al i t i es ort ur n t he di r ect i on of t emper ament s. I n addi t i on t o these i deas he had

al so seen t he end i n vi ew t hat t hese peopl e shoul d get f ur t her t i me t ot hi nk over so t hat on f r ust r at i on of t hei r mat er i al ends her eaf t er t heyshoul d not say t hat t he al l egi ance had been sworn by t hemunder at empor ar y expedi ency and that t hought had not been gi ven to i t , j ust as`Umar ' s i dea was about t he f i r st Cal i phat e, whi ch appear s f r om hi sst at ement t hat :Abu Bakr ' s Cal i phate came i nt o bei ng wi t hout t hought but Al l ah saved usf r om i t s mi schi ef . I f anyone r epeat s such an af f ai r you shoul d ki l lhi m. ( as-Sahih, al - Bukhar i , vol 8, pp. 210, 211; al-Musnad , Ahmad i bnHanbal , vol . 1, p. 55; at - Tabar i , vol . 1, p. l 822; I bn al - At hi r , vol . 2,p. 327; I bn Hi sham, vol . 4, pp. 308- 309; I bn Kat hi r , vol . 5, p. 246)

I n shor t , when t hei r i nsi st ence i ncr eased beyond l i mi t s, Ami r al -mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s sermon wher ei n he cl ar i f i ed t hat " I f you wantme f or your wor l dl y ends, t hen I am not r eady t o serve as youri nst r ument . Leave me and sel ect someone el se who may f ul f i l your ends. You have seen my past l i f e t hat I am not prepar ed t o f ol l ow anyt hi ngexcept t he Qur ' an and sunnah and woul d not gi ve up t hi s pr i nci pl e f orsecur i ng power . I f you sel ect someone el se I woul d pay regar d t o thel aws of t he st at e and t he const i t ut i on as a peacef ul ci t i zen shoul d do.I have not at any stage t r i ed t o di sr upt t he col l ect i ve exi st ence oft he Musl i ms by i nci t i ng r evol t . The same wi l l happen now. Rat her , j ustas keepi ng the common good i n vi ew I have hi t hert o been gi vi ng cor r ectadvi ce, I woul d not gr udge doi ng t he same. I f you l et me i n t he sameposi t i on i t woul d be bet t er f or your wor l dl y ends, because i n t hat caseI won' t have power i n my hands so t hat I coul d st and i n t he way of yourwor l dl y af f ai r s, and cr eat e an i mpedi ment agai nst your hear t s' wi shes.However , i f you are det ermi ned on swear i ng al l egi ance on my hand, beari n mi nd t hat i f you f r own or speak agai nst me I woul d f or ce you t ot r ead on t he pat h of r i ght , and i n t he mat t er of t he r i ght I woul d notcar e f or anyone. I f you want t o swear al l egi ance even at t hi s, you cansat i sf y your wi sh. " The i mpress i on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had f or med about t hese peopl e i s f ul l ycor r oborated by l ater event s. Consequent l y, when t hose who had swornal l egi ance wi t h wor l dl y mot i ves di d not succeed i n t hei r obj ect i ves

t hey br oke away and r ose agai nst hi s gover nment wi t h basel essal l egat i ons.*****

Sermon 93



About the annihilation of the Kharijites, the mischief mongering ofUmayyads and the vastness of his own knowledge

So now, pr ai se and eul ogy be t o Al l ah, O' peopl e, I have put out t heeye of r evol t [ 1] . No one except me advanced t owards i t when i t s gl oomwas swel l i ng and i t s madness was i ntense. Ask me bef ore you mi ss me,[ 2] because, by Al l ah, who has my l i f e i n Hi s hands, i f you ask me anythi ng

between now and t he Day of J udgement or about t he gr oup who woul d gui dea hundr ed peopl e and al so mi sgui de a hundr ed peopl e I woul d t el l youwho i s announci ng i t s mar ch, who i s dr i vi ng i t i n t he f r ont and who i sdr i vi ng i t at t he r ear , t he st ages wher e i t s r i di ng ani mal s woul d st opf or r est and t he f i nal pl ace of st ay, and who among t hem woul d beki l l ed and who woul d di e a nat ur al deat h.When I am dead, har d ci r cumst ances and di st r essi ng event s woul d bef al lyou, many per sons i n t he posi t i on of aski ng quest i ons woul d remai nsi l ent wi t h cast down eye, whi l e t hose i n t he posi t i on of r epl yi ngwoul d l ose cour age. Thi s woul d be at a t i me when wars woul d descendupon you wi t h al l hardshi p and days woul d be so hard on you t hat you

woul d f eel t hem pr ol onged because of har dshi p t i l l Al l ah woul d gi vevi ct or y t o those r emai ni ng vi r t uous among you.When mi schi ef come they conf use ( r i ght wi t h wr ong) and when t hey cl earaway they l eave a warni ng. They cannot be known at t he t i me of approachbut ar e r ecogni sed at t he t i me of r et ur n. They bl ow l i ke t he bl owi ng ofwi nds, st r i ki ng some ci t i es and mi ssi ng ot her s.Bewar e t hat t he wor st mi schi ef f or you i n my vi ew i s t he mi schi ef ofBanu Umayyah, because i t i s bl i nd and al so cr eat es dar kness. I t s swayi s gener al but i t s i l l ef f ect s ar e f or par t i cul ar peopl e. He whor emai ns cl ear - si ght ed i n i t woul d be af f ect ed by di st r ess, and he whor emai ns bl i nd i n i t woul d avoi d t he di st r ess. By Al l ah. you wi l l f i ndBanu Umayyah af t er me wor st peopl e f or your sel ves, l i ke t he ol d unr ul yshe- camel who bi t es wi t h i t s mout h, beat s wi t h i t s f or e- l egs, ki ckswi t h i t s hi nd l egs and ref uses t o be mi l ked. They woul d r emai n over yout i l l t hey woul d l eave among you onl y t hose who benef i t t hem or t hosewho do not har m t hem. Thei r cal ami t y woul d cont i nue t i l l your seeki nghel p f r om t hem woul d become l i ke t he seeki ng of hel p by the sl ave f r omhi s mast er or of t he f ol l ower f r om t he l eader . Thei r mi schi ef woul d come t o you l i ke evi l eyed f ear and pre- I sl ami cf r agment s, wherei n there woul d be no mi naret of gui dance nor any si gn( of sal vat i on) t o be seen. We Ahlu'l-bayt ( t he Househol d of t heProphet ) are f r ee f r om t hi s mi schi ef and we are not among t hose whowoul d engender i t . Ther eaf t er , Al l ah woul d di spel i t f r om you l i ke t he

r emoval of t he ski n ( f r om f l esh) t hr ough hi m who woul d humbl e them,dr ag t hem by necks, make t hem dr i nk f ul l cups ( of har dshi ps) , notext end t hem anythi ng but swor d and not cl othe t hem save wi t h f ear . Att hat t i me Qur aysh woul d wi sh at t he cost of t he wor l d and al l i t scont ent s t o f i nd me even onl y once and j ust f or t he dur at i on of t hesl aught er of a camel i n or der t hat I may accept f r om t hem ( t he whol eof ) t hat of whi ch at pr esent I am aski ng t hem onl y a par t but t hey ar enot gi vi ng me.








[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s ser mon af t er t he bat t l e ofNahr awan. I n i t , mi schi ef i mpl y t he bat t l es f ought i n Basr ah, Si f f i nand Nahr awan because t hei r nat ur e was di f f er ent f r om t he bat t l es of t heProphet . Ther e t he opposi t e par t y wer e t he unbel i ever s whi l e her e t heconf r ont at i on was wi t h t hose who had vei l s of I sl am on t hei r f aces. So

peopl e wer e hesi t ant t o f i ght agai nst Musl i ms, and asked why t heyshoul d f i ght wi t h t hose who reci t ed t he cal l t o the pr ayer s and of f er edt he pr ayer s. Thus, Khuzaymah i bn Thabi t al - Ansar i di d not t ake par t i nt he Bat t l e of Si f f i n t i l l t he f al l i ng of Àmmar i bn Yasi r as mar t yr di dnot pr ove t hat t he opposi t e par t y was r ebel l i ous. Si mi l ar l y t hepr esence of compani ons l i ke Tal hah and az- Zubayr who were i ncl uded i nt he "For et ol d Ten" on t he si de of À' i shah i n Basr ah, and t he pr ayersi gns on f or eheads of t he Khar i j i t es i n Nahr awan and t hei r pr ayer s andworshi ps wer e cr eat i ng conf usi on i n t he mi nds. I n t hese ci r cumst ancesonl y t hose coul d have t he cour age to r i se agai nst t hem wer e awar e oft he secret s of t hei r hear t s and t he r eal i t y of t hei r f ai t h. I t was t he

pecul i ar per cept i on of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and hi s spi r i t ual cour age t hathe r ose to oppose them, and t est i f i ed t he sayi ng of t he Hol y Prophet : You wi l l f i ght af t er me wi t h t he breakers of al l egi ance ( peopl e of J amal ) , oppressor s ( peopl e of Syr i a) and devi at or s ( t he Khar i j i t es) .( al-Mustadrak àla as-Sahihayn, al-Hakim, vol . 3, p. l 39, 140; ad-Durr al-

manthur , vol . 6, p. l 8; al - I s tàb, vol . 3, p. 1117; Usd al-ghabah, vol . 4pp. 32, 33; Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 8, p. 340; vol . 13, pp. 186, 187; at-Tarikh,I bn Àsaki r , vol . 5, p. 41; at-Tarikh, I bn Kat hi r , vol . 7,pp. 304, 305, 306; Maj ma` az- zawa' i d, vol . 7, p. 238; vol . 9, p. 235; Sharh

al-mawahib, vol . 3, pp. 316- 317; Kanz al-ùmmal, vol . 6,pp. 72, 82, 88, 155, 319, 391, 392; vol . 8, p. 215)[ 2] . Af t er t he Hol y Pr ophet no one save Ami r al - mu' mi ni n coul d ut t er t hechal l enge "Ask what ever you want t o. " I bn Àbd al - Bar r i n Jami` bayan

al-ìlm wa fadlihi, vol . 1 p. 58 and i n al-Istiàb, vol . 3, p. l 103; I bnal - At hi r i n Usd al-ghabah, vol . 4, p. 22; I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d i n Sharh Nahj

al-balaghah, vol . 7, p. 46; as- Suyut i i n Tarikh al-Khulafa', p. 171 andI bn Haj ar al - Hayt ami i n as-Sawaìq al-muhriqah, p. 76 have wr i t t en t hat"None among the compani ons of t he Hol y Pr ophet ever sai d ' Ask mewhat ever you want t o' except Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b. " However , among ot hert han the compani ons a f ew names do appear i n hi st ory who di d ut t er sucha chal l enge, such as I br ahi m i bn Hi sham al - Makhzumi , Muqat i l i bnSul ayman, Qatadah i bn Di àmah, Àbd ar - Rahman ( I bn al - J awzi ) andMuhammad i bn I dr i s ash- Shaf i ì et c. but ever yone of t hem had t o f ace

di sgrace and was f or ced t o t ake back hi s chal l enge. Thi s chal l enge canbe ur ged onl y by hi m who knows t he r eal i t i es of t he Uni ver se and i sawar e of t he happeni ngs of t he f ut ur e. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, t he opener oft he door of t he Pr ophet ' s knowl edge, as he was, was t he onl y person whowas never seen bei ng unabl e t o answer any quest i on on any occasi on, somuch so t hat even Cal i ph Ùmar had t o say that " I seek Al l ah' spr ot ect i on f r om t he di f f i cul t y f or t he sol ut i on of whi ch Àl i woul d notbe avai l abl e. " Si mi l ar l y, t he pr opheci es of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n made about







t he f ut ur e pr oved t r ue word by word and ser ved as an i ndex t o hi s vastknowl edge, whet her t hey be about t he devast at i on of Banu Ummayyah ort he r i si ng of t he Khar i j i t es, t he war s and dest r uct i on by the Tar t ar sor t he at t acks of t he Engl i sh, t he f l oods of Basr ah of t he r ui nat i on ofKuf ah. I n shor t , when t hese event s ar e hi st or i cal r eal i t i es t her e i s no

why thi s chal l enge of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n shoul d be wondered at .r eason

*****

Sermon 94 Allah's praise and eulogy of the prophets

Exal t ed i s Al l ah Whom hei ght s of dar i ng cannot appr oach and f i neness ofi nt el l i gence cannot f i nd. He i s such Fi r st t hat t her e i s no ext r emi t yf or Hi m so t hat He be cont ai ned wi t hi n i t , nor i s t her e an end f or Hi mwher e woul d cease.A par t of t he same ser mon about t he Pr ophetAl l ah kept t he Pr ophet s i n deposi t i n t he best pl ace of deposi t andmade them st ay i n t he best pl ace of st ay. He moved t hem i n successi onf r om di st i ngui shed f or e- f at her s t o chast e wombs. Whenever a pr edecessorf r om among t hem di ed t he f ol l ower st ood up f or t he cause of t herel i gi on of Al l ah.About t he Hol y Pr ophet and hi s Descendant s ( `I t r ah)Unt i l t hi s di st i nct i on of Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, r eached Muhammad -peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s. Al l ahbr ought hi m out f r om t he most di st i ngui shed sour ces of or i gi n and t hemost honour abl e pl aces of pl ant i ng, namel y f r om t he same ( l i neal ) t r eef r om whi ch He br ought f or t h ot her Prophet s and f r om whi ch He sel ect edHi s t r ust ees. Muhammad' s descendant s are t he best descendant s, hi s

ki nsmen t he best of ki n and hi s l i neal t r ee t he best of t r ees. I t gr ewi n est eem and r ose i n di st i nct i on. I t has t al l br anches andunappr oachabl e f r ui t s.He i s t he l eader ( I mam) of al l who exer ci se f ear ( of Al l ah) and a l i ghtf or t hose who seek gui dance. He i s a l amp whose f l ame i s bur ni ng, amet eor whose l i ght i s shi ni ng and a f l i nt whose spar k i s br i ght . Hi sconduct i s upr i ght , hi s behavi our i s gui di ng, hi s speech i s deci si veand hi s deci si on i s j ust . Al l ah sent hi m af t er an i nt er val f r om t hepr evi ous Pr ophet s when peopl e had f al l en i nt o er r or s of act i on andi gnorance. Al l ah may have mercy on you.May Al l ah shower Hi s mercy on you ! Do act accor di ng to t he cl ear

si gns, because the way i s st r ai ght and l eads t o t he house of saf et ywhi l e you ar e i n t he pl ace of seeki ng Al l ah' s f avour , and have t i me andoppor t uni t y. The books ( of your doi ngs) ar e open and pens ( of angel s)ar e busy ( t o r ecor d your act i ons) whi l e your bodi es ar e heal t hy,t ongues are f r ee, r epent ance i s accept ed and deeds ar e accordedr ecogni t i on.* ****



Sermon 95 About the condition of the people at the time of the Prophet's

proclamation and his actions to do with the dissemination of his

message

Al l ah sent t he Prophet at a t i me when t he peopl e were goi ng ast r ay i nperpl exi t y and wer e movi ng her e and ther e i n mi schi ef . Desi r es had

def l ected t hemand sel f - concei t had swerved t hem. Ext r eme i gnorance had

made themf ool i sh. They were conf ounded by t he unst eadi ness of mat t ers

and t he evi l s of i gnor ance. Then t he Pr ophet - bl essi ng of Al l ah be

upon hi m and hi s descendant s - di d hi s best i n gi vi ng t hem si ncer e

advi ce, hi msel f t r od on t he r i ght pat h and cal l ed ( t hem) t owar ds wi sdom

and good counsel .

*****

Sermon 96In eulogy of the Holy Prophet

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah who i s such Fi r st t hat not hi ng i s bef or e Hi m and

such Last t hat t her e i s not hi ng af t er Hi m. He i s such Mani f est t hat

t her e i s not hi ng above Hi m and such Hi dden t hat t her e i s not hi ng near er

t han He.

A part of the same sermon about the Holy Prophet

Hi s pl ace of st ay i s t he best of al l pl aces and hi s or i gi n t he nobl est

of al l or i gi ns i n t he mi nes of honour and t he cr adl es of saf et y. Hear t s

of vi r t uous per sons have been i ncl i ned t owar ds hi m and t he r ei ns of

eyes have been tur ned t owards hi m. Thr ough hi m Al l ah bur i ed mut ual

r ancour and put of f t he f l ames of r evol t . Thr ough hi m He gave t hem

af f ect i on l i ke br ot her s and separ at ed t hose who wer e t oget her ( t hr ough

unbel i ef ) . Thr ough hi m He gave honour t o t he l ow and degr aded honour

( of unbel i ef ) . Hi s speaki ng i s cl ear and hi s si l ence i s ( i ndi cat i ve)

l i ke tongue.

*****

Sermon 97



Admonishing his own companions

Al t hough Al l ah gi ves t i me t o t he oppr essor , Hi s catch woul d not spar e

hi m [ 1] . Al l ah wat ches hi m on t he passage of hi s way and t he posi t i on

of t hat whi ch suf f ocat es t he t hr oat s.

By Al l ah i n Whose power my l i f e l i es, t hese peopl e ( Mu`awi yah and hi smen) wi l l overcome you not because t hey have a bet t er r i ght t han you

but because of t hei r hast eni ng t owar ds t he wr ong wi t h t hei r l eader and

your sl owness about my r i ght ( t o be f ol l owed) . Peopl e ar e af r ai d of t he

oppr essi on of t hei r r ul er s whi l e I f ear t he oppr essi on of my subj ect s.

I cal l ed you f or war but you di d not come. I warned you but you di d not

l i st en. I cal l ed you secret l y as wel l as openl y, but you di d not

r espond. I gave you si ncer e counsel , but you di d not accept i t . Ar e you

pr esent l i ke t he absent , and sl aves l i ke mast er s? I r eci t e bef or e you

poi nt s of wi sdom but you t ur n away f r om t hem, and I advi se you wi t h f arr eachi ng advi ce but you di sper se away f r om i t . I r ouse you

for jihad agai nst t he peopl e of r evol t but bef or e I come to t he end of

my speech, I see you di sper se l i ke t he sons of Saba. [ 2] You r et ur n t o

your pl aces and decei ve one anot her by your counsel . I st r ai ght en you

i n the morni ng but you ar e back t o me i n t he eveni ng as curved as t he

back of a bow. The sr ai ght ener has become wear y whi l e t hose t o be

st r ai ght ened have become i ncor r i gi bl e.

O' t hose whose bodi es are pr esent but wi t s are absent , and whose wi shes

ar e scat t er ed. Thei r r ul er s ar e on t r i al . Your l eader obeys Al l ah butyou di sobeyed hi m whi l e t he l eader of t he peopl e of Syr i a ( ash- Sham)

di sobeys Al l ah but t hey obey hi m. By Al l ah, I wi sh Mu`awi yah exchanges

wi t h me l i ke Di nar s wi t h Di r hams, so t hat he takes f r om me ten of you

and gi ves me one f r om t hem.

O' peopl e of Kuf ah, I have exper i enced i n you t hr ee thi ngs and two

ot her s: you ar e deaf i n spi t e of havi ng ear s, dumb i n spi t e of

speaki ng, and bl i nd i n spi t e of havi ng eyes. You ar e nei t her t r ue

suppor t er s i n combat nor dependabl e br ot hers i n di st r ess. Your hands

may be soi l ed wi t h ear t h. O' exampl es of t hose camel s whose her dsman

has di sappear ed, i f t hey ar e col l ect ed t oget her f r om one si de t hey

di sper se f r om t he ot her . By Al l ah, I see you i n my i magi nat i on t hat i f

war becomes i nt ense and act i on i s i n f ul l swi ng you woul d r un away f r om

t he son of Abi Tal i b l i ke t he woman who becomes naked i n t he f r ont . I

am cer t ai nl y on cl ear gui dance f r om my Lor d ( Al l ah) and on t he pat h of

my Pr ophet and I am on t he r i ght pat h whi ch I adher e to regul ar l y.







About the Household of the Holy Prophet

Look at t he peopl e of t he Pr ophet ' s f ami l y. Adher e t o t hei r di r ect i on.

Fol l ow t hei r f oot st eps because t hey woul d never l et you out of

gui dance, and never t hr ow you i nt o dest r uct i on. I f t hey si t down, you

si t down, and i f t hey r i se up you r i se up. Do not go ahead of t hem, as

you woul d t hereby go ast r ay and go not l ag behi nd of t hem as you woul dt her eby be rui ned.

I have seen the compani ons of t he Pr ophet but I do not f i nd anyone

r esembl i ng them. They began t he day wi t h dust on t he hai r and f ace ( i n

har dshi p of l i f e) and passed t he ni ght i n pr ost r at i on and st andi ng i n

pr ayers. Somet i mes t hey put down t hei r f oreheads and somet i mes t hei r

cheeks. Wi t h t he r ecol l ect i on of t hei r r esur r ect i on i t seemed as t hough

t hey st ood on l i ve coal . I t seemed t hat i n bet ween t hei r eyes t her e

wer e si gns l i ke knees of goat s, r esul t i ng f r om l ong pr ost r at i ons. When

Al l ah was ment i oned t hei r eyes f l owed f r eel y t i l l t hei r shi r t col l ar swere dr enched. They t r embl ed f or f ear of puni shment and hope of r eward

as t he t r ee t r embl es on t he day of st ormy wi nd.


[ 1] . I n t he atmosphere that had been cr eat ed soon af t er t he Prophet

t he Ahlu'l-bayt ( members of hi s f ami l y) had no cour se except t o r emai n

secl uded as a resul t of whi ch wor l d has r emai ned i gnor ant of t hei r r eal

qual i t i es and unacquai nt ed wi t h t hei r t eachi ngs and at t ai nment s, and t o

bel i t t l e t hem and keepi ng t hem away f r om aut hor i t y has been consi der edas t he gr eat est servi ce to I sl am. I f `Ut hman' s open mi sdeeds had not

gi ven a chance t o t he Musl i ms t o wake up and open t hei r eyes t here

woul d have been no quest i on of al l egi ance t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and

t empor al aut hor i t y woul d have r et ai ned the same cour se as i t had so f ar

f ol l owed. But al l t hose who coul d be named f or t he pur pose had no

cour age to come f orward because of t hei r own short comi ngs whi l e

Mu`awi yah was si t t i ng i n hi s capi t al away f r om t he cent r e. I n t hese

ci r cumst ances t here was none except Ami r al - mu' mi ni n who coul d be

l ooked at . Consequent l y peopl e' s eyes hover ed around hi m and t he same

common peopl e who, f ol l owi ng the di r ect i on of t he wi nd, had beenswear i ng al l egi ance t o ot her s j umped at hi m f or swear i ng al l egi ance.

Never t hel ess, t hi s al l egi ance was not on t he count t hat t hey r egar ded

hi s Cal i phat e as f r om Al l ah and hi m as an I mam ( Di vi ne Leader ) t o obey

whom was obl i gat or y. I t was r at her under t hei r own pr i nci pl es whi ch

were known as democr at i c or consul t at i ve. However , t here was one gr oup

who was swear i ng al l egi ance t o hi m as a r el i gi ous obl i gat i on r egar di ng





hi s Cal i phat e as det er mi ned by Al l ah. Ot her wi se, t he maj or i t y r egar ded

hi m a rul er l i ke t he ot her Cal i phs, and as r egar ds pr ecedence, on t he

f our t h posi t i on, or at t he l evel of t he common men af t er t he thr ee

cal i phs. Si nce t he peopl e, t he ar my, and t he ci vi l servant s had been

i mpr essed by the bel i ef s and act i ons of t he pr evi ous r ul er s and

i mmersed i n t hei r ways whenever t hey f ound anyt hi ng agai nst t hei rl i ki ng t hey f r et t ed and f r owned, evaded war and wer e r eady t o r i se i n

di sobedi ence and r evol t . Fur t her , j ust as among t hose who f ought

i n jihad wi t h t he Pr ophet t here were some seeker s of t hi s wor l d and

others of t he next wor l d, i n t he same way here t oo t here was no dear t h

of wor l dl y men who were, i n appear ance, wi t h Ami r al - mu' mi ni n but

act ual l y t hey had connect i ons wi t h Muàwi yah who has pr omi sed some of

t hem posi t i ons and had extended t o ot her s t empt at i on of weal t h. To hol d

t hem as Shi àhs of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and t o bl ame Shi ì sm f or t hi s

r eason i s cl osi ng t he eyes t o f act s, because t he bel i ef s of t hese

peopl e woul d be t he same as of t hose who r egarded Ami r al - mu' mi ni nf our t h i n t he ser i es. I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d t hr ows l i ght on t he bel i ef s of

t hese per sons i n cl ear wor ds:

Whoever observes mi nut el y t he event s dur i ng the per i od of Cal i phat e of

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n woul d know t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had been br ought t o

bay because t hose who knew hi s r eal posi t i on were ver y f ew, and t he

swar mi ng maj or i t y di d not bear t hat bel i ef about hi m whi ch was

obl i gat or y t o have. They gave pr ecedence t o t he pr evi ous Cal i phs over

hi m and hel d t hat t he cr i t er i on of pr ecedence was Cal i phat e, and i n

t hi s mat t er t hose comi ng l at er f ol l owed t he pr edecessor s, and ar guedt hat i f t he pr edecessors had not t he knowl edge t hat t he pr evi ous

Cal i phs had pr ecedence over Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t hey woul d not have

pr ef er r ed t hem t o hi m. Rat her , t hese peopl e knew and t ook Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n as a ci t i zen and subj ect . Most of t hose who f ought i n hi s

company di d so on gr ounds of pr est i ge or Ar ab par t i sanshi p, not on the

gr ound of r el i gi on or bel i ef . ( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah,vol . 7, p. 72)

[ 2] . The pr ogeny of Saba' i bn Yashj ub i bn Ya`r ub i bn Qaht an i s known as

t he t r i be of Saba' . When t hese peopl e began t o f al si f y pr ophet s t hen t o

shake t hem Al l ah sent t o t hem a f l ood of wat er by whi ch t hei r gar denswere submerged and t hey l ef t t hei r houses and pr opert y t o set t l e down

i n di f f er ent ci t i es. Thi s pr over b ar ose out of t hi s event and i t i s now

appl i ed wher ever peopl e so di sper se t hat t her e can be no hope of t hei r

j oi ni ng t oget her agai n.

*****





Sermon 98Oppression of the Umayyads

By Al l ah, t hey woul d cont i nue l i ke t hi s t i l l t her e woul d be l ef t no

unl awf ul act bef or e Al l ah but t hey woul d make i t l awf ul and no pl edge

but t hey woul d br eak i t , and t i l l t her e woul d r emai n no house of br i cks

or of wool l en t ent s but t hei r oppr essi on woul d ent er i t . Thei r bad

deal i ngs woul d make t hem wr et ched, t i l l t wo gr oups of cr yi ng

compl ai nant s woul d r i se, one woul d cr y f or hi s r el i gi on and t he ot her

f or t hi s wor l d and t he hel p of one of you t o one of t hem woul d be l i ke

t he hel p of a sl ave to hi s mast er , namel y when he i s present he obeys

hi m, but when the mast er i s away he backbi t es hi m. The hi ghest among

you i n di st r ess woul d be he who bear best bel i ef about Al l ah. I f Al l ah

gr ant s you saf et y accept i t , and i f you ar e put i n t r oubl e endur e i t ,because sur el y ( good) r esul t i s f or t he God- f ear i ng.

*****

Sermon 99 About abstinence of the world and vicissitudes of time

We pr ai se Al l ah f or what has happened and seek Hi s succour i n our

af f ai r s f or what i s yet t o happen, and we beg Hi m f or saf et y i n t he

f ai t h j ust as we beg Hi m f or saf et y i n our bodi es.

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah! I advi se you t o keep away f r om t hi s wor l d whi ch

i s ( shor t l y) t o l eave you even t hough you do not l i ke i t s depar t ur e,

and whi ch woul d make your bodi es ol d even t hough you woul d l i ke t o keep

t hem f r esh. Your exampl e and i t s exampl e i s l i ke t he t r avel l er s who

t r avel some di st ance and t hen as t hough t hey t r aver se i t qui ckl y or

t hey ai med at a si gn and r eached i t at once. How shor t i s t he di st ance

t o t he ai m i f one heads t owar ds i t and r eaches i t . And how shor t i s t he

st age of one who has onl y a day whi ch he cannot exceed whi l e a swi f t

dr i ver i s dr i vi ng hi m i n t hi s wor l d t i l l he depart s f rom i t .

So do not hanker af t er wor l dl y honour and i t s pr i de, and do not f eel

happy over i t s beaut i es and bount i es nor wai l over i t s damages and

mi sf or t unat e because i t s honour and pr i de woul d end whi l e i t s beaut y

and bount y woul d per i sh, and i t s damages and mi sf or t unes woul d pass

away. Ever y per i od i n i t has an end and ever y l i vi ng bei ng i n i t i s t o

di e. I s not t her e f or you a war ni ng i n t he r el i cs of t he pr edecessor s



and an eye opener and l esson i n your f or e- f at her s, pr ovi ded you

underst and?

Do you not see that your predecessors do not come back and the

survi vi ng f ol l ower s do not r emai n? Do you not observe t hat t he peopl e

of t he wor l d pass mor ni ngs and eveni ngs i n di f f er ent condi t i ons? Thus,

( somewhere) t he dead i s wept f or , someone i s bei ng condol ed, someone i spr ost r at e i n di st r ess, someone i s enqui r i ng about t he si ck, someone i s

passi ng hi s l ast br eat h, someone i s hanker i ng af t er t he wor l d whi l e

deat h i s l ooki ng f or hi m, someone i s f or get f ul but he i s not f or got t en

( by deat h) , and on t he f oot st eps of t he pr edecessor s wal k t he

sur vi vor s.

Beware! At t he t i me of commi t t i ng evi l deeds r emember t he dest r oyer of

j oys, t he spoi l er of pl easur es, and t he ki l l er of desi r es ( namel y

deat h) . Seek assi st ance of Al l ah f or f ul f i l ment of Hi s obl i gat or y

r i ght s, and f or ( t hanki ng Hi m) f or Hi s count l ess bount i es andobl i gat i ons.

*****

Sermon 100 About the Holy Prophet and his Descendants

Prai se be t o Al l ah Who spr eads Hi s bount y t hr oughout t he creat i on, and

ext ends Hi s hand of gener osi t y among them. We pr ai se Hi m i n al l Hi s

af f ai r s and seek Hi s assi st ance f or f ul f i l ment of Hi s r i ght s. We st andwi t ness t hat t her e i s no god except He and t hat Muhammad

( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) i s Hi s sl ave and Pr ophet . He sent hi m t o mani f est Hi s

commands and speak about Hi s r emembr ance. Consequent l y, he f ul f i l l ed i t

wi t h t r ust wor t hi ness, and he passed away whi l e on t he r i ght path.

He l ef t among us t he st andar d of r i ght . Whoever goes f ur t her f r om i t

goes out of Fai t h, whoever l ags behi nd i t i s r ui ned. Whoever st i cks to

i t woul d j oi n ( t he r i ght ) . I t s gui de i s shor t of speech, sl ow of st eps,

and qui ck when he r i ses. When you have bent your necks bef ore hi m and

poi nt ed t owar ds hi m wi t h your f i nger s hi s deat h woul d occur and woul dt ake hi m away. They woul d l i ve af t er hi m as l ong as Al l ah wi l l s, t i l l

Al l ah br i ngs out f or you one who woul d col l ect you t oget her and f use

you af t er di f f usi on. Do not pl ace expect at i ons i n one who does

not [ 1] come f orward and do not l ose hope i n one who i s vei l ed, because

i t i s possi bl e t hat one of t he t wo f eet of t he vei l ed one may sl i p





woul d f i r e up and shoot f or t h l i ke dar keni ng ni ght and sur gi ng sea.

Thi s and how many ot her st or ms woul d r end Kuf ah and gal es woul d sweep

over i t , and shor t l y heads woul d cl ash wi t h heads, t he st andi ng cr op

woul d be harvest ed and t he har vest woul d be smashed.


[ 1] . Some peopl e have t aken t hi s t o ref er t o Mu`awi yah and others t o

`Abd al - Mal i k i bn Mar wan.

*****

Sermon 102

On the same subject - Day of Judgment

That day woul d be such t hat Al l ah woul d col l ect on i t t he ant er i or s and

t he post er i or s, t o st and i n obedi ence f or exact i on of account s and f or

award of r ecompense f or deeds. Sweat woul d f l ow upt o t hei r mout hs l i ke

r ei ns whi l e the ear t h woul d be t r embl i ng under t hem. I n t he best

condi t i on among themwoul d be he who has f ound a r est i ng pl ace f or both

hi s f eet and an open pl ace f or hi s br eat h.

A part of the same sermon about future troubles (fitan)

The t r oubl es ar e l i ke a dar k ni ght . Hor ses woul d not st and f or ( f aci ng)t hem nor woul d t hei r banner s t ur n back. They woul d appr oach i n f ul l

r ei ns and r eady wi t h saddl es. Thei r l eader woul d be dr i vi ng t hem and

t he r i der woul d be exer t i ng ( t hem) . The t r oubl e- monger s ar e a peopl e

whose at t acks are sever e. Those who woul d f i ght t hem f or t he sake of

Al l ah woul d be a peopl e who ar e l ow i n t he est i mat i on of t he pr oud,

unknown i n the ear t h but wel l known on the sky. Woe t o you O' Basr ah,

when an ar my of Al l ah' s i nf l i ct i on woul d f ace upon you wi t hout

( r ai si ng) dust of cr i es. Your i nhabi t ant s woul d t hen f ace bl oody deat h

and di r e hunger .

*****

Sermon 103

About abstemiousness and fear of Allah





O' peopl e! l ook at t he wor l d l i ke t hose who abst ai n f r om i t , and t ur n

away f r om i t . By Al l ah, i t woul d shor t l y t ur n out i t s i nhabi t ant s and

cause gr i ef t o t he happy and the saf e. That whi ch tur ns and goes away

f r om i t never r et ur ns and t hat whi ch i s l i kel y t o come about i s not

known or ant i ci pat ed. I t s j oy i s mi ngl ed wi t h gr i ef . Her ei n men' s

f i r mness i ncl i nes t owards weakness and l angui dness. The maj or i t y ofwhat pl eases you here shoul d not mi sl ead you because t hat whi ch woul d

hel p you woul d be l i t t l e.

Al l ah may shower Hi s mercy on hi m who ponder s and t akes l esson t hereby,

and when he t akes l esson he achi eves enl i ght enment . Whatever i s present

i n t hi s wor l d woul d shor t l y not exi st , whi l e what ever i s t o exi st i n

t he next wor l d i s al r eady i n exi st ence. Ever y count abl e t hi ng woul d

pass away. Every ant i ci pat i on shoul d be t aken t o be comi ng up and every

t hi ng t hat i s t o come up shoul d be t aken as j ust near .

A part of the same sermon on the attributes of a learned person

Lear ned i s he who knows hi s wor t h. I t i s enough f or a man t o remai n

i gnor ant i f he knows not hi s wor t h. Cer t ai nl y, t he most hat ed man wi t h

Al l ah i s he whom Al l ah has l ef t f or hi s own sel f . He goes ast r ay f r om

t he r i ght pat h, and moves wi t hout a gui de. I f he i s cal l ed t o the

pl ant at i on of t hi s wor l d he i s act i ve, but i f he i s cal l ed t o t he

pl ant at i on of t he next wor l d he i s sl ow. As t hough what he i s act i ve

f or i s obl i gat or y upon hi m wher eas i n what ever he i s s l ow was not

r equi r ed of hi m.

A part of the same sermon concerning future times

Ther e woul d be a t i me wher ei n onl y a sl eepi ng ( i nact i ve) bel i ever woul d

be saf e ( such t hat ) i f he i s pr esent he i s not r ecogni sed but i f he i s

absent he i s not sought af t er . These are t he l amps of gui dance and

banner s of ni ght j our neys. They do not spread cal umni es nor di vul ge

secr et s, nor sl ander . They ar e t hose f or whom Al l ah woul d open t he

door s of Hi s mer cy and keeps of f f r om t hem t he har dshi ps of Hi s

chast i sement .

O' peopl e! a t i me wi l l come to you when I sl amwoul d be capsi zed as apot i s capsi zed wi t h al l i t s cont ent s. O' peopl e, Al l ah has pr ot ect ed

you f r om t hat He mi ght be hard on you but He has not spared you f r om

bei ng put on t r i al . Al l ah t he Subl i mest of al l speaker s has sai d:

Verily in this are signs and We do only try ( t he peopl e) . ( Qur ' an,

23: 30)



Sermon 105

In eulogy of the Holy Prophet

Then Al l ah deput i sed Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) as a wi t ness, gi ver of

good t i di ngs and war ner , t he best i n t he uni ver se as a chi l d and t hemost chast e as a gr own up man, t he pur est of t he pur i f i ed i n conduct ,

t he most generous of t hose who ar e appr oached f or generosi t y.

About the Ummayads

Thi s wor l d di d not appear sweet t o you i n i t s pl easur es and you di d not

secur e mi l k f r om i t s udder s except af t er havi ng met i t when i t s nose-

r ei n was t r ai l i ng and i t s l eat her gi r t h was l oose. For cer t ai n peopl e

i t s unl awf ul i t ems wer e l i ke bent br anches ( l aden wi t h f r ui t ) whi l e i t s

l awf ul i t ems wer e f ar away, not avai l abl e. By Al l ah, you woul d f i nd i t

l i ke a l ong shade upt o a f i xed t i me. So t he ear t h i s wi t h you wi t houtl et or hi ndr ance and your hands i n i t ar e extended whi l e the hands of

t he l eaders are hel d away f r omyou. Your swords are hangi ng over t hem

whi l e t hei r swor ds are hel d away f r om you.

Bewar e that f or ever y bl ood ( t hat i s shed) t her e i s an avenger and f or

ever y r i ght t her e i s a cl ai mant . The avenger f or our bl ood i s l i ke t he

j udge f or hi s own cl ai m, and i t i s Al l ah who i s such t hat i f one seeks

Hi m, t hen He does not di sappoi nt hi m, and one who runs away f r om Hi m

cannot escape Hi m. I swear by Al l ah, O' Banu Umayyah, shor t l y you wi l l

see i t ( i . e. your possessi on) i n t he hands of ot her s and i n t he houseof your enemy. Know t hat t he best l ooki ng eye i s t hat whose si ght

catches vi r t ue and know t hat t he best hear i ng ear i s t hat whi ch hear s

good advi ce and accept s i t .

About the functions of the Imams

O' peopl e, secur e l i ght f r om t he f l ame of l amps of t he pr eacher who

f ol l ows what he pr eaches and dr aw water f r omt he spr i ng whi ch has been

cl eaned of di r t .

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, do not r el y on your i gnor ance, do not beobedi ent t o your desi r es, because he who st ays at t hi s pl ace i s l i ke

one who st ays on t he br i nk of a bank undermi ned by water car r yi ng r ui n

on hi s back f r om one por t i on t o t he ot her f ol l owi ng hi s opi ni on whi ch

he changes ( one af t er t he ot her ) . He want s t o make adhere what cannot

adher e and t o br i ng t oget her what cannot keep t oget her . So f ear Al l ah

and do not pl ace your compl ai nt s bef ore hi m who cannot r edr ess your



mer cy. My Al l ah di st r i but e to hi m a shar e f r om Thy J ust i ce and awar d

hi m mul t i pl es of good by Thy bount y. My Al l ah hei ght en hi s const r uct i on

over t he const r uct i ons of ot her s, honour hi m when he comes t o Thee,

di gni f y hi s posi t i on bef or e Thee, gi ve hi m honour abl e posi t i on, and

awar d hi m gl or y and di st i nct i on, and br i ng us out ( on t he Day of

J udgement ) among hi s part y, nei t her ashamed, nor r epent ant , nordevi at or s, nor pl edge- br eaker s, nor st r ayer s, nor mi sl eader s. nor

seduced.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Thi s ser mon had al r eady appear ed ear l i er but we

have repeat ed i t here because of t he di f f erence between t he two

ver si ons.

A part of the same sermon addressed to his followers

By bount y of Al l ah over you, you have acqui r ed a posi t i on where even

your sl ave mai ds ar e honour ed, your nei ghbour s ar e t r eat ed wel l . Evenhe over whom you enj oy no di st i nct i on or obl i gat i on honour s you. Even

t hose peopl e f ear you who had no appr ehensi on of at t ack f r omyou or any

aut hor i t y over you. You now see pl edges t o Al l ah bei ng br oken but do

not f eel enr aged al t hough you f r et and f r own on t he br eaki ng of t he

t r adi t i ons of your f or ef at her s. Al l ah' s mat t er s have been comi ng t o

you, and goi ng f r om and agai n comi ng back t o you; but you have made

over your pl ace t o wr ong- doer s and thr own towards t hemyour

r esponsi bi l i t i es, and have pl aced Al l ah' s af f ai r s i n t hei r hands. They

act i n doubt s and t r ead i n ( f ul f i l ment of ) desi r es. By Al l ah, even i f

t hey di sper se you under ever y st ar Al l ah woul d sur el y col l ect you ont he day t hat woul d be worst f or t hem.

*****

Sermon 107

Delivered during one of the days of Siffin

I have seen your f l i ght and your di sper sal f r om t he l i nes. You wer e

sur r ounded by rude and l ow peopl e and Bedoui ns of Syr i a (ash- Sham) ,al t hough you ar e t he chi ef s of Ar abs and summi t of di st i nct i on, and

possess di gni t y as t hat of t he hi gh nose and bi g hump of t he camel . The

si gh of my bosom can subsi de onl y when I event ual l y see you sur r oundi ng

t hem as t hey sur r ounded you, and see you di sl odgi ng t hem f r om t hei r

posi t i on as t hey di sl odged you, ki l l i ng t hem wi t h ar r ows and st r i ki ng

t hem wi t h spear s so that t hei r f or war d r ows mi ght f al l on t he r ear ones



j ust l i ke t he t hi r st y camel s who have been t urned away f r om t hei r pl ace

of dr i nk and r emoved f r om t hei r wat er - poi nt s.

*****

Sermon 108

It is one of the sermons about the vicissitudes of time

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah Who i s Mani f est bef or e Hi s cr eat i on because of

t hemsel ves. Who i s appar ent t o thei r hear t s because of cl ear pr oof ; Who

cr eat ed wi t hout medi t at i ng, si nce medi t at i ng does not bef i t except one

who has t hi nki ng or gans whi l e He has no t hi nki ng or gan i n Hi msel f . Hi s

knowl edge has spl i t f or t h t he i nsi de of unknown secret s and cover ed t he

bot t om of deep bel i ef s.


Al l ah chose hi m f r om t he l i neal t r ee of pr ophet s, f r om t he f l ame of

l i ght , f r om t he f or ehead of gr eat ness, f r om t he best par t of t he val l ey

of al - Bat ' ha' , f r om t he l amps f or dar kness, and f r om t he sour ces of

wi sdom.


The Pr ophet was l i ke a r oami ng physi ci an who has set r eady hi s

oi nt ment s and heat ed hi s i nst r ument s. He uses t hemwherever t he need

ar i ses f or cur i ng bl i nd hear t s, deaf ear s, and dumb t ongues. Hef ol l owed wi t h hi s medi ci nes t he spot s of negl i gence and pl aces of

per pl exi t y.

Blaming Muslims

They ( peopl e) di d not t ake l i ght f r om t he l i ght s of hi s wi sdom nor di d

t hey pr oduce f l ame f r om t he f l i nt of spar kl i ng knowl edge . So i n t hi s

mat t er t hey ar e l i ke gr azi ng cat t l e and har d st ones. Never t hel ess,

hi dden t hi ngs have appear ed f or t hose who per cei ve, t he f ace of r i ght

has become cl ear f or t he wanderer , t he approachi ng moment has r ai sed

t he vei l f r om i t s f ace and si gns have appear ed f or t hose who sear ch f or

t hem.

What i s t he mat t er wi t h me! I see you j ust bodi es wi t hout spi r i t s and

spi r i t s wi t hout bodi es, devot ees wi t hout good, t r ader s wi t hout pr of i t s,

wakef ul but sl eepi ng, pr esent but unseen, seei ng but bl i nd, hear i ng but

deaf and speaki ng but dumb.



Sermon 109

About the Might of Allah

Ever ythi ng submi t s t o Hi m and ever ythi ng exi st s by Hi m. He i s t he

sat i sf act i on of ever y poor , di gni t y of t he l ow, ener gy f or t he weak andshel t er f or t he oppr essed. Whoever speaks, He hear s hi s speaki ng, and

whoever keeps qui et , He knows hi s secret . On Hi m i s t he l i vel i hood of

ever yone who l i ves, and t o Hi m r et ur ns whoever di es.

( O' Al l ah! ) The eyes have not seen Thee so as t o be aware of Thee, but

Thou wer t bef or e t he descr i ber s of Thy cr eat i on. Thou di dst not cr eate

t he cr eat i on on account of l onel i ness, nor di dst make t hem wor k f or

gai n. He whom Thou cat chest cannot go f ar t her t han Thee, and he whom

Thou hol dest cannot escape Thee. He who di sobeys Thee does not decr ease

Thy aut hor i t y, and he who obeys Thee does not add t o Thy Mi ght . He whodi sagr ees wi t h Thy j udgement cannot t ur n i t , and he who tur ns away f r om

Thy command cannot do wi t hout Thee. Every secr et bef or e Thee i s open

and f or Thee ever y absent i s pr esent .

Thou ar t ever l ast i ng, t her e i s no end t o Thee. Thou ar t t he hi ghest

ai m, t her e i s no escape f r om Thee, Thou ar t t he pr omi sed ( poi nt of

r et ur n) f r om whi ch t her e i s no del i ver ance except t owar ds Thee. I n Thy

hand i s t he f or el ock of ever y cr eat ur e and t o Thee i s t he r et ur n of

ever y l i vi ng bei ng. Gl or y t o Thee! How gr eat i s Thy creat i on t hat we

see, but how smal l i s t hi s great ness by t he si de of Thy Mi ght . How awe-

st r i ki ng i s Thy r eal m t hat we not i ce, but how humbl e i s t hi s agai nst

what i s hi dden f r om us out of Thy aut hor i t y. How extensi ve ar e Thy

bount i es i n t hi s wor l d, but how smal l ar e t hey agai nst t he bount i es of

t he next wor l d.

A part of the same sermon about the Angels

Thou ( O' Al l ah) made angel s r esi de i n Thy ski es and pl ace t hem hi gh

above f r om Thy ear t h. They have t he most knowl edge about Thee and Thy

whol e cr eat i on, t he most f ear i ng f r om Thee, and t he near est t o Thee.

They never st ayed i n l oi ns nor wer e r et ai ned i n wombs. They wer e notcr eat ed "from mean water ( semen) " ( Qur ' an , 32: 8; 77: 20) . They wer e not

di sper sed by vi ci ssi t udes of t i me. They ar e on t hei r pl aces ( di st i nct )

f r om Thee and i n t hei r posi t i ons near Thee. Thei r desi r es ar e

concent r at ed i n Thee. Thei r wor shi p f or Thee i s much. Thei r negl ect

f r om Thy command i s l i t t l e. I f t hey wi t ness what r emai ns hi dden about

Thee t hey woul d r egar d t hei r deeds as ver y l i t t l e, t hey woul d cr i t i ci se



t hemsel ves and woul d r eal i se t hat t hey di d not worshi p Thee accor di ng

t o Thy r i ght f or bei ng worshi pped and di d not obey Thee as Thou hast

t he r i ght of bei ng obeyed.

About the bounties and guidance of Allah,

and those who are ungrateful

Gl or i f i ed ar t Thou, t he Cr eat or , t he Wor shi pped, on account of Thy good

t r i al s of Thy cr eat ur es. Thou cr eat ed a house ( t he Par adi se) and

pr ovi ded i n i t f or f east i ng, dr i nks, f oods, spouses, ser vant s, pl aces,

st r eams, pl ant at i ons and f r ui t s. Then Thou sent a messenger t o i nvi t e

t owar ds i t , but t he peopl e di d not r espond t o t he cal l er , and di d not

f eel persuaded t o what Thou persuaded t hem nor showed eagerness t owards

what Thou desi r ed them t o f eel eager . They j umped on the car cass ( of

t hi s wor l d) , ear ned shame by eat i ng i t and became uni t ed on l ovi ng i t .

When one l oves a t hi ng i t bl i nds hi m and si ckens hi s hear t . Then he

sees but wi t h a di seased eye, hear s but wi t h unhear i ng ear s. Desi r es

have cut asunder hi s wi t , and t he wor l d has made hi s heart dead, whi l e

hi s mi nd i s al l l ongi ng f or i t . Consequent l y, he i s a sl ave of i t and

of ever yone who has any shar e i n i t . Wher ever i t t ur ns, he t ur ns

t owar ds i t and wher ever i t pr oceeds, he pr oceeds t owar ds i t . He i s not

desi st ed by any desi st er f r om Al l ah, nor t akes admoni t i on f r om any

pr eacher . He sees t hose who have been caught i n negl ect whence t here i s

nei t her r esci ssi on nor r ever si on.

About Death

What ever t hey wer e i gnor i ng has bef al l en t hem, separ at i on f r om t hi s

wor l d, f r om whi ch t hey t ook t hemsel ves saf e, has come to t hem and t hey

have r eached t hat i n t he next wor l d whi ch they had been pr omi sed.

Whatever has bef al l en t hemcannot be descr i bed. Pangs of deat h and

gr i ef f or l osi ng ( t hi s wor l d) have sur r ounded t hem. Consequent l y, t hei r

l i mbs become l angui d and t hei r compl exi on changes. Then deat h i ncr eases

i t s st r uggl e over t hem.

I n some one i t st ands i n between hi m and hi s power of speaki ng al t houghhe l i es among hi s peopl e, l ooki ng wi t h eyes, hear i ng wi t h hi s ear s,

wi t h f ul l wi t s and i nt el l i gence. He t hen t hi nks over how he wast ed hi s

l i f e and i n what ( act i vi t i es) he passed hi s t i me. He r ecal l s t he weal t h

he col l ect ed when he had bl i nded hi msel f i n seeki ng i t , and acqui r ed i t

f r om f ai r and f oul sour ces. Now t he consequences of col l ect i ng i t have



over t aken hi m. He get s r eady t o l eave i t . I t woul d r emai n f or t hose who

ar e behi nd hi m. They woul d enj oy i t and benef i t by i t .

I t woul d be an easy acqui si t i on f or ot her s but a bur den on hi s back,

and t he man cannot get r i d of i t . He woul d t hereupon bi t e hi s hands

wi t h t eet h out of shame f or what was di scl osed t o hi m about hi s af f ai r s

at t he t i me of hi s death. He woul d di sl i ke what he covet ed dur i ng t hedays of hi s l i f e and woul d wi sh that he who envi ed hi m on account of i t

and f el t j eal ous over hi m f or i t shoul d have amassed i t i nst ead of he

hi msel f .

Deat h woul d go on af f ect i ng hi s body t i l l hi s ear s t oo woul d behave

l i ke hi s t ongue ( and l ose f unct i oni ng) . So he woul d l i e among hi s

peopl e, nei t her speaki ng wi t h hi s t ongue or hear i ng wi t h hi s ear s. He

woul d be rot at i ng hi s gl ance over t hei r f aces, wat chi ng the movement s

of t hei r t ongues, but not hear i ng t hei r speaki ng. Then deat h woul d

i ncr ease i t s sway over hi m, and hi s s i ght woul d be t aken by deat h ast he ear s had been t aken and t he spi r i t woul d depar t f r om hi s body. He

woul d t hen become a car cass among hi s own peopl e. They woul d f eel

l onel i ness f r om hi m and get away f r om near hi m. He woul d not j oi n a

mour ner or r espond t o a cal l er . Then t hey woul d car r y hi m t o a smal l

pl ace i n t he gr ound and del i ver hi m i n i t t o ( f ace) hi s deeds. They

abandoned vi si t i ng hi m.

About the Day of Judgement

Ti l l what ever i s wr i t t en as or dai ned approaches i t s end, t he af f ai r scompl et e t hei r dest i ned l i mi t s, t he post er i or s j oi n t he ant er i or s and

what ever Al l ah wi l l s t akes pl ace i n t he shape of r esur r ect i on of Hi s

cr eat i on. Then He woul d convul se t he sky and spl i t i t . He woul d quake

t he ear t h and shake i t . He woul d r oot out t he mount ai ns and scat t er

t hem. They woul d cr ush each other out of awe of Hi s Gl ory and f ear of

Hi s Di gni t y.

He woul d t ake out ever yone who i s i n i t . He woul d r ef r esh t hem af t er

t hey had been worn out and col l ect t hemaf t er t hey had been separated.

Then He woul d set t hem apar t f or quest i oni ng about t he hi dden deeds and

secr et act s. He woul d t hen di vi de t hem i nt o t wo gr oups, r ewar di ng one

and puni shi ng the ot her . As r egards t he obedi ent peopl e He woul d reward

t hem wi t h Hi s near ness and woul d keep t hem f or ever i n Hi s house f r om

wher e those who set t l e t her ei n do not move out . Thei r posi t i on woul d

not undergo change, f ear woul d not overt ake t hem, ai l ment s woul d not



bef al l t hem, danger s woul d not af f ect t hem and j our ney woul d not f or ce

t hem ( f r om pl ace t o pl ace) .

As f or peopl e of si ns, He woul d set t l e t hem i n t he wor st pl ace woul d

bi nd t hei r hands wi t h t he necks, bi nd t he f or el ocks wi t h f eet and woul d

cl ot he t hem i n shi r t s of t ar and dr esses cut out of f l ames. They woul d

be i n puni shment whose heat woul d be severe, door woul d be cl osed ont he i nmat es - i n f i r e whi ch i s f ul l of shout s and cr i es and r i si ng

f l ames and f ear f ul voi ces. I t s i nmat e does not move out of i t . i t s

pr i soner cannot be r el eased by r ansom and i t s shackl es cannot be cut .

Ther e i s no f i xed age f or t hi s house so t hat i t mi ght per i sh, nor

per i od f or i t s l i f e t hat mi ght pass away.


He t r eat ed t hi s wor l d di sdai nf ul l y and r egar ded i t l ow. He hel d i t

cont empt i bl e and hat ed i t . He r eal i sed t hat Al l ah kept i t away f r om hi mwi t h i nt ent i on and spr ead i t out f or ot her s by way of cont empt .

Ther ef or e, he r emai ned away f r om i t by hi s hear t , bani shed i t s

r ecol l ect i on f r om hi s mi nd and wi shed t hat i t s at t r act i on shoul d r emai n

hi dden f r om hi s eye so that he shoul d not acqui r e any cl ot hi ng f r om i t ,

or hope f or st ayi ng i n i t . He conveyed f r om Al l ah t he pl eas ( agai nst

commi t t i ng si ns) , counsel l ed hi s peopl e as a war ner ( agai nst Di vi ne

chast i sement ) and cal l ed ( peopl e) t owar ds Par adi se as a conveyor of

good t i di ngs.

About the Descendants of the Holy Prophet

We ar e t he t r ee of pr ophet hood, st ayi ng pl ace of ( Di vi ne) Message,

descendi ng pl ace of angel s, mi nes of knowl edge and t he sour ces of

wi sdom. Our suppor t er and l over awai t s mer cy whi l e our enemy and he who

hates us awai t s wr at h.

*****

Sermon 110

About Islam

The best means by whi ch seekers of near ness t o Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed,

t he Exal t ed, seek near ness, i s t he bel i ef i n Hi m and Hi s Prophet ,

f i ght i ng i n Hi s cause, f or i t i s t he hi gh pi nnacl e of I sl am, and ( t o



bel i eve) i n t he kalimatu'l-'ikhlas ( t he expr essi on of Di vi ne

pur i f i cat i on) f or i t i s j ust nat ur e and t he est abl i shment of pr ayer f or

i t i s ( t he basi s of ) communi t y, payment of zakat ( I s l ami c t ax) f or i t

i s a compul sor y obl i gat i on, f ast i ng f or t he mont h of Ramadan f or i t i s

t he shi el d agai nst chast i sement , t he per f or mance of hajj of t he House

of Al l ah ( i . e . Ka`bah) and i t s `umrah ( ot her t han annual vi si t ) f ort hese t wo act s bani sh pover t y and wash away si ns, r egar d f or ki nshi p

f or i t i ncreases weal t h and l engt h of l i f e, t o gi vi ng al ms secretl y f or

i t cover s shor t comi ngs, gi vi ng al ms openl y f or i t pr ot ect s agai nst a

bad deat h and extendi ng benef i t s ( t o peopl e) f or i t saves f r om

posi t i ons of di sgr ace.

About the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah

Go ahead wi t h t he r emembr ance of Al l ah f or i t i s t he best r emembr ance,

and l ong f or t hat whi ch He has promi sed t o t he pi ous, f or Hi s promi se

i s t he most t r ue pr omi se. Tr ead t he cour se of t he Pr ophet f or i t i s t hemost di st i ngui shed cour se. Fol l ow t he sunnah of t he Pr ophet f or i t i s

t he most r i ght of al l behavi our s. Lear n t he Qur ' an f or i t i s t he

f ai r est of di scour ses and under st and i t t hor oughl y f or i t i s t he best

bl ossomi ng of hear t s. Seek cur e wi t h i t s l i ght f or i t i s t he cur e f or

hear t s. Reci t e i t beaut i f ul l y f or i t i s t he most beaut i f ul nar r at i on.

Cer t ai nl y, a schol ar who act s not accor di ng t o hi s knowl edge i s l i ke

t he of f - headed i gnor ant who does not f i nd r el i ef f r om hi s i gnor ance,

but on t he l ear ned t he pl ea of Al l ah i s gr eat er and gr i ef mor e

i ncumbent , and he i s more bl amewort hy bef ore Al l ah.

*****

Sermon 111

Caution about this world

So now, cer t ai nl y I f r i ght en you f r om t hi s wor l d f or i t i s sweet and

gr een, sur r ounded by l ust s, and l i ked f or i t s i mmedi at e enj oyment s. I t

exci t es wonder wi t h smal l t hi ngs, i s ornament ed wi t h ( f al se) hopes and

decor at ed wi t h decept i on. I t s r ej oi ci ng does not l ast and i t saf f l i ct i ons cannot be avoi ded. I t i s decei t f ul , har mf ul , changi ng,

per i shabl e, exhaust i bl e, l i abl e to dest r uct i on, eat i ng away and

dest r uct i ve. When i t r eaches t he ext r emi t y of desi r es of t hose who

i ncl i ne t owar ds i t and f eel happy wi t h i t , t he posi t i on i s j ust what

Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, says ( i n t he Qur ' an) :



... like the water which send We down from heaven, and the herbage of

the earth mingleth with it, then it becometh dry stubble which the

winds scatter; for Allah over all things hath power. ( 18: 45)

No per son get s r ej oi ci ng f r om t hi s wor l d but t ear s come t o hi m af t er

i t , and no one get s i t s comf or t s i n t he f r ont but he has t o f ace

har dshi ps i n t he r ear . No one r ecei ves t he l i ght r ai n of ease i n i t butt he heavy rai n of di st r ess pour s upon hi m. I t i s j ust wor t hy of t hi s

wor l d t hat i n t he mor ni ng i t suppor t s a man but i n t he eveni ng i t does

not r ecogni se hi m. I f one si de of i t i s sweet and pl easant t he ot her

si de i s bi t t er and di st r essi ng.

No one secur es enj oyment f r om i t s f r eshness but he has t o f ace har dshi p

f r om i t s cal ami t i es. No one woul d pass t he eveni ng under t he wi ng of

saf et y but t hat hi s mor ni ng woul d be under t he f eat her s of t he wi ng- t i p

of f ear . I t i s decei t f ul , and al l t hat i s there i n i t i s decept i on. I t

i s per i shabl e and al l t hat i s on i t i s t o per i sh. Ther e i s no good i ni t s pr ovi si ons except i n pi et y. Whoever t akes l i t t l e f r om i t col l ects

much of what woul d gi ve hi m saf ety, whi l e one who t akes much f r om i t

t akes much of what woul d r ui n hi m. He woul d shor t l y depar t f r omhi s

col l ect i on. How many peopl e r el i ed on i t but i t di st r essed t hem; ( how

many) f el t peacef ul wi t h i t but i t t umbl ed t hemdown; how many were

prest i gi ous but i t made them l ow and how many were pr oud but i t made

t hem di sgr acef ul .

I t s aut hor i t y i s changi ng. I t s l i f e i s di r t y. I t s sweet wat er i s

bi t t er . I t s sweet ness i s l i ke myr r h. I t s f oods ar e poi sons. I t s meansar e weak. The l i vi ng i n i t i s exposed t o deat h; t he heal t hy i n i t i s

exposed t o di sease. I t s r eal m i s ( l i abl e t o be) snat ched away. The

st r ong i n i t i s ( l i abl e t o be) def eat ed and t he r i ch i s ( l i abl e t o be)

af f l i ct ed wi t h mi sf or t une. The nei ghbour i n i t i s ( l i abl e t o be)

pl under ed.

Ar e you not ( r esi di ng) i n t he houses of t hose bef or e you, who wer e of

l onger ages, bet t er t r aces, had bi gger desi r es, wer e mor e i n number s

and had gr eat er armi es. How t hey devoted t hemsel ves t o t he wor l d and

how t hey showed pr ef er ence t o i t ! Then t hey l ef t i t wi t hout anypr ovi si on t hat coul d convey t hem t hr ough, or t he back ( of a beast f or

r i di ng) t o car r y t hem.

Di d you get t he news t hat t he wor l d was ever generous enough t o pr esent

r ansom f or t hem, or gave t hem any suppor t or af f or ded t hem good

company? I t r at her i nf l i ct ed t hem wi t h t r oubl es, made t hem l angui d wi t h



cal ami t i es, mol est ed t hem wi t h cat ast r ophes, t hr ew t hem down on t hei r

noses, t r ampl ed t hem under hoof s and hel ped t he vi ci ssi t udes of t i me

agai nst t hem. You have obser ved i t s s t r angeness t owards t hose who went

near i t , acqui r ed i t and appr opr i at ed i t , t i l l t hey depar t f r om i t f or

good. Di d i t gi ve t hem any pr ovi si on ot her t han st ar vat i on or make t hem

st ay i n ot her t han nar r ow pl aces, or gi ve t hem l i ght ot her t han gl oom,or gi ve t hem i n t he end anythi ng ot her t han r epent ance? I s t hi s what

you much ask f or or r emai n sat i sf i ed wi t h, or t owar ds whi ch you f eel

gr eedy? How bad i s t hi s abode f or hi m who di d not suspect i t ( t o be so)

and di d not ent er t ai n f ear f r om i t ?

You shoul d know as you do know, t hat you have t o l eave i t and depar t

f r om i t . Whi l e i n i t , t ake l esson f r om t hose "who proclaimed 'who is

more powerful than we'" ( Qur ' an , 41 : 15) but t hey wer e car r i ed t o

t hei r gr aves, t hough not as r i der s. They wer e t hen made t o st ay i n t he

gr aves, but not as guest s. Gr aves wer e made f or t hem f r om t he sur f ace

of t he gr ound. Thei r shr ouds were made f r om ear t h. Ol d bones were made

t hei r nei ghbour . They are nei ghbour s who do not answer a cal l er nor

ward of f t r oubl e, nor pay heed to a mour ner .

I f t hey get r ai n t hey do not f eel happy, and i f t hey f ace f ami ne t hey

do not get di sappoi nt ed. They are t ogether but each one apart . They are

cl ose t ogether but do not see each other . They are near but do not

meet . They are endur i ng and have no hat r ed. They are i gnorant and thei r

mal i ce has di ed away. Ther e i s no f ear of t r oubl e f r om t hem and no hope

of t hei r war di ng of f ( t r oubl es) . They have exchanged t he back ( sur f ace)

of t he ear t h wi t h i t s st omach ( i nt er i or ) , vast ness wi t h nar r owness,

f ami l y wi t h l onel i ness, and l i ght wi t h dar kness. They have come t o i t

( t hi s wor l d) as t hey had l ef t i t wi t h bar e f eet and naked bodi es. They

depar t ed f r om i t wi t h t hei r act s t owar ds t he cont i nui ng l i f e and

ever l ast i ng house as Al l ah has sai d:

. . . As We caused the first creation, so will We get it return. ( I t

i s) a promise binding Us, verily We were doing it. ( Qur ' an , 21 : 104)

Sermon 112

About the Angel of Death and depart of spirit

Do you f eel when t he Angel of Deat h ent ers a house, or do you see hi m

when he takes out l i f e of anyone? How does he t ake out t he l i f e of an



embr yo i n the womb of hi s mother? Does he r each i t t hr ough any par t of

her body or t he spi r i t r esponded t o hi s cal l wi t h t he per mi ssi on of

Al l ah? Or does he st ay wi t h hi m i n t he mot her ' s i nt er i or ? How can he

who i s unabl e t o descr i be a creat ur e l i ke thi s, descr i be Al l ah?

*****

Sermon 113

About this world and its people

I war n you of t he wor l d f or i t i s t he abode of t he unst eady. I t i s not

a house f or f or agi ng. I t has decor at ed i t sel f wi t h decept i on and

decei ves wi t h i t s decor at i on. I t i s a house whi ch i s l ow bef or e Al l ah.

So He has mi xed i t s l awf ul wi t h i t s unl awf ul , i t s good wi t h i t s evi l ,

i t s l i f e wi t h i t s deat h, and i t s sweet ness wi t h i t s bi t t er ness. Al l ah

has not kept i t cl ear f or Hi s l over s, nor has He been ni ggar dl y wi t h i tt owar ds Hi s f oes. I t s good i s spar i ng. I t s evi l i s r eady at hand. I t s

col l ect i on woul d dwi ndl e away. I t s aut hor i t y woul d be snat ched away.

I t s habi t at i on woul d f ace desol at i on. What i s t he good i n a house whi ch

f al l s down l i ke f al l en const r uct i on or i n an age whi ch expi r es as t he

pr ovi si on exhaust s, or i n t i me whi ch passes l i ke wal ki ng?

I ncl ude whatever Al l ah has made obl i gatory on you i n your demands. Ask

f r om Hi m f ul f i l ment of what He has asked you t o do. Make your ear s hear

t he cal l of deat h bef or e you ar e cal l ed by deat h. Sur el y t he hear t s of

t he abst emi ous weep i n t hi s wor l d even t hough t hey may ( apparent l y)l augh, and t hei r gr i ef i ncr eases even t hough t hey may appear happy.

Thei r hat r ed f or t hemsel ves i s much even t hough t hey may be envi ed f or

t he subsi st ence t hey are al l owed. Remembr ance of deat h has di sappear ed

f r om your hear t s whi l e f al se hopes ar e pr esent i n you. So t hi s wor l d

has mast ered you more t han t he next wor l d, and t he i mmedi at e end ( of

t hi s wor l d) has r emoved you away f r omt he r emote one ( of t he next

l i f e) . You ar e br et hr en i n t he r el i gi on of Al l ah. Di r t y nat ur es and bad

consci ence have separat ed you. Consequent l y you do not bear burdens of

each other nor advi se each other , nor spend on each other , nor l ove

each ot her .

What i s your condi t i on? You f eel sat i sf i ed wi t h what l i t t l e you have

secur ed f r om t hi s wor l d whi l e much of t he next wor l d of whi ch you have

been depr i ved does not gr i eve you. The l i t t l e of t hi s wor l d whi ch you

l ose pai ns you so much so t hat i t becomes apparent i n your f aces, and

i n the l ack of your endur ance over what ever i s t aken away f r om you; as



t hough t hi s wor l d i s your permanent abode, and as t hough i t s weal t h

woul d st ay wi t h you f or good. Nothi ng pr event s anyone among you t o

di scl ose to hi s comr ade t he shor t comi ngs he i s af r ai d of , except t he

f ear t hat t he comr ade woul d al so di scl ose to hi m si mi l ar def ect s. You

have deci ded t oget her on l eavi ng t he next wor l d and l ovi ng t hi s wor l d.

Your r el i gi on has become j ust l i cki ng wi t h t he t ongue. I t i s l i ke t hewor k of one who has f i ni shed hi s j ob and secur ed sat i sf act i on of hi s

mast er .

*****

Sermon 114

About abstemiousness, fear of Allah and importance of providing for the

next life

Pr ai se be to Hi m Who makes pr ai se f ol l owed by bount y and bount y wi t hgr at ef ul ness. We pr ai se Hi m on Hi s bount i es as on Hi s t r i al s. We seek

Hi s hel p agai nst t hese hear t s whi ch are sl ow t o obey what t hey have

been commended but qui ck t owar ds what t hey have been desi st ed f r om. We

seek Hi s f or gi veness f r om t hat whi ch Hi s knowl edge cover s and Hi s

document preser ves - knowl edge whi ch does not l eave anyt hi ng and a

document whi ch does not omi t anyt hi ng. We bel i eve i n Hi m l i ke t he

bel i ef of one who has seen the unknown and has at t ai ned t he pr omi sed

r ewar ds - bel i ef , t he pur i t y wher eof keeps of f f r om bel i ef i n par t ner s

of Al l ah, and whose convi ct i on removes doubt .

We st and wi t ness t hat t here i s no god but Al l ah, t he One, Who has no

par t ner f or Hi m, and t hat Muhammad i s Hi s s l ave and Hi s Pr ophet , Al l ah

may bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s. These t wo t est i moni es hei ght en t he

ut t er ance and r ai se t he act . The scal e wherei n t hey woul d be pl aced

woul d not be l i ght whi l e t he scal e f r om whi ch t hey ar e removed woul d

not become heavy.

Enjoining people to Piety

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah! I advi se you t o have f ear of Al l ah whi ch i s t hepr ovi si on ( f or t he next wor l d) and wi t h i t i s ( your ) r et ur n. The

pr ovi si on woul d t ake you ( t o your dest i nat i on) and t he r et ur n woul d be

successf ul . The best one, who i s abl e to make peopl e l i st en has cal l ed

t owar ds i t and t he best l i st ener has l i st ened t o i t . So t he cal l er has

pr ocl ai med and t he l i st ener has l i st ened and pr eserved.



O' creat i ons of Al l ah! cer t ai nl y f ear of Al l ah has saved t he l over s of

Al l ah f r om unl awf ul i t ems and gave Hi s dr ead t o t hei r hear t s t i l l t hei r

ni ght s ar e passed i n wakef ul ness and t hei r noons i n t hi r st . So t hey

achi eve comf or t t hr ough t r oubl e and copi ous wat er i ng t hr ough t hi r st .

They r egar ded deat h t o be near and t her ef or e hast ened t owar ds ( good)

act i ons. They rej ect ed t hei r desi r es and so they kept deat h i n t hei rs i ght .

Then, t hi s wor l d i s a pl ace of dest r uct i on, t r i bul at i ons, changes and

l essons. As f or dest r uct i on, t he t i me has i t s bow pr essed ( t o

r eadi ness) and i t s dar t does not go ami ss, i t s wound does not heal ; i t

af f l i ct s t he l i vi ng wi t h deat h, t he heal t hy wi t h ai l ment and t he saf e

wi t h di st r ess. I t i s an eat er who i s not sat i sf i ed and a dr i nker whose

t hi r st i s never quenched. As f or t r i bul at i on, a man col l ect s what he

does not eat and bui l ds wherei n he does not l i ve. Then he goes out t o

Al l ah wi t hout car r yi ng t he weal t h or shi f t i ng t he bui l di ng.

As f or i t s changes, you see a pi t i abl e man becomi ng envi abl e and an

envi abl e man becomi ng pi t i abl e. Thi s i s because t he weal t h has gone and

mi sf ort une has come t o hi m. As f or i t s l essons, a man r eaches near

( r eal i sat i on of ) hi s desi r es when ( suddenl y) t he appr oach of hi s deat h

cut s t hem; t hen nei t her t he desi r e i s achi eved nor t he desi r er spar ed.

Gl or y t o Al l ah, how decei t f ul ar e i t s pl easur es, how t hi r st - r ousi ng i t s

quenchi ng and how sunny i t s shade. That whi ch appr oaches ( i . e. deat h)

cannot be sent back, he who goes away does not r etur n. Gl ory t o Al l ah,

how near i s t he l i vi ng to t he dead because he wi l l meet hi m soon and

how f ar i s t he dead f r om t he l i vi ng because he has gone away f r om hi m.

Cer t ai nl y not hi ng i s vi l er t han evi l except i t s puni shment , and not hi ng

i s bet t er t han good except i t s r ewar d. I n t hi s wor l d ever yt hi ng t hat i s

hear d i s bet t er t han what i s seen, whi l e of ever ythi ng of t he next

wor l d t hat i s seen i s bet t er t han what i s hear d. So you shoul d sat i sf y

your sel f by hear i ng r ather t han seei ng and by t he news of t he unknown.

You shoul d know t hat what i s l i t t l e i n t hi s wor l d but much i n t he next

i s bet t er t han what i s much i n t hi s wor l d but l i t t l e i n t he next . I n

how many cases l i t t l e i s pr of i t abl e whi l e much causes l oss.

Cer t ai nl y t hat whi ch you have been commanded to do i s wi der t han what

you have been r ef r ai ned f r om, and what has been made l awf ul f or you i s

more than what has been pr ohi bi t ed. Then gi ve up what i s l ess f or what

i s much, and what i s l i mi t ed f or what i s vast . Al l ah has guar ant eed

your l i vel i hood and has commanded you t o act . Ther ef or e, t he pur sui t of



t hat whi ch has been guarant eed t o you shoul d not get pr ef erence over

t hat whose per f ormance has been enj oi ned upon you.

But by Al l ah, most cer t ai nl y t he posi t i on i s t hat doubt has over t aken

and cer t ai nt y has been shat t ered and i t seems as i f what has been

guar ant eed t o you i s obl i gatory on you and what was made obl i gat ory on

you has been taken away f r omyou. So, hast en t owards ( good) act i ons anddr ead t he suddenness of deat h, because t he retur n of age cannot be

hoped f or , as t he r et ur n of l i vel i hood can be hoped f or . What ever i s

mi ssed f r om l i vel i hood t oday may be hoped t omorr ow wi t h i ncr ease, but

what ever i s l ost f r om t he age yest er day, i t s r et ur n cannot be expect ed

t oday. Hope can be onl y f or t hat whi ch i s t o come, whi l e about t hat

whi ch i s passed t her e i s onl y di sappoi nt ment . So "fear Allah as He

ought to be feared and do not die until you are (true) Muslim." ( Qur ' an

, 3: 102)

*****

Sermon 115

Seeking rain

O' my Al l ah! surel y our mount ai ns have dr i ed up and our ear t h has

become dust y. Our cat t l e ar e t hi r st y and ar e bewi l der ed i n t hei r

encl osures. They ar e moani ng l i ke t he moani ng of mot her s f or t hei r

( dead) sons. They ar e t i r ed of goi ng t o t hei r meadows and l ongi ng f or

t hei r wat er i ng pl aces. O' my Al l ah! have mer cy on t he gr oan of t hegr oani ng and yearn of t he year ni ng. O' my Al l ah! have mercy on t hei r

bewi l der ment and t hei r passages and t hei r gr oani ng i n t hei r yar ds.

O' my Al l ah ! we have come out t o Thee when t he years of drought have

cr owded over us l i ke ( a her d of ) t hi n camel s, and r ai n cl ouds have

abandoned us. Thou ar t t he hope f or t he af f l i ct ed and succour f or t he

seeker . We cal l Thee when t he peopl e have l ost hopes, cl oud has been

deni ed and cat t l e have di ed, t hat do not sei ze us f or our deeds and do

not cat ch us f or our si ns, and spread Thy mer cy over us t hr ough r ai ni ng

cl ouds, r ai n- f ed bl ossomi ng, amazi ng veget at i on, and heavy downpour swi t h whi ch al l t hat was dead r egai ns l i f e and al l t hat was l ost

r et ur ns.

O' my Al l ah! gi ve r ai n f r om Thee whi ch shoul d be l i f e gi vi ng,

sat i sf yi ng, t hor ough, wi de- scat t er ed, pur i f i ed, bl i ssf ul , pl ent i f ul and

i nvi gor at i ng. I t s veget at i on shoul d be exuber ant , i t s br anches f ul l of



Sermon 116

About troubles which would arise and the Day of Judgement

Al l ah deput i sed hi m ( t he Pr ophet ) as a cal l er t owar ds Tr ut h and a

wi t ness over t he cr eat ur es. The Prophet conveyed t he messages of Al l ahwi t hout bei ng l azy and wi t hout any shor t - comi ng, and he f ought Hi s

enemi es i n t he cause of Al l ah wi t hout bei ng l angui d and wi t hout

pl eadi ng excuses. He i s t he f or emost of al l who pr act i se pi et y and t he

power of per cept i on of al l t hose who achi eve gui dance.

A part of the same sermon, complaining about his men

I f you know what I know of t he unknown that i s kept wr apped up f r om you

cer t ai nl y you woul d have gone out i nt o t he open weepi ng over your deeds

and beat i ng your sel ves i n gr i ef and you woul d have abandoned your

pr oper t i es wi t hout any guar d f or i t or any subst i t ut e over i t . Ever yonewoul d t hen have car ed f or hi s own sel f wi t hout payi ng at t ent i on t o

anyone el se. But you have f or got t en what was r ecal l ed t o you and f el t

saf e f r om what you had been warned. Consequent l y, your i deas went

ast r ay and your af f ai r s wer e di sper sed.

I do l ong t hat Al l ah may cause separat i on bet ween me and you and gi ve

me t hose who have a bet t er r i ght t o be wi t h me t han you. By Al l ah, t hey

ar e peopl e of bl i ssf ul i deas, endur i ng wi sdom and t r ue speech. They

keep al oof f r om r evol t . They t r od f or war d on t he pat h ( of Al l ah) and

r an on t he hi gh r oad. Consequent l y, t hey achi eved t he ever l ast i ng nextl i f e and easef ul honour s.

Bewar e! by Al l ah, a t al l l ad of swi ngi ng gai t f r om Banu Thaqi f woul d be

pl aced over you. He woul d eat away your vegetat i on and mel t your f at .

So, O' Aba Wadhahah, i s t hat al l ?

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "al-Wadhahah" means "al-khunfusa' ( dung-

beet l e) . " I n t hi s sent ence Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has r ef er r ed t o al - Haj j aj

i bn Yusuf at h- Thaqaf i and he had an i nci dent wi t h "al-Khunfusa '",

whi ch need not be r el at ed here. [ 1]Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . The det ai l of t hi s i nci dent i s t hat one day al - Haj j aj st ood up f or

sayi ng pr ayer s when al - khunf usa' advanced t owar ds hi m. al - Haj j aj hel d

out hi s hand t o st op hi m but he bi t hi m wher eby hi s hand got swol l en

and event ual l y he di ed of i t .







t r easur y, t he l and r evenue, t he di spensat i on of j ust i ce among Musl i ms

and l ooki ng af t er t he demands of t he cl ai mant s and to f ol l ow one

cont i ngent af t er t he ot her movi ng her e and t her e l i ke a f eat her l ess

ar r ow movi ng i n t he qui ver .

I am t he axi s of t he mi l l . I t r ot at es on me whi l e I r emai n i n my

posi t i on. As soon as I l eave i t t he cent r e of i t s r ot at i on woul d bedi st ur bed and i t s l ower st one woul d al so be di st ur bed. By Al l ah, t hi s

i s a ver y bad advi ce. By Al l ah, i f I had not been hopi ng f or mar t yrdom

by my meet i ng wi t h t he enemy - and my meet i ng wi t h hi m has been

ordai ned, I woul d have secur ed my carr i er and went away f r om you and

woul d not have sought you so l ong as Nort h and Sout h di f f ered.

Ther e i s no benef i t i n t he maj or i t y of your number s because of l ack of

uni t y of your hear t s. I have put you on t he cl ear path whereon no one

wi l l per i sh except who per i shes by hi msel f . He who st i cks t o i t woul d

achi eve Par adi se and he who devi ates goes t o Hel l .


[ 1] . When af t er t he Bat t l e of Si f f i n, Mu' awi yah' s f or ces began t o at t ack

var i ous pl aces i n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ar ea, he asked t he I r aqi s t o check

t hem but t hey decl i ned on t he pl ea t hat t hey woul d f ol l ow hi m i f he

hi msel f came f or war d. Ther eupon he del i ver ed t hi s ser mon, and cl ar i f i ed

hi s l i mi t at i ons, t hat i f he hi msel f went out i t was i mpossi bl e t o r un

t he af f ai r s of t he st at e, and t hat t he enemy' s at t acks had al r eady

st ar t ed on al l si des. I n t hese ci r cumst ances i t was i mpol i t i c t o keept he cent r e unguarded. But what coul d be hoped f r om t hose who changed

t he vi ct or y at Si f f i n i nt o def eat and opened t he door f or t hese

at t acks.

*****

Sermon 120

About the greatness of Ahlu'l-bayt and the importance of the laws of

Islam

By Al l ah, I have knowl edge of t he conveyance of messages, f ul f i l ment of

pr omi ses and of ent i r e expr essi ons. We the peopl e of t he house ( of t he

Pr ophet - Ahl u' l - bayt ) possess t he door s of wi sdom and l i ght of

gover nance. Bewar e that t he pat hs of r el i gi on ar e one and i t s hi ghways

ar e st r ai ght . He who f ol l ows t hem achi eves ( t he ai m) and secur es ( t he





obj ect i ve) . And he who st ood away f r om i t went ast r ay and i ncur r ed

r epent ance.

Do act f or t he day f or whi ch pr ovi si ons ar e st or ed, and when t he

i nt ent i ons woul d be t est ed. I f a per son' s own i nt el l i gence whi ch i s

pr esent wi t h hi m does not hel p hi m, t he wi t s ( of ot her s) whi ch ar e

r emot e f r om hi m ar e more unhel pf ul and t hose whi ch ar e away f r om hi mmore usel ess. Dr ead t he f i r e whose f l ame i s sever e, whose hol l ow i s

deep, whose dr ess i s i r on and whose dr i nk i s bl oody pus. Beware! The[ 1]

good name of a man r et ai ned by Al l ah, t he Subl i me, among the peopl e i s

bet t er t han weal t h i nher i t ed by t hose who woul d not pr ai se hi m.


[ 1] . I f a per son gi ves away somet hi ng i n hi s l i f e t i me t hen t he

r eci pi ent f eel s obl i ged t o hi m. But i f weal t h i s ext r act ed by f or ce

t hen t he ext r act or does not f eel hi msel f under hi s obl i gat i on, nor doeshe pr ai se i t . The same i s t he case of one who di es. Hi s successor s

t hi nk t hat what ever he had l ef t behi nd was t hei r r i ght and t hey shoul d

have r ecei ved i t . I n t hi s t her e i s no obl i gat i on of hi s t o be

acknowl edged. But i f he had done some good act wi t h t hi s ver y weal t h

hi s name woul d have r emai ned behi nd hi m and peopl e woul d have prai sed

hi m al so.

A Per si an coupl et says:

Happy is he who is remembered well after himself, for nothing save the

name remains after the man is dead.

*****

Sermon 121

A man from among the companions of Amir al-mu'minin stood up and said,

"O' Amir al-mu'minin, you first stopped us from Arbitration and

thereafter gave order for it. We do not know which of these two was

more appropriate." Amir al-mu'minin struck one hand over the other and

said:

Thi s i s t he r ewar d of one who breaks pl edge. By Al l ah, when I gave you

my or der s ( namel y) t o abi de by ar bi t r at i on I had l ed you t o an

undesi r abl e t hi ng ( namel y war ) i n whi ch Al l ah had or dai ned good. I f you

had been st eadf ast I woul d have gui ded you, i f you had been bent I

woul d have st r ai ght ened you and i f you had r ef used I woul d have







r ect i f i ed you. Thi s was t he surest way. But wi t h whom and t o whom. I

want ed my t r eat ment f r om you but you pr oved t o be my di sease, l i ke t he

ext r actor of t horn wi t h t he thorn when he knows t hat t he thorn bends

t owar ds i t sel f .

My Al l ah, t he physi ci ans have despai r ed of t hi s f at al ai l ment and

water - dr awer s have become t i r ed wi t h t he rope of t hi s wel l . Wher e[ 1] ar e t hose who wer e i nvi t ed t o I sl am and t hey accept ed i t ? They read t he

Qur ' an and deci ded accordi ng t o i t . They wer e exhor t ed t o f i ght and

t hey l eapt ( t owar ds i t ) as she- camel s l eap t owar ds t hei r young. They

t ook thei r swor ds out of t he sheat hs and went out i nt o t he wor l d i n

groups and rows. Some of t hem per i shed and some sur vi ved. The good news

of survi val does not pl ease t hem nor do t hey get condol ed about t he

dead. Thei r eyes have t ur ned whi t e wi t h weepi ng. Thei r bel l i es ar e

emaci at ed because of f ast i ng. Thei r l i ps ar e dr y because of ( const ant )

pr ayi ng. Thei r col our i s pal e because of wakef ul ness. Thei r f aces bear

t he dust of God- f ear i ng. These are my comr ades who have depar t ed. We

shoul d be j ust i f i ed i f we f eel eager f or t hem and bi t e our hands i n

t hei r separ at i on.

Cer t ai nl y, Satan has made hi s ways easy f or you and want s t o unf ast en

t he knots of r el i gi on one by one and t o cause di vi si on among you i n

pl ace of uni t y. Keep away f r om hi s evi l i deas and enchant ment s and

accept good advi ce of one who of f er s i t t o you and pr eserve i t i n your

mi nds.


[ 1] . Al t hough al l t hose who f ought under t he banner of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

wer e cal l ed Shi àhs of Àl i , yet onl y those who had t ear s i n t hei r

eyes, pal eness on t hei r f aces, t he Qur ' ani c ver ses on t hei r t ongues,

zeal of r el i gi on i n t hei r hear t s, st eadf ast ness i n t hei r f eet ,

deter mi nat i on and cour age i n t hei r spi r i t s, and pat i ence and endur ance

i n t hei r mi nds coul d i n t r ue sense he cal l ed Shi àhs of ÀI i . These

were the peopl e i n whose separ at i on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s f eel i ngs wer e

comi ng out i n t he shape of si ghs t hr ough t he br eat h, whi l e the f l ames

of t he f i r e of separ at i on wer e consumi ng hi s hear t and spi r i t . Thesewere t he peopl e who l eapt t owards deat h l i ke mad men and di d not f eel

happy i f t hey sur vi ved. Rat her , t hei r hear t ' s sl ogan was as t he Per si an

hemi st i ch says:

We are ashamed why we have remained alive.







He who has even a sl i ght br i l l i ance of t hese qual i t i es can al one be

cal l ed t he f ol l ower of t he Descendant s of t he Pr ophet or t he Shi àh of

Àl i , ot her wi se i t woul d be a wor d whi ch has l ost i t s meani ng and been

ber ef t of i t s di gni t y thr ough mi suse. Thus t r adi t i on has i t t hat Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n saw a gr oup of men at hi s door and enqui r ed f r om Qanbar who

t hey were and he answered t hey were hi s Shi àhs. On hear i ng t hi s Ami ral - mu' mi ni n had a f r own on hi s f orehead and sai d. "Why ar e t hey cal l ed

Shi àhs? They have no si gn of Shi àhs. " Thereupon Qanbar enqui r ed what

wer e the si gns of Shi àhs and Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r epl i ed:

Thei r bel l i es ar e t hi n t hrough hunger , t hei r l i ps dry t hrough t hi r st

and t hei r eyes bl ear ed t hr ough weepi ng.

*****

Sermon 122

When the Kharijites persisted in their rejecting the Arbitration, Amir

al-mu'minin went to their camp and addressed them thus:

Were al l of you [ 1] wi t h us i n Si f f i n? They repl i ed t hat some of t hem

were but some of t hem were not . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d:

Then you di vi de your sel ves i nto t wo groups. One of t hose who wer e i n

Si f f i n and ot her of t hose who wer e not pr esent t her e, so t hat I may

addr ess each as I see sui t abl e. Then he shout ed t o t he peopl e:

St op t al ki ng and keep qui et t o l i st en t o what I say. Tur n your hear t s

t o me. Whomever we ask f or evi dence, he shoul d gi ve i t accor di ng t o hi s

knowl edge about i t .

Then he had a long conversation with them during which he said:

When t hey had r ai sed t he Qur ' an by way of decei t , cr af t , ar t i f i ce and

cheat , di d you not say "They are our br others and our comr ades i n

accept i ng I sl am. They want us t o cease f i ght i ng, and ask f or pr ot ect i on

t hr ough t he Book of Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed. Our opi ni on i s t o agr ee wi t h

t hem and t o end t hei r t r oubl es. " Then I sai d t o you, "I n t hi s af f ai rt he out er si de i s Fai t h but t he i nner si de i s enmi t y. I t s begi nni ng i s

pi t y and t he end i s r epent ance. Consequent l y you shoul d st i ck t o your

posi t i on, and r emai n st eadf ast on your pat h. You shoul d pr ess your

t eet h ( t o put al l your mi ght ) i n jihad and shoul d not pay heed t o t he

shout s of t he shout er [ 2] . I f he i s answer ed he woul d mi sl ead, but i f

he i s l ef t ( unanswer ed) he woul d be di sgraced. "







But when t hi s t hi ng ( Ar bi t r at i on) was done I f ound t hat you agr eed t o

i t . By Al l ah, i f I had r ef used i t , i t woul d not have been obl i gat or y on

me. Nor woul d Al l ah have l ai d i t s si n on me. And by Al l ah, not t hat I

have accept ed i t , I al one am t he r i ght f ul per son who shoul d be

f ol l owed, f or cer t ai nl y t he Qur ' an i s wi t h me. I never f or sake i t si nce

I adopt ed i t s company. We have been wi t h t he Pr ophet i n bat t l es wherei nt hose ki l l ed wer e f at her s, sons, br ot her s and r el at i ons of one anot her .

Never t hel ess, ever y t r oubl e and har dshi p j ust i ncr eased us i n our

bel i ef , i n our t r eadi ng on t he r i ght pat h, i n submi ssi on t o ( di vi ne)

command and i n endurance of t he pai n of wounds.

We now had t o f i ght our br et hr en i n I sl am because of ent r y i nt o I sl am

of mi sgui dance, cr ookedness, doubt s and ( wr ong) i nt er pr et at i on.

However , i f we f i nd any way by whi ch Al l ah may col l ect us t ogether i n

our di sor der and by whi ch we may come near each ot her i n what ever

common remai ns bet ween us we woul d accept i t and woul d gi ve up

ever yt hi ng el se.


[ 1] . I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d wr i t es t hat t hi s sermon compr i ses t hr ee par t s whi ch

do not f i t t oget her , because as- Sayyi d ar - Radi sel ect ed some par t s of

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ser mons and di d not r ecord ot her par t s as a r esul t

of whi ch t he cont i nui t y of ut t er ance was not mai nt ai ned. Thus, one par t

ends at " i f he i s l ef t unanswer ed he woul d be di sgr aced" , t he ot her at

"and endur ance at t he pai n of wound" and t he t hi r d r uns t i l l t he end of

t he ser mon.

[ 2] . Thi s r ef er ence i s t o Muàwi yah or Àmr i bn al - Às.

*****

Sermon 123

To exhort his followers to fight [ 1]

Put t he armour ed man f orward and keep t he unar mour ed one behi nd. Gr i t

your t eet h because t hi s wi l l make t he swor ds ski p of f t he skul l , anddodge on t he si des of t he spear s f or i t changes t he di r ect i on of t hei r

bl ades. Cl ose t he eyes because i t st r engt hens t he spi r i t and gi ves

peace t o t he hear t . Ki l l t he voi ces because t hi s wi l l keep of f

spi r i t l essness .









Do not l et your banner bend down, nor l eave i t al one. Do not gi ve i t t o

anyone except t he brave and t he def ender s of honour among you because

t hey al one endur e the bef al l i ng of t r oubl es; t hey sur r ound t he banner s

and enci r cl e t hem on bot h si des, t hei r r ear and t hei r f r ont . They do

not separ at e f r om t hem l est t hey gi ve t hem over ( t o t he enemy) . They do

not go ahead of t hem l est t hey l eave t hem al one. Ever yone shoul d dealwi t h hi s adver sary and al so hel p hi s comr ade by hi s own l i f e, and

shoul d not l eave t he adver sary t o hi s comr ade l est bot h hi s own

adver sary and hi s comr ade j oi n agai nst hi m.

By Al l ah, even i f you r un away f r omt he sword of t oday you woul d not

r emai n saf e f r om t he swor d of t he next wor l d. You ar e t he f or emost

among t he Ar abs and gr eat f i gur es. Cer t ai nl y i n r unni ng away t her e i s

t he wr at h of Al l ah, unceasi ng di sgr ace and l ast i ng shame. And cer t ai nl y

a runner - away does not l engt hen hi s l i f e, nor does any t hi ng come to

i nt er vene bet ween hi m and hi s day ( of deat h) . Who i s t her e t o go

t owar ds Al l ah l i ke t he t hi r st y goi ng t o t he wat er ? Par adi se l i es under

t he edges of spear s. Today t he reput at i ons ( about t he val our of

war r i or s) wi l l be t est ed.

By Al l ah! I am mor e eager t o meet t hem ( i n combat ) t han t hey ar e f or

( r et ur ni ng t o) t hei r houses. O' my Al l ah! I f t hey r ej ect t r ut h di sper se

t hei r gr oup, di vi de t hei r wor ds ( opi ni on) and dest r oy t hem on account

of t hei r s i ns .

They wi l l not budge f r om t hei r st and t i l l t he cont i nuous st r i ki ng of

spear s causes pi erci ngs ( of wounds) t hr ough whi ch wi nd may pass, andt he hi t t i ng of swor ds cut s t hr ough t he skul l , cl eaves bones and br eaks

f or ear ms and l egs, t i l l t hey ar e at t acked by cont i ngent af t er

cont i ngent and assaul t ed by detachment s whi ch ar e f ol l owed by r eser ves

f or suppor t , t i l l t hei r ci t i es ar e cont i nuousl y assai l ed by f or ce af t er

f or ce, and t i l l t he hor ses t r ampl e even t he ext r eme ends of t he l ands,

t he t r acks of t hei r beast and t hei r meadows.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "ad-da`q" means t r ampl i ng, e. g. , "taduqqu'l-

khuyulu bihawafiriha ardahum" ( t he hor ses t r ampl e the gr ound wi t h t hei r

hoof s) . "nawahini ardihim" means l ands opposi t e each ot her , i t i s sai d,"manazilu bani fulanin tatanaharu" meani ng t he ' houses of so- and- so ar e

opposi t e each ot her . '


[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s Ser mon on t he occasi on of t he

bat t l e of Si f f i n. Thi s bat t l e was f ought i n t he year 37 A. H. bet ween





Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and t he Governor of Syr i a ( ash- Sham) , Muàwi yah, f or

t he so- cal l ed avengi ng f or t he ki l l i ng of Cal i ph Ùt hman. But i n

r eal i t y i t was not hi ng more t han Muàwi yah who had been t he Autonomous

Gover nor of Syr i a f r om Cal i ph Ùmar ' s days not want i ng t o l ose t hat

posi t i on by swear i ng al l egi ance t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n but want i ng t o keep

hi s aut hor i t y i nt act by expl oi t i ng t he ki l l i ng of Cal i ph Ùt hman, f orl ater event s proved t hat af t er secur i ng t he gover nment he di d not t ake

any pr act i cal st ep t o avenge Ùt hman' s bl ood, and never spoke, not even

t hr ough omi ssi on, about t he ki l l er s of Ùt hman.

Al t hough f r om t he f i r st day Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r eal i sed t hat war was

i nevi t abl e, i t was st i l l necessar y t o exhaust al l pl eas. Ther ef or e when

on Monday t he 12t h Raj eb, 36 A. H. he ret ur ned t o Kuf ah af t er t he bat t l e

of J amal he sent J ar i r i bn Àbdal l ah al - Baj al i wi t h a l et t er t o

Muàwi yah at Damascus wher ei n he wr ot e t hat t he muhajirun and the ansar

had swor n al l egi ance t o hi m and t hat he t oo shoul d f i r st swear hi m

al l egi ance and t her eaf t er pl ace t he case of Ùt hman' s ki l l i ng bef or e

hi m so that he coul d pass ver di ct t her eon accor di ng t o t he Qur ' an and

Sunnah. But Muàwi yah det ai ned J ar i r on sever al pr et ext s and af t er

consul t i ng Àmr i bn al - Às st aged a revol t on t he excuse of Ùt hman' s

ki l l i ng, and wi t h t he hel p of i mpor t ant per sons of Syr i a convi nced t he

i gnor ant peopl e t hat t he l i abi l i t y f or Ùt hman' s l i f e l ay on Àl i

( p. b. u. h) and t hat he, wi t h hi s conduct had encour aged t he besi eger s

and had gi ven t hempr otect i on. Meanwhi l e he hung t he bl ood- st ai ned

shi r t of Ùt hman and t he amput at ed f i nger s of hi s wi f e Na' i l ah bi nt al -

Faraf i sah on t he pul pi t i n t he Cent r al Mosque of Damascus ar ound whi chsevent y t housand Syr i ans cr i ed and swore t he pl edge t o avenge Ùt hman' s

bl ood. When Muàwi yah had r oused the f eel i ngs of t he Syr i ans t o such an

extent t hat t hey wer e det er mi ned t o l ay down t hei r l i ves and be ki l l ed,

he secur ed t hei r al l egi ance on t he cause of avengi ng Ùt hman' s bl ood

and busi ed hi msel f i n equi ppi ng f or t he bat t l e. Ther eaf t er , he showed

al l t hi s t o J ar i r and t hen sent hi m back mor t i f i ed.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n l ear nt of t hese mat t er s t hr ough J ar i r i bn

Àbdal l ah al - Baj al i he was f or ced t o r i se agai nst Muàwi yah, and

or der ed Mal i k i bn Habi b al - Yar buì t o mobi l i se t he f or ces i n t he val l eyof An- Nukhayl ah. Consequent l y, peopl e f r om t he subur bs of Kuf ah began

ar r i vi ng t her e i n l ar ge number s, t i l l t hey exceeded ei ght y t housand.

Fi r st of al l , Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent a vanguar d cont i ngent , ei ght

t housand st r ong, under Zi yad i bn an- Nadr al - Har i t hi and anot her of f our

t housand st r ong under Shur ayh i bn Hani al - Har i t hi t owar ds Syr i a. Af t er

t he depar t ur e of t hi s vanguar d cont i ngent he hi msel f set out f or Syr i a



at t he head of t he r emai ni ng ar my on Wednesday the 5th of Shawwal . When

he was out of t he boundary of Kuf ah he of f ered zuhr ( noon) pr ayer and

af t er st ayi ng at Dayr Abi Musa, Nahr ( r i ver ) Nar s, Qubbat Qubbi n,

Babi l , Dayr Ka`b, Kar bal a' , Sabat , Bahur asi ni , al - Anbar and al - J azi r ah

ar r i ved at ar - Ri qqah. The peopl e of t hi s pl ace wer e i n f avour of

Ùt hman, and at t hi s very pl ace Si mak i bn Makht amah al - Asadi wasput t i ng up wi t h hi s ei ght hundr ed men. These peopl e had l ef t Kuf ah to

j oi n Muàwi yah af t er deser t i ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n; when t hey had seen

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s f or ce t hey had di smant l ed t he br i dge over t he Ri ver

Euphr at es so that Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s ar my shoul d not cr oss over t o the

ot her si de of t he Ri ver . But at t he t hr eat eni ng of Mal i k i bn al - Har i t h

al - Asht ar an- Nakhaì t hey wer e f r i ght ened, and af t er consul t at i ons

among t hemsel ves t hey put t he br i dge t oget her agai n and Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n passed over i t wi t h hi s ar my. When he al i ght ed on t he ot her

si de of t he Ri ver he saw t hat Zi yad and Shur ayh were al so put t i ng up

t her e al ong wi t h t hei r men si nce bot h of t hem had adopt ed t he l andr out e. When, on r eachi ng here, t hey f ound that Muàwi yah was advanci ng

wi t h hi s ar mi es t owar ds t he Euphr at es and thi nki ng t hat t hey woul d not

be abl e to f ace hi m, t hey st opped t her e wai t i ng f or Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

When t hey had gi ven t he reason f or t hei r st oppi ng t her e, Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n accept ed t hei r pl ea and sent t hem f orward. When t hey reached

Sur ar - Rum t hey f ound that Abu al - A`war as- Sul ami was campi ng there

wi t h hi s ar my. Bot h of t hem i nf or med Ami r al - mu' mi ni n of t hi s,

wher eupon he despat ched Ma1i k i bn al - Har i t h al - Ashtar an- Nakhaì i n

t hei r wake as t he Of f i cer i n Command and caut i oned hi m not t o i ni t i at e

t he f i ght i ng but t o t r y t o counsel t hem and appr i se t hem of t he cor r ectposi t i on as f ar as possi bl e. I n t hi s way, on r eachi ng t her e Mal i k al -

Asht ar encamped a l i t t l e di st ance away. Fi ght i ng coul d have commenced

any moment , but he di d not i nt er f er e wi t h t he ot her si de nor di d he

t ake any st ep by whi ch f i ght i ng coul d have been commenced. But Abu al -

A`war suddenl y at t acked t hemat ni ght , whereupon t hey t ook thei r swords

out of t he sheat hs and pr epared t o repul se t hem. Cl ashes between the

t wo si des went on f or somet i me but i n t he end, t aki ng benef i t of t he

dar kness of ni ght Abu al - A`war f l ed away. Si nce f i ght i ng had al r eady

commenced, soon af t er t he appearance of dawn an I r aqi commander , Hashi m

i bn Ùt bah al - Mi r qal az- Zuhr i , t ook hi s posi t i on i n t he bat t l ef i el d.Fr om t he ot her si de al so a cont i ngent came to f ace hi m, and t he f l ames

of f i ght i ng r ose hi gh. At l ast Mal i k al - Asht ar chal l enged Abu al - A`war

t o f i ght hi m, but he di d not dar e to f ace hi m, and t owar ds t he eveni ng

Mal i k al - Asht ar went onwards wi t h hi s men. The next day Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n r eached t her e wi t h hi s f or ce and set of f f or Si f f i n wi t h t he

vanguard cont i ngent and other f orces. Muàwi yah had al r eady reached



f oot men upon f oot men and cont i nued at t acki ng each other . and they

endur ed wi t h gr eat pat i ence and st eadf ast ness.

On the thi r d day, Àmmar i bn Yasi r and Zi yad i bn an- Nadr came out wi t h

horsemen and f oot sol di er s and f r om t he ot her si de Àmr i bn al - Às came

f orwar d wi t h a bi g f or ce. Zi yad at t acked t he hor semen of t he opposi t e

si de and Mal i k al - Asht ar at t acked t he f oot sol di er s so f ur i ousl y t hatt he enemy' s men l ost gr ound and, f ai l i ng t o of f er r esi st ance, r et ur ned

t o t hei r camps.

On the f our t h day Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah appeared on t he bat t l e-

f i el d wi t h hi s men. Fr om t he ot her si de Ùbaydal l ah i bn Ùmar came

f orward wi t h the Syr i an army and both the ar mi es had a ser i ous

encount er .

On the f i f t h day Àbdal l ah i bn Àbbas came f or war d and f r om t he ot her

si de al - Wal i d i bn Ùqba i bn Abi Muàyt came to f ace hi m. Àbdal l ah i bnÀbbas car r i ed t he assaul t s wi t h gr eat st eadf ast ness and cour age and

gave such a br ave f i ght t hat t he enemy l ef t t he f i el d i n r et r eat .

On the si xt h day Qays i bn Sa`d al - Ansar i came f orward wi t h t he ar my and

t o f ace hi m I bn Dhi ' l - Kal a` came out wi t h hi s cont i ngent , and such a

sever e f i ght i ng ensued that at ever y st ep bodi es wer e seen f al l i ng and

bl ood f l owi ng l i ke st r eams. At l ast t he dar kness of t he ni ght separ at ed

t he t wo ar mi es.

On the sevent h day Mal i k al - Asht ar came out and to f ace hi m, Habi b i bn

Masl amah came f or war d wi t h hi s men, and f i ght i ng raged t i l l zuhr( noon) .

On t he ei ght h day Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hi msel f came out wi t h t he army and

made such an assaul t t hat t he ent i r e bat t l ef i el d quaked, and pi er ci ng

t hrough t he ranks and wardi ng of f shots of ar r ows and spear s he came

and st ood between both t he l i nes. Then he chal l enged Muàwi yah,

wher eupon t he l at t er , al ong wi t h Àmr i bn al - Às, came a bi t cl oser .

Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t o hi m: "Come out and f ace me. Let whoever

ki l l s t he ot her be t he r ul er . " Wher eupon Àmr i bn al - Às sai d t o

Muàwi yah: "Àl i i s r i ght . Gat her up a l i t t l e cour age and f ace hi m.Muàwi yah r epl i ed: " l am not pr epar ed t o wast e my l i f e ar your

t aunt i ng. " Sayi ng t hi s he went back. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw hi m

r et r eat i ng he smi l ed and hi msel f t oo r et ur ned. The dar i ng wi t h whi ch

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n l ed t he at t acks i n Si f f i n can onl y be cal l ed a

mi r acul ous f eat . Thus, whenever he came out chal l engi ng i n t he

bat t l ef i el d, t he enemy l i nes wer e di sper sed i nt o ut t er di sar r ay and



conf usi on, and even cour ageous combatant s hesi t ated t o appear agai nst

hi m. That i s why on a f ew occasi ons he came ont o the bat t l ef i el d i n

changed dress so that t he enemy shoul d not r ecogni se hi m and someone

shoul d be pr epar ed t o engage wi t h hi m per sonal l y. Once Àr ar i bn Ad' ham

came f r om t he ot her si de to engage wi t h al - Àbbas i bn Rabi àh al - Har i t h

i bn Àbd al - Mut t al i b. They r emai ned engaged but nei t her coul d def eatt he ot her , unt i l al - Àbbas chanced t o see t hat a l i nk of hi s

adver sary' s armour was l oose. Wi t h a swi f t st r oke he ent angl ed t he

poi nt of hi s swor d i n i t , and t hen wi t h a qui ck j er k he cut t hr ough a

f ew mor e l i nks. Then wi t h t r ue ai m he gave such a bl ow t hat hi s swor d

went st r ai ght i nt o hi s bosom. Seei ng t hi s, peopl e r ai sed t he cal l of

takbir . Muàwi yah was st art l ed at t hi s noi se and on comi ng t o know t hat

Àrar i bn Ad' hamhad been sl ai n he was much di st ur bed and shout ed i f

t her e was anyone to take r evenge f or Àr ar i bn Ad' ham and ki l l al -

Àbbas, whereupon some t i r ed swordsmen of t he t r i be of Lakhm came out

chal l engi ng al - Àbbas. Al - Àbbas sai d he woul d come af t er t aki ng hi sChi ef ' s per mi ssi on. Sayi ng al - Àbbas came t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t o seek

per mi ssi on. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n det ai ned hi m, put on al - Àbbas' s dress.

and r i di ng on al - Àbbas' s hor se ent er ed t he bat t l ef i el d. Taki ng hi m t o

be al - Àbbas, t he Lakhms sai d: "So you have got your Chi ef ' s

per mi ssi on. " I n r epl y Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r eci t ed t he f ol l owi ng ver se:

Permission (to fight) is given unto those upon whom war is made for

they have been oppressed, and verily, to help them, Allah is Most

Potent. ( Qur ' an, 22: 39)

Now one man came out f r omt he ot her si de shout i ng l i ke an el ephant , r an

amok and assaul t ed Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, but he avoi ded t he bl ow and then

gave such a cl ean cut wi t h hi s sword t o t he other ' s back t hat he was

spl i t i nt o t wo. Peopl e t hought t he bl ow had gone wi t hout avai l , but

when hi s hor se j umped hi s t wo separ at e par t s f el l on t he gr ound. Af t er

hi m anot her man came out but he t oo was f i ni shed i n the t wi nkl i ng of an

eye. Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n chal l enged ot her s but f r om t he st r okes of

hi s sword the enemy came t o know t hat i t was Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n the

dr ess of al - Àbbas and so none dared come t o f ace hi m.

On t he ni nt h day the r i ght wi ng was under t he command of Àbdul l ah i bnBudayl and t he l ef t wi ng under t hat of Àbdul l ah i bn al - Àbbas. I n t he

cent r e was Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hi msel f . On t he ot her si de Habi b i bn

Masl amah commanded the Syr i an army. When bot h t he l i nes had come f ace

t o f ace wi t h each ot her , t he val i ant sol di er s dr ew out t hei r swor ds and

pounced upon one anot her l i ke f er oci ous l i ons, and f i ght i ng r aged on

al l si des. The banner of t he r i ght wi ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s army was



r evol vi ng i n t he hands of Banu Hamdan. Whenever anyone of t hem f el l ,

mart yred, someone el se woul d pi ck up t he banner . Fi r st of al l Kur ayb

i bn Shur ayh r ai sed t he banner , on hi s f al l Shur ahbi l i bn Shur ayh t ook

i t up, t hen Mart had i bn Shur ayh, t hen Hubayr ah i bn Shur ayh t hen Yar i m

i bn Shur ayh, t hen Sumayr i bn Shur ayh and af t er t he ki l l i ng of al l t hese

si x br others t he banner was t aken up by Suf yan, t hen Àbd, t hen Kur ayb,t he t hr ee sons of Zayd, who al l f el l mar t yred. Af t er t hat t he banner

was l i f t ed by two br ot her s ( sons) of Bashi r namel y Ùmayr and al - Har i t h

and when t hey t oo f el l mar t yr ed, Wahb i bn Kur ayb t ook up t he banner . On

t hi s day t he enemy' s gr eat er at t ent i on was on t he r i ght wi ng and i t s

assaul t s wer e so f i er ce that t he men l ost gr ound and began t o ret r eat

f r om t he bat t l ef i el d. Onl y t hr ee hundr ed men r emai ned wi t h t he Of f i cer

i n Command Àbdul l ah i bn Budayl . On seei ng t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n asked

Mal i k al - Asht ar t o cal l t hem back and chal l enge t hem as t o wher e t hey

wer e f l eei ng. " I f t he days of l i f e ar e over t hey cannot avoi d deat h by

r unni ng away. " Now t he def eat of t he r i ght wi ng coul d not be wi t houtef f ect on t he l ef t wi ng, so Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t ur ned t o t he l ef t wi ng

and advanced f orward, f orci ng t hr ough t he enemy l i nes, whereupon a

sl ave of Banu Umayyah named Ahmar sai d t o hi m, "Al l ah may make me di e

i f I f ai l t o sl ay you t oday. " On hear i ng t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s sl ave

Kaysan l eapt over hi m but was ki l l ed by hi m. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw

t hi s he caught hi m by t he ski r t of hi s ar mour and, pi cki ng hi m up,

t hr ew hi m down so f or cef ul l y t hat al l hi s j oi nt s wer e smashed,

wher eupon I mam Hasan ( p. b. u. h. ) and Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah came

f or war d and despat ched hi m t o Hel l . Meanwhi l e, af t er havi ng been cal l ed

t o Mal i k al - Ashtar and hi s havi ng made themf eel ashamed, t her et r eat er s came back and agai n assaul t ed so st eadf ast l y t hat pushi ng

back t he enemy t hey r eached t he pl ace wher e Àbdul l ah i bn Budayl was

sur r ounded by t he enemy. When he saw hi s own men he pi cked up courage

and l eapt t owar ds Muàwi yah' s t ent wi t h dr awn swor d. Mal i k al - Ashtar

t r i ed t o st op hi m but he coul dn' t , and, ki l l i ng seven Syr i ans, he

r eached t he t ent of Muàwi yah. When Muàwi yah not i ced hi m cl ose by he

ordered hi m t o be st oned, as a resul t of whi ch he was overpowered and

t he Syr i ans cr owded over hi m and ki l l ed hi m. When Mal i k al - Ashtar saw

t hi s he proceeded f or war d wi t h the combat ants of Banu Hamdan and Banu

Madh' hi j f or an at t ack on Muàwi yah, and began di sper si ng t hecont i ngent on guar d ar ound hi m. When, out of t he f i ve ci r cl es of hi s

guards onl y one r emai ned t o be di sper sed, Muàwi yah put hi s f oot i n t he

st i r r up of hi s hor se i n or der t o run away, but on someone' s

encour agement agai n st opped. On anot her si de of t he bat t l ef i el d a

t umul t was r agi ng f r om one end t o the ot her by t he swords of Àmmar i bn

Yasi r and Hashi m i bn Ùt bah. Fr om what ever si de Àmmar passed, t he



compani ons ( of t he Hol y Pr ophet ) f l ocked around hi m and t hen made such

a j oi nt assaul t t hat dest r uct i on spr ead t hr oughout t he enemy l i nes.

When Muàwi yah saw t hem advanci ng he t hr ew hi s f r esh f orces t owards

t hem. But he cont i nued di spl ayi ng t he excel l ence of hi s br aver y under

t he st or m of swor ds and spear s. At l ast Abu al - Àdi yah al - J uhani hi t

hi m wi t h a spear f r om whi ch he coul d not bal ance hi msel f and t hen I bnHawi y ( J awn as- Saksi ki ) came f orward and sl ew hi m. Àmmar i bn Yasi r ' s

deat h caused t umul t i n Muàwi yah' s r anks because about hi m t hey had

hear d t he Hol y Pr ophet ( PBUH) havi ng sai d: " Àmmar wi l l be ki l l ed at

t he hands of a r ebel l i ous par t y. " Thus bef or e he f el l as mar t yr Dhu' l -

Kal a` had sai d t o Àmr i bn al - Às: " I see Àmmar on Àl i ' s s i de; ar e we

t hat r ebel l i ous par t y?" Àmr i bn al - Às had assur ed hi m t hat event ual l y

Àmmar woul d j oi n t hem, but when he ki l l ed f i ght i ng on Àl i ' s si de t he

r ebel l i ous par t y st ood exposed and no scope was l ef t f or any ot her

i nt er pr et at i on. Never t hel ess Muàwi yah st ar t ed t el l i ng t he Syr i ans

t hat : "We di d not ki l l Àmmar , but Àl i di d i t because he br ought hi mt o t he bat t l ef i el d. " When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hear d t hi s cunni ng sent ence

he r emarked: " I n that case t he Hol y Prophet ( PBUH) ki l l ed Hamzah as he

had br ought hi m t o t he bat t l ef i el d of Uhud. " Hashi m i bn Ùt bah al so

f el l i n t hi s conf l i ct . He was ki l l ed by al - Har i t h i bn Mundhi r at -

Tanukhi . Af t er hi m t he banner of t he cont i ngent was t aken over by hi s

son Àbdul l ah.

When such f ear l ess warr i ors were gone Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t o the

warr i or s f r om t he t r i bes of Hamdan and Rabi àh: "To me you ar e l i ke

armour and spear . Get up and t each t hese r ebel s a l esson. "Consequent l y, t wel ve t housand combatant s of t he t r i bes of Rabi àh and

Hamdan st ood up, swor ds i n hand. The banner was t aken up by Hudayn i bn

al - Mundhi r . Ent er i ng t he l i nes of t he enemy, t hey used t hei r swor ds i n

such a way t hat heads began t o dr op, bodi es f el l i n huge heaps and on

every si de st r eams of bl ood f l owed. And t he assaul t s of t hese swordsmen

knew no st oppi ng t i l l t he day began t o end wi t h al l i t s devast at i on and

t he gl oom of eve set i n, usher i ng i n t hat f ear f ul ni ght whi ch i s known

i n hi st or y as t he ni ght of al - Har i r , wher ei n t he cl ashi ng of weapons,

t he hoof s of horses and t he hue and cr y of t he Syr i ans cr eat ed such

not i ce t hat even voi ces r eachi ng t he ear s coul d not be hear d. On Ami ral - mu' mi ni n' s si de, hi s wr ong- cr ushi ng sl ogans r ai sed waves of cour age

and val our , and on t he enemy' s s i de they shook t he hear t s i n t hei r

bosoms. The bat t l e was at i t s zeni t h. The qui ver s of t he bowmen had

become empty. The st al ks of t he spears had been br oken. Hand t o hand

f i ght i ng went on wi t h swor ds onl y and dead bodi es col l ect ed i n heaps,

t i l l by mor ni ng t he number of ki l l ed had exceeded t hi r t y t housand.



t owar ds Al l ah l i ke t he t hi r st y goi ng t o t he wat er ? Par adi se l i es under

t he edges of spear s. Today t he reput at i ons ( about t he val our of

war r i or s) wi l l be t est ed.

By Al l ah! I am mor e eager t o meet t hem ( i n combat ) t han t hey ar e f or

( r et ur ni ng t o) t hei r houses. O' my Al l ah! I f t hey r ej ect t r ut h di sper se

t hei r gr oup, di vi de t hei r wor ds ( opi ni on) and dest r oy t hem on accountof t hei r s i ns .

They wi l l not budge f r om t hei r st and t i l l t he cont i nuous st r i ki ng of

spear s causes pi erci ngs ( of wounds) t hr ough whi ch wi nd may pass, and

t he hi t t i ng of swor ds cut s t hr ough t he skul l , cl eaves bones and br eaks

f or ear ms and l egs, t i l l t hey ar e at t acked by cont i ngent af t er

cont i ngent and assaul t ed by detachment s whi ch ar e f ol l owed by r eser ves

f or suppor t , t i l l t hei r ci t i es ar e cont i nuousl y assai l ed by f or ce af t er

f or ce, and t i l l t he hor ses t r ampl e even t he ext r eme ends of t he l ands,

t he t r acks of t hei r beast and t hei r meadows.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: "ad-da`q" means t r ampl i ng, e. g. , "taduqqu'l-

khuyulu bihawafiriha ardahum" ( t he hor ses t r ampl e the gr ound wi t h t hei r

hoof s) . "nawahini ardihim" means l ands opposi t e each ot her , i t i s sai d,

"manazilu bani fulanin tatanaharu" meani ng t he ' houses of so- and- so ar e

opposi t e each ot her . '


[ 1] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s Ser mon on t he occasi on of t he

bat t l e of Si f f i n. Thi s bat t l e was f ought i n t he year 37 A. H. bet weenAmi r al - mu' mi ni n and t he Governor of Syr i a ( ash- Sham) , Muàwi yah, f or

t he so- cal l ed avengi ng f or t he ki l l i ng of Cal i ph Ùt hman. But i n

r eal i t y i t was not hi ng more t han Muàwi yah who had been t he Autonomous

Gover nor of Syr i a f r om Cal i ph Ùmar ' s days not want i ng t o l ose t hat

posi t i on by swear i ng al l egi ance t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n but want i ng t o keep

hi s aut hor i t y i nt act by expl oi t i ng t he ki l l i ng of Cal i ph Ùt hman, f or

l ater event s proved t hat af t er secur i ng t he gover nment he di d not t ake

any pr act i cal st ep t o avenge Ùt hman' s bl ood, and never spoke, not even

t hr ough omi ssi on, about t he ki l l er s of Ùt hman.

Al t hough f r om t he f i r st day Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r eal i sed t hat war was

i nevi t abl e, i t was st i l l necessar y t o exhaust al l pl eas. Ther ef or e when

on Monday t he 12t h Raj eb, 36 A. H. he ret ur ned t o Kuf ah af t er t he bat t l e

of J amal he sent J ar i r i bn Àbdal l ah al - Baj al i wi t h a l et t er t o

Muàwi yah at Damascus wher ei n he wr ot e t hat t he muhajirun and the ansar

had swor n al l egi ance t o hi m and t hat he t oo shoul d f i r st swear hi m





r out e. When, on r eachi ng here, t hey f ound that Muàwi yah was advanci ng

wi t h hi s ar mi es t owar ds t he Euphr at es and thi nki ng t hat t hey woul d not

be abl e to f ace hi m, t hey st opped t her e wai t i ng f or Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

When t hey had gi ven t he reason f or t hei r st oppi ng t her e, Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n accept ed t hei r pl ea and sent t hem f orward. When t hey reached

Sur ar - Rum t hey f ound that Abu al - A`war as- Sul ami was campi ng therewi t h hi s ar my. Bot h of t hem i nf or med Ami r al - mu' mi ni n of t hi s,

wher eupon he despat ched Ma1i k i bn al - Har i t h al - Ashtar an- Nakhaì i n

t hei r wake as t he Of f i cer i n Command and caut i oned hi m not t o i ni t i at e

t he f i ght i ng but t o t r y t o counsel t hem and appr i se t hem of t he cor r ect

posi t i on as f ar as possi bl e. I n t hi s way, on r eachi ng t her e Mal i k al -

Asht ar encamped a l i t t l e di st ance away. Fi ght i ng coul d have commenced

any moment , but he di d not i nt er f er e wi t h t he ot her si de nor di d he

t ake any st ep by whi ch f i ght i ng coul d have been commenced. But Abu al -

A`war suddenl y at t acked t hemat ni ght , whereupon t hey t ook thei r swords

out of t he sheat hs and pr epared t o repul se t hem. Cl ashes between thet wo si des went on f or somet i me but i n t he end, t aki ng benef i t of t he

dar kness of ni ght Abu al - A`war f l ed away. Si nce f i ght i ng had al r eady

commenced, soon af t er t he appearance of dawn an I r aqi commander , Hashi m

i bn Ùt bah al - Mi r qal az- Zuhr i , t ook hi s posi t i on i n t he bat t l ef i el d.

Fr om t he ot her si de al so a cont i ngent came to f ace hi m, and t he f l ames

of f i ght i ng r ose hi gh. At l ast Mal i k al - Asht ar chal l enged Abu al - A`war

t o f i ght hi m, but he di d not dar e to f ace hi m, and t owar ds t he eveni ng

Mal i k al - Asht ar went onwards wi t h hi s men. The next day Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n r eached t her e wi t h hi s f or ce and set of f f or Si f f i n wi t h t he

vanguard cont i ngent and other f orces. Muàwi yah had al r eady reachedt her e and had set up hi s bases. He had al so pl aced a guard on t he

Euphr ates and had occupi ed i t . On r eachi ng t here Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent

hi m word t o remove the guard f r omEuphr ates, but he ref used, whereupon

t he I r aqi s t ook out t hei r swor ds and i n a cour ageous at t ack capt ur ed

t he Euphr ates. When t hi s st age was over Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sent Bashi r

i bn Àmr al - Ansar i , Saì d i bn Qays al - Hamdani and Shabat h i bn Ri bì at -

Tami mi t o Muàwi yah t o appr i se hi m of t he consequences of war and t o

make hi m agr ee t o set t l ement and al l egi ance. But hi s r epl y was t hat

t hey coul d not by any means l et Ùt hman' s bl ood r emai n negl ect ed, and

t hat now t he sword al one woul d ar bi t r ate between them. Consequent l y i nt he mont h of Dhi ' l - hi j j ah 36 A. H. bot h t he par t i es deci ded on war and

war r i or s f r om each si de came out i nt o t he f i el d t o f ace t hei r

adver sar y. Those who ent er ed t he bat t l ef i el d f r om Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s

si de wer e: Huj r i bn Àdi al - Ki ndi , Shabat h i bn Ri bì at - Tami mi , Khal i d

i bn al - Muàmmar , Zi yad i bn an- Nadr al - Har i t hi , Zi yad i bn Khasaf ah at -

Taymi , Saì d i bn Qays al - Hamdani , Qays i bn Sa`d al - Ansar i and Mal i k i bn



al - Har i t h al - Asht ar an- Nakhaì whi l e f r om t he Syr i ans t her e wer e, Àbd

ar - Rahman i bn Khal i d i bn Wal i d al - Makhzuni , Abu al - A`war as- Sul ami ,

Habi b i bn Masl amah al - Fi hr i , Àbdal l ah i bn Dhi ' l - Kal a` al - Hi myar i ,

Ùbaydal l ah i bn Ùmar i bn al - Khat t ab, Shur ahbi l i bn Si mt al - Ki ndi , and

Hamzah i bn Mal i k al - Hamdani . When t he mont h of Dhi ' l - hi j j ah came to end

t he f i ght i ng had t o be st opped f or Muhar r am, but f r om t he f i r st ofSaf ar f i ght i ng was resumed and both part i es ar r ayed t hemsel ves opposi t e

each ot her , equi pped wi t h swords, spears and ot her weapons. On Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s si de Mal i k al - Asht ar was i n command of t he horsemen and

Àmmar i bn Yasi r of t he f oot sol di er s of Kuf ah whi l e Sahl i bn Hunayf

al - Ansar i was i n command of t he horsemen and Qays i bn Sa`d of t he f oot

sol di er s of Basr ah. The banner of t he ar my was gi ven t o Hashi m i bn

Ùt bah. I n t he ar my of t he Syr i ans on t he r i ght hand cont i ngent I bn

Dhi ' l - Kal a` was i n command, whi l e on t he l ef t hand cont i ngent Habi b i bn

Masl amah, on horsemen Àmr i bn al - Às and on f oot sol di ers ad- Dahhak

i bn Qays al - Fi hr i were i n command.

On t he f i r st day Mal i k i bn al - Asht ar ent er ed t he bat t l e- f i el d wi t h hi s

men, and f r om t he ot her si de Habi b i bn Masl amah came out wi t h hi s men

t o f ace hi m and f r om bot h si des a f i er ce bat t l e ensued. Thr oughout t he

day swords cl ashed wi t h swords and spears wi t h spears.

Next day, Hashi m i bn Ùt bah came out wi t h Àl i ' s ar my and f r om t he

ot her si de Abu al - A`war wi t h hi s f oot men came t o f ace hi m. When t he t wo

ar mi es approached near t o each ot her , hor semen f el l upon hor semen and

f oot men upon f oot men and cont i nued at t acki ng each other . and they

endur ed wi t h gr eat pat i ence and st eadf ast ness.

On the thi r d day, Àmmar i bn Yasi r and Zi yad i bn an- Nadr came out wi t h

horsemen and f oot sol di er s and f r om t he ot her si de Àmr i bn al - Às came

f orwar d wi t h a bi g f or ce. Zi yad at t acked t he hor semen of t he opposi t e

si de and Mal i k al - Asht ar at t acked t he f oot sol di er s so f ur i ousl y t hat

t he enemy' s men l ost gr ound and, f ai l i ng t o of f er r esi st ance, r et ur ned

t o t hei r camps.

On the f our t h day Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah appeared on t he bat t l e-

f i el d wi t h hi s men. Fr om t he ot her si de Ùbaydal l ah i bn Ùmar camef orward wi t h the Syr i an army and both the ar mi es had a ser i ous

encount er .

On the f i f t h day Àbdal l ah i bn Àbbas came f or war d and f r om t he ot her

si de al - Wal i d i bn Ùqba i bn Abi Muàyt came to f ace hi m. Àbdal l ah i bn



Àbbas car r i ed t he assaul t s wi t h gr eat st eadf ast ness and cour age and

gave such a br ave f i ght t hat t he enemy l ef t t he f i el d i n r et r eat .

On the si xt h day Qays i bn Sa`d al - Ansar i came f orward wi t h t he ar my and

t o f ace hi m I bn Dhi ' l - Kal a` came out wi t h hi s cont i ngent , and such a

sever e f i ght i ng ensued that at ever y st ep bodi es wer e seen f al l i ng and

bl ood f l owi ng l i ke st r eams. At l ast t he dar kness of t he ni ght separ at edt he t wo ar mi es.

On the sevent h day Mal i k al - Asht ar came out and to f ace hi m, Habi b i bn

Masl amah came f or war d wi t h hi s men, and f i ght i ng raged t i l l zuhr

( noon) .

On t he ei ght h day Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hi msel f came out wi t h t he army and

made such an assaul t t hat t he ent i r e bat t l ef i el d quaked, and pi er ci ng

t hrough t he ranks and wardi ng of f shots of ar r ows and spear s he came

and st ood between both t he l i nes. Then he chal l enged Muàwi yah,wher eupon t he l at t er , al ong wi t h Àmr i bn al - Às, came a bi t cl oser .

Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t o hi m: "Come out and f ace me. Let whoever

ki l l s t he ot her be t he r ul er . " Wher eupon Àmr i bn al - Às sai d t o

Muàwi yah: "Àl i i s r i ght . Gat her up a l i t t l e cour age and f ace hi m.

Muàwi yah r epl i ed: " l am not pr epar ed t o wast e my l i f e ar your

t aunt i ng. " Sayi ng t hi s he went back. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw hi m

r et r eat i ng he smi l ed and hi msel f t oo r et ur ned. The dar i ng wi t h whi ch

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n l ed t he at t acks i n Si f f i n can onl y be cal l ed a

mi r acul ous f eat . Thus, whenever he came out chal l engi ng i n t he

bat t l ef i el d, t he enemy l i nes wer e di sper sed i nt o ut t er di sar r ay andconf usi on, and even cour ageous combatant s hesi t ated t o appear agai nst

hi m. That i s why on a f ew occasi ons he came ont o the bat t l ef i el d i n

changed dress so that t he enemy shoul d not r ecogni se hi m and someone

shoul d be pr epar ed t o engage wi t h hi m per sonal l y. Once Àr ar i bn Ad' ham

came f r om t he ot her si de to engage wi t h al - Àbbas i bn Rabi àh al - Har i t h

i bn Àbd al - Mut t al i b. They r emai ned engaged but nei t her coul d def eat

t he ot her , unt i l al - Àbbas chanced t o see t hat a l i nk of hi s

adver sary' s armour was l oose. Wi t h a swi f t st r oke he ent angl ed t he

poi nt of hi s swor d i n i t , and t hen wi t h a qui ck j er k he cut t hr ough a

f ew mor e l i nks. Then wi t h t r ue ai m he gave such a bl ow t hat hi s swor dwent st r ai ght i nt o hi s bosom. Seei ng t hi s, peopl e r ai sed t he cal l of

takbir . Muàwi yah was st art l ed at t hi s noi se and on comi ng t o know t hat

Àrar i bn Ad' hamhad been sl ai n he was much di st ur bed and shout ed i f

t her e was anyone to take r evenge f or Àr ar i bn Ad' ham and ki l l al -

Àbbas, whereupon some t i r ed swordsmen of t he t r i be of Lakhm came out

chal l engi ng al - Àbbas. Al - Àbbas sai d he woul d come af t er t aki ng hi s



Chi ef ' s per mi ssi on. Sayi ng al - Àbbas came t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t o seek

per mi ssi on. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n det ai ned hi m, put on al - Àbbas' s dress.

and r i di ng on al - Àbbas' s hor se ent er ed t he bat t l ef i el d. Taki ng hi m t o

be al - Àbbas, t he Lakhms sai d: "So you have got your Chi ef ' s

per mi ssi on. " I n r epl y Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r eci t ed t he f ol l owi ng ver se:

Permission (to fight) is given unto those upon whom war is made for

they have been oppressed, and verily, to help them, Allah is Most

Potent. ( Qur ' an, 22: 39)

Now one man came out f r omt he ot her si de shout i ng l i ke an el ephant , r an

amok and assaul t ed Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, but he avoi ded t he bl ow and then

gave such a cl ean cut wi t h hi s sword t o t he other ' s back t hat he was

spl i t i nt o t wo. Peopl e t hought t he bl ow had gone wi t hout avai l , but

when hi s hor se j umped hi s t wo separ at e par t s f el l on t he gr ound. Af t er

hi m anot her man came out but he t oo was f i ni shed i n the t wi nkl i ng of an

eye. Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n chal l enged ot her s but f r om t he st r okes ofhi s sword the enemy came t o know t hat i t was Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n the

dr ess of al - Àbbas and so none dared come t o f ace hi m.

On t he ni nt h day the r i ght wi ng was under t he command of Àbdul l ah i bn

Budayl and t he l ef t wi ng under t hat of Àbdul l ah i bn al - Àbbas. I n t he

cent r e was Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hi msel f . On t he ot her si de Habi b i bn

Masl amah commanded the Syr i an army. When bot h t he l i nes had come f ace

t o f ace wi t h each ot her , t he val i ant sol di er s dr ew out t hei r swor ds and

pounced upon one anot her l i ke f er oci ous l i ons, and f i ght i ng r aged on

al l si des. The banner of t he r i ght wi ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s army wasr evol vi ng i n t he hands of Banu Hamdan. Whenever anyone of t hem f el l ,

mart yred, someone el se woul d pi ck up t he banner . Fi r st of al l Kur ayb

i bn Shur ayh r ai sed t he banner , on hi s f al l Shur ahbi l i bn Shur ayh t ook

i t up, t hen Mart had i bn Shur ayh, t hen Hubayr ah i bn Shur ayh t hen Yar i m

i bn Shur ayh, t hen Sumayr i bn Shur ayh and af t er t he ki l l i ng of al l t hese

si x br others t he banner was t aken up by Suf yan, t hen Àbd, t hen Kur ayb,

t he t hr ee sons of Zayd, who al l f el l mar t yred. Af t er t hat t he banner

was l i f t ed by two br ot her s ( sons) of Bashi r namel y Ùmayr and al - Har i t h

and when t hey t oo f el l mar t yr ed, Wahb i bn Kur ayb t ook up t he banner . On

t hi s day t he enemy' s gr eat er at t ent i on was on t he r i ght wi ng and i t sassaul t s wer e so f i er ce that t he men l ost gr ound and began t o ret r eat

f r om t he bat t l ef i el d. Onl y t hr ee hundr ed men r emai ned wi t h t he Of f i cer

i n Command Àbdul l ah i bn Budayl . On seei ng t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n asked

Mal i k al - Asht ar t o cal l t hem back and chal l enge t hem as t o wher e t hey

wer e f l eei ng. " I f t he days of l i f e ar e over t hey cannot avoi d deat h by

r unni ng away. " Now t he def eat of t he r i ght wi ng coul d not be wi t hout



ef f ect on t he l ef t wi ng, so Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t ur ned t o t he l ef t wi ng

and advanced f orward, f orci ng t hr ough t he enemy l i nes, whereupon a

sl ave of Banu Umayyah named Ahmar sai d t o hi m, "Al l ah may make me di e

i f I f ai l t o sl ay you t oday. " On hear i ng t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s sl ave

Kaysan l eapt over hi m but was ki l l ed by hi m. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw

t hi s he caught hi m by t he ski r t of hi s ar mour and, pi cki ng hi m up,t hr ew hi m down so f or cef ul l y t hat al l hi s j oi nt s wer e smashed,

wher eupon I mam Hasan ( p. b. u. h. ) and Muhammad i bn al - Hanaf i yyah came

f or war d and despat ched hi m t o Hel l . Meanwhi l e, af t er havi ng been cal l ed

t o Mal i k al - Ashtar and hi s havi ng made themf eel ashamed, t he

r et r eat er s came back and agai n assaul t ed so st eadf ast l y t hat pushi ng

back t he enemy t hey r eached t he pl ace wher e Àbdul l ah i bn Budayl was

sur r ounded by t he enemy. When he saw hi s own men he pi cked up courage

and l eapt t owar ds Muàwi yah' s t ent wi t h dr awn swor d. Mal i k al - Ashtar

t r i ed t o st op hi m but he coul dn' t , and, ki l l i ng seven Syr i ans, he

r eached t he t ent of Muàwi yah. When Muàwi yah not i ced hi m cl ose by heordered hi m t o be st oned, as a resul t of whi ch he was overpowered and

t he Syr i ans cr owded over hi m and ki l l ed hi m. When Mal i k al - Ashtar saw

t hi s he proceeded f or war d wi t h the combat ants of Banu Hamdan and Banu

Madh' hi j f or an at t ack on Muàwi yah, and began di sper si ng t he

cont i ngent on guar d ar ound hi m. When, out of t he f i ve ci r cl es of hi s

guards onl y one r emai ned t o be di sper sed, Muàwi yah put hi s f oot i n t he

st i r r up of hi s hor se i n or der t o run away, but on someone' s

encour agement agai n st opped. On anot her si de of t he bat t l ef i el d a

t umul t was r agi ng f r om one end t o the ot her by t he swords of Àmmar i bn

Yasi r and Hashi m i bn Ùt bah. Fr om what ever si de Àmmar passed, t hecompani ons ( of t he Hol y Pr ophet ) f l ocked around hi m and t hen made such

a j oi nt assaul t t hat dest r uct i on spr ead t hr oughout t he enemy l i nes.

When Muàwi yah saw t hem advanci ng he t hr ew hi s f r esh f orces t owards

t hem. But he cont i nued di spl ayi ng t he excel l ence of hi s br aver y under

t he st or m of swor ds and spear s. At l ast Abu al - Àdi yah al - J uhani hi t

hi m wi t h a spear f r om whi ch he coul d not bal ance hi msel f and t hen I bn

Hawi y ( J awn as- Saksi ki ) came f orward and sl ew hi m. Àmmar i bn Yasi r ' s

deat h caused t umul t i n Muàwi yah' s r anks because about hi m t hey had

hear d t he Hol y Pr ophet ( PBUH) havi ng sai d: " Àmmar wi l l be ki l l ed at

t he hands of a r ebel l i ous par t y. " Thus bef or e he f el l as mar t yr Dhu' l -Kal a` had sai d t o Àmr i bn al - Às: " I see Àmmar on Àl i ' s s i de; ar e we

t hat r ebel l i ous par t y?" Àmr i bn al - Às had assur ed hi m t hat event ual l y

Àmmar woul d j oi n t hem, but when he ki l l ed f i ght i ng on Àl i ' s si de t he

r ebel l i ous par t y st ood exposed and no scope was l ef t f or any ot her

i nt er pr et at i on. Never t hel ess Muàwi yah st ar t ed t el l i ng t he Syr i ans

t hat : "We di d not ki l l Àmmar , but Àl i di d i t because he br ought hi m



t o t he bat t l ef i el d. " When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n hear d t hi s cunni ng sent ence

he r emarked: " I n that case t he Hol y Prophet ( PBUH) ki l l ed Hamzah as he

had br ought hi m t o t he bat t l ef i el d of Uhud. " Hashi m i bn Ùt bah al so

f el l i n t hi s conf l i ct . He was ki l l ed by al - Har i t h i bn Mundhi r at -

Tanukhi . Af t er hi m t he banner of t he cont i ngent was t aken over by hi s

son Àbdul l ah.When such f ear l ess warr i ors were gone Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t o the

warr i or s f r om t he t r i bes of Hamdan and Rabi àh: "To me you ar e l i ke

armour and spear . Get up and t each t hese r ebel s a l esson. "

Consequent l y, t wel ve t housand combatant s of t he t r i bes of Rabi àh and

Hamdan st ood up, swor ds i n hand. The banner was t aken up by Hudayn i bn

al - Mundhi r . Ent er i ng t he l i nes of t he enemy, t hey used t hei r swor ds i n

such a way t hat heads began t o dr op, bodi es f el l i n huge heaps and on

every si de st r eams of bl ood f l owed. And t he assaul t s of t hese swordsmen

knew no st oppi ng t i l l t he day began t o end wi t h al l i t s devast at i on and

t he gl oom of eve set i n, usher i ng i n t hat f ear f ul ni ght whi ch i s known

i n hi st or y as t he ni ght of al - Har i r , wher ei n t he cl ashi ng of weapons,

t he hoof s of horses and t he hue and cr y of t he Syr i ans cr eat ed such

not i ce t hat even voi ces r eachi ng t he ear s coul d not be hear d. On Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s si de, hi s wr ong- cr ushi ng sl ogans r ai sed waves of cour age

and val our , and on t he enemy' s s i de they shook t he hear t s i n t hei r

bosoms. The bat t l e was at i t s zeni t h. The qui ver s of t he bowmen had

become empty. The st al ks of t he spears had been br oken. Hand t o hand

f i ght i ng went on wi t h swor ds onl y and dead bodi es col l ect ed i n heaps,

t i l l by mor ni ng t he number of ki l l ed had exceeded t hi r t y t housand.

On t he t ent h day Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s men showed t he same moral e. On t he

r i ght wi ng Mal i k al - Asht ar hel d t he command and on t he l ef t wi ng

Àbdul l ah i bn al - Àbbas. Assaul t s went on l i ke t he assaul t s of new

sol di er s. Si gns of def eat appear ed on t he Syr i ans, and t hey were about

t o l eave t he bat t l ef i el d and run away, when f i ve hundr ed Qur ' ans wer e

r ai sed on spear s changi ng t he ent i r e f ace of t he bat t l e. Movi ng swor ds

st opped, t he weapon of decei t was successf ul , and t he way was cl ear f or

wr ong t o hol d i t s sway.

I n t hi s bat t l e f or t y- f i ve t housand Syr i ans wer e ki l l ed whi l e t went y-f i ve t housand I r aqi s f el l as mar t yr s. (Kitab Siffin by Nasr i bn Muzahi m

al - Mi nqar i [ d. 212 A. H. ] and at-Tarikh at-Tabari, vol . 1, pp. 3256-

3349) .

*****



Sermon 125

About the Kharijites and their opinion on Arbitration

We di d not name peopl e t he arbi t r at or s but we named t he Qur ' an t he

ar bi t r at or . The Qur ' an i s a book, cover ed, bet ween t wo f l aps, and i tdoes not speak. I t shoul d t her ef or e necessari l y have an i nt er pr et er .

Men al one can be such i nt erpr eters. When t hese peopl e i nvi t ed us t o

name the Qur ' an as t he ar bi t r ator between us, we coul d not be t he part y

t ur ni ng away f r om t he Book of Al l ah. si nce Al l ah has sai d:

. . . And then if ye quarrel about anything refer it to Allah and the

Prophet . . ( Qur ' an, 4: 59)

Ref erence to Al l ah means t hat we deci de accor di ng t o t he Qur ' an whi l e

r ef erence t o t he Prophet means t hat we f ol l ow hi s Sunnah. Now

t her ef or e, i f ar bi t r at i on wer e t r ul y done t hr ough t he Book of Al l ah( Qur ' an) . we woul d be the most r i ght f ul of al l peopl e f or t he

Cal i phat e; or i f i t were done by the Sunnah of t he Hol y Pr ophet ( PBUH) ,

we woul d be t he most pref erabl e of t hem.

Concer ni ng your poi nt why I al l owed a t i me l ag between mysel f and t hem

wi t h r egar d t o t he Ar bi t r at i on, I di d so i n or der t hat t he i gnor ant may

f i nd out ( t he t r ut h) and one who al r eady knows may hol d wi t h i t f i r ml y.

Possi bl y Al l ah may, as a resul t of t hi s peace, i mpr ove t he condi t i on of

t hese peopl e, and t hey wi l l not be caught by the t hr oat s and wi l l not ,

bef or e i ndi cat i on of t he r i ght , f al l i nt o r ebel l i on as bef or e.Cert ai nl y t he best man bef or e Al l ah i s he who l oves most t o act

accor di ng t o r i ght , even t hough i t causes hi m har dshi p and gr i ef r at her

t han accor di ng t o wr ong, even t hough i t gi ves hi m benef i t and i ncr ease.

So, where ar e you bei ng mi sl ed and f r om wher e have you been br ought ( t o

t hi s st ate)? Be pr epared t o march t o t he peopl e who have devi ated f r om

t he r i ght and do not see i t , have been ent angl ed i n wr ong- doi ng and are

not cor r ect ed. They ar e away f r om t he Book and t ur ned f r om t he ( r i ght )

pat h. You ar e not t r ust wor t hy t o r el y upon, nor ar e you hol der s of

honour t o be adher ed t o. You ar e ver y bad i n ki ndl i ng t he f i r e off i ght i ng. Woe t o you! I had t o bear a l ot of wor r i es f r om you. Some day

I cal l you ( t o j i had) and some day I speak t o you i n conf i dence, you

ar e nei t her t r ue f r ee men at t he t i me of cal l , nor t r ust wor t hy br ot her s

at t he t i me of speaki ng i n conf i dence.

*****



Sermon 126

When Amir al-mu'minin was spoken ill of for showing equality in the

distribution (of shares from Bayt al-mal or the Muslim Public Treasury)

he said:

Do you command me t hat I shoul d seek suppor t by oppr essi ng t hose over

whom I have been pl aced? By Al l ah, I won' t do so as l ong as t he wor l d

goes on, and as l ong as one st ar l eads anot her i n t he sky. Even i f i t

were my pr opert y, I woul d have di st r i but ed i t equal l y among t hem, t hen

why not when t he pr oper t y i s t hat of Al l ah. Bewar e; cer t ai nl y t hat

gi vi ng of weal t h wi t hout any r i ght f or i t i s wast ef ul ness and

l avi shness. I t r ai ses i t s doer i n t hi s wor l d, but l ower s hi m i n t he

next wor l d. I t honour s hi m bef or e peopl e, but di sgr aces hi m wi t h Al l ah.

I f a man gi ves hi s proper t y t o those who have no r i ght f or i t or do not

deser ve i t , Al l ah depr i ves hi m of t hei r gr at ef ul ness, and t hei r l ovet oo woul d be f or ot her s. Then i f he f al l s on bad days and needs t hei r

hel p, t hey woul d pr ove t he wor st comr ades and i gnobl e f r i ends.

*****

Sermon 127

About the Kharijites

I f you do not st op bel i evi ng t hat I have gone wr ong and been mi sl ed,why do you consi der t hat t he common men among the f ol l ower s of t he

Prophet Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) have gone ast r ay l i ke me, and accuse

t hemwi t h my wr ong, and hol d t hemunbel i evers on account of my si ns.

You ar e hol di ng your swor ds on your shoul ders and usi ng t hem r i ght and

wr ong. You ar e conf usi ng t hose who have commi t t ed si ns wi t h t hose who

have not . You know t hat t he Prophet ( PBUH) st oned t he pr otect ed

( mar r i ed) adul t er er , t hen he al so sai d hi s bur i al pr ayer and al l owed

hi s successor s t o i nher i t f r om hi m. He ki l l ed t he mur der er and al l owed

hi s successors t o i nher i t f r om hi m. He amput at ed ( t he hand of ) t he

t hi ef and whi pped t he unpr ot ect ed ( unmar r i ed) adul t er er , but t her eaf t eral l owed t hei r shar es f r om t he boot y, and t hey mar r i ed Musl i m women.

Thus t he Pr ophet ( PBUH) t ook t hem t o ask f or t hei r si ns and al so abi ded

by Al l ah' s commands about t hem, but di d not di sal l ow t hem t hei r r i ght s

cr eat ed by I sl am, nor di d he r emove t hei r names f r om i t s f ol l ower s.

Cert ai nl y you ar e t he most evi l of al l per sons and ar e t hose whom Sat an

has put on hi s l i nes and t hr own out i nt o hi s wayl ess l and. Wi t h r egar d



t o me, t wo cat egor i es of peopl e wi l l be rui ned, namel y he who l oves me

t oo much and the l ove t akes hi m away f r om r i ght f ul ness, and he who

hates me t oo much and the hat r ed takes hi m away f r om r i ght f ul ness. The

best man wi t h regard t o me i s he who i s on t he mi ddl e cour se. So be

wi t h hi m and be wi t h t he gr eat maj or i t y ( of Musl i ms) because Al l ah' s

hand ( of pr ot ect i on) i s on keepi ng uni t y. You shoul d bewar e of di vi si onbecause t he one i sol at ed f r om t he gr oup i s ( a pr ey) t o Sat an j ust as

t he one i sol at ed f r om t he f l ock of sheep i s ( a pr ey) t o t he wol f .

Bewar e; whoever cal l s t o t hi s cour se, ki l l hi m, even t hough he may be

under t hi s headband of mi ne. Cer t ai nl y t he t wo ar bi t r at or s wer e

appoi nt ed t o r evi ve what t he Qur ' an r evi ves and t o dest r oy what t he

Qur ' an dest r oys. Revi val means t o uni t e on i t ( i n a mat t er ) and

dest r uct i on means t o di vi de on a mat t er . I f t he Qur ' an dr i ves us t o

t hem we shoul d f ol l ow t hem, and i f i t dr i ves t hem t o us t hey shoul d

f ol l ow up. May you have no f ather! ( Woe t o you) , I di d not cause you

any mi sf ort une, nor have I decei ved you i n any mat t er , nor cr eat ed any

conf usi on. Your own gr oup had unani mousl y suggest ed i n f avour of t hese

t wo men and we bound t hem t hat t hey woul d not exceed t he Qur ' an but

t hey devi at ed f r om i t and abandoned t he r i ght al t hough bot h of t hem

wer e conver sant wi t h i t . Thi s wr ong- doi ng was t he di ct at e of t hei r

hear t s and so t hey t r od upon i t , al t hough we had st i pul at ed t hat i n

ar bi t r at i ng wi t h j ust i ce and st i cki ng t o r i ght f ul ness t hey woul d avoi d

t he evi l of t hei r own vi ews and t he mi schi ef of t hei r own ver di ct ( but

si nce t hi s has happened t he awar d i s not accept abl e t o us) .

*****

Sermon 128

About Important happenings in Basrah

O' Ahnaf ! I t i s as t hough I see hi m advanci ng wi t h an ar my whi ch has

nei t her dust nor noi se, nor r ust l i ng of r ei ns, nor nei ghi ng of hor ses.

They ar e t r ampl i ng t he ground wi t h t hei r f eet as i f t hey ar e t he f eet

of ostr i ches.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Ami r al - mu' mi ni n poi nt ed t o t he Chi ef of t he

Negr oes, ( Sahibu'z-Zanj) . [ 1] Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d:

Woe t o you ( t he peopl e of Basr ah' s) i nhabi t ed st r eet s and decorat ed

houses whi ch possess wi ngs l i ke t he wi ngs of vul t ur es and t r unks l i ke

t he t r unks of el ephant s; t hey ar e t he peopl e f r om among whom i f one i s





ki l l ed he i s not mour ned and i f one i s l ost he i s not sear ched f or . I

t ur n t hi s wor l d over on i t s f ace, val ue i t onl y accor di ng t o i t s ( l ow)

val ue, and l ook at i t wi t h an eye sui t abl e t o i t .


Referring to the Turks (Mongols)

I [ 2] can see a peopl e whose f aces are l i ke shi el ds cover ed wi t h r ough-

scr aped ski ns. They dr ess t hemsel ves i n si l ken and wool l en cl othes and

hol d dear excel l ent hor ses. Thei r ki l l i ng and bl oodshed shal l t ake

pl ace f r eel y t i l l t he wounded shal l wal k over t he dead and t he number

of r unner s- away shal l be l ess t han t hose t aken pr i soner :

One of his companions said to him: O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, you have been

gi ven knowl edge of hi dden thi ngs. Whereupon Amir al-mu'minin laughed

and said to the man who belonged to the tribe of Banu Kalb:

O' br ot her of Kal b! Thi s i s not knowl edge of hi dden t hi ngs ( ìlmu'l-

ghayb) , [ 3] t hese mat t er s have been acqui r ed f r om hi m ( namel y i n

Pr ophet ) who knew t hem. As r egard knowl edge of hi dden t hi ngs, t hat

means knowl edge of t he Day of J udgement , and the t hi ngs covered by

Al l ah i n t he ver se.

Verily, Allah is He with Whom is the knowledge of the Hour... ( Qur ' an,

31: 34)

Ther ef or e, Al l ah al one knows what i s t her e i n t he wombs, whet her mal eor f emal e, ugl y or handsome, gener ous or mi ser l y, mi schi evous or pi ous,

and who wi l l be the f uel f or Hel l and who wi l l be i n t he company of t he

Pr ophet s i n Par adi se. Thi s i s t he knowl edge of t he hi dden t hi ngs whi ch

i s not known t o anyone save Al l ah. Al l el se i s t hat whose knowl edge

Al l ah passed on t o Hi s Pr ophet and he passed i t on t o me, and pr ayed

f or me that my bosom may r etai n i t and my r i bs may hol d i t .


[ 1] . Àl i i bn Muhammad was born i n t he vi l l age of Warzani n i n t he

subur bs of Ray and bel onged t o t he Azar i qah sect of t he Khar i j i t es. Hecl ai med t o be a sayyid ( descendant of t he Hol y Pr ophet ) by showi ng

hi msel f t he son of Muhammad i bn Ahmad al - Mukht af i i bn Ì sa i bn Zayd i bn

Àl i i bn al - Husayn i bn Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b, but t he exper t s on l i neal i t y

and bi ogr apher s have not accept ed hi s cl ai m t o bei ng a sayyid and have

gi ven hi s f ather ' s name as Muhammad i bn Àbd ar - Rahi m i nst ead of









Muhammad i bn Ahmad. The f ormer was f r om t he t r i be of Àbd al - Qays and

had been bor n of a Si ndi mai d- sl ave.

Àl i i bn Muhammad r ose as an i nsurgent i n 255 A. H. i n t he rei gn of al -

Muht adi Bi l l ah and associ at ed wi t h hi m t he peopl e f r om t he subur bs of

Basr ah on promi se of money, weal t h and f r eedom. He ent ered Basr ah on

t he 17t h Shuwwal, 255 A. H. ki l l i ng and l oot i ng, and i n onl y two days heput t o deat h t hi r t y t housand i ndi vi dual s, men, women and chi l dr en, and

di spl ayed ext r eme oppr essi on, bl oodshed, savageness and f er oci t y. He

di smant l ed houses, bur nt mosques, and af t er cont i nuous ki l l i ng and

devast at i on f or f our t een year s, was ki l l ed i n t he mont h of Safar , 270

A. H. i n t he r ei gn of Muwaf f aq Bi l l ah. Then peopl e got r i d of hi s

devast at i ng deeds.

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s pr ophecy i s one of t hose pr opheci es whi ch thr ow

l i ght on hi s knowl edge of t he unknown. The det ai l s of hi s ar my gi ven by

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n namel y t hat t her e woul d be nei t her nei ghi ng of hor sesnor r ust l i ng of weapons t her ei n i s a hi st or i cal f act . The hi st or i an at -

Tabar i has wr i t t en t hat when t hi s man r eached near al - Kar kh ( a sect or

of Baghdad) wi t h t he i nt ent i on of i nsur r ect i on, t he peopl e of t hat

pl ace wel comed hi m, and a man pr esent ed hi m a horse f or whi ch no rei n

coul d be f ound despi t e a sear ch. At l ast he r ode i t usi ng a r ope f or

t he r ei n. Si mi l ar l y t her e wer e at t hat t i me onl y t hr ee swor ds i n hi s

f or ce - one wi t h hi msel f , one wi t h Àl i i bn Aban al - Muhal l abi , and one

wi t h Muhammad i bn Sal m, but l at er t hey col l ect ed some mor e weapons by

maraudi ng.

[ 2] . Thi s pr ophecy of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i s about t he at t ack of t he

Tar t ar s ( Mongol s) who wer e i nhabi t ant s of t he Mongol i an deser t i n t he

nor t h west of Tur ki st an. These semi - savage t r i bes l i ved by mar audi ng,

ki l l i ng and devast at i ng. They used t o f i ght among t hemsel ves and at t ack

nei ghbour i ng areas. Each t r i be had a separate chi ef who was deemed

r esponsi bl e f or t hei r pr ot ect i on. Chi ngi z Khan ( Temuj i n) who was one of

t he rul i ng chi ef s of t hese t r i bes and was ver y br ave and cour ageous had

r i sen t o or gani se al l t hei r di vi ded t r i bes i nt o one, and, despi t e t hei r

opposi t i on he succeeded i n overpower i ng t hemt hr ough hi s mi ght and

sagaci t y. Col l ect i ng a l ar ge number under hi s banner he rose i n 606A. H. l i ke a t or r ent and went on domi nat i ng ci t i es and r ui ni ng

popul at i ons t i l l he conquer ed t he ar ea upt o Nor t h Chi na.

When hi s aut hor i t y was est abl i shed he of f ered hi s t er ms of set t l ement

t o Àl au' d- Di n Khwar azm Shah, r ul er of t he nei ghbour i ng count r y of

Turki st an, and t hrough a deput at i on concl uded an agr eement wi t h hi m





t hat t he Tar t ar t r ader s woul d be al l owed t o vi si t hi s count r y f or t r ade

and thei r l i f e and pr oper t y woul d not be subj ect t o any har m. For some

t i me t hey t r aded f r eel y wi t hout f ear but on one occasi on Àl au' d- Di n

accused t hem of spyi ng, sei zed t hei r goods and had t hem ki l l ed by the

Chi ef of At r ar . When Chi ngi z Khan l ear nt of t he br each of t he agr eement

and t he ki l l i ng of Tar t ar mer chant s hi s eyes cast f or t h f l ames and hebegan t r embl i ng wi t h r age. He sent wor d t o Àl au' d- Di n t o r et ur n t he

goods of t he Tar t ar merchant s and t o hand over t o hi m t he r ul er of

At r ar . Àl au' d- Di n, who was mad wi t h power and aut hor i t y, di d not pay

any heed, and act i ng shor t - si ght edl y ki l l ed even t he pl eni pot ent i ar y of

Chi ngi z Khan. Now Chi ngi z Khan l ost al l pat i ence and hi s eyes f i l l ed

wi t h bl ood. He rose wi t h hi s swor d i n hand, and t he Tar t ar war r i or s

l eapt t owar ds Bukhar a on t hei r speedy st al l i ons. Àl au' d- Di n came out

wi t h f our hundr ed t housand combat ant s t o f ace hi m but coul d not r esi st

t he i ncessant assaul t s of t he Tar t ar s, and havi ng been vanqui shed onl y

af t er a f ew at t acks ran away to Ni shabur acr oss t he r i ver J axar t es( Si hn) . The Tar t ars smashed Bukhara and r azed i t t o t he gr ound. They

pul l ed down school s and mosques, bur ni ng t o ashes t he houses and

ki l l i ng men and women wi t hout di st i nct i on. Next year t hey assaul t ed

Samar qand and devast at ed i t compl et el y. Af t er t he f l i ght of Àl au' d-

Di n, hi s son J al al u' d- Di n Khwar azm Shah had assumed t he r ei ns of

gover nment The Tar t ar s chased hi m al so, and f or t en year s he f l ed f r om

one pl ace t o t he ot her but di d not f al l i n t hei r hands. At l ast he

cr ossed over t he r i ver out of t he boundar i es of hi s r eal m. Dur i ng t hi s

t i me t he Tar t ar s di d t hei r ut most t o r ui n popul at ed l ands and t o

anni hi l at e humani t y. No ci t y escaped t hei r r ui ni ng and no popul acecoul d avoi d t hei r t r ampl i ng. Wherever t hey went t hey upset t he ki ngdom,

over t hr ew gover nment s, and i n a shor t t i me est abl i shed t hei r aut hor i t y

over t he nor t her n por t i on of Asi a.

When Chi ngi z Khan di ed i n 622 A. H. hi s own son Ogedei Khan succeeded

hi m. He sear ched out J al al u' d- Di n i n 628 A. H. and ki l l ed hi m. Af t er hi m

Mongka Khan, t he son of t he ot her son of Chi ngi z Khan, occupi ed t he

t hr one. Af t er Mongka Khan, Qubi l ai Khan succeeded t o a part of t he

count r y and t he cont r ol of Asi a f el l t o t he shar e of hi s br ot her Hul agu

Khan. On the di vi si on of t he whol e real m among the gr andsons of Chi ngi zKhan, Hul agu Khan was t hi nki ng of conquer i ng Musl i ms areas when t he

Hanaf i t e of Khur asan i n enmi t y wi t h t he Shaf i ì t e i nvi t ed hi m t o at t ack

Khur asan. He t her ef or e l ed an assaul t on Khur asan, and t he Hanaf i t e,

t hi nki ng t hemsel ves t o be saf e f r om t he Tar t ar s, opened t he ci t y gat es

f or t hem. But t he Tar t ar s di d not make any di st i nct i on bet ween Hanaf i t e

and Shaf i ì t e and ki l l ed whoever f el l t o t hei r hands. Af t er ki l l i ng



most of i t s popul at i on t hey t ook i t i n occupat i on. These ver y

di f f er ences bet ween t he Hanaf i t e and t he Shaf i ì t e opened f or hi m t he

door of conquest upt o I r aq. Consequent l y, af t er conquer i ng Khur asan hi s

courage i ncr eased and i n 656 A. H. he marched on Baghdad wi t h t wo

hundr ed t housand Tar t ar s. al - Must a`si m Bi l l ah' s army and t he peopl e of

Baghdad j oi nt l y f aced t hem, but i t was not i n t hei r power t o st op t hi st or r ent of cal ami t y. The resul t was t hat t he Tar t ar s ent er ed Baghdad on

t he day of Àshur a' carr yi ng wi t h t hem bl oodshed and r ui n. They

r emai ned busy i n ki l l i ng f or f or t y days. Ri ver s of bl ood f l owed i n t he

st r eet s and al l t he al l eys wer e f i l l ed wi t h dead bodi es. Hundr ed of

t housands of peopl e were put t o t he swor d whi l e al - Must a`s i m Bi l l ah was

t r ampl ed t o deat h under f oot . Onl y t hose peopl e who hi d t hemsel ves i n

wel l s or under gr ound pl aces and hi d f r om t hei r si ght coul d sur vi ve.

Thi s was t he devast at i on of Baghdad whi ch shook t he Àbbasi d Ki ngdom t o

i t s f oundat i on, so t hat i t s f l ag coul d never f l y t her eaf t er .

Some hi st or i ans have l ai d t he bl ame of t hi s r ui n on I bn al - Àl qami ( Abu

Tal i b, Muhammad i bn Ahmad al - Baghdadi ) , t he mi ni st er of al - Must a`si m

Bi l l ah, by hol di ng t hat , moved by t he general masses of t he Shi àhs and

t he r ui n of al - Kar kh sector ( of Baghdad) , he i nvi t ed Hul agu Khan

t hr ough t he l at t er ' s mi ni st er , t he gr eat schol ar Nasi r u' d- Di n Muhammad

i bn Muhammad at - Tusi , t o mar ch on Baghdad. Even i f i t be so, i t i s not

possi bl e t o i gnor e t he hi st or i cal f act t hat bef or e t hi s t he Àbbasi d

Cal i ph an- Nasi r Li di ni ' l l ah had i ni t i at ed t he move f or t he at t ack on

t he Musl i m areas. When t he Khwarazm Shahs decl i ned t o acknowl edge t he

aut hor i t y of t he Cal i phate he had sent word t o Chi ngi z Khan t o march onKhwarazm, f r omwhi ch t he Tart ars had underst ood t hat t here was no uni t y

and co- operat i on among t he Musl i ms. Thereaf t er t he Hanaf i t e had sent

f or Hul agu Khan t o cr ush the Shaf i ì t e as a consequence of whi ch t he

Tar t ar s secur ed cont r ol over Khur asan, and prepar ed t he way t o mar ch

t owar ds Baghdad. I n t hese ci r cumst ances t o hol d onl y I bn al - Àl qami

r esponsi bl e f or t he rui nat i on of Baghdad and t o i gnor e the move of an-

Nasi r Li di ni ' l l ah and t he di sput e bet ween t he Hanaf i t e and t he

Shaf i ì t e woul d be cover i ng up t he f act s, when i n f act t he cause f or

t he rui n of Baghdad was t hi s very conquest of Khur asan, whose real

mover s wer e t he Hanaf i t e i nhabi t ant s of t he pl ace. I t was by thi sconquest t hat Hul agu Khan had t he cour age t o march on the cent r e of

I sl am; ot her wi se i t cannot have been t he resul t of a si ngl e

i ndi vi dual ' s message t hat he assaul t ed an ol d capi t al l i ke Baghdad, t he

awe of whose power and gr andeur was seat ed i n t he hear t s of a l arge

par t of t he wor l d.



[ 3] . To know hi dden t hi ngs on a per sonal l evel i s one thi ng, whi l e to be

gi f t ed by Al l ah wi t h knowl edge of any mat t er and t o convey i t t o ot her s

i s di f f er ent . The knowl edge of t he f ut ur e whi ch t he pr ophet s and

vi ceger ent s possess i s gai ned by t hem t hr ough Al l ah' s t eachi ng and

i nf ormi ng. Al l ah al one has knowl edge of event s whi ch are t o happen i n

t he f ut ur e. Of cour se, He passes t hi s knowl edge on t o whoever He wi l l s. Thus He says:

( He al one i s) the "Knower of the unseen, neither doth He reveal His

secrets unto any ( one el se) save unto that one of the Messengers whom

He chooseth..." ( Qur ' an, 72: 26- 27)

I n t hi s way Ami r al - mu' mi ni n al so recei ved knowl edge of t he f ut ur e

t hr ough t he i nst r uct i ons of t he Pr ophet or i nspi r at i on f r om Al l ah, f or

whi ch t hese wor ds of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n st and evi dence. Of cour se,

somet i mes i t i s not pr oper or expedi ent t o di scl ose cer t ai n mat t er s and

t hey are al l owed t o remai n under a vei l . Then no one can be acquai nt edwi t h t hem as Al l ah says:

Verily, Allah is He with Whom is the knowledge of the Hour and He

sendeth down the rain, and knoweth He what is in the wombs; and knoweth

not any soul what he shall earn the morrow, and knoweth not any soul in

what lands he shall die: Verily Allah is All-knowing, All-aware.

( Qur ' an, 31: 34)

*****

Sermon 129

About measures and weights, the transience of this world and the

condition of its people

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah! You and what ever you desi r e f r om t hi s wor l d ar e

l i ke guest s wi t h f i xed per i od of st ay, and l i ke debt or s cal l ed upon t o

pay. Li f e i s get t i ng shor t whi l e ( t he r ecor ds of ) act i ons ar e bei ng

pr eserved. Many st r i ver s are wast i ng ( t hei r ef f or t s) and many of t hose

who exer t are headi ng towards harm. You are i n a per i od when st eps ofvi r t ue are movi ng backwards, st eps of evi l are movi ng f orward and Satan

i s i ncreasi ng hi s eager ness t o r ui n peopl e. Thi s i s t he t i me t hat hi s

equi pment i s s t r ong, hi s t r aps have been spr ead and hi s pr ey has become

easy ( t o cat ch) .

Cast your gl ance over peopl e wher ever you l i ke, you wi l l see ei t her a

poor man suf f er i ng f r om pover t y, or a r i ch man i gnor i ng Al l ah despi t e





was cor r ect and Abu Dharr was t el l i ng t he t r ut h. Ùt hman enqui r ed on

what basi s he gave evi dence f or t he cor r ect ness of t hi s t r adi t i on. Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n r epl i ed t hat he had hear d t he Hol y Prophet say t hat :

Ther e i s no speaker under t he sky or over t he ear t h mor e t r uthf ul t han

Abu Dharr .

Now Ùt hman coul d do not hi ng. I f he st i l l hel d hi m t o be l i ar i t woul d

mean f al si f i cat i on of t he Pr ophet . He t her ef or e kept qui et despi t e much

per t ur bat i on, si nce he coul d not r ef ut e hi m. On t he ot her si de Abu

Dhar r began speaki ng agai nst t he usurpi ng of Musl i ms' pr oper t y qui t e

openl y and whenever he saw Ùt hman he woul d reci t e t hi s ver se:

And those who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in Allah's way;

announce thou unto them a painful chastisement. On the Day ( o f

J udgement ) when it shall be heated in the fire of hell, then shall be

branded with it their foreheads and their sides and their backs; ( sayi ng unt o them) "This is what ye hoarded up for yourselves, taste ye

then what ye did hoard up. " ( Qur ' an, 9: 34- 35)

Ùt hman pr omi sed hi m money but coul d not ent r ap t hi s f r ee man i n hi s

gol den net , t hen r esor t ed t o r epr essi on but coul d not st op hi s t r ut h-

speaki ng tongue. At l ast he or der ed hi m t o l eave and go t o ar - Rabadhah

and deput i sed Marwan, son of t he man ( al - Hakam) exi l ed by the Pr ophet ,

t o t ur n hi m out of Medi na. At t he same t i me he i ssued t he i nhuman order

t hat no one shoul d speak t o hi m nor see hi m of f . But Ami r al - mu' mi ni n,

I mam Hasan, I mam Husayn, Àqi l i bn Abi Tal i b, Àbdul l ah i bn J a`f ar andÀmmar i bn Yasi r di d not pay any heed to t hi s order and accompani ed hi m

t o see hi m of f , and Ami r al - mu' mi ni n ut t er ed t hese sent ences ( i . e. , t he

above sermon) on t hat occasi on.

I n ar - Rabadhah, Abu Dhar r had t o put up wi t h a ver y had l i f e. I t was

here t hat hi s son Dharr and hi s wi f e di ed and t he sheep and goat s t hat

he was keepi ng f or hi s l i vel i hood al so di ed. Of hi s chi l dr en onl y one

daught er r emai ned, who equal l y shared hi s s t arvat i on and t r oubl es. When

t he means of subsi st ence were f ul l y exhaust ed and day af t er day passed

wi t hout f ood she sai d to Abu Dhar r : "Fat her , how l ong shal l we go on

l i ke t hi s. We shoul d go somewher e i n sear ch of l i vel i hood. " Abu Dhar r

t ook her wi t h hi m and set of f f or t he wi l der ness. He coul d not f i nd

even any f ol i age. At l ast he was t i r ed and sat down at a cer t ai n pl ace.

Then he col l ect ed some sand and, put t i ng hi s head on i t , l ay down. Soon

he began gaspi ng, hi s eyes r ol l ed up and pangs of deat h gr i pped hi m .



When t he daught er saw t hi s condi t i on she was per pl exed and sai d,

"Fat her , i f you di e i n t hi s vast wi l der ness, how shal l I manage f or

your bur i al qui t e al one. " He r epl i ed, "Do not get upset . The Prophet

t ol d me t hat I shal l di e i n hel pl essness and some I r aqi s woul d ar r ange

f or my bur i al . Af t er my deat h you put a sheet over me and t hen si t by

t he r oadway and when some caravan passes t hat way tel l t hem t hat t heProphet ' s compani on Abu Dhar r has di ed. " Consequent l y, af t er hi s deat h

she went and sat by t he r oadsi de. Af t er some t i me a car avan passed that

way. I t i ncl uded Mal i k i bn al - Har i t h al - Asht ar an- Nakhaì , Huj r i bn

Àdi at - Ta' i , Àl qamah i bn Qays an- Nakhaì , Sa`saàh i bn Suhan al -

Àbdi , al - Aswad i bn Yazi d an- Nakhaì et c. who wer e al l f our t een per sons

i n number . When t hey heard about t he passi ng away of Abu Dhar r t hey

wer e shocked at hi s hel pl ess deat h. They st opped t hei r r i di ng beast s

and post poned t he onward j our ney f or hi s bur i al . Ma1i k al - Ashtar gave a

sheet of cl ot h f or hi s shroud. I t was val ued at f our t housand Di r hams.

Af t er hi s f uner al r i t es and bur i al t hey depar t ed. Thi s

happened i n the mont h of Dhi'l-hijjah, 32 A. H.

*****

Sermon 131

Grounds for accepting the Caliphate and the qualities of a ruler and

governor

O' ( peopl e of ) di f f er i ng mi nds and di vi ded hear t s, whose bodi es arepr esent but wi t s are absent . I am l eadi ng you ( ami cabl y) t owar ds

t r ut hf ul ness, but you r un away f r om i t l i ke goat s and sheep r unni ng

away f r om t he howl i ng of a l i on. How har d i t i s f or me t o uncover f or

you t he secret s of j ust i ce, or t o st r ai ght en t he cur ve of t r ut hf ul ness.

O' my Al l ah! Thou knowest t hat what we di d was not t o seek power nor t o

acqui r e anythi ng f r om t he vani t i es of t he wor l d. We r at her want ed t o

r est or e t he si gns of Thy r el i gi on and t o usher pr osper i t y i nt o Thy

ci t i es so t hat t he oppr essed among Thy cr eat ur es mi ght be saf e and Thy

f orsaken commands mi ght be est abl i shed. O' my Al l ah! I am t he f i r st whol eaned ( t owards Thee) and who hear d and responded ( t o t he cal l of

I sl am) . No one pr eceded me i n pr ayer ( salat) except t he Pr ophet .

You cer t ai nl y know t hat he who i s i n char ge of honour , l i f e, boot y,

( enf orcement of ) l egal commandment s and t he l eadershi p of t he Musl i ms

shoul d not be a mi ser as hi s greed woul d ai m at t hei r weal t h, nor be



been cr eat ed as a pathway i n order t hat you may t ake f r om i t t he

pr ovi si ons of your ( good) act i ons f or t he per manent house ( i n

Par adi se) . Be r eady f or depar t ur e f r om her e and keep cl ose your r i di ng

ani mal s f or set t i ng of f .

*****

Sermon 133

On the Glory of Allah

Thi s wor l d and t he next have submi t t ed t o Hi m t hei r r ei ns, and t he

ski es and ear t hs have f l ung t hei r keys t owar ds Hi m. The t hr i vi ng t r ees

bow t o Hi m i n t he mor ni ng and eveni ng, and pr oduce f or Hi m f l ami ng f i r e

f r om t hei r br anches, and at Hi s command, t ur n t hei r own f eed i nt o r i pe

f r ui t s.

A part of the same sermon about the Holy Qur'an

The Book of Al l ah i s among you. I t speaks and i t s t ongue does not

f al t er . I t i s a house whose pi l l ar s do not f al l down, and a power whose

suppor t er s ar e never r out ed.


Al l ah deput i sed t he Prophet af t er a gap f r om t he pr evi ous pr ophet s when

t here was much t al k ( among t he peopl e) . Wi t h hi m Al l ah exhaust ed t he

ser i es of pr ophet s and ended t he revel at i on. He then f ought f or Hi mt hose who were t ur ni ng away f r omHi m and were equat i ng ot hers wi t h Hi m.

A part of the same sermon about this world

Cer t ai nl y t hi s wor l d i s t he end of t he si ght of t he ( ment al l y) bl i nd

who see not hi ng beyond i t . The si ght of a l ooker ( who l ooks wi t h t he

eye of hi s mi nd) pi er ces t hr ough and r eal i ses t hat t he ( r eal ) house i s

beyond t hi s wor l d. The l ooker t her ef or e want s t o get out of i t whi l e

t he bl i nd want s t o get i nt o i t . The l ooker col l ect s pr ovi si on f r om i t

( f or t he next wor l d) whi l e t he bl i nd col l ect s pr ovi si on f or t hi s ver y

wor l d.

A part of the same sermon - A caution

You shoul d know t hat a man get s sat i at ed and wear i ed wi t h everyt hi ng

except l i f e, because he does not f i nd f or hi msel f any pl easur e i n

deat h. I t i s i n t he posi t i on of l i f e f or a dead hear t , si ght f or t he



bl i nd eye, hear i ng f or t he deaf ear , quenchi ng f or t he t hi r st y and i t

cont ai ns compl et e suf f i ci ency and saf et y.

The Book of Al l ah i s t hat t hrough whi ch you see, you speak and you

hear . I t s one par t speaks f or t he ot her par t , and one par t t est i f i es t o

t he ot her . I t does not cr eat e di f f er ences about Al l ah nor does i t

mi sl ead i t s own f ol l ower f r om ( t he pat h of ) Al l ah. You ar e j oi nedt ogether i n hat r ed of each other and i n t he gr owi ng of herbage on your

f i l t h ( i . e. , f or cover i ng i nner di r t by good appear ance out si de) . You

ar e si ncer e wi t h one anot her i n your l ove of desi r es and bear enmi t y

agai nst each ot her i n ear ni ng weal t h. The evi l spi r i t ( Sat an) has

per pl exed you and decei t has mi sl ed you. I seek t he hel p of Al l ah f or

mysel f and you.

*****

Sermon 134

Delivered when Caliph `Umar ibn al-Khattab consulted [ 1] Amir al-

mu'minin about himself, taking part in the march towards Rome (

Byzantine Empire ).

Al l ah has t aken upon Hi msel f f or t he f ol l ower s of t hi s r el i gi on t he

st r engt heni ng of boundar i es and hi di ng of t he secr et pl aces. Al l ah

hel ped t hemwhen t hey were f ew and coul d not pr otect t hemsel ves. He i s

l i vi ng and wi l l not di e. I f you wi l l your sel f pr oceed t owar ds t he

enemy and cl ash wi t h t hem and f al l i nt o some t r oubl e, t her e wi l l be nopl ace of r ef uge f or t he Musl i ms other t han t hei r r emot e ci t i es, nor any

pl ace t hey woul d r et ur n t o. Ther ef or e, you shoul d send t her e an

exper i enced man and send wi t h hi m peopl e of good per f ormance who are

wel l - i nt ent i oned. I f Al l ah gr ant s you vi ct or y, t hen t hi s i s what you

want . I f i t i s other wi se, you woul d ser ve as a suppor t f or t he peopl e

and a r et ur ni ng pl ace f or t he Musl i ms.


[ 1] . About Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, t he st r ange posi t i on i s adopt ed t hat on t heone hand, i t i s sai d t hat he was i gnor ant of pr act i cal pol i t i cs and

unacquai nt ed wi t h ways of admi ni st r at i on f r om whi ch i t i s i nt ended t hat

t he revol t s cr eat ed by t he Umayyad' s l ust f or power shoul d be shown t o

be t he out come of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s weak admi ni st r at i on. On t he other

hand, much i s made of t he var i ous occasi ons when t he then Cal i phs

consul t ed Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n i mpor t ant af f ai r s of St at e i n t he mat t er







of war s wi t h unbel i ever s. The ai m i n t hi s i s not t o exhi bi t hi s

corr ect ness of t hi nki ng and j udgement or deep sagaci t y but t o show t hat

t here was uni t y and concord between hi m and t he Cal i phs so that

at t ent i on shoul d not be pai d t o the f act t hat i n some mat t er s t hey al so

di f f er ed and t hat mut ual cl ashes had al so occur r ed . Hi st or y shows t hat

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n di d have di f f er ences of pr i nci pl es wi t h t he Cal i phsand di d not appr ove ever y st ep of t hei r s. I n t he sermon of ash-

Shiqshiqiyyah he has expr essed i n l oud wor ds hi s di f f er ence of opi ni on

and anger about each r egi me. Never t hel ess, t hi s di f f er ence does not

mean t hat cor r ect gui dance shoul d be wi t hhel d i n col l ect i ve I sl ami c

pr obl ems. Agai n, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s char act er was so hi gh t hat no one

coul d i magi ne t hat he woul d ever evade gi vi ng counsel whi ch concer ned

t he common weal , or woul d gi ve such counsel whi ch woul d damage publ i c

i nt er est s. That i s why, despi t e di f f er ences of pr i nci pl e, he was

consul t ed. Thi s t hr ows l i ght on t he gr eat ness of hi s char act er and t he

cor r ect ness of hi s t hi nki ng and j udgement . Si mi l ar l y, i t i s a pr omi nentt r ai t of t he Hol y Pr ophet ' s char acter t hat despi t e r ej ect i ng hi s cl ai m

t o pr ophethood t he unbel i evers acknowl edged hi m t he best t r ust ee and

coul d never doubt hi s t r ust wor t hi ness. Rat her , even dur i ng cl ashes of

mut ual opposi t i on t hey ent r ust ed t o hi m t hei r pr oper t y wi t hout f ear and

never suspect ed t hat t hei r pr oper t y woul d be mi sappr opr i at ed.

Si mi l ar l y, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was hel d t o occupy so hi gh a posi t i on of

t r ust and conf i dence t hat f r i end and f oe bot h t r ust ed i n t he

cor r ect ness of hi s counsel . So, j ust as t he Pr ophet ' s conduct shows hi s

hei ght of t r ust wor t hi ness, and j ust as i t cannot be i nf er r ed f r om i t

t hat t here was mut ual accor d between hi m and t he unbel i evers, becauset r ust has i t s own pl ace whi l e t he cl ash of I sl am and unbel i ef has

anot her , i n t he same way, despi t e havi ng di f f er ences wi t h t he Cal i phs,

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was r egar ded as t he pr ot ector of nat i onal and

communi t y i nt er est s and as t he guar di an of I sl am' s wel l - bei ng and

pr osper i t y. Thus when nat i onal i nt er est s wer e i nvol ved he was consul t ed

and he t endered hi s unbi ased advi ce r ai si ng hi msel f above personal ends

and keepi ng i n vi ew t he Pr ophet ' s t r adi t i on t o t he ef f ect t hat "He who

i s consul t ed i s a t r ust ee" never al l owed any di shonest y or dupl i ci t y t o

i nt er f er e. When on t he occasi on of t he bat t l e of Pal est i ne, t he Cal i ph

`Umar consul t ed hi m about hi s t aki ng par t i n i t hi msel f , t hen,i r r espect i ve of whet her or not hi s opi ni on woul d accor d wi t h `Umar ' s

f eel i ngs, he kept i n vi ew I sl am' s pr est i ge and exi st ence and counsel l ed

hi m t o st ay i n hi s pl ace and t o send t o the bat t l e- f r ont such a man who

shoul d be exper i enced and wel l - ver sed i n t he ar t of f i ght i ng, because

t he goi ng of an i nexper i enced man woul d have damaged t he est abl i shed

pr est i ge of I sl amand t he awe i n whi ch t he Musl i ms were hel d whi ch had



exi st ed f r om t he Pr ophet ' s days woul d have vani shed. I n f act , i n t he

Cal i ph Ùmar ' s goi ng ther e Ami r al - mu' mi ni n saw si gns of def eat and

vanqui shment . He t her ef or e f ound I sl am' s i nt er est t o l i e i n det ai ni ng

hi m and i ndi cat ed hi s vi ew i n t he wor ds t hat :

"I f you have t o r et r eat f r om t he bat t l e- f i el d, i t woul d not be your

personal def eat onl y, but t he Musl i ms woul d l ose hear t by i t and l eavet he bat t l e- f i el d and di sper se her e and t her e, because wi t h t he of f i cer

i n command l eavi ng the f i el d the ar my t oo woul d l ose gr ound.

Fur t her mor e, wi t h t he cent r e bei ng wi t hout t he Cal i ph t her e woul d be no

hope of any f ur t her assi st ance f r om behi nd whi ch coul d sust ai n cour age

of t he combat ant s. "

Thi s i s t hat counsel whi ch i s put f or t h as a proof of mutual accor d

al t hough t hi s advi ce was t ender ed i n vi ew of I sl am' s pr est i ge and l i f e

whi ch was dear er t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t han any ot her i nt er est . No

par t i cul ar i ndi vi dual ' s l i f e was dear t o hi m f or whi ch he mi ght haveadvi sed agai nst par t i ci pat i on i n t he bat t l e.

*****

Sermon 135

There was some exchange of words between Ùthman ibn Àffan and Amir

al-mu'minin when al-Mughirah ibn al-Akhnas [ 1] said to Ùthman that he

would deal with Amir al-mu'minin on his behalf whereupon Amir al-

mu'minin said to al-Mughirah:

O' son of t he accur sed and i ssuel ess, and of a t r ee whi ch has nei t her

r oot nor br anch. Wi l l you deal wi t h me? By Al l ah, Al l ah wi l l not gr ant

vi ct or y t o hi m whom you suppor t , nor wi l l he be abl e t o st and up whom

you r ai se. Get away f r omus. Al l ah may keep you away f r omyour pur pose.

Then do what ever you l i ke. Al l ah may not have mer cy on you i f you have

pi t y on me.


[ 1] . al - Mughi r ah i bn al - Akhnas ath- Thaqaf i was among t he wel l - wi sher s ofÙt hman i bn Àf f an and t he son of hi s pat er nal aunt . Hi s brot her Abu' l

Hakam i bn al - Akhnas was ki l l ed at t he hands of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n t he

bat t l e of Uhud, because of whi ch he bor e mal i ce agai nst Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n. Hi s f at her was one of t hose peopl e who accept ed I sl amat t he

t i me of t he f al l of Mecca but r et ai ned her esy and hypocr i sy i n hear t .

That i s why Ami r al - mu' mi ni n cal l ed hi m accursed, and he cal l ed hi m







i ssuel ess because he who has a son l i ke al - Mughi r ah deser ves t o be

cal l ed i ssuel ess.

*****

Sermon 136

About the sincerity of his own intention and support of the oppressed

Your al l egi ance t o me was not wi t hout t hi nki ng, [ 1] nor i s my and your

posi t i on t he same. I seek you f or Al l ah' s sake but you seek me f or your

own benef i t s. O' peopl e! suppor t me despi t e your hear t ' s desi r es. By

Al l ah, I wi l l t ake r evenge f or t he oppr essed f r om t he oppr essor and

wi l l put a st r i ng i n t he nose of t he oppr essor and dr ag hi m t o t he

spr i ng of t r ut hf ul ness even t hough he may gr udge i t .


[ 1] . Her e Ami r al - mu' mi ni n poi nt s t o t he vi ew of `Umar i bn al - Khat t ab

whi ch he had on t he al l egi ance of Abu Bakr on t he day of Saqi f ah when

he sai d: " . . . l et me cl ar i f y t hi s t o you t hat t he al l egi ance wi t h

Abu Bakr was a mi st ake and wi t hout t hi nki ng ( faltah) but Al l ah saved us

f r om i t s evi l . Ther ef or e, whoever ( i nt ends t o) act l i ke t hi s you must

ki l l hi m. . . " ( as-Sahih, al - Bukhar i , vol . 8, p. 211; as-Sirah an-

Nabawiyyah, I bn Hi sham, vol . 4, pp. 308- 309; at-Tarikh, at - Tabar i , vol .

l , p. l 822; al-Kamil, I bn al - At hi r , vol . 2, p. 327; at-Tarikh, I bn

Kat hi r , vol . 5, pp. 245- 246; al-Musnad , Ahmad i bn Hanbal , vol . l , p.55; as-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, vol . 3, pp. 388, 392; al-Ansab, al -

Bal adhur i , vol . 5, p. l 5; at-Tamhid , al - Baqi l ani , p. l 96; ash-Sharh,

I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 2, p. 23)

*****

Sermon 137

About Talhah and az-Zubayr

By Al l ah, t hey di d not f i nd any di sagr eeabl e t hi ng i n me, nor di d t hey

do j ust i ce bet ween me and t hemsel ves. Sur el y, t hey ar e now demandi ng a

r i ght whi ch t hey have abandoned and bl ood whi ch t hey have t hemsel ves

shed. I f I par t ook i n i t wi t h t hem t hen t hey t oo have a shar e i n i t ,

but i f t hey commi t t ed i t wi t hout me the demand shoul d be agai nst t hem.

The f i r st st ep of t hei r j ust i ce shoul d be t hat t hey pass ver di ct

agai nst t hemsel ves. I have my i nt el l i gence wi t h me.







I have never mi xed mat t er s nor have t hey appeared mi xed t o me.

Cer t ai nl y, t hi s i s t he r ebel l i ous gr oup i n whi ch t her e i s t he near one

( az- Zubayr) , t he scor pi on' s venom ( `A' i shah) and doubt s whi ch cast a

vei l ( on f act s) . But t he mat t er i s cl ear , and t he wr ong has been shaken

f r om i t s f oundat i on. I t s t ongue has st opped ut t er i ng mi schi ef . By

Al l ah, I wi l l pr epar e f or t hem a ci st er n f r om whi ch I al one wi l l dr awwat er . They wi l l not be abl e t o dr i nk f r om i t nor woul d t hey be abl e t o

dr i nk f r om any ot her pl ace.


You advanced t owar ds me shout i ng "al l egi ance, al l egi ance" l i ke she-

camel s havi ng del i ver ed newl y born young ones l eapi ng t owards t hei r

young. I hel d back my hand but you pul l ed i t t owards you. , I dr ew back

my hand but you dragged i t . O' my Al l ah! t hese t wo have i gnored my

r i ght s and di d i nj ust i ce t o me. They bot h have br oken al l egi ance t o me,

and roused peopl e agai nst me. Unf ast en Thou what t hey have f ast ened,and do not make st r ong what t hey have woven. Show t hem t he evi l i n what

t hey ai med at and act ed upon. Bef or e f i ght i ng I asked t hem t o be

st eadf ast i n al l egi ance and behaved wi t h t hem wi t h consi der at i on but

t hey bel i t t l ed t he bl essi ng and r ef used ( t o adopt t he cour se of )

saf et y.

*****

Sermon 138

Referring to events in the future

He wi l l di r ect desi r es t owar ds ( t he pat h of ) gui dance whi l e peopl e wi l l

have t ur ned gui dance t owar ds desi r es, and he wi l l t ur n t hei r vi ews t o

t he di r ect i on of t he Qur ' an whi l e t he peopl e wi l l have t ur ned t he

Qur ' an t o t hei r vi ews.


( Bef or e t hi s Enj oi ner of Good [ 1] , mat t er s wi l l det er i or at e) t i l l war

wi l l r age among you wi t h f ul l f or ce, showi ng f or t h i t s t eet h, wi t hudder s f ul l of sweet mi l k but wi t h a sour t i p. Bewar e, i t wi l l be

t omor r ow and the mor r ow wi l l come soon wi t h thi ngs whi ch you do not

know. The Man i n power , not f r om t hi s cr owd, wi l l t ake t o t ask al l

t hose wer e f or mer l y appoi nt ed f or t hei r i l l deeds and t he ear t h wi l l

pour f or t h i t s et er nal t r easur es and f l i ng bef or e hi m easi l y her keys.





He wi l l show you t he j ust way of behavi our and r evi ve t he Qur ' an and

sunnah whi ch have become l i f el ess ( among peopl e) .


As i f I see ( hi m) , he ( t he Enj oi ner of Evi l ) [ 2] i s shout i ng i n Syr i a

( ash- Sham) and i s ext endi ng hi s banner s t o t he out ski r t s of Kuf ah. Hei s bent t owar ds i t l i ke t he bi t i ng of t he she- camel . He has cover ed t he

gr ound wi t h heads. Hi s mout h i s wi de open and ( t he t r ampl i ng of ) hi s

f oot st eps on t he gr ound have become heavy. Hi s advance i s br oad and hi s

at t acks are sever e.

By Al l ah, he wi l l di sper se you t hr oughout t he ear t h t i l l onl y a f ew of

you r emai n, l i ke kohl i n t he eye. You wi l l cont i nue l i ke t hi s t i l l t he

Ar abs r et ur n t o t hei r sense. You shoul d t her ef or e st i ck t o est abl i shed

ways, cl ear si gns and t he ear l y per i od whi ch has t he l ast i ng vi r t ues of

t he Prophethood. You shoul d know t hat Satan makes hi s ways easy so t hatyou may f ol l ow hi m on hi s heel s.


[ 1] . Thi s pr ophecy of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i s wi t h r egar d t o t he appear ance

of t he Twel f t h I mam, Abu' l - Qasi m Muhammad i bn al - Hasan al - Mahdi

(p. b. u. h. ) .

[ 2] . Thi s r ef ers t o Àbd al - Mal i k i bn Marwan who came t o power i n Syr i a

( ash- Sham) af t er hi s f at her Mar wan i bn al - Hakam and t hen af t er t he

ki l l i ng of al - Mukht ar i bn Abi Ùbayd at h- Thaqaf i i n hi s encount er wi t hMusàb i bn az- Zubayr he pr oceeded t owards I r aq. He cl ashed wi t h

Musàb' s f or ce at Maski n near Dayr u' l - j at hal i q i n t he out ski r t s of

Kuf ah. Af t er def eat i ng hi m he made a vi ct or i ous ent r y i nt o Kuf ah and

t ook al l egi ance f r om i t s i nhabi t ant s. Then he sent al - Haj j aj i bn Yusuf

at h- Thaqaf i t o Mecca t o f i ght wi t h Àbdul l ah i bn az- Zubayr .

Consequent l y t hi s man besi eged Mecca and st oned i t , and shed t he bl ood

of t housands of i nnocent per sons l i ke wat er . He ki l l ed I bn az- Zubayr

and hung hi s body on t he gal l ows. He per pet r at ed such at r oci t i es on t he

peopl e that one shudders at t he thought of t hem.

Sermon 139

On the occasion of the Consultative Committee (after the death of Ùmar

ibn al-Khattab)









No one pr eceded me i n i nvi t i ng peopl e t o t r ut hf ul ness, i n gi vi ng

consi der at i on t o ki nshi p and pr act i si ng gener osi t y. So, hear my wor d

and pr eserve what I say. Maybe you wi l l see soon af t er t oday t hat over

t hi s mat t er swords wi l l be dr awn and pl edges wi l l be br oken, so much so

t hat some of you wi l l become l eaders of t he peopl e of mi sgui dance and

f ol l ower s of peopl e of i gnor ance.*****

Sermon 140

About backbiting and speaking ill of others

Those who do not commi t si ns and have been gi f t ed wi t h saf et y ( f r om

si ns) shoul d t ake pi t y on si nner s and ot her di sobedi ent peopl e.

Gr at ef ul ness shoul d be most l y t hei r i ndul gence and i t shoul d pr event

t hem f r om ( f i ndi ng f aul t s wi t h) ot her s. What about t he backbi t er whobl ames hi s br other and f i nds f aul t wi t h hi m? Does he not r emember t hat

Al l ah has conceal ed t he si ns whi ch he commi t t ed whi l e t hey were bi gger

t han hi s br ot her ' s si ns poi nt ed out by hi m? How can he vi l i f y hi m about

hi s s i ns when he has hi msel f commi t t ed one l i ke i t ? Even i f he has not

commi t t ed a si mi l ar si n he must have commi t t ed bi gger ones. By Al l ah,

even i f he di d not commi t bi g si ns but commi t t ed onl y smal l si ns, hi s

exposi ng t he si ns of peopl e i s i t sel f a bi g si n.

O' cr eat ur e of Al l ah, do not be qui ck i n exposi t i on anyone' s si n f or he

may be f or gi ven f or i t , and do not f eel your sel f saf e even f or a smal lsi n because you may be puni shed f or i t . Theref ore, every one of you who

comes t o know t he f aul t s of ot her s shoul d not expose t hem i n vi ew of

what he knows about hi s own f aul t s, and he shoul d r emai n busy i n t hanks

t hat he has been saved f r om what ot her s have been i ndul gi ng i n.


[ 1] . The habi t of f aul t f i ndi ng and backbi t i ng has become so common t hat

even t he f eel i ng of i t s evi l ness has di sappear ed. And at pr esent

nei t her t he hi gh avoi d i t nor t he l ow; nei t her t he hi gh posi t i on of t hepul pi t pr event s i t nor t he sacr edness of t he mosque. Whenever a f ew

compani ons si t t oget her t hei r t opi c of conver sat i on and engagi ng

i nt er est i s j ust t o di scuss t he f aul t s of t hei r opponent s wi t h added

col our i sat i on, and t o l i st en t o t hem at t ent i vel y. Al t hough t he f aul t

f i nder i s hi msel f i nvol ved i n t he f aul t s whi ch he pi cks up i n ot her s,

yet he does not l i ke t hat hi s own f aul t s shoul d be exposed. I n such a





case, he shoul d have consi der at i on f or si mi l ar f eel i ngs i n ot her s and

shoul d avoi d sear chi ng f or t hei r f aul t s and hur t i ng t hei r f eel i ngs. He

shoul d act af t er t he pr overb: "Do not do unt o others what you do not

want others t o do unt o you. "

Backbi t i ng i s def i ned as t he exposur e of t he f aul t of a br ot her - i n-

f ai t h wi t h t he i nt ent t o vi l i f y hi m i n such a way as t o i r r i t at e hi m,whet her i t be by speaki ng, act i ng, i mpl i cat i on or suggest i on. Some

peopl e t ake backbi t i ng t o cover onl y that whi ch i s f al se or cont r ar y to

f act . Accor di ng t o t hem t o r el at e what was seen or hear d, exact l y as i t

was, i s not backbi t i ng, and t hey say that t hey ar e not backbi t i ng but

onl y rel at i ng exact l y what t hey saw or hear d. But i n f act backbi t i ng i s

t he name of t hi s ver y r el at i ng of t he f act s, because i f i t i s not

f act ual l y cor r ect i t woul d be f al se accusat i on and wr ong bl ame. I t i s

r el at ed about t he Pr ophet t hat he sai d:

"Do you know what backbi t i ng i s?" Peopl e sai d, "Al l ah and Hi s Pr ophetknow bet t er . " Then he sai d, "Backbi t i ng means t hat you say about your

br ot her a t hi ng whi ch pai ns hi m. " Someone sai d, "But what i f I say what

i s act ual l y t r ue about hi m?" The Pr ophet r epl i ed, "I t i s backbi t i ng

onl y when i t i s f act ual l y t r ue, ot her wi se you woul d be accusi ng hi m

f al sel y. "

Ther e ar e many causes f or i ndul gi ng i n backbi t i ng, and because of t hi s

a man commi t s i t somet i mes knowi ngl y and somet i mes unknowi ngl y. Abu

Hami d al - Ghazal i has r ecount ed t hese causes i n det ai l i n hi s book Ihya'

`ulumu'd-din. A f ew of t he i mpor t ant ones ar e:

1.

To make f un of anyone or t o make hi m appear abased.

2. To make peopl e l augh and t o di spl ay one' s own j ol l i ness

and hi gh spi r i t edness.

3.

Expr essi ng one' s f eel i ngs under t he i nf l uence of r age and

anger .

4. To est abl i sh one' s f eel i ngs under t he i nf l uence of r age

and anger .

5.

To di sprove one' s connect i on or i nvol vement i n a mat t er ;

namel y t hat a par t i cul ar evi l was not commi t t ed by onesel f

but by someone el se.

6. To associ at e onesel f wi t h some group when i n t hei r company

i n or der t o avoi d st r angeness wi t h t hem.



7. To bel i t t l e a per son f r om whom i t i s f eared t hat he wi l l

expose some f aul t of one' s.

8. To def eat a compet i t or i n t he same cal l i ng.

9. To seek posi t i on i n t he audi ence of someone i n power .

10.

To expr ess sor r ow by sayi ng i t i s sad t hat so- and- so

has f al l en i n such and such a si n.

11. To expr ess ast oni shment , f or exampl e, t o say i t i s

wonder f ul t hat so and so has done thi s.

12. To name t he commi t t er of an act when expr ess i ng anger

over i t .

However , i n some cases f aul t f i ndi ng or cr i t i ci si ng does not f al l under

backbi t i ng.

1. I f t he oppr essed compl ai ns of t he oppr essor i n or der t o seek

r edr ess, i t i s not backbi t i ng. Al l ah says about i t : Loveth not

Allah open utterance of evil in speech except by one who hath

been wronged.. ( Qur ' an, 4: 148)

2.

To r el at e anyone' s f aul t whi l e gi vi ng advi ce i s not backbi t i ng

because di shonest y and dupl i ci t y i s not per mi ssi bl e i n

counsel l i ng.

3.

I f i n connect i on wi t h seeki ng t he r equi r ement s of a r el i gi ouscommandment t he nami ng of a par t i cul ar i ndi vi dual cannot be

avoi ded, t hen t o st at e t he f aul t of such per son t o t he extent

necessary woul d not be backbi t i ng.

4. To r el at e t he mi sappropr i at i on or di shonest y commi t t ed by

someone wi t h a vi ew t o savi ng a Musl i m br ot her f r om har m woul d

not be backbi t i ng.

5. To r el at e t he f aul t of someone bef or e one who can prevent hi m

f r om commi t t i ng i t i s not backbi t i ng.

6.

Cr i t i ci sm and expr essi on of opi ni on about a r el at er of

t r adi t i ons i s not backbi t i ng.

7. I f a per son i s wel l acquai nt ed wi t h someone' s shor t comi ng, t hen

t o r el at e such a f aul t i n or der t o def i ne hi s per sonal i t y, f or



exampl e, descr i bi ng a deaf , dumb, l ame or handl ess per son as

t hus, i s not backbi t i ng.

8. To descr i be any f aul t of a pat i ent bef or e a physi ci an f or

pur poses of t r eat ment i s not backbi t i ng.

9.

I f someone cl ai ms wr ong l i neage then t o expose hi s cor r ectl i neage i s not backbi t i ng.

10. I f t he l i f e, pr oper t y or honour of someone can be

pr ot ect ed onl y by i nf or mi ng hi m of some f aul t , i t woul d not be

backbi t i ng.

11.

I f t wo per sons di scuss a f aul t of anot her whi ch i s al r eady

known t o bot h i t woul d not be backbi t i ng, al t hough t o avoi d

i scussi ng i t i s bet t er , si nce i t i s possi bl e one of t he t wo

mi ght have f or got t en i t .

12. To expose t he evi l s of one who openl y commi t s evi l s i s not

backbi t i ng as t he t r adi t i on r uns: "Ther e i s no backbi t i ng i n

t he case of he who has t orn away t he vei l of shamef ul ness. "

*****

Sermon 141

Against reliance on heresy

O' peopl e! I f a per son knows hi s br ot her t o be st eadf ast i n f ai t h and

of cor r ect ways he shoul d not l end ear t o what peopl e may say about

hi m. Somet i mes t he bowman shoot s ar r ows but t he ar r ow goes ast r ay;

si mi l ar l y t al k can be of f t he poi nt . I t s wr ong per i shes, whi l e Al l ah i s

t he Hear er and t he Wi t ness. There i s not hi ng between t r ut h and

f al sehood except f our f i nger s.

Amir al-mu'minin was asked the meaning of this whereupon he closed his

fingers together and put them between his ear and eye and said: I t i s

f al sehood when you say, " I have hear d so, " whi l e i t i s t r ut h when you

say, " I have seen. "

*****

Sermon 142

Against misplaced generosity



He who shows generosi t y t o t hose who have no cl ai m t o i t or who ar e not

f i t f or i t woul d not ear n anyt hi ng except t he pr ai se of t he i gnobl e and

appr eci at i on of bad per sons, al t hough as l ong as he cont i nues gi vi ng,

t he i gnor ant wi l l say how gener ous hi s hand i s, even t hough i n t he

af f ai r s of Al l ah he i s a mi ser .

Ther ef or e, t o whosoever Al l ah gi ves weal t h he shoul d use i t i nextendi ng good behavi our t o hi s ki nsmen, i n ent er t ai ni ng, i n r el easi ng

pr i soner s and t he af f l i ct ed; i n gi vi ng t o t he poor and t o debt or s, and

he shoul d endur e ( t he t r oubl es ar i si ng out of ) t he f ul f i l ment of r i ght s

( of ot her s) and har dshi ps i n expect at i on of r ewar d. Cer t ai nl y, t he

achi evement of t hese qual i t i es i s t he hei ght of gr eat ness i n t hi s wor l d

and achi evement of t he di st i nct i ons of t he next wor l d; i f Al l ah so

wi l l s.

*****

Sermon 143

Praying for rain

Beware; t he ear t h whi ch bear s you and t he sky whi ch overshadows you ar e

obedi ent t o t hei r Sust ai ner ( Al l ah) . They have not been best owi ng t hei r

bl essi ngs on you f or any f eel i ng of pi t y on you or i ncl i nat i on t owar ds

you, nor f or any good whi ch t hey expect f r omyou, but t hey were

commanded to best ow benef i t s on you and they ar e obeyi ng, and wer e

asked t o mai nt ai n your good and so t hey ar e mai nt ai ni ng i t .

Cer t ai nl y, Al l ah t r i es hi s creat ur es i n r espect of t hei r evi l deeds by

decr easi ng f r ui t s, hol di ng back bl essi ngs and cl osi ng t he t r easur es of

good, so t hat he who wi shes t o repent may repent , he who wi shes t o t ur n

away ( f r om evi l s) may t ur n away, he who wi shes t o r ecal l ( f or got t en

good) may recal l , and he who wi shes t o abst ai n ( f r om evi l ) may abst ai n.

Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has made t he seeki ng of ( Hi s) f or gi veness a means

f or t he pour i ng down of l i vel i hood and mer cy on t he peopl e as Al l ah has

sai d:

... Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord! Verily, He is the Most-

forgiving, He will send (down) upon you the cloud raining in torrents,

and help you with wealth and sons (children) . . . ( Qur ' an, 17: 10- 12)

Al l ah may shower mercy on hi m who t ook up r epent ance, gave up si ns and

hast ened ( i n per f or mi ng good act s bef or e) hi s deat h.



O' my Al l ah! we have come out t o Thee f r om under t he cur t ai ns and

cover i ngs ( of houses) when t he beast s and chi l dr en ar e cr yi ng, seeki ng

Thy Mer cy, hopi ng f or t he gener osi t y of Thy bount y and f ear i ng Thy

chast i sement and r et r i but i on. O' my Al l ah! gi ve us t o dr i nk f r om Thy

r ai n and do not di sappoi nt us, nor ki l l us by year s ( of dr ought ) nor

puni sh us f or what t he f ool i sh among us have commi t t ed, O' t he MostMerc i f ul of al l .

O' my Al l ah! we have come out t o Thee to compl ai n t o Thee who i s

( al r eady) not hi dden f r om Thee, when t he seven t r oubl es have f or ced us,

dr ought y f ami nes have dr i ven us, di st r essi ng want s have made us

hel pl ess and t r oubl esome mi schi ef s have i ncessant l y bef al l en us. O' my

Al l ah! we beseech Thee not t o send us back di sappoi nt ed nor t o retur n

us wi t h downcast eyes, nor t o addr ess us ( har shl y) f or our si ns, nor

deal wi t h us accor di ng t o our deeds.

O' my Al l ah! do pour on us Thy mercy, Thy bl essi ng, Thy sust enance and Thy pi t y, and make us enj oy a dr i nk whi ch benef i t s us, quenches our

t hi r st , pr oduces gr een her bage wi t h whi ch al l t hat was l ost get s a

gr owi ng and al l t hat had wi t her ed comes t o l i f e agai n. I t shoul d br i ng

about t he benef i t of f r eshness and pl ent i f ul ness of r i pe f r ui t s. Wi t h

i t pl ai ns may be wat er ed, r i ver s may begi n f l owi ng, pl ant s may pi ck up

f ol i age and pr i ces may come down. Sur el y, Thou art powerf ul over

what ever Thou wi l l est .

*****

Sermon 144

Deputation of Prophets

Al l ah deput ed pr ophet s and di st i ngui shed t hem wi t h Hi s r evel at i on. He

made t hem as pl eas f or Hi m among Hi s cr eat i on, so t hat t her e shoul d not

r emai n any excuse f or peopl e. He i nvi t ed peopl e t o t he r i ght pat h

t hr ough a t r ut hf ul t ongue. You shoul d know t hat Al l ah f ul l y knows

cr eat i on. Not t hat He was not aware of what t hey conceal ed f r om among

t hei r hi dden secret s and i nner f eel i ngs, but i n or der t o t r y t hem as t owhom f r om among t hem per f or ms good act s, so t hat t her e i s r eward i n

r espect of good act s and chast i sement i n r espect of evi l act s.

The position of Ahlu'l-bayt (the Household of the Holy Prophet)

Wher e ar e t hose who f al sel y and unj ust l y cl ai med that t hey ar e deepl y

ver sed i n knowl edge, as agai nst us, al t hough Al l ah r ai sed us i n



posi t i on and kept t hem down, best owed upon us knowl edge but depr i ved

t hem, and ent er ed us ( i n t he f or t r ess of knowl edge) but kept t hem out .

Wi t h us gui dance i s t o be sought and bl i ndness ( of mi sgui dance) i s t o

be changed i nt o br i ght ness. Sur el y I mams ( di vi ne l eader s) wi l l be f r om

t he Qur aysh. They have been pl ant ed i n t hi s l i ne t hr ough Hashi m. I t

woul d not sui t ot her s nor woul d ot her s be sui t abl e as heads of af f ai r s.

A part of the same sermon about those who are against the Ahlu'l-bayt

They have adopt ed t hi s wor l d and abandoned t he next wor l d; l ef t cl ean

water and dr unk st i nki ng wat er . I can al most see t hei r wi cked one [ 1]

who commi t t ed unl awf ul act s, associ at ed hi msel f wi t h t hem, bef r i ended

t hem and accor ded wi t h t hem t i l l hi s hai r gr ew gr ey and hi s nat ur e

acqui r ed t hei r t i nge. He pr oceeded onwar d emi t t i ng f oam l i ke a

t or r ent i al st r eam not car i ng whom he dr owned, or , l i ke f i r e i n st r aw,

wi t hout r eal i si ng what he bur nt .

Where ar e the mi nds whi ch seek l i ght f r om t he l amps of gui dance, and

t he eyes whi ch l ook at mi nar et s of pi et y? Wher e ar e t he hear t s

dedi cat ed t o Al l ah, and devot ed t o the obedi ence of Al l ah? They ar e al l

cr owdi ng t owar ds wor l dl y vani t i es and quar r el l i ng over unl awf ul i ssues.

The ensi gns of Paradi se and Hel l have been r ai sed f or t hem but t hey

have tur ned t hei r f aces away f r om Par adi se and pr oceeded t o Hel l by

di nt of t hei r per f or mances. Al l ah cal l ed t hem but t hey showed di sl i keand ran away. When Sat an cal l ed t hem t hey r esponded and proceeded

( t owar ds hi m) .


[ 1] . Here the ref erence i s t o `Abd al - Mal i k i bn Marwan who commi t t ed

ext r eme at r oci t i es t hr ough hi s of f i cer al - Haj j aj i bn Yusuf at h- Thaqaf i .

*****

Sermon 145

About this world

O' peopl e, you ar e, i n t hi s wor l d, t he t ar get f or t he ar r ows of deat h.

Wi t h ever y dr i nki ng t her e i s choki ng and wi t h ever y eat i ng t her e i s

suf f ocat i on. You do not get any benef i t i n i t except by f or egoi ng







anot her ( benef i t ) and no one among you advances i n age by a day except

by the t aki ng away of a day f r om hi s l i f e. Not hi ng mor e i s added t o hi s

eat i ng unl ess i t r educes what was t her e bef or e. No mar k appear s f or hi m

unl ess a mark di sappear s. Nothi ng new comes i nt o bei ng unl ess t he new

becomes ol d. No new cr op comes up unl ess a cr op has been r eaped. Those

r oot s are gone whose of f - shoot s we ar e. How can an of f - shoot l i ve af t ert he depar t ur e of i t s r oot ?

A part of the same sermon on innovation (bid`ah)

No i nnovat i on i s i nt r oduced unl ess one sunnah i s f orsaken, keep away

f r om i nnovat i ons and st i ck t o t he br oad r oad. Sur el y t he ol d t est ed

ways are t he best and the i nnovated ones ar e bad.

*****

Sermon 146

Spoken when `Umar ibn al-Khattab consulted Amir al-mu'minin about

taking part in the battle of Persia. [ 1]

I n t hi s mat t er , vi ct or y of def eat i s not dependent on t he smal l ness or

gr eat ness of f or ces. I t i s Al l ah' s r el i gi on whi ch He has r ai sed above

al l f ai t hs, and Hi s ar my whi ch He has mobi l i sed and ext ended, t i l l i t

has r eached t he poi nt wher e i t st ands now, and has ar r i ved i t s present

posi t i ons. We hol d a pr omi se f r om Al l ah, and He wi l l f ul f i l Hi s pr omi se

and suppor t Hi s ar my.

The posi t i on of t he head of gover nment i s t hat of t he t hread f or beads,

as i t connect s t hem and keeps t hem t oget her . I f t he t hr ead i s br oken,

t hey wi l l di sper se and be l ost , and wi l l never come t oget her agai n. The

Ar abs t oday, even t hough smal l i n number are bi g because of I sl amand

st r ong because of uni t y. You shoul d r emai n l i ke t he axi s f or t hem, and

r ot at e t he mi l l ( of gover nment ) wi t h ( t he hel p of ) t he Ar abs, and be

t hei r r oot . Avoi d bat t l e, because i f you l eave t hi s pl ace t he Ar abs

wi l l at t ack you f r om al l si des and di r ect i ons t i l l t he unguar ded pl aces

l ef t behi nd by you wi l l become more i mport ant t han t hose bef ore you.I f t he Per si ans see you t omor r ow t hey wi l l say, "He i s t he r oot ( chi ef )

of Ar abi a. I f we do away wi t h hi m we wi l l be i n peace. " I n t hi s way

t hi s wi l l hei ght en t hei r eager ness agai nst you and t hei r keenness t o

ai m at you. You say that t hey have set out t o f i ght agai nst t he

Musl i ms. Wel l , Al l ah det est s t hei r set t i ng out mor e than you do, and He

i s mor e capabl e of pr event i ng what He det est s. As r egar ds your i dea





about t hei r ( l ar ge) number , i n t he past we di d not f i ght on t he

st r engt h of l ar ge number s but we f ought on t he basi s of Al l ah' s suppor t

and assi st ance.


[ 1] . When some peopl e advi sed Cal i ph Ùmar t o part ake i n t he bat t l e ofal - Qadi si yyah or Nahawand, he f i ndi ng i t agai nst hi s per sonal

i ncl i nat i on, t hought i t necessar y to consul t Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, so t hat

i f he advi sed agai nst i t he woul d pl ead bef or e ot her s t hat he had

st ayed back on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s advi ce, but al so i f he advi sed

par t aki ng i n t he bat t l e some ot her excuse woul d be f ound. However ,

unl i ke ot her s, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n advi sed hi m t o st ay back. The ot her

peopl e had advi sed hi m t o j oi n i n f i ght i ng, because t he Hol y Prophet

di d not send onl y ot her s t o f i ght but t ook par t i n i t hi msel f as wel l ,

keepi ng hi s cl ose rel at i ons al so wi t h hi m. What Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had i n

vi ew was t hat Ùmar ' s presence i n t he bat t l e coul d not be benef i ci al t oI sl am, but r at her hi s s t ayi ng back woul d save the Musl i ms f r om

di sper si on.

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s vi ew t hat " t he posi t i on of t he head of gover nment i s

t hat of t he axi s around whi ch t he syst em of t he gover nment r ot at es" i s

a poi nt of pr i nci pl e and does not concer n any par t i cul ar per sonal i t y.

Whet her t he r ul er i s a Musl i m or an unbel i ever , j ust or despot i c,

vi r t uous or vi ci ous, f or t he admi ni st r at i on of t he st at e hi s pr esence

i s a necessi t y, as Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has expl ai ned el sewher e at gr eat er

l engt h:

The f act i s t hat t her e i s no escape f or men f r om a r ul er good or bad.

Fai t hf ul per sons per f or m ( good) act s i n hi s r ul e whi l e t he unf ai t hf ul

enj oys ( wor l dl y) benef i t s i n i t . Dur i ng t he r ul e, Al l ah wi l l car r y

ever yt hi ng t o i t s end. Thr ough t he r ul er t ax i s col l ect ed, t he enemy i s

f ought , r oads ar e pr ot ect ed and t he r i ght of t he weak i s t aken f r om t he

st r ong t i l l t he vi r t uous enj oy peace and ar e al l owed pr ot ect i on f r om

( t he oppr essi on of ) t he wi cked. ( Sermon 40)

The wor ds whi ch Ami r al - mu' mi ni n ut t er ed i n hi s advi ce ar e not

i ndi cat i ve of any qual i t y of Cal i ph Ùmar except hi s bei ng t he r ul er .

Ther e i s no doubt t hat he hel d wor l dl y aut hor i t y, i r r espect i ve of t he

quest i on of whether i t was secur ed i n t he r i ght way or wr ong way. And

wher e t her e i s aut hor i t y t her e i s cent r i ng of peopl e' s af f ai r s. That i s

why Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t hat i f Ùmar woul d go out t he Ar abs woul d

f ol l ow hi m i n l ar ge number s t owar ds t he bat t l ef i el d, because when t he





r ul er i s on t he mar ch t he peopl e wi l l not l i ke t o st ay behi nd. The

r esul t of t hei r goi ng woul d be t hat ci t y af t er ci t y woul d become

vacant , whi l e t he enemy wi l l i nf er f r om t hei r r eachi ng t he bat t l ef i el d

t hat t he I sl ami c ci t i es ar e l yi ng vacant , and t hat i f t hese peopl e wer e

r epul sed no assi st ance woul d r each t he Musl i ms f r om t he cent r e. Agai n,

i f t he r ul er wer e ki l l ed t he ar my woul d di sper se aut omat i cal l y, becauset he r ul er i s as i t s f oundat i on. When t he f oundat i on i s shaken t he wal l s

cannot r emai n st andi ng. The word "aslu'l-Àrab" ( t he r oot chi ef ) of

Ar abi a has not been used by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n as hi s own but he has

t aken i t f r om t he Per si ans. Obvi ousl y i n hi s capaci t y as t he head of

t he St at e, Cal i ph Ùmar was, i n t hei r vi ew, t he chi ef of Ar abi a.

Besi des, t he r ef er ence i s t o t he count r y, not t o I sl am or Musl i ms, so

t hat t her e i s no suggest i on of any i mpor t ance f or hi m f r om t he I sl ami c

poi nt of vi ew.

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n poi nt ed out t o Cal i ph Ùmar t hat on hi s r eachi ng

t her e t he Per si ans woul d ai m at hi m, and t hat i f he f el l i nt o t hei r

hands t hey woul d not spar e hi m wi t hout ki l l i ng, al t hough such wor ds

woul d have touched t he brave t o t he qui ck and woul d have hei ght ened

t hei r spi r i t s, Ùmar l i ked t he advi ce t o st ay back and t hought i t

bet t er t o keep hi msel f away f r om t he f l ames of bat t l e. I f t hi s advi ce

had not been i n accor d wi t h hi s per sonal i ncl i nat i on he woul d not have

r ecei ved i t so hear t i l y and woul d have t r i ed t o ar gue t hat t he

admi ni st r at i on of t he count r y coul d be mai nt ai ned by l eavi ng a deput y.

Agai n when other peopl e had al r eady advi sed hi m t o go out , what was t he

need f or consul t i ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n except t o get an excuse t o st ay

back.

*****

Sermon 147

The purpose of the deputation of the Holy Prophet and the condition of

the time when people would go against the Qur'an

Al l ah deput ed Muhammad ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) wi t h Trut h so t hat he may t ake

out Hi s peopl e f r om t he wor shi p of i dol s t owar ds Hi s wor shi p and f r om

obeyi ng Satan t owards obeyi ng Hi m and sent hi m wi t h t he Qur ' an whi ch He

expl ai ned and made st r ong, i n or der t hat t he peopl e may know t hei r

sust ai ner ( Al l ah) si nce t hey wer e i gnor ant of Hi m, may acknowl edge Hi m

si nce t hey were denyi ng Hi m, and accept Hi m si nce t hey were r ef usi ng



( t o bel i eve i n) Hi m. Because He, t he Gl or i f i ed, r eveal ed Hi msel f t o

t hem t hr ough Hi s Book wi t hout t hei r havi ng seen Hi m, by means of what

He showed t hem out of Hi s mi ght and made t hem f ear Hi s sway. How He

dest r oyed t hose whom He wi shed t o dest r oy t hr ough Hi s chast i sement and

r ui ned t hose whom He wi shed t o rui n t hr ough Hi s r et r i but i on!

On the future

Cert ai nl y, a t i me wi l l come upon you af t er me when nothi ng wi l l be more

conceal ed t han r i ght f ul ness, not hi ng mor e appar ent t han wr ongf ul ness

and not hi ng mor e cur r ent t han unt r ut h agai nst Al l ah and Hi s Pr ophet .

For t he peopl e of t hi s per i od not hi ng wi l l be mor e val uel ess t han t he

Qur ' an bei ng r eci t ed as i t ought t o be reci t ed, nor anythi ng mor e

val uabl e t han t he Qur ' an bei ng mi spl aced f r om i t s posi t i on. And i n t he

t owns not hi ng wi l l be more hated t han vi r t ue, nor anyt hi ng more

accept abl e t han vi ce.

The hol der s of t he book wi l l t hrow i t away and i t s memor i ser s woul d

f or get i t . I n t hese days t he Qur ' an and i t s peopl e wi l l be exi l ed and

expel l ed. They wi l l be compani ons keepi ng t ogether on one path, but no

one wi l l of f er t hem asyl um. Consequent l y at t hi s t i me t he Qur ' an and

i t s peopl e wi l l be among t he peopl e but not among t hem, wi l l be wi t h

t hem but not wi t h t hem, because mi sgui dance cannot accord wi t h gui dance

even t hough t hey may be t ogether . The peopl e wi l l have uni t ed on

di vi si on and wi l l t her ef or e have cut away f r om t he communi t y, as t hough

t hey wer e the l eader s of t he Qur ' an and not t he Qur ' an t hei r l eader .

Not hi ng of i t wi l l be l ef t wi t h t hem except i t s name, and t hey wi l lknow not hi ng save i t s wr i t i ng and i t s wor ds. Bef or e t hat , t hey wi l l

i nf l i ct har dshi ps on t he vi r t uous, nami ng t he l at t er ' s t r ut hf ul vi ews

about Al l ah f al se al l egat i ons, and enf or ci ng f or vi r t ues t he puni shment

of t he vi ce.

Those bef or e you passed away because of t he l engtheni ng of t hei r

desi r es and t he f or get t i ng of t hei r deat h, t i l l t hat pr omi sed event

bef el l t hem about whi ch excuses are t ur ned down, r epent ance i s deni ed

and puni shment and r et r i but i on i s i nf l i ct ed.

About Ahlu'l-bayt

O' peopl e, he who seeks counsel f r omAl l ah secur es gui dance and he who

adopt s Hi s wor d as gui de i s l ed t owar ds what i s mor e st r ai ght , because

Al l ah' s l over f eel s secur e and Hi s opponent f eel s af r ai d. I t does not

behove one who knows Hi s great ness t o assume gr eat ness, but t he

gr eat ness of t hose who know Hi s gr eat ness i s t hat t hey shoul d know



bef or e Hi m, and t he saf et y f or t hose who know what Hi s power i s l i es i n

submi t t i ng t o Hi m. Do not be scar ed away f r om t he t r ut h l i ke t he

scar i ng of t he heal t hy f r om t he scabbed person, or t he sound per son

f r om t he s i ck.

You shoul d know t hat you wi l l never know gui dance unl ess you know who

has abandoned i t , you wi l l never abi de by t he pl edges of t he Qur ' anunl ess you know who has br oken t hem, and wi l l never cl i ng t o i t unl ess

you know who has f orsaken i t . Seek t hese thi ngs f r om t hose who own t hem

because t hey ar e t he l i f e spr i ng of knowl edge and deat h of i gnor ance.

They ar e t he peopl e whose commands wi l l di scl ose t o you t hei r ( ext ent

of ) knowl edge, t hei r si l ence wi l l di scl ose t hei r ( capaci t y of ) speaki ng

and t hei r out er appear ance wi l l di scl ose t hei r i nner sel f . They do not

go agai nst r el i gi on, and do not di f f er f r om one ot her about i t , whi l e

i t i s among t hem a t r ut hf ul wi t ness and a si l ent speaker .

*****

Sermon 148

About Talhah and az-Zubayr and the people of Basrah

Both of t hese t wo ( Tal hah and az- Zubayr ) wi shes t he Cal i phat e f or

hi msel f , and i s dr awi ng t owar ds hi msel f as agai nst t he ot her f el l ow.

They do not empl oy any connect i on f or get t i ng access t o Al l ah nor

pr oceed t owards Hi m t hr ough any means. Both of t hembear mal i ce agai nst

t he ot her . Shor t l y hi s vei l over i t wi l l be uncover ed. By Al l ah, i ft hey achi eve what t hey ai m at , one of t hem wi l l ki l l t he ot her , and one

wi l l f i ni sh t he ot her . The r ebel l i ous par t y has st ood up. Wher e ar e t he

seeker s of vi r t ue; f or t he pat hs have al r eady been det er mi ned and t hey

have been gi ven t he news. For every mi sgui dance t here i s a cause and

f or ever y br eak of pl edge t her e i s a mi sr epr esent at i on. By Al l ah, I

shal l not be l i ke hi m who l i st ens t o t he voi ce of mour ni ng, hear s t he

man who br i ngs news of deat h and al so vi si t s t he mour ner yet does not

t ake l esson.

*****

Sermon 149

Before his passing away (last will)



O' peopl e. Every one has t o meet what he wi shes t o avoi d by r unni ng

away. [ 1] Deat h i s t he pl ace t o whi ch l i f e i s dr i vi ng. To r un away f r om

i t means t o cat ch i t . How many days di d I spend i n sear chi ng f or t he

secr et of t hi s mat t er , but Al l ah di d not al l ow save i t s conceal ment .

Al as! I t i s a t r easur ed knowl edge. As f or my l ast wi l l , i t i s t hat

concer ni ng Al l ah, do not bel i eve i n a par t ner f or Hi m, and concer ni ngMuhammad (p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) , do not di sr egar d hi s Sunnah. Keep these t wo

pi l l ar s and bur n t hese t wo l amps. Ti l l you ar e not di vi ded, no evi l

wi l l come to you. [ 2] Ever y one of you has t o bear hi s own bur den. I t

has been kept l i ght f or t he i gnor ant . Al l ah i s Mer ci f ul . Fai t h i s

st r ai ght . The l eader ( Pr ophet ) i s t he hol der of knowl edge. Yest er day I

was wi t h you; t oday I have become the obj ect of a l esson f or you, and

t omorr ow I shal l l eave you. Al l ah may f orgi ve me and you.

I f t he f oot r emai ns f i r m i n t hi s sl i pper y pl ace, wel l and good. But i f

t he f oot sl i ps, t hi s i s because we ar e under t he shade of br anches, t he

passi ng of t he wi nds and t he canopy of t he cl ouds whose l ayers ar e

di sper sed i n t he sky, and whose t r aces di sappear ed [ 3] i n t he ear t h. I

was your nei ghbour . My body kept you company f or some days and shor t l y

you wi l l f i nd j ust an empt y body of mi ne whi ch woul d be st at i onar y

af t er ( al l i t s) movement and si l ent af t er speech so t hat my cal mness,

t he cl osi ng of my eyes, and t he st i l l ness of my l i mbs may pr ovi de you

counsel , because i t i s mor e of a counsel f or t hose who t ake a l esson

( f r om i t ) t han el oquent speech and a ready wor d. I am depar t i ng f r om

you l i ke one who i s eager t o meet ( someone) . Tomorr ow you wi l l l ook at

my days, t hen my i nner si de wi l l be di scl osed t o you and you wi l lunderst and me af t er t he vacat i on of my pl ace and i t s occupat i on by

someone el se.


[ 1] . Thi s means t hat dur i ng al l t he t i me spent i n t he at t empt s t hat a

man makes t o avoi d deat h and i n t he means he adopt s f or i t , i t i s onl y

t he span of l i f e t hat i s shor t ened. As t he t i me passes t he obj ect i ve of

deat h appr oaches near , so much so t hat i n one' s at t empt t o seek l i f e

one meet s deat h.

[ 2] . "wa khalakum dhammun" ( No evi l wi l l come t o you) . Thi s sent ence i s

used as a pr over b. I t was f i r st empl oyed by Qasi r , sl ave of J adhi mah

i bn Mal i k al - Abr ash.

[ 3] . The i nt ent i on i s t hat when al l t hese t hi ngs di e, how can t hose who

i nhabi t t hem r emai n saf e? Cer t ai nl y t hey t oo, l i ke ever y t hi ng el se,















shi f t ed t he bui l di ng f r om i t s st r ong f oundat i on and bui l t i t i n ot her

t han i t s ( pr oper ) pl ace. They ar e t he sour ce of ever y shor t comi ng and

t he door of gr oper s i n the dar k. They wer e movi ng t o and f r o i n

amazement and l ay i nt oxi cated i n t he way of t he peopl e of t he Pharaohs.

They wer e ei t her bent on t hi s wor l d and t aki ng suppor t on i t or away

f r om t he f ai t h and r emoved f r om i t .*****

Sermon 151

The condition of the people during disorder, and advice against

oppression and unlawful earning

I pr ai se Al l ah and seek Hi s hel p f r om ( what l ed t o t he) puni shment of

Sat an and hi s decei t f ul act s, and ( I seek Hi s) pr ot ect i on f r om Sat an' s

t r aps and wayl ayi ngs. I st and wi t ness t hat t her e i s no god but Al l ahand I st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad i s Hi s s l ave and Hi s Pr ophet ( peace

be upon hi m and hi s progeny) and hi s chosen and hi s sel ected one.

Muhammad' s ( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) di st i nct i on cannot be par al l el ed nor can

hi s l oss be made good. Popul ated pl aces were br i ght ened t hr ough hi m

when pr evi ousl y t here was dark mi sgui dance, overpower i ng i gnorance and

r ude habi t s, and peopl e r egar ded unl awf ul as l awf ul , humi l i at ed t he man

of wi sdom, passed l i ves when t here were no pr ophet s and di ed as

unbel i ever s.

You, O' peopl e of Ar abi a, wi l l be vi ct i ms of cal ami t i es whi ch have comenear . You shoul d avoi d t he i nt oxi cat i on of weal t h, f ear t he di sast er s

of chast i sement , keep st eadf ast i n t he dar kness and cr ookedness of

mi schi ef when i t s hi dden nat ur e di scl oses i t sel f , i t s secr et s become

mani f est and i t s axi s and t he pi vot of i t s r ot at i on gai n st r engt h. I t

begi ns i n i mper cept i bl e st ages but devel ops i nt o gr eat hi deousness. I t s

yout h i s l i ke t he yout h of an adol escent and i t s mar ks ar e l i ke t he

marks of beat i ng by st one.

Oppr essor s i nher i t i t by ( mut ual ) agr eement . The f i r st of t hem ser ves

as a l eader f or t he l at t er one and t he l at t er one f ol l ows t he f i r stone. They vi e wi t h each ot her i n ( t he mat t er of ) t hi s l owl y wor l d, and

l eap over t hi s st i nki ng car cass. Shor t l y t he f ol l ower wi l l denounce hi s

connect i on wi t h t he l eader , and t he l eader wi t h t he f ol l ower . They wi l l

di suni t e on account of mut ual and cur se one another when t hey meet .

Then af t er t hi s t her e wi l l appear anot her ar ouser of mi schi ef who wi l l

dest r oy r ui ned t hi ngs. The hear t wi l l become waver i ng af t er bei ng



nor mal , men wi l l be mi sl ed af t er saf et y, desi r es wi l l mul t i pl y and

become di ver si f i ed and vi ews wi l l become conf used.

Whoever pr oceeds t owards t hi s mi schi ef wi l l be rui ned and whoever

st r i ves f or i t wi l l be anni hi l at ed. They wi l l be bi t i ng each ot her

dur i ng i t as t he wi l d asses bi t e each ot her i n t he her d. The coi l s of

t he r ope wi l l be di st ur bed and t he f ace of af f ai r s wi l l be bl i nded.Dur i ng i t sagaci t y wi l l be on t he ebb, and t he oppr essor s wi l l ( get t he

oppor t uni t y t o) speak. Thi s mi schi ef wi l l smash t he Bedoui ns wi t h i t s

hammer s and cr ush them wi t h i t s chest . I n i t s dust t he si ngl e mar cher s

wi l l be l ost , and i n i t s way t he hor semen wi l l be dest r oyed. I t wi l l

appr oach wi t h t he bi t t er ness of dest i ny and wi l l gi ve pur e bl ood

( i nst ead of mi l k) . I t wi l l br each t he mi nar et s of f ai t h and shat t er t he

t i es of f i r m bel i ef . The wi se wi l l r un away f r om i t whi l e t he wi cked

wi l l f os ter i t . I t wi l l t hunder and f l ash ( l i ke l i ght ni ng) . I t wi l l

creat e a sever e di sast er . I n i t ki nshi p wi l l be f or saken and I sl am wi l l

be abandoned. He who decl ai ms i t wi l l al so be af f ect ed by i t , and he

who f l ees f r om i t wi l l ( be f or ced t o) stay i n i t .


Among t hem some wi l l be unavenged mart yr s and some wi l l be st r i cken

wi t h f ear and seek pr otect i on. They wi l l be decei ved by pl edges and

f r audul ent bel i ef . You shoul d not become l andmar ks of mi schi ef s and

si gns of i nnovat i ons but shoul d adher e t o t hat on whi ch t he r ope of t he

communi t y has been wound and on whi ch t he pi l l ar s of obedi ence have

been f ounded. Proceed t owards Al l ah as oppressed and do not pr oceed t oHi m as oppr essors. Avoi d t he pat hs of Sat an and t he pl aces of r evol t .

Do not put i n your bel l i es unl awf ul mor sel s because you ar e f aci ng Hi m

Who has made di sobedi ence unl awf ul f or you, and made t he pat h of

obedi ence easy f or you.

*****

Sermon 152

About the greatness and the attributes of Allah

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah who i s pr oof of Hi s exi st ence t hr ough Hi s

creat i on[ 1] , of Hi s bei ng exter nal t hr ough t he newness of Hi s cr eat i on,

and t hr ough t hei r mut ual si mi l ar i t i es of t he f act t hat not hi ng i s

si mi l ar t o Hi m. Senses cannot t ouch Hi m and cur t ai ns cannot vei l Hi m,





because of t he di f f erence between the Maker and the made, t he Li mi t er

and t he l i mi t ed and t he Sust ai ner and t he sust ai ned.

He i s One but not by t he f i r st i n count i ng, i s Cr eat or but not t hr ough

act i vi t y or l abour , i s Hear er but not by means of any physi cal or gan,

i s Looker but not by a st r et chi ng of eyel i ds, i s Wi t ness but not by

near ness, i s Di st i nct but not by measur ement of di st ance, i s Mani f estbut not by seei ng and i s Hi dden but not by subt l et y (of body) . He i s

Di st i nct f r om t hi ngs because He over power s t hem and exer ci ses mi ght

over t hem, whi l e t hi ngs ar e di st i nct f r om Hi m because of t hei r

subj ugat i on t o Hi m and t hei r t ur ni ng t owar ds Hi m.

He who descr i bes Hi m l i mi t s Hi m. He who l i mi t s Hi m numbers Hi m. He who

number s Hi m r ej ect s Hi s et er ni t y. He who sai d "how" sought a

descr i pt i on f or Hi m. He who sai d "where" bounded hi m. He i s t he Knower

even t hough t here be nothi ng t o be known. He i s t he Sust ai ner even

t hough t here be nothi ng t o be sust ai ned. He i s t he Powerf ul even t hought here be nothi ng t o be over powered.

A part of the same sermon about the Divine leaders (Imams)

The r i ser has r i sen, t he spar kl er has spar kl ed, t he appear er has

appear ed and the cur ved has been st r ai ght ened. Al l ah has r epl aced one

peopl e wi t h another and one day wi t h another . We awai t ed t hese changes

as t he f ami nest r i cken awai t t he r ai n. Cer t ai nl y the I mams are t he

vi ceger ent s of Al l ah over Hi s cr eat ur es and t hey make t he cr eatur es

know Al l ah. No one wi l l ent er Par adi se except he who knows t hem andknows Hi m, and no one wi l l ent er Hel l except he who deni es t hem and

deni es Hi m.

Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, has di st i ngui shed you wi t h I sl am and has chosen

you f or i t . Thi s i s because i t i s t he name of saf et y and t he col l ect i on

of honour . Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, chose i t s way and di scl osed i t s pl eas

t hrough open knowl edge and secr et maxi ms. I t s ( Qur ' an) wonders ar e not

exhaust ed and i t s del i caci es do not end. I t cont ai ns bl ossomi ng

bount i es and l amps of darkness. ( The door s of ) vi r t ues cannot be opened

save wi t h i t s keys, nor can gl oom be di spel l ed save wi t h i t s l amps.

Al l ah has pr ot ect ed i t s i naccessi bl e poi nt s ( f r om enemi es) and al l owed

gr azi ng ( t o i t s f ol l ower s) i n i t s past ur es. I t cont ai ns cover ( f r om t he

ai l ment of mi sgui dance) f or t he seeker of cur e and f ul l suppor t f or t he

seeker of suppor t .




[ 1] . The f i r st par t of t hi s ser mon consi st s of i mpor t ant i ssues

concer ni ng t he sci ence of knowl edge about Al l ah, wher ei n Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n has t hr own l i ght on t he mat t er t hat Al l ah i s f r om ever and Hi s

at t r i but es are t he same as He Hi msel f . When we cast a gl ance at

cr eat i on, we see t hat f or ever y movement t her e i s a mover , f r omwhi ch

ever y man of or di nar y wi sdom i s compel l ed t o concl ude t hat no ef f ectcan appear wi t hout a cause, so much so, t hat even an i nf ant a f ew days

ol d, when hi s body i s t ouched, f eel s i n t he dept h of hi s consci ousness

t hat someone has t ouched hi m. He i ndi cates i t by openi ng hi s eyes or

t ur ni ng and l ooki ng. How t hen can t he creat i on of t he wor l d and t he

syst em of al l cr eat i on be ar r anged wi t hout a Cr eat or or Or gani ser ?

Once i t i s necessary t o bel i eve i n a Cr eat or , t hen He shoul d exi st by

Hi msel f , because everyt hi ng whi ch has a begi nni ng must have a cent r e of

exi st ence f r om whi ch i t shoul d t er mi nat e. I f t hat t oo needed a cr eat or ,

t her e woul d be t he quest i on of whet her t hi s cr eat or i s al so the

cr eat i on of some ot her creat or or exi st s by i t sel f . Thus unl ess a Sel f -

cr eat ed Cr eat or i s bel i eved i n, who shoul d be t he cause of al l causes,

t he mi nd wi l l r emai n gr opi ng i n t he unendi ng l abyr i nt h of cause and

ef f ect , and never at t ai n t he i dea of t he l ast ext r emi t y of t he ser i es

of creat i on. I t woul d f al l i nt o t he f al l acy of ci r cul ar ar gui ng and

woul d not r each any end.

I f t he cr eat or wer e t aken t o have cr eat ed hi msel f , t hen t her e woul d be

( one of t he t wo posi t i ons, namel y) ei t her he shoul d be non- exi st ent or

exi st ent . I f he wer e not exi st ent , t hen i t woul d not be possi bl e f or

somet hi ng non- exi st ent t o cr eat e any exi st ent bei ng. I f he wer e

exi st ent bef or e cr eat i ng hi msel f , t her e woul d be no sense i n comi ng

i nt o bei ng agai n. Ther ef or e i t i s necessar y t o bel i eve t hat t he Cr eat or

shoul d be a Bei ng not dependent on any ot her cr eat or f or Hi s own

exi st ence, and everyt hi ng el se shoul d be dependent on Hi m. Thi s

dependence of t he ent i r e cr eat i on i s a pr oof t hat t he exi st ence of t he

Sour ce of al l creat i on i s f r om ever and et er nal . And si nce al l bei ngs

other t han He ar e subj ect t o change, are dependent on posi t i on and

pl ace and ar e si mi l ar t o one anot her i n qual i t i es and pr oper t i es, and

si nce si mi l ar i t y l eads t o pl ur al i t y wher eas uni t y has no l i ke savei t sel f , t her ef or e not hi ng can be l i ke Hi m.

Even thi ngs cal l ed one cannot be reckoned af t er Hi s Uni t y because He i s

One and Si ngul ar i n ever y r espect . He i s f r ee and pur e f r om al l t hose

at t r i but es whi ch ar e f ound i n body or mat t er because He i s nei t her

body, nor col our , nor shape, nor does He l i e i n any di r ect i on, nor i s

He bounded wi t hi n some pl ace or l ocal i t y. Theref ore, man cannot see or





underst and Hi m t hr ough hi s senses or f eel i ngs, because senses can know

onl y t hose t hi ngs whi ch accor d wi t h t he l i mi t at i ons of t i me, pl ace and

mat t er . To bel i eve t hat He can be seen i s t o bel i eve t hat He has body,

but si nce He i s not a body, and He does not exi st t hr ough a body, and

He does not l i e i n any di r ect i on or pl ace, t her e i s no quest i on of Hi s

bei ng seen. But Hi s bei ng unseen i s not l i ke t hat of subt l e mat er i albodi es, due t o whose del i cacy t he eye pi erces t hr ough t hemand eyes

r emai n unabl e t o see t hem; as f or exampl e t he wi nd i n the vast

f i r mament . But He i s unseen by Hi s ver y exi st ence. Never t hel ess ,

not hi ng i s unseen f or Hi m. He sees as wel l as hear s, but i s not

dependent on i nst r ument s of seei ng or hear i ng, because i f He were i n

need of organs of t he body f or hear i ng and seei ng He woul d be i n need

of ext er nal t hi ngs f or Hi s per f ect i on and woul d not be a per f ect Bei ng,

wher eas He shoul d be per f ect i n al l r espect s and no at t r i but e of

per f ect i on shoul d be apar t f r om Hi s Sel f .

To bel i eve i n at t r i but es separ at el y f r om Hi s Sel f woul d mean t hat t her e

woul d be a sel f and a f ew at t r i but es and t he compound of t he sel f and

t he at t r i but es woul d be Al l ah. But a t hi ng whi ch i s compounded i s

dependent on i t s par t s and t hese par t s must exi st bef or e thei r

composi t i on i nt o t he whol e. When t he par t s exi st f r om bef or e, how can

t he whol e be f r om ever and et er nal because i t s exi st ence i s l at er t han

t hat of i t s par t s. But Al l ah had t he at t r i but es of knowl edge, power and

sust ai ni ng even when nothi ng was exi st ent , because none of Hi s

at t r i but es wer e creat ed i n Hi m f r om out si de, but Hi s at t r i but es ar e Hi s

Sel f and Hi s Sel f i s Hi s at t r i but es. Consequent l y, Hi s knowl edge doesnot depend on t he obj ect of knowl edge exi st i ng f i r st and t hen Hi s

knowl edge, because Hi s Sel f i s pr i or t o thi ngs comi ng i nt o exi st ence.

Nor i s i t necessar y f or Hi s power t hat t her e shoul d f i r st exi st t he

obj ect t o be over - powered and t hen al one He woul d be cal l ed Powerf ul ,

because Powerf ul i s t hat who has power equal l y f or doi ng or abandoni ng

and as such t he exi st ence of t he obj ect t o be over - power ed i s not

necessary.

Si mi l ar l y Sust ai ner means mast er . J ust as He i s t he Mast er of t he non-

exi st ent af t er i t s comi ng i nt o exi st ence, i n t he same way He has powert o br i ng i t i nt o exi st ence f r om non- exi st ence, namel y i f He so wi l l s He

may best ow exi st ence upon i t .

*****



Sermon 153

About negligent persons and the characteristics of beasts, carnivores

and women

He has been al l owed t i me by Al l ah. He i s f al l i ng i nt o er r or al ong wi t hnegl i gent per sons and goes ear l y i n t he morni ng wi t h si nner s, wi t hout

any road t o l ead or any I mam t o gui de.


At l ast when Al l ah wi l l make cl ear t o t hem t he r ewar d f or t hei r si ns,

and t ake t hem out f r om t he vei l s of t hei r negl ect f ul ness t hey wi l l

proceed t o what t hey were runni ng away f r om, and r un away f r om what

t hey wer e pr oceedi ng t o. They wi l l not benef i t f r om t he want s t hey wi l l

sat i sf y or t he desi r es t hey woul d f ul f i l .

I war n you and mysel f f r om t hi s posi t i on. A man shoul d der i ve benef i t

f r om hi s own sel f . Cer t ai nl y, pr udent i s he who hear s and ponder s over

i t , who sees and observes and who benef i t s f r om i nst r uct i ve mat er i al

and t hen t r eads on cl ear pat hs wher ei n he avoi ds f al l i ng i nt o hol l ows

and st r ayi ng i nt o pi t f al l s, and does not assi st t hose who mi sgui de hi m

by tur ni ng away f r om t r ut hf ul ness, changi ng hi s wor ds, or f ear i ng

t rut h.

O' my l i st ener ! Be cur ed f r om your i nt oxi cat i on, wake up f r om your

sl umber, decrease your hast y act i vi t y and ponder over what has come t oyou t hr ough t he Hol y Pr ophet , t he Ummi [ 1] whi ch i s i nevi t abl e and

i nescapabl e. You shoul d t ur n away f r om hi m who opposes hi m and l eave

hi m and l eave what ever he has adopt ed f or hi msel f . Put of f your vani t y,

dr op your haught i ness and r ecal l your gr ave because your way passes

over i t . You wi l l be deal t wi t h as you deal wi t h ot her s, you wi l l r eap

what you sow, and what you send t oday wi l l meet you t omor r ow. So

pr ovi de f or your f ut ur e and send ( some good act s) f or your day ( of

r eckoni ng) . Fear , f ear , O' l i st ener ! Act , act , O' car el ess! No one wi l l

warn you l i ke hi m who knows.

One of t he f i r m deci si ons of Al l ah i n t he Wi se Remi nder ( Qur ' an) upon

whi ch He best ows r eward or gi ves puni shment , and t hr ough whi ch He l i kes

or di sl i kes i s t hat i t wi l l not benef i t a man, even t hough he exer t s

hi msel f and act s si ncer el y i f he l eaves t hi s wor l d t o meet Al l ah wi t h

one of t hese act s wi t hout r epent i ng, namel y that he bel i eved i n a

par t ner wi t h Al l ah dur i ng hi s obl i gat or y wor shi p, or appeased hi s own





anger by ki l l i ng an i ndi vi dual , or spoke about act s commi t t ed by

ot her s, or sought f ul f i l ment of hi s needs f r om peopl e by i nt r oduci ng an

i nnovat i on i n hi s r el i gi on, or met peopl e wi t h a doubl e f ace, or moved

among them wi t h a doubl e t ongue. Underst and thi s because an

i l l us t rat i on i s a gui de f or i t s l i ke.

Beast s ar e concer ned wi t h t hei r bel l i es. Car ni vor es ar e concer ned wi t hassaul t i ng others. Women are concerned wi t h t he adornment s of t hi s

i gnobl e l i f e and t he cr eat i on of mi schi ef her ei n [ 2] . ( On t he ot her

hand) bel i ever s are humbl e, bel i ever s are admoni sher s and bel i ever s are

af rai d ( of Al l ah) .


[ 1] . The word "ummi" has been used i n t he Hol y Qur ' an wi t h r ef erence to

t he Hol y Prophet i n chapt er 7: 157- 158. For bet t er under st andi ng of t he

word r ef er t o the books of comment ary on t he Hol y Qur ' an.

[ 2] . The i nt ent i on i s t o say t hat t he cause of al l mi schi ef and evi l i s

t he passi on t o sat i sf y bodi l y needs and t he passi on t o subdue. I f a

human bei ng i s subj ugated by the passi on t o sat i sf y bodi l y needs and

consi der s f i l l i ng t he st omach as hi s ai m t her e wi l l be no di f f er ence

bet ween hi m and a beast , because a beast t oo has no ai m except t o f i l l

i t s bel l y. But i f he i s over - power ed by t he passi on t o subdue ot her s

and t akes t o ki l l i ng and devast at i on t her e wi l l be no di f f er ence

bet ween hi m and a car ni vor ous beast , because t he l at t er ' s ai m i s al so

t ear i ng and devour i ng. I f bot h t he passi ons are at wor k i n hi m t hen hei s l i ke a woman, because i n a woman both t hese passi ons act si de by

si de and because of t hi s she i s ext r emel y eager of adornment and i s

act i ve i n f anni ng mi schi ef and di st ur bance. However , a t r ue bel i ever

wi l l never agr ee to adopt t hese habi t s as hi s mode of behavi our , r at her

he keeps hi s passi ons suppr essed so t hat he nei t her al l ows pr i de and

vani t y t o appr oach near hi m nor does he f an mi schi ef or di st ur bance f or

f ear of Al l ah.

I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n del i ver ed t hi s sermon

at t he t i me of mar chi ng t owar ds Basr ah, and si nce the t r oubl e of Basr ah

was t he resul t of a woman' s i nst i gat i on, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has, af t er

ment i oni ng beast s and car ni vor e, hel d a woman al so t o possess such

qual i t i es. Thus t he bat t l e of Basr ah was t he r esul t of t hese qual i t i es,

whereby thousands of persons were i nvol ved i n deat h and dest r uct i on.

*****









Sermon 154

About the Ahlu'l-bayt (of the Holy Prophet) and their opposers

He who has an i nt el l i gent mi nd l ooks t o hi s goal . He knows hi s l ow r oad

as wel l as hi s hi gh r oad. The cal l er has cal l ed. The shepher d hast ended ( hi s f l ocks) . So r espond t o t he cal l er and f ol l ow t he shepher d.

They ( t he opposer s) have ent er ed t he oceans of di st urbance and have

t aken t o i nnovat i ons i nst ead of t he Sunnah ( t he Pr ophet ' s hol y deeds,

ut t er ances and hi s unspoken appr oval s) , whi l e t he bel i ever s have sunk

down, and the mi sgui ded and the l i ars are speaki ng. We ar e t he near

ones, compani ons, t r easur e hol der s and doors ( t o the Sunnah) . Houses

are not ent ered save t hr ough t hei r door s. Whoever

ent er s t hem f r om ot her t han t he door i s cal l ed a t hi ef .


The del i caci es of t he Qur ' an ar e about t hem( Ahl u' l - bayt , t he

descendant s of t he Pr ophet ) and t hey ar e t he t r easurer s of Al l ah. When

t hey speak they speak t he t r ut h, but when t hey keep qui et no one can

speak unl ess t hey speak. The f or er unner shoul d r epor t cor r ect l y t o hi s

peopl e, shoul d r et ai n hi s wi t s and shoul d be one of t he chi l dr en ( a

man) of t he next wor l d, because he has come f r om t here and woul d r etur n

t o i t .

The begi nni ng of t he act i on of one who sees wi t h hear t and act s wi t h

eyes i t i s t o assess whet her t he act i on wi l l go agai nst hi m or f or hi m.

I f i t i s f or hi m he i ndul ges i n i t , but i f i t i s agai nst hi m he keeps

away f r om i t . For , he who act s wi t hout knowl edge i s l i ke one who t r eads

wi t hout a pat h. Then hi s devi at i on f r om t he pat h keeps hi m at a

di st ance f r om hi s ai m. And he who act s accor di ng t o knowl edge i s l i ke

he who t r eads t he cl ear path. Theref ore, he who can see shoul d see

whether he shoul d pr oceed or r etur n.

You shoul d al so know t hat t he out si de ( of every t hi ng) has a si mi l ar

i nsi de. Of what ever t he out si de i s good, i t s i nsi de t oo i s good, andwhat ever t he out si de i s bad, i t s i nsi de t oo i s bad. The t r ut hf ul

Prophet ( peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s progeny) has

sai d t hat : "Al l ah may l ove a man but hate hi s act i on, and may l ove t he

act i on but hat e the man. " You shoul d al so know t hat ever y act i on i s

l i ke a veget at i on, and a veget at i on cannot do wi t hout wat er whi l e

water s are di f f er ent . So wher e t he wat er i s good t he pl ant i s good and



He has gi ven t hem wi ngs of f l esh wi t h whi ch, at t he t i me of need t hey

r i se upwar ds f or f l yi ng. They l ook l i ke t he ends of ear s wi t hout

f eat her s or bones. Of cour se, you can see t he vei ns qui t e di st i nct l y.

They have t wo wi ngs whi ch ar e nei t her t oo t hi n so t hat t hey get t urned

i n f l yi ng, nor t oo t hi ck so t hat t hey pr ove heavy. When t hey f l y, t hei r

young ones hol d on t o t hem and seek r ef uge wi t h t hem, get t i ng down whent hey get down and r i si ng up when t hey r i se. The young does not l eave

t hem t i l l i t s l i mbs become st r ong, i t s wi ngs can suppor t i t f or r i si ng

up, and i t begi ns t o r ecogni se i t s pl aces of l i vi ng and i t s i nt er est .

Gl or i f i ed i s He who cr eat es ever ythi ng wi t hout any pr evi ous sampl e by

someone el se.

*****

Sermon 156

About the malice borne by `A'ishah; and warning the people of Basrah

about what was to occur

Whoever can at t hi s t i me keep hi msel f cl i ngi ng t o Al l ah shoul d do so.

I f you f ol l ow me I shal l cer t ai nl y car r y you, i f Al l ah so wi l l s, on t he

path of Par adi se, even t hough i t may be f ul l of sever e har dshi p and of

bi t t er t as te.

As r egards a cer t ai n woman [ 1] , she i s i n t he gr i p of womanl y vi ews,

and mal i ce i s boi l i ng i n her bosom l i ke t he f ur nace of t he bl acksmi t h.

I f she wer e cal l ed upon t o deal wi t h ot her s as she i s deal i ng wi t h meshe woul d not have done i t . ( As f or me) , even her eaf t er she wi l l be

al l owed her or i gi nal r espect , whi l e t he r eckoni ng ( of her mi sdeeds) i s

an obl i gat i on on Al l ah.


Thi s pat h i s t he l i ght est cour se and t he br i ght est l amp. Gui dance

t owar ds vi r t uous act i ons i s sought t hr ough f ai t h whi l e gui dance t owar ds

f ai t h i s achi eved t hr ough vi r t uous act i ons. Knowl edge i s made t o

pr osper t hr ough f ai t h, and deat h i s f ear ed because of knowl edge. Thi swor l d come to an end wi t h deat h, whi l e the next wor l d i s secur ed ( by

vi r t uous act i ons) i n t hi s wor l d. For peopl e t her e i s no escape f r om

r esur r ect i on. They ar e headi ng f or t hi s l ast end i n i t s appoi nt ed

cour se.






They have got up f r om t he r est i ng pl aces i n t hei r graves and have set

of f f or t he f i nal obj ect i ves. Ever y house has i t s own peopl e. They ar e

not changed nor shi f t ed f r om t her e. Commandi ng f or good and ref r ai ni ng

f r om evi l ar e t wo char acter i st i cs of Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed. They can

nei t her br i ng deat h near nor l essen sust enance.

You shoul d adher e t o t he Book of Al l ah because i t i s t he st r ong r ope, acl ear l i ght , a benef i t i ng cur e, a quenchi ng f or t hi r st , pr ot ect i on f or

t he adher ent and del i ver ance f or t he at t ached. I t does not cur ve so as

t o need st r ai ght eni ng and does not def l ect so as t o be cor r ect ed.

Frequency of i t s r epet i t i on and i t s f al l i ng on ear s does not make i t

ol d. Whoever speaks accordi ng t o i t , speaks t r ut h and whoever act s by

i t i s f orward ( i n act i on) .

A man stood up and said: O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, t el l us about t hi s

di st ur bance and whet her you enqui r ed about i t f r om t he Hol y Pr ophet .

Thereupon Amir al-mu'minin said:

When Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed sent down t he ver se:

Alif lam mim. What! Do people imagine that they will be let off on

( t hei r ) saying: "We believe!" and they will not be tried? ( Qur ' an,

29: 1- 2)

I came to know t hat t he di st ur bance woul d not bef al l us so l ong as t he

Prophet ( peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s pr ogeny) i s

among us. So I sai d, "O' Pr ophet of Al l ah, what i s t hi s di st ur bance ofwhi ch Al l ah, t he Subl i me, has i nf or med you?" and he repl i ed, "O' `Al i ,

my peopl e wi l l creat e t r oubl e af t er me. " I sai d, "O' Pr ophet of Al l ah,

on t he day of Uhud, when peopl e had f al l en mar t yr s and I was not among

t hem, and thi s had been very annoyi ng t o me, di d you not say t o me,

' cheer up, as mar t yr dom i s f or you her eaf t er ?' "The Pr ophet r epl i ed,

"Yes i t i s so, but what about your endur i ng at pr esent ?" I sai d, "O'

Pr ophet of Al l ah, t hi s i s not an occasi on f or endur ance, but r at her an

occasi on f or cheer i ng up and gr at ef ul ness. " Then he sai d:

"O' `Al i , peopl e wi l l f al l i nt o mi schi ef t hr ough t hei r weal t h, wi l lshow obl i gat i on t o Al l ah on account of t hei r f ai t h, wi l l expect Hi s

mer cy, wi l l f eel saf e f r om Hi s anger and r egar d Hi s unl awf ul mat t er s as

l awf ul by rai si ng f al se doubt s and by thei r mi sgui di ng desi r es. They

wi l l t hen hol d l awf ul ( t he use of ) wi ne by cal l i ng i t bar l ey wat er , a

br i be by cal l i ng i t a gi f t , and t aki ng of usur i ous i nt er est by cal l i ng

i t sal e. " I sai d, "O' Pr ophet of Al l ah, how shoul d I deal wi t h t hem at



t he t i me, whet her t o hol d t hem t o have gone back i n her esy or j ust i n

r evol t . " He sai d, " i n r evol t . "


[ 1] . Ther e i s no denyi ng t he f act t hat À' i shah' s behavi our t owar ds Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n was t hr oughout i ni mi cal , and ver y of t en her hear t ' st ur bi di t y expr essed i t sel f on her f ace, and her hat r ed and di sl i ke

became qui t e apparent , so much so t hat i f i n connect i on wi t h some

af f ai r Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s name came up a f r own appear ed on her f orehead

and she di d not r el i sh pr onounci ng i t wi t h her t ongue. For exampl e,

when Ùbaydul l ah i bn Àbdi l l ah i bn Ùt bah ment i oned t o Àbdul l ah i bn

Àbbas t he nar r at i on by À' i shah namel y t hat " i n hi s deat h- i l l ness t he

Prophet , t aki ng suppor t on al - Fadl i bn Àbbas and another person, came

t o her ( À' i shah' s) house, " Àbdul l ah i bn Àbbas sai d:

"Do you know who thi s ' other man' was?" He sai d, "No. " Then he sai d, '" Àl i i bn Abi Tal i b, but she i s aver se t o name hi m i n a good cont ext . "

( Ahmad i bn Hanbal , al-Musnad , vol . 6, pp. 34, 228; I bn Sa`d, at-Tabaqat

al-Kabir , vol . 2, par t 2, p. 29; at - Tabar i , at-Tarikh, vol . 1, pp.

1800- 1801; al - Bal adhur i , Ansab al - ashr af , vol . 1, pp. 544- 545; al -

Bayhaqi , as-Sunan al-kubra, vol . 3, p. 396) .

One cause f or t hi s hat r ed and mal i ce was t he pr esence of Hadr at Fat i mah

( p. b. u. h. ) whose whol esome di gni t y and est eem pr i cked her hear t l i ke a

t hor n. Her j eal ousy t owar ds t he ot her wi ves ( of t he Pr ophet ) di d not

al l ow her t o l et t he Pr ophet l ove t he daught er of hi s other wi f e t osuch a degr ee t hat he shoul d st and on her appr oach, seat her i n hi s own

pl ace, decl are her most honour abl e of al l t he women of t he wor l d and

bear such l ove t owar ds her chi l dr en as t o cal l t hem hi s own sons.

Al l t hese t hi ngs pai ned her much and nat ur al l y her f eel i ngs on such an

occasi on were that i f she had borne chi l dr en t hey woul d have been t he

Prophet ' s sons and t hey woul d have been t he pi vot of t he Prophet ' s

af f ect i on i nst ead of I mam Hasan and I mam Husayn. But she was not gi f t ed

wi t h any i ssue and she gr at i f i ed her own desi r e t o be a mother by

adopt i ng t he surname Umm Àbdi l l ah ( mot her of t he sl ave of Al l ah) af t er

her si st er ' s son. I n shor t al l t hese t hi ngs creat ed t he passi on of

hat r ed i n her hear t , as a r esul t of whi ch she of f and on compl ai ned t o

t he Prophet agai nst Hadr at Fat i mah but coul d not succeed i n di ver t i ng

t he Pr ophet ' s at t ent i on f r om her .

News about t hi s mor t i f i cat i on and est r angement al so r eached t he ear s of

Abu Bakr . That woul d onl y per t ur b hi m as he t oo coul d do not hi ng,





except t hat hi s ver bal sympat hi es wer e wi t h hi s daught er . At l ast t he

Pr ophet l ef t t hi s wor l d and t he r ei ns of Gover nment f el l i nt o hi s

hands. Now was t he opport uni t y f or hi m t o avenge as best as he coul d

and t o perpet r ate whatever vi ol ence he had i n mi nd. Consequent l y t he

f i r st st ep he took was t hat , i n or der t o depr i ve Hadr at Fat i mah of

i nher i t ance, he deni ed t he pr i nci pl e of i nher i t ance i n t he case of t hepr ophet s and hel d t hat nei t her do the pr ophet s i nher i t nor ar e t hey

i nher i t ed f r om, but t he pr oper t y l ef t by t hem escheat s t o t he stat e.

Fat i mah was so much af f ect ed t hat she gave up speaki ng to hi m and

passed away f r om t hi s wor l d wi t h t hese ver y f eel i ngs. À' i shah di d not

even t ake t he t r oubl e to expr ess any sor r ow at her t r agi c deat h. Thus

I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en:

"When Fat i mah expi r ed, al l t he wi ves of t he Pr ophet came to Bani Hashi m

i n condol ence except À' i shah. She di d not come and showed hersel f si ck

and wor ds f r om her r eached Àl i whi ch di spl ayed her j oy. " ( Sharh Nahj

al-balaghah, vol . 9, p. 198) .

As l ong as she bore so much mal i ce agai nst Hadr at Fat i mah, how coul d

Fat i mah' s spouse be spar ed si mi l ar enmi t y and mal i ce. Par t i cul ar l y when

such event s al so occur r ed whi ch worked l i ke a f an and r oused her

f eel i ng of hat r ed, such as t he i nci dent of " I f k" when Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

sai d t o t he Pr ophet : "She i s no bet t er t han t he buckl es of your shoe,

l eave her and di vor ce her away. " On hear i ng t hi s À' i shah must have

f el t mi serabl e i n her bed, and must have devel oped t he sever est f eel i ng

of hat r ed agai nst hi m. There were al so moment s when di st i nct i on was

conf er r ed on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n pr ef er ence t o Abu Bakr . For i nst ance,

i n connect i on wi t h t he di spat ch of t he Qur ' ani c ver ses on Bara'ah

( i nnocence) , t he Pr ophet r emoved Abu Bakr f r om t he j ob, r ecal l ed hi m

and assi gned i t t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sayi ng t hat he had been commanded

by Al l ah t o t ake i t hi msel f or send i t t hr ough a member of hi s f ami l y.

Si mi l ar l y t he Pr ophet cl osed al l t he door s openi ng i nt o t he mosque

i ncl udi ng t hat of Abu Bakr but al l owed t he door of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s

house t o cont i nue t o open t her ei nt o.

À' i shah coul d not r el i sh Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s di st i nct i on over her

f ather , and whenever t her e was any occasi on f or such di st i nct i on shedi d her best t o undo i t . When i n hi s l ast days t he Prophet or der ed t he

cont i ngent under Usamah i bn Zayd t o mar ch, and or der ed Abu Bakr and

Ùmar al so t o go under hi s command, t hey r ecei ved a message f r om t he

wi ves of t he Pr ophet t hat hi s condi t i on was ser i ous and t her ef or e t he

cont i ngent shoul d come back i nst ead of pr oceedi ng f ur t her . Thi s was

because thei r f ar - r eachi ng si ght had r eal i sed t hat t he onl y pur pose i n



get t i ng Medi na vacated by t he muhajirun and the ansar coul d be t hat

af t er t he deat h of t he Pr ophet no one shoul d st and i n Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s way and t hat he shoul d get t he cal i phate wi t hout any

t r oubl e. On r ecei pt of t hi s message t he cont i ngent under Usamah came

back. When t he Prophet l ear nt t hi s he agai n or dered Usamah t o march

wi t h the cont i ngent and even sai d, "Al l ah may cur se hi m who keeps awayf r om t he cont i ngent , " wher eupon t hey agai n set of f , but t hey wer e agai n

cal l ed back t i l l t he Pr ophet ' s i l l ness assumed ser i ous pr opor t i ons, but

Usamah' s cont i ngent di d not go out as i t di d not want t o. Af t er t hi s

Abu Bakr was sent word t hr ough Bi l al t hat he shoul d deput i se t he

Pr ophet i n l eadi ng t he pr ayer s i n or der t o pave t he way f or hi s

Cal i phat eshi p. Accor di ngl y, keepi ng t hi s i n vi ew he was f i r st shown as

t he Prophet ' s cal i ph ( deput y) i n pr ayer s and event ual l y was accept ed as

hi s cal i ph f or al l pur poses. Ther eaf t er mat t er s wer e so cont r i ved t hat

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n coul d not get t he Cal i phat e. However , af t er t he r ei gn

of t he thi r d cal i ph ci r cumst ances t ook such a tur n t hat peopl e wer eobl i ged t o swear al l egi ance at Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s hand. On t hi s

occasi on `A' i shah was pr esent i n Mecca. When she l ear nt about Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s cal i phate her eyes began emi t t i ng f l ames, and r age and anger

per t ur bed her mi nd, and her hat r ed f or Ami r al - mu' mi ni n assumed such

ser i ousness t hat she r ose agai nst hi m on t he excuse of avengi ng bl ood

of t he same man ( `Ut hman) whom she had hersel f pr ocl ai med f i t t o be

ki l l ed, and openl y decl ar ed war as a r esul t of whi ch so much bl oodshed

occur r ed t hat t he whol e l and of Basr ah was smear ed wi t h the bl ood of

t hose ki l l ed, and t he door of di suni t y was opened f or good. ( Sharh, I bn

Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 9, pp. 190- 200) .

*****

Sermon 159

Good behaviour with people and ignoring their faults

I l i ved as a good nei ghbour t o you and t r i ed my best t o l ook af t er you,

and I f r eed you f r om t he snar e of humbl eness and t he f et t er s of

oppr essi on t hr ough my gr at ef ul ness f or t he l i t t l e good ( f r om your si de)and cl osed my eyes t o your many mi sdeeds whi ch my eyes had obser ved and

my body had wi t nessed.

*****



Sermon 160

Praise of Allah

Al l ah' s ver di ct i s j udi ci ous and f ul l of wi sdom. Hi s pl easur e i mpl i es

pr otect i on and mercy. He deci des wi t h knowl edge and f orgi ves wi t hf or bear ance.

O' my Al l ah! Prai se be t o Thee f or what Thou t akest and gi vest and f or

t hat f r om whi ch Thou cur est or wi t h whi ch Thou af f l i ct est ; pr ai se whi ch

i s t he most accept abl e t o Thee, t he most l i ke by Thee and the most

di gni f i ed bef or e Thee; pr ai se whi ch f i l l s al l Thy cr eat i on and r eaches

wher e Thou desi r est ; pr ai se whi ch i s not vei l ed f r om Thee and does not

end, and whose cont i nui t y does not cease.

Greatness of Allah

We do not know t he real i t y of Thy gr eat ness except t hat we know t hat

t hou ar t Ever - l i vi ng and Sel f - subsi st i ng by Whom al l t hi ngs subsi st .

Dr owsi ness or sl eep do not overt ake Thee, vi si on does not r each Thee

and si ght does not gr asp Thee. Thou seest t he eyes and count est t he

ages. Thou hol dest ( peopl e as s l aves) by f oreheads and f eet . We see Thy

cr eat i on and wonder over i t because of Thy mi ght , and descr i be i t as ( a

r esul t of ) Thy gr eat aut hor i t y; wher eas what i s hi dden f r om us, of

whi ch our si ght has f al l en shor t , whi ch our i nt el l i gence has not

at t ai ned, and between whi ch and our sel ves cur t ai ns of t he unknown have

been cast , i s f ar gr eat er .

He who f r ees hi s hear t ( f r om al l ot her engagement s) and exer t s hi s

t hi nki ng i n or der t o know how Thou est abl i shed Thy t hr one, how Thou

cr eat ed Thy cr eat ur es, how Thou suspended t he ai r i n Thy ski es and how

Thou spread Thy ear t h on t he waves of wat er , hi s eyes woul d r et urn

t i r ed, hi s i nt el l i gence def eat ed, hi s ear s eager and hi s t hi nki ng

awander .

A part of the same sermon about hope and fear in Allah.

He cl ai ms accor di ng t o hi s own t hi nki ng t hat he hopes f r om Al l ah. ByAl l ah, t he Gr eat , he speaks a l i e. The posi t i on i s t hat hi s hope ( i n

Al l ah) does not appear t hr ough hi s act i on al t hough t he hope of ever y

one who hopes i s known t hr ough hi s act i on. Ever y hope i s so, except t he

hope i n Al l ah, t he Subl i me, i f i t i s i mpur e; and ever y f ear i s

est abl i shed except t he f ear f or Al l ah i f i t i s unr eal .



He hopes bi g t hi ngs f r om Al l ah and smal l t hi ngs f r om men but he gi ves

t o man ( such consi der at i on as) he does not gi ve t o Al l ah. What i s t he

mat t er wi t h Al l ah, gl or i f i ed be Hi s pr ai se? He i s accor ded l ess

( consi der at i on) t han what i s gi ven t o Hi s cr eat ur es. Do you ever f ear

t o be f al se i n your hope i n Al l ah? Or do you not r egar d Hi m t he cent r e

of your hope? Si mi l ar l y, i f a man f ear s man he gi ves hi m ( suchconsi der at i on) out of hi s f ear whi ch he does not gi ve t o Al l ah. Thus,

he has made hi s f ear f or men r eady cur r ency whi l e hi s f ear f r omt he

Cr eat or i s mer e def er ment or pr omi se. Thi s i s t he case of ever y one i n

whose eye t hi s wor l d appear s bi g ( and i mpor t ant ) and i n whose hear t i t s

posi t i on i s gr eat . He pr ef er s i t over Al l ah, so he i ncl i nes t owar ds i t ,

and becomes i t s devotee.

The example of the Holy Prophet

Cer t ai nl y, i n t he Pr ophet of Al l ah ( peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon

hi m and hi s pr ogeny) was suf f i ci ent exampl e f or you and a pr oofconcer ni ng t he vi ces of t he wor l d, i t s def ect s, t he mul t i t ude of i t s

di sgr aces and i t s evi l s, because i t s si des had been const r ai ned f or

hi m, whi l e i t s f l anks had been spr ead f or ot her s; he was depr i ved of

i t s mi l k and t ur ned away f r om i t s ador nment s.

The example of Musa (Moses)

I f you want , I wi l l , as a second exampl e, r el at e t o you concer ni ng

Musa, t he I nt er l ocut or of Al l ah ( p. b. u. h. ) when he sai d: O' Allah! I

need whatever good Thou mayest grant me ( Qur ' an, 28: 24) . By Al l ah, heasked Hi m onl y f or br ead t o eat because he was used t o eat i ng t he herbs

of t he ear t h, and t he gr eenness of t he her bs coul d be seen f r omt he

del i cat e ski n of hi s bel l y due t o hi s t hi nness and pauci t y of hi s

f l esh.

The example of Dawud (David)

I f you desi r e I can gi ve you a t hi r d exampl e of Dawud ( p. b. u. h. ) . He i s

t he hol der of t he Psal ms and t he reci t er among t he peopl e of Par adi se.

He used t o pr epare basket s of date pal m l eaves wi t h hi s own hands and

woul d say t o hi s compani ons: "Whi ch of you wi l l hel p me by pur chasi ngi t ?" He used t o eat bar l ey br ead ( bought ) out of i t s pr i ce.

The example of `Isa (Jesus)

I f you desi r e I wi l l t el l you about `I sa ( p. b. u. h. ) son of Mar yam

( Mar y) . He used a st one f or hi s pi l l ow, put on coar se cl ot hes and at e

r ough f ood. Hi s condi ment was hunger . Hi s l amp at ni ght was t he moon.



Hi s shade dur i ng t he wi nt er was j ust t he expanse of ear t h east ward and

west war d. Hi s f r ui t s and f l ower s wer e onl y what gr ows f r om t he ear t h

f or t he cat t l e. He had no wi f e t o al l ur e hi m, nor any son t o gi ve

gr i ef , nor weal t h t o devi at e ( hi s at t ent i on) , nor gr eed t o di sgr ace

hi m. Hi s t wo f eet were hi s conveyance and hi s t wo hands hi s servant .

Following the example of the Holy Prophet

You shoul d f ol l ow your Pr ophet , t he pur e, t he chast e, may Al l ah bl ess

hi m and hi s descendant s. I n hi m i s t he exampl e f or t he f ol l ower , and

t he consol at i on f or t he seeker of consol at i on. The most bel oved per son

bef or e Al l ah i s he who f ol l ows Hi s Prophet and who t r eads i n hi s

f oot st eps. He t ook the l east ( shar e) f r om t hi s wor l d and di d not t ake a

f ul l gl ance at i t . Of al l t he peopl e of t he wor l d he was t he l east

sat i ated and the most empt y of st omach. The wor l d was of f ered t o hi m

but he r ef used t o accept i t . When he knew t hat Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed,

hat ed a t hi ng, he t oo hat ed i t ; t hat Al l ah hel d a t hi ng l ow, he t oohel d i t l ow; t hat Al l ah hel d a t hi ng smal l , he t oo hel d i t smal l . I f we

l ove what Al l ah and Hi s Pr ophet hate and hol d gr eat what Al l ah and Hi s

pr ophet hol d smal l t hat woul d be enough i sol at i on f r om Al l ah and

t r ansgressi on of Hi s commands.

The Pr ophet used t o eat on t he ground, and sat l i ke a sl ave. He

r epai r ed hi s shoe wi t h hi s hand, and pat ched hi s cl ot hes wi t h hi s hand.

He woul d r i de an unsaddl ed ass and woul d seat someone behi nd hi m. I f

t her e was a cur t ai n on hi s door wi t h pi ct ur es on i t he woul d say t o one

of hi s wi ves. "O' such- and- such, t ake i t away out of my si ght becausei f I l ook at i t I r ecal l t he wor l d and i t s al l ur ement s. " Thus, he

r emoved hi s hear t f r om t hi s wor l d and dest r oyed i t s r emembr ance f r om

hi s mi nd. He l oved t hat i t s al l ur ement s shoul d r emai n hi dden f r om hi s

eye so t hat he shoul d not secur e good dr ess f r om i t , shoul d not r egar d

i t a pl ace of st ay and shoul d not hope t o l i ve i n i t . Consequent l y, he

r emoved i t f r om hi s mi nd, l et i t go away f r om hi s hear t and kept i t

hi dden f r omhi s eyes. I n t he same way he who hates a t hi ng shoul d hate

t o l ook at i t or t o hear about i t .

Cer t ai nl y t her e was i n t he Pr ophet of Al l ah al l t hat woul d appr i se youof t he evi l s of t hi s wor l d and i t s def ect s, namel y t hat he r emai ned

hungr y al ong wi t h hi s chi ef compani ons, and despi t e hi s great near ness

t he al l ur ement s of t he wor l d r emai ned r emote f r omhi m. Now, one shoul d

see wi t h one' s i nt el l i gence whether Al l ah honour ed Muhammad ( t he peace

and bl essi ngs of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s) as a r esul t of

t hi s or di sgr aced hi m. I f he says t hat Al l ah di sgr aced hi m, he



cer t ai nl y l i es and per pet r at es a gr eat unt r ut h. I f he says Al l ah

honour ed hi m, he shoul d know t hat Al l ah di shonour ed t he ot hers when He

extended t he ( benef i t s of t he) wor l d f or hi m but hel d t hem away f r om

hi m who was t he near est t o Hi m of al l men.

Ther ef or e, one shoul d f ol l ow Hi s Pr ophet , t r ead i n hi s f oot st eps and

ent er t hr ough hi s ent r ance. Ot her wi se he wi l l not be saf e f r om r ui n.Cer t ai nl y, Al l ah made Muhammad ( t he peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon

hi m and hi s descendant s) a si gn f or t he Day of J udgement . a conveyor of

t i di ngs f or Par adi se and a war ner of r et r i but i on. He l ef t t hi s wor l d

hungr y but ent ered upon t he next wor l d saf e. He di d not l ay one st one

upon another ( t o make a house) t i l l he depart ed and responded t o t he

cal l of Al l ah. How gr eat i s Al l ah' s bl essi ng i n t hat He bl essed us wi t h

t he Prophet as a predecessor whom we f ol l ow and a l eader behi nd whom we

t r ead.

The example of himself

By Al l ah, I have been put t i ng pat ches i n my shi r t s so much t hat now I

f eel shy of t he patcher . Someone asked me whether I woul d not put i t

of f , but I sai d, "Get away f r om me. " Onl y i n t he mor ni ng do peopl e

( r eal i sed t he advant age of and) speak hi ghl y of t he ni ght j our ney.

*****

Sermon 161

Deputation of the Holy Prophet

Al l ah deput ed t he Pr ophet wi t h a spar kl i ng l i ght , a cl ear ar gument , an

open pat h and a gui di ng book. Hi s t r i be i s t he best t r i be and hi s

l i neal t r ee t he best l i neal t r ee whose br anches ar e i n good pr opor t i on

and f r ui t s hangi ng ( i n pl ent y) . Hi s bi r t h- pl ace was Mecca, and t he

pl ace of hi s i mmi gr at i on Taybah ( Medi na) , f r om wher e hi s name rose hi gh

and hi s voi ce spread f ar and wi de.

Al l ah sent hi m wi t h a suf f i ci ng pl ea, a convi nci ng di scour se and a

r ect i f yi ng announcement . Thr ough hi m Al l ah di scl osed t he ways t hat hadbeen f or saken, and dest r oyed the i nnovat i ons t hat had been i nt r oduced.

Through hi m He expl ai ned t he det ai l ed commands. Now, whoever adopt s a

r el i gi on ot her t han I sl am, hi s mi ser y i s def i ni t e, hi s sti ck ( of

suppor t ) wi l l be cracked, hi s f at e wi l l be ser i ous, hi s end wi l l be

l ong gr i ef and di st r essi ng puni shment .



Drawing lessons from this world

I t r ust i n Al l ah, t he t r ust of bendi ng t owar ds Hi m, and I seek Hi s

gui dance f or t he way t hat l eads t o Hi s Par adi se and t akes t o t he pl ace

of Hi s pl easur e. I advi se you, O' creat ur es of Al l ah, t o exer ci se f ear

of Al l ah and t o obey Hi m because i t i s sal vat i on t omor r ow and

del i ver ance f or ever . He war ned ( you of chast i sement ) and di d sot hor oughl y. He per suaded ( you t owar ds vi r t ues) and di d so f ul l y. He

descr i bed t hi s wor l d, i t s cut t i ng away f r om you, i t s decay and i t s

shi f t i ng. Ther ef or e, keep al oof f r om i t s at t r act i ons, because ver y

l i t t l e of i t wi l l accompany you. Thi s house i s t he cl osest t o t he

di spl easur e of Al l ah and t he

r emot est f r om t he pl easur e of Al l ah.

So cl ose your eyes, O' creat ur es of Al l ah, f r om i t s wor r i es and

engagement s, because you are sur e about i t s separat i on and i t s changi ngcondi t i ons. Fear i t l i ke a si ncer e f ear er and one who st r uggl es har d,

and t ake a l esson f r om what you have seen about t he f al l i ng pl aces of

t hose bef or e you, namel y t hat t hei r j oi nt s wer e made t o vani sh, t hei r

eyes and ear s were dest r oyed, t hei r honour and pr est i ge di sappear ed and

t hei r pl easure and weal t h came t o an end. The near ness of t hei r

chi l dr en changed i nt o remoteness. The company of t hei r spouses changed

i nt o separ at i on wi t h t hem. They do not boast over each ot her , nor do

t hey beget chi l dr en nor meet each ot her nor l i ve as nei ghbour s.

Ther ef or e, f ear O' cr eat ure of Al l ah, l i ke t he f ear of one who has

cont r ol over hi msel f , who can check hi s passi ons and per cei ve wi t h hi swi sdom. Sur el y, t he mat t er i s qui t e cl ear , t he banner i s st andi ng, t he

cour se i s l evel and t he way i s st r ai ght .

*****

Sermon 162

One of Amir al-mu'minin's companions (from Banu Asad) asked him: "How

was it that your tribe (Quraysh) deprived you of this position

(Caliphate) although you deserved it most." Then in reply he said:

O' br ot her of Banu Asad! Your gi r t h i s l oose and you have put i t on t he

wr ong way. Never t hel ess you enj oy i n- l aw ki nshi p and al so the r i ght t o

ask, and si nce you have asked, l i st en. As r egar ds t he oppr essi on

agai nst us i n t hi s mat t er al t hough we wer e the hi ghest as r egards

descent and t he st r ongest i n r el at i onshi p wi t h t he Messenger of Al l ah.



I t was a sel f i sh act over whi ch t he hear t s of peopl e became gr eedy,

al t hough some peopl e di d not car e f or i t . The Ar bi t er i s Al l ah and t o

Hi m i s t he r et ur n on t he Day of J udgement .

"Now leave this story of devastation about which there is hue and cry

all round." [ 1]

Come and l ook at t he son of Abu Suf yan ( Mu`awi yah) . Ti me has made me

l augh af t er weepi ng. No wonder , by Al l ah; what i s t hi s af f ai r whi ch

sur passes al l wonder and whi ch has i ncr eased wr ongf ul ness. These peopl e

have t r i ed t o put out t he f l ame of Al l ah' s l i ght f r om Hi s l amp and t o

cl ose Hi s f ount ai n f r om i t s sour ce. They mi xed epi demi c- pr oduci ng wat er

bet ween me and t hemsel ves. I f t he t r yi ng har dshi ps were r emoved f r om

among us, I woul d t ake t hem on t he cour se of t r ut hf ul ness ot her wi se:

"... So let not thy self go (in vain) in grief for them; verily Allah

knoweth all that they do." ( Qur ' an, 35: 8)


[ 1] . Thi s i s a hemi st i ch f r om t he coupl et of t he f amous Ar ab poet

I mr i u' l - Qays al - Ki ndi . The second hemi st i ch i s:

"And let me know the story of what happened to the riding camels."

The i nci dent behi nd t hi s coupl et i s t hat when t he f at her of I mr i u' l -

Qays namel y Huj r i bn al - Har i t h was ki l l ed, he roamed about t he var i ous

Ar ab t r i bes t o avenge hi s f at her ' s l i f e wi t h t hei r hel p. I n t hi sconnect i on he stayed wi t h a man of J adi l ah ( t r i be) but f i ndi ng hi msel f

unsaf e l ef t t hat pl ace, and st ayed wi t h Khal i d i bn Sadus an- Nabhani . I n

t he meant i me a man of J adi l ah named Ba`i t h i bn Huways drove away some

of hi s camel s. I mr i u' l - Qays compl ai ned of t hi s mat t er t o hi s host and

he asked hi m t o send wi t h hi m hi s she- camel s t hen he woul d get back hi s

camel s.

Consequent l y, Khal i d went t o t hose peopl e and asked t hem t o retur n t he

camel s of hi s guest whi ch they had r obbed. They sai d that he was

nei t her a guest nor under hi s prot ect i on. Ther eupon Khal i d swor e that

he was r eal l y hi s guest and showed t hemhi s she- camel s t hat he had wi t h

hi m. They t hen agr eed to ret ur n t he camel s. But act ual l y i nst ead of

r etur ni ng the camel s t hey dr ove away t he she- camel s as wel l . One

ver si on i s t hat t hey di d r et ur n t he camel s t o Khal i d but i nst ead of

handi ng t hem over t o I mr i u' l - Qays he kept t hem f or hi msel f . When

I mr i u' l - Qays came t o know t hi s he composed a f ew coupl et s out of whi ch

t hi s i s one. I t means ' now you l eave t he st or y of t hese camel s whi ch







wer e r obbed but now l et me know about t he she- camel s snat ched f r om my

hands. '

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s i nt ent i on i n quot i ng t hi s ver se as an i l l ust r at i on

i s t hat "Now t hat Mu`awi yah i s at war , we shoul d t al k about and shoul d

l eave t he di scuss i on about t he devast at i on engendered by those who had

usur ped my r i ght s. That t i me has gone away. Now i s t he t i me f orgr appl i ng wi t h t he mi schi ef s of t he hour . So di scuss t he event of t he

moment and do not st ar t unt i mel y st r ai n. " Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t hi s

because t he man had put t he quest i on t o hi m at t he t i me of t he bat t l e

of Si f f i n, when t he bat t l e was r agi ng and bl oodshed was i n f ul l swi ng.

*****

Sermon 163

Attributes of Allah

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah, Cr eat or of peopl e; He has spread t he ear t h. He

makes st r eams t o f l ow and vegetat i on t o gr ow on hi gh l ands. Hi s

pr i mal i t y has no begi nni ng, nor has Hi s eter ni t y any end. He i s t he

Fi r st and f r om ever . He i s t he ever l ast i ng wi t hout l i mi t . For eheads bow

bef or e Hi m and l i ps decl ar e Hi s oneness. He det er mi ned t he l i mi t s of

t hi ngs at t he t i me of Hi s cr eat i ng t hem, keepi ng Hi msel f away f r om any

l i keness.

I magi nat i on cannot surmi se Hi m wi t hi n t he l i mi t s of movement s l i mbs orsenses. I t cannot be sai d about Hi m: "whence"; and no t i me l i mi t can be

at t r i but ed t o Hi m by sayi ng "t i l l ". He i s appar ent , but i t cannot be

sai d " f r om what " . He i s hi dden, but i t cannot be sai d " i n what " . He i s

not a body whi ch can di e, nor i s He vei l ed so as t o be encl osed

t her ei n. He i s not near t o t hi ngs by way of t ouch, nor i s He r emot e

f r om t hem by way of separ at i on.

The gazi ng of peopl e' s eyes i s not hi dden f r om Hi m, nor t he r epet i t i on

of wor ds, nor t he gl i mpse of hi l l ocks, nor t he t r ead of a f oot st ep i n

t he dar k ni ght or i n t he deep gl oom, wher e t he shi ni ng moon cast s i t sl i ght and t he ef f ul gent sun comes i n i t s wake, t hr ough i t s set t i ng and

appear i ng agai n and agai n wi t h t he r ot at i on of t i me and per i ods, by t he

appr oach of t he advanci ng ni ght or t he passi ng away of t he r unni ng day.

He pr ecedes ever y ext r emi t y and l i mi t , and every count i ng and

number i ng. He i s f ar above what t hose whose regar d i s l i mi t ed at t r i but e

t o Hi m, such as t he qual i t i es of measur e, havi ng ext r emi t i es, l i vi ng i n



house and dwel l i ng i n abodes, because l i mi t s ar e meant f or cr eat i on and

ar e at t r i but abl e onl y t o ot her t han Al l ah.

Allah, the Originator from naught

He di d not creat e t hi ngs f r om et er nal mat t er nor af t er ever - exi st i ng

exampl es, but He cr eat ed whatever He cr eat ed and then He f i xed l i mi t st heret o, and He shaped what ever He shaped and gave the best shape

t her et o. Not hi ng can di sobey Hi m, but t he obedi ence of somet hi ng i s of

no benef i t t o Hi m. Hi s knowl edge about t hose who di ed i n t he past i s

t he same as Hi s knowl edge about t he remai ni ng sur vi vor s, and Hi s

knowl edge about what ever t her e i s i n t he hi gh ski es i s l i ke Hi s

knowl edge of what ever t her e i s i n t he l ow ear t h.


About man's creation, and pointing towards the requirements of life.

O' cr eat ur e who has been equi t abl y cr eat ed and who has been nurt ur ed

and l ooked af t er i n t he dar kness of wombs wi t h mul t i pl e cur t ai ns. You

wer e or i gi nat ed from the essence of clay ( Qur ' an, 23: 12) and pl aced in

a still place for a known length ( Qur ' an, 77: 21- 22) and an or dai ned

t i me. You used t o move i n t he womb of your mot her as an embryo, nei t her

r espondi ng t o a cal l nor hear i ng any voi ce.

Then you wer e t aken out f r om your pl ace of st ay t o a pl ace you had not

seen, and you were not acquai nt ed wi t h t he means of awai t i ng i t s

benef i t s, or wi t h who gui ded you t o eke out your sust enance f r om t heudder of your mother , and, when your were i n need, appr ai sed you of t he

l ocat i on of what you r equi r ed or ai med at . Al as! Cer t ai nl y he who i s

unabl e t o under st and t he qual i t i es of a bei ng wi t h shape and l i mbs i s

t he more unabl e t o underst and t he qual i t i es of t he Cr eat or and t he more

r emot e f r om appr eci at i ng Hi m t hr ough t he l i mi t at i ons of creat ur es.

*****

Sermon 164 When people went to Amir al-mu'minin in a deputation and complained tohim through what they had to say against `Uthman, and requested him to

speak to him on their behalf and to admonish him for their sake, he

went to see him and said: [ 1]

The peopl e ar e behi nd me and t hey have made me an ambassador between

you and t hemsel ves; but by Al l ah, I do not know what t o say to you. I





know nothi ng ( i n t hi s mat t er) whi ch you do not know, nor can I l ead you

t o any mat t er of whi ch you ar e not aware. You cer t ai nl y know what we

know, we have not come t o know anyt hi ng bef ore you whi ch we coul d tel l

you; nor di d we l ear n anyt hi ng i n secr et whi ch we shoul d convey t o you.

You have seen as we have seen and you have hear d as we have hear d. You

sat i n t he company of t he Pr ophet of Al l ah as we di d. ( Abu Bakr ) I bnAbi Quhaf ah and ( `Umar) i bn al - Khat t ab were no more responsi bl e f or

act i ng r i ght eousl y than you, si nce you ar e near er t han bot h of t hem t o

t he Pr ophet of Al l ah t hr ough ki nshi p, and you al so hol d r el at i onshi p t o

hi m by mar r i age whi ch t hey do not hol d.

Then ( f ear ) Al l ah, i n your own sel f ; f or , by Al l ah, you ar e not bei ng

shown anythi ng as i f you ar e bl i nd or bei ng appr i sed of anythi ng as i f

you ar e i gnor ant . The ways ar e cl ear whi l e t he banner s of f ai t h ar e

f i xed. You shoul d know t hat among the creatur es of Al l ah, t he most

di st i ngui shed per son bef or e Al l ah i s t he j ust I mam who has been gui ded

( by Al l ah) and gui des ot her s. So, he st ands by t he r ecogni sed ways of

t he Prophet ' s behavi our and dest r oys unr ecogni sed i nnovat i ons. The

( Prophet ' s) ways ar e cl ear and t hey have si gns, whi l e i nnovat i ons are

al so cl ear and t hey t oo have si gns. Cer t ai nl y, t he wor st man bef or e

Al l ah i s t he oppr essi ve I mam who has gone ast r ay and t hr ough whom

ot her s go ast r ay. He dest r oys t he the accept ed sunnah and r evi ves

abandoned i nnovat i ons. I hear d the Messenger of Al l ah sayi ng: "On the

Day of J udgement t he oppr essi ve I mamwi l l be br ought wi t hout anyone t o

support hi m or anyone t o advance excuses on hi s behal f , and t hen he

wi l l be t hr own i nt o Hel l wher e he wi l l r ot at e as t he hand- mi l l r ot at es,t hen ( event ual l y) he wi l l be conf i ned t o i t s hol l ow. "

I swear t o you by Al l ah t hat you shoul d not be that I mam of t he peopl e

who wi l l be ki l l ed because i t has been sai d t hat , "An I mam of t hi s

peopl e wi l l be ki l l ed af t er whi ch ki l l i ng and f i ght i ng wi l l be made

open f or t hem t i l l t he Day of J udgement , and he wi l l conf use t hei r

mat t er s and spr ead t r oubl es over t hem. As a resul t , t hey wi l l not

di scer n t r ut h f r om wr ong. They wi l l osci l l at e l i ke waves and woul d be

ut t er l y mi sl ed. " You shoul d not behave as t he car r yi ng beast f or Mar wan

so t hat he may dr ag you wher ever he l i kes, despi t e (your ) seni or i t y ofage and l engt h of l i f e.

Then `Ut hman sai d t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n: "Speak t o t he peopl e t o gi ve me

t i me unt i l I r edr ess t hei r gr i evances. " Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t hen sai d: "So

f ar as Medi na i s concerned her e i s no quest i on of t i me. As f or r emot er

areas you can have the t i me needed f or your order t o reach t here. "




[ 1] . Dur i ng the Cal i phat e of Ùt hman when t he Musl i ms were wear y of t he

oppr essi on of t he Gover nment and i t s of f i ci al s col l ect ed i n Medi na to

compl ai n t o the seni or compani ons of t he Pr ophet , t hey came to Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n i n a peacef ul manner and r equest ed hi m t o see Ùt hman and

advi se hi m not t o t r ampl e on t he Musl i ms' r i ght s and t o put an end t ot he t r oubl es whi ch wer e pr ovi ng t he cause of t he peopl e' s r ui n,

whereupon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n went t o hi m and ut t ered t hese words.

I n or der t o make t he bi t t er ness of t he admoni t i on pal at abl e Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n adopt ed t hat way of speech i n t he begi nni ng whi ch woul d cr eat e

a sense of r esponsi bi l i t y i n t he addr essee and di r ect hi m t owar ds hi s

obl i gat i ons. Thus, by ment i oni ng hi s compani onshi p of t he Pr ophet , hi s

per sonal posi t i on, and hi s ki nshi p t o t he Pr ophet as agai nst t he t wo

pr evi ous Cal i phs, hi s i nt ent i on was t o make hi m r eal i se hi s dut i es; i n

any case, t hi s was obvi ousl y not an occasi on f or eul ogi si ng hi m, sot hat i t s l at er por t i on can be di sr egar ded and t he whol e speech be

r egar ded as an eul ogy of hi s at t ai nment s, because f r om i t s ver y

begi nni ng i t i s evi dent t hat what ever Ùt hman di d, he di d i t wi l f ul l y,

t hat nothi ng was done wi t hout hi s knowl edge or hi s bei ng i nf ormed, and

t hat he coul d not be hel d unaccount abl e f or i t because of hi s bei ng

unawar e of i t . I f t he adopt i on of a l i ne of act i on whi ch made the whol e

I sl ami c wor l d r ai se hue and cr y i n spi t e of hi s havi ng bei ng a

compani on of t he Prophet , havi ng hear d hi s i nst r uct i ons, havi ng seen

hi s behavi our and havi ng been acquai nt ed wi t h t he commandment s of I sl am

can be r egar ded as a di st i nct i on, t hen t hi s t aunt may al so be regar ded

as pr ai se. I f t hat i s not a di st i nct i on t hen t hi s t oo cannot be cal l ed

and eul ogy. I n f act , t he wor ds about whi ch i t i s argued t hat t hey ar e

i n pr ai se ar e enough t o pr ove t he ser i ousness of hi s cr i me, because a

cr i me i n i gnorance and unawareness i s not so ser i ous as t he wei ght

gi ven t o t he ser i ousness of t he commi ss i on of a cr i me despi t e knowl edge

and awareness. Consequent l y a person who i s unaware of t he r i se and

f al l of a r oad and st umbl es i n t he dar k ni ght i s excusabl e but a per son

who i s awar e of t he r i se and f al l of t he road and st umbl ed i n br oad day

l i ght i s l i abl e t o be bl amed. I f on t hi s occasi on he i s t ol d t hat hehas eyes and i s al so awar e of t he r i se and f al l of t he way, i t woul d

not mean t hat hi s vast ness of knowl edge or t he br i ght ness of hi s eye-

si ght i s bei ng pr ai sed, but t he i nt ent i on woul d be t hat he di d not

not i ce t he pi t f al l s despi t e hi s eyes, and di d not wal k pr oper l y, and

t hat t her ef or e f or hi m, havi ng or not havi ng eyes i s t he same, and

knowi ng or not knowi ng i s equal .





I n t hi s connect i on gr eat st r ess i n l ai d on hi s bei ng a son- i n- l aw,

namel y t hat t he Pr ophet mar r i ed hi s t wo daught ers Ruqayyah and Umm

Kul t hum t o hi m one af t er t he ot her . Bef or e t aki ng t hi s t o be a

di st i nct i on, t he r eal nat ur e of Ùt hman' s son- i n- l awshi p shoul d be

seen. Hi st or y shows t hat i n t hi s mat t er Ùt hman di d not enj oy t he

di st i nct i on of bei ng t he f i r st , but bef or e hi m Ruqayyah and Umm Kul t humhad been mar r i ed t o t wo sons of Abu Lahab namel y Ùt bah and Ùt aybah,

but despi t e thei r bei ng sons- i n- l aw, t hey have not been i ncl uded among

peopl e of posi t i on of pr e- pr ophet hood per i od. How t hen can t hi s be

r egar ded as a sour ce of posi t i on wi t hout any per sonal mer i t , when t her e

i s no aut hor i t y about t he i mpor t ance of t hi s r el at i onshi p, nor was any

i mport ance at t ached t o t hi s mat t er i n such a way t hat t here mi ght have

been some compet i t i on bet ween Ùt hman and some ot her i mpor t ant

per sonal i t y i n t hi s r egar d and t hat hi s sel ect i on f or i t mi ght have

gi ven hi m pr omi nence, or t hat t hese t wo gi r l s mi ght have been shown t o

possess an i mpor t ant posi t i on i n hi st or y, t r adi t i on or bi ogr aphy as ar esul t of whi ch t hi s r el at i onshi p coul d be gi ven speci al i mpor t ance and

r egar ded as a di st i nct i on f or hi m? I f t he mar r i age of t hese t wo

daught ers wi t h Ùt bah and Ùt aybah i n t he pr e- pr ophethood per i od i s

hel d as l awf ul on t he gr ound t hat mar r i age wi t h unbel i ever s had not

t i l l t hen been made unl awf ul , t hen i n Ùt hman' s case al so t he condi t i on

f or l awf ul ness was hi s accept ance of I sl am, t her e i s no doubt t hat he

had pronounced the kalimah ash-shahadatayn ( t her e i s no god but Al l ah

and Muhammad i s Hi s Messenger ) and had accepted I sl am out wardl y. As

such t hi s mar r i age can be hel d a pr oof of hi s out war d I sl am, but no

ot her honour can be pr oved t hr ough i t . Agai n, i t i s al so not agr eedt hat t hese t wo wer e t he r eal daught er s of t he Messenger of Al l ah,

because t her e i s one gr oup whi ch deni es t hem t o be hi s r eal daught er s,

and r egar ds t hem as bei ng t he daught er s of Khadi j ah' s si st er Hal ah, or

t he daught er s of her own pr evi ous husband. Thus, Abu' l - Qasi m al - Kuf i

( d. 352 A. H. ) wr i t es:

"When t he Messenger of Al l ah marr i ed Khadi j ah, t hen some t i me

t her eaf t er Hal ah di ed l eavi ng t wo daught ers, one named Zaynab and t he

ot her named Ruqayyah and bot h of t hem were brought up by the Pr ophet

and Khadi j ah and t hey mai nt ai ned t hem, and i t was t he cust ombef oreI sl am t hat a chi l d was assi gned t o whoever br ought hi m up. " ( al-

lstighathah, p. 69)

I bn Hi sham has wr i t t en about t he i ssues of Hadr at Khadi j ah as f ol l ows:

"Bef ore marr i age wi t h t he Pr ophet she was marr i ed t o Abi Hal ah i bn

Mal i k. She del i ver ed f or hi m Hi nd i bn Abi Hal ah and Zaynab bi nt Abi



Hal ah. Bef ore marr i age wi t h Abi Hal ah she was marr i ed t o Ùt ayyi q i bn

Àbi d i bn Àbdi l l ah i bn Àmr i bn Makhzum and she del i ver ed f or hi m

Àbdul l ah and a daught er . " ( as-Sirah an-nabawiyyah, vol . 4, p. 293)

Thi s shows t hat of Hadrat Khadi j ah had t wo daughter s bef or e bei ng

marr i ed t o t he Pr ophet and accor di ng t o al l appear ance t hey woul d be

cal l ed hi s daught ers and those t o whomt hey were marr i ed woul d becal l ed hi s sons- i n- l aw, but t he posi t i on of t hi s r el at i onshi p woul d be

t he same as i f t hose gi r l s wer e hi s daught er s. Ther ef or e, bef or e

put t i ng i t f or t h as a mat t er f or pr i de t he r eal st at us of t he daught er s

shoul d be noted and a gl ance shoul d be cast at Ùt hman' s conduct . I n

t hi s connect i on, al - Bukhar i and ot her nar r at or s ( of t r adi t i ons) and

hi st or i ans recor d t hi s t r adi t i on as f ol l ows:

Anas i bn Mal i k rel at es t hat : "We wer e pr esent on t he occasi on of t he

bur i al of t he Pr ophet ' s daught er Umm Kul t hum, whi l e t he Pr ophet was

si t t i ng besi de her gr ave. I saw hi s eyes sheddi ng t ear s. Then he sai d,' I s t here any one among you who has not commi t t ed a si n l ast ni ght ?'

Abu Tal hah ( Zayd i bn Sahl al - Ansar i ) sai d, ' I ' , t hen t he Pr ophet sai d,

' Then you get i nt o the gr ave, ' consequent l y he got down i nt o t he

gr ave. "

The comment at or s sai d about ' commi t t ed si n' t hat t he Hol y Pr ophet meant

t o say ' one who had not had sexual i nt er cour se. ' On t hi s occasi on t he

Hol y Pr ophet unvei l ed t he pr i vat e l i f e of Ùt hman and pr event ed hi m

f r om get t i ng down i nt o t he gr ave, al t hough i t was a pr omi nent mer i t of

t he Pr ophet ' s char act er t hat he di d not di sgr ace or bel i t t l e any one bymaki ng publ i c hi s pr i vat e l i f e, and despi t e of knowl edge of ot her s'

shor t comi ngs, i gnor ed t hem; but i n t hi s case t he f i l t h was such t hat i t

was deemed necessary t o di sgr ace hi m bef ore t he whol e cr owd.

Si nce Ùt hman di d not show any r egard f or t he demi se of hi s wi f e ( Umm

Kul t hum) nor was he moved or f el t sor r y ( f or t hi s event ) , and pai d no

heed t o t he cut t i ng of f hi s r el at i onshi p wi t h t he Hol y Pr ophet ( f or

bei ng hi s son- i n- l aw) , he ( Ùt hman) had sexual i nt er cour se on t he same

ni ght , t her ef or e t he Hol y Pr ophet depr i ved hi m of t hi s r i ght and

honour . ( al - Bukhar i , as-Sahih, vol . 2, pp. 100- 101, 114; Ahmad i bnHanbal , al-Musnad , vol . 3, pp. 126, 228, 229, 270; al - Haki m, al-

Mustadrak, vol . 4, p. 47; al - Bayhaqi , as-Sunan al-kubra, vol . 4, p. 53;

I bn Sa`d, at-Tabaqat al-kabir , vol . 8, p. 26; as- Suhayl i , ar-Rawd al-

unuf , vol . 2, p. 107; I bn Haj ar , al-Isabah, vol . 4, p. 489; Fath al-

bari, vol . 3, p. 122; al - Àyni , Ùmdah al-qari, vol . 4, p. 85; I bn al -



I am t el l i ng you al l t hi s f r om obser vat i on, unl i ke he who nar r at es on

t he basi s of weak aut hor i t y, as f or exampl e, t he bel i ef of some peopl e

t hat i t f ecundat es t he f emal e by a t ear whi ch f l ows f r om i t s eyes and

when i t st ops on t he edges of t he eyel i ds t he f emal e swal l ows i t and

l ays i t s eggs t hereby and not t hr ough f ecundat i on by a mal e other t han

by means of t hi s f l owi ng t ear . Even i f t hey say thi s, i t woul d be noamazi ng t han ( what t hey say about ) t he mut ual f eedi ng of t he cr ows ( f or

f ecundat i on) . You woul d i magi ne i t s f eat her s t o be st i cks made of

si l ver s and t he wonder f ul ci r cl es and sun- shaped f eat her s growi ng

t her eon t o be of pur e gol d and pi eces of gr een emer al d. I f you l i kened

t hem t o anythi ng gr owi ng on l and, you woul d say t hat i t i s a bouquet of

f l ower s col l ect ed dur i ng ever y spr i ng. I f you l i kened t hem t o cl ot hs,

t hey woul d be l i ke pr i nt ed appar el s or amazi ng var i egat ed cl ot hs of

Yemen. I f you l i kened t hem t o or nament s t hen t hey woul d be l i ke gems of

di f f er ent col our wi t h st udded si l ver .

The peacock wal ks wi t h vani t y and pr i de, and t hrows open i t s t ai l and

wi ngs and l aughs admi r i ng t he handsomeness of i t s dr ess and t he hues of

i t s neckl ace of gems. But when i t cast s i t s gl ance at i t s l egs i t cr i es

l oudl y wi t h a voi ce whi ch i ndi cat es i t s cal l f or hel p and di spl ays i t s

t r ue gr i ef , because i t s l egs ar e t hi n l i ke t he l egs of I ndo- Per si an

cr oss- br ed cocks. At t he end of i t s shi n t her e i s a thi n t hor n and on

t he cr own of i t s head t her e i s a bunch of gr een var i egat ed f eat her s.

I t s neck begi ns i n t he shape of a gobl et and i t s st r et ch up t o i t s

bel l y i s l i ke t he hai r - dye of Yemen i n col our or l i ke si l k cl ot h put on

a pol i shed mi r r or whi ch l ooks as i f i t has been cover ed wi t h a bl ackvei l , except t hat on account of i t s excessi ve l ust r e and ext r eme

br i ght ness i t appear s t hat a l ush gr een col our has been mi xed wi t h i t .

Al ong t he openi ngs of i t s ear s t her e i s a l i ne of shi ni ng br i ght dai sy

col our l i ke t he t hi n end of a pen. Whi t eness shi nes on t he bl ack

backgr ound. Ther e i s har dl y a hue f r om whi ch i t has not t aken a bi t and

i mpr oved i t f ur t her by r egul ar pol i sh, l ust r e, si l ken br i ght ness and

br i l l i ance. I t i s t her ef or e l i ke scat t er ed bl ossoms whi ch have not been

seasoned by t he rai ns of spr i ng or t he sun of t he summer.

I t al so sheds i t s pl umage and put s of f i t s dr ess. They al l f al l awayand gr ow agai n. They f al l way f r om t he f eat her st ems l i ke t he f al l i ng

of l eaves f r om t wi gs, and t hen t hey begi n t o j oi n t oget her and gr ow

t i l l t hey r et ur n t o t he st at e t hat exi st ed bef or e t hei r f al l i ng away.

The new hues do not change f r om t he previ ous ones, nor does any col our

occur i n ot her t han i t s own pl ace. I f you car ef ul l y l ook at one hai r



f r om t he hai r s of i t s f eat her st ems i t woul d l ook l i ke r ed r ose, t hen

emeral d gr een and t hen gol den yel l ow.

How can shar pness of i nt el l ect descr i be such a cr eat i on, or f acul t y of

mi nd, or t he ut t er ances of descr i ber s manage t o t el l of i t . Even i t s

smal l est par t s have made i t i mpossi bl e f or t he i magi nat i on t o pi ck t hem

out or f or t ongues t o descr i be them. Gl or i f i ed i s Al l ah who hasdi sabl ed i nt el l ect s f r om descr i bi ng t he cr eat i on whi ch He pl aced openl y

bef ore the eyes and whi ch they see bounded, shaped, ar r anged and

col our ed. He al so di sabl ed t ongues f r om br i ef l y descr i bi ng i t s

qual i t i es and al so f r om expandi ng i n i t s pr ai se.

The magni f i cence of t he Cr eator i n

gr eat and smal l cr eat i on

Gl or i f i ed i s Al l ah who has assi gned f eet t o smal l ant s and gnat s and

al so t o t hose above them, t he serpent s and t he el ephant s. He has made

i t obl i gat or y upon Hi msel f t hat no skel et on i n whi ch He i nf uses t he

spi r i t woul d move, but t hat deat h i s i t s pr omi sed pl ace and dest r uct i on

i t s f i nal end.

A par t of t he same ser mon

Descr i bi ng Par adi se

I f you cast your mi nd' s eye at what i s descr i bed t o you about Par adi se,

your hear t woul d begi n t o hat e t he del i caci es of t hi s wor l d t hat havebeen di spl ayed her e, namel y i t s desi r es and i t s pl easur es, and t he

beaut i es of i t s scenes, and you woul d be l ost i n t he r ust l i ng of t he

t r ees whose root s l i e hi dden i n the mounds of musk on t he banks of t he

r i ver s i n Par adi se and i n t he at t r act i on of t he bunches of f r esh pear l s

i n t he twi gs and br anches of t hose t r ees, and i n t he appear ance of

di f f er ent f r ui t s f r om under t he cover of t hei r l eaves. These f r ui t s can

be pi cked wi t hout di f f i cul t y as t hey come down at t he desi r e of t hei r

pi cker s. Pur e honey and f erment ed wi ne wi l l be handed r ound to t hose

who set t l e down i n t he cour t yar ds of i t s pal aces.

They ar e a peopl e whom honour has al ways f ol l owed t i l l t hey wer e made

t o set t l e i n t he house of et er nal abode, and t hey obt ai ned r est f r om

t he movement of j our neyi ng. O' l i st ener ! I f you busy your sel f i n

advanci ng t owards t hese wonderf ul scenes whi ch wi l l r ush towards you,

t hen your hear t wi l l cer t ai nl y di e due to eager ness f or t hem, and you

wi l l be pr epar ed t o seek t he company of t hose i n t he gr aves st r ai ght

away f r om my audi ence her e and hast en t owards t hem. Al l ah may, by Hi s



mercy, i ncl ude us and you t oo among t hose who st r i ve wi t h t hei r hear t s

f or t he abodes of t he vi r t uous.

Not e expl ai ni ng some of t he wonder f ul and obscur e

por t i ons of t hi s ser mon

As- Sayyi d ar - Radi says: I n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds "ya'urru

bimalaqihihi" , "al-arr " i mpl i es "copul at i on", e. g. when i t i s sai d

"arra'r-rajulu al-mar'ata ya'urruha" , i t means " He copul at ed wi t h t he

woman. "

I n hi s words "ka'annahu qalù dariyyin ànajahu nutiyyuhu", "al-qal`"

means t he sai l of a boat . "dari" means bel ongi ng to Dar i n whi ch i s a

smal l t own on t he coast f r omwhere scent s ar e bought . And "ànajahu"

means "t ur ned i t ". I t i s said "ànajtun'n-naqata - l i ke nasartu -

a`najuha ànjan". "When you t urn t he she- camel . " And "an-nuti" means

sai l or . Hi s words "daffatay jufunihi" means edges of t he eyel i ds, si nce

"ad-daffatan" means t he t wo edges. Hi s wor ds "wa filadhu'z-zabarjadi":

"al-filadh" i s the pl ur al of "al-fildhah" i t means pi ece. Hi s wor ds "ka

ba'isi'l-lu'lu'i'r-ratibi". "al-kibasah" means bunch of dat es. "al-

àsalij" means t wi gs. I t s si ngul ar i s "ùsluj".

*****

Sermon 166 Advice for observing courtesy and kindness and keeping in and out of

the same

The young among you shoul d f ol l ow t he el ders whi l e t he el der s shoul d be

ki nd t o the young. Do not be l i ke t hose rude peopl e of t he pr e- l sl ami c

( al-jahiliyyah) per i od who di d not exer t t hemsel ves i n r el i gi on nor use

t hei r i nt el l ect s i n t he mat t er of Al l ah. They [ 1] ar e l i ke t he br eaki ng

of eggs i n t he nest of a danger ous bi r d, because t hei r br eaki ng l ooks

bad, but keepi ng t hem i nt act woul d mean t he pr oduct i on of dangerous

young ones.


About t he aut ocracy and oppr essi on of t he Umayyads and thei r f ate

They wi l l di vi de af t er t hei r uni t y and scat t er away f r om t hei r cent r e.

Some of t hem wi l l st i ck t o t he br anches, and bendi ng down as t he

br anches bend, unt i l Al l ah, t he Subl i me, wi l l col l ect t hem t oget her f or

t he day that wi l l be wor st f or t he Umayyads j ust as t he scat t er ed bi t s





of cl ouds col l ect t oget her i n t he aut umn. Al l ah wi l l creat e af f ect i on

among them. Then He wi l l make t hem i nt o a st r ong mass l i ke t he mass of

cl ouds. Then he wi l l open door s f or t hem t o f l ow out f r om t hei r

st ar t i ng pl ace l i ke t he f l ood of t he t wo gar dens ( of Saba' ) f r om whi ch

nei t her hi gh r ocks r emai ned saf e nor smal l hi l l ocks, and i t s f l ow coul d

be r epul sed nei t her by st r ong mount ai ns nor by hi gh l ands. Al l ah wi l lscat t er t hem i n t he l ow l ands of val l eys and t hen He wi l l make t hem

f l ow l i ke st r eams t hr oughout t he ear t h, and t hr ough t hem He wi l l

ar r ange the t aki ng of r i ght s of one peopl e by another peopl e and make

one peopl e t o st ay i n t he houses of anot her peopl e. By Al l ah, al l t hei r

posi t i on and est eem wi l l di ssol ve as f at di ssol ves on t he f i r e.

The cause of t yr anny

O' peopl e! I f you had not evaded suppor t of t he t r ut h and had not f el t

weakness f r om cr ushi ng wr ong t hen he who was not your mat ch woul d not

have ai med at you and he who overpower ed you woul d not have overpower edyou. But you r oamed about t he deser t s ( of di sobedi ence) l i ke Banu

I sr a' i l ( Chi l dr en of I sr ael ) . I swear by my l i f e t hat af t er me your

t r i bul at i ons wi l l i ncr ease sever al t i mes, because you wi l l have

abandoned t he t r ut h behi nd your backs, sever ed your connect i on wi t h

your near ones and est abl i shed r el at i ons wi t h r emot e ones. Know t hat i f

you had f ol l owed hi m who was cal l i ng you ( t o gui dance) he woul d have

made you t r ead the ways of t he Pr ophet , t hen you woul d have been spar ed

t he di f f i cul t i es of mi sgui dance, and you woul d have t hr own away t he

cr ushi ng bur den f r om your necks.


[ 1] . The i mpl i cat i on i s t hat t he out er I sl am of t hese peopl e r equi r ed

t hat t hey shoul d not be mol est ed, but t he consequence of spar i ng t hem

i n t hi s way was t hat t hey woul d cr eat e mi schi ef and r ebel l i on.

*****

Sermon 167 At the beginning of his Caliphate. Fulfilment of rights andobligations, and advice to fear Allah in all matters.

Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has sent down a gui di ng Book wher ei n He has

expl ai ned vi r t ue and vi ce. You shoul d adopt t he cour se of vi r t ue

wher eby you wi l l have gui dance, and keep al oof f r om t he di r ect i on of

vi ce so t hat you r emai n on t he r i ght way. ( Mi nd) t he obl i gat i ons ( mi nd)

t he obl i gat i ons. Ful f i l t hem f or Al l ah and t hey wi l l t ake you t o





Par adi se. Sur el y, Al l ah has made unl awf ul t he thi ngs whi ch ar e not

unknown and made l awf ul t he thi ngs whi ch ar e wi t hout def ect . He has

decl ar ed payi ng r egar d t o Musl i ms as t he hi ghest of al l r egar ds. He has

pl aced t he r i ght s of Musl i ms i n t he same gr ade (of i mpor t ance) as

devot i on ( t o Hi msel f and Hi s oneness) . Ther ef or e, a Musl i m i s one f r om

whose t ongue and hand ever y ( ot her ) Musl i m i s saf e save i n the mat t erof t r ut h. I t i s not , t her ef or e, l awf ul t o mol est a Musl i m except when

i t i s obl i gat ory.

Hast en t owards t he most common mat t er whi ch i s pecul i ar t o every one;

and t hat i s deat h. Cer t ai nl y, peopl e ( who have al r eady gone) are ahead

of you whi l e t he hour ( Day of J udgement ) i s dr i vi ng you f r om behi nd.

Remai n l i ght , i n order t hat you may overt ake them. Your backs ar e bei ng

awai t ed f or t he sake of t he f r ont s. Fear Al l ah i n t he mat t er of Hi s

cr eat ur es and Hi s ci t i es because you wi l l be quest i oned even about

l ands and beast s. Obey Al l ah and do not di sobey Hi m. When you see

vi r t ues adopt i t , and when you see vi ce avoi d i t .

*****

Sermon 168 After swearing of allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin, some people from

among the companions of the Prophet said to him, "You should punish the

people who assaulted `Uthman," whereupon he said:

O' my br others! I amnot i gnorant of what you know, but how do I have

t he power f or i t whi l e t hose who assaul t ed hi m ar e i n t he hei ght oft hei r power . They have super i or i t y over us, not we over t hem. They ar e

now i n t he posi t i on t hat even your sl aves have r i sen wi t h t hem and

Bedoui n Ar abs t oo have j oi ned t hem. They ar e now among you and are

har mi ng you as t hey l i ke. Do you see any way t o be abl e t o do what you

ai m at ?

Thi s demand i s cer t ai nl y t hat of t he pre- I sl ami c (al-jahiliyyah) per i od

and these peopl e have suppor t behi nd them. When t he mat t er i s t aken up,

peopl e wi l l have di f f er ent vi ews about i t . One gr oup wi l l t hi nk as you

do, but anot her wi l l not t hi nk as you t hi nk, and t her e wi l l be st i l lanot her gr oup who wi l l be nei t her t hi s way nor t hat way. Be pat i ent

t i l l peopl e qui et en down and hear t s set t l e i n t hei r pl aces so t hat

r i ght s can be achi eved f or peopl e easi l y. Rest assured f r om me, and see

what i s gi ven t o you by me. Do not do anyt hi ng whi ch shat t ers your

power, weakens your st r engt h and engenders f eebl eness and di sgr ace. I

shal l cont rol t hi s af f ai r as f ar as possi bl e, but i f I f i nd i t



necessar y t he l ast t r eat ment wi l l , of cour se, be br andi ng wi t h a hot

i r on ( t hr ough f i ght i ng) .

*****

Sermon 169 When the people of Jamal set off for Basrah Amir al-mu'minin said:

Ther e i s no doubt t hat Al l ah sent down t he Pr ophet as a gui de wi t h an

el oquent Book and a st andi ng command. No one wi l l be rui ned by i t

except one who rui ns hi msel f . Cer t ai nl y, onl y doubt f ul i nnovat i ons

cause rui n except t hose f r om whi ch Al l ah may pr ot ect . I n Al l ah' s

aut hor i t y l i es t he saf et y of your af f ai r s. Ther ef or e, r ender Hi m such

obedi ence as i s nei t her bl amewor t hy nor i nsi ncer e. By Al l ah, you must

do so, ot her wi se Al l ah wi l l t ake away f r om you t he power of I sl am, and

wi l l never t her eaf t er r et ur n i t t o you t i l l i t r ever t s t o ot her s.

Cer t ai nl y, t hese peopl e ar e i n agr eement i n di sl i ki ng my aut hor i t y. I

wi l l car r y on t i l l I per cei ve di suni t y among you; because i f , i n spi t e

of t he unsoundness of t hei r vi ew, t hey succeed, t he whol e or gani sat i on

of t he Musl i ms wi l l be shat t er ed. They ar e hanker i ng af t er t hi s wor l d

out of j eal ousy agai nst hi m on whom Al l ah has best owed i t . So t hey

i nt end r ever t i ng t he mat t er s on t hei r backs ( pr e- I sl ami c per i od) , whi l e

on us i t i s obl i gat or y, f or your sake, t o abi de by t he Book of Al l ah

( Qur ' an) , t he Subl i me, and t he conduct of t he Pr ophet of Al l ah, t o

st and by Hi s r i ght s and t he r evi val of hi s sunnah.

*****

Sermon 170 When Amir al-mu'minin approached Basrah

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n approached Basr ah an Ar ab met hi m and spoke to

hi m, as he had been sent t o hi m by a gr oup of peopl e of Basr ah t o

enqui r e f r om hi m on t hei r behal f posi t i on vi s- à- vi s t he peopl e of

J amal . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n expl ai ned t o hi m hi s posi t i on wi t h r espect t o

t hem, f r omwhi ch he was convi nced t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was i n t her i ght . Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n asked hi m t o swear al l egi ance, but he

r epl i ed " I am j ust a message car r i er of a peopl e and shal l not do

anythi ng unt i l I get back to t hem. " Upon t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d t o

hi m:



I f t hose at your back send you as a f or er unner t o sear ch out a rai n- f ed

ar ea f or t hem, and you ret ur n t o t hem and appr i se t hem of gr eener y and

water but t hey di sagr ee wi t h you and go t owards dr y and barr en l and,

what woul d you do then? He sai d: I woul d l eave t hem and go t owards

gr eenery and water . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t hen sai d: So t hen

extend your hand.

Thi s man r el at ed t hat : By Al l ah, by such a cl ear ar gument I coul d not

r ef r ai n f r om swear i ng al l egi ance t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

Thi s man was know as Kul ayb al - J ar mi .

*****

Sermon 171

When Amir al-mu'minin decided to fight the enemy face to face at Siffinhe said:

O' my Al l ah! Sust ai ner of t he hi gh sky and the suspended f i r mament

whi ch Thou hast made a shel t er f or t he ni ght and t he day, an orbi t f or

t he sun and t he moon and a pat h f or t he rotat i ng st ar s, and f or

popul at i ng i t Thou hast cr eat ed a gr oup of Thy angel s who do not get

wear y of wor shi ppi ng Thee. O' Sust ai ner of t hi s ear t h whi ch Thou hast

made an abode f or peopl e and a pl ace f or t he movement of i nsect s and

beast s and count l ess other cr eat ur es seen and unseen. O' Sust ai ner of

st r ong mount ai ns whi ch Thou hast made as pegs f or t he ear t h and ( a

means of ) suppor t f or peopl e. I f Thou gi vest us vi ct or y over our enemy,

save us f r om excesses and keep us on t he st r ai ght pat h of t r ut h. But i f

Thou gi vest t hem vi ct or y over us, t hen grant us mar t yr dom and save us

f r om mi schi ef .

Wher e ar e t hose who pr ot ect honour , and those sel f - r espect i ng per sons

who def end respectabl e persons i n the t i me of hardshi p? Shame i s behi nd

you whi l e Par adi se i s i n f r ont of you.

*****

Sermon 172 About the Consultative Committee and the Battle of Jamal

Prai se be t o Al l ah f r omwhose vi ew one sky does not conceal anot her sky

nor one ear t h anot her ear t h.




About t he Consul t at i ve Commi t t ee af t er t he deat h of `Umar i bn al -

Khat t ab

Someone [ 1] sai d t o me, "O' son of Abi Tal i b, you ar e eager f or t he

cal i phat e. " Then I t ol d hi m:

"Rat her , you ar e, by Al l ah, mor e gr eedy, al t hough mor e r emot e, whi l e Iam mor e sui t ed as wel l as near er . I have demanded i t as my r i ght , whi l e

you ar e i nt erveni ng between me and i t , and you are t ur ni ng my f ace f r om

i t . " When I knocked at hi s ears wi t h argument s among t he crowd of t hose

pr esent he was st art l ed as i f he was st unned not knowi ng what r epl y t o

gi ve me about i t .

O' my Al l ah! I seek Thy succour agai nst t he Qur aysh and t hose who ar e

assi st i ng t hem, because they ar e denyi ng me ( t he r i ght s of ) ki nshi p,

have l owered my hi gh posi t i on, and are uni t ed i n opposi ng me i n t he

mat t er ( of t he cal i phat e) whi ch i s my r i ght , and t hen t hey sai d, "Knowt hat t he r i ght f ul t hi ng i s t hat you have i t and al so t hat you may l eave

i t . " [ 2]


Descr i bi ng t he peopl e of J amal

They ( Tal hah, az- Zubayr and t hei r suppor t er s) came out draggi ng t he

wi f e of t he Messenger of Al l ah ( t he peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon

hi m and hi s descendant s) j ust as a mai dsl ave i s dr agged f or sal e. They

t ook her t o Basr ah where t hose two ( Tal hah and az- Zubayr ) put t hei r ownwomen i n t hei r houses but exposed t he wi f e of t he Messenger of Al l ah t o

t hemsel ves and t o ot hers i n t he ar my i n whi ch t here was not a si ngl e

i ndi vi dual who had not of f ered me hi s obedi ence and sworn to me

al l egi ance qui t e obedi ent l y, wi t hout any compul si on.

Here i n Basr ah t hey appr oached my governor and t r easurers of t he publ i c

t r easur y and i t s ot her i nhabi t ant s. They ki l l ed some of t hem i n

capt i vi t y and ot her s by t r eacher y. By Al l ah, even i f t hey had wi l f ul l y

ki l l ed onl y one i ndi vi dual f r om among t he Musl i ms wi t hout any f aul t , i t

woul d have been l awf ul f or me t o ki l l t he whol e of t hi s army becauset hey wer e pr esent i n i t but di d not di sagr ee wi t h i t nor pr event ed i t

by t ongue or hand, not t o say t hat t hey ki l l ed f r om among t he Musl i ms a

number equal t o t hat wi t h whi ch t hey had marched on t hem.








Sermon 173 On eligibility for the Caliphate

The Pr ophet i s t he t r ust ee of Al l ah' s r evel at i on, t he Last of Hi s

Pr ophet s. t he gi ver of t i di ngs of Hi s mer cy and t he war ner f or Hi s

chast i sement .

O' peopl e. t he most r i ght f ul of al l per sons f or t hi s mat t er ( namel y t he

cal i phate) i s he who i s most competent among t hemt o mai nt ai n i t , and

he who knows best Al l ah' s commands about i t . I f any mi schi ef i s cr eat ed

by a mi schi ef - monger , he wi l l be cal l ed upon t o r epent . I f he ref uses.

he wi l l be f ought . By my l i f e, [ 1] i f t he quest i on of I mamah was not t o

be deci ded unl ess al l t he peopl e were pr esent , t hen t here woul d be no

such case. But t hose who agr eed about i t i mposed the deci si on on t hose

who were absent , so much so t hat he who was pr esent coul d not di ssent

and the one who was absent coul d not choose ( any one el se) . Know t hat Ishal l f i ght t wo per sons - one who cl ai ms what i s not hi s and t he ot her

who i gnor es what i s obl i gat or y upon hi m.

The need for sagacity in fighting against Muslims

O' creat ur es of Al l ah! I advi se you t o have f ear of Al l ah because i t i s

t he best advi ce t o be mut ual l y gi ven by per sons, and t he best of al l

t hi ngs bef ore Al l ah. The door of war has been opened between you and

t he ot her Musl i ms. And t hi s banner wi l l be bor ne onl y by hi m who i s a

man of si ght , of endur ance and of knowl edge of t he posi t i on of

r i ght f ul ness. Ther ef or e, you shoul d go ahead wi t h what you ar e or der edand desi st f r omwhat you are r ef r ai ned. Do not make hast e i n any mat t er

t i l l you have cl ar i f i ed i t . For i n t he case of ever y mat t er whi ch you

di sl i ke we have a r i ght t o change i t .

The behaviour of this world with its adherents

Know t hat t hi s wor l d whi ch you have st art ed t o covet and i n whi ch you

are i nt erest ed, and whi ch somet i mes enr ages you and somet i mes pl eases

you i s not your ( per manent ) abode, nor t he pl ace of your st ay f or whi ch

you mi ght have been cr eat ed, nor one t o whi ch you have been i nvi t ed.Know t hat i t wi l l not l ast f or you nor wi l l you l i ve al ong wi t h i t . I f

anyt hi ng out of t hi s wor l d decei ves you ( i nt o at t r act i on) , i t s evi l s

war n you t oo. You shoul d gi ve up ( t he obj ect s of ) i t s decei t s i n f avour

of ( t he obj ect s of ) i t s war ni ng and ( t he obj ect s of ) i t s at t r act i ons i n

f avour of ( t he obj ect s of ) i t s t er r or s. And whi l e her e i n i t , advance

t owards t hat house t o whi ch you have been cal l ed, and t ur n away your





hear t s f r om t he wor l d. None of you shoul d cr y l i ke a mai d sl ave over

anythi ng whi ch she has been depr i ved of . Seek t he per f ect i on of Al l ah' s

bount y over you by endur ance i n obedi ence t o Al l ah and i n guardi ng what

He has asked you t o guar d, namel y Hi s Book.

Know t hat t he l oss of anyt hi ng of t hi s wor l d wi l l not har m you, i f you

have guar ded t he pr i nci pl es of your r el i gi on. Know al so that af t er t hel oss of your r el i gi on not hi ng of t hi s wor l d f or whi ch you have car ed

wi l l benef i t you. May Al l ah car r y our hear t s and your hear t s t owar ds

t he r i ght and may He gr ant us and you endur ance.


[ 1] . When t he peopl e col l ect ed i n t he Saqi f ah of Banu Saì dah i n

connect i on wi t h t he el ect i on, even t hose who wer e not pr esent t her e

were made t o f ol l ow t he deci si on t aken t here, and t he pr i nci pl e was

adopt ed t hat t hose pr esent at t he el ect i on had no r i ght t o r econsi dert he mat t er or t o br eak t he al l egi ance and t hose not pr esent coul d do

nothi ng but acqui esce i n t he agr eed deci si on. But when t he peopl e of

Medi na swore al l egi ance at t he hands of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, t he Governor

of Syr i a ( Muàwi yah) r ef used t o f ol l ow sui t on t he gr ound t hat si nce he

was not pr esent on t he occasi on he was not bound t o abi de by i t ,

whereupon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n gave a r epl y i n t hi s sermon on t he basi s of

t hese accept ed and agr eed pr i nci pl es and condi t i ons whi ch had been

est abl i shed among these peopl e and had become i ncont r over t i bl e namel y

t hat : "When t he peopl e of Medi na and the ansar and t he muhajirun have

sworn al l egi ance on my hand, Muàwi yah had no r i ght t o keep al oof f r omi t on t he gr ound t hat he was not pr esent on t he occasi ons nor were

Tal hah and az- Zubayr ent i t l ed t o break t he pl edge af t er swear i ng

al l egi ance. "

On t hi s occasi on, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n di d not ar gue on t he st r engt h of any

sayi ng of t he Prophet whi ch woul d serve as hi s f i nal say about t he

cal i phat e, because t he gr ounds f or r ef usal i n hi s case was i n r espect

of t he modus operandi of t he pr i nci pl e of el ecti on. Ther ef or e, i n

keepi ng wi t h t he r equi r ement s of t he si t uat i on a r epl y based on t he

agr eed pr i nci pl es of t he adver sary coul d al one qui et en hi m. Even i f hehad argued on t he st r ength of t he Pr ophet ' s command i t woul d have been

subj ect ed t o var i ous i nt er pr et at i ons and t he mat t er woul d have been

pr ol onged i nst ead of bei ng set t l ed. Agai n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had seen

t hat soon af t er t he deat h of t he Prophet al l hi s sayi ngs and commands

had been set asi de. Ther ef or e, how af t er t he l apse of a l ong t i me,





coul d one be expected t o accept i t when habi t had been est abl i shed t o

f ol l ow one' s f r ee wi l l agai nst t he Pr ophet ' s sayi ngs.

*****

Sermon 174 About Talhah ibn Ùbaydillah. Delivered when he received the news that

Talhah and az-Zubayr had already left for Basrah to fight against him.

As f or me, I woul d never be f r i ght ened of f i ght i ng or be made t o f ear

st r i ki ng because I am sat i sf i ed wi t h Al l ah' s pr omi se of suppor t t o me.

By Al l ah, Tal hah has hast ened wi t h dr awn sword t o avenge Ùt hman' s

bl ood f or f ear l est t he demand f or Ùt hman' s bl ood be made agai nst

hi msel f , because the peopl e' s i dea i n t hi s mat t er i s about hi m, and, i n

f act , he was t he most anxi ous among t hem f or hi s ki l l i ng. Ther ef or e, he

has t r i ed t o cr eat e mi sunder st andi ng by col l ect i ng f or ces i n or der t o

conf use t he mat t er and t o creat e doubt .

By Al l ah. he di d not act i n ei t her of t hr ee ways about Ùt hman. I f t he

son of Àf f an ( Ùt hman) was i n t he wr ong, as Tal hah bel i eved, i t i s

necessar y f or hi m t o suppor t t hose who ki l l ed [ 1] hi m or t o keep away

f r om hi s suppor t er s. I f Ùt hman was t he vi ct i m of oppr essi on. t hen

Tal hah shoul d have been among t hose who wer e keepi ng ( t he assaul t er s)

away f r om hi m or wer e advanci ng pl eas on hi s behal f . I f he was i n doubt

about t hese two al t er nat i ves, t hen i t was i ncumbent upon hi m t o l eave

hi m ( Ùt hman) and r et i r e asi de and l eave t he men wi t h hi m ( t o deal wi t h

hi m as t hey wi shed) . But he adopt ed none of t hese thr ee ways, and cameout wi t h a t hi ng i n whi ch t her e i s no good, and hi s excuses ar e not

accept abl e.


[ 1] . I t means t hat i f Tal hah consi der ed Ùt hman an oppr essor , t hen af t er

hi s assassi nat i on, i nst ead of get t i ng r eady to avenge hi s bl ood, he

shoul d have suppor t ed hi s ki l l er s and j ust i f i ed t hei r act i on. I t i s not

t he i nt ent i on t hat i n the case of Ùt hman bei ng i n t he wr ong Tal hah

shoul d have support ed t he at t ackers because he was al r eady support i ngand encour agi ng t hem.

*****







Sermon 175 Warning to neglectful people, and about the vastness of his own

knowledge

O' peopl e who ar e ( negl i gent of Al l ah but ) not negl ect ed ( by Al l ah) ,

and t hose who mi ss ( doi ng good act s) but are to be caught . How i s i tt hat I see you becomi ng r emoved f r omAl l ah and becomi ng i nt erest ed i n

ot her s? You ar e l i ke t he camel whom t he gr azer dr i ves t o a di sease-

st r i cken past ur e and a di sast r ous wat er i ng pl ace. They ar e l i ke beast s

who ar e f ed i n order t o be sl aught ered, but t hey do not know what i s

i nt ended f or t hem. When t hey ar e t r eat ed wel l t hey t hi nk t hat day t o be

t hei r whol e l i f e, and eat i ng t hei r f ul l t o be t hei r ai m.

By Al l ah, i f I wi sh, I can t el l ever y one of you f r om wher e he has

come, wher e he has t o go and al l hi s af f ai r s, but I f ear l est you

abandon t he Messenger of Al l ah - peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon

hi m and hi s pr ogeny - i n my f avour . I shal l cer t ai nl y convey these

t hi ngs t o t he sel ect ed ones who wi l l r emai n saf e f r om t hat f ear . By

Al l ah, Who deput ed t he Prophet wi t h Ri ght and di st i ngui shed hi m over

cr eat i on. I do not speak save t he t r ut h. He ( t he Prophet ) i nf ormed me

of al l t hi s and al so about t he deat h of ever y one who di es, t he

sal vat i on of ever y one who i s grant ed sal vat i on, and t he consequences

of t hi s mat t er ( t he cal i phat e) . He l ef t not hi ng ( t hat coul d) pass i nt o

my head wi t hout put t i ng i t i n my ear and t el l i ng me about i t . [ 1]O' peopl e ! By Al l ah, I do not i mpel you t o any obedi ence unl ess I

pr act i se i t bef or e you and do not r est r ai n you f r om any di sobedi ence

unl ess I desi st f r om i t bef or e you.


[ 1] . Those who dr i nk f r om t he spr i ngs of r evel at i on and di vi ne

i nspi r at i on see t hi ngs hi dden behi nd t he cur t ai ns of t he unknown and

t he event s whi ch wi l l occur i n t he f ut ur e i n t he same way as obj ect s

can be seen wi t h t he eyes, and t hi s does not conf l i ct wi t h t he sayi ngof Al l ah t hat :

Say: "None (either) in the heavens or in the earth knoweth the unseen

save Allah..." ( Qur ' an, 27: 65)

because t hi s ver se cont ai ns t he negat i on of per sonal knowl edge of t he

unknown, but not t he negat i on of knowl edge whi ch i s r equi r ed by t he







pr ophet s and hol y per sons t hr ough di vi ne i nspi r at i on, by vi r t ue of

whi ch t hey make pr ophesi es about t he f ut ur e and unvei l many event s and

happeni ngs. Sever al ver ses of t he Qur ' an suppor t t hi s vi ew such as:

When the Prophet confided unto one of his wives a matter, but when she

divulged it (unto others) and Allah apprised him thereof, he made known

a part of it and avoided a part; so when he informed her of it, said

she: "Who informed thee of this?" He said: "Informed me, the All-

knowing, the All-aware." ( Qur ' an, 66: 3)

These are of the tidings of the unseen which We reveal unto thee (O'

Our Prophet Muhammad )...( Qur ' an, 11: 49)

Ther ef or e, i t i s i ncor r ect t o ar gue i n suppor t of t he vi ew t hat i f i t

i s sai d t hat t he pr ophet s and hol y per sons possess knowl edge of t he

unknown i t woul d i mpl y dual i t y i n t he di vi ne at t r i but es. I t woul d have

i mpl i ed dual i t y i f i t wer e sai d t hat someone ot her t han Al l ah haspersonal knowl edge of t he unknown. When i t i s not so and the knowl edge

possessed by t he Pr ophets and I mams i s t hat gi ven by Al l ah i t has no

connect i on wi t h dual i t y. I f dual i t y shoul d mean what i s al l eged, what

woul d be t he posi t i on of `I sa' s ( J esus' s) asser t i on r el at ed i n t he

Qur ' an namel y:

. . . Out of clay will I make for you like the figure of a bird, and I

will breathe into it, and it shall become a flying bird by Allah's

permission; and I shall heal the blind and the leper and will rise the

dead to life by Allah 's permission; and I will declare to you what yeeat and what ye store up in your houses. . . ( Qur ' an, 3: 49)

I f i t i s bel i eved t hat `I sa ( J esus) coul d creat e and best ow l i f e wi t h

Al l ah' s per mi ssi on does i t mean t hat he was Al l ah' s par t ner i n t he

at t r i but es of creat i on and r evi val ? I f t hi s i s not so t hen how can i t

be hel d t hat i f Al l ah gi ves someone the knowl edge of t he unknown i t

i mpl i es t hat he has been t aken t o be Hi s par t ner i n Hi s at t r i but es, and

how can one extol one' s bel i ef i n t he oneness of Al l ah by hol di ng t hat

t he knowl edge of t he unknown i mpl i es dual i t y.

No one can deny t he f act t hat some peopl e ei t her see i n dr eams cer t ai nt hi ngs whi ch have yet t o occur i n t he f ut ur e, or t hat t hi ngs can be

r ead t hr ough i nt er pr et at i on of t he dr eam, whi l e dur i ng a dr eam nei t her

do t he senses f unct i on nor do t he powers of underst andi ng and

compr ehensi on co- operat e. Theref ore, i f some event s become known t o

some peopl e i n wakef ul ness why shoul d t her e be amazement over i t and

what ar e the gr ounds f or r ej ect i ng i t , when i t st ands t o reason t hat



t hi ngs possi bl e i n dr eams are al so possi bl e i n wakef ul ness. Thus, I bn

Mayt ham al - Bahr ani has wr i t t en t hat i t i s possi bl e t o achi eve al l t hi s,

because i n a dr eam t he spi r i t becomes f r ee f r om l ooki ng af t er t he body

and i s r emoved f r om bodi l y connect i ons; as a r esul t of t hi s i t

percei ves such hi dden r eal i t i es whi ch coul d not be seen because of t he

obst r uct i on of t he body. I n t he same way t hose per f ect bei ngs who payno heed t o bodi l y mat t er s, and t ur n wi t h al l t he at t ent i on of spi r i t

and hear t t owar ds t he cent r e of knowl edge can see t hose r eal i t i es and

secret s whi ch t he or di nar y eyes ar e unabl e t o di scer n. Ther ef or e,

keepi ng i n vi ew t he spi r i t ual gr eat ness of Ahl u' l - bayt ( member s of t he

Pr ophet ' s f ami l y) i t shoul d not appear st r ange that t hey wer e awar e of

event s whi ch wer e goi ng t o occur i n f ut ur e. I bn Khal dun has wr i t t en:

"When t haumatur gi c f eat s are per f ormed by others what do you thi nk

about t hose who were di st i ngui shed i n knowl edge and honest y and were a

mi r r or of t he Pr ophet ' s t r ai t s, whi l e t he consi der at i on Al l ah had f or

t hei r nobl e root ( namel y t he Pr ophet ) i s a pr oof of t he hi gh

per f or mances of hi s chast e of f - shoot s ( Ahl u' l - bayt ) . Consequent l y many

event s about knowl edge of t he unknown are rel ated about Ahl u' l - bayt

whi ch ar e not r el at ed about ot her s. . " ( al-Muqaddamah, p. 23) .

I n t hi s way ther e i s no cause f or wonder over Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s cl ai m

si nce he was br ought up by t he Pr ophet and was a pupi l of Al l ah' s

school . Of cour se, t hose whose knowl edge does not ext end beyond the

l i mi t s of physi cal obj ect i vi t y and whose means of l ear ni ng ar e conf i ned

t o t he bodi l y senses r ef use t o bel i eve i n t he knowl edge about t he pat hs

of di vi ne cogni sance and r eal i t y. I f t hi s ki nd of cl ai m wer e uni que and

were hear d onl y f r omover Ami r al - mu' mi ni n then mi nds coul d have

waver ed and t emper ament s coul d have hesi t ated i n accept i ng i t , but i f

t he Qur ' an r ecor ds even such a cl ai m of `I sa ( J esus) t hat - "I can t el l

you what you eat or dr i nk or st ore i n your houses, " t hen why shoul d

t her e be hesi t at i on over Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s cl ai m, when i t i s agr eed

t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had succeeded to al l t he at t ai nment s and

di st i nct i ons of t he Pr ophet and i t cannot be cont ended t hat t he Pr ophet

di d not know what `I sa ( J esus) knew. Thus, i f t he successor of t he

Pr ophet advances such a cl ai m, why shoul d i t be r ej ect ed, par t i cul ar l yas t hi s vast ness of knowl edge of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i s t he best evi dence

and pr oof f or t he Prophet ' s knowl edge and per f ect i on and a l i vi ng

mi r acl e of hi s t r ut hf ul ness.

I n thi s connect i on, i t i s amazi ng t hat even havi ng knowl edge of event s

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n di d not , t hr ough any of hi s wor ds or deeds, i ndi cat e



t hat he knew t hem. Thus, comment i ng of t he ext r aor di nary i mpor t ance of

t hi s cl ai m, as- Sayyi d I bn Tawus wr i t es:

"An amazi ng aspect of t hi s cl ai m i s t hat despi t e t he f act t hat Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n was aware of condi t i ons and event s, yet he obser ved such

conduct by way of hi s words and deeds t hat one who saw hi m coul d not

bel i eve that he knew t he secrets and unknown act s of others, becauset he wi se agr ee t hat i f a per son knows what event i s l i kel y t o take

pl ace or what st ep hi s comr ade i s goi ng t o take, or i f t he hi dden

secr ets of peopl e are known t o hi m, t hen t he ef f ect s of such knowl edge

woul d appear t hr ough hi s movement s and the expr essi ons of hi s f ace. But

t he man who, i n spi t e of knowi ng everyt hi ng, behaves i n a way as t hough

he i s unawar e and knows not hi ng, t hen hi s per sonal i t y i s a mi r acl e and

a combi nat i on of cont r adi ct i ons. "

At t hi s st age, t he quest i on ar i ses as t o why Ami r al - mu' mi ni n di d not

act upon t he di ct at es of hi s secr et knowl edge. The r epl y to t hi s i st hat t he commands of t he shari`ah are based on appar ent condi t i ons.

Ot herwi se secret knowl edge i s a ki nd of mi r acl e and power whi ch Al l ah

gr ant s t o Hi s pr ophet s and I mams. Al t hough t he pr ophet s and I mams

possess t hi s power al ways, t hey cannot make use of i t at any t i me

unl ess and unt i l by t he per mi ssi on of Al l ah and on t he pr oper occasi on.

For exampl e, t he ver se quot ed above about `I sa ( J esus) whi ch t el l s t hat

he had t he power t o gi ve l i f e, t o heal t he bl i nd and decl ar e what one

at e and st or ed i n hi s house, et c. , he ( J esus) di d not used t o pr act i se

t hi s power on every t hi ng or every corpse or everyone who met hi m. He

used t o pr act i se t hi s power onl y by the permi ssi on of Al l ah and on t he

pr oper occasi on.

I f pr ophet s and ot her di vi nes act ed on t he basi s of t hei r secr et

knowl edge i t woul d have meant ser i ous di sl ocat i on and di st ur bance i n

t he af f ai r s of t he peopl e. For exampl e, i f a pr ophet or di vi ne, on t he

basi s of hi s secret knowl edge, puni shes a condemnabl e man by ki l l i ng

hi m, t her e woul d be gr eat commot i on and agi t at i on among those who see

i t on t he gr ound t hat he ki l l ed an i nnocent man. That i s why Al l ah has

not per mi t t ed t he basi ng of concl usi ons on secret knowl edge save i n a

f ew speci al cases, and has enj oi ned t he f ol l owi ng of observabl ef act or s. Thus, despi t e hi s bei ng awar e of t he hypocr i sy of some of t he

hypocr i t es, t he Prophet extended t o t hem t he t r eat ment t hat shoul d be

extended t o a Musl i m.

Now, t her e can be no scope f or t he obj ect i on t hat i f Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

knew secr et mat t ers t hen why di d he not act accor di ng to t hem because



i t has been shown t hat he was not obl i ged t o act accor di ng t o the

r equi r ement s of hi s secr et knowl edge. Of cour se, wher e condi t i ons so

r equi r ed he di d di scl ose some mat t er s f or t he pur poses of pr eachi ng,

admoni shi ng, gi vi ng good t i di ngs ( of r ewar d) or war ni ng ( agai nst

puni shment ) , so t hat f ut ur e event s coul d be f or e- cl osed. For exampl e,

I mam J a`f ar as- Sadi q ( p. b. u. h. ) i nf or med Yahya i bn Zayd t hat i f he wentout he woul d be ki l l ed. I bn Khal dun wr i t es i n t hi s connect i on:

"I t has been aut hent i cal l y r el at ed f r om I mam J a`f ar as- Sadi q t hat he

used t o appr i se some of hi s r el at i ons of t he event s t o bef al l t hem. For

exampl e, he warned hi s cousi n Yahya i bn Zayd of bei ng ki l l ed but he

di sobeyed hi m and went out and was ki l l ed i n J uzaj an. " ( al-Muqaddamah,

p. 233) .

Nevert hel ess, where t here was appr ehensi on t hat mi nds woul d get worr i ed

i t was not at al l di scl osed. That i s why i n t hi s ser mon Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n avoi ded mor e det ai l s, i n vi ew of t he f ear t hat peopl e woul dbegi n t o r egar d hi m hi gher t han t he Pr ophet . Despi t e al l t hi s peopl e

di d go ast r ay about `I sa ( J esus) , and i n t he same way about Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n al so t hey began t o say al l sor t s of t hi ngs and wer e mi sl ed

i nt o r esor t i ng t o exagger at i on.

*****

Sermon 176 Preaching

( O ' cr eat ur es! ) Seek benef i t f r om t he sayi ngs of Al l ah, be admoni shed

of Al l ah and accept t he advi ce of Al l ah because Al l ah has l ef t no

excuse f or you by pr ovi di ng cl ear gui dance, has put bef or e you t he pl ea

and cl ar i f i ed f or you what act s He l i kes and what act s He hat es, so

t hat you may f ol l ow t he one and avoi d t he ot her . The Pr ophet of Al l ah

used t o say. "Par adi se i s sur r ounded by unpl easant t hi ngs whi l e Hel l i s

sur r ounded by desi r es. "

You shoul d know t hat every obedi ence t o Al l ah i s unpl easant i n

appear ance whi l e ever y di sobedi ence t o Al l ah has t he appear ance ofenj oyment . Al l ah may have mercy on t he person who kept al oof f r omhi s

desi r e and upr oot ed t he appet i t e of hi s hear t , because thi s hear t has

f ar - r eachi ng ai ms and i t goes on pur sui ng di sobedi ence thr ough desi r es.

You shoul d know, O' cr eatures of Al l ah, t hat a bel i ever shoul d be

di st r ust f ul of hi s hear t ever y mor ni ng and eveni ng. He shoul d al ways

bl ame i t ( f or shor t comi ngs) and ask i t t o add t o ( i t s good act s) . You



shoul d behave l i ke t hose who have gone bef ore you and the pr ecedent s i n

f r ont of you. They l ef t t hi s wor l d l i ke a t r avel l er and cover ed i t as

di st ance i s cover ed.

The greatness of the Holy Qur'an

And know t hat t hi s Qur ' an i s an advi ser who never decei ves, a l eaderwho never mi sl eads and a narr ator who never speaks a l i e. No one wi l l

si t besi de t hi s Qur ' an but t hat when he r i ses he wi l l achi eve one

addi t i on or one di mi nut i on - addi t i on i n hi s gui dance or el i mi nat i on i n

hi s ( spi r i t ual ) bl i ndness. You shoul d al so know t hat no one wi l l need

anythi ng af t er ( gui dance f r om) t he Qur ' an and no one wi l l be f r ee f r om

want bef or e ( gui dance f r om) t he Qur ' an. Ther ef or e, seek cur e f r om i t

f or your ai l ment s and seek i t s assi st ance i n your di st r esses. I t

cont ai ns a cur e f or t he bi ggest di seases, namel y unbel i ef , hypocr i sy,

r evol t and mi sgui dance. Pr ay t o Al l ah t hr ough i t and t ur n t o Al l ah wi t h

i t s l ove. Do not ask t he peopl e t hr ough i t . Ther e i s not hi ng l i ke i tt hr ough whi ch t he peopl e shoul d t ur n t o Al l ah, t he Subl i me.

Know t hat i t i s an i nt er ceder and i t s i nt er cessi on wi l l be accept ed. I t

i s a speaker who i s t est i f i ed. For whoever t he Qur ' an i nt er cedes on t he

Day of J udgement , i t s i nt er cessi on f or hi m woul d be accept ed. He about

whom t he Qur ' an speaks i l l on t he Day of J udgement shal l t est i f y t o i t .

On t he Day of J udgement an announcer wi l l announce, "Beware. ever y

sower of a cr op i s i n di st r ess except t he sower s of t he Qur ' an. "

Ther ef or e, you shoul d be among t he sower s of t he Qur ' an and i t s

f ol l ower s. Make i t your gui de t owar ds Al l ah. Seek i t s advi ce f oryour sel ves, do not t r ust your vi ews agai nst i t . and r egar d your desi r es

i n t he mat t er of t he Qur ' an as decei t f ul .

About the believers and their good deeds; and the hypocrites and their

bad deeds

Act i on! act i on! Then ( l ook at ) t he end; t he end, and ( r emai n)

st eadf ast ; st eadf ast . Ther eaf t er ( exer ci se) endur ance, endur ance, and

pi et y, pi et y. You have an obj ect i ve. Pr oceed t owar ds your obj ect i ve.

You have a si gn. Take gui dance f r om your si gn. I sl am has an obj ect i ve.

Pr oceed t owar ds i t s obj ect i ve. Pr oceed t owar ds Al l ah' s by f ul f i l l i ng

Hi s r i ght s whi ch He has enj oi ned upon you. He has cl ear l y st at ed Hi s

demands f or you. I am a wi t ness f or you and shal l pl ead excuses on your

behal f on t he Day of J udgement .



Beware! what had been ordai ned has occur r ed and t hat whi ch had been

dest i ned has come i nt o pl ay. I am speaki ng t o you wi t h the pr omi se and

pl eas of Al l ah.

Al l ah t he Subl i me, has sai d:

Verily, those who say: Our Lord is Allah! and persevere aright, theangels descend upon them ( sayi ng) : "Fear Ye not, nor be grieved, and

receive the glad tidings of the Garden which Ye were promised."

( Qur ' an, 41: 30)

You have sai d. "Our Lor d i s Al l ah. " Then keep st eadf ast t o Hi s Book, t o

t he way of Hi s command and to t he vi r t uous cour se of Hi s worshi p.

Ther eaf t er do not go out of i t , do not i nt r oduce i nnovat i ons i n i t , and

do not t ur n away f r om i t , because t hose who go away f r om t hi s cour se

wi l l be cut of f f r om ( t he mer cy of ) Al l ah on t he Day of J udgement .

Beware f r om dest r oyi ng your manners and changi ng t hem, mai nt ai ni ng one

t ongue. A man shoul d cont r ol hi s t ongue because t he t ongue i s obst i nate

wi t h i t s mast er . By Al l ah, I do not f i nd t hat f ear of Al l ah benef i t s a

man who pr act i ses i t unl ess he cont r ol s hi s t ongue. Cer t ai nl y the

t ongue of a bel i ever i s at t he back of hi s hear t whi l e t he hear t of a

hypocr i t e i s at t he back of hi s t ongue; because, when a bel i ever

i nt ends t o say anyt hi ng, he t hi nks i t over i n hi s mi nd. I f i t i s good

he di scl oses i t , but i f i t i s bad he l et s i t r emai n conceal ed. Whi l e a

hypocr i t e speaks whatever comes t o hi s t ongue, wi t hout knowi ng what i s

i n hi s f avour and what goes agai nst hi m. The Pr ophet of Al l ah - peace and bl ess i ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s

descendant s - sai d: "The bel i ef of a per son cannot be f i r m unl ess hi s

hear t i s f i r m, and hi s hear t cannot be f i r m unl ess hi s t ongue i s f i r m. "

So whoever of you can manage t o meet Al l ah, t he Subl i me, i n such a

posi t i on t hat hi s hands ar e unsmear ed wi t h t he bl ood of Musl i ms and

t hei r pr oper t y and hi s t ongue i s saf e f r om exposi ng t hem, he shoul d do

so.

Following the sunnah and refraining from innovation

Know, O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, t hat a bel i ever shoul d r egar d l awf ul t hi s

year what he regar ded l awf ul i n t he pr evi ous year , and shoul d consi der

unl awf ul t hi s year what he consi der ed unl awf ul i n t he pr evi ous year .

Cert ai nl y peopl e' s i nnovat i on cannot make l awf ul f or you what has been

decl ar ed unl awf ul ; r at her , l awf ul i s t hat whi ch Al l ah has made l awf ul

and unl awf ul i s t hat whi ch Al l ah has made unl awf ul . You have al r eady



t est ed t he mat t ers and t r i ed t hem; you have been pr eached by t hose

bef ore you. I l l ust r at i ons have been dr awn f or you and you have been

cal l ed t o cl ear f act . Onl y a deaf man can r emai n deaf t o al l t hi s, and

onl y a bl i nd man can r emai n bl i nd t o al l t hi s.

He whom Al l ah does not al l ow benef i t f r om t r i al s and exper i ence cannot

benef i t f r om pr eachi ng. He wi l l be f aced wi t h l osses f r om i n f r ont , sot hat he wi l l appr ove what i s bad and di sappr ove what i s good. Peopl e

ar e of t wo cat egor i es - t he f ol l ower of t he shari`ah ( rel i gi ous l aws) ,

and t he f ol l ower of t he i nnovat i ons t o whomAl l ah has not gi ven any

t est i mony by way of sunnah or t he l i ght of any pl ea.

Guidance from the Holy Qur'an

Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, has not counsel l ed anyone on t he l i nes of t hi s

Qur ' an, f or i t i s t he st r ong r ope of Al l ah and Hi s t r ust wor t hy means.

I t cont ai ns t he bl ossomi ng of t he hear t and spr i ngs of knowl edge. Fort he hear t t her e i s no ot her gl oss t han t he Qur ' an al t hough t hose who

r emember ed i t have passed away whi l e t hose who f orgot or pret ended t o

have f orgot t en i t have r emai ned. I f you see any good gi ve your support

t o i t , but i f you see evi l evade i t , because t he Messenger of Al l ah

used t o say: "O' son of Adam, do good and evade evi l ; by doi ng so you

wi l l be t r eadi ng cor r ectl y. "

Categories of oppression

Know t hat i nj ust i ce i s of t hr ee ki nds - one, t he i nj ust i ce t hat wi l l

not be f or gi ven, anot her , t hat wi l l not be l ef t unquest i oned, andanot her t hat wi l l be f or gi ven wi t hout bei ng quest i oned. The i nj ust i ce

t hat wi l l not be f or gi ven i s dual i t y of Al l ah. Al l ah has sai d: Verily

Allah forgiveth not that ( anythi ng) be associated with Him ... ( Qur ' an,

4: 48, 116) . The i nj ust i ce t hat wi l l be f or gi ven i s t he i nj ust i ce a man

does t o hi msel f by commi t t i ng smal l si ns; and t he i nj ust i ce t hat wi l l

not be l ef t unquest i oned i s t he i nj ust i ce of men agai nst ot her men. The

r et r i but i on i n such a case i s sever e. I t i s not woundi ng wi t h kni ves,

nor st r i ki ng wi t h whi ps, but i t i s so sever e t hat al l t hese t hi ngs ar e

smal l agai nst i t . You shoul d t her ef or e avoi d change i n t he mat t er of

Al l ah' s r el i gi on f or your uni t y i n r espect of a r i ght whi ch you di sl i ke

i s bet t er t han your scat t er i ng away i n r espect of a wr ong t hat you

l i ke. Cer t ai nl y, Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed has not gi ven any per son, whet her

among the dead or among those who survi ve, any good f r om separ at i on.

O' peopl e, bl essed i s t he man whose own shor t comi ngs keep hi m away f r om

( l ooki ng i nt o) t he shor t comi ngs of ot her s, and al so bl essed i s t he man



Sermon 180 Condemning his disobedient men

I pr ai se Al l ah f or whatever mat t er He ordai ned and whatever act i on He

dest i nes and f or my t r i al wi t h you, O' gr oup of peopl e who do not obey

when I order and do not r espond when I cal l you. I f you are at ease youengage i n ( concei t ed) conver sat i on, but i f you ar e f aced wi t h bat t l e

you show weakness. I f peopl e agr ee on one I mamyou t aunt each ot her . I f

you are f aced wi t h an arduous mat t er you t ur n away f r om i t . May others

have no f ather ( woe t o your enemy! ) what are you wai t i ng f or i n t he

mat t er of your assi st ance and f or f i ght i ng f or your r i ght s? For you

t her e i s ei t her deat h or di sgr ace. By Al l ah, i f my day ( of deat h)

comes. and i t i s sure t o come, i t wi l l cause separ at i on bet ween me and

you al t hough I am si ck of your company and f eel l onel y wi t h you.

May Al l ah deal wi t h you! I s t her e no rel i gi on whi ch may uni t e you norsense of shamef ul ness t hat may shar pen you? I s i t not st r ange t hat

Muàwi yah cal l s out t o some r ude l ow peopl e and t hey f ol l ow hi m wi t hout

any suppor t or gr ant , but when I cal l you, al t hough you ar e t he

successor s of I sl am and t he ( wor t hy) sur vi vor s of t he peopl e, wi t h

support and di st r i but ed gr ant s you scat t er away f r omme and oppose me?

Tr ul y, t her e i s not hi ng bet ween me t o you whi ch I l i ke and you al so

l i ke i t , or wi t h whi ch I am angr y and you may al so uni t e agai nst i t .

What I l ove most i s deat h. I have t aught you t he Qur ' an, cl ar i f i ed t o

you ar gument s, appr i sed you of what you wer e i gnorant and made you

swal l ow what you were spi t t i ng out . Even a bl i nd man woul d have beenabl e t o see, and he who was sl eepi ng woul d have been awakened. How

i gnor ant of Al l ah i s t hei r l eader Muàwi yah and t hei r i nst r uct or I bn

an- Nabi ghah. [ 1]


[ 1] . "an- Nabi ghah" i s t he surname of Layl a bi nt Har mal ah al - Ànazi yyah,

mot her of Àmr i bn al - Às. The reason f or at t r i but i ng hi m t o hi s mot her

i s her common reput at i on i n the mat t er . When Ar wa bi nt al - Har i t h i bn

Àbd al - Mut t al i b went t o Muàwi yah, dur i ng t he conver sat i on, when Àmr

i bn al - Às i nt er vened, she sai d t o hi m: "O' son of an- Nabi ghah, you t oo

dare speak, al t hough your mother was known publ i cl y and was a si nger of

Mecca. That i s why f i ve persons cl ai med you ( as a son) , and when she

was asked she admi t t ed t hat f i ve peopl e had vi si t ed her and t hat you

shoul d be r egarded as t he son of hi m you resembl ed most . You must have

r esembl ed al - Às i bn Wa' i l and theref ore you came t o be known as hi s

son. "







These f i ve per sons wer e ( 1) al - Às i bn Wa' i l , ( 2) Abu Lahab, ( 3)

Umayyah i bn Khal af , ( 4) Hi sham i bn al - Mughi r ah, and ( 5) Abu Suf yan i bn

Harb. ( I bn Àbd Rabbi h, al-`lqd al-farid , vol . 2, p. 120; I bn Tayf ur ,

Balaghat an-nisa', p. 27; I bn Hi j j ah, Thamarat al-awraq , vol . 1, p.

132; Saf wat , Jamharat khutab al-Àrab, vol . 2, p. 363; I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d,

vol . 6, pp. 283- 285, 291; al - Hal abi , as-Sirah vol . 1, p. 46) .*****

Sermon 181

Amir al-mu'minin sent one of his men to bring him news about a group of

the army of Kufah who had decided to join the Kharijites but were

afraid of him. [ 1] When the man came back Amir al-mu'minin said to him:

"Are they satisfied and staying or feeling weak and going astray?" The

man replied, "They have gone away, O' Amir al-mu'minin."

Then Amir al-mu'minin said:

May Al l ah' s mercy r emai n away f r om t hem as i n t he case of Thamud. Know

t hat when t he spear s ar e hur l ed t owards t hemand t he swords ar e st r uck

at t hei r heads t hey wi l l r epent of t hei r doi ngs. Sur el y today Sat an has

scat t er ed t hem and t omor r ow he wi l l di scl ai m any connect i on wi t h t hem,

and wi l l l eave t hem. Thei r depar t i ng f r om gui dance, r et ur ni ng t o

mi sgui dance and bl i ndness, t ur ni ng away f r om t r ut h and f al l i ng i nt o

wr ong i s enough ( f or t hei r chast i sement ) .


[ 1] . A man of t he t r i be Banu Naj i yah named al - Khi r r i t i bn Rashi d an- Naj i

was on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s si de i n t he bat t l e of Si f f i n, but af t er

Ar bi t r at i on he became r ebel l i ous, and, comi ng t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n wi t h

t hi r t y per sons, sai d: "By Al l ah, I Wi l l no mor e obey your command, nor

of f er pr ayers behi nd you, and shal l l eave you t omorr ow. " Whereupon Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n sai d: "You shoul d f i r st t ake i nt o account t he gr ounds

under l yi ng t hi s Ar bi t r at i on and di scuss i t wi t h me. I f you ar e

sat i sf i ed, you do as you wi l l . " He sai d he woul d come t he next day t o

di scuss t he mat t er . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t hen caut i oned hi m, "Look, ongoi ng f r omhere do not get mi sl ead by ot hers and do not adopt any ot her

cour se. I f you have t he wi l l t o under st and, I wi l l get you out of t hi s

wr ong pat h and put you on t he cour se of gui dance. " Af t er t hi s

conver sat i on he went away, but hi s count enance i ndi cat ed he was bent on

r evol t , and woul d not see r eason by any means. And so i t happened. He

st uck t o hi s poi nt and on r eachi ng hi s pl ace he sai d t o hi s t r i besmen,







"When we ar e det ermi ned t o abandon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n t her e i s no use

goi ng t o hi m. We shoul d do what we have deci ded t o do. " On thi s

occasi on Àbdul l ah i bn Quàyn al Azdi al so went t o them t o enqui r e, but

when he came t o know t he posi t i on he asked Mudr i k i bn ar - Rayyan an- Naj i

t o speak to hi m and t o appr i se hi m of t he r ui nous consequence of t hi s

r ebel l i on, wher eupon Mudr i k assur ed hi m t hat t hi s man woul d not beal l owed t o t ake any st ep. Consequent l y, Àbdul l ah came back sat i sf i ed

and r el at ed t he whol e mat t er bef or e Ami r al - mu' mi ni n on r et ur ni ng t he

next day. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d, "Let us see what happens when he

comes. " But when the appoi nted hour passed and he di d not t urn up Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n asked Àbdul l ah t o go and see what t he mat t er was and what

was the cause f or t he del ay. On r eachi ng t her e Àbdul l ah f ound t hat al l

of t hem had l ef t . When he ret ur ned t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n he spoke as i n

t hi s sermon.

The f at e t hat bef el l al - Khi r r i t i bn Rashi d an- Naj i has been st at ed

under Sermon 44.

*****

Sermon 182 It has been related by Nawf al-Bikali that Amir al-mu'minin Àli

(p.b.u.h.) delivered this sermon at Kufah standing on a stone which

Ja`dah ibn Hubayrah al-Makhzumi had placed for him. Amir al-mu'minin

had a woollen apparel on his body, the belt of his sword was made of

leaves, and the sandals on his feet too were of palm leaves. Hisforehead had a hardened spot like that a camel (on its knee, due to

many and long prostrations). About Allah's attributes, His creatures

and His being above physical limitations

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah t o Whom i s t he r et ur n of al l cr eat i on and t he end of

al l mat t er s. We r ender Hi m pr ai se f or t he gr eat ness of Hi s gener osi t y,

t he char i t y of Hi s pr oof s, t he i ncr ease of Hi s bount y and Hi s f avour s,

- pr ai se whi ch may f ul f i l Hi s r i ght , r epay Hi s t hanks, t ake ( us) near

Hi s r ewar d and be pr oduct i ve of i ncr ease i n Hi s ki ndness. We seek Hi s

hel p l i ke one who i s hopef ul of Hi s bount y, desi r ous of Hi s benef i t ,

and conf i dent of Hi s war di ng of f ( cal ami t i es) , who acknowl edges Hi s

gi f t s and i s obedi ent t o Hi m i n wor d and deed. We bel i eve i n Hi m l i ke

hi m who r eposes hope i n Hi m wi t h convi ct i on, i ncl i nes t o Hi m as a

bel i ever , humbl es hi msel f bef or e Hi m obedi ent l y, bel i eves i n Hi s

oneness excl usi vel y, r egar ds Hi m gr eat , acknowl edgi ng Hi s di gni t y, and

seeks r ef uge wi t h Hi m wi t h i ncl i nat i on and exer t i on.



Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed has not been bor n so t hat someone coul d be (Hi s)

part ner i n gl or y. Nor has He begot t en anyone so as t o be i nher i t ed f r om

af t er dyi ng. Ti me and per i od have not pr eceded Hi m. I ncr ease and

decrease do not occur t o Hi m. But He has mani f est ed Hi msel f t o our

under st andi ng t hr ough our havi ng observed Hi s st r ong cont r ol and f i r m

decr ee. Among t he pr oof s of Hi s cr eat i on i s t he cr eat i on of t he ski eswhi ch ar e f ast ened wi t hout pi l l ar s and st and wi t hout suppor t . He cal l ed

t hemand they r esponded obedi ent l y and humbl y wi t hout bei ng l azy or

l oathsome. I f t hey had not acknowl edged Hi s Godhead and obeyed Hi m He

woul d not have made t hemt he pl ace f or Hi s t hr one, t he abode of Hi s

angel s and t he dest i nat i on f or t he r i si ng up of t he pur e ut t er ances and

t he r i ght eous deeds of t he cr eat ur es.

He has made the st ar s i n t he ski es by way of si gns by whi ch t r avel l er s

wander i ng t he var i ous r out es of t he ear t h may be gui ded. The gl oom of

t he dar k cur t ai ns of t he ni ght does not pr event t he f l ame of t hei r

l i ght , nor do t he vei l s of bl acki sh ni ght s have t he power t o t ur n back

t he l i ght of t he moon when i t spr eads i n t he ski es. Gl or y be t o Al l ah

f r om Whom nei t her t he bl ackness of dar k dusk or of gl oomy ni ght

( f al l i ng) i n t he l ow par t s of t he ear t h or on hi gh di m mount ai ns i s

hi dden, nor t he t hunder i ng of cl ouds on t he hor i zons of t he ski es, nor

t he spar ki ng of l i ght ni ng i n t he cl ouds, nor t he f al l i ng of l eaves

bl own away f r om t hei r f al l i ng pl aces by t he wi nds of hur r i canes or by

downpour f r om t he sky. He knows where the dr ops f al l and where they

st ay, wher e t he gr ubs l eave t hei r t r ai l s or wher e t hey dr ag t hemsel ves,

what l i vel i hood woul d suf f i ce t he mosqui t oes and what a f emal e bear s i ni t s womb.

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah Who exi st s f r om bef or e t he comi ng i nt o exi st ence of

t he seat , t he t hr one, t he sky, t he ear t h, t he j i nn or human bei ng. He

cannot be percei ved by i magi nat i on nor measur ed by underst andi ng. He

who begs f r om Hi m does not di ver t Hi m ( f r om ot her s) , nor does gi vi ng

away cause Hi m di mi nut i on. He does not see by means of an eye, nor can

He be conf i ned t o a pl ace. He cannot be sai d to have compani ons. He

does not cr eat e wi t h ( t he hel p of ) l i mbs. He cannot be per cei ved by

senses. He cannot be t hought of af t er t he peopl e.I t i s He who spoke t o Musa cl ear l y and showed hi m Hi s great si gns

wi t hout t he use of bodi l y par t s, t he or gan of speech or t he uvul a. O'

you who exer t your sel f i n descr i bi ng Al l ah i f you ar e ser i ous t hen

( f i r st t r y t o) descr i be Gabr i el , Mi chael or t he host of angel s who ar e

cl ose ( t o Al l ah) i n t he r ecept acl es of subl i mi t y; but t hei r heads ar e

bent downwar ds and t hei r wi t s ar e per pl exed as t o how t o assi gn l i mi t s



( of def i ni t i on) t o t he Hi ghest Cr eat or . Thi s i s because t hose t hi ngs

can onl y be percei ved thr ough qual i t i es whi ch have shape and part s and

whi ch succumb t o deat h af t er r eachi ng t he end of t hei r t i mes. Ther e i s

no god but He. He has l i ght ed every darkness wi t h Hi s ef f ul gence and

has dar kened ever y l i ght wi t h t he dar kness ( of deat h) .

An account of past peoples and about

learning from them

I advi se you, cr eat ur es of Al l ah, t o pr act i se f ear of Al l ah Who gave

you good cl othi ng and best owed an abundance of sust enance on you. I f

t her e was anyone who coul d secur e a l adder t o ever l ast i ng l i f e or a way

t o avoi d deat h i t was Sul ayman i bn Dawud ( p. b. u. h. ) who was gi ven

cont r ol over t he domai n of t he j i nn and men al ong wi t h pr ophet hood and

gr eat posi t i on ( bef or e Al l ah) , but when he f i ni shed what was hi s due i n

f ood ( of t hi s wor l d) and exhaust ed hi s ( f i xed) t i me t he bow ofdest r uct i on shot hi m wi t h ar r ow of deat h. Hi s houses became vacant and

hi s habi t at i ons became empt y. Another gr oup of peopl e i nher i t ed t hem.

Cer t ai nl y, t he bygone cent ur i es have a l esson f or you.

Wher e are t he Amal eki t es [ 1] and t he sons of Amal eki t es? Where ar e t he

Pharaohs? [ 2] Wher e ar e t he peopl e of t he ci t i es of ar - Rass [ 3] who

ki l l ed t he pr ophet s, dest r oyed t he t r adi t i ons of t he di vi ne messenger s

and revi ved the t r adi t i ons of t he despots? Where ar e t hose who advanced

wi t h ar mi es, def eat ed t housands, mobi l i sed f or ces and popul at ed ci t i es?

A part of the same sermon about the Imam al-Mahdi

He wi l l be wear i ng the ar mour of wi sdom, whi ch he wi l l have secur ed

wi t h al l i t s condi t i ons, such as f ul l at t ent i on t owar ds i t , i t s

( compl et e) knowl edge and excl usi ve devot i on t o i t . For hi m i t i s l i ke a

t hi ng whi ch he had l ost and whi ch he was t hen seeki ng, or a need whi ch

he was tr yi ng t o f ul f i l . I f I s l am i s i n t r oubl e he wi l l f eel f or l orn

l i ke a t r avel l er and l i ke a ( t i r ed) camel beat i ng t he end of i t s t ai l

and wi t h i t s neck f l at t ened on t he gr ound. He i s t he l ast of Al l ah' s

pr oof s and one of t he vi ceger ent s of Hi s prophet s.

Then Amir al-mu'minin continued:

On the method of his ruling, and grief over

the martyrdom of his companions









O' peopl e! I have di vul ged t o you advi ce whi ch t he pr ophets used t o

pr each bef ore t hei r peopl es, and I have conveyed t o you what t he

vi ceger ent s ( of t he pr ophet s) conveyed t o t hose comi ng af t er t hem. I

t r i ed t o t r ai n you wi t h my whi p but you coul d not be st r ai ght ened. I

dr ove you wi t h admoni t i on but you di d not acqui r e pr oper behavi our . May

Al l ah deal wi t h you! Do you want an I mam ot her t han me t o t ake you ont he ( r i ght ) pat h, and show you t he cor r ect way?

Beware, t he thi ngs i n thi s wor l d whi ch were f orward have become thi ngs

of t he past , and those of whi ch were behi nd ar e goi ng ahead. The

vi r t uous peopl e of Al l ah have made up t hei r mi nds t o l eave and t hey

have pur chased, wi t h a l i t t l e per i shabl e ( pl easur e) of t hi s wor l d, a

l ot of such ( r ewar d) i n t he next wor l d t hat wi l l r emai n. What l oss di d

our br ot her s whose bl ood was shed i n Si f f i n suf f er by not bei ng al i ve

t oday? Onl y t hat t hey ar e not suf f er i ng choki ng on swal l owi ngs and not

dr i nki ng t ur bi d wat er . By Al l ah, surel y they have met Al l ah and He has

best owed upon t hemt hei r r ewards and He has l odged t hemi n saf e houses

af t er t hei r ( havi ng suf f er ed) f ear .

Wher e ar e my br et hr en who t ook t he ( r i ght ) pat h and t r od i n r i ght ness.

Wher e i s `Ammar ? [ 4] Wher e i s I bn at - Tayyi han? [ 5] Wher e i s Dhu' sh-

Shahadat ayn? [ 6] And wher e ar e ot her s l i ke t hem [ 7] f r om among t hei r

comr ades who had pl edged t hemsel ves t o deat h and whose ( severed) heads

wer e t aken t o t he wi cked enemy.

Then Amir al-mu'minin wiped his hand over his auspicious, honoured

beard and wept for a long time, then he continued:

Oh! my br ot her s. who r eci t ed the Qur ' an and st r engt hened i t , t hought

over t hei r obl i gat i on and f ul f i l l ed i t , r evi ved t he sunnah and

dest r oyed i nnovat i on. When t hey were cal l ed t o jihad t hey r esponded and

t r ust ed i n t hei r l eader t hen f ol l owed hi m.

Then Amir al-mu'minin shouted at the top of his voice:

al-jihad, al-jihad ( f i ght i ng, f i ght i ng) , O' creat ur es of Al l ah! By

Al l ah, I am mobi l i si ng the ar my t oday. He who desi r es t o pr oceed

t owards Al l ah shoul d come f orward.

Nawf says: Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n put Husayn ( p. b. u. h. ) over ( a f or ce

of ) t en t housand, Qays i bn Sa`d ( mercy of Al l ah be upon hi m) over t en

t housand, Abu Ayyub al - Ansar i over t en t housand, and others over

di f f er ent number s, i nt endi ng t o r et ur n t o Si f f i n, but Fri day di d not

appear agai n and t he accur sed I bn Mul j am ( may Al l ah cur se hi m) ki l l ed











hi m. Consequent l y, t he ar mi es came back and were l ef t l i ke sheep who

had l ost t hei r shepher d whi l e wol ves wer e snat chi ng t hem away f r om al l

s i des.


[ 1] . Hi st or y shows t hat ver y of t en t he r ui n and dest r uct i on of peopl eshas been due t o t hei r oppr essi on and open wi ckedness and pr of l i gacy.

Consequent l y, communi t i es whi ch had ext ended t hei r sway over al l t he

cor ner s of t he popul at ed wor l d and had f l own t hei r f l ags i n t he East

and West of t he gl obe di sappear ed f r om t he sur f ace of t he ear t h l i ke a

wr ong wor d, on di scl osur e of t hei r vi ci ous act i ons and evi l doi ngs.

Amalekites: anci ent nomadi c t r i be, or col l ect i on of t r i bes, descr i bed

i n t he Ol d Test ament as rel ent l ess enemi es of I sr ael , even t hough t hey

wer e cl osel y rel at ed t o Ephr ai m, one of t he t wel ve t r i bes of I sr ael .

Thei r name der i ves f r om Amal ek, who i s cel ebr at ed i n Ar abi an t r adi t i onbut cannot be i dent i f i ed. The di st r i ct over whi ch t hey ranged was sout h

of J udah and pr obabl y extended i nt o nor t hern Ar abi a. The Amal eki t es

harassed t he Hebr ews dur i ng thei r exodus out of Egypt and at t acked them

at Rephi di m ( near Mt . Si nai ) , wher e t hey wer e def eat ed by J oshua. They

al so f i l l ed out t he r anks of t he nomadi c r ai der s def eat ed by Gi deon and

were condemned t o anni hi l at i on by Samuel . The Amel eki t es, whose f i nal

def eat occur r ed i n t he t i me of Hezeki ah, wer e the obj ect of a per pet ual

cur se. ( The New Encyclopaedia Britannica [ Mi cropaedi a] , vol . 1, p. 288,

ed. 1973- 1974; al so see [ f or f ur t her r ef er ence] The Encyclopaedia

Americana, [ I nt er nat i onal Edi t i on] vol . 1, p. 651, ed. 1975) .

[ 2] . Pharaoh: Hebr ew f or m of t he Egypt i an per - `o ( " t he gr eat house") ,

si gni f yi ng t he r oyal pal ace, an epi t het appl i ed i n t he New Ki ngdom and

af t er , as a t i t l e of r espect , t o t he Egypt i an ki ng hi msel f . I n t he 22nd

dynast y t he t i t l e was added t o t he ki ng' s per sonal name. I n of f i ci al

document s t he f ul l t i t ul ar y of t he Egypt i an ki ng cont ai ned f i ve names.

The f i r st and ol dest i dent i f i ed hi m as t he i ncar nat i on of t he f al con

god, Hor us; i t was of t en wr i t t en i nsi de a squar e cal l ed serekh,

depi ct i ng the f acade of t he ar chai c pal ace. The second name, " t wo

l adi es" , pl aced hi m under t he pr ot ect i on of Nekhbet and But o, t hevul t ur e and ur aeus ( snake) goddesses of Upper and Lower Egypt ; t he

t hi r d, "gol den Hor us", si gni f i ed per haps or i gi nal l y "Hor us vi ct or i ous

over hi s enemi es. " The l ast t wo names, wr i t t en wi t hi n a r i ng or

car t ouche, are general l y ref er r ed t o as t he pr aenomen and nomen, and

wer e t he ones most commonl y used; t he pr aenomen and nomen, and wer e t he

ones most commonl y used; t he pr aenomen, preceded by t he hi erogl yph







meani ng "Ki ng of Upper and Lower Egypt , " usual l y cont ai ned a ref erence

t o t he ki ng' s Uni que rel at i onshi p wi t h t he sun god, Re, whi l e t he

f i f t h, or nomen, was preceded by the hi er ogl yph f or "Son of Re, " or by

t hat f or "Lor d of t he two l ands. " The l ast name was gi ven hi m at bi r t h,

t he r est at hi s cor onat i on. ( The New Encyclopaedia Britannica

[ Mi cropaedi a] , vol . Vl l , p. 927, ed. 1973- 1974; al so see [ f or f ur t herr ef er ence] The Encyclopaedia Americana, [ I nt ernat i onal Edi t i on] , vol .

21, p.

707, ed. 1975) .

Among t he Pharaohs was t he Pharaoh of t he days of Pr ophet Musa. Hi s

pr i de, egot i sm, i nsol ence and haught i ness were such t hat by maki ng t he

cl ai m " I amyour subl i me God" he deemed hi msel f t o be hol di ng sway over

al l ot her power s of t he wor l d, and was under t he mi sunder st andi ng that

no power coul d wr est t he real m and government f r omhi s hands. The

Qur ' an has nar r at ed hi s cl ai m of " I and no one el se" i n t he f ol l owi ngwords:

And proclaimed Pharaoh unto his people, "O' my people! is not the

kingdom of Egypt mine? And these rivers flow below me; What! behold ye

not? ( 43: 51)

But when hi s empi r e came near t he end i t was dest r oyed i n a f ew

moment s. Nei t her hi s posi t i on and servant s coul d come i n t he way of i t s

dest r uct i on nor coul d t he vast ness of hi s r eal m pr event i t . Rat her , t he

waves of t he very st r eams whi ch he was ext r emel y pr oud t o possess,wr apped hi m i n and di spat ched hi s spi r i t t o Hel l t hr owi ng t he body on

t he bank t o serve as a l esson f or t he whol e of cr eat i on.

[ 3] . The people of the cities of ar-Rass: I n the same way t he peopl e of

ar - Rass wer e ki l l ed and dest r oyed f or di sr egar di ng the pr eachi ng and

cal l of a pr ophet , and f or r evol t and di sobedi ence. About t hem t he

Qur ' an says:

And the ( t r i bes of ) `Ad and Thamud and the inhabitants of ar-Rass, and

generations between them, in great number. And unto each of them We did

give examples and every one ( of t hem) We did destroy with utter

extermination. ( 25: 38, 39)

Belied ( al so) those before them the people of Noah and the dwellers of

ar-Rass and Thamud; And `Ad and Pharaoh, and the brethren of Lot; And

the dwellers of the Wood and the people of Tubba`; all belied the

apostles, so was proved true My promise ( of t he doom) ( 50: 12- 14)





[ 4] . Àmmar i bn Yasi r i bn Àmi r al - Ànsi al - Madhhi j i al Makhzumi ( a

conf ederate of Banu Makhzum) was one of t he ear l i est conver t s t o I sl am,

and t he f i r st Musl i m t o bui l d a mosque i n hi s own house i n whi ch he

used t o wor shi p Al l ah ( at-Tabaqat, vol . 3, Par t 1, p. 178; Usd al-

ghabah, vol . 4, p. 46; I bn Kat hi r , at-Tarikh, vol . 7, p. 311) .

Àmmar accept ed I sl am al ong wi t h hi s f at her Yasi r and hi s mot herSumayyah. They suf f er ed gr eat t or t ur es by the Qur aysh, due t o t hei r

conver si on t o I sl am, t o such an extent t hat Àmmar l ost hi s par ent s;

and they were t he f i r st mar t yr s man and woman i n I sl am.

Àmmar was among t hose who i mmi grat ed t o Abyssi ni a, and t he ear l i est

i mmi gr ant s ( muhaj i r un) t o Medi na. He was pr esent i n t he bat t l e of Badr

and al l ot her bat t l es as wel l as pl aces of assembl y by t he Musl i ms

dur i ng t he l i f et i me of t he Hol y Pr ophet ; and he showed hi s mi ght and

f avour i n al l I sl ami c st r uggl es i n t he best way.

Many t r adi t i ons ar e nar r ated f r omt he Hol y Pr ophet about Àmmar

r egar di ng hi s vi r t ues, out st andi ng t r ai t s and hi s gl or i ous deeds, such

as t he t r adi t i on whi ch À' i shah and ot her have nar r at ed t hat t he Hol y

Pr ophet hi msel f had sai d t hat Àmmar was f i l l ed wi t h f ai t h f r om t he

cr own of hi s head t o t he sol es of hi s f eet . ( I bn Maj ah, as-Sunan, vol .

1, p. 65; Abu Nuàym, Hilyah al-Awliya', vol . 1, p. 139; al - Hayt ami ,

Majma` az-zawa'id , vol . 9, p. 295; al-Istiàb, vol . 3, p. 1137; al-

Isabah, vol . 2, p. 512)

I n anot her t r adi t i on t he Hol y Pr ophet sai d about Àmmar :Àmmar i s wi t h t he t r ut h and t he t r ut h i s wi t h Àmmar. He tur ns

wherever t he t r ut h tur ns. Àmmar i s as near t o me as an eye i s near t o

t he nose. Al as! a r ebel l i ous gr oup wi l l ki l l hi m. (at-Tabaqat, vol . 3,

par t 1, p. 187; al-Mustadrak, vol . 3, p. 392; I bn Hi sham, as-Sirah,

vol . 2, p. 143; I bn Kat hi r , at-Tarikh, vol . 7, pp. 268- 270)

Al so i n t he deci si ve and wi del y known t r adi t i on whi ch al - Bukhar i ( i n

Sahih, vol . 8, pp. 185- 186) , at - Ti r mi dhi ( in al-Jami` as-Sahih, vol . 5,

p. 669) ; Ahmad i bn Hanbal ( i n al-Musnad, vol . 2, pp. 161, 164, 206; vol .

3, pp. 5, 22, 28, 91; vol . 4, pp. 197, 199, vol . 5 pp. 215, 306, 307; vol .6, pp. 289, 300, 311, 315) , and al l t he nar r at or s of I sl ami c t r adi t i ons

and hi st or i ans t r ansmi t t ed t hr ough t went y- f i ve Compani ons t hat t he Hol y

Pr ophet sai d about Àmmar :

Al as! a r ebel l i ous gr oup whi ch swer ves f r om t he t r ut h wi l l mur der

Àmmar. Àmmar wi l l be cal l i ng t hemt owards Par adi se and t hey wi l l be





cal l i ng hi m t owar ds Hel l . Hi s ki l l er and t hose who st r i p hi m of ar ms

and cl ot hi ng wi l l be i n Hel l .

I bn Haj ar al - Àsqal ani ( i n Tahdhib at-tahdhib, vol . 7, p. 409; al-

lsabah, vol . 2, p. 512) and as- Suyut i ( in al-Khasa'is al-kubra, vol . 2,

p. 140) say: "The nar r at i on of t hi s ( above ment i oned) t r adi t i on i s

mutawatir ( i . e. nar r at ed successi vel y by so many peopl e t hat no doubtcan be ent er t ai ned about i t s aut hent i ci t y) . "

I bn Àbd al - Bar r ( i n al-Istiàb, vol . 3, p. 1140) says:

The nar r at i on f ol l owed uni nter r upt ed successi on f r om t he Hol y Pr ophet ,

t hat he sai d: "A r ebel l i ous gr oup wi l l mur der Àmmar , " and t hi s i s a

pr ophecy of t he Prophet ' s secr et knowl edge and t he si gn of hi s

pr ophethood. Thi s t r adi t i on i s among t he most aut hent i c and t he most

r i ght l y ascr i bed t r adi t i ons.

Af t er t he deat h of t he Hol y Pr ophet , Àmmar was one of t he cl osest

adher ent s and best suppor t er s of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n dur i ng t he r ei gn of

t he f i r st t hr ee Cal i phs. Dur i ng t he cal i phat e of Ùt hman when t he

Musl i m pr ot est ed ( t o Ùt hman) agai nst hi s pol i cy on t he di st r i but i on of

t he Publ i c Treasur y (Baytu'l-mal) Ùt hman sai d i n a publ i c assembl y

t hat , ' t he money whi ch as i n t he t r easury was sacr ed and bel onged t o

Al l ah, and t hat he ( as bei ng t he successor of t he Pr ophet ) had the

r i ght t o di spose of t hem as he thought f i t . ' He ( Ùt hman) t hr eat ened

and cur sed al l who presumed t o censure or murmur at what he sai d. Upon

t hi s, Àmmar i bn Yasi r bol dl y decl ar ed hi s di sappr obat i on and began t ochar ge hi m wi t h hi s i nvet er at e pr opensi t y t o i gnor e t he i nt er est s of

t he gener al publ i c; accused hi m wi t h r evi vi ng t he heat heni sh cust oms

abol i shed by t he Pr ophet . Wher eupon Ùt hman commanded hi m t o be beat en

and i mmedi atel y some of t he Umayyads, t he ki ndr ed of t he Cal i ph f el l

upon t he vener abl e Àmmar , and t he Cal i ph hi msel f ki cki ng hi m wi t h hi s

shoes ( on hi s f eet ) on Àmmar ' s t est i cl es, and af f l i ct ed hi m wi t h

her ni a. Àmmar became unconsci ous f or t hree days, and he was t aken car e

of by Umm al - mu' mi ni n Umm Sal amah i n her own house. ( al - Bal adhur i ,

Ansab al-ashraf, vol . 5, pp. 48, 54, 88; I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 3, pp. 47-

52; al-lmamah wa's-siyasah, vol . 1, pp. 35- 36; al-Ìqd al-farid, vol .4, p. 307; at-Tabaqat, vol . 3, Par t 1, p. 185; Tarikh al-khamis, vol .

2, p. 271)

When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n became Cal i ph, Àmmar was one of hi s most si ncere

suppor t er s. He par t i ci pat ed f ul l y i n al l soci al , pol i t i cal and mi l i t ar y



acti vi t i es dur i ng t hi s per i od, especi al l y i n t he f i r st bat t l e ( t he

bat t l e of J amal ) and t he second one ( t he bat t l e of Si f f i n) .

However , Àmmar was mar t yr ed on 9t h Saf ar 37 A. H. i n t he bat t l e of

Si f f i n when a he was over ni nety years of age. On the day Àmmar i bn

Yasi r achi eved mar t yr dom, he t urned hi s f ace t o t he sky and sai d:

O' my Al l ah! sur el y Thou ar t awar e t hat i f I know t hat Thy wi sh i s t hat

I shoul d pl unge mysel f i nt o t hi s Ri ver ( t he Euphr at es) and be dr owned,

I wi l l do i t . O' my Al l ah! sur el y Thou knowest t hat i f I knew t hat Thou

woul d be pl eased i f I put my sci mi t ar on my chest ( t o hi t my hear t ) and

pr essed i t so har d t hat i t came out of my back, I woul d do i t . O' my

Al l ah! I do not t hi nk t her e i s anythi ng mor e pl easant t o Thee than

f i ght i ng wi t h t hi s si nf ul gr oup, and i f knew t hat any act i on wer e mor e

pl easant t o Thee I woul d do i t .

Abu Àbd ar - Rahman as- Sul ami nar r ates:

"We were pr esent wi t h Ami r al - mu' mi ni n at Si f f i n where I saw Àmmar i bn

Yasi r was not t urni ng hi s f ace t owar ds any si de, nor val l eys ( wadi s [ of

t he l and] ) of Si f f i n but t he compani ons of t he Hol y Pr ophet wer e

f ol l owi ng hi m as i f he was a si gn f or t hem. Then I hear d Àmmar say t o

Hashi m i bn ' Ut bah ( al - Mi r qal ) : ' O' Hashi m! r ush i nt o enemy' s r anks,

paradi se i s under swor d!

Today I meet beloved one, Muhammad and his party'.

"Then he sai d: ' By Al l ah, i f t hey put us t o f l i ght ( and pur sue us) t ot he dat e- pal ms of Haj ar ( a t own i n Bahr ai n, Per si an Gul f [ i . e. , i f t hey

pur sue us al ong al l t he Ar abi an deser t ] never t hel ess) we know surel y

t hat we ar e r i ght and t hey ar e wr ong. '

"Then he (Ammar) cont i nued ( addr essi ng t he enemi es) :

We struck you to ( bel i eve i n) its ( Hol y Qur ' an) revelation; And today

we strike you to (believe in) its interpretation; Such strike as to

remove heads from their resting places; And to make the friend forget

his sincere friend; Until the truth returns to its ( r i ght ) path.'"

The nar r at or says: " I di d not see t he Hol y Pr ophet ' s compani ons ki l l ed

at any t i me as many as t hey wer e ki l l ed on thi s day. "

Then Àmmar spur r ed hi s hor se, ent er ed t he bat t l ef i el d and began

f i ght i ng. He per si st ent l y chased t he enemy, made at t ack af t er at t ack,



and r ai sed chal l engi ng sl ogans t i l l at l ast a gr oup of mean- spi r i t ed

Syr i ans sur r ounded hi m on al l si des, and a man named Abu al - Ghadi yah

al - J uhar i ( al - Fazar i ) i nf l i ct ed such a wound upon hi m t hat he coul d not

bear i t , and r et ur ned t o hi s camp. He asked f or wat er . A t umbl er of

mi l k was brought t o hi m. When Àmmar l ooked at t he t umbl er he sai d:

"The Messenger of Al l ah had sai d t he r i ght t hi ng. " Peopl e asked hi mwhat he meant by t hese words. He sai d "The Messenger of Al l ah i nf ormed

me that t he l ast sust enance f or me i n t hi s wor l d woul d be mi l k. " Then

he t ook that t umbl er of mi l k i n hi s hands, dr ank the mi l k and

sur r ender ed hi s l i f e t o Al l ah, t he Al mi ght y. When Ami r al - mu' mi ni n came

t o know of hi s death, he came to Àmmar ' s s i de, put hi s ( Àmmar ' s) head

on hi s own l ap, and r eci t ed t he f ol l owi ng el egy t o mour n hi s deat h:

Sur el y any Musl i m who i s not di st r essed at t he mur der of t he son of

Yasi r , and i s not be af f l i ct ed by t hi s gr i evous mi sf or t une does not

have t r ue f ai t h.

May Al l ah show Hi s mer cy t o Àmmar t he day he embraced I sl am, may Al l ah

show Hi s mercy t o Àmmar t he day he was ki l l ed, and may Al l ah show Hi s

mercy t o Àmmar t he day he i s r ai sed t o l i f e.

Cert ai nl y, I f ound Àmmar ( on such l evel ) t hat t hr ee compani ons of t he

Hol y Pr ophet coul d not be named unl ess he was t he f our t h, and f our of

t hem coul d not be ment i oned unl ess he was t he f i f t h.

Ther e was none among t he Hol y Pr ophet ' s compani ons who doubt ed t hat not

onl y was Paradi se once or t wi ce compul sor i l y best owed upon Àmmar , butt hat he gai ned hi s cl ai m t o i t ( a number of t i mes) . May Par adi se gi ve

enj oyment t o Àmmar .

Cer t ai nl y, i t was sai d ( by t he Hol y Pr ophet ) "Sur el y, Àmmar i s wi t h

t he t r ut h and t he t r ut h i s wi t h Àmmar . He tur ns wher ever t he t r ut h

t urns . Hi s ki l l er wi l l be i n hel l . "

Then Ami r al - mu' mi ni n st epped f or war d and of f er ed f uner al prayers f or

hi m, and t hen wi t h hi s own hands, he bur i ed hi m wi t h hi s cl ot hes.

Àmmar ' s deat h caused a good deal of commot i on i n t he r anks ofMuàwi yah t oo, because t her e were a l arge number of promi nent peopl e

f i ght i ng f r om hi s si de under t he i mpr essi on cr eat ed i n t hei r mi nds t hat

he was f i ght i ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n f or a r i ght cause. These peopl e wer e

aware of t he sayi ng of t he Hol y Pr ophet t hat Àmmar woul d be ki l l ed by

a group who woul d be on t he wr ong si de. When t hey obser ved that Àmmar

had been ki l l ed by Muàwi yah' s army, t hey became convi nced t hat t hey



were on t he wr ong si de and t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was def i ni t el y on t he

r i ght . Thi s agi t at i on t hus caused among t he l eader s as wel l as t he rank

and f i l e of Muàwi yah' s ar my, was quel l ed by hi m wi t h t he ar gument t hat

i t was Ami r al - mu' mi ni n who br ought Àmmar t o the bat t l ef i el d and

t heref ore i t was he who was r esponsi bl e f or hi s death. When Muàwi yah' s

argument was ment i oned bef ore Ami r al - mu' mi ni n he sai d i t was as t hought he Pr ophet was r esponsi bl e f or ki l l i ng Hamzah as he br ought hi m t o the

bat t l e of Uhud. ( at - Tabar i , at-Tarikh, vol . 1, pp. 3316- 3322; vol . 3,

pp. 2314- 2319; I bn Sa`d, at-Tabaqat, vol . 3, Par t 1, pp. 176- 189; I bn

al - Athi r , al-Kamil, vol . 3, pp. 308- 312; I bn Kat hi r , at-Tarikh, vol . 7,

pp, 267- 272; al - Mi nqar i , Siffin, pp. 320- 345; I bn Àbd al - Bar r , al-

Isti'ab, vol . 3, pp. 1135- 1140; vol . 4, p. 1725; I bn al - At hi r , Usd

al-ghabah, vol . 4, pp. 43- 47; vol . 5, p. 267; I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, Sharh

Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 5, pp. 252- 258; vol . 8, pp. 10- 28; vol . 10, pp.

102- 107, al - Haki m, al-Mustadrak, vol . 3, pp. 384- 394; I bn Àbd Rabbi h,

al-Ìqd al-farid, vol . 4, pp. 340- 343; al - Masùdi , Muruj adh-dhahab, vol . 2, pp. 381- 382, al - Hayt ami , Majma` az-zawa'id, vol . 7, pp. 238-

244; vol . 9, pp. 291- 298; al - Bal adhur i , Ansab al-ashraf ( Bi ogr aphy of

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n) , pp. 310- 319.

[ 5] . Abu' l - Hayt ham ( Mal i k) i bn at - Tayyi han al - Ansar i was one of t he

t wel ve chi ef s ( naqi b [ of ansar] ) who at t ended t he f ai r and met at al -

Àqabah - - i n t he f i r st Àqabah and among t hose who at t ended i n t he

second Àqabah - - where he gave t he Hol y Pr ophet t he ' pl edge of I sl am' .

He was pr esent i n t he bat t l e of Badr and al l ot her bat t l es as wel l as

pl aces of assembl y by the Musl i ms dur i ng t he l i f et i me of t he Hol yProphet . He was al so among t he si ncere support ers of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

and he at t ended t he bat t l e of J amal as wel l as Si f f i n wher e he was

mart yred. ( al-Istiàb, vol . 4, p. 1773; Siffin, p. 365; Usd al-ghabah,

vol . 4, p. 274; vol . 5, p. 318; al-Isabah, vol . 3, p. 341; vol . 4, pp.

312- 313; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, vol . 10, pp. 107- 108; Ansab al-ashraf, p.

319) .

[ 6] . Khuzaymah i bn Thabi t al - Ansar i . He i s known as Dhu' sh- Shahadatayn

because t he Hol y Pr ophet consi der ed hi s evi dence equi val ent t o t he

evi dence of t wo wi t nesses He was present i n t he bat t l e of Badr , andot her bat t l es as wel l as i n t he pl aces of assembl y of t he Musl i ms

dur i ng t he l i f et i me of t he Hol y Pr ophet . He i s count ed among t he

ear l i est of t hose who showed t hei r adherence t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and he

was al so pr esent i n t he bat t l e of J amal and Si f f i n. Àbd ar - Rahman i bn

Abi Layl a nar r at ed t hat he saw a man i n t he bat t l e of Si f f i n f i ght i ng







t he enemy val i ant l y and when he pr otest ed agai nst hi s act i on, t he man

sai d:

I am Khuzaymah i bn Thabi t al - Ansar i , I have hear d t he Hol y Pr ophet

sayi ng "Fi ght , f i ght , by t he si de of Àl i . " ( al - Khat i b al - Baghdadi ,

Muwaddih awham al-jam` wa't-tafriq, vol . 1, p. 277) .

Khuzaymah was mar t yred i n t he bat t l e of Si f f i n soon af t er t he mar t yrdom

of Àmmar i bn Yasi r .

Sayf i bn Ùmar al - Usayydi ( t he wel l known l i ar ) has f abr i cat ed anot her

Khuzaymah, and cl ai med t hat t he one who was mart yr ed i n t he bat t l e of

Si f f i n was t hi s one and not t he one wi t h t he sur name of ' Dhu' sh-

Shahadat ayn' . at - Tabar i has quot ed t hi s f abr i cat ed st or y f r om Sayf

ei t her i nt ent i onal l y or ot her wi se, and t hr ough hi m t hi s st or y has

af f ect ed some ot her hi st or i ans who quot ed f r om at - Tabar i or r el i ed on

hi m. ( For f ur t her r ef er ence, see al - Àskar i , Khamsun wa miah sahabimukhtalaq [ one hundr ed and f i f t y f abr i cat ed compani ons] , vol . 2, pp.

175- 189) .

Af t er havi ng deni ed t hi s st or y I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d adds ( i n Sharh Nahj al-

balaghah, vol . 10, pp. 109- 110) t hat :

Fur t hermore, what i s t he need f or t hose who to def end Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

t o make a boast of abundance wi t h Khuzaymah, Abu' l - Hayt ham, Àmmar and

ot her s. I f peopl e t r eat t hi s man ( Ami r al - mu' mi ni n) wi t h j ust i ce and

l ook at hi m wi t h heal t hy eyes t hey wi l l cer t ai nl y r eal i se t hat shoul d

he be al one ( on one si de) and t he peopl e al l t oget her ( on t he ot hersi de) f i ght i ng hi m, he wi l l be i n t he t r ut h and al l t he r est wi l l be i n

t he wr ong. ( at-Tabaqat, vol . 3, Par t 1, pp. 185, 188; al-Mustadrak, vol .

3, pp. 385, 397; Usd al-ghabah, vol . 2, p. 114; vol . 4, p. 47; al-

lstiàb, vol . 2, p. 448; at-Tabari, vol . 3, pp. 2316, 2319, 2401; al-

Kamil, vol . 3, p. 325; Siffin, pp. 363, 398; Ansab al-ashraf, pp. 313-

314) .

[ 7] . Among t he peopl e who were pr esent i n t he bat t l e of J amal on t he

si de of Ami r al - mumi ni n t here were one hundr ed and t hi r t y Badr i es

( t hose who par t i ci pat ed i n t he bat t l e of Badr wi t h t he Hol y Pr ophet )and seven hundr ed of t hose who were pr esent i n t he ' pl edge of ar -

Ri dwan' ( Bayàtu'r-Ridwan) whi ch t ook pl ace under a t r ee. ( adh- Dhahabi ,

Tarikh al-lslam, vol . 2, p. 171; Khal i f ah i bn Khayyat , at-Tarikh vol .

1, p. 164) . Those who wer e ki l l ed i n t he bat t l e of J amal f r om t he si de

of Ami r al - mumi ni n number ed some f i ve hundr ed ( some sai d t hat t he

number of mart yr s were more t han t hat ) . But on t he si de of t he peopl e





of J amal t went y t housand wer e ki l l ed. ( al-`lqd al-farid , vol . 4, p.

326) .

Among t hose who wer e pr esent i n t he bat t l e of Si f f i n on t he si de of

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, t her e wer e ei ght y Badr i es and ei ght hundr ed of t hose

who gave t he Hol y Pr ophet t he ' pl edge of ar - Ri dwan. ' ( al-Mustadrak,

vol . 3, p. 104 al-Istià'b, vol . 3, p. 1138; al-Isabah, vol . 2, p. 389;at-Tarikh, al - Ya`qubi , vol . 2, p. 188) .

On t he si de of Muàwi yah f or t y- f i ve t housand wer e ki l l ed, and on t he

si de of Ami r al - mumi ni n twent y- f i ve t housand. Among these mar t yrs ( of

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n) t her e wer e twent y- f i ve or t went y- si x Badr i es and

si xty- t hr ee or t hr ee hundr ed and t hr ee of t he peopl e of t he ' pl edge of

ar - Ri dwan' . ( Si f f i n, p. 558; al-Istiàb, vol . 2, p. 389, Ansab al-

ashraf , p. 322; I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 10, p. 104; Abu' l - Fi da' vol . 1,

p. 175, I bn al - War di , at-Tarikh, vol . 1, p. 240; I bn Kat hi r , vol . 7, p.

275; Tarikh al-khamis, vol . 2, p. 277)

Besi des t he di st i ngui shed and emi nent compani ons of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

l i ke Àmmar , Dhu' sh- Shahadatayn and I bn al - Tayyi han, who l ay mart yr ed

i n Si f f i n were: - -

i . Hashi m i bn Ùt bah i bn Abi Waqqas al - Mi r qal was ki l l ed on t he same

day when Àmmar was mar t yr ed. He was t he bear er of t he st andar d of Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n' s army on t hat day.

i i . Abdul l ah i bn Budayl i bn al - War qa' al - Khuzaì was somet i mes t he

r i ght wi ng Commander of Ami r al - mumi ni n' s army and somet i mes t hei nf ant r y Commander .

*****

Sermon 183 Praise of Allah for His bounties

Prai se be t o Al l ah Who i s r ecogni sed wi t hout bei ng seen and Who creat es

wi t hout t r oubl e. He cr eat ed t he cr eat i on wi t h Hi s Mi ght , and r ecei ves

t he devot i on of r ul er s by vi r t ue of Hi s di gni t y. He exer ci sessuper i or i t y over gr eat men t hr ough Hi s gener osi t y. I t i s He who made

Hi s cr eat i on t o popul ate the wor l d and sent t owards t he j i nn and human

bei ngs Hi s messenger s t o unvei l i t f or t hem, t o war n t hem of i t s har m,

t o pr esent t o them i t s exampl es, t o show t hem i t s def ect s and t o pl ace

bef or e t hem a whol e col l ect i on of mat t er s cont ai ni ng l essons about t he

changi ngs of heal t h and si ckness i n t hi s wor l d, i t s l awf ul t hi ngs and



unl awf ul t hi ngs and al l t hat Al l ah has or dai ned f or t he obedi ent and

t he di sobedi ent , namel y, Par adi se and Hel l and honour and di sgrace. I

ext end my pr ai se t o Hi s Bei ng as He desi r es Hi s cr eat i on t o pr ai se Hi m.

He has f i xed f or ever yt hi ng a measure, f or ever y measure a t i me l i mi t ,

and f or ever y t i me l i mi t a document .


About the greatness and importance of the Holy Qur'an

The Qur ' an or der s as wel l as r ef r ai ns, r emai ns si l ent and al so speaks.

I t i s t he pr oof of Al l ah bef or e Hi s creat i on. He has t aken f r om t hem a

pl edge ( t o act ) upon i t . He has per f ect ed i t s ef f ul gence, and compl et ed

t hr ough i t Hi s r el i gi on. He l et t he Pr ophet l eave t hi s wor l d when he

had conveyed t o t he peopl e al l Hi s commands of gui dance t hr ough t he

Qur ' an. You shoul d t heref or e r egar d Al l ah gr eat as he has hel d Hi msel f

gr eat , because He has not conceal ed anythi ng of Hi s r el i gi on f r om you,nor has He l ef t out anythi ng whi ch He l i kes or whi ch He di sl i kes, but

He made f or i t a cl ear embl em ( of gui dance) and a def i ni t e si gn whi ch

ei t her r ef r ai ns f r om i t or cal l s t owar ds i t . Hi s pl easur e i s t he same

f or al l t i me t o come.

You shoul d know t hat He wi l l not be pl eased wi t h you f or anyt hi ng f or

whi ch He was di spl eased wi t h t hose bef ore you, and He wi l l not be

di spl eased wi t h you f or anythi ng f or whi ch He was pl eased wi t h t hose

bef ore you. You are t r eadi ng on a cl ear path, and are speaki ng t he same

as t he peopl e bef ore you had spoken. Al l ah i s enough f or your needs i nt hi s wor l d. He has persuaded you t o remai n t hankf ul , and has made i t

obl i gat or y on you t o ment i on Hi m wi t h your t ongues.

Warning against punishment on the Day of Judgement

He has advi sed you t o exer ci se f ear and has made i t t he hi ghest poi nt

of Hi s pl easur e and al l t hat He r equi r es f r om Hi s cr eat ur es. You shoul d

t her ef or e f ear Al l ah, who i s such t hat you ar e as t hough j ust i n f r ont

of Hi m, and your f or el ocks ar e i n Hi s gr i p, and your change of posi t i on

i s i n Hi s cont r ol . I f you conceal a mat t er , He wi l l know of i t . I f you

di scl ose a mat t er , He wi l l r ecor d i t . For t hi s He has appoi nt edhonour ed guards ( angel s) who do not omi t any r i ght f ul mat t er nor

i ncl ude anythi ng i ncor r ect . You shoul d know t hat whoever f ear s Al l ah,

He woul d make f or hi m a way t o get out of t r oubl es and ( gr ant hi m) a

l i ght ( t o hel p hi m) out of dar kness. He wi l l ever keep hi m i n what ever

condi t i on) he wi shes, and wi l l make hi m st ay i n a posi t i on of honour

near Hi msel f , i n the house whi ch He has made f or Hi msel f . The shade of



t hi s house i s Hi s house i s Hi s t hr one, i t s l i ght i s Hi s ef f ul gence, i t s

vi si t or s ar e Hi s angel s and i t s compani ons ar e Hi s pr ophet s.

Ther ef or e, hast en t owar ds t he pl ace of r et urn and go ahead of ( your )

deat hs ( by col l ect i ng pr ovi si on f or t he next wor l d) . Shor t l y, t he

expect at i ons of t he peopl e wi l l be cut shor t and deat h wi l l over t ake

t hem whi l e the door of r epent ance wi l l be cl osed f or t hem. You ar est i l l i n a pl ace t o whi ch t hose who were bef ore you have been wi shi ng

t o r et ur n. I n t hi s wor l d, whi ch i s not your house, you ar e j ust a

t r avel l er i n mot i on. You have been gi ven t he cal l t o l eave f r om her e,

and you have been or dered t o col l ect pr ovi si on whi l e you ar e her e. You

shoul d know t hat t hi s t hi n ski n cannot t ol er at e t he Fi r e ( of Hel l ) . So,

have pi t y on your sel ves because you have al r eady t r i ed i t i n t he

t r i bul at i ons of t he wor l d.

Have you ever seen t he cr yi ng of a person who has been pr i cked wi t h a

t hor n or who bl eeds due t o st umbl i ng or whom hot sand has bur nt? Howwoul d he f eel when he i s bet ween t wo f r yi ng pans of Hel l wi t h st ones

al l r ound wi t h Satan as hi s compani on? Do you know t hat when Mal i k ( t he

guar d- i n- char ge of Hel l ) i s angr y wi t h t he f i r e, i t s par t s begi n t o

cl ash wi t h each ot her ( i n r age) , and, when he scol ds i t , i t l eaps

bet ween t he door s of Hel l cr yi ng on account of hi s scol di ng.

O' you ol d and bi g whom ol d age has made hoar y, how wi l l you f eel when

r i ngs of f i r e wi l l t ouch t he bones of your neck, and handcuf f s hol d so

har d t hat t hey eat away the f l esh of t he f or ear ms? ( Fear ) Al l ah !

Al l ah! O' cr owd of men, whi l e you ar e i n good heal t h bef or e si ckness( gr i ps you) and you ar e i n ease bef or e st r ai t ness ( over t akes you) . You

shoul d t r y f or t he r el ease of your necks bef or e t hei r mor t gage i s

f or ecl osed, your eyes, t hi n down bel l i es, use your f eet , spend your

money, t ake your bodi es and spend t hem over your sel ves, and do not be

ni ggar dl y about t hem, because Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, has sai d:

... if you help (in the way) of Allah, He will(also) help you, and will

set firm your feet. ( Qur ' an, 47: 7)

and He, t he Subl i me. has sai d:

Who is he who would loan unto Allah a goodly loan? so that He may

double it for him, and for him shall be a noble recompense. ( Qur ' an,

57: 11)

He does not seek your suppor t because of any weakness, nor does He

demand a l oan f r omyou because of shor t age. He seeks your hel p,



al t hough He possesses al l t he armi es of t he ski es and t he ear t h and He

i s st r ong and wi se. He seeks a l oan f r om you, al t hough He owns t he

t r easur es of t he ski es and t he ear t h and He i s r i ch and pr ai sewor t hy.

( Rat her ) He i nt ends t o t r y you as t o whi ch of you per f or ms good act s.

You shoul d t her ef or e be qui ck i n per f or mance of ( good) act s so t hat

your way be wi t h Hi s nei ghbour s i n Hi s abode; He made Hi s Pr ophet ' scompani ons of t hese nei ghbour s and made the angel s t o vi si t t hem. He

has honour ed t hei r ear s so that t he sound of Hel l f i r e may never r each

t hem, and He has af f or ded pr ot ect i on t o t hei r bodi es f r om wear i ness and

f at i gue.

. . . that is the grace of Allah, He bestoweth it upon whomsoever He

willeth; and Allah is the Lord of Mighty Grace. ( Qur ' an, 57: 21)

I say you ar e hear i ng. I seek Al l ah' s hel p f or mysel f and your sel ves.

He i s enough f or me and He i s t he best di spenser .

*****

Sermon 184 One of the Kharijites al-Burj ibn Mus'hir at-Ta'i raised the slogan,

"Command behoves only Allah" in such a way that Amir al-mu'minin heard

it. On hearing it he said:

Keep qui t e, may Al l ah make you ugl y, O' you wi t h br oken t oot h.

Cer t ai nl y, by Al l ah, when t r ut h became mani f est even t hen your

per sonal i t y was weak and your voi ce was l ose. But when wr ong began t o

shout l oudl y you agai n spr out ed up l i ke t he hor ns of a ki d.

*****

Sermon 185 Praise of Allah and His wonderful creatures

Pr ai se be to Al l ah. He i s such t hat senses cannot per cei ve Hi m, pl ace

cannot cont ai n Hi m, eyes cannot see Hi m and vei l s cannot cover Hi m. He

pr oves Hi s et er ni t y by the comi ng i nt o exi st ence of Hi s cr eat i on, and( al so) by or i gi nat i ng Hi s cr eat i on ( He pr oves) Hi s exi st ence, and by

t hei r ( mut ual ) si mi l ar i t y He pr oves t hat t her e i s not hi ng si mi l ar t o

Hi m. He i s t r ue i n Hi s pr omi se. He i s t oo hi gh t o be unj ust t o Hi s

cr eat ur es. He st ands by equi t y among Hi s cr eat i on and pr act i ces j ust i ce

over t hem i n Hi s commands. He pr ovi des evi dence thr ough t he cr eat i on of

t hi ngs of Hi s bei ng f r om ever , t hr ough t hei r mar ks of i ncapabi l i t y of



Hi s power , and t hr ough t hei r power l essness agai nst deat h of Hi s

et erni t y.

He i s One, but not by count i ng. He i s ever l ast i ng wi t hout , any l i mi t .

He i s exi st ent wi t hout any suppor t . Mi nds admi t of Hi m wi t hout ( any

act i vi t y of t he) senses. Thi ngs whi ch can be seen st and wi t ness t o Hi m

wi t hout conf r ont i ng Hi m. I magi nat i on cannot encompass Hi m. He mani f est sHi msel f t o t he i magi nat i on wi t h hi s hel p f or t he i magi nat i on, and

r ef uses t o be i magi ned by t he i magi nat i on. He has made i magi nat i on t he

ar bi t er ( i n t hi s mat t er ) . He i s not bi g i n t he sense t hat vol ume i s

vast and so Hi s body i s al so bi g. Nor i s He gr eat i n t he sense that Hi s

l i mi t s shoul d extend t o the ut most and so Hi s f r ame be extensi ve. But

He i s bi g i n posi t i on and gr eat i n aut hor i t y.

About the Holy Prophet

I st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad i s Hi s s l ave, Hi s chosen Prophet and Hi sr esponsi bl e t r ust ee - - may Al l ah bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s. Al l ah

sent hi m wi t h undeni abl e pr oof s, a cl ear success and open pat hs. So he

conveyed t he message decl ar i ng t he t r ut h wi t h i t . He l ed t he peopl e on

t he ( cor r ect ) hi ghway, est abl i shed si gns of gui dance and mi nar et s of

l i ght , and made I sl am' s r opes st r ong and i t s knot s f i r m.


About the creation of animal species

Had t hey pondered over t he gr eat ness of Hi s power and t he vast ness ofHi s bount y t hey woul d have r etur ned t o t he r i ght path and f ear ed t he

puni shment of t he Fi r e; but hear t s ar e si ck and eyes ar e i mpur e. Do

t hey not see t he smal l t hi ngs He has cr eat ed, how He st r engt hened t hei r

syst emand opened f or t hemhear i ng and si ght and made f or t hem bones

and ski ns? Look at t he ant wi t h i t s smal l body and del i cat e f or m. I t

can har dl y be seen i n t he cor ner of t he eye, nor by t he per cept i on of

t he i magi nat i on - how i t moves on t he ear t h and l eaps at i t s

l i vel i hood. I t car r i es t he gr ai n t o i t s hol e and deposi t s i t i n i t s

pl ace of st ay. I t col l ect s dur i ng t he summer f or i t s wi nt er , and dur i ng

st r engt h f or t he per i od of i t s weakness. I t s l i vel i hood i s guar ant eed,and i t i s f ed accor di ng t o f i t ness. Al l ah, t he Ki nd, does not f or get i t

and ( Al l ah t he Gi ver ) does not depr i ve i t , even t hough i t may be i n dr y

st one or f i xed r ocks.

I f you have t hought about i t s di gest i ve t r act s i n i t s hi gh and l ow

par t s, t he car apace of i t s bel l y, and i t s eyes and i t s ear s i n i t s head



you woul d be amazed at i t s cr eat i on and you woul d f eel di f f i cul t y i n

descr i bi ng i t . Exal t ed i s He who made i t st and on i t s l egs and er ect ed

i t on i t s pi l l ar s ( of l i mbs) . No ot her or i gi nat or t ook par t wi t h Hi m i n

i t s or i gi nat i on and no one havi ng power assi st ed Hi m i n i t s cr eat i on.

I f you t r ead on t he pat hs of your i magi nat i on and r each i t s ext r emi t y

i t wi l l not l ead you anywher e except t hat t he Or i gi nat or of t he ant i st he same as He who i s t he Or i gi nator of t he date- pal m, because

ever ythi ng has ( t he same) del i cacy and det ai l , and ever y l i vi ng bei ng

has l i t t l e di f f erence.

The Creation of the Universe

I n Hi s creat i on, t he bi g, t he del i cat e, t he heavy, t he l i ght , t he

st r ong, t he weak ar e al l equal . [ 1] So i s t he sky, t he ai r , t he wi nds

and t he wat er . Ther ef ore, you l ook at t he sun, moon, veget at i on,

pl ant s, wat er , st one, t he di f f er ence of t hi s ni ght and day, t he

spr i ngi ng of t he st r eams, t he l ar ge number of t he mount ai ns, t he hei ghtof t hei r peaks, t he di ver si t y of l anguages and t he var i et y of t ongues.

Then woe be t o hi m who di sbel i eves i n t he Or dai ner and deni es t he

Rul er . They bel i eve t hat t hey ar e l i ke gr ass f or whi ch t her e i s no

cul t i vat or nor any maker f or t hei r di ver se shapes. They have not r el i ed

on any ar gument f or what t hey asser t , nor on any r esearch f or what t hey

have hear d. Can t her e be any const r uct i on wi t hout a Const r uct or , or any

of f ence wi t hout an of f ender .

The wonderful creation of the locust

I f you wi sh you can t el l about t he l ocust ( as wel l ) . Al l ah gave i t t wo

r ed eves, l i ght ed f or t hem t wo moon - - l i ke pupi l s, made f or i t smal l

ears, opened f or i t a sui t abl e mout h and gave i t keen sense, gave i t

t wo t eet h t o cut wi t h and t wo si ckl e- l i ke f eet t o gr i p wi t h. The

f ar mer s ar e af r ai d of i t i n t he mat t er of cr ops si nce t hey cannot dr i ve

i t away even t hough t hey may j oi n t oget her . The l ocust at t acks t he

f i el ds and sat i sf i es i t s desi r es ( of hunger ) f r om t hem al t hough i t s

body i s not equal t o a t hi n f i nger .

About the Glory of Allah

Gl or i f i ed i s Al l ah bef or e Whom ever y one i n t he ski es or t he ear t h bows

i n pr ost r at i on wi l l i ngl y or unwi l l i ngl y, submi t s t o Hi m by pl aci ng hi s

cheeks and f ace ( i n t he dust ) , dr ops bef or e Hi m ( i n obedi ence)

peacef ul l y and humbl y, and hands over t o Hi m f ul l cont r ol i n f ear and

appr ehensi on.





The bi r ds ar e bound by Hi s commands. He knows t he number of t hei r

f eat her s and t hei r br eat hs. He has made t hei r f eet t o st and on wat er

and on l and. He has or dai ned t hei r l i vel i hoods. He knows t hei r speci es:

t hi s i s t he crow, t hi s i s t he eagl e, t hi s i s t he pi geon and t hi s i s t he

ost r i ch. He cal l ed out ever y bi r d wi t h i t s name ( whi l e cr eat i ng i t ) and

pr ovi ded i t wi t h i t s l i vel i hood. He cr eat ed heavy cl ouds and pr oducedf r om t hem heavy r ai n and spread i t on var i ous l ands. He dr enched t he

ear t h af t er i t s dr yness and gr ew veget at i on f r om i t af t er i t s

bar r enness.


[ 1] . The meani ng i s t hat i f t he smal l est t hi ng i n cr eat i on i s exami ned

i t wi l l be f ound t o cont ai n al l t hat whi ch i s f ound i n t he bi ggest

cr eat ur es, and each wi l l exhi bi t t he same r ef l ect i on of nat ur es,

workmanshi p and per f ormance, and t he rat i o of each to Al l ah' s mi ght and

power wi l l be t he same, whether i t be as smal l as an ant or as bi g as adat e pal m. I s i t not t hat maki ng a smal l t hi ng i s easy f or Hi m whi l e

t he maki ng of a bi g t hi ng i s di f f i cul t f or Hi m, because t he di ver si t y

of col our , vol ume and quant i t y i s j ust based on t he di ct at es of Hi s

sagaci t y and expedi ency, but as r egar ds cr eat i on i t sel f t her e i s no

di f f er ence among t hem. Ther ef or e, t hi s uni f or mi t y of cr eat i on i s a

pr oof of t he oneness and uni t y of t he Cr eator

*****

Sermon 186 About the Oneness of Allah. This sermon contains principles of

knowledge which no other sermon contains

He who assi gns t o Hi m ( di f f er ent ) condi t i ons does not bel i eve i n Hi s

oneness, nor does he who l i kens Hi m gr asp Hi s r eal i t y. He who

i l l ust r at es Hi m does not si gni f y Hi m. He who poi nt s at Hi m and i magi nes

Hi m does not mean Hi m. Ever yt hi ng t hat i s known t hr ough i t sel f has been

cr eat ed, and ever yt hi ng t hat exi st s by vi r t ue of ot her t hi ngs i s t he

ef f ect ( of a cause) . He wor ks but not wi t h t he hel p of i nst r ument s. He

f i xes measur es but not wi t h t he act i vi t y of t hi nki ng. He i s r i ch butnot by acqui si t i on.

Ti mes do not keep company wi t h Hi m, and i mpl ement s do not hel p Hi m. Hi s

Bei ng pr ecedes t i mes. Hi s Exi st ence pr ecedes non- exi st ence and Hi s

et er ni t y pr ecedes begi nni ng. By Hi s cr eat i ng t he senses i t i s known

t hat He has no senses. By t he cont r ar i es i n var i ous mat t er s i t i s known





t hat He has no cont r ar y, and by t he si mi l ar i t y bet ween t hi ngs i t i s

known t hat t her e i s not hi ng si mi l ar t o Hi m. He has made l i ght t he

cont r ar y of dar kness, br i ght ness t hat of gl oom, dr yness t hat of

moi st ur e and heat t hat of col d. He pr oduces af f ect i on among i ni mi cal

t hi ngs.

He f uses t oget her di ver se thi ngs, br i ngs near r emot e t hi ngs andsepar at es t hi ngs whi ch ar e j oi ned t oget her . He i s not conf i ned by

l i mi t s, nor count ed by number s. Mat er i al par t s can sur r ound t hi ngs of

t hei r own ki nd, and or gans can poi nt out t hi ngs si mi l ar t o t hemsel ves.

The wor d[ 1] "mundhu" ( i . e. si nce) di spr oves t hei r et er ni t y, t he wor d

"qad" ( t hat denot es near ness of t i me of occur r ence) , di spr oves t hei r

bei ng f r omever and t he word "lawla" ( i f i t wer e not ) keep t hem r emot e

f r om per f ect i on.

Through t hem t he Cr eat or mani f est s Hi msel f t o t he i ntel l i gence, and

t hr ough t hem He i s guar ded f r om t he si ght of t he eyes.

St i l l ness and mot i on do not occur i n Hi m, and how can that t hi ng occur

i n Hi m whi ch He has Hi msel f made t o occur , and how can a t hi ng revert

t o Hi m whi ch He f i r st cr eat ed, and how can a t hi ng appear i n Hi m whi ch

He f i r st br ought t o appear ance. I f i t had not been so, Hi s Sel f woul d

have become subj ect t o di ver si t y, Hi s Bei ng woul d have become di vi si bl e

( i nt o par t s) , and Hi s r eal i t y woul d have been pr event ed f r om bei ng

deemed Et er nal . I f t here was a f r ont t o Hi m t her e woul d have been a

r ear al so f or Hi m . He woul d need compl et i ng onl y i f shor t age bef el l

Hi m. I n t hat case si gns of t he creat ed woul d appear i n Hi m, and Hewoul d become a si gn ( l eadi ng t o ot her obj ects) i nst ead of

si gns l eadi ng t o Hi m. Thr ough t he mi ght of Hi s abst ent i on ( f r om

af f ect edness) He i s f ar above bei ng af f ect ed by t hi ngs whi ch ef f ect

ot her s.

He i s t hat whi ch does not change or vani sh. The pr ocess of set t i ng does

not behove Hi m. He has not begot t en any one l est He be regarded as

havi ng been bor n. He has not been begot t en ot her wi se He woul d be

cont ai ned wi t hi n l i mi t s. He i s t oo Hi gh t o have sons. He i s t oo

pur i f i ed t o cont act women. I magi nat i on cannot r each Hi m so as t o assi gn

Hi m quant i t y. Under st andi ng cannot t hi nk of Hi m so as t o gi ve hi m

shape. Senses do not percei ve Hi m so as t o f eel Hi m. Hands cannot t ouch

Hi m so as t o rub agai nst Hi m. He does not change i nt o any condi t i on. He

does not pass f r om one st at e t o anot her . Ni ght s and days do not t ur n

Hi m ol d. Li ght and dar kness do not al t er Hi m.





I t cannot be sai d t hat He has a l i mi t or ext r emi t y, or end or

t er mi nat i on; nor do t hi ngs cont r ol Hi m so as t o r ai se Hi m or l ower Hi m,

nor does anythi ng car r y Hi m so as t o bend Hi m or keep Hi m er ect . He i s

not i nsi de thi ngs nor out si de them. He conveys news, but not wi t h t he

t ongue or voi ce. He l i st ens, but not wi t h t he hol es of t he ear s or t he

organs of hear i ng. He says, but does not ut t er words. He remembers, butdoes not memor i se. He determi nes, but not by exer ci si ng Hi s mi nd. He

l oves and appr oves wi t hout any sent i ment al i t y (of hear t ) . He hat es and

f eel s angr y wi t hout any pai nst aki ng. When He i nt ends t o cr eat e someone

He says "Be" and t her e he i s, but not t hr ough a voi ce t hat st r i kes ( t he

ear s) i s t hat cal l hear d. Hi s speech i s an act of Hi s cr eat i on. Hi s

l i ke never exi st ed bef or e t hi s. I f had been et er nal i t woul d have been

t he second god.

I t cannot be sai d t hat He came i nt o bei ng af t er He had not been i n

exi st ence because i n t hat case the at t r i but es of t he cr eat ed t hi ngs

woul d be assi gned t o Hi m and t here woul d r emai n no di f f erence between

t hemand Hi m, and He woul d have no di st i nct i on over t hem. Thus, t he

Cr eat or and t he creat ed woul d become equal and t he i ni t i ator and t he

i ni t i at ed woul d be on the same l evel . He creat ed ( t he whol e of )

cr eat i on wi t hout any exampl e made by someone el se, and He di d not

secur e t he assi st ance of any one out of Hi s cr eat i on f or creat i ng i t .

He cr eat ed t he ear t h and suspended i t wi t hout bei ng busy, r et ai ned i t

wi t hout suppor t , made i t st and wi t hout l egs, r ai sed i t wi t hout pi l l ar s,

pr ot ect ed i t agai nst bendi ngs and cur vi ngs and def ended i t agai nst

cr umbl i ng and spl i t t i ng ( i nt o par t s) . He f i xed mount ai ns on i t l i ke

st umps, sol i di f i ed i t s r ocks, caused i t s st r eams t o f l ow and opened

wi de i t s val l eys. What ever He made di d not suf f er f r om any f l ow, and

what ever He st r engthened di d not show any weakness.

He mani f est s Hi msel f over t he ear t h wi t h Hi s aut hor i t y and gr eat ness.

He i s awar e of i t s i nsi de thr ough hi s knowl edge and under st andi ng. He

has power over ever y t hi ng i n t he ear t h by vi r t ue of Hi s subl i mi t y and

di gni t y. Not hi ng f r om t he ear t h t hat he may ask f or def i es Hi m, nor

does i t oppose Hi m so as t o over power Hi m. No swi f t - f oot ed cr eat ur e can

r un away f r omHi m so as t o sur pass Hi m. He i s not needy t owards anypossessi ng per son so t hat he shoul d f eed Hi m. Al l t hi ngs bow t o Hi m and

ar e humbl e bef or e Hi s great ness. They cannot f l ee away f r om Hi s

aut hor i t y t o someone el se i n or der t o escape Hi s benef i t or Hi s har m.

Ther e i s no par al l el f or Hi m who may mat ch Hi m and no one l i ke Hi m so

as t o equal Hi m.



He wi l l dest r oy t he ear t h af t er i t s exi st ence, t i l l al l t hat exi st s on

i t wi l l become non- exi st ent . But t he ext i nct i on of t he wor l d af t er i t s

cr eat i on i s no st r anger t han i t s f i r st f or mat i on and i nvent i on. How

coul d i t be? Even i f al l t he ani mal s of t he ear t h, whet her bi r ds or

beast s, st abl ed cat t l e or past ur i ng ones, of di f f er ent or i gi ns and

speci es, dul l peopl e and sagaci ous men - - al l j oi nt l y t r y t o cr eat e( even) a mosqui t o t hey ar e not abl e t o br i ng i t i nt o bei ng and do not

under st and what i s t he way t o i t s cr eat i on. Thei r wi t s ar e bewi l der ed

and wander i ng. Thei r power s f al l shor t and f ai l , and r et ur n

di sappoi nt ed and t i r ed, knowi ng t hat t hey ar e def eat ed and admi t t i ng

t hei r i nabi l i t y t o pr oduce i t , al so r eal i si ng t hat t hey ar e t oo weak

( even) t o dest r oy i t .

Sur el y, af t er t he ext i ncti on of t he wor l d, Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed wi l l

r emai n al one wi t h not hi ng el se besi de Hi m. He wi l l be, af t er i t s

ext i nct i on, as He was bef or e i t s pr oduct i on: wi t hout t i me or pl ace or

moment or per i od. At t hi s moment , per i od and t i me wi l l not exi st , and

year s and hour s wi l l di sappear . Ther e wi l l be not hi ng except Al l ah, t he

One, t he Al l - power f ul . To Hi m i s the r et ur n of al l mat t er s. I t s i ni t i al

cr eat i on was not i n i t s power ; and t he pr event i on of i t s ext i nct i on was

( al so) not i n i t s power . I f i t had t he power t o pr event i t , i t woul d

have exi st ed f or ever . When He made anyt hi ng of t he wor l d, t he maki ng

of i t di d not cause Hi m any di f f i cul t y, and t he creat i on of anyt hi ng

whi ch He cr eat ed and f ormed di d not f at i gue Hi m. He di d not cr eat e i t

t o hei ght en Hi s aut hor i t y nor f or f ear of l oss or har m, nor t o seek i t s

hel p agai nst an overwhel mi ng f oe, nor t o guard agai nst any avengi ngopponent wi t h i t s hel p, nor f or t he extensi on of Hi s domai n by i t s

hel p, nor f or boast i ng ( over l ar geness of Hi s possessi on) agai nst a

par t ner , nor because He f el t l onel y and desi r ed t o seek i t s company.

Then af t er i t s cr eat i on He wi l l dest r oy i t , but not because any wor r y

has over come Hi m i n i t s upkeep and admi ni st r at i on, nor f or any pl easure

t hat wi l l accr ue t o Hi m, nor f or t he cumbr ousness of anythi ng over Hi m.

The l ength of i t s l i f e does not weary Hi m so as t o i nduce Hi m t o i t s

qui ck dest r uct i on. But Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has mai nt ai ned i t wi t h Hi s

ki ndness, kept i t i nt act wi t h Hi s command and per f ect ed i t wi t h Hi spower . Then af t er i t s dest r uct i on, He wi l l r esusci t at e i t , but not f or

any need of Hi s own t owar ds i t , nor t o seek t he assi st ance of any of

i t s t hi ngs agai nst i t , nor t o change over f r om t he condi t i on of

l onel i ness t o t hat of company, nor f r om t he condi t i on of i gnor ance and

bl i ndness t o t hat of knowl edge and sear ch, nor f r om pauci t y and need



t owar ds needl essness and pl ent y, nor f r om di sgr ace and l owl i ness

t owards honour and pr est i ge.


[ 1] . The meani ng i s t hat t he sense f or whi ch t he words "mundhu" , "qad"

and "lawla" have been f or med i s opposed t o t he at t r i but es of "Ever " ,"Eter nal " and "Per f ect ". Ther ef or e, t hei r appl i cat i on t o anyt hi ng woul d

pr ove t hat t hey have come i nt o exi st ence f r om non- exi st ence and ar e

i mper f ect . For exampl e, "mundhu" i s used t o denot e t i me as i s "qad

wujida mundu kadha" ( t hi s t hi ng i s f ound si nce so- and- so) . Her e a t i me

l i mi t has been st at ed, and anythi ng f or whi ch a l i mi t of t i me can be

descr i bed cannot exi st f r om ever or f or ever . The wor d "qad" shows

( i ndi cat i ng t he pr esent per f ect t ense) t he i mmedi at e past . Thi s sense

al so can appl y to a t hi ng whi ch i s l i mi t ed i n t i me. The wor d "lawla" i s

used t o denot e the negat i on of somet hi ng i n anot her t hi ng, as "ma

ahsanahu wa akmalahu lawla annahu kadha" ( how handsome and per f ect i twoul d be i f i t wer e so- and- so) . Ther ef or e, t he t hi ng f or whi ch t hi s

word i s used woul d be i n need of others i n handsomeness and per f ect i on,

and woul d r emai n def i ci ent by i t sel f .

*****

Sermon 187 Regarding the vicissitudes of time (The mischiefs that are to occur and

the absence of lawful ways of livelihood)

May my f at her and my mot her be sacr i f i ced f or t hose f ew whose names ar e

wel l - known i n t he sky and not known on t he ear t h. Beware, you shoul d

expect what i s t o bef al l you such as adver si t y i n your af f ai r s,

sever ance of r el at i ons and t he r i si ng up of i nf er i or peopl e. Thi s wi l l

happen when t he bl ow of a swor d wi l l be easi er f or a bel i ever t han t o

secur e one Di r ham l awf ul l y. Thi s wi l l happen [ 1] when the r eward of t he

beggar i s mor e t han t hat of t he gi ver . Thi s wi l l be when you are

i nt oxi cat ed, not by dr i nki ng, but wi t h weal t h and pl ent y, you ar e

swear i ng wi t hout compul si on and ar e speaki ng l i es wi t hout compul si on.

Thi s wi l l be when t r oubl es hur t you as t he saddl e hur t s t he hump of t hecamel . How l ong wi l l t hese t r i bul at i ons be and how di st ant t he

hope ( f or del i ver ance f r om t hem) ?

O' peopl e, t hr ow away t he rei ns of t he hor ses who car r y on t hei r backs

t he wei ght of your hands ( i . e. si ns) , do not cut away f r om your chi ef

( I mam) ot her wi se you wi l l bl ame your sel f f or your own doi ngs. Do not







j ump i n t he f i r e whi ch i s i n f l ames i n f r ont of you; keep away f r om i t s

cour ses and l eave t he mi ddl e way f or i t . Because, by my l i f e, t he

bel i ever wi l l di e i n i t s f l ames, and ot her s wi l l r emai n saf e i n i t .

I am among you l i ke a l amp i n t he dar kness . Whoever ent er s by i t wi l l

be l i t f r om i t . So l i st en O' men, pr eser ve i t and r emai n at t ent i ve wi t h

t he ears of your hear t s so that you may underst and.


[ 1] . I n t hat per i od t he rewar d of t he beggar who takes wi l l be hi gher

t han t hat of t he gi ver because the ways of ear ni ng l i vel i hood of t he

r i ch wi l l be unl awf ul , and what ever he wi l l donat e of i t , i t s pur pose

wi l l be showi ng hi msel f , hypocr i sy and seeki ng f ame, f or whi ch he wi l l

not be ent i t l ed t o any rewar d, whi l e t he poor who t ake i t by f or ce of

t hei r pover t y and hel pl essness, and t o spend i t i n t he r i ght manner ,

wi l l deserve more r eward and r ecompense.

The comment at or , I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en anot her meani ng of i t

al so, namel y i f t he beggar does not t ake t he weal t h f r om t he r i ch and

i t r emai ns wi t h hi m he wi l l spend i t on unl awf ul mat t er s and

enj oyment s, and si nce hi s t aki ng i t f r om hi m pr event s hi m f r om usi ng i t

i n unl awf ul manner ; t her ef or e, f or t hi s pr event i on of evi l , t he beggar

wi l l deserve more r eward and recompense. ( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol .

13, p. 97)

*****

Sermon 188 Allah's favours

I advi se you, O' peopl e, t o f ear Al l ah and t o pr ai se Hi m pr of usel y f or

Hi s f avour s t o you and Hi s r ewar d f or you and Hi s obl i gat i ons on you.

See how He chose you f or f avour s and deal t wi t h you wi t h mercy. You

si nned openl y; He kept you cover ed. You behaved i n a way t o i ncur Hi s

puni shment , but He gave you more t i me.

Condition of persons facing death

I al so advi se you t o r emember deat h and t o l essen your heedl essness

t owards i t . Why shoul d you be heedl ess of Hi m Who i s not heedl ess of

you? Why expect f r om hi m ( i . e. , t he angel of deat h) who wi l l not gi ve

you t i me? The dead whom you have been watchi ng suf f i ce as pr eacher s.

They wer e car r i ed t o t hei r graves, not r i di ng t hemsel ves, and wer e





pl aced i n t hem but not of t hei r own accor d. I t seems as i f t hey never

l i ved i n t hi s wor l d and as i f t he next wor l d had al ways been t hei r

abode. They have made l onel y t he pl ace where they were l i vi ng, and are

now l i vi ng where t hey used t o f eel l onel y. They r emai ned busy about

what t hey had t o l eave, and di d not car e f or where they were t o go. Now

t hey cannot r emove t hemsel ves f r om evi l , nor add t o thei r vi r t ues Theywere at t ached t o t he wor l d and i t decei ved t hem. They t r ust ed i t and i t

over t ur ned t hem.

Transience of this world

May Al l ah have pi t y on you. You shoul d t heref ore hast en t owards ( t he

preparat i on of ) houses whi ch you have been commanded t o popul at e, and

t owards whi ch you have been cal l ed and i nvi t ed. Seek t he compl et i on of

Al l ah' s f avour s on you by exer ci si ng endur ance i n Hi s obedi ence and

abst ent i on f r om Hi s di sobedi ence, because tomor r ow i s cl ose t o t oday.

How f ast are t he hour s of t he day, how f ast are t he days i n t he mont h,how f ast ar e t he mont hs i n t he year s and how f ast t he year s i n a l i f e.

*****

Sermon 189 Steadfast and transient belief

One bel i ef i s t hat whi ch i s f i r m and st eadf ast i n hear t s, and one i s

t hat whi ch r emai ns t empor ar i l y i n t he hear t and t he br east up t o a

cer t ai n t i me. I f you wer e t o acqui t ( your sel f ) bef or e any per son, youshoul d wai t t i l l deat h appr oaches hi m, f or t hat i s t he t i me l i mi t f or

bei ng acqui t t ed.

And i mmi gr at i on st ands as i t s or i gi nal posi t i on. Al l ah has no need

t owar ds hi m who secr et l y accept s bel i ef or hi m who openl y does so.

I mmi gr at i on wi l l not appl y t o any one unl ess he r ecogni ses t he pr oof

( of Al l ah) on t he ear t h. Whoever r ecogni ses hi m and acknowl edges hi m

woul d be a muhajir ( i mmi gr ant ) . Istid`af ( i . e. f reedom f rom t he

obl i gat i on of i mmi gr at i on) does not appl y t o hi m whom t he pr oof ( of

Al l ah) r eaches and he hear s i t and hi s hear t pr eserves i t . [ 1]

The challenge "Ask me before you miss me"

and prophecy about the Umayyads

Cer t ai nl y, our case i s di f f i cul t and compl i cat ed. No one can bear i t

except a bel i ever whose hear t Al l ah has t r i ed wi t h bel i ef . Our





t r adi t i ons wi l l not be pr eserved except by t r ust wor t hy hear t s and ( men

of ) sol i d underst andi ng. O' peopl e! ask me bef ore you mi ss me, because

cert ai nl y I am acquai nt ed wi t h t he passages of t he sky mor e t han t he

passages of t he ear t h, [ 2] and bef or e t hat mi schi ef spr i ngs upon i t s

f eet whi ch woul d t r ampl e even t he nosest r i ng and dest r oy t he wi t s of

t he peopl e.Footnotes by translator:

[ 1] . Thi s i s t he i nt er pr et at i on of t he wor d "muhajir" and "mustadàf" as

ment i oned i n t he Hol y Qur ' an:

Verily those whom the angels take away ( at deat h) while they are unjust

to their ( own) selves ( i n si n) , they ( t he angel s) shall ask (the

si nni ng soul s) : "In what state were ye?" They shall reply, "Weakened

(mustadàf - and oppressed) were we in the land;" They ( angel s) will say

"Was not the land of Allah vast ( enough)for you to immigrate therein?"So these ( ar e t hose) whose refuge shall be Hell; and what a bad resort

it is. Except the ( r eal l y) weakened ones from among the men and the

women and the children, who have not in their power the means ( to

escape f r om t he unbel i ever s) and nor do they find the ( r i ght ) way. So

these, may be, Allah will pardon them; and Allah is the Clement, the

Oft-forgiving. ( 4: 97- 99)

The meani ng of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n her e i s t hat hijrah ( i mmi gr at i on) was

not onl y obl i gat or y dur i ng t he l i f et i me of t he Hol y Pr ophet , but i t i s

a per manent obl i gat i on. Thi s i mmi gr at i on i s even now obl i gat or y f orat t ai ni ng t he pr oof of Al l ah and t he t r ue r el i gi on. Ther ef or e, i f one

has at t ai ned t he pr oof of Al l ah and bel i eved i n i t , even i f he i s i n

mi dst of t he unbel i ever s of hi s l ocal i t y, he i s not dut y bound t o

i mmi gr at e.

The "mustadàf" ( weakened) i s one who i s l i vi ng among t he unbel i evers

and i s f ar f r om bei ng i nf or med of t he pr oof s of Al l ah, and at t he same

t i me he i s unabl e t o i mmi gr at e i n or der t o at t ai n t he pr oof s of Al l ah.

[ 2] . Some peopl e have expl ai ned t hi s sayi ng of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n to mean

t hat by t he passages of t he ear t h he means mat t ers of t he wor l d and bypassages of t he sky mat t er s of r el i gi ous l aw and t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

i nt ends t o say t hat he knows t he mat t er s of r el i gi ous l aw and

commandment s more than t he wor l dl y mat t er s. Thus, I bn Maytham al -

Bahr ani wr i t es ( i n Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 4, pp. 200- 201) :









I t i s r el at ed f r om al - `Al l amah al - Wabar i , t hat he sai d t hat Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s i nt ent i on i s t o say t hat t he scope of hi s r el i gi ous

knowl edge i s l ar ger t han hi s knowl edge about mat t er s of t he wor l d.

But t aki ng t he cont ext i nt o account , t hi s expl anat i on cannot be hel d t o

be cor r ect because t hi s sent ence ( whi ch i s t he subj ect of expl anat i on)

has been used as t he cause of t he sent ence "Ask me bef ore you mi ss me",and af t er i t , i s t he pr ophesy about r evol t . I n bet ween t hese t wo t he

occur r ence of t he sent ence that " I know r el i gi ous mat t er s mor e than

wor l dl y mat t ers" , makes t he whol e ut t erance qui t e uncount ed, because

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s chal l enge t o ask what ever one l i kes i s not conf i ned

t o mat t er s of r el i gi ous l aw onl y so t hi s sent ence coul d be hel d as i t s

cause. Then, af t er t hat , t he pr ophesy of t he r i si ng up of t he r evol t

has not hi ng t o do wi t h mat t er s of r el i gi ous l aw, so t hat i t coul d be

put f or t h as a pr oof of mor e knowl edge of r el i gi ous mat t er s. To i gnor e

t he cl ear i mpor t of t he wor ds and t o i nt er pr et t hem i n a way whi ch does

not sui t t he occasi on, does not exhi bi t a cor r ect spi r i t , when f r om t he

cont ext al so t he same meani ng accr ues whi ch t he words openl y convey.

Thus, i t i s t o gi ve a war ni ng about t he Umayyad' s mi schi ef t hat Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n ut t er ed t he wor ds: " ' Ask me what ever you l i ke' ; because I

know t he paths and cour ses of di vi ne dest i ny more t han t he passages of

t he ear t h. So, even i f you ask me about mat t ers whi ch are r ecor ded i n

t he ' pr eser ved t abl et ' and concer n di vi ne dest i ny I can t el l you, and a

ser i ous mi schi ef i s t o r i se agai nst me i n t hose mat t er s i n whi ch you

shoul d have doubt , because my eyes ar e mor e acquai nted wi t h t hose

et her eal l i nes whi ch concer n t he occur r ence of event s and mi schi ef st han, wi t h what I know about l i ve appear i ng on t he ear t h. The

occur r ence of t hi s mi schi ef i s as cer t ai n as an obj ect seen wi t h eyes.

You shoul d t her ef or e ask me i t s det ai l s and t he way t o keep saf e f r om

i t , so t hat you may be abl e t o manage your def ence when t he t i mes

comes. " Thi s meani ng i s suppor t ed by t he successi ve sayi ngs of Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n whi ch he ut t ered i n connect i on wi t h t he unknown, and t o whi ch

t he f ut ur e t est i f i ed. Thus, I bn Abi ' l Hadi d comment s on t hi s cl ai m of

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n as f ol l ows:

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s cl ai m i s al so suppor t ed by hi s sayi ngs about f ut ur eevent s whi ch he ut t ered not once or a hundr ed t i mes but cont i nuousl y

and successi vel y, f r om whi ch t her e remai ns no doubt t hat what ever he

spoke was on t he basi s of knowl edge and cer t ai nl y and not i n t he way of

chance. ( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah,

vol . 13, p. 106)



I n connect i on wi t h t hi s sayi ng of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i t has al r eady been

shown and expl ai ned ( i n Sermon 92, Foot - note No. 2) t hat no one el se

dared advance such a cl ai m, and those who made such a cl ai m had t o f ace

onl y di sgrace and humi l i t y. About t he pr opheci es made by Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n see I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 7, pp. 47-

51; al - Qadi Nur u' l - Lah al - Mar `ashi , Ihqaq al-haqq ( New ed. ) , vol . 8,pp. 87- 182.

*****

Sermon 190 Importance of fear of Allah, desolateness of the grave, and about the death

of the lover of Ahlu'l-bayt being like that of a martyr

I pr ai se Hi m out of gr at ef ul ness f or Hi s r ewar d, and I seek Hi s

assi st ance i n f ul f i l l i ng Hi s r i ght s. He has a st r ong ar my. Hi s di gni t y

i s grand. I st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad - peace and bl essi ng of Al l ahbe upon hi m and hi s progeny - i s Hi s s l ave and Hi s Pr ophet . He cal l ed

( peopl e) t o Hi s obedi ence and over power ed Hi s enemi es by f i ght i ng f or

t he sake of Hi s r el i gi on. Peopl e' s j oi ni ng t oget her t o f al si f y hi m and

t hei r at t empt t o ext i ngui sh Hi s l i ght di d not pr event hi m f r om i t .

You shoul d t her ef or e exerci se f ear of Al l ah because i t has a r ope whose

t wi st i s st r ong and i t s pi nnacl e i s l of t y and i nvul ner abl e. Hast en

t owar d deat h i n i t s pangs ( by doi ng good acts) and be pr epar ed f or i t

bef or e i t s appr oach, because t he ul t i mat e end i s t he Day of J udgement .

Thi s i s enough preachi ng f or one who under st ands and enough of a l essonf or one who does not know. What i dea do you have, bef ore reachi ng that

end, of t he nar r owness of gr ave, t he har dshi p of l onel i ness, f ear of

t he passage t owar ds t he next wor l d, t he pangs of f ear , t he shi f t i ng of

r i bs her e and t her e (due to nar r owi ng of t he gr ave) , t he deaf ness of

ears, t he dar kness of t he gr ave, f ear of t he pr omi sed puni shment , t he

cl osi ng of t he r ecept acl e of t he gr ave and t he l ayi ng of st ones?

Ther ef or e, ( f ear ) Al l ah, ( f ear ) Al l ah, O' cr eatures of Al l ah, because

t he wor l d i s behavi ng wi t h you i n t he usual way and you and t he Day of

J udgement ar e i n t he same r ope ( cl ose t o each ot her ) . As t hough i t hascome wi t h i t s si gns, has appr oached wi t h i t s pl eas and has made you

st and i n i t s way; and as t hough i t has come f or war d wi t h al l i t s

quaki ngs and has set t l ed down wi t h i t s chest on t he gr ound whi l e t he

wor l d has par t ed f r om i t s peopl e and has t ur ned t hem out of i t s l ap. I t

was l i ke a day t hat has passed or a mont h t hat has gone by. I t s new

t hi ngs have become ol d and t he f at ones have become t hi n.



They ar e i n a nar r ow pl ace, i n ver y compl i cat ed af f ai r s and i n a f i r e

whose pai n i s shar p, cr i es ar e l oud, f l ames ar e r i si ng, sound i s

t r embl i ng, bur ni ng i s sever e, abat ement i s r emot e; i t s f uel i s bur ni ng,

i t s t hr eat s ar e f ear f ul , i t s hol l ows ar e hi dden, i t s si des ar e dar k,

i t s vessel s are af l ame, and ever yt hi ng about i t i s abomi nabl e.

And shall be conveyed those who feared ( t he wr at h of ) their Lord, in

companies unto the garden. . . ( Qur ' an. 39: 73)

They ar e saf e f r om chast i sement , away f r om puni shment , and kept al oof

f r om f i r e. Thei r abode wi l l be peacef ul and t hey wi l l be pl eased wi t h

t hei r l ongi ng and t hei r pl ace of st ay. These ar e t he peopl e whose act s

i n t hi s wor l d wer e chast e, t hei r eyes wer e t ear f ul , t hei r ni ght s i n

t hi s wor l d wer e l i ke days because of f ear i ng and seeki ng f or gi veness,

and t hei r days wer e l i ke ni ght s because of f eel i ng of l onel i ness and

separ at i on. Ther ef or e, Al l ah made Par adi se t he pl ace of t hei r

( event ual ) r et ur n and a r ewar d i n r ecompense. . . . They were most

eligible and suitable for it;... ( Qur ' an, 48: 26) i n t he et er nal domai n

and ever l ast i ng f avour s.

Ther ef or e, O' cr eatures of Al l ah, pay r egar d t o al l t hat by bei ng

r egar df ul of whi ch one wi l l succeed and by i gnor i ng whi ch one wi l l

i ncur l oss, and hast en t owar ds your deat h by means of your ( good) act s,

because you ar e bound by what you have done i n t he past and you have t o

your cr edi t onl y what ( good act s) you have sent f or war d. ( Behave i n

such a way) as t hough the f ear ed event ( deat h) has come upon you, so

t hat you cannot r et ur n ( t o do good act s) nor can you be cl ear ed of evi lact s. Al l ah may pr ompt us and you f or Hi s obedi ence and obedi ence of

Hi s Pr ophet , and f orgi ve us and you by Hi s great mercy.

St i ck t o t he ear t h, keep pat i ent i n t r i al s, do not move your hands and

swor ds af t er t he l i ki ng of your t ongues, and do not make hast e i n

mat t ers i n whi ch Al l ah has not asked f or hast e because any one of you

who di es i n hi s bed whi l e he had knowl edge of t he r i ght s of Al l ah and

t he r i ght s of Hi s Pr ophet and member s of t he Pr ophet ' s house, wi l l di e

as mar t yr . Hi s r ewar d i s i ncumbent on Al l ah. He i s al so el i gi bl e t o t he

r ecompense of what good act s he has i nt ended t o do, si nce hi s i nt ent i ont akes t he pl ace of dr awi ng hi s swor d. Cer t ai nl y, f or ever y thi ng t her e

i s a t i me and a l i mi t .

*****



Sermon 191 Praise of Allah

Prai se be t o Al l ah Whose pr ai se i s wi de- spread, Whose ar my i s over -

power i ng and Whose di gni t y i s gr and. I pr ai se Hi m f or Hi s successi ve

f avour s and Hi s gr eat gi f t s. Hi s f or bear ance i s hi gh so t hat Hef orgi ves and i s j ust i n what ever He deci des. He knows what i s goi ng on

and what has al r eady passed. He cr af t ed al l cr eat i on by Hi s knowl edge

and pr oduced i t by Hi s i nt el l i gence wi t hout l i mi t at i on, wi t hout

l ear ni ng, wi t hout f ol l owi ng t he exampl e of any i nt el l i gent pr oducer ,

wi t hout commi t t i ng any mi st ake and wi t hout t he avai l abi l i t y of any

gr oup ( f or hel p) ; I st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad - t he peace and

bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s - i s Hi s sl ave and

Hi s messenger whom He deput ed ( at a t i me) when peopl e were col l ect i ng

i n the abyss and movi ng i n bewi l der ment . The rei ns of dest r uct i on wer e

dr aggi ng t hem, and t he l ocks of mal i ce l ay f i xed on t hei r hear t s.

Advice about fear of Allah and an account

of this world and its people

I advi se you, O' cr eat ur e of Al l ah, t hat you shoul d have f ear of Al l ah

because i t i s a r i ght of Al l ah over you and i t cr eat es your r i ght over

Al l ah, and t hat you shoul d seek Al l ah' s hel p i n i t , and i t s hel p i n

( meet i ng) Al l ah. Cer t ai nl y, f or t oday f ear of Al l ah i s a pr ot ect i on and

a shi el d, and f or t omor r ow ( t he Day of J udgement ) i t i s t he road t o

Par adi se. I t s way i s cl ear and he who t r eads i t i s t he gai ner . Whoeverhol ds i t , guar ds i t . I t has pr esent ed i t sel f t o t he peopl e who have

al r eady passed and t o t hose comi ng f r ombehi nd, because t hey wi l l need

i t t omor r ow ( on t he Day of J udgement ) when Al l ah wi l l r evi ve Hi s

cr eat i on agai n, t ake back what He has gi ven and t ake account of what He

has best owed. How f ew wi l l be t hose who accept i t and pr act i se i t as i t

ought t o be pr act i sed. They wi l l be ver y f ew i n number , and t hey ar e

t he peopl e who cor r espond t o t he descr i pt i on gi ven by Al l ah, t he

Gl or i f i ed, when He says:

... And very few of My creatures are grateful! ( Qur ' an. 34: 13)

Ther ef or e, hast en wi t h your ears t owar ds i t and i ntensi f y your ef f or t s

f or i t . Make i t a subst i t ut e f or al l your past ( shor t - comi ngs) t o t ake

t hei r pl ace as a successor , and make i t your suppor t er agai nst ever y

opponent . Tur n your sl eep i nt o wakef ul ness by i t s hel p, and pass your

days wi t h i t . Make i t t he equi pment of your hear t s, wash your si ns wi t h



i t , t r eat your ai l ment s wi t h i t and hast en t owar ds your deat h wi t h i t .

Take a l esson f r om hi m who negl ect s i t , so t hat ot her s who f ol l ow i t

shoul d not t ake a l esson f r om you ( i . e. , f r om your negl ect i ng i t ) .

Bewar e, t her ef or e; you shoul d t ake car e of i t and shoul d t ake car e of

your sel ves t hr ough i t .

Keep away f r omt hi s wor l d and pr oceed t owards t he next wor l di nf at uat edl y. Do not r egar d humbl e he whom f ear Al l ah has gi ven a hi gh

posi t i on, and do not accor d a hi gh posi t i on t o hi m whom t hi s wor l d has

gi ven a hi gh posi t i on. Do not keep your eyes on t he shi ni ng cl ouds of

t he wor l d, do not l i st en t o hi m who speaks of i t , do not r espond t o hi m

who cal l s t owar ds i t , do not seek l i ght f r om i t s gl ar e, and do not di e

i n i t s pr eci ous t hi ngs, because i t s br i ght ness i s decei t f ul , i t s wor ds

ar e f al se, i t s weal t h i s l i abl e t o be l oot ed, and i t s pr eci ous t hi ng

are t o be t aken away.

Bewar e, t hi s wor l d at t r act s and t hen t ur ns away. I t i s st ubbor n,r ef usi ng t o go ahead. I t speaks l i es and mi sappr opr i at es. I t di sowns

and i s ungr at ef ul . I t i s mal i ci ous and abandons ( i t s l over s) . I t

at t r act s but causes t r oubl e. I t s condi t i on i s changi ng, i t s st ep

shaki ng, i t s honour di sgr ace, i t s ser i ousness j est , and i t s hei ght

l owl i ness. I t i s a pl ace of pl under and pi l l age, and r ui n and

dest r uct i on. I t s peopl e ar e r eady wi t h t hei r f eet t o dr i ve, t o over t ake

and t o depar t . I t s r out es ar e bewi l der i ng, i t s exi t s ar e baf f l i ng, and

i t s schemes end i n di sappoi nt ment . Consequent l y, st r onghol ds bet r ay

t hem, houses t hr ow t hem out and cunni ng f ai l s t hem.

Some of t hemare l i ke hocked camel , some l i ke but chered meat , some l i ke

sever ed l i mbs, some l i ke spi l t bl ood, some ar e bi t i ng t hei r hands ( i n

pai n) some ar e r ubbi ng t hei r pal ms ( i n r emor se) , some ar e hol di ng t hei r

cheeks on t hei r hands ( i n anxi et y) , some are cur si ng t hei r own vi ews

and some ar e ret r eat i ng f r om t hei r det er mi nat i on. But t he t i me f or

act i on has gone away and the hour of cal ami t y has appr oached, while

( t her e was no l onger ) the time to escape ( Qur ' an, 38: 3) . Al as! Al as!

what has been l ost i s l ost ! what has gone i s gone! The wor l d has passed

i n i t s usual manner .

So wept not on them the heavens and the earth nor were they respited.

( Qur ' an, 44: 29)

*****



Sermon 192 Known as "al-Khutbah al-Qasi`ah" (Sermon of Disparagement). (It

comprises disparagement of Satan [Iblis] for his vanity and his

refusing to prostrate before Adam [pbuh], and his being the first to

display bigotry and to act through vanity; it comprises a warning to

people treading in Satan's path)

Prai se be t o Al l ah who wear s t he apparel of Honour and Di gni t y and has

chosen t hem f or Hi msel f i nst ead of f or Hi s cr eat i on. He has made them

i naccessi bl e and unl awf ul f or ot her s. He has sel ect ed t hem f or Hi s own

gr eat sel f , and has hur l ed a cur se on hi m who cont est s wi t h Hi m

concer ni ng t hem.

Allah's trial and the vanity of Iblis

Then He put Hi s angel s on t r i al concer ni ng t hese at t r i but es i n or der t o

di st i ngui sh t hose who ar e modest f r om t hose who ar e vai n. Ther ef or e,

Al l ah, who i s awar e of what ever i s hi dden i n t he hear t s and what ever

l i es behi nd t he unseen sai d:

. . . "Verily I am about to create man from clay," And when I have

completed and have breathed into him of My spirit, then fall ye

prostrating in obeisance unto him. And did fall prostrating in

obeisance the angels all together, Save lblis;... ( Qur ' an. 38: 71- 74)

Hi s vani t y st ood i n hi s way. Consequent l y, he f el t pr oud over Adam by

vi r t ue of hi s creat i on and boast ed over hi m on account of hi s or i gi n.

Thus, t hi s enemy of Al l ah i s t he l eader of t hose who boast , and t he

f or e- r unner of t he vai n. I t i s he who l ai d t he f oundat i on of

f act i onal i sm, quar r el ed wi t h Al l ah about t he robe of gr eat ness, put on

t he dr ess of haught i ness and t ook of f t he cover i ng of humi l i t y. Do you

not see how Al l ah made hi m l ow on account of hi s vani t y and humi l i ated

hi m f or hi s f ei gni ng t o be hi gh? He di scar ded hi m i n t hi s wor l d and

pr ovi ded f or hi m bur ni ng f i r e i n t he next wor l d.

I f Al l ah had want ed t o cr eat e Adam f r om a l i ght whose gl ar e woul d have

dazzl ed t he eyes, whose handsomeness woul d have amazed t he wi t s and

whose smel l woul d have caught t he br eat h, He coul d have done so; and i f

He had done so, peopl e woul d have bowed t o hi m i n humi l i t y and the

t r i al of t he angel s t hr ough hi m woul d have become easi er . But Al l ah,

t he Gl or i f i ed, t r i es Hi s cr eat ur es by means of t hose thi ngs whose real



natur e t hey do not know i n or der t o di st i ngui sh (good and bad) f or t hem

t hr ough t he t r i al , and t o r emove vani t y f r om t hem

and keep t hem and keep t hem al oof f r om pr i de and sel f - admi r at i on.

You shoul d t ake a l esson f r om what Al l ah di d wi t h Sat an; namel y He

nul l i f i ed hi s gr eat act s and ext ensi ve ef f or t s on account of t he vani t yof one moment , al t hough Satan had worshi pped Al l ah f or si x t housand

year s - whet her by the r eckoni ng of t hi s wor l d or of t he next wor l d i s

not known. Who now can r emai n saf e f r om Al l ah af t er Satan by commi t t i ng

a si mi l ar di sobedi ence? None at al l . Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, cannot l et a

human bei ng ent er Par adi se i f he does t he same thi ng f or whi ch Al l ah

t ur ned out f r om i t an angel . Hi s command f or t he i nhabi t ant s i n t he sky

and of t he ear t h i s t he same. Ther e i s no f r i endshi p bet ween Al l ah and

any i ndi vi dual out of Hi s creat i on so as t o gi ve hi m l i cense f or an

undesi r abl e thi ng whi ch He has hel d unl awf ul f or al l t he wor l ds.

Warning against Satan

Ther ef or e, you shoul d f ear l est Sat an i nf ect s you wi t h hi s di sease, or

l eads you ast r ay t hr ough hi s cal l , or mar ches on you wi t h hi s hor semen

and f oot men, because, by my l i f e, he has put t he ar r ow i n t he bow f or

you, has st r etched t he bow st r ongl y, and has ai med at you f r om a near by

posi t i on, and:

He ( Sat an) said: "My Lord! because Thou hast left me to stray,

certainly will I adorn unto them the path of error, and certainly will

I cause them all to go astray." ( Qur ' an, 15: 39)

Al t hough he ( Satan) had sai d so onl y by guess i ng about t he unknown

f ut ur e and by wr ong conj ect ur i ng, yet t he sons of vani t y, t he br ot her s

of haught i ness and t he hor semen of pr i de and i nt ol er ance pr oved hi m t o

be t r ue, so much so t hat when di sobedi ent per sons f r om among you bowed

bef ore hi m, and hi s gr eed about you gai ned

st r engt h; and what was a hi dden secr et t ur ned i nt o a cl ear f act , he

spr ead hi s f ul l cont r ol over you and mar ched wi t h hi s f or ces t owar ds

you.

Then t hey pushed you i nto t he hol l ows of di sgrace, t hrew you i nto t he

whi r l pool s of sl aught er , and t r ampl ed you, woundi ng you by st r i ki ng

your eyes wi t h spear s, cut t i ng your t hr oat s, t ear i ng your nost r i l s,

br eaki ng your l i mbs and t aki ng you i n r opes of cont r ol t owar ds t he f i r e

al r eady pr epared. I n t hi s way he became more harmf ul t o your r el i gi on

and a gr eat er ki ndl er of f l ames ( of mi schi ef ) about your wor l dl y



mat t ers t han t he enemi es agai nst whom you showed open opposi t i on and

agai nst whomyou marched your f orces.

You shoul d t her ef or e spend al l your f or ce agai nst hi m, and al l your

ef f or t s agai nst hi m, because, by Al l ah, he boast ed over your ( i . e. ,

Adam' s) or i gi n, quest i oned your posi t i on and spoke l i ght l y of your

l i neage. He advanced on you wi t h hi s ar my, and br ought hi s f oot ment owar ds your pat h. They ar e chasi ng you f r om ever y pl ace, and they ar e

hi t t i ng you at ever y f i nger j oi nt . You ar e not abl e t o def end by any

means, nor can you r epul se t hemby any determi nat i on. You are i n t he

t hi ck of di sgr ace, t he r i ng of st r ai t ness, t he f i el d of deat h and t he

way of di st r ess.

You shoul d t her ef or e put out t he f i r es of haught i ness and t he f l ames of

i nt ol er ance t hat ar e hi dden i n your hear t s. Thi s vani t y can exi st i n a

Musl i m onl y by the machi nat i ons of Sat an, hi s haught i ness, mi schi ef and

whi sper i ngs. Make up your mi nd t o have humi l i t y over your heads, t ot r ampl e sel f - pr i de under your f eet and t o cast of f vani t y f r om your

necks. Adopt humi l i t y as t he weapon bet ween you and your enemy, Sat an

and hi s f or ces. He cer t ai nl y has, f r om ever y peopl e, f i ght er s, hel per s,

f oot men and horsemen. Do not be l i ke hi m who f ei gned super i or i t y over

t he son of hi s own mot her wi t hout any di st i nct i on gi ven t o hi m by Al l ah

except t he f eel i ng of envy whi ch hi s f eel i ng of gr eat ness cr eat ed i n

hi m and t he f i r e of anger t hat vani t y ki ndl ed i n hi s hear t . Sat an bl ew

i nt o hi s nose hi s own vani t y, af t er whi ch Al l ah gave hi m r emor se and

made hi m r esponsi bl e f or t he si ns of al l ki l l er s up t o t he Day of

J udgement .

Caution against vanity and boasting about ignorance

Bewar e! you st r ove har d i n r evol t i ng and cr eat ed mi schi ef on t he ear t h

i n open opposi t i on t o Al l ah and i n chal l engi ng t he bel i ever s over

f i ght i ng. ( You shoul d f ear ) Al l ah! Al l ah! i n f eel i ng pr oud of your

vani t y and boast i ng over i gnor ance, because t hi s i s t he r oot of enmi t y

and the desi gn of Satan wherewi t h he has been decei vi ng past peopl e and

bygone ages, wi t h t he r esul t t hat t hey f el l i nt o t he gl oom of hi s

i gnor ance and t he hol l ows of hi s mi sgui dance, submi t t i ng t o hi s dr i vi ngand accept i ng hi s l eader shi p. I n t hi s mat t er t he hear t s of al l t he

peopl e wer e si mi l ar , and cent ur i es passed by, one af t er t he ot her , i n

j ust t he same way, and t her e was vani t y wi t h whi ch chest s wer e

t i ght ened.

Caution against obeying haughty leaders and elders



Beware! beware of obeyi ng your l eaders and el ders who f el t pr oud of

t hei r achi evement s and boast ed about t hei r l i neage. They hur l ed t he

( l i abi l i t y f or ) t hi ngs on Al l ah and quar r el l ed wi t h Al l ah i n what He

di d wi t h t hem, cont est i ng Hi s decr ee and di sput i ng Hi s f avour s.

Cer t ai nl y, t hey ar e t he mai n f oundat i on of obst i nacy, t he chi ef pi l l ar s

of mi schi ef and t he swor ds of pr e- I sl ami c boast i ng over f or e- f at her s. Ther ef or e, f ear Al l ah, do not become ant agoni st i c t o Hi s f avour s on

you, nor j eal ous of Hi s bount y over you [ 1] and do not obey t he

cl ai mant s ( of I sl am) whose di r t y wat er you dr i nk al ong wi t h your cl ean

one, whose ai l ment s you mi x wi t h your heal t hi ness and whose wr ongs you

al l ow t o ent er i nt o your r i ght f ul mat t er s.

They ar e t he f oundat i on of vi ce and t he l i ni ngs of di sobedi ence. Sat an

has made t hem car r i er s of mi sgui dance and the sol di er s wi t h whom he

at t acks men. They ar e i nt er pr et er s t hr ough whom he speaks i n order t o

st eal away your wi t s, ent er i nt o your eyes and bl ow i nt o your ear s. I n

t hi s way he makes you t he vi ct i m of hi s ar r ows, t he t r eadi ng gr ound of

hi s f oot st eps and sour ce of st r engt h f or hi s hands. Take i nst r uct i on

f r om how he br ought Al l ah' s wr at h, vi ol ence, chast i sement and

puni shment on t hose who wer e vai n among the past peopl e. Take

admoni t i on f r om t hei r l yi ng on t hei r cheeks and f al l i ng on t hei r si des,

and seek Al l ah' s pr ot ect i on f r om t he danger s of vani t y, as you seek Hi s

pr ot ecti on f r om cal ami t i es.

The humbleness of the Holy Prophet

Cer t ai nl y. i f Al l ah wer e to al l ow anyone t o i ndul ge i n pr i de He woul dhave al l owed i t t o hi s sel ect ed pr ophet s and vi ceger ent s. But Al l ah,

t he Subl i me, di sl i ked vani t y f or t hem and l i ked humbl eness f or t hem.

Ther ef or e, t hey l ai d t hei r cheeks on t he ground, smeared t hei r f aces

wi t h dust , bent t hemsel ves down f or t he bel i evers and r emai ned

humbl e peopl e. Al l ah t r i ed t hem wi t h hunger , af f l i ct ed t hem wi t h

di f f i cul t y, t est ed t hem wi t h f ear , and upset t hem wi t h t r oubl es.

Ther ef or e, do not r egar d weal t h and progeny t he cr i t er i on f or Al l ah' s

pl easure and di spl easure, as you ar e not awar e of t he chances of

mi schi ef and t r i al s dur i ng r i chness and power as Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed,t he Subl i me, has sai d:

What! Think they that what We aid them with of wealth and children, We

are hastening unto them the good things? Nay! they (only) perceive not.

( Qur ' an, 23: 55- 56)





Cer t ai nl y, Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, t r i es Hi s creat ur es who ar e vai n about

t hemsel ves t hr ough Hi s bel oved persons who ar e humbl e i n thei r eyes.

When Musa son of `I mr an went t o Phar aoh al ong wi t h hi s br ot her Harun

( Aar on) wear i ng ( coar se) shi r t s of wool and hol di ng st i cks i n t hei r

hands, t hey guar ant eed hi m r et ent i on of hi s count r y and cont i nui t y of

hi s honour i f he submi t t ed; but he sai d: "Do you not wonder at t heset wo men guarant eei ng me t he cont i nui t y of my honour and the ret ent i on

of my count r y al t hough you see t hei r pover t y and l owl i ness. Ot her wi se,

why do t hey not have gol d bangl es on t hei r wr i st s?" He sai d so f eel i ng

pr oud of hi s gol d and col l ect ed possessi ons, and consi der i ng wool and

i t s cl ot h as not hi ng.

When Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, deput ed Hi s pr ophet s, i f He had wi shed t o

open f or t hem t r easures and mi nes of gol d and ( surr ound t hem wi t h)

pl ant ed gar dens and t o col l ect ar ound t hem bi r ds of t he ski es and

beast s of t he eart h, He coul d have done so. I f He had done so t hent here woul d have been no t r i al , nor r ecompense and no t i di ngs ( about

t he af f ai r s of t he next wor l d) . Those who accept ed ( Hi s message) coul d

not be gi ven t he r ecompense f al l i ng due af t er t r i al and t he bel i ever s

coul d not deserve t he rewar d f or good act s, and al l t hese wor ds [ 2]

woul d not have r et ai ned t hei r meani ngs. But Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, makes

Hi s Prophet s f i r m i n t hei r det er mi nat i on and gi ves t hem weakness of

appear ance as seen f r om t he eyes, al ong wi t h cont ent ment t hat f i l l s t he

hear t s and eyes r esul t i ng f r om car e- f r eeness, and wi t h want t hat pai ns

t he eyes and ear s.

I f t he pr ophet s possessed aut hor i t y t hat coul d not be assaul t ed, or

honour t hat coul d not be damaged or domai n t owards whi ch t he necks of

peopl e woul d t ur n and t he saddl es of mount s coul d be set , i t woul d have

been ver y easy f or peopl e t o seek l essons and qui t e di f f i cul t t o f eel

vani t y. They woul d have t hen accept ed bel i ef out of f ear f el t by them

or i ncl i nat i on at t r act i ng t hem, and t he i nt ent i on of t hem al l woul d

have been t he same, al t hough t hei r act i ons woul d have been di f f er ent .

Ther ef or e, Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed deci ded t hat peopl e shoul d f ol l ow Hi s

pr ophets, acknowl edge Hi s books, r emai n humbl e bef ore Hi s f ace, obey

Hi s command and accept Hi s obedi ence wi t h si ncer i t y i n whi ch thereshoul d not be an i ot a of anythi ng el se; and as t he t r i al and

t r i bul at i on woul d be st i f f er t he r ewar d and r ecompense t oo shoul d be

l arger .

The Holy Ka`bah





Do you not see t hat Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has t r i ed al l t he peopl e

among t hose who came bef ore, begi nni ng wi t h Adam, upt o t he l ast ones i n

t hi s wor l d wi t h st ones whi ch yi el d nei t her benef i t nor har m, whi ch

nei t her see nor hear . He made those st ones i nt o Hi s sacred house whi ch

He made a st andby f or t he peopl e. He pl aced i t i n t he most r ugged st ony

part of t he ear t h and on a hi ghl and wi t h l east soi l t her eon, among t hemost nar r ow val l eys between r ough mount ai ns. sof t sandy pl ai ns, spr i ngs

of scant y wat er and scat t er ed habi t ant s, wher e nei t her camel s nor

horses nor cows and sheep can pr osper .

Then He commanded Adam and hi s sons t o t urn t hei r at t ent i on t owar ds i t .

I n t hi s way i t became t he cent r e of t hei r j our ney i n seeki ng past ur es

and t he r endezvous f or meet i ng of t hei r carr i er - beast s, so that human

spi r i t s hast en t owar ds i t f r om di st ant wat er l ess deser t s, deep and l ow

l yi ng val l eys and scat t er ed i sl ands i n t he seas. They shake t hei r

shoul der s i n humbl eness , r eci t e t he sl ogan of havi ng r eached Hi s

audi ence, mar ch wi t h swi f t f eet , and have di shevel l ed hai r and dust ed

f aces. They t hr ow t hei r pi eces of cl ot h on t hei r backs, t hey have

marr ed t he beaut y of t hei r f aces by l eavi ng t he hai r uncut as a mat t er

of gr eat t est , sever e t r i bul at i on, open t r i al , and ext r eme r ef i ni ng.

Al l ah has made i t a means t o Hi s mercy and an appr oach t o Hi s Par adi se.

I f Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, had pl aced Hi s sacr ed House and Hi s gr eat

si gns among pl ant at i ons, st r eams, sof t and l evel pl ai ns, pl ent y of

t r ees, an abundance of f r ui t s, a t hi ck popul at i on, cl ose habi t at s,

gol den wheat , l ush gar dens, gr een l and, wat er ed pl ai ns, t hr i vi ng

or chards and cr owded st r eet s, t he amount of r ecompense woul d have

decr eased because of t he l i ght ness of t he t r i al . I f t he f oundat i on on

whi ch t he House i s bor ne and t he st ones wi t h whi ch i t has been r ai sed

had been of gr een emeral d and r ed r ubi es, and t here had been br i ght ness

and ef f ul gence, t hen t hi s woul d have l essened t he act i on of doubt s i n

t he br east s, woul d have di smi ssed t he ef f ect of Sat an' s act i vi t y f r om

t he hear t s, and woul d have st opped t he surgi ng of mi sgi vi ngs i n peopl e.

But Al l ah t r i es Hi s cr eat ur es by means of di f f er ent t r oubl es, want s

t hem t o render wor shi p t hr ough har dshi ps and i nvol ves t hem i n

di st r esses, al l i n or der t o ext r act out vani t y f r om t hei r hear t s, t oset t l e down humbl eness i n t hei r spi r i t s and t o make al l t hi s an open

door f or Hi s f avour s and an easy means f or Hi s f or gi veness ( f or t hei r

si ns) .

Caution against rebellion and oppressiveness



( Fear ) Al l ah! Al l ah! f r om t he i mmedi at e consequence of r ebel l i on ( t o

accr ue i n t hi s wor l d) , and t he event ual consequence of wei ght y

oppr essi veness ( t o accrue i n t he next wor l d) , and f r om t he evi l r esul t

of vani t y, because i t i s t he gr eat t r ap of Sat an and hi s bi g decei t

whi ch ent er s t he hear t s of t he peopl e l i ke a f at al poi son. I t never

goes wast e,nor mi sses anyone - nei t her t he l ear ned because of hi s knowl edge, nor

t he dest i t ut e [ 3] i n hi s r ags. Thi s i s t he t hi ng agai nst whi ch Al l ah

has pr otected Hi s cr eat ur es who are bel i evers by means of pr ayers, and

al ms- gi vi ng, and suf f er i ng t he har dshi p of f ast i ng i n t he days i n whi ch

i t has been made obl i gat or y, i n or der t o gi ve t hei r l i mbs peacef ul ness,

t o cast f ear i n t hei r eyes, t o make t hei r spi r i t s humbl e, t o gi ve t hei r

hear t s humi l i t y and t o remove haught i ness f r om t hem. Al l t hi s i s

achi eved t hr ough t he cover i ng of t hei r del i cat e cheeks wi t h dust i n

humi l i t y, pr ost r at i ng t hei r mai n l i mbs on t he gr ound i n humbl eness, and

r et r act i ng of t hei r bel l i es so as t o r each t o t hei r backs due t o

f ast i ng by way of l owl i ness ( bef or e Al l ah) , besi des gi vi ng al l sor t s of

pr oduct s of t he ear t h to t he needy and t he dest i t ut e by way of al ms.

Look what t here i s i n t hese act s by way of cur bi ng t he appear ance of

pr i de and suppr essi ng t he t r aces of vani t y. I cast my gl ance and

not i ced t hat no one i n t he wor l d, except you, f eel s vani t y f or anyt hi ng

wi t hout a cause whi ch may appeal t o t he i gnorant , or a reason whi ch may

cl i ng t o t he mi nds of t he f ool i sh, because you f eel vani t y f or

somet hi ng f or whi ch no reason i s di scer ni bl e, nor any gr ound.

As f or Sat an, he f el t pr oud over Adam because of hi s or i gi n and t aunt ed

at hi m about hi s creat i on, si nce he sai d "I am of f i r e whi l e you ar e of

cl ay. " I n t he same way t he r i ch among the pr osper ous communi t i es have

been f eel i ng vani t y because of t hei r r i ches, as ( Al l ah) sai d:

And said they: "We are more ( t han you) in wealth and in children, and

we shall not be chastised." ( Qur ' an, 34: 35)

Enthusiasm for attractive manners, respectable position, and taking

lessons from the past

I n case you cannot avoi d vani t y, your vani t y shoul d be f or good

qual i t i es, pr ai sewor t hy act s, and admi r abl e mat t er s wi t h whi ch t he

di gni f i ed and nobl e chi ef s of t he Ar ab f ami l i es di st i ngui shed

t hemsel ves, as at t r act i ve manner s, hi gh t hi nki ng, r espect abl e posi t i on

and good perf ormances. You t oo shoul d show vani t y i n pr ai sewor t hy

habi t s l i ke t he pr ot ect i on of t he nei ghbour , t he f ul f i l ment of





and were scat t ered f i ght i ng among t hemsel ves. Then Al l ah t ook away f r om

t hem t he appar el of Hi s honour and depr i ved t hem of t he pr osper i t y

pr oduced by Hi s f avour s. Onl y t hei r st or i es have remai ned among you f or

t he gui dance of t hose who may l ear n t he l esson f r omt hem.

You shoul d t ake a l esson f r om t he f at e of t he progeny of I smael , t he

chi l dr en of I saac and t he chi l dr en of I sr ael . How si mi l ar ar e t hei raf f ai r s and how aki n ar e thei r exampl es. I n connect i on wi t h t he det ai l s

of t hei r di vi si on and di suni t y, t hi nk of t he days when Ki sr as of Per si a

and the Caesars of Rome had become t hei r mast ers. [ 4] They tur ned t hem

out f r om t he past ur es of t hei r l ands t he r i ver s of I r aq and t he

f er t i l i t y of t he wor l d, t owar ds t hor ny f or est s, t he passages of ( hot )

wi nds and har dshi ps i n l i vel i hood. I n t hi s way they tur ned t hem i nt o

j ust her der s of camel s. Thei r houses wer e t he wor st i n t he wor l d and

t hei r pl aces of st ay wer e t he most dr ought - st r i cken. Ther e was not one

voi ce towar ds whi ch t hey coul d t ur n f or pr ot ect i on, nor any shade of

af f ect i on on whose st r engt h t hey coul d r epose t r ust .

Thei r condi t i on was f ul l of di st r ess . Thei r hands wer e scat t er ed. Thei r

maj or i t y was di vi ded. They wer e i n gr eat angui sh and under l ayer s of

i gnor ance. They bur i ed t hei r daught er s al i ve, wor shi pped i dol s,

di sr egar ded ki nshi p and pr act i sed r obber y.

Now, l ook at t he var i ous f avour s of Al l ah upon t hem, t hat He deput ed

t owar ds t hem a pr ophet who got t hem t o pl edge thei r obedi ence t o hi m

and made t hem uni t e at hi s cal l . ( Look) how ( Al l ah' s) bount y spr ead t he

wi ngs of i t s f avour s over t hem and f l owed f or t hem st r eams of i t sbl essi ng, and the whol e communi t y became wr apped i n bl i ss f ul

pr osper i t y. Consequent l y, t hey were submerged under i t s bount y and

enj oyed i t s l ush l i f e. Thei r af f ai r s wer e set t l ed under t he pr ot ect i on

of a power f ul r ul er , and ci r cumst ances of f er ed t hem over power i ng

honour , and al l t hi ngs became easy f or t hemunder t he auspi ces of a

st r ong count r y. They became rul er s over t he wor l d and ki ngs i n the

( var i ous) part s of t he eart h. They became mast ers of t hose who were

f ormer l y t hei r mast ers, and began i ssui ng commands over t hose who used

t o command t hem. They were so st r ong t hat nei t her di d t hei r spear s need

t est i ng nor di d t hei r weapons have any f l aw.

Condemning his people

Beware! You have shaken your hands l oose f r omt he r ope of obedi ence,

and br oken t he di vi ne f or t ar ound you by ( r esor t i ng t o) pr e- I sl ami c

r ul es. Cer t ai nl y, i t i s a gr eat bl essi ng of Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, t hat





He has engendered among t hemuni t y t hr ough t he cor d of af f ect i on i n

whose shade t hey wal k and take shel t er . Thi s i s a bl essi ng whose val ue

no one i n t he whol e wor l d r eal i ses, because i t i s mor e val uabl e t han

any pr i ce and hi gher t han any weal t h.

You shoul d know t hat you have agai n r ever t ed t o t he posi t i on of t he

Bedoui n Ar abs af t er i mmi gr at i on ( t o I sl am) , and have become di f f er entpart i es af t er havi ng been once uni t ed. You do not possess anyt hi ng of

I sl am except i t s name, and know not hi ng of bel i ef save i t s show. You

say, "The Fi r e yes. but no shamef ul posi t i on, " as i f you woul d t hr ow

down I sl am on i t s f ace i n or der t o def ame i t s honour and br eak i t s

pl edge ( f or br ot her hood) whi ch Al l ah gave you as a sacr ed t r ust on Hi s

ear t h and ( a sour ce of ) peace among t he peopl e. Be sur e that i f you

i ncl i ne t owar ds anyt hi ng ot her t han I sl am. t he unbel i ever s wi l l f i ght

you. Then t her e wi l l be nei t her Gabr i el nor Mi chael , nei t her muhajirun

nor ansar t o hel p you, but onl y t he cl ashi ng of swor ds, t i l l Al l ah

set t l es t he mat t er f or you.

Cer t ai nl y, t her e ar e exampl es bef or e you of Al l ah' s wr at h, puni shment ,

days of t r i bul at i ons and happeni ngs. Ther ef or e, do not di sr egar d Hi s

pr omi ses, i gnor i ng Hi s puni shment , maki ng l i ght Hi s wr at h and not

expect i ng Hi s vi ol ence, because Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, di d not cur se t he

past ages except because t hey had l ef t of f aski ng ot her s t o do good

act s and r ef r ai ni ng t hem f r om bad act s. I n f act Al l ah cur sed t he

f ool i sh f or commi t t i ng si ns and the wi se because t hey gave up

r ef r ai ni ng ot her s f r om evi l s. Bewar e! You have br oken t he shackl es of

I sl am, have t r ansgr essed i t s l i mi t s, and have dest r oyed i t s commands.

Amir al-mu'minin's high position and wonderful deeds in Islam

Beware! sur el y Al l ah has commanded me t o f i ght t hose who revol t , or who

br eak t he pl edge, or cr eat e t r oubl e on t he ear t h. As r egar ds pl edge-

br eaker s, I have f ought t hem, as r egar ds devi at or s f r om t r ut h, I have

waged hol y war agai nst t hem, and as r egards t hose who have gone out of

t he f ai t h, I have put t hem i n ( ser i ous) di sgr ace [ 5] . As f or Sat an of

t he pi t , [ 6] he too has been deal t wi t h by me thr ough t he l oud cr y wi t h

whi ch t he scream of hi s hear t and shaki ng of hi s chest was al so hear d.Onl y a smal l por t i on of t he rebel s has r emai ned. I f Al l ah al l ows me one

more chance over t hem I wi l l anni hi l at e t hem except a f ew r emnant s t hat

may remai n scat t er ed i n t he subur b of t he ci t i es.

Even i n my boyhood I had l owered t he chest of ( t he f amous men) of

Ar abi a, and br oken t he hor n poi nt s ( i . e. , def eat ed t he chi ef s) of t he







t r i bes of Rabi `ah and Mudar . Cer t ai nl y, you know my posi t i on of cl ose

ki nshi p and speci al r el at i onshi p wi t h t he Pr ophet of Al l ah - peace and

bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s. When I was onl y a

chi l d he t ook char ge of me. He used to pr ess me to hi s chest and l ay me

besi de hi m i n hi s bed, br i ng hi s body cl ose to mi ne and make me smel l

hi s smel l . He used to chew somethi ng and t hen f eed me wi t h i t . He f oundno l i e i n my speaki ng, nor weakness i n any act .

Fr om t he t i me of hi s weani ng, Al l ah had put a mi ght y angel wi t h hi m t o

t ake hi m al ong the pat h of hi gh char act er and good behavi our t hr ough

day and ni ght , whi l e I used t o f ol l ow hi m l i ke a young camel f ol l owi ng

i n t he f oot pr i nt s of i t s mot her . Ever y day he woul d show me i n t he f or m

of a banner some of hi s hi gh t r ai t s and commanded me to f ol l ow i t .

Ever y year he used t o go i n secl usi on t o t he hi l l of Hi r a' , wher e I saw

hi m but no one el se saw hi m. I n t hose days I sl am di d not exi st i n any

house except t hat of t he Pr ophet of Al l ah - peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah

be upon hi m and hi s descendant s - and Khadi j ah, whi l e I was t he t hi r d

af t er t hese two. I used t o see and wat ch t he ef f ul gence of di vi ne

r evel at i on and message, and br eat hed t he scent of Prophethood.

When t he r evel at i on descended on t he Prophet of Al l ah - peace and

bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s - I hear d t he moan of

Sat an. I sai d, "O' Pr ophet of Al l ah, what i s t hi s moan?" and he

r epl i ed, "Thi s i s Sat an who has l ost al l hope of bei ng wor shi pped. O'

`Al i , you see al l t hat I see and you hear al l t hat I hear , except t hat

you are not a Pr ophet , but you are a vi cegerent and you are sur el y on

( t he pat h of ) vi r t ue. "

I was wi t h hi m when a part y of t he Qur aysh came t o hi m and sai d t o hi m,

"O' Muhammad, you have made a bi g cl ai m whi ch none of your f ore- f athers

or t hose of your f ami l y have made. We ask you one thi ng; i f you gi ve us

an answer t o i t and show i t t o us, we wi l l bel i eve t hat you ar e a

pr ophet and a messenger , but i f you cannot do i t , we wi l l know t hat you

ar e a sor cer er and a l i ar . "

The Messenger of Al l ah sai d: "What do you ask f or ?" They sai d: "Ask

t hi s t r ee t o move f or us, even wi t h i t s r oot s, and st op bef or e you. " The Pr ophet sai d, "Ver i l y, Al l ah has power over everyt hi ng. I f Al l ah

does i t f or you, wi l l you t hen bel i eve and st and wi t ness t o t he t r ut h?"

They sai d "Yes" . Then he sai d, " I shal l show you what ever you want , but

I know t hat you won' t bend towards vi r t ue, and there ar e among you

t hose who wi l l be t hr own i nt o t he pi t , and t hose who wi l l f or m par t i es

( agai nst me) . " Then t he Hol y Pr ophet sai d: "O' t r ee, i f you do bel i eve



i n Al l ah and t he Day of J udgement , and know t hat I amt he Prophet of

Al l ah, come up wi t h your r oot s and st and bef ore me wi t h t he permi ss i on

of Al l ah. " By Hi m who deput ed t he Pr ophet wi t h t r ut h, t he t r ee di d

r emove i t sel f wi t h i t s r oot and came wi t h a gr eat hummi ng sound and a

f l appi ng l i ke t he f l appi ng of t he wi ngs of bi r ds, t i l l i t st opped

bef ore t he Messenger of Al l ah whi l e some of i t s t wi gs came down ont o myshoul der s, and I was on t he r i ght si de of t he Hol y Pr ophet .

When the peopl e saw t hi s t hey sai d by way of pr i de and vani t y. "Now you

or der hal f of i t t o come t o you and t he ot her hal f of i t r emai n ( i n i t s

pl ace) . " The Hol y Pr ophet or der ed t he t r ee to do t he same. Then hal f of

t he t r ee advanced t owards hi m i n an amazi ng manner and wi t h gr eat er

hummi ng. I t was about t o touch t he Pr ophet of Al l ah. Then t hey sai d,

di sbel i evi ng and r evol t i ng, "Ask thi s hal f t o get back t o i t s ot her

hal f and be as i t was. " The Pr ophet or der ed i t and i t r et ur ned. Then I

sai d, "O' Pr ophet of Al l ah, I am t he f i r st t o bel i eve i n you and t o

acknowl edge t hat t he t r ee di d what i t di d j ust now wi t h the command of

Al l ah, t he Subl i me, i n t est i mony t o your Prophet hood and t o hei ght en

your wor d. Upon t hi s al l t he peopl e shout ed, "Rat her a sorcer er , a

l i ar ; i t i s wonder f ul sor cer y, he i s ver y adept i n i t . Onl y a man l i ke

t hi s ( poi nt i ng t o me) can st and t est i mony to you i n your af f ai r s. "

Cer t ai nl y, I bel ong t o t he gr oup of peopl e who car e not f or t he

r epr oach of anybody i n mat t er s concer ni ng Al l ah. Thei r count enance i s

t he count enance of t he t r ut hf ul and t hei r speech i s t he speech of t he

vi r t uous. They ar e wakef ul dur i ng t he ni ght s ( i n devot i on t o Al l ah) ,

and over beacons ( of gui dance) i n t he day. They hol d f ast t o t he rope

of t he Qur ' an. r evi ve t he t r adi t i ons of Al l ah and of Hi s Pr ophet . They

do not boast nor i ndul ge i n sel f concei t , nor mi sappr opr i at e, nor

cr eat e mi schi ef . Thei r hear t s ar e i n Par adi se whi l e t hei r bodi es ar e

busy i n ( good) act s.


[ 1] . The i nt ent i on i s t hat "you shoul d not cr eat e condi t i ons by whi ch

you may be depr i ved of Al l ah' s f avour s, l i ke t he j eal ous who ai ms at

har mi ng hi m of whom he i s j eal ous. "

[ 2] . The i nt ent i on i s t o say t hat i f bel i ef i s accept ed under f or ce of

awe and f ear and worshi p i s of f ered under t he i nf l uence of power and

aut hor i t y t hen nei t her wi l l i t be bel i ef i n t he t r ue sense nor wor shi p

i n r eal spi r i t . Thi s i s because bel i ef i s t he name of i nner t est i mony

and hear t - f el t convi ct i on. The convi ct i on pr oduced by f or ce and







compul si on can be onl y ver bal but not hear t - f el t . Si mi l ar l y, wor shi p i s

t he name of open acknowl edgement of one' s posi t i on of ser vi t ude.

Wor shi p whi ch i s devoi d of t he f eel i ng of servi t ude or t he sense of

devot i on and whi ch i s per f or med onl y i n vi ew of aut hor i t y or f ear

cannot be r eal wor shi p. Ther ef or e, such bel i ef and such wor shi p woul d

not pr esent t hei r cor r ect connot at i on.[ 3] . The r eason f or speci f yi ng t he l ear ned and t he poor i s t hat t he

l ear ned has t he l i ght of l ear ni ng t o l ead hi m, whi ch t he dest i t ut i on of

t he poor may deny t o hi m. I n spi t e of t hi s, bot h t he l ear ned and t he

poor f al l i nt o hi s decei t .

Then how can t he i gnor ant save hi msel f f r om hi s cl ut ches, and how can

t he r i ch who has al l t he means t o get i nt o wr ong ways, def end hi msel f

agai nst hi m.

Nay! Verily man is wont to rebel!

As the deemeth himself needless!

[ 4] . I f a gl ance i s cast at t he r i se and f al l and event s and happeni ngs

of t he past peopl e t hi s f act wi l l shi ne l i ke dayl i ght t hat t he r i se and

f al l of communi t i es i s not t he r esul t of l uck or change, but t hat , t o a

gr eat ext ent , i t i s af f ect ed by t hei r act s and deeds. And of what ever

t ype t hose deeds are, t hei r r esul t s and consequences are i n accord wi t h

t hem. Consequent l y, t he st or i es and event s of past peopl e openl y

r ef l ect t hat t he r esul t of oppr essi on and evi l deeds has al ways been

r ui n and dest r uct i on, whi l e the consequence of vi r t uous act i on andpeacef ul l i vi ng was al ways good l uck and success. Si nce t i me and peopl e

make no di f f erence, i f t he same condi t i ons appear agai n and the same

act i ons are r epeat ed t he same r esul t s must accrue whi ch had appear ed i n

t he ear l i er set of ci r cumst ances, because t he accrual of t he r esul t s of

good or bad act i ons i s sur e and cer t ai n l i ke t he pr oper t i es and ef f ect s

of ever yt hi ng. I t t hi s wer e not so i t woul d not be possi bl e t o ki ndl e

hope i n t he mi nds of t he oppr essed and t he af f l i ct ed by pr esent i ng t o

t hem past event s and t hei r ef f ect s, nor coul d t he oppr essors and

t yrant s be war ned of t he i l l - ef f ect s of t hei r deeds, on t he gr ound t hat

i t was not necessary t hat t he same woul d accr ue now as had accr ued

ear l i er . But i t i s t he uni ver sal i t y of causal i t y whi ch makes past

event s t he obj ect of a l esson f or post er i t y. Consequent l y, i t was f or

t hi s pur pose t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n pr ovoked t hi nki ng and consi der at i on

and ment i oned t he var i ous event s of Banu I sma`i l , Banu I shaq and Banu







Phar aoh and hi s ar my i n i t s waves, f i ni shed t hem. About t hem t he Qur ' an

says:

And ( r emember ye) when We delivered you from Pharaoh's people who

afflicted you with grievous torment, slaying your sons and by letting

your women alive, and in that was a great trial from your Lord. ( 2: 49)

However , when, af t er l eavi ng t he boundar i es of Egypt , t hey ent er ed

t hei r mot her l and Pal est i ne, t hey

est abl i shed t hei r own st at e and began t o l i ve i n f r eedom, and Al l ah

changed t hei r l owl i ness and di sgr ace i nt o t he gr eat ness and subl i mi t y

of r ul e and power . I n t hi s connect i on, Al l ah says:

And made We inheritors the people who were deemed weak ( t o i nher i t ) the

eastern parts of the earth and the western parts of it, which we had

blessed therein ( wi t h f er t i l i t y) and the good word of thy Lord was

fulfilled in the children of Israel for what they did endure; and

destroyed We, what Pharaoh and his people had wrought, and what shade

they did make. ( Qur ' an, 7: 137)

On occupyi ng t he thr one of r ul e and r egai ni ng pr osper i t y and

peacef ul ness, Banu I sr a' i l f or got al l t he i gnomi ni es and di sgr aces of

t he per i od of sl aver y, and i nst ead of bei ng t hankf ul t o Al l ah f or t he

f avour s grant ed by Hi m t hey t ook t o rebel l i on and r evol t . Consequent l y,

t hey shamel essl y i ndul ged i n vi ces and mi sconduct and part ook i nmi schi ef s and evi l deeds t o t he maxi mum, made l awf ul t hi ngs unl awf ul

and unl awf ul t hi ngs l awf ul by f al se excuses and di sobeyed t he pr ophet s

who t r i ed t o pr each and cor r ect t hemunder t he command of Al l ah, and

even ki l l ed t hem. The nat ur al consequence of t hei r vi ci ous act i vi t i es

was t hat t hey wer e caught i n puni shment f or t hei r deeds. Consequent l y,

Nebuchadnezzar , who was rul i ng i n Babyl on ( I r aq) i n 600 B. C. , r ose t o

march agai nst Syr i a and Pal est i ne and ki l l ed sevent y thousand Banu

I sr a' i l wi t h hi s bl ood- t hi r st y swor ds, devast at ed t hei r t owns, dr ove

away the survi vor s wi t h hi m l i ke sheep and goat s and t hr ew t hemi n t he

abyss of i gnomi ny by t ur ni ng t hem i nt o sl aves.

Al t hough af t er t hi s r ui nat i on t her e seemed no way f or t hem t o regai n

posi t i on and power , yet nat ur e gave t hem st i l l anot her chance t o

r ecover . When Nebuchadnezzar di ed and power came i n the hands of

Bel shazzar he star t ed al l sor t s of oppr essi on on t he peopl e. Bei ng

di sgust ed wi t h t hi s, t hey sent wor d t o t he r ul er of Per si a t hat t hey



wer e t i r ed of endur i ng t he oppr essi on of t hei r r ul er and t hat he shoul d

r escue t hem f r om hi m, and f r ee t hem f r om t he oppr essi on of Bel shazzar .

Cyrus t he Gr eat , who was a j ust and upr i ght r ul er , r ose up i n r esponse

t o t hi s r equest and, wi t h t he co- oper at i on of t he l ocal popul at i on,

over t ur ned t he government , as a consequence of whi ch t he yoke of

sl aver y on Banu I sr a' i l ' s necks was al so r emoved, and t hey wer e al l owedt o r et ur n t o Pal est i ne.

Thus, af t er sevent y years of subj ugat i on t hey agai n set f oot i n t hei r

homel and and t ook over t he r ei ns of government . I f t hey had t aken t hei r

l esson f r om t he past event s t hey woul d not have commi t t ed t he same

evi l s as a consequence of whi ch t hey had t o suf f er sl aver y; but t he

ment al const i t ut i on of t hi s communi t y was such t hat whenever t hey

achi eved pr osper i t y and f r eedom f r om car e t hey l ost t hemsel ves i n t he

i nt oxi cat i on of r i ches and i n t he enj oyment of pl easur e, mocked t he

l aws of r el i gi on, der i ded t he pr ophet s and even ki l l i ng t hem di d not

mean anyt hi ng ser i ous t o t hem. Thus, when t hei r r ul er Herod at t he

r equest of hi s sweet hear t , beheaded t he Prophet Yahya ( J ohn) and

pr esent ed hi s head t o her , none of t hem r ai sed any voi ce agai nst t hi s

br ut al i t y or was af f ect ed by i t i n any manner . Thi s was t he st at e of

t hei r unr ul i ness and f i er ceness when `I sa made hi s appear ance. He

st opped t hem f r om evi l deeds and exhor t ed them t o adopt good habi t s,

but t hey opposed hi m t oo and gave hi m t r oubl es of var i ous sor t s, so

much so t hat t hey t r i ed t o end hi s l i f e. However , Al l ah f oi l ed al l

t hei r devi ces and made `I sa saf e agai nst t hei r appr oach.

When t hei r di sobedi ence r eached t hi s st age and t hei r capaci t y t o accept

gui dance was compl etel y wi ped out , f ate deci ded t o r ui n t hemand made

f ul l ar r angement s f or t hei r anni hi l at i on and dest r uct i on. The r ul er of

Roma ( Byzant i a) Vespasi anus sent hi s son Ti t us t o at t ack Syr i a, he l ai d

si ege r ound J erusal em, demol i shed t he houses and br oke down t he wal l s

of t he Synagogue as a r esul t of whi ch t housand of Banu I sr a' i l l ef t

t hei r houses and became scat t ered abr oad, whi l e thousands di ed of

hunger; and those who r emai ned were put t o sword. Most of t hem set t l ed

i n Hi j az, but because of t hei r r ej ect i ng Pr ophet Muhammad

( p. b. u. h. a. h. p. ) t hei r uni t y was so di st ur bed t hat t hey coul d neveragai n conver ge on any one cent r e of honour and coul d never r egai n a

l i f e of pr est i ge and di gni t y i n pl ace of di sgr ace and i gnomi ny.

I n t he same way t he rul er of Per si a made ser i ous at t acks on Ar abi a and

subj ugat ed t he i nhabi t ant s of t hose pl aces. Thus, Shapur i bn Hur muz, at

t he age of si xteen, t ook wi t h hi m f our t housand combat ant s and at t acked

Ar abs who resi ded wi t hi n t he boundar i es of Per si a and t hen advanced



t owards Bahr ayn, Qat i f and Haj ar and rui ned Banu Tami m, Banu Bakr i bn

Wa' i l and Banu Àbd al - Qays and cut t hr ough t he shoul ders of sevent y

t housand Ar abs, af t er whi ch hi s ni ckname became "Dhu' l - Akt af " ( t he

shoul der er ) . He f or ced t he Ar abs t hat t hey shoul d l i ve i n t ent s bui l t

of hai r , shoul d gr ow l ong hai r on t hei r heads, shoul d not wear whi t e

cl ot hes and shoul d r i de unsaddl ed hor ses. Then he set t l ed t wel vet housand peopl e of I sf ahan and ot her ci t i es of Per si a i n t he ar ea

between I r aq and Syr i a.

I n t hi s way he dr ove t he i nhabi t ant s of t hose pl aces f r om f er t i l e l ands

t o wat er l ess f or est s whi ch had nei t her any of t he conveni ences of l i f e

nor means of l i vel i hood, and f or l ong t hese peopl e r emai ned t he vi ct i ms

of ot her ' s oppr essi on due t o t hei r own di suni t y and di vi si on. At l ast ,

Al l ah deput ed t he Pr ophet and r ai sed t hem out of di sgr ace to t he

hi ghest pi nnacl e of pr ogr ess and subl i mi t y.

[ 5] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, Abu Ayyub al - Ansar i , J abi r i bn Àbdul l ah al -Ansar i , Àbdul l ah i bn Masùd, Àmmar i bn Yasi r , Abu Saì d al - Khudr i and

Àbdul l ah i bn Àbbas nar r ated t hat t he Hol y Prophet commanded Àl i i bn

Abi Tal i b t o f i ght t hose who ar e pl edge- br eaker s ( nakithin) , devi at or s

fromtruth ( qasitin) and t hose who have l ef t t he f ai t h ( mar i qi n) . ( al-

Mustadrak, vol . 3, p. 139; al-Istiàb, vol . 3, p. 1117; Usd al-ghabah,

vol . 3, pp. 32- 33; ad-Durr al-manthur , vol . 6, p. 18; al-Khasa'is al-

kubra, vol . 2, p. 138; Majma` az-zawa'id , vol . 5, p. 186; vol . 6, p.

235; vol . 7, p. 238; Kanz al-ùmmal, vol . 6, pp. 72, 82, 88, 155, 215,

319, 391, 392; Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 8, p. 340; vol . 13, pp. 186- 187;

al-Tarikh, I bn Àsaki r , vol . 5, p. 41; at-Tarikh, I bn Kat hi r , vol . 7

pp. 304- 306; ar-Riyad an-nadarah, vol . 2, p. 240; Sharh al-mawahib al-

ladunniyyah, vol . 3, pp. 316- 317; Muwaddah al-awham, vol . 1, p. 386) .

I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d says: "I t has been pr oved ( by r i ght ascr i pt i on) f r om

t he Hol y Pr ophet t hat he sai d t o Àl i ( p. b. u. h. ) :

You wi l l f i ght af t er me t hose who ar e pl edge- breakers, devi at or s f r om

t r ut h and t hose who have gone out of t he f ai t h.

"The pl edge- br eaker s wer e the peopl e of J amal , because t hey br oke t hei r

al l egi ance wi t h hi m. The devi at or s f r om t r ut h wer e t he peopl e of Syr i a

( ash- Sham) at Si f f i n. Those who have gone out of t he f ai t h wer e the

Khar i j i t es at an- Nahr awan. Regar di ng t hese t hr ee gr oups, Al l ah says

( about t he f i r st one) :

Verily, those who swear their fealty unto thee do but swear fealty unto

Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands; so whosoever violateth





his oath, doth violate it only to the hurt of his ( own) self;...

( Qur ' an, 48: 10)

( About t he second gr oup) Al l ah says:

And as for the deviators, they shall be for the hell, a fuel. ( Qur ' an,

72: 15)

Concer ni ng t he t hi r d gr oup, I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has r ef er r ed t o t he

f ol l owi ng t r adi t i on ( hadith) t hat al - Bukhar i ( i n as-Sahih, vol . 4, pp.

166- 167, 243) , Musl i m ( in as-Sahih, vol . 3, pp. 109- 117) , at - Ti r mi dhi

( in al-Jami` as-Sahih, vol . 4, p. 481) , I bn Maj ah ( i n as-Sunan, vol . I ,

pp. 59- 62) , an- Nasa' i ( i n as-Sunan, vol . 3, pp. 65- 66) , Mal i k i bn Anas

( i n al-Muwatta', pp. 204- 205) , ad- Dar ' qut ni ( i n as-Sunan, vol . 3,

pp. 131- 132) , ad- Dar i mi ( i n as-Suman, vol . 2, p. 133) , Abu Dawud ( i n as-

Sunan, vol . 4, pp. 241- 246) , al - Haki m ( i n al-Mustadrak, vol . 2, pp.

145- 154; vol . 4, p. 531) , Ahmad i bn Hanbal ( i n al-Musnad , vol . 1, pp.88, 140, 147; vol . 3, pp. 56, 65) and al - Bayhaqi ( in as-Sunan al-

kubra', vol . 8, pp. 170- 171) have nar r at ed t hr ough a gr oup of t he

compani ons of t he Hol y Pr ophet t hat he sai d about Dhu' l - Khuwaysi r ah

( t he sur name f or Dhu' t h- Thudayyah Hur qus i bn Zuhayr at - Tami mi , t he

chi ef of t he Khar i j i t es) :

From t hi s ver y per son' s post er i t y t her e wi l l ar i se peopl e who wi l l

r eci t e t he Qur ' an, but i t wi l l not go beyond t hei r t hr oat , t hey wi l l

ki l l t hei r f ol l ower s of I s l am and wi l l spar e t he i dol - wor shi pper s. They

wi l l gl ance t hr ough t he t eachi ng of I sl am as hur r i edl y as t he ar r owpasses t hr ough i t s pr ey. I f I wer e t o ever f i nd t hem I woul d ki l l t hem

l i ke `Ad.

Then I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d cont i nues:

Thi s i s t he si gn f or hi s ( Hol y Pr ophet ' s) prophet hood and hi s prophecy

of t he secret knowl edge. ( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 13, p. 183)

[ 6] . By "Sat an of t he pi t " t he r ef er ence i s t o Dhu' t h- Thudayyah ( whose

f ul l name al r eady ment i oned i n f oot not e no. 5) who was ki l l ed i n

Nahr awan by t he st r oke of l i ght ni ng f r om t he sky, and ther e was no need

t o ki l l hi m by swor d. The Hol y Pr ophet had f or et ol d hi s deat h.

Ther ef or e, af t er t he anni hi l at i on of t he Khar i j i t es at Nahr awan, Ami r

al - mu' mi ni n came out i n sear ch, but coul d not f i nd hi s body anywher e.

I n t he meant i me, ar - Rayyan i bn Sabi r ah saw f or t y to f i f t y bodi es i n a

pi t on t he bank of t he canal . When t hey were taken out t he body of





Dhu' t h- Thudayyah was al so f ound among t hem. He was cal l ed Dhu' t h-

Thudayyah because of a mass of f l esh on hi s shoul der . When Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n saw hi s body he sai d, "Al l ah i s Gr eat , nei t her I spoke l i e nor

was I t ol d wr ong. " ( I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 13, pp. 183- 184; at - Tabar i ,

vol 1, pp. 3383- 3384; I bn al - At hi r vol . 3, p. 348)

*****

Sermon 193 It is related that a companion of Amir al-mu'minin called Hammam [ 1]

who was a man devoted to worship said to him, "O' Amir al-mu'minin,

describe to me the pious man in such a way as though I see them." Amir

al-mu'minin avoided the reply and said, "O' Hammam, fear Allah and

perform good acts because 'Verily, Allah is with those who guard

(themselves against evil), and those who do good (to others)'" (Qur'an,

16:128). Hammam was not satisfied with this and pushed him to speak.Thereupon, Amir al-mu'minin praised Allah and extolled Him and sought

His blessings on the Holy Prophet and then spoke:

Now t hen, Al l ah t he Gl or i f i ed, t he Subl i me, cr eat ed ( t he t hi ngs of )

cr eat i on. He creat ed t hem wi t hout any need f or t hei r obedi ence or bei ng

saf e f r om t hei r si nni ng, because the si n of anyone who si ns does not

harm Hi m nor does t he obedi ence of anyone who obeys Hi m benef i t Hi m. He

has di st r i but ed among t hem t hei r l i vel i hood, and has assi gned t hem

t hei r posi t i ons i n t he wor l d.

Thus, t he God- f ear i ng, i n i t ar e t he peopl e of di st i nct i on. Thei rspeech i s t o t he poi nt , t hei r dr ess i s moder at e and t hei r gai t i s

humbl e. They keep t hei r eyes cl osed t o what Al l ah has made unl awf ul f or

t hem, and t hey put t hei r ear s t o t hat knowl edge whi ch i s benef i ci al t o

t hem. They remai n i n t he t i me of t r i al s as t hough t hey remai n i n

comf or t . I f t her e had not been f i xed per i ods ( of l i f e) or dai ned f or

each, t hei r spi r i t s woul d not have r emai ned i n t hei r bodi es even f or

t he t wi nkl i ng of an eye because of ( t hei r ) eager ness f or t he r ewar d and

f ear of chast i sement . The gr eat ness of t he Cr eat or i s seat ed i n t hei r

hear t , and, so, ever yt hi ng el se appear s smal l i n t hei r eyes. Thus t o

t hem Par adi se i s as t hough t hey see i t and ar e enj oyi ng i t s f avour s. To

t hem, Hel l i s al so as i f t hey see i t and ar e suf f er i ng puni shment i n

i t .

Thei r hear t s ar e gr i eved, t hey ar e prot ect ed agai nst evi l s, t hei r

bodi es ar e t hi n, t hei r needs ar e scant y, and t hei r soul s ar e chast e.

They endur ed ( har dshi p) f or a shor t whi l e, and i n consequence t hey





secur ed comf or t f or a l ong t i me. I t i s a benef i ci al t r ansact i on t hat

Al l ah made easy f or t hem. The wor l d ai med at t hem, but t hey di d not ai m

at i t . I t capt ur ed t hem, but t hey f r eed t hemsel ves f r om i t by a r ansom.

Dur i ng a ni ght t hey ar e upst andi ng on t hei r f eet r eadi ng por t i ons of

t he Qur ' an and r eci t i ng i t i n a wel l - measur ed way, cr eat i ng t hr ough i t

gr i ef f or t hemsel ves and seeki ng by i t t he cur e f or t hei r ai l ment s. I ft hey come acr oss a ver se cr eat i ng eager ness ( f or Par adi se) t hey pur sue

i t avi dl y, and t hei r spi r i t s t ur n t owar ds i t eager l y, and t hey f eel as

i f i t i s i n f r ont of t hem. And when t hey come acr oss a ver se whi ch

cont ai ns f ear ( of Hel l ) t hey bend t he ear s of t hei r hear t s t owar ds i t ,

and f eel as t hough t he sound of Hel l and i t s cr i es ar e r eachi ng t hei r

ears. They bend t hemsel ves f r om t hei r backs, pr ost r at e t hemsel ves on

t hei r f or eheads, t hei r pal ms, t hei r knees and t hei r t oes, and beseech

Al l ah, t he Subl i me, f or t hei r del i ver ance. Dur i ng t he day t hey ar e

endur i ng, l ear ned, vi r t uous and God- f ear i ng. Fear ( of Al l ah) has made

t hem t hi n l i ke ar r ows. I f any one l ooks at t hem he bel i eves t hey ar e

si ck, al t hough t hey are not si ck, and he says t hat t hey have gone mad.

I n f act , gr eat concer n ( i . e. , f ear ) has made t hem mad.

They ar e not sat i sf i ed wi t h t hei r meagr e good act s, and do not r egar d

t hei r maj or act s as great . They al ways bl ame themsel ves and ar e af r ai d

of t hei r deeds. When anyone of t hem i s spoken of hi ghl y, he says: " I

know mysel f bet t er t han others, and my Lord knows me bet t er t han I

know. O' Al l ah do not deal wi t h me accor di ng to what t hey say, and make

me bet t er t han t hey t hi nk of me and f orgi ve me ( t hose short comi ngs)

whi ch t hey do not know. "

The pecul i ar i t y of anyone of t hem i s t hat you wi l l see t hat he has

st r engt h i n r el i gi on, det er mi nat i on al ong wi t h l eni ency, f ai t h wi t h

convi ct i on, eager ness i n ( seeki ng) knowl edge i n f or bear ance, moder at i on

i n r i ches, devot i on i n wor shi p, gr acef ul ness i n st ar vat i on, endur ance

i n har dshi p, desi r e f or t he l awf ul , pl easur e i n gui dance and

hat r ed f r om gr eed. He per f or ms vi r t uous deeds but st i l l f eel s af r ai d.

I n t he eveni ng he i s anxi ous t o of f er t hanks ( t o Al l ah) . I n t he mor ni ng

hi s anxi et y i s t o r emember ( Al l ah) . He passes t he ni ght i n f ear andr i ses i n t he mor ni ng i n j oy - f ear l est ni ght i s passed i n

f or get f ul ness, and j oy over t he f avour and mer cy recei ved by hi m. I f

hi s sel f r ef uses t o endur e a t hi ng whi ch i t does not l i ke he does not

gr ant i t s r equest t owar ds what i t l i kes. The cool ness of hi s eye l i es

i n what i s t o l ast f or ever , whi l e f r om t he t hi ngs ( of t hi s wor l d) t hat

wi l l not l ast he keeps al oof . He t r ansf uses



knowl edge wi t h f or bear ance, and speech wi t h act i on.

You wi l l see hi s hopes si mpl e, hi s shor t comi ngs f ew, hi s hear t f ear i ng,

hi s spi r i t cont ent ed, hi s meal smal l and si mpl e, hi s r el i gi on saf e, hi s

desi r es dead and hi s anger suppr essed. Good al one i s expect ed f r om hi m.

Evi l f r om hi m i s not t o be f ear ed. Even i f he i s f ound among t hose who

f orget ( Al l ah) he i s count ed among those who remember ( Hi m) , but i f hei s among the r ememberers he i s not count ed among the f orget f ul . He

f or gi ves hi m who i s unj ust t o hi m, and he gi ves t o hi m who depr i ves

hi m. He behaves wel l wi t h hi m who behaves i l l wi t h hi m.

I ndecent speech i s f ar f r om hi m, hi s ut t er ance i s l eni ent , hi s evi l s

ar e non- exi st ent hi s vi r t ues are ever pr esent , hi s good i s ahead and

mi schi ef has t ur ned i t s f ace ( f r om hi m) . He i s di gni f i ed dur i ng

cal ami t i es, pat i ent i n di st r esses, and t hankf ul dur i ng ease. He does

not commi t excess over hi m whomhe hates, and does not commi t si n f or

t he sake of hi m whom he l oves. He admi t s t r ut h bef or e evi dence i sbr ought agai nst hi m. He does not mi sappr opr i at e what i s pl aced i n hi s

cust ody, and does not f orget what he i s r equi r ed t o r emember . He does

not cal l ot her s bad names, he does not cause har m t o hi s nei ghbour , he

does not f eel happy at ot her s mi sf or t unes, he does not ent er i nt o wr ong

and does not go out of r i ght .

I f he i s si l ent hi s si l ence does not gr i eve hi m, i f he l aughs he does

not r ai se hi s voi ce, and i f he i s wr onged he endur es t i l l Al l ah t akes

r evenge on hi s behal f . Hi s own sel f i s i n di st r ess because of hi m,

whi l e t he peopl e ar e i n ease f r om hi m. He put s hi msel f i n har dshi p f ort he sake of hi s next l i f e, and makes peopl e f eel saf e f r om hi msel f . Hi s

keepi ng away f r om ot her s i s by way of ascet i ci sm and pur i f i cat i on, and

hi s near ness t o those t o whom he i s near i s by way of l eni ency and

mer ci f ul ness. Hi s keepi ng away i s not by way of vani t y or f eel i ng of

gr eat ness, nor hi s nearness by way of decei t and cheat i ng.

It is related that Hammam passed into a deep swoon and then expired.

Then Amir al-mu'minin said:

Ver i l y, by Al l ah I had t hi s f ear about hi m. Then he added: Ef f ect i ve

advi ces pr oduce such ef f ect s on r ecept i ve mi nds.

Someone [ 2] said to him: O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, how i s i t you do not

r ecei ve such an ef f ect ?





Amir al-mu'minin replied: Woe to you. For deat h t her e i s a f i xed hour

whi ch cannot be exceeded, and a cause whi ch does not change. Now l ook,

never r epeat such t al k whi ch Satan had put on your t ongue.


[ 1] . Accor di ng t o I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d t hi s i s Hammam i bn Shur ayh but al -Àl l amah al - Maj l i si says t hat appar ent l y t hi s i s Hammam i bn Ùbadah.

[ 2] . Thi s man was Àbdul l ah i bn al - Kawwa' who was i n t he f or e- f r ont of

t he Khar i j i t e movement and was a gr eat opponent of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

*****

Sermon 194 In description of hypocrites

We pr ai se Al l ah f or t he succour He has gi ven us i n car r yi ng out Hi sobedi ence and i n pr event i ng us f r om di sobedi ence, and we ask Hi m t o

compl ete Hi s f avour s ( t o us) and to make us hol d on to Hi s r ope. We

st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad i s Hi s sl ave and Hi s Messenger . He ent ered

ever y har dshi p i n sear ch of Al l ah' s pl easur e and

endur ed f or i t s sake ever y gr i ef . Hi s near r el at i ons changed t hemsel ves

f or hi m and t hose who wer e r emot e f r om hi m ( i n r el at i onshi p) uni t ed

agai nst hi m. The Ar abs l et l oose t he r ei ns ( of t hei r hor ses t o qui cken

t hei r mar ch) agai nst hi m, and st r uck t he bel l i es of t hei r car r i er s t o

( r ouse t hem) i n f i ght i ng agai nst hi m, so much so that enemi es came to

hi s t hr eshol d f r om t he r emot est pl aces and most di st ant ar eas.

I advi se you, O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, t o f ear Al l ah and I war n you of

t he hypocr i t es, because t hey ar e t hemsel ves mi sgui ded and mi sgui de

others, and t hey have sl i pped and make ot hers s l i p t oo. They change

i nt o many col our s, and adopt var i ous ways. They suppor t you wi t h al l

sor t s of suppor t s, and l ay i n wai t i ng f or you at ever y l ookout . Thei r

hear t s ar e di seased whi l e t hei r f aces ar e cl ean. They wal k st eal t hi l y

and t r ead l i ke t he appr oach of si ckness ( over t he body) . Thei r wor dsspeak of cur e, but t hei r act s ar e l i ke i ncur abl e di seases. They ar e

j eal ous of ease, i ntensi f y di st r ess , and dest r oy hopes. Thei r vi ct i ms

are f ound l yi ng down on ever y path, whi l e t hey have means t o appr oach

ever y hear t and t hey have ( f al se) t ear s f or ever y gr i ef .

They eul ogi se each ot her and expect r ewar d f r om each ot her . When t hey

ask somet hi ng t hey i nsi st on i t , i f t hey repr ove ( any one) t hey







di sgrace (hi m) , and i f t hey pass ver di ct t hey commi t excess. They have

adopt ed f or ever y t r ut h a wr ong way, f or ever y er ect t hi ng a bender ,

f or ever y l i vi ng bei ng a ki l l er , f or ever y ( cl osed) door a key and f or

ever y ni ght a l amp. They covet , but wi t h despai r , i n or der t o mai nt ai n

wi t h i t t hei r mar ket s, and t o popul ar i se t hei r handsome mer chandi se.

When they speak t hey cr eat e doubt s. When t hey descr i be t hey exaggerate.Fi r st t hey of f er easy pat hs but ( af t er war ds) t hey make t hem nar r ow. I n

shor t , t hey ar e t he par t y of Sat an and t he st i ngs of f i r e.

Satan hath gained hold on them, so he maketh them forget the

remembrance of Allah; they are Satan's Party; Beware! verily, the party

of Satan are the losers. ( Qur ' an, 58: 19)

*****

Sermon 194 In description of hypocrites

We pr ai se Al l ah f or t he succour He has gi ven us i n car r yi ng out Hi s

obedi ence and i n pr event i ng us f r om di sobedi ence, and we ask Hi m t o

compl ete Hi s f avour s ( t o us) and to make us hol d on to Hi s r ope. We

st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad i s Hi s sl ave and Hi s Messenger . He ent ered

ever y har dshi p i n sear ch of Al l ah' s pl easur e and

endur ed f or i t s sake ever y gr i ef . Hi s near r el at i ons changed t hemsel ves

f or hi m and t hose who wer e r emot e f r om hi m ( i n r el at i onshi p) uni t ed

agai nst hi m. The Ar abs l et l oose t he r ei ns ( of t hei r hor ses t o qui ckent hei r mar ch) agai nst hi m, and st r uck t he bel l i es of t hei r car r i er s t o

( r ouse t hem) i n f i ght i ng agai nst hi m, so much so that enemi es came to

hi s t hr eshol d f r om t he r emot est pl aces and most di st ant ar eas.

I advi se you, O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, t o f ear Al l ah and I war n you of

t he hypocr i t es, because t hey ar e t hemsel ves mi sgui ded and mi sgui de

others, and t hey have sl i pped and make ot hers s l i p t oo. They change

i nt o many col our s, and adopt var i ous ways. They suppor t you wi t h al l

sor t s of suppor t s, and l ay i n wai t i ng f or you at ever y l ookout . Thei r

hear t s ar e di seased whi l e t hei r f aces ar e cl ean. They wal k st eal t hi l y

and t r ead l i ke t he appr oach of si ckness ( over t he body) . Thei r wor ds

speak of cur e, but t hei r act s ar e l i ke i ncur abl e di seases. They ar e

j eal ous of ease, i ntensi f y di st r ess , and dest r oy hopes. Thei r vi ct i ms

are f ound l yi ng down on ever y path, whi l e t hey have means t o appr oach

ever y hear t and t hey have ( f al se) t ear s f or ever y gr i ef .



One per son cannot t ur n Hi s at t ent i on f r om anot her , one voi ce does not

det r act Hi m f r om anot her voi ce, and one gr ant of f avour does not

pr event Hi m f r om r ef usi ng anot her f avour . Anger does not pr event Hi m

f r om mer cy, mer cy does not pr event Hi m f r ompuni shi ng; Hi s conceal ment

does not hi de Hi s mani f est ness and Hi s mani f est ness does not pr event

Hi m f r om conceal ment . He i s near and at t he same t i me di st ant . He i shi gh and at t he same t i me l ow. He i s mani f est and al so conceal ed. He i s

conceal ed yet wel l - known. He l ends but i s not l ent anythi ng. He has not

cr eat ed ( t he t hi ngs of ) creat i on af t er devi si ng, nor di d He t ake t hei r

assi st ance on account of f at i gue.

I advi se you, O' creat ur es of Al l ah, t o have f ear of Al l ah, f or i t i s

t he r ei n and t he mai nst ay ( of r el i gi on) . Hol d f ast t o i t s sal i ent

poi nt s, keep hol d of i t s r eal i t i es. I t wi l l t ake you t o abodes of

easi ness, pl aces of comf or t , f or t r esses of saf et y and houses of honour

on the Day ( of J udgement ) when eyes will be wide open, ( Qur ' an, 14: 42) ,

when t here wi l l be darkness al l r ound, when smal l gr oups of camel s

pr egnant f or t en mont hs wi l l be al l owed f r ee gr azi ng, and when t he Horn

wi l l be bl own, t hen ever y l i vi ng bei ng wi l l di e, ever y voi ce wi l l

become dumb t he hi gh mount ai ns and hard r ocks wi l l cr umbl e ( t o pi eces)

so t hat t hei r har d st ones wi l l t ur n i nt o movi ng sand and t hei r bases

wi l l become l evel . ( On t hat day) t her e wi l l be no i nt er ceder t o

i nt er cede and no r el at i on t o war d of f ( t r oubl e) , and no excuse wi l l be

of avai l .

*****

Sermon 196 The condition of the world at the time of the proclamation of

prophethood, the transience of this world and the state of its

inhabitants.

Al l ah deput ed t he Pr ophet when no si gn of gui dance exi st ed, no beacon

was gi vi ng l i ght and no passage was cl ear .

I advi se you, O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, t o have f ear of Al l ah, and I war n

you of t hi s wor l d whi ch i s a house f r om whi ch depar t ur e i s i nevi t abl eand a pl ace of di scomf or t . He who l i ves i n i t has t o depar t , and he who

st ays her e has t o l eave i t . I t i s dr i f t i ng wi t h i t s peopl e l i ke a boat

whom severe wi nds dash (here and t here) i n the deep sea. Some of t hem

get dr owned and di e, whi l e some of t hemescape on t he sur f ace of t he

waves, wher e wi nds push t hem wi t h t hei r cur r ent s and car r y t hemt owar ds



t hei r dangers. So, whatever i s drowned cannot be r est ored, and whatever

escapes i s on t he way t o dest r uct i on.

O' cr eat ur es of Al l ah, you shoul d know now t hat you have t o per f or m

( good) act s, because ( at pr esent ) your t ongues are f r ee, your bodi es

are heal t hy, your l i mbs have movement , t he area of your comi ng and

goi ng i s vast and t he cour se of your r unni ng i s wi de; bef or e t he l ossof oppor t uni t y or t he appr oach of deat h. Take deat h' s appr oach as an

accompl i shed f act and do not t hi nk i t wi l l come ( her eaf t er ) .

*****

Sermon 197 Amir al-mu'minin's attachment to the Holy Prophet. The performance of

his funeral rites

Those compani ons of Muhammad - t he peace and bl ess i ng of Al l ah be uponhi m and hi s descendant s - who wer e t he cust odi ans ( of di vi ne messages)

know t hat I never di sobeyed Al l ah or Hi s Messenger [ 1] - t he peace and

bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s - at al l , and by

vi r t ue of t he cour age [ 2] wi t h whi ch Al l ah honour ed me I support ed hi m

wi t h my l i f e on occasi ons when even t he br ave t ur ned away and f eet

r emai ned behi nd ( i nst ead of pr oceedi ng f or war d) .

When t he Pr ophet - t he peace and bl essi ng of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s

descendant s - di ed hi s head was on my chest , and hi s ( l ast ) br eat h bl ew

over my pal ms and I passed i t over my f ace. I per f or med hi s ( f uner al )abl ut i on, may Al l ah bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s, and t he angel s

hel ped me. The house and the cour t yar d were f ul l of t hem.

One par t y of t hem was descendi ng and the ot her was ascendi ng. My ear s

cont i nual l y caught t hei r hummi ng voi ce, as t hey i nvoked Al l ah' s

bl essi ng on hi m, t i l l we bur i ed hi m i n hi s gr ave. Thus, who can have

gr eat er r i ght s wi t h hi m t han I dur i ng hi s l i f e or af t er hi s deat h?

Ther ef or e depend on your i ntel l i gence and make your i ntent i ons pur e i n

f i ght i ng your enemy, because I swear by Hi m who i s such t hat t her e i s

no god but He, t hat I am on t he pat h of t r ut h and t hat t hey ( t he enemy)are on t he mi sl eadi ng path of wr ong. You hear what I say; and I seek

Al l ah' s f or gi veness f or mysel f and f or you.


[ 1] . I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en ( in Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 10,

pp. 180- 183) t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s sayi ng t hat he never di sobeyed t he









commands of t he Prophet i s a sor t of t aunt t o t hose who f el t no

hesi t at i on i n rej ect i ng the Pr ophet ' s commands and somet i mes even

checked hi m. For exampl e, when, at t he t i me of t he peace of al -

Hudaybi yah, t he Pr ophet was agr eeabl e t o negot i ate peace wi t h the

unbel i evers among t he Quraysh, one of t he compani ons became so enr aged

t hat he expr essed doubts about t he pr ophet hood of t he Prophet whereuponAbu Bakr had t o say:

Woe be t o you! Keep cl i ngi ng t o hi m. He i s cer t ai nl y Al l ah' s Messenger

and He wi l l not r ui n hi m.

The i nt r oduct i on t o t he oath, ' inna' , and t he word of emphasi s ' lam'

whi ch ar e used here t o cr eat e convi ct i on about t he pr ophethood shows

t hat t he addr essee had gone f ar t her t han mere doubt , because t hese

wor ds of emphasi s ar e empl oyed onl y when t he st age of deni al has been

r eached. However , i f bel i ef r equi r ed absence of doubt , t he pr esence of

doubt must i mpl y def ect i n t he bel i ef , as Al l ah says:

The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger,

they doubt not thereafter,... ( Qur ' an, 49: 15)

Si mi l ar l y, when t he Pr ophet i nt ended t o say t he f uner al pr ayer s of

Ubayy i bn Sal ul t he same compani on sai d t o hi m, "How do you i ntend t o

seek f or gi veness f or t hi s Chi ef of hypocr i t es?" And he even dr ew away

t he Pr ophet by cat chi ng t he ski r t ( of hi s shi r t ) . Then t he Pr ophet had

t o say, "No act of mi ne i s besi de the command of Al l ah" . I n t he same

way t he Prophet ' s command t o accompany t he f or ce of Usamah i bn Zayd wasi gnor ed. The gr eat est of al l t hese i nsol ences was di spl ayed i n

connect i on wi t h t he Pr ophet ' s i nt ent i on t o wr i t e down hi s advi ce as t o

when such a bl ame was l ai d agai nst t he Pr ophet whi ch pr oves an absence

of bel i ef i n the commands of t he shariàh, and cr eat es a doubt about

each command as t o whether i t i s based on di vi ne revel at i on or ( Al l ah

may f or bi d) j ust t he r esul t of ment al di sor der .

[ 2] . Who can deny t hat t he ever - successf ul l i on of Al l ah, Àl i i bn Abi

Tal i b ( p. b. u. h. ) shi el ded t he Pr ophet on every cr i t i cal occasi on and

perf or med t he dut y of pr ot ect i ng hi m by di nt of t he cour age and val our

gi f t ed t o hi m by Al l ah. The f i r st occasi on of r i ski ng hi s l i f e was when

t he unbel i ever s f r om t he Qur aysh deci ded f i nal l y to ki l l t he Pr ophet

and Àl i sl ept on hi s bed sur r ounded by enemi es and under t he di r ect

per i l of swor ds, wher eby t he enemi es wer e not abl e to succeed i n t hei r

ai ms. Then, i n t hose bat t l es wher e the enemi es used t o at t ack t he

Prophet t ogether and where the f eet of even t he reput ed heroes coul d





not st and f i r m, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r emai ned st eadf ast wi t h t he banner ( of

I sl am) i n hi s hand. Àbd al - Bar r and al - Haki m wr i t es about i t :

I bn Àbbas says t hat Àl i had f our qual i t i es whi ch no one el se

possessed. Fi r st l y, he was t he f i r st among Ar abs and non- Ar abs t o have

sai d pr ayer s wi t h t he Messenger of Al l ah. Secondl y, he al ways had t he

banner of I sl am i n hi s hand i n ever y bat t l e. Thi r dl y, when peopl e r anaway f r om t he Pr ophet , Àl i r emai ned wi t h hi m; and f our t hl y i t was he

who gave t he Pr ophet hi s f uner al abl ut i on and l ai d hi m i n hi s gr ave.

( al-Istiàb, vol . 3, p. 1090; al-Mustadrak àla as-sahihayn vol . 3, p.

111)

A st udy of t he hol y war s of I sl am f ought i n t he Pr ophet ' s days l eaves

no doubt t hat , except f or t he bat t l e of Tabuk i n whi ch Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

di d not par t ake, al l ot her bat t l es bear t est i mony t o hi s f i ne

per f or mance and al l t he successes ar e due t o hi s val our . Thus, i n t he

bat t l e of Badr sevent y unbel i ever s wer e ki l l ed, hal f of whom wer eki l l ed by Àl i ' s swor d. I n t he bat t l e of Uhud, when vi ct or y changed

i nt o def eat as a resul t of t he Musl i ms engagi ng t hemsel ves i n t he

col l ect i on of boot y, and t hey f l ed away under t he sudden at t ack of t he

enemy, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r emai ned st eadf ast , t aki ng j i had t o be a

r el i gi ous obl i gat i on, and di spl ayed such conspi cuous per f or mance i n

support and def ence of t he Prophet t hat t he Prophet t oo acknowl edged i t

and al so the Angel . Agai n, i n t he bat t l e of t he Tr ench ( al - Khandaq) ,

t he Pr ophet was accompani ed by three thousand combat ant s, but none

dared f ace Àmr i bn Àbdawadd. At l ast , Ami r al - mu' mi ni n ki l l ed hi m and

saved t he Musl i ms f r om i gnomi ny. I n t he bat t l e of Hunayn, t he Musl i ms

were pr oud of t hei r number because t hey were t en t housand whi l e t he

unbel i ever s wer e onl y f our t housand, but her e t oo t hey l eapt ont o t he

boot y, as a consequence of whi ch t he unbel i evers gai ned t he

opport uni t y, and pounced upon t hem. Bewi l dered wi t h t hi s sudden at t ack

t he Musl i ms f l ed away as t he Hol y Qur ' an says:

Most certainly did Allah help you in many ( bat t l e) fields, and on the

day of Hunayn, when made you vain your great number, but they availed

you nothing, and was straitened the earth against you with all its

extensiveness, then ye turned back in retreat. ( 9: 25)

On t hi s occasi on al so, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was st eady l i ke a rock, and

event ual l y, wi t h Al l ah' s suppor t , vi ct or y was achi eved.

*****



Sermon 198 Allah's attribute of Omniscience

Al l ah knows t he cr i es of t he beast s i n t he f or est , t he si ns of t he

peopl e i n secl usi on, t he movement s of t he f i shes i n the deep seas and

t he r i si ng of t he wat er by t empest uous wi nds. I st and wi t ness t hatMuhammad i s t he choi ce of Al l ah, t he conveyor of Hi s r evel at i on and t he

messenger of Hi s mercy.

Advantages of fear of Allah

Now t hen, I advi se you t o f ear Al l ah, Who cr eat ed you f or t he f i r st

t i me; t owar ds Hi m i s your r et ur n, wi t h Hi m l i es t he success of your

ai ms, at Hi m t er mi nat e ( al l ) your desi r es, t owar ds Hi m r uns your pat h

of r i ght and He i s t he ai m of your f ear s ( f or seeki ng pr ot ect i on) .

Cer t ai nl y, f ear of Al l ah i s t he medi ci ne f or your hear t s, si ght f or t he

bl i ndness of your spi r i t s, t he cur e f or t he ai l ment s of your bodi es,

t he r ecti f i er of t he evi l s of your br east s, t he pur i f i er of t he

pol l ut i on of your mi nds, t he l i ght of t he dar kness of your eyes, t he

consol at i on f or t he f ear of your hear t and t he br i ght ness f or t he gl oom

of your i gnor ance.

Ther ef or e, make obedi ence t o Al l ah t he way of your l i f e and not onl y

your out si de cover i ng, make i t your i nner habi t i nst ead of onl y out er

r out i ne, subt l e enough t o ent er t hr ough your r i bs ( up t o t he hear t ) ,

t he gui de f or al l your af f ai r s, t he wat er i ng pl ace f or your get t i ng

down ( on t he Day of J udgement ) , t he i nt erceder f or t he achi evement

of your ai ms, asyl um f or t he day of your f ear , t he l amp of t he i nt er i or

of your gr aves, company f or your l ong l onel i ness, and del i ver ance f r om

t he t r oubl es of your abodes. Cer t ai nl y, obedi ence t o Al l ah i s a

pr ot ect i on agai nst enci r cl i ng cal ami t i es. expect ed danger s and t he

f l ames of bur ni ng f i r es.

Ther ef or e, whoever ent er t ai ns f ear of Al l ah, t r oubl es r emai n away f r om

hi m af t er havi ng been near , af f ai r s become sweet af t er t hei r

bi t t er ness, waves ( of t r oubl es) r ecede f r om hi m af t er havi ng cr owdedover hi m, di f f i cul t i es become easy f or hi m af t er occur r i ng, gener osi t y

r ai ns f ast over hi m af t er t her e had been f ami ne, mer cy bends over hi m

af t er i t had been l oat h, t he f avour s ( of Al l ah) spr i ng f or t h on hi m

af t er t hey had been dr i ed, and bl essi ng descends over hi m i n shower s

af t er bei ng scant y. So, f ear Al l ah Who benef i t s you wi t h Hi s good

advi ce, pr eaches t o you t hr ough Hi s Messenger , and obl i ges you wi t h Hi s



f avour s. Devot e your sel ves t o Hi s wor shi p, and acqui t your sel ves of t he

obl i gat i on of obeyi ng Hi m.

About Islam

Thi s I sl am i s t he r el i gi on whi ch Al l ah has chosen f or Hi msel f ,

devel oped i t bef or e Hi s eyes, pr ef er r ed i t as t he best among Hi scr eat i ons, est abl i shed i t s pi l l ar s on Hi s l ove. He has di sgr aced ot her

r el i gi ons by gi vi ng honour t o i t . He has humi l i at ed al l communi t i es

bef or e i t s subl i mi t y; He has humbl ed i t s enemi es wi t h Hi s ki ndness and

made i t s opponent s l onel y by accordi ng i t Hi s support . He has smashed

t he pi l l ar s of mi sgui dance wi t h i t s col umns. He has quenched t he t hi r st

of t he t hi r st y f r om i t s ci st er ns, and f i l l ed t he ci st er ns t hr ough t hose

who dr aw i t s water .

He made I sl am such t hat i t s const i t uent par t s cannot br eak, i t s l i nks

cannot separ at e, i t s const r uct i on cannot f al l , i t s col umns cannot

decay, i t s pl ant cannot be upr oot ed, i t s t i me does not end, i t s l aws do

not expi r e, i t s t wi gs cannot be cut , i t s par t s do not become nar r ow,

i t s ease does not change i nt o di f f i cul t y, i t s cl ar i t y i s not af f ected

by gl oom, i t s s t r ai ght ness does not acqui r e cur vat ur e, i t s wood has no

cr ookedness, i t s vast paths have no narr owness, i t s l amp knows no

put t i ng of f and i t s sweet ness has no bi t t er ness.

I t consi st s of col umns whose bases Al l ah has f i xed i n t r ut hf ul ness and

whose f oundat i on He has st r engt hened, and of sources whose st r eams are

ever f ul l of wat er and of l amps, whose f l ames ar e f ul l of l i ght , and ofbeacons wi t h whose hel p t r avel l er s get gui dance, and of si gns t hr ough

whi ch a way i s f ound t o i t s hi ghways and of water i ng pl aces whi ch

pr ovi de wat er t o those who come to them. Al l ah has pl aced i n I sl am t he

hei ght of Hi s pl easur e, t he pi nnacl e of Hi s pi l l ar s and t he pr omi nence

of Hi s obedi ence. Bef or e Al l ah, t her ef or e, i t s col umns ar e st r ong, i t s

constr uct i on i s l of t y, i t s pr oof s ar e br i ght , i t s f i r es ar e af l ame, i t s

aut hor i t y i s st r ong, i t s beacons ar e hi gh and i t s

dest r ucti on i s di f f i cul t . You shoul d t her ef or e honour i t , f ol l ow i t ,

f ul f i l i t s obl i gat i ons and accor d t he posi t i on due t o i t .

About the Holy Prophet

Then, Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, deput ed Muhammad - t he peace and bl ess i ng

of Al l ah be upon hi m and hi s descendant s - wi t h t r ut h at a t i me when

t he dest r uct i on of t he wor l d was near and t he next l i f e was at hand,

when i t s br i ght ness was t ur ni ng i nt o gl oom af t er shi ni ng, i t had become



t r oubl esome f or i t s i nhabi t ant s, i t s surf ace had become rough, and i t s

decay had appr oached near . Thi s was dur i ng t he exhaust i on of i t s l i f e

at t he appr oach of si gns ( of i t s decay) , t he r ui n of i t s i nhabi t ant s,

t he br eaki ng of i t s l i nks, t he di sper sal of i t s af f ai r s, t he decay of

i t s si gns, t he di vul gi ng of i t s secret mat t er s and t he shor t eni ng of

i t s l engt h. Al l ah made hi m r esponsi bl e f or conveyi ng Hi s message and ( ameans of ) honour f or hi s peopl e, a per i od of bl oom f or t he men of hi s

days, a sour ce of di gni t y f or t he suppor t er s and an honour f or hi s

hel per s.

About the Holy Qur'an

Then, Al l ah sent t o hi m t he Book as a l i ght whose f l ames cannot be

ext i ngui shed, a l amp whose gl eam does not di e, a sea whose dept h cannot

be sounded, a way whose di r ect i on does not mi sl ead, a ray whose l i ght

does not dar ken, a separ at or ( of good f r om evi l ) whose ar gument s do not

weaken, a cl ar i f i er whose f oundat i ons cannot be di smant l ed, a cur ewhi ch l eaves no appr ehensi on f or di sease, an honour whose support ers

are not def eat ed, and a t r ut h whose hel pers ar e not abandoned.

Ther ef or e, i t i s t he mi ne of bel i ef and i t s cent r e, t he sour ce of

knowl edge and i t s oceans, t he pl ant at i on of j ust i ce and i t s pool s, t he

f oundat i on st one of I sl am and i t s const r uct i on, t he val l eys of t r ut h

and i t s pl ai ns, an ocean whi ch those who dr aw water cannot empty,

spr i ngs whi ch t hose who dr aw water cannot dr y up, a water i ng pl ace

whi ch t hose who come t o t ake water cannot exhaust , a st agi ng pl ace i n

movi ng t owar ds whi ch t r avel l er s do not get l ost , si gns whi ch no t r eader

f ai l s t o see and a hi ghl and whi ch t hose who appr oach i t cannot surpass

i t .

Al l ah has made i t a quencher of t he t hi r st of t he l ear ned, a bl oom f or

t he hear t s of r el i gi ous j ur i st s, a hi ghway f or t he ways of t he

r i ght eous, a cur e af t er whi ch t her e i s no ai l ment , an ef f ul gence wi t h

whi ch t her e i s no dar kness, a rope whose gr i p i s s t r ong, a st r onghol d

whose t op i s i nvul ner abl e, an honour f or hi m who l oves i t , a peace f or

hi m who ent er s i t , a gui dance f or hi m who f ol l ows i t , an excuse f or hi m

who adopt s i t , an ar gument f or hi m who ar gues wi t h i t , a wi t ness f or

hi m who quar r el s wi t h i t , a success f or hi m who ar gues wi t h i t , acar r i er of bur den f or hi m who seeks t he way, a shi el d f or hi m who ar ms

hi msel f ( agai nst mi sgui dance) , a knowl edge f or hi m who l i st ens

car ef ul l y, wor t hy st or y f or hi m who r el at es i t and a f i nal ver di ct of

hi m who passes j udgement s.

*****



et hi cs and r el i gi ous l aw act as i mpedi ment s, t he chances of devi si ng

and f i ndi ng means become narr ow, and t he possi bi l i t y of act i on becomes

r est r i ct ed. Muàwi yah' s i nf l uence and cont r ol was t he r esul t of t hese

devi ces and ways i n f ol l owi ng whi ch he knew no i mpedi ment nor any

obst acl e of what i s l awf ul or unl awf ul , nor di d f ear of t he Day of

J udgement prevent hi m f r om act i ng f ear l ess l y. As al - Àl l amah ar - Raghi bal - I sf ahani whi l e t aki ng account of hi s char act er s wr i t es:

"Hi s ai m al ways was t o achi eve hi s obj ect whet her l awf ul or unl awf ul .

He di d not car e f or r el i gi on nor di d he ever t hi nk of di vi ne

chast i sement . Thus, i n or der t o mai nt ai n hi s power he r esor t ed t o mi s-

st at ement s and concoct i ons, pr act i sed al l sor t s of decei t s and

cont r i vances. When he saw t hat success was not possi bl e wi t hout

ent angl i ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n war he roused Tal hah and az- Zubayr

agai nst hi m. When success coul d not be achi eved by t hi s means he

i nst i gat ed t he Syr i ans and br ought about t he ci vi l war of Si f f i n. And

when hi s r ebel l i ous posi t i on had become known by the ki l l i ng of Àmmar,

he at once duped t he peopl e by sayi ng t hat Àl i was r esponsi bl e f or

ki l l i ng hi m as he had br ought hi m i nt o t he bat t l ef i el d; and on anot her

occasi on he i nt er pr et ed t he wor ds ' r ebel l i ous par t y' occur r i ng i n t he

sayi ng of t he Prophet t o mean ' avengi ng part y' i nt endi ng t o pr ove t hat

Àmmar woul d be ki l l ed by t he gr oup that woul d seek r evenge of

Ùt hman' s bl ood, al t hough t he next por t i on of t hi s sayi ng namel y ' he

wi l l cal l t hem t owar ds Par adi se whi l e t hey wi l l cal l hi m t o Hel l , ' does

not l eave any scope f or i nt erpr etat i on. When t here was no hope of

vi ct or y even by t hese cunni ng means, he cont r i ved t o rai se t he Qur ' anon spears, al t hough i n hi s vi ew nei t her t he Qur ' an nor i t s commandment s

car r i ed any wei ght . I f he had r eal l y ai med at a deci si on by the Qur ' an,

he shoul d have put t hi s demand bef ore the commencement of t he bat t l e,

and when i t became known t o hi m t hat t he deci si on had been secured by

Àmr i bn al - Às by decei vi ng Abu Musa al - Ashàr i , and t hat i t di d not

have even a remote connect i on wi t h t he Qur ' an, he shoul d not have

accept ed i t and shoul d have puni shed Àmr i bn al - Às f or t hi s cunni ng,

or at l east shoul d have warned and r ebuked hi m. But on t he cont r ary,

hi s per f or mance was much appreci at ed and i n rewar d he was made t he

Gover nor of Egypt . "

I n cont r ast t o t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s conduct was a hi gh speci men of

r el i gi ous l aw and et hi cs. He kept i n vi ew t he r equi r ement s of t r ut h and

r i ght eousness even i n adver se ci r cumst ances and di d not al l ow hi s

chast e l i f e t o be t ar ni shed by t he vi ews of decei t and cont r i vance. I f

he wi shed he coul d f ace cunni ng by cunni ng, and Muàwi yah' s shamef ul



act i vi t i es coul d have been answer ed by si mi l ar act i vi t i es. For exampl e,

when he put a guard on t he Euphr ates and st opped t he suppl y of i t s

water ( t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s men) , t hen t he suppl y of wat er coul d have

been cut f r om t hem al so on t he gr ounds t hat si nce t hey had occupi ed t he

Euphr at es i t was l awf ul t o r et al i at e, and i n t hi s way they coul d be

overpowered by weakeni ng t hei r f i ght i ng power. But Ami r al - mu' mi ni ncoul d never t arni sh hi s hands wi t h such an i nhuman act whi ch was not

permi t t ed by any l aw or code of ethi cs, al t hough common peopl e regard

such act s agai nst t he enemy as l awf ul and cal l t hi s dupl i ci t y of

char act er f or achi evement of success, a st r oke of pol i cy and

admi ni st r at i ve abi l i t y. But Ami r al - mu' mi ni n coul d never t hi nk of

st r engt heni ng hi s power by f r aud or dupl i ci t y of behavi our on any

occasi on. Thus when peopl e advi sed hi m t o ret ai n t he of f i cer s of t he

days of Ùt hman i n t hei r posi t i on and t o bef r i end Tal hah and az- Zubayr

by assi gni ng themgovernorshi p of Kuf ah and Basr ah, and make use of

Muàwi yah' s abi l i t y i n admi ni st r at i on by gi vi ng hi m t he gover nment ofSyr i a, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r ej ect ed t he advi ce and pr ef er r ed t he

commandment s of r el i gi ous l aw over wor l dl y expedi ency, and openl y

decl ared about Muàwi yah as f ol l ows:

I f I al l ow Muàwi yah t o r et ai n what he al r eady has I woul d be one "who

taketh those who lead ( peopl e) astray, as helpers" ( Qur ' an, 18: 51) .

Those who l ook at apparent successes do not car e t o f i nd out by what

means t he success has been achi eved. They suppor t anyone whom t hey see

succeedi ng by means of cunni ng ways and decei t f ul means and begi n t o

r egar d hi m an admi ni st r at or , i nt el l i gent , a pol i t i ci an, i nt el l ect ual l ybr i l l i ant and so on, whi l e he who does not depl oy cunni ng and

f r audul ent met hods owi ng t o hi s adher ence t o I sl ami c commandment s and

di vi ne i nst r uct i ons and pr ef er s f ai l ur e t o success secur ed t hr ough

wr ong met hods i s r egar ded as i gnor ant of pol i t i cs and weak i n

f or esi ght . They do not f eel i t necessar y t o t hi nk what di f f i cul t i es and

i mpedi ment s exi st i n t he way of a person who adheres t o pr i nci pl es and

l aws whi ch pr event hi m f r om pr oceedi ng f or war d even af t er appr oachi ng

near success. "

*****

Sermon 201 One should not be afraid of the scarcity of those who tread on the

right path



O' peopl e, do not wonder at t he smal l number of t hose who f ol l ow t he

r i ght pat h, because peopl e t hr ong onl y r ound t he t abl e ( of t hi s wor l d)

whose edi bl es are f ew but whose hunger i s i nsat i abl e.

O' peopl e, cer t ai nl y, what gat her s peopl e toget her ( i n cat egor i es) i s

( t hei r ) agr eement ( t o good or bad) and ( t hei r ) di sagr eement , f or onl y

one i ndi vi dual ki l l ed t he camel of Thamud [ 1] but Al l ah hel d al l oft hem i n puni shment because al l of t hem j oi ned hi m by thei r acqui esci ng

i n t hei r consent i ng t o i t . Thus, Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed. has sai d:

Then they hamstrung her, and turned ( t hemsel ves) regretful. ( Qur ' an,

26: 157) .

Then t hei r l and decl i ned by si nki ng ( i nto t he ear t h) as t he spi ke of a

pl ough pi erces unpl oughed weak l and. O' peopl e, he who t r eads t he cl ear

path (of gui dance) r eaches t he spr i ng of wat er , and whoever abandons i t

st r ays i nt o wat er l ess deser t .


[ 1] . Thamud, i n anci ent Ar abi a, a t r i be or gr oup of t r i bes, seems t o

have been pr omi nent f r om about t he 4t h Cent ur y B. C. t o t he f i r st hal f

of t he 7t h Cent ur y A. D. Thei r pl ace of st ay and homel and was at a pl ace

l yi ng on t he way bet ween t he Hi j az and Syr i a cal l ed t he Val l ey of al -

Qur a and bor e thi s name because i t consi st ed of sever al t ownshi ps.

Al l ah deput ed f or t hei r gui dance and di r ect i ons t he Pr ophet Sal i h who

pr eached t o t hem as Al l ah r el at es i n hi s st or y:

And unto ( t he peopl e of ) Thamud ( We di d send) their brother Salih, he

said: "O' my people! worship ye Allah ( al one) . Ye have no god other

than Him; indeed came unto you a clear proof from your Lord; this is

the She-camel of Allah ( whi ch) unto you is a sign, so leave it ( free)

to pasture in Allah's earth and touch her not with any harm, or ye

shall be seized with a painful chastisement. And remember when He made

you successors after the ( peopl e) `Ad and settled you in the earth, ye

build mansions on its plain and hew the mountains into dwellings. So

remember ye the bounties of Allah, and see ye not evil in the earth,

making mischief." Said the chiefs of those who were puffed up with

pride among his people to those who were reckoned weak, to those who

believed from among them; "Know ye that Salih is sent by his Lord?"

Said they: "Verily, in what he hath been sent with, we are believers."

Said those who were puffed up with pride; "Verily we, in that which ye

believe are disbelievers." They hamstrung the She-camel and rebelled

against the command of their Lord, and they said: "O' Salih! bring us







what thou didst, threaten us with, if thou art of the apostles." Then

seized them ( unawares) the earthquake, so became they in their

dwellings, motionless ( dead) . Then he turned away from them and said:

"O' my people! Indeed I did deliver unto you the message of my Lord,

and did admonish you, but ye love not the admonishers." ( Qur ' an, 7: 73-

79) .( The peopl e of ) Thamud belied the warners, and said they: "What! a

single man, from among us! and we to follow him? Verily then we shall

be astray and in distress. It is that ( t he dut y of ) reminding hath been

bestowed on him ( al one) , of all the ( peopl e) among us? Nay! he is a

great liar, an insolent one!" "Soon they shall know on the morrow, (as

t o) who is the liar, the insolent one! ( O' Our Apost l e Sal i h! ) verily

We are going to send the She-camel as a trial for them; so watch them

and be patient. And ( t hou O' Sal i h! ) make them aware ( bef orehand) that

the water is ( t o be) divided between them; and every drinking share

shall be witnessed (on i t ) . " But they called their companions, then he

pursued (her) and hamstrung (her). How (great) was My chastisement and

My warning? Verily sent We upon them a single ( vi ol ent ) blast, and they

were ( al l ) like the dry stubble used by a fencer in a fence. ( Qur ' an,

54: 23- 31) .

*****

Sermon 202

What Amir al-mu'minin said on the occasion of the burial ofSayyidatu'n-nisa' (Supreme lady) Fatimah (p.b.u.h.) while addressing

the Holy Prophet at his grave.

O' Prophet of Al l ah, peace be upon you f r om me and f r omyour daught er

who has come t o you and who has hast ened t o meet you. O' Pr ophet of

Al l ah, my pat i ence about your chosen ( daught er ) has been exhaust ed, and

my power of endur ance has weakened, except t hat I have gr ound f or

consol at i on i n havi ng endur ed t he gr eat hardshi p and hear t - r endi ng

event of your separ at i on. I l ai d you down i n your gr ave when your l ast

breath had passed (when your head was) bet ween my neck and chest .

... Verily we are Allah's and verily unto Him shall we return. ( Qur ' an

2: 156)

Now. t he t r ust has been r et urned and what had been gi ven has been t aken

back. As t o my gr i ef , i t knows no bounds, and as t o my ni ght s. t hey



O' peopl e, cer t ai nl y t hi s wor l d i s a passage whi l e t he next wor l d i s a

pl ace of per manent abode. So, t ake f r om t he passage ( al l t hat you can)

f or t he permanent abode. Do not t ear away your cur t ai n bef ore Hi m Who

i s awar e of your secr et s. Take away f r om t hi s wor l d your hear t s bef or e

your bodi es go out of i t , because her ei n you have been put on t r i al ,

and you have been cr eated f or t he ot her wor l d. When a man di es peopl eask what ( pr oper t y) he has l ef t whi l e the angel s ask what ( good

act i ons) he has sent f or war d. May Al l ah bl ess you; send f or war d

somet hi ng, i t wi l l be a l oan f or you, and do not l eave ever ythi ng

behi nd, f or t hat woul d be a bur den on you.

*****

Sermon 204 What Amir al-mu'minin said generally to his companions warning them

about the dangers of the Day of Judgement.

May Al l ah have mercy on you! Provi de your sel ves f or t he j our ney because

t he cal l f or depar t ur e has been announced. Regar d your st ay i n the

wor l d as ver y shor t , and r et ur n ( t o Al l ah) wi t h t he best pr ovi si on t hat

i s wi t h you, because sur el y, i n f r ont of you l i es a val l ey, di f f i cul t

t o cl i mb, and pl aces of st ay f ul l of f ear and danger s. You have t o

r each there and st ay i n t hem. And know t hat t he eyes of deat h are

appr oachi ng t owar ds you. I t i s as t hough you ar e ( al r eady) i n i t s

t al ons and i t has st r uck i t sel f agai nst you. Di f f i cul t af f ai r s and

di st r essi ng danger s have cr ushed you i nt o i t . You shoul d t her ef or e cutaway al l t he at t achment s of t hi s wor l d and assi st your sel ves wi t h t he

pr ovi s i on of Al l ah' s f ear .

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: A par t of t hi s sayi ng has been quoted bef or e

t hr ough anot her nar r at i on.

*****

Sermon 205 After swearing allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin, Talhah and az-Zubayr

complained to him that he had not consulted them or sought their

assistance in the affairs (of state). Amir al-mu'minin replied:00:38

Both of you f r own over a smal l mat t er and l eave asi de bi g ones. Can you

t el l me of anythi ng wher ei n you have a r i ght of whi ch I have depr i ved

you or a share whi ch was due t o you and whi ch I have hel d away f r om

you, or any Musl i m who has l ai d any cl ai m bef ore me and I have been



unabl e to deci de i t or been i gnor ant of i t , or commi t t ed a mi st ake

about i t ?

By Al l ah, I had no l i ki ng f or t he cal i phat e nor any i nt er est i n

gover nment , but you your sel ves i nvi t ed me to i t and pr epar ed me f or i t .

When the cal i phate came t o me, I kept t he Book of Al l ah i n my vi ew and

al l t hat Al l ah had put t her ei n f or us, and al l t hat accor di ng t o whi chHe has commanded us t o take deci si ons; and I f ol l owed i t , and al so

act ed on whatever t he Pr ophet - may Al l ah bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s

- had l ai d down as hi s sunnah. I n t hi s mat t er I di d not need your

advi ce or t he advi ce of anyone el se, nor has t her e been any or der of

whi ch I was i gnorant so t hat I ought t o have consul t ed you or my Musl i m

br et hr en. I f i t wer e so I woul d not have t ur ned away f r om you or f r om

ot her s.

As r egar ds your r ef er ence t o t he quest i on of equal i t y ( i n di st r i but i on

of shar es f r om t he Musl i m common f und) , t hi s i s a mat t er i n whi ch Ihave not t aken a deci si on by my own opi ni on, nor have I done i t by my

capr i ce. But I f ound, and you t oo (must have) f ound, t hat what ever t he

Prophet - may Al l ah bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s - br ought had been

f i nal i sed. Ther ef or e, I f el t no need t o t ur n t owar ds you about a shar e

whi ch had been determi ned by Al l ah and i n whi ch Hi s ver di ct has been

passed. By Al l ah, i n t hi s mat t er , t her ef or e, you t wo or anyone el se can

have no f avour f r omme. May Al l ah keep our hear t s and your hear t s i n

r i ght eousness, and may He gr ant us and you endur ance.

Then Amir al-mu'minin added : May Al l ah have mercy on t he per son who,when he sees t he t r ut h, suppor t s i t , when he sees t he wr ong, r ej ect s

i t , and who hel ps t he t r ut h agai nst hi m who i s on t he wr ong.

*****

Sermon 206 During the battle of Siffin Amir al-mu'minin heard some of his men

abusing the Syrians, then he said:

I di sl i ke you st ar t i ng t o abuse t hem, but i f you descr i be t hei r deedsand r ecount t hei r si t uat i ons t hat woul d be a bet t er mode of speaki ng

and a more convi nci ng way of argui ng. I nst ead of abusi ng t hem you

shoul d say, "O' Al l ah! save our bl ood and t hei r bl ood, pr oduce

r econci l i at i on bet ween us and t hem, and l ead t hem out of t hei r

mi sgui dance so that he who i s i gnorant of t he t r ut h may know i t , and he

who i ncl i nes t owar ds r ebel l i on and r evol t may tur n away f r om i t . "



Sermon 207 In the battle of Siffin Amir al-mu'minin saw Imam al-Hasan proceeding

rapidly to fight, then he said:

Hol d back t hi s young man on my behal f , l est he causes my r ui n, because

I am l oat h t o send t hese t wo ( meani ng al - Hasan and al - Husayn) t owardsdeat h, l est t he descendi ng l i ne of t he Pr ophet - may Al l ah bl ess hi m

and hi s descendant s - i s cut away by thei r deat h.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds "amliku `anni hadha'l-

ghulam" ( i . e. "Hol d back t hi s young man on my behal f " ) r epr esent s t he

hi ghest and t he most el oquent f or m of expr essi on.

*****

Sermon 208

When Amir al-mu'minin's companions expressed displeasure about his

attitude concerning Arbitration, [ 1] he said:

O' peopl e, mat t ers between me and you went as I wi shed t i l l war

exhaust ed you. By Al l ah, i t has over t aken some of you and l ef t ot her s,

and has compl etel y weakened your enemy. Ti l l yest erday I was gi vi ng

or der s but t oday I am bei ng gi ven or der s, and t i l l yest er day I was

di ssuadi ng peopl e ( f r om wr ong act s) but t oday I am bei ng di ssuaded. You

have now shown l i ki ng t o l i ve i n t hi s wor l d, and i t i s not f or me t o

br i ng you t o what you di sl i ke.


[ 1] . When t he sur vi vi ng f or ces of t he Syr i ans l ost gr ound and wer e ready

t o r un away f r omt he f i el d Mu`awi yah changed t he whol e phase of t he

bat t l e by usi ng t he Qur ' an as hi s i nst r ument of st r at egy, and succeeded

i n cr eat i ng such a di vi si on among t he I r aqi s t hat , despi t e Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s ef f or t s at counsel l i ng, t hey wer e not pr epar ed t o t ake any

f orwar d st ep, but i nsi st ed on st oppi ng t he war , wher eupon Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n t oo had t o agree t o ar bi t r at i on. Among t hese peopl e some had

act ual l y been duped and bel i eved t hat t hey were bei ng asked t o abi de byt he Qur ' an but t her e were ot her s who had become wear y of t he l ong

per i od of war and had l ost cour age. Then peopl e got a good opport uni t y

t o st op t he war , and so t hey cr i ed hoar se f or i t s post ponement . Ther e

wer e ot her s who had accompani ed Ami r al - mu' mi ni n because of hi s

t empor al aut hor i t y but di d not suppor t hi m by hear t , nor di d t hey ai m

at vi ct ory f or hi m. There were some peopl e who had expectat i ons wi t h







Muàwi yah, and had st ar t ed at t achi ng hopes t o hi m f or t hi s, whi l e t her e

were some who were, f r omt he ver y begi nni ng, i n l eague wi t h hi m. I n

t hese ci r cumst ances and wi t h t hi s t ype of t he ar my i t was r eal l y due t o

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s pol i t i cal abi l i t y and compet ence of mi l i t ar y cont r ol

and admi ni st r at i on t hat he car r i ed t he war up t o t hi s st age, and i f

Muàwi yah had not adopt ed t hi s t r i ck t here coul d have been no doubt i nAmi r al - mu' mi ni n' s vi ct or y because t he mi l i t ar y power of t he Syr i an

f orces had been exhaust ed and def eat was hover i ng over i t s head. I n

t hi s connect i on, I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d wr i t es:

Mal i k al - Asht ar had r eached Muàwi yah and gr abbed hi m by the neck. The

ent i r e mi ght of t he Syr i ans had been smashed. Onl y so much movement was

di scer ni bl e i n t hem as r emai ns i n t he t ai l of a l i zar d whi ch i s ki l l ed,

but t he t ai l cont i nues hoppi ng r i ght and l ef t . ( Shar h Nahj al - bal aghah,

vol . 11, pp. 30- 31)

*****

Sermon 209 Amir al-mu'minin went to enquire about the health of his companion al-

Àla' ibn Ziyad al-Harithi and when he noticed the vastness of his

house he said:

What wi l l you do wi t h t hi s vast house i n t hi s wor l d, al t hough you need

t hi s house mor e i n t he next wor l d. I f you want t o t ake i t t o t he next

wor l d you coul d ent er t ai n i n i t guest s and be r egar df ul of ki nshi p and

di schar ge al l ( your ) obl i gat i ons accor di ng t o t hei r accr ual . I n t hi sway you wi l l be abl e t o t ake i t t o t he next wor l d.

Then al-Àla' said to him: O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, I want t o compl ai n t o

you about my br ot her Àsi m i bn Zi yad.

Amir al-mu'minin enquired: What i s t he mat t er wi t h hi m?

al-Àla' said: He has put on a wool l en coat and cut hi msel f away f r om

t he wor l d.

Amir al-mu'minin said: Pr esent hi m t o me.

When he came Amir al-mu'minin said: O' enemy of your sel f . Cer t ai nl y,

t he evi l ( Sat an) has mi sgui ded you. Do you f eel no pi t y f or your wi f e

and your chi l dr en? Do you bel i eve t hat i f you use t hose t hi ngs whi ch

Al l ah has made l awf ul f or you, He wi l l di sl i ke you? You ar e t oo

uni mpor t ant f or Al l ah t o do so.



He said: O' Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, you al so put on coar se dr ess and eat

r ough f ood.

Then he replied: Woe be t o you, I am not l i ke you. Cer t ai nl y, Al l ah,

t he Subl i me, has made i t obl i gat or y on t r ue l eader s t hat t hey shoul d

mai nt ai n t hemsel ves at t he l evel of l ow peopl e so t hat t he poor do not

cr y over t hei r pover t y. [ 1]


[ 1] . From anci ent days ascet i ci sm and the abandonment of wor l dl y

at t achment s has been r egar ded as a means of pur i f i cat i on of t he spi r i t

and i mpor t ant f or t he char act er . Consequent l y, t hose who wi shed t o l ead

a l i f e of abst emi ousness and medi t at i on used t o go out of t he ci t i es

and t owns t o st ay i n f orest s and caves i n t he mount ai ns and st ay t here

concent r at i ng on Al l ah accor di ng t o t hei r own concept i on. They woul d

eat onl y i f a casual t r avel l er or t he i nhabi t ant of near by dwel l i ngsgave t hem anythi ng to eat , ot her wi se t hey r emai ned cont ent ed wi t h the

f r ui t s of wi l d t r ees and t he wat er of t he st r eams, and t hus t hey passed

t hei r l i f e. Thi s way of worshi p commenced i n a way t hat was f orced by

t he oppr essi on and har dshi ps of r ul er s. Cer t ai n peopl e l ef t t hei r

houses and, i n or der t o avoi d t hei r gr i p, hi d t hemsel ves i n some

wi l derness or cave i n a mount ai n, engagi ng t hemsel ves i n worshi p of and

devot i on t o Al l ah. Lat er on, t hi s f or ced ascet i ci sm acqui r ed a

vol unt ar y f or m and peopl e began t o r et i r e t o caves and hol l ows of t hei r

own vol i t i on. Thus i t became an accept ed way that whoever ai med at

spi r i t ual devel opment r et i r ed t o some cor ner af t er sever i ng hi msel ff r om al l wor l dl y t i es. Thi s met hod r emai ned i n vogue f or cent ur i es and

even now some t r aces of t hi s way of worshi p ar e f ound among the

Buddhi st s and t he Chr i st i ans.

The moder at e vi ews of I sl am do not , however , accor d wi t h t he monast i c

l i f e, because f or at t ai ni ng spi r i t ual devel opment i t does not advocat e

t he abandonment of wor l dl y enj oyment s and successes, nor does i t vi ew

wi t h appr obat i on t hat a Musl i m shoul d l eave hi s house and f el l ow men

and busy hi msel f i n f ormal wor shi p, hi di ng i n some cor ner . The

concept i on of wor shi p i n I sl am i s not conf i ned t o a f ew par t i cul arr i t es, but i t r egar ds t he ear ni ng of one' s l i vel i hood t hr ough l awf ul

means, mutual sympat hy and good behavi our , and co- operat i on and

assi st ance al so t o be i mpor t ant const i t uent s of wor shi p. I f an

i ndi vi dual i gnor es wor l dl y ri ght s and obl i gat i ons and does not f ul f i l

hi s r esponsi bi l i t y towar ds hi s wi f e and chi l dr en, nor occupi es hi msel f

i n ef f or t s t o ear n a l i vel i hood, but al l t he t i me st ays i n medi t at i on,







he r ui ns hi s l i f e and does not f ul f i l t he pur pose of l i vi ng. I f t hi s

were Al l ah' s ai m, what woul d have t he need f or cr eat i ng and popul at i ng

t he wor l d when t here was al r eady a category of cr eat ur es who were al l

t he t i me engaged i n worshi ppi ng and adorat i on.

Nat ure has made man t o st and on t he cr oss- r oads at whi ch t he mi dway i s

t he cent r e of gui dance. I f he devi at es f r om t hi s poi nt of moder at enesseven a bi t , t hi s way or t hat way, t her e i s shear mi sgui dance f or hi m.

That mi dway i s t hat he shoul d nei t her bend t owar ds t hi s wor l d t o such

an ext ent as t o i gnor e t he next l i f e, devot i ng hi msel f ent i r el y t o t hi s

one, nor shoul d he abst ai n f r om t hi s wor l d so as not t o have any

connect i on wi t h anythi ng of i t , conf i ni ng hi msel f t o some cor ner

l eavi ng ever ythi ng el se. Si nce Al l ah has cr eat ed man i n t hi s wor l d he

shoul d f ol l ow t he code of l i f e f or l i vi ng i n t hi s wor l d, and shoul d

par t ake of t he comf ort s and pl easures best owed by Al l ah wi t hi n moderate

l i mi t s. The eat i ng and usi ng of t hi ngs made l awf ul by Al l ah i s not

agai nst Al l ah' s wor shi p, but r at her Al l ah has creat ed t hese t hi ngs f or

t he very pur pose t hat t hey shoul d be taken advant age of . That i s why

t hose who wer e t he chosen of Al l ah l i ved i n t hi s wor l d wi t h ot her s and

at e and dr ank l i ke ot her s. They di d not f eel t he need t o t ur n t hei r

f aces away f r om t he peopl e of t he wor l d, and t o adopt t he wi l der ness or

t he caves of mount ai ns as t hei r abodes, or t o l i ve i n di st ant spot s. On

t he ot her hand they remembered Al l ah, r emai ned di sent angl ed f r om

wor l dl y af f ai r s, and di d not f or get deat h despi t e t he pl easur es and

comf or t s of l i f e.

The l i f e of ascet i ci sm somet i mes produces such evi l s as r ui n t he next

l i f e al so as wel l as t hi s one, and such an i ndi vi dual pr oves t o be t he

t r ue pi ct ur e of "t he l ooser i n t hi s l i f e as wel l as t he next . " When

nat ur al i mpul ses ar e not sat i sf i ed i n t he l awf ul and l egal way the mi nd

t ur ns i nt o a cent r e of evi l - i deas and becomes i ncapabl e of per f or mi ng

worshi p wi t h peace and concent r at i on; and somet i mes pass i ons so

over come t he ascet i c t hat br eaki ng al l mor al f et t er s, he devot es

hi msel f compl et el y to t hei r sat i sf act i on and consequent l y f al l s i n an

abyss of r ui n f or whi ch i t i s i mpossi bl e t o ext r act hi msel f . That i s

why r el i gi ous l aw accor ds a gr eat er posi t i on t o t he wor shi p per f or medby a f ami l y man t han t hat by a non- f ami l y man, because t he f ormer can

exer ci se ment al peace and concent r at i on i n t he wor shi p and r i t ual s.

I ndi vi dual s who put on t he cl oak of Suf i sm and make a l oud show of

t hei r spi r i t ual gr eat ness ar e cut of f f r om t he pat h of I sl am and ar e

i gnor ant of i t s wi de t eachi ngs. They have been mi sl ed by Sat an and,

r el yi ng on t hei r sel f - f or med concept i ons, t r ead wr ongf ul pat hs.



Event ual l y t hei r mi sgui dance becomes so ser i ous t hat t hey begi n t o

r egar d t hei r l eader s as havi ng at t ai ned such a l evel t hat t hei r wor d i s

as t he wor d of Al l ah and t hei r act i s as t he act of Al l ah. Somet i mes

t hey regar d t hemsel ves beyond al l t he bounds and l i mi t at i ons of

r el i gi ous l aw and consi der ever y evi l act t o be l awf ul f or t hem. Thi s

devi at i on f r om f ai t h and i r r el i gi ousness i s named Suf i sm ( compl et edevot i on t o Al l ah) . I t s unl awf ul pr i nci pl es ar e cal l ed "at-tariqah"

( ways of achi evi ng communi on wi t h Al l ah) and t he f ol l ower s of t hi s cul t

ar e known as Suf i s. Fi r st of al l Abu Hashi m al - Kuf i and Shami adopt ed

t hi s ni ckname. He was of Umayyad descent and a f at al i st ( bel i evi ng t hat

man i s bound t o act as pre- or dai ned by Al l ah) . The r eason f or gi vi ng

hi m t hi s name was t hat , i n or der t o make a show of hi s ascet i ci sm and

f ear f or Al l ah, he put on a wool l en cl oak. Lat er on t hi s ni ckname

became common and var i ous gr ounds were put f or t h as t he basi s of t hi s

name. For exampl e, one gr ound i s t hat ' Suf i ' has t hr ee l et t er s, "sad",

"waw" and "fa'". "sad" st ands f or "sabr" ( endur ance) , "sidq" ( t r ut hf ul ness) and "safa" ( pur i t y of hear t ) ; "waw" st ands f or "wudd"

( l ove) , "wird" ( r epeat i ng Al l ah' s name) and "wafa'" ( f ai t hf ul ness t o

Al l ah) , and "fa'" st ands f or "fard" (uni t y) , "faqr" ( dest i t ut i on) and

"fana'" ( deat h or absor pt i on i n Al l ah' s Sel f ) . The second vi ew i s t hat

i t has been der i ved f r om "as-Suffah", whi ch was a pl at f or m near t he

Prophet ' s mosque whi ch had a cover i ng of date- pal m l eaves. Those who

st ayed t her e wer e cal l ed Ashabu'Suffah ( peopl e of t he pl at f or m) . The

t hi r d vi ew i s t hat t he name of t he pr ogeni t or of an Ar ab t r i be was

Suf ah, and t hi s t r i be per f or med t he dut i es of servi ng t he pi l gr i ms and

t he Ka`bah, and i t i s wi t h r ef er ence t o t hei r connect i on wi t h t hi st r i be t hat t hese peopl e wer e cal l ed Suf i s. Thi s gr oup i s di vi ded among

var i ous sects but t he basi c sect s are seven onl y.

1) al-Wahdatiyyah ( uni t ar i an) : Thi s sect bel i eves i n t he oneness of al l

exi st ence. I t s bel i ef i s t hat ever yt hi ng of t hi s wor l d i s Al l ah, so

much so that t hey assi gn t o even pol l ut ed t hi ngs t he same godl y

posi t i on. They l i ken Al l ah wi t h t he r i ver and t he waves r i si ng i n i t ,

and ar gue t hat t he waves whi ch somet i mes r i se and somet i mes f al l have

no separ at e exi st ence ot her t han t he r i ver , but t hei r exi st ence i s

exact l y t he exi st ence of t he r i ver . Ther ef or e, not hi ng can be separ at edf r om i t s own exi st ence.

2) al-Ittihadiyyah ( t he uni t i st s) : They bel i eve t hat t hey have uni t ed

wi t h Al l ah and Al l ah has uni t ed wi t h t hem. They l i ken Al l ah wi t h f i r e

and t hemsel ves wi t h i r on t hat l i es i n t he f i r e and acqui r es i t s f or m

and pr oper t y.



3) al-Hululiyyah ( t he f or mi st s) : Thei r bel i ef i s t hat Al l ah t akes t he

f or m of t hose who cl ai m t o know Hi m and t he per f ect ones, and t hei r

bodi es are pl aces of Hi s st ay. I n t hi s way, t hey ar e seemi ngl y men but

real l y Al l ah.

4) al-Wasiliyyah ( t he combi ner s) : Thi s sect consi der s i t sel f t o have

combi ned wi t h Al l ah. Thei r bel i ef i s t hat t he l aws of t he shariàh ar ea means of devel opment of human personal i t y and char act er , and that

when t he human sel f combi nes wi t h Al l ah i t no more needs per f ect i on or

devel opment . Consequent l y, f or t he "wasilin", worshi p and r i t ual become

usel ess, because they hol d t hat when t r ut h and r eal i t y i s achi eved

shariàh r emai ns of no avai l . Ther ef or e, t hey can do anythi ng and t hey

cannot be quest i oned.

5) az-Zarraqiyyah ( t he r evel l er s) : Thi s sect r egar ds vocal and

i nst r ument al musi c as wor shi p, and ear ns t he pl easur es of t hi s wor l d

t hr ough a show of ascet i ci sm and beggi ng f r om door t o door . They ar eever engaged i n r el at i ng concoct ed st or i es of mi r acul ous per f ormances

of t hei r l eaders t o over - awe the common peopl e.

6) al-Ùshshaqiyyah ( t he l over s) : The t heor y of t hi s sect i s t hat

appar ency i s t he means t o r eal i t y, meani ng t hat car nal l ove i s t he

means t o achi eve l ove of Al l ah. That i s, i n or der t o r each t he st age of

Al l ah' s l ove i t i s necessary t o have l ove wi t h some human beaut y. But

t he l ove whi ch t hey regar d as l ove f or Al l ah i s j ust t he pr oduct of

ment al di sor der t hr ough whi ch t he l over i ncl i nes t o one i ndi vi dual wi t h

al l hi s at t ent i on and hi s f i nal ai m i s t o have access t o t he bel oved. Thi s l ove can l ead t o t he way of evi l and vi ce, but i t has no

connect i on wi t h t he l ove of Al l ah.

A Per si an coupl et says:

The truth of the fact is that carnal love is like a jinn and a jinn

cannot give you guidance.

7) at-Talqiniyyah ( t he encount er er s) : Accor di ng t o t hi s sect , t he

r eadi ng of r el i gi ous sci ences and books of schol ar shi p i s t hor oughl y

unl awf ul . Rat her , t he posi t i on t hat i s achi eved by an hour of spi r i t ualef f or t of t he Suf i s cannot be achi eved by sevent y year s of r eadi ng

books.

Accor di ng t o Shi àh Ùl ama' al l t hese sect s ar e on t he wr ong path and

out of t he f ol d of I sl am. I n t hi s connect i on, numer ous sayi ngs of t he

I mams ar e rel at ed. I n t hi s sermon al so Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has r egar ded



t he sever ance of `Asi m i bn Zi yad f r om t hi s wor l d as t he mi schi ef of

Sat an, and he f or cef ul l y di ssuaded hi m f r om adopt i ng t hat cour se. ( For

f ur t her st udy, see Shar h Nahj al - bal aghah, al - Haj j Mi r za Habi bu' l l ah

al - Khu' i , vol . 13, pp. 132- 417; vol . 14, pp. 2- 22) .

*****

Sermon 210 Someone [ 1] asked Amir al-mu'minin about concocted traditions and

contradictory sayings of the Prophet current among the people,

whereupon he said:

Cert ai nl y what i s curr ent among t he peopl e i s bot h r i ght and wr ong,

t r ue and f al se, r epeal i ng and r epeal ed, gener al and par t i cul ar ,

def i ni t e and i ndef i ni t e, exact and sur mi sed. Even dur i ng t he Pr ophet ' s

days f al se sayi ngs had been at t r i but ed t o hi m, so much so that he had

t o say dur i ng hi s ser mon t hat , "Whoever at t r i but es f al sehoods t o me

makes hi s abode i n Hel l . " Those who r el at e t r adi t i ons ar e of f our

cat egor i es, [ 2] no mor e.

First: The lying hypocrites

The hypocr i t e i s a per son who makes a show of f ai t h and adopt s t he

appear ance of a Musl i m; he does not hesi t ate i n si nni ng nor does he

keep al oof f r om vi ce; he wi l f ul l y at t r i but es f al se t hi ngs agai nst t he

Messenger of Al l ah - may Al l ah bl ess hi m and hi s descendant s. I f peopl e

knew t hat he was a hypocr i t e and a l i ar , t hey woul d not accept anyt hi ngf r om hi m and woul d not conf i r m what he says.

Rather t hey say t hat he i s t he compani on of t he Pr ophet , has met hi m,

hear d ( hi s sayi ngs) f r om hi m and acqui r ed ( knowl edge) f r om hi m. They

t heref ore accept what he says. Al l ah t oo had warned you wel l about t he

hypocr i t es and descr i bed t hem f ul l y to you. They have cont i nued af t er

t he Hol y Pr ophet . They gai ned posi t i ons wi t h t he l eader s of mi sgui dance

and cal l er s t owar ds Hel l t hr ough f al sehoods and sl ander i ngs. So, t hey

put t hem i n hi gh post s and made t hem of f i cers over t he heads of t he

peopl e, and amassed weal t h t hr ough t hem. Peopl e ar e al ways wi t h t her ul er s and af t er t hi s wor l d, except t hose t o whom Al l ah af f or ds

pr ot ecti on. Thi s i s t he f i r st of t he f our cat egor i es.

Second: Those who are mistaken

Then t her e i s t he i ndi vi dual who hear d ( a sayi ng) f r om t he Hol y Pr ophet

but di d not memor i se i t as i t was, but sur mi sed i t . He does not l i e







wi l f ul l y. Now, he car r i es t he sayi ng wi t h hi m and r el at es i t , act s upon

i t and cl ai ms t hat : "I hear d i t f r om t he Messenger of Al l ah. " I f t he

Musl i ms come to know t hat he has commi t t ed a mi st ake i n i t , t hey wi l l

not accept i t f r om hi m, and i f he hi msel f knows t hat he i s on t he wr ong

he wi l l gi ve i t up.

Third: Those who are ignorant

The t hi r d man i s he who hear d t he Pr ophet or der i ng t o do a t hi ng and

l at er t he Pr ophet r ef r ai ned t he peopl e f r om doi ng i t , but t hi s man di d

not know i t , or he hear d t he Pr ophet r ef r ai ni ng peopl e f r om a t hi ng and

l at er he al l owed i t , but t hi s man di d not know i t . I n t hi s way he

r etai ned i n hi s mi nd what had been r epeal ed, and di d not r et ai n t he

r epeal i ng t r adi t i on. I f he knew t hat i t had been r epeal ed he woul d

r ej ect i t , or i f t he Musl i ms knew, when t hey hear d i t f r om hi m, t hat i t

had been r epeal ed t hey woul d r ej ect i t .

Fourth: Those who memorise truthfully

The l ast , namel y t he f our t h man, i s he who does not speak a l i e agai nst

Al l ah or agai nst Hi s Prophet . He hat es f al sehood out of f ear f or Al l ah

and r espect f or t he Messenger of Al l ah, and does not commi t mi st akes,

but r et ai ns ( i n hi s mi nd) exact l y what he hear d ( f r om t he Pr ophet ) , and

he r el at es i t as he hear d i t wi t hout addi ng anythi ng or omi t t i ng

anyt hi ng. He hear d t he repeal i ng t r adi t i on, he ret ai ned i t and act ed

upon i t , and he hear d t he repeal ed t r adi t i on and r ej ect ed i t . He al so

under st ands t he par t i cul ar and t he gener al , and he knows t he def i ni t eand i ndef i ni t e, and gi ves ever yt hi ng i t s due posi t i on.

The sayi ngs of t he Pr ophet used t o be of t wo t ypes. One was part i cul ar

and t he ot her common. Somet i mes a man woul d hear hi m but he woul d not

know what Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, meant by i t or what t he Messenger of

Al l ah meant by i t . I n t hi s way t he l i st ener car r i es i t and memor i ses i t

wi t hout knowi ng i t s meani ng and i t s r eal i nt ent i on, or what was i t s

r eason. Among the compani ons of t he Messenger of Al l ah al l were not i n

t he habi t of put t i ng hi m quest i ons and ask hi m t he meani ngs, i ndeed

t hey al ways wi shed t hat some Bedoui n or st r anger mi ght come and ask hi m

( peace be upon hi m) so t hat t hey woul d al so l i st en. Whenever any such

t hi ng came bef or e me, I asked hi m about i t s meani ng and pr eser ved i t .

These ar e t he r easons and grounds of di f f er ences among t he peopl e i n

t hei r t radi t i ons .




[ 1] . Thi s was Sul aym i bn Qays al - Hi l al i who was one of t he r el at er s of

t r adi t i ons t hr ough Ami r al - mu' mi ni n.

[ 2] . I n t hi s ser mon Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has di vi ded t he t r adi t i oni st s i nt o

f our cat egor i es.

The first category i s t hat of a man concoct s a t r adi t i on and at t r i but esi t t o t he Pr ophet . Tr adi t i ons wer e i n f act f al si f i ed and at t r i but ed t o

hi m, and t hi s pr ocess cont i nued, wi t h t he r esul t t hat numer ous novel

t r adi t i ons came i nt o bei ng. Thi s i s a f act whi ch cannot be deni ed but

i f anyone does deny i t hi s basi s woul d be not knowl edge or sagaci t y by

or at or y or ar gument at i ve necessi t y. Thus, once, Àl amu' l - huda ( Ensi gn

of Gui dance) as- Sayyi d al - Mur t ada had a chance of meet i ng the Sunni

ùlama' ( schol ar s) i n conf r ont at i on and on t hi s occasi on as- Sayyi d al -

Mur t ada pr oved by hi st or i cal f act s t hat t he t r adi t i ons r el at ed about

t he mer i t s of t he gr eat compani ons ar e concoct ed and count er f ei t . On

t hi s, t he ( Sunni ) ùlama' ar gued t hat i t was i mpossi bl e t hat someoneshoul d dar e speak a l i e agai nst t he Pr ophet and pr epar e a t r adi t i on

hi msel f and at t r i but e i t t o hi m. as- Sayyi d al - Mur t ada sai d t her e i s a

t r adi t i on of t he Pr ophet t hat :

A l ot of f al se t hi ngs wi l l be at t r i but ed t o me af t er my deat h and

whoever speaks a l i e agai nst me woul d be pr epar i ng hi s abode i n Hel l .

( al - Bukhar i , vol . 1, p. 38; vol . 2, p. 102; vol . 4, p. 207; vol . 8, p. 54;

Musl i m, vol . 8, p. 229; Abu Dawud, vol . 3, pp. 319- 320; at - Ti r mi dhi , vol . 4,

p. 524; vol . 5, pp. 35- 36, 40, 199, 634; I bn Maj ah, vol . 1, pp. 13- 15)

I f you r egar d t hi s t r adi t i on as t r ue t hen you shoul d agr ee t hat f al se

t hi ngs have been at t r i but ed t o t he Pr ophet , but i f you r egar d i t f al se,

t hi s woul d pr ove our poi nt . However , t hese were peopl e whose hear t s

wer e f ul l of hypocr i sy and who used t o pr epar e t r adi t i ons of t hei r own

accor d i n or der t o cr eat e mi schi ef and di sper si on i n r el i gi on and t o

mi sgui de Musl i ms of weak convi ct i ons. They remai ned mi xed wi t h t hemas

t hey used t o do dur i ng t he l i f et i me of t he Pr ophet ; and j ust as t hey

r emai ned busy i n act i vi t i es of mi schi ef and dest r uct i on i n t hose days,

i n t he same way, even af t er t he Pr ophet , t hey were not unmi ndf ul of

def or mi ng t he t eachi ngs of I sl am and met amor phosi ng i t s f eat ur es.Rat her , i n t he days of t he Pr ophet t hey wer e al ways af r ai d l est he

unvei l ed t hem and put t hem t o shame, but af t er t he Pr ophet t hei r

hypocri t i cal act i vi t i es i ncreased and t hey at t r i but ed f al se t hi ngs t o

t he Pr ophet wi t hout demur f or t hei r own personal ends, and those who

hear d t hem bel i eved i n them because of t hei r st at us as compani ons of

t he Pr ophet , t hi nki ng that what ever t hey sai d was cor r ect and what ever







t hey gave out was t r ue. Af t er war ds al so, t he bel i ef t hat al l t he

compani ons are cor r ect put a st opper on t hei r t ongues, as a r esul t of

whi ch t hey wer e t aken t o be above cr i t i ci sm, quest i oni ng, di scussi on

and censur e. Besi des, t hei r conspi cuous per f ormance had made t hem

pr omi nent i n t he eyes of t he gover nment , and al so because of t hi s i t

needed cour age and dar i ng t o speak agai nst t hem. Thi s i s pr oved by Ami ral - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds:

These peopl e gai ned posi t i ons wi t h t he l eader s of mi sgui dance and

cal l er s t owar ds Hel l , t hr ough f al sehood and sl ander i ngs. So, t hey put

t hem i n hi gh post s and made them of f i cer s over t he heads of t he peopl e.

Al ong wi t h t he dest r uct i on of I sl am, t he hypocr i t es al so ai med at

amassi ng weal t h, and t hey were doi ng so f r eel y by cl ai mi ng t o be

Musl i ms, because of whi ch t hey di d not want t o r emove t he vei l of I sl am

( f r om t hei r f aces) and to come out openl y, but t hey want ed t o cont i nue

t hei r Sat ani c act i vi t i es under t he gar b of I sl am and engaged t hemsel vesi n i t s basi c dest r uct i on and spr eadi ng of di vi si on and di sper sal by

concoct i ng t r adi t i ons. I n t hi s connect i on, I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en:

When t hey were l ef t f r ee t hey t oo l ef t many t hi ngs. When peopl e

observed si l ence about t hem t hey al so observed si l ence about I sl am, but

t hey cont i nued t hei r under gr ound act i vi t i es such as t he f abr i cat i on of

f al sehoods t o whi ch Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has al l uded, because a l ot of

unt r ue mat t ers had been mi xed wi t h t he t r adi t i ons by t he gr oup of

peopl e of wr ong bel i ef s, whi l e some of t hem al so ai med at extol l i ng

some par t i cul ar par t y wi t h whom t hey had other wor l dl y ai ms as wel l .

On the expi r y of t hi s per i od, when Muàwi yah took over t he l eader shi p

of r el i gi on and occupi ed t he t hr one of t empor al aut hor i t y, he opened an

of f i ci al depar t ment f or t he f abr i cat i on of f al se t r adi t i ons, and

or der ed hi s of f i cer s t o f abr i cat e and popul ar i se t r adi t i ons i n

di sparagement of t he Ahlu'l-bayt ( t he Househol d of t he Hol y Pr ophet )

and i n ext ol ment of Ùt hman and t he Umayyads, and announced r ewar ds and

gr ant s of l and f or t hi s wor k. Consequent l y, a l ot of t r adi t i ons about

sel f - made di st i nct i ons gai ned ent r y i n t he books of t r adi t i ons. Thus,

Abu' l - Hasan al - Mada' i ni has

wr i t t en i n hi s book Kitab al-ahdath and I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has quot ed i t ,

namel y:

Muàwi yah wr ot e t o hi s of f i cer s t hat t hey shoul d t ake speci al car e of

t hose who were adherent s of Ùt hman, hi s wel l - wi sher s and l overs and t o

award hi gh posi t i ons, pr ecedence and honour t o t hose who rel ated



t r adi t i ons about hi s mer i t s and di st i nct i ons, and t o convey t o hi m

whatever i s so rel ated by any person, al ong wi t h hi s name, t he name of

hi s f at her and t he name of hi s t r i be. They di d accor di ngl y and heaped

up t r adi t i ons about t he mer i t s and di st i nct i ons of Ùt hman because

Muàwi yah used t o awar d them r ewar ds, cl ot hes, gr ant s and l ands.

When t he f abr i cated t r adi t i ons about t he mer i t s of Ùt hman had beenspr ead t hr oughout t he r eal m, wi t h t he i dea t hat t he posi t i on of t he

ear l i er Cal i phs shoul d not r emai n l ow, Muàwi yah wr ot e t o hi s of f i cer s:

As soon as you r ecei ve t hi s or der of mi ne you shoul d cal l upon the

peopl e t o pr epar e t r adi t i ons about t he di st i nct i ons of t he compani ons

and ot her cal i phs al so, and t ake car e t hat i f any Musl i m r el at es any

t r adi t i on about Abu Tur ab ( Àl i ) you shoul d pr epar e a si mi l ar t r adi t i on

about t he compani ons t o cont r adi ct i t because t hi s gi ves me gr eat

pl easure and cool s my eyes, and i t weakens t he posi t i on of Abu Tur ab

and hi s par t ymen. and i s more severe t o t hemt han t he mer i t s anddi st i nct i ons of Ùt hman.

When hi s l et t ers were read t o the peopl e, a l arge number of such

t r adi t i ons wer e r el at ed ext ol l i ng t he compani ons t hat ar e al l

f abr i cat ed wi t h no t r ut h at al l . (Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol. 11, pp.

43-47)

I n thi s connect i on Abu Àbdi l l ah I br ahi m i bn Muhammad i bn Àr af ah known

as Ni f t awayh ( 244/ 858- 323/ 935) who was one of t he pr omi nent schol ars

and t r adi t i oni st s has wr i t t en, and I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has quot ed hi m,t hat :

Most of t he f al se t r adi t i ons about t he mer i t s of t he compani ons wer e

f abr i cat ed dur i ng t he days of Muàwi yah i n or der t o gai n posi t i on i n

hi s audi ence because hi s vi ew was t hat i n thi s way he coul d di sgrace

Banu Hashi m and r ender t hem l ow. (ibid.)

Af t er t hat , f abr i cat i on of t r adi t i ons became a habi t , t he wor l d seeker s

made i t a means of secur i ng posi t i on wi t h ki ngs and nobl es and t o amass

weal t h. For exampl e, Ghi yat h i bn I br ahi m an- Nakhaì ( 2nd cent . A. H. )

f abr i cat ed a t r adi t i on about t he f l i ght of pi geons, i n or der t o pl easeal - Mahdi i bn al - Mansur ( t he Àbbasi d Cal i ph) and t o secur e posi t i on

near hi m. ( Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 12, pp. 323- 327; Mizan al-i`tidal, vol . 3)

pp. 337- 338; Lisan al-mizan, vol . 4, p. 422) . Abu Saì d al - Mada' i ni and

others made i t a means of l i vel i hood. The l i mi t was r eached when t he

al - Karr ami yyah and some of t he al - Mut asawwi f ah gave t he r ul i ng t hat t he

f abr i cat i on of t r adi t i ons f or t he pr event i on of si n or f or per suasi on



t owar ds obedi ence was l awf ul . Consequent l y, i n connect i on wi t h

per suadi ng and di ssuadi ng, t r adi t i ons wer e f abr i cat ed qui t e f r eel y, and

t hi s was not r egar ded agai nst t he r el i gi ous l aw or mor al i t y. Rat her ,

t hi s work was general l y done by t hose who bore t he appear ance of

ascet i ci sm or f ear of Al l ah and who passed t hei r ni ght s i n pr ayi ng and

days i n f i l l i ng t hei r r egi st er s wi t h f al se t r adi t i ons. An i dea aboutt he number of t hese f abr i cat ed t r adi t i ons can be had f r om t he f act t hat

out of si x hundr ed t housand t r adi t i ons al - Bukhar i sel ect ed onl y t wo

t housand seven hundr ed and si xt y- one t r adi t i ons, (Tarikh Baghdad ,

vol . 2, p. 8; al-Irshad as-sari, vol . 1, p. 28; Sifatu's-safwah, vol . 4,

p. 143) . Musl i m t hought f i t f or sel ect i on onl y f our t housand out of

t hree hundr ed t housand ( Tarikh Baghdad, vol . 13, p. 101; al-Muntazam,

vol . 5, p. 32; Tabaqat al-huffaz, vol . 2, pp. 151, 157; Wafayat al-a`yan,

vol . 5, p. 194) . Abu Dawud t ook f our t housand and ei ght hundr ed out of

f i ve hundr ed t housand (Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 9, p. 57; Tabaqat al-huffaz,

vol . 2, p. 154; al-Muntazam, vol . 5, p. 97; Wafayat al-a`yan, vol . 2,p. 404) , and Ahmad i bn Hanbal t ook t hi r t y t housand out of near l y on

mi l l i on t r adi t i ons ( Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 4, p. 419- 420; Tabaqat al-

huffaz, vol . 2, p. 17; Wafayat al-a`yan, vol . 1, p. 64; Tahdhib at-tahdhib,

vol . 1, p. 74) . But when t hi s sel ect i on i s st udi ed some t r adi t i ons whi ch

come acr oss can, i n no ci r cumst ances, be at t r i but ed t o t he Prophet . The

r esul t i s t hat a gr oup of consi derabl e number has cr opped up among

Musl i ms who, i n vi ew of t hese ( so- cal l ed) aut hor i t at i ve col l ect i ons and

t r ue t r adi t i ons, compl et el y r ej ect t he evi dent i ar y val ue of t he

t r adi t i ons, ( For f ur t her r ef er ence see al-Ghadir , vol . 5, pp. 208- 378) .

The second category of r el at er s of t r adi t i ons ar e t hose who, wi t hout

appr eci at i ng t he occasi on or cont ext , r el at ed what ever t hey coul d

r ecol l ect , r i ght or wr ong. Thus, i n al - Bukhar i ( vol . 2, pp. 100- 102;

vol . 5, p. 98) ; Musl i m ( vol . 3, pp. 41- 45) ; at - Ti r mi dhi ( vol . 3, pp. 327-

329) ; an- Nasa' i ( vol . 4, p. 18) ; I bn Maj ah ( vol . 1, pp. 508- 509) ; Mal i k i bn

Anas ( al-Muwatta' vol . 1, p. 234) ; ash- Shaf i ì ( Ikhtilaf'l-hadith, on t he

si de l i nes of "al-Umm" , vol . 7, p. 266) ; Abu Dawud ( vol . 3, p. 194) ; Ahmad

i bn Hanbal ( vol . 1, pp. 41, 42) and al - Bayhaqi ( vol . 4, pp. 72- 74) i n t he

chapt er ent i t l ed ' weeping over the dead' i t i s st at ed t hat when Cal i ph

Ùmar was wounded Suhayb came weepi ng t o hi m, t hen Ùmar sai d:

O' Suhayb, you weep over me, whi l e t he Pr ophet had sai d that t he dead

person i s puni shed i f hi s peopl e weep over hi m.

When af t er t he deat h of Cal i ph Ùmar t hi s was ment i oned t o À' i shah,

she sai d: "May Al l ah have mercy on Ùmar . The Messenger of Al l ah di d

not say that weepi ng of r el at i ons causes puni shment on t he dead. but he



sai d t hat t he puni shment of an unbel i ever i ncr eases i f hi s peopl e weep

over hi m. " Af t er t hi s À' i shah sai d t hat accor di ng t o t he Hol y Qur ' an

no person has t o bear t he bur den of another , so how coul d t he bur den of

t hose who weep be put on t he dead. Af t er t hi s t he f ol l owi ng ver se was

quot ed by À' i shah:

. . . And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another ; . . .( Qur ' an, 6: 164; 17: 15; 35: 18; 39: 7; 53: 38) .

The wi f e of t he Hol y Pr ophet À' i shah r el at es t hat once t he Pr ophet

passed by a J ewi sh woman over whom her peopl e wer e weepi ng. The Pr ophet

t hen r emarked, "Her peopl e are weepi ng over her but she i s under goi ng

puni shment i n the gr ave. "

The third category of t he r el at er s of t r adi t i ons i s of t hose who hear d

some r epeal ed t r adi t i ons f r om t he Prophet but coul d not get any chance

t o hear t he r epeal i ng t r adi t i ons whi ch he coul d r el at e t o ot her s. Anexampl e of a r epeal i ng t r adi t i on i s t he sayi ng of t he Pr ophet whi ch

al so cont ai ns a ref er ence t o t he r epeal ed t r adi t i on, namel y: " I had

di sal l owed you t o vi si t gr aves, but now you can vi si t t hem. " ( Musl i m,

vol . 3, p. 65; at - Ti r mi dhi , vol . 3, p. 370; Abu Dawud, vol . 3, pp. 218, 332;

an- Nasa' i , vol . 4, p. 89; I bn Maj ah, vol . 1, pp. 500- 501; Mal i k i bn Anas,

vol . 2, p. 485; Ahmad i bn Hanbal , vol . 1, pp. 145, 452; vol . 3, pp. 38, 63,

66, 237, 350; vol . 5, pp. 350, 355, 356, 357, 359, 361; al - Haki m, al-

Mustadrak, vol . 1, pp. 374- 376; and al - Bayhaqi , vol . 4, pp. 76- 77) .

Her ei n t he per mi ssi on t o vi si t gr aves has r epeal ed t he pr evi ous

r est r i ct i on on i t . Now, t hose who hear d onl y the r epeal ed t r adi t i oncont i nued act i ng accor di ng t o i t .

The fourth category of r el at er s of t r adi t i ons i s of t hose who wer e

f ul l y awar e of t he pr i nci pl es of j ust i ce, possessed i nt el l i gence and

sagaci t y, knew t he occasi on when a t r adi t i on was f i r st ut t er ed ( by the

Prophet ) and were al so acquai nt ed wi t h t he r epeal i ng and t he r epeal ed

t r adi t i ons, t he par t i cul ar and t he gener al , and t he t i mel y and t he

absol ut e. They avoi ded f al sehood and f abr i cat i on. What ever t hey hear d

r emai ned pr eser ved i n t hei r memory, and they conveyed i t wi t h exact ness

t o ot her s. I t i s t hey whose t r adi t i ons ar e the pr eci ous possessi on ofI sl am, f r ee f r om f r aud and count er f ei t and wor t hy of bei ng t r ust ed and

act ed upon. That col l ect i on of t r adi t i ons whi ch has been conveyed

t hr ough t r ust wor t hy bosoms l i ke t hat of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and has

r emai ned f r ee f r om cut t i ng, cur t ai l i ng, al t er at i on or change

par t i cul ar l y pr esent I sl am i n i t s t r ue f or m. The posi t i on of Ami r al -



mu' mi ni n i n I sl ami c knowl edge has been most cer t ai nl y pr oved t hr ough

t he f ol l owi ng t r adi t i ons nar r at ed f r om t he Hol y Pr ophet such as:

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, J abi r i bn Àbdul l ah, I bn Àbbas and Àbdul l ah i bn

Ùmar have nar r at ed f r om t he Hol y Pr ophet t hat he sai d:

I am t he ci t y of knowl edge and Àl i i s i t s door . He who want s t oacqui r e ( my) knowl edge shoul d come t hr ough i t s door . ( al-Mustadrak,

vol . 3, pp. 126- 127; al-Istiàb, vol . 3, p. 1102; Usd al-ghabah, vol . 4,

p. 22; Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 2, p. 377; vol . 4, p. 348; vol . 7, p. 172; vol . 11,

pp. 48- 50; Tadhkirah al-huffaz; vol . 4, p. 28; Majma` az-zawa'id , vol . 9,

p. 114; Tahdhib at-tahdhib, vol . 6, p. 320; vol . 7, p. 337; Lisan al-mizan,

vol . 2, pp. 122- 123; Tarikh al-khulafa', p. 170; Kanz al-ùmmal, vol . 6,

pp. 152, 156, 401; Ùmdah al-qari, vol . 7, p. 631; Sharh al-mawahib al-

ladunniyyah, vol . 3, p. 143) .

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n and I bn Àbbas have al so nar r at ed f r om t he Hol yPr ophet t hat :

I am t he st or e- house of wi sdom and Àl i i s i t s door . He who want s t o

acqui r e wi sdom shoul d come t hr ough i t s door . (Hilyah al-awliya', vol . 1,

p. 64; Masabih as-sunnah, vol . 2, p. 275; Tarikh Baghdad , vol . 11, p. 204;

Kanz al-ùmmal, vol . 6, p. 401; ar-Riyad an-nadirah, vol . 2, p. 193) .

I f onl y peopl e coul d t ake t he Pr ophet ' s bl essi ngs t hr ough t hese sour ces

of knowl edge. But i t i s a t r agi c chapt er of hi st or y t hat al t hough

t r adi t i ons are accept ed t hr ough t he Khar i j i t es and enemi es of t he

Pr ophet ' s f ami l y, whenever t he ser i es of r el at er s i ncl udes t he name ofany i ndi vi dual f r om among t he Pr ophet ' s f ami l y t her e i s hesi t at i on i n

accept i ng t he t r adi t i on.

*****

Sermon 211 The greatness of Allah and the creation of the Universe

I t i s t hr ough t he st r engt h of Al l ah' s gr eat ness and Hi s subt l e power of

i nnovat i on t hat He made sol i d dr y ear t h out of t he wat er of t hef at homl ess, compact and dashi ng ocean. Then He made f r om i t l ayer s and

separ at ed t hem i nt o seven ski es af t er t hey had been j oi ned t oget her .

So, t hey became st at i onary at Hi s command and st opped at t he l i mi t

f i xed by Hi m. He so made the ear t h t hat i t i s bor n by deep bl ue,

sur r ounded and suspended wat er whi ch i s obedi ent t o Hi s command and has

submi t t ed t o Hi s awe whi l e i t s f l ow has st opped due t o f ear of Hi m.



He al so cr eat ed hi gh hi l l s, r ocks of st ones and l of t y mount ai ns. He put

t hem i n t hei r posi t i ons and made t hem r emai n st at i onar y. Thei r peaks

r ose i nt o t he ai r whi l e t hei r r oot s r emai ned i n t he wat er . I n t hi s way

He r ai sed t he mount ai ns above t he pl ai ns and f i xed t hei r f oundat i ons i n

t he vast expanse wher ever t hey st ood. He made t hei r peaks hi gh and made

t hei r bodi es l of t y. He made t hem l i ke pi l l ar s f or t he ear t h and f i xedt hem i n i t l i ke pegs. Consequent l y, t he ear t h became st at i onar y;

ot her wi se i t mi ght bend wi t h i t s i nhabi t ant s or si nk i nwar ds wi t h i t s

bur den, or shi f t f r om i t s posi t i ons.

Ther ef or e, gl or i f i ed i s He who st opped i t af t er t he f l owi ng of i t s

wat er s and sol i di f i ed i t af t er t he wat er y st at e of i t s si des. I n t hi s

way He made i t a cr adl e f or Hi s cr eat ur es and spr ead i t f or t hem i n t he

f or m of a f l oor over t he deep ocean whi ch i s s t at i onar y and does not

move and i s f i xed and does not f l ow. Severe wi nds move i t here and

t her e and cl ouds dr aw up wat er f r om i t .

Verily in this there is a lesson unto him who feareth (Allah) ( Qur ' an,

79: 26)

*****

Sermon 212 About those who give up supporting right

O' my Al l ah! whoever l i st ens t o our ut t er ance whi ch i s j ust and whi ch

seeks t he pr osper i t y of r el i gi on and t he wor l dl y l i f e and does not seekmi schi ef , but r ej ect s i t af t er l i st eni ng, t hen he cer t ai nl y t ur ns away

f r om Thy suppor t and desi st s f r om st r engt heni ng Thy rel i gi on. We make

Thee a wi t ness over hi m and Thou ar t t he greatest of al l wi t nesses, and

we make al l t hose who i nhabi t Thy eart h and Thy ski es wi t ness over hi m.

Ther eaf t er , Thou al one can make us needl ess of hi s suppor t and quest i on

hi m f or hi s si n.

*****

Sermon 213 The Sublimity of Allah and a eulogy of the Prophet

Pr ai se be t o Al l ah who i s above al l si mi l ar i t y t o t he creat ur es, i s

above t he wor ds of descr i ber s, who di spl ays t he wonder s of Hi s

management f or t he on- l ooker s, i s hi dden f r om t he i magi nat i on of

t hi nker s by vi r t ue of t he gr eat ness of Hi s gl or y, has knowl edge wi t hout



acqui r i ng i t , addi ng t o i t or dr awi ng i t ( f r om someone) , and Who i s t he

or dai ner of al l mat t er s wi t hout r ef l ect i ng or t hi nki ng. He i s such t hat

gl oom does not concer n Hi m, nor does He seek l i ght f r om br i ght ness,

ni ght does not over t ake Hi m nor does t he day pass over Hi m ( so as t o

af f ect Hi m i n any manner ) . Hi s compr ehensi on ( of t hi ngs) i s not t hr ough

eyes and Hi s knowl edge i s not dependent on bei ng i nf ormed. A part of the same sermon about the Prophet

Al l ah deput i sed t he Pr ophet wi t h l i ght , and accor ded hi m t he hi ghest

pr ecedence i n sel ect i on. Thr ough hi m Al l ah uni t ed t hose who were

di vi ded, over power ed t he power f ul , over came di f f i cul t i es and l evel l ed

r ugged gr ound, and t hus r emoved mi sgui dance f r om r i ght and l ef t .

*****

Sermon 214 The Prophet's nobility of descent

I st and wi t ness t hat He i s j ust and does j ust i ce, He i s t he ar bi t er Who

deci des ( between r i ght and wr ong) . I al so st and wi t ness t hat Muhammad

i s Hi s sl ave. Hi s Messenger and t he Chi ef of Hi s cr eat ur es. Whenever

Al l ah di vi ded t he l i ne of descent , He put hi m i n t he bet t er one, and

t her ef or e, no evi l - doer ever shar ed wi t h hi m nor was any vi ci ous per son

hi s par t ner .

Bewar e! sur el y Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has pr ovi ded f or vi r t ue t hose who

ar e sui t ed t o i t , f or t r ut h pi l l ar s (t hat suppor t i t ) , and f or

obedi ence pr ot ect i on ( agai nst devi at i on) . I n ever y mat t er of obedi ence

you wi l l f i nd Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed' s succour t hat wi l l speak thr ough

t ongues and accor d f i r mness t o hear t s. I t has suf f i ci ency f or t hose who

seek suf f i ci ency, and a cur e f or t hose who seek cur e.

The characteristics of the virtuous whose guidance must be followed

Know t hat , cer t ai nl y, t hose cr eat ur es of Al l ah who pr eserve Hi s

knowl edge of f er pr ot ect i on t o t hose thi ngs whi ch He desi r es t o be

pr ot ect ed and make Hi s spr i ngs f l ow ( f or t he benef i t of ot her s) . Theycont act each ot her wi t h f r i endl i ness and meet each ot her wi t h

af f ect i on. They dr i nk wat er f r om cups t hat quench t he t hi r st and r et ur n

f r om t he wat er i ng pl aces f ul l y sat i at ed. Mi sgi vi ng does not af f ect t hem

and backbi t i ng does not gai n gr ound wi t h t hem. I n t hi s way Al l ah has

t i ed t hei r nat ur e wi t h good manner s. Because of t hi s t hey l ove each

ot her and meet each ot her . They have become super i or , l i ke seeds whi ch



ar e sel ect ed by t aki ng some and t hr owi ng away ot her s. Thi s sel ect i on

has di st i ngui shed t hem and t he pr ocess of choosi ng has pur i f i ed t hem.

Ther ef or e, man shoul d secur e honour by adopt i ng t hese qual i t i es. He

shoul d f ear t he day of Doom bef or e i t ar r i ves, and he shoul d appr eci at e

t he shor t ness of hi s l i f e and t he shor t ness of hi s soj our n i n t he pl ace

of st ay whi ch has onl y to l ast f or hi s change over t o t he next pl ace.He shoul d t heref ore do somethi ng f or hi s change over and f or t he known

st ages of hi s depar t ur e. Bl essed be he who possesses a vi r t uous hear t ,

who obeys one who gui des hi m, desi st s f r om hi m who takes t o rui n,

cat ches t he pat h of saf et y wi t h t he hel p of hi m who pr ovi des hi m l i ght

( of gui dance) and by obeyi ng t he l eader who commands hi m, hast ens

t owar ds gui dance bef or e i t s door s are cl osed, get s open t he door of

r epent ance and r emoves t he ( st ai n of ) si ns. He has cer t ai nl y been put

on t he r i ght pat h and gui ded t owar ds t he st r ai ght r oad.

*****

Sermon 215 A prayer which Amir al-mu'minin often recited

Prai se be t o Al l ah! Who made me such that I have not di ed nor am I

si ck, nor have my vei ns been i nf ect ed wi t h di sease, nor have I been

haul ed up f or my evi l act s, nor am I wi t hout pr ogeny, nor have I

f or saken my r el i gi on, nor do I di sbel i eve i n my Lor d, nor do I f eel

st r angeness wi t h my f ai t h, nor i s my i nt el l i gence af f ect ed, nor have I

been puni shed wi t h t he puni shment of peopl es bef ore me. I ama sl ave i n Thy possess i on, I have been gui l t y of excesses over mysel f . Thou hast

exhaust ed Thy pl eas over me and I have no pl ea ( bef ore Thee) . I have no

power t o t ake except what Thou gi vest me, and I cannot evade except

what Thou savest me f r om.

O' my Al l ah! I seek Thy pr ot ect i on f r om becomi ng dest i t ut e despi t e Thy

r i ches, f r om bei ng mi sgui ded despi t e Thy gui dance, f r om bei ng mol est ed

i n Thy r eal m and f r om bei ng humi l i at ed whi l e aut hor i t y r est s wi t h Thee.

O' my Al l ah! l et my spi r i t be t he f i r st of t hose good obj ect s t hat Thout akest f r om me and t he f i r st t r ust out of Thy f avour s hel d i n t r ust

wi t h me.

O' my Al l ah! we seek Thy pr otect i on f r om t ur ni ng away f r om Thy command

or r evol t i ng agai nst Thy rel i gi on, or bei ng l ed away by our desi r es

i nst ead of by gui dance that comes f r om Thee.



Sermon 216 Delivered at the battle of Siffin. Mutual rights of the ruler and the

ruled

So now, Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has, by pl aci ng me over your af f ai r s,

cr eat ed my r i ght over you, and you t oo have a r i ght over me l i ke mi neover you. A r i ght i s ver y vast i n descr i pt i on but ver y nar r ow i n

equi t abi l i t y of act i on. I t does not accr ue t o any per son unl ess i t

accr ues agai nst hi m al so, and r i ght does not accr ue agai nst a per son

unl ess i t al so accr ues i n hi s f avour . I f t her e i s any r i ght whi ch i s

onl y i n f avour of a per son wi t h no ( cor r espondi ng) r i ght accr ui ng

agai nst hi m i t i s sol el y f or Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, and not f or Hi s

cr eat ur es by vi r t ue of Hi s mi ght over Hi s cr eat ur es and by vi r t ue of

t he j ust i ce per meat i ng al l Hi s decrees. Of cour se, He t he Gl or i f i ed,

has creat ed Hi s r i ght over cr eat ur es t hat t hey shoul d wor shi p Hi m, and

has l ai d upon Hi msel f ( t he obl i gat i on of ) t hei r r ewar d equal t o sever alt i mes t he recompense as a mark of Hi s bounty and the generosi t y t hat He

i s capabl e of .

Then, f r om Hi s r i ght s, He, t he Gl or i f i ed, cr eated cer t ai n r i ght s f or

cer t ai n peopl e agai nst others. He made t hem so as t o equate wi t h one

anot her . Some of t hese r i ght s pr oduce ot her r i ght s. Some r i ght s are

such t hat t hey do not accr ue except wi t h other s. The gr eat est of t hese

r i ght s t hat Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has made obl i gat or y i s t he r i ght of

t he r ul er over t he r ul ed and t he r i ght of t he r ul ed over t he r ul er .

Thi s i s an obl i gat i on whi ch Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, has pl aced on eachot her . He has made i t t he basi s of t hei r ( mut ual ) af f ect i on, and an

honour f or t hei r r el i gi on. Consequent l y, t he r ul ed cannot pr osper

unl ess t he rul er s are sound, whi l e the rul er s cannot be sound unl ess

t he r ul ed ar e st eadf ast .

I f t he rul ed f ul f i l t he r i ght s of t he rul er and t he rul er f ul f i l s thei r

r i ght s, t hen r i ght at t ai ns t he posi t i on of honour among t hem, t he ways

of r el i gi on become est abl i shed, si gns of j ust i ce become f i xed and t he

sunnah gai ns cur r ency.

I n thi s way t i me wi l l i mpr ove, t he cont i nuance of gover nment wi l l be

expect ed, and t he ai ms of t he enemi es wi l l be f r ust r at ed. But i f t he

r ul ed gai n sway over t he r ul er , or t he r ul er oppr esses t he r ul ed, t hen

di f f er ence cr ops up i n ever y wor d, si gns of oppr essi on appear , mi schi ef

ent er s r el i gi on and t he ways of t he sunnah ar e f or saken. Then desi r es

ar e act ed upon, t he commands ( of r el i gi on) ar e di scarded, di seases of

t he spi r i t become numer ous and t her e i s no hesi t at i on i n di sr egar di ng



even gr eat r i ght s, nor i n commi t t i ng bi g wr ongs. I n such ci r cumst ances,

t he vi r t uous are humi l i at ed whi l e t he vi ci ous are honour ed, and t her e

ar e ser i ous chast i sement s f r om Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, ont o t he peopl e.

You shoul d t her ef or e counsel each ot her ( f or t he f ul f i l ment of your

obl i gat i ons) and co- oper at e wi t h each ot her . However ext r emel y eager a

person may be t o secur e t he pl easure of Al l ah, and however f ul l y hest r i ves f or i t , he cannot di schar ge ( hi s obl i gat i on f or ) obedi ence t o

Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, as i s r eal l y due t o Hi m, and i t i s an obl i gat or y

r i ght of Al l ah over t he peopl e t hat t hey shoul d advi se each ot her t o

t he best of t hei r abi l i t y and co- oper at e wi t h each ot her f or t he

est abl i shment of t r ut h among them. No person, however gr eat hi s

posi t i on i n t he mat t er of t r ut h, and however advanced hi s di st i nct i on

i n r el i gi on may be, i s above co- oper at i on i n connect i on wi t h t he

obl i gat i ons pl aced on hi m by Al l ah. Agai n, no man, however smal l he may

be r egarded by ot her s, and however humbl e he may appear bef ore eyes, i s

t oo l ow t o co- oper at e or t o be af f or ded co- oper at i on i n t hi s mat t er .

One of Amir al-mu'minin's companions replied to him by a long speech

wherein he praised him much and mentioned his own listening to him and

obeying him, whereupon Amir al-mu'minin said :

I f a man i n hi s mi nd r egar ds Al l ah' s gl or y as bei ng hi gh and bel i eves

i n hi s hear t t hat Al l ah' s posi t i on i s subl i me, t hen i t i s hi s r i ght

t hat on account of t he gr eat ness of t hese t hi ngs he shoul d r egar d al l

other t hi ngs smal l . Among such persons he on whomAl l ah' s bount y i s

gr eat and Al l ah' s f avour s ar e ki nd has a gr eat er obl i gat i on, becauseAl l ah' s bount y over any per son does not i ncr ease wi t hout an i ncr ease i n

Al l ah' s r i ght over hi m.

I n t he vi ew of vi r t uous peopl e, t he wor st posi t i on of r ul er s i s t hat i t

may be t hought about t hem t hat t hey l ove gl or y, and t hei r af f ai r s may

be t aken t o be based on pr i de. I woul d r eal l y hat e t hat i t may occur t o

your mi nd t hat I l ove hi gh pr ai ses or t o hear eul ogi es. By the gr ace of

Al l ah I am not l i ke t hi s. Even I f I had l oved t o be ment i oned l i ke

t hi s, I woul d have gi ven i t up i n submi ssi veness bef or e Al l ah, t he

Gl or i f i ed, r at her t han accept gr eat ness and subl i mi t y t o whi ch He i smor e ent i t l ed. Gener al l y, peopl e f eel pl eased at pr ai se af t er good

per f ormances; but do not ment i on f or me handsome pr ai se f or t he

obl i gat i ons I have di schar ged t owar ds Al l ah and t owar ds you, because of

( my) f ear about t hose obl i gat i ons whi ch I have not di schar ged and f or

i ssui ng i nj unct i ons whi ch coul d not be avoi ded, and do not addr ess me

i n t he manner despot s ar e addr essed.



Do not evade me as t he peopl e of passi on are ( t o be) evaded, do not

meet me wi t h f l at t er y and do not t hi nk t hat I shal l t ake i t i l l i f a

t r ue t hi ng i s sai d t o me, because t he person who f eel s di sgust ed when

t r ut h i s sai d t o hi m or a j ust mat t er i s pl aced bef or e hi m woul d f i nd

i t mor e di f f i cul t t o act upon t hem. Ther ef or e, do not abst ai n f r om

sayi ng a t r ut h or poi nt i ng out a mat t er of j ust i ce because I do notr egar d mysel f above er r i ng. [ 1] I do not escape er r i ng i n my act i ons

but t hat Al l ah hel ps me ( i n avoi di ng er r or s) i n mat t er s i n whi ch He i s

mor e power f ul t han I . Cer t ai nl y, I and you ar e sl aves owned by Al l ah,

ot her t han Whom t here i s no Lor d except Hi m. He owns our sel ves whi ch

we do not own. He t ook us f r om where we wer e t owar ds what means

pr osper i t y t o us. He al t er ed our st r ayi ng i nt o gui dance and gave us

i nt el l i gence af t er bl i ndness.


[ 1] . That t he i nnocence of angel s i s di f f er ent f r om t he i nnocence of manneeds no detai l ed di scuss i on. The i nnocence of angel s means t hat t hey

do not possess t he i mpul se t o si n, but t he i nnocence of man means t hat ,

al t hough he has human f r ai l t i es and passi ons, yet he possesses a

pecul i ar power t o resi st t hem and he i s not over - power ed by t hem so as

t o commi t si ns. Thi s ver y abi l i t y i s cal l ed i nnocence and i t pr event s

t he r i si ng up of per sonal passi ons and i mpul ses. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s

sayi ng t hat " I do not r egar d mysel f above er r i ng" r ef er s t o t hose human

di ct at es and passi ons, and hi s sayi ng t hat "Al l ah hel ps me i n avoi di ng

' er r or s' " r ef er s t o i nnocence. The same t one i s f ound i n t he Qur ' an i n

t he wor ds of Pr ophet Yusuf t hat :

I exculpate not myself, verily ( one' s) self is wont to bid (hi m to)

evil, except such as my Lord hath had mercy on; verily my Lord is Oft-

forgiving, All-merciful. (12:53)

J ust as i n t hi s ver se, because of t he exi st ence of except i on, i t s f i r st

par t cannot be used t o ar gue agai nst hi s i nnocence, si mi l ar l y, due t o

t he exi st ence of t he except i on "but t hat Al l ah hel ps me i n avoi di ng

er r or s" i n Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s sayi ng, i t s f i r st par t cannot be used t o

ar gue agai nst hi s i nnocence, ot her wi se t he Pr ophet ' s i nnocence t oo wi l lhave to be rej ect ed. I n t he same way, t he l ast sent ence of t hi s ser mon

shoul d not be t aken t o mean that bef ore t he pr ocl amat i on of pr ophethood

he had been under t he i nf l uence of pr e- I sl ami c bel i ef s, and t hat j ust

as ot hers had been unbel i evers he t oo mi ght have been i n darkness and

mi sgui dance, because f r om hi s ver y bi r t h Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was brought -

up by the Pr ophet and t he ef f ect of hi s t r ai ni ng and up- br i ngi ng







permeat ed hi m. I t cannot t heref ore be i magi ned t hat he who had f r om

i nf ancy t r od i n t he f oot - pr i nt s of t he Pr ophet woul d devi at e f r om

gui dance even f or a moment . Thus, al - Mas`udi has wr i t t en:

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n never bel i eved i n any ot her god t han Al l ah so t hat

t her e coul d be t he quest i on of hi s accept i ng I sl am. He r at her f ol l owed

t he Pr ophet i n al l hi s act i ons and ( vi r t ual l y) i ni t i at ed hi m, and i nt hi s ver y st at e he at t ai ned maj or i t y. ( Muruj adh-dhahab, vol . 2, p. 3) .

Her e, by those whom Al l ah l ed f r om dar kness i nt o gui dance, t he

r ef er ence i s t o t he persons whom Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was addr essi ng. I bn

Abi ' l - Hadi d wr i t es i n t hi s connect i on:

The r ef er ence her e i s not t o hi s own sel f because he had never been an

unbel i ever so as t o have accept ed I sl am af t er t hat , but i n t hese wor ds

he i s r ef er r i ng t o t hose gr oup of peopl e whom he was addr essi ng. (Sharh

Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 11, p. 108)

*****

Sermon 217 About the excesses of the Quraysh

O' my Al l ah! I beseech Thee t o t ake r evenge on t he Qur aysh and those

who ar e ass i st i ng t hem, f or t hey have cut asunder my ki nshi p and over-

t ur ned my cup and have j oi ned t oget her t o cont est a r i ght t o whi ch I

was ent i t l ed mor e than anyone el se. They sai d t o me: " I f you get your

r i ght , t hat wi l l be j ust , but i f you ar e deni ed t he r i ght , t hat t oo

wi l l be j ust. Endur e i t wi t h sadness or ki l l your sel f i n gr i ef . " I

l ooked around but f ound no one t o shi el d me, pr otect me or hel p me

except t he member s of my f ami l y. I r ef r ai ned f r om f l i ngi ng t hem i nt o

deat h and ther ef or e cl osed my eyes despi t e t he dust , kept swal l owi ng

sal i va despi t e ( t he suf f ocat i on of ) gr i ef and endur ed pangs of anger

al t hough i t was more bi t t er t han col ocynt h and more gr i evous t han t he

bi t e of kni ves.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Thi s ut t er ance of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has al r eady

appear ed i n an ear l i er Ser mon ( 171) , but I have r epeat ed i t here

because of t he di f f er ence of ver si ons.

*****



Sermon 218 A part of the same sermon about those who went to Basrah to fight Amir

al-mu'minin

They mar ched on my of f i cer s and t he cust odi ans of t he publ i c t r easur y

whi ch i s st i l l under my cont r ol and on t he peopl e of a met r opol i s, al lof whom were obedi ent t o me and were i n al l egi ance t o me. They creat ed

di vi si on among t hem, i nst i gated t hei r part y agai nst me and at t acked my

f ol l ower s. They ki l l ed a gr oup of t hem by t r eacher y, whi l e anot her

gr oup t ook up swor ds agai nst t hem and f ought wi t h t he swor ds t i l l t hey

met Al l ah as adher ent s t o t r ut h.

*****

Sermon 219 When Amir al-mu'minin passed by the corpses of Talhah ibn Ùbaydullahand Àbd ar-Rahman ibn Àttab ibn Asid who were both killed in the

battle of Jamal, he said:

Abu Muhammad ( Tal hah) l i es here away f r om hi s own pl ace. By Al l ah, I

di d not l i ke t hat t he Qur aysh shoul d l i e ki l l ed under t he st ar s. I have

avenged mysel f wi t h t he descendant s of Àbd Manaf , but t he chi ef

persons of Banu J umah [ 1] have escaped me. They had st r et ched t hei r

necks t owar ds a mat t er f or whi ch t hey wer e not sui t ed, and t heref or e

t hei r necks wer e br oken bef or e t hey r eached t he goal .


[ 1] . I n t he bat t l e of J amal a gr oup of Banu J umah was wi t h À' i shah, but

t he chi ef men of t hi s gr oup f l ed away f r om t he bat t l e- f i el d. Some of

t hem wer e: Àbdul l ah at - Tawi l i bn Saf wan, Yahya i bn Haki m, Àmi r i bn

Masùd and Ayyub i bn Habi b. Fr om t hi s gr oup ( Banu J umah) onl y t wo

per sons wer e ki l l ed.

*****

Sermon 220 Qualities of the God-fearing and the pious

He ( t he bel i ever ) kept hi s mi nd al i ve and ki l l ed ( t he desi r es of ) hi s

hear t t i l l hi s body became t hi n, hi s bul k t ur ned l i ght and an

ef f ul gence of ext r eme br i ght ness shone f or hi m. I t l i ght ed t he way f or

hi m and t ook hi m on t he ( r i ght ) pat h. Di f f er ent door s l ed hi m t o t he







door of saf et y and t he pl ace of ( hi s per manent ) st ay. Hi s f eet ,

bal anci ng hi s body became f i xed i n t he posi t i on of saf et y and comf or t ,

because he kept hi s hear t ( i n good act s) and pl eased hi s Al l ah.

*****

Sermon 221 Amir al-mu'minin recited the verse

Engage (your) vying in exuberance, until ye come to the graves. [ 1]

( Qur ' an, 102: 1- 2)

Then he said:

How di st ant ( f r om achi evement ) i s t hei r ai m, how negl ect f ul ar e t hese

vi si t or s and how di f f i cul t i s t he af f ai r . They have not t aken l essons

f r om t hi ngs whi ch ar e f ul l of l essons, but t hey t ook t hem f r om f ar of fpl aces. Do t hey boast on t he dead bodi es of t hei r f or e- f at her s, or do

t hey r egar d the number of dead per sons as a gr ound f or f eel i ng boast f ul

of t hei r number? They want t o revi ve t he bodi es t hat have become

spi r i t l ess and t he movement s t hat have ceased. They are more ent i t l ed

t o be a sour ce of l esson t han a sour ce of pr i de. They ar e mor e sui t abl e

f or bei ng a sour ce of humi l i t y t han of honour .

They l ooked at t hem wi t h weak- si ght ed eyes and descended i nto t he

hol l ow of i gnor ance. I f t hey had asked about t hem f r om t he di l api dat ed

houses and empt y cour t yar ds, t hey woul d have sai d that t hey went i nt o

t he ear t h i n t he st ate of mi sgui dance and you t oo are headi ng

i gnor ant l y t owar ds t hem. You t r ampl e thei r skul l s, want t o rai se

const r uct i ons on t hei r cor pses, you gr aze what t hey have l ef t and l i ve

i n houses whi ch t hey have vacated. The days ( t hat l i e) between t hemand

you are al so bemoani ng you and r eci t i ng el egi es over you.

They ar e your f or e- r unner s i n r eachi ng t he goal and have ar r i ved at t he

water i ng pl aces bef or e you. They had posi t i ons of honour and pl ent y of

pr i de. They wer e rul er s and hol der s of posi t i ons. Now t hey have gone

i nt o t he i nt er st i ce wher e ear t h cover s t hem f r om above and i s eat i ng

t hei r f l esh and dr i nki ng t hei r bl ood. They l i e i n t he hol l ows of t hei r

gr aves l i f el ess, no more gr owi ng, and hi dden, not t o be f ound. The

appr oach of danger s does not f r i ght en t hem, and t he adver si t y of

ci r cumst ances does not gr i eve t hem. They do not mi nd ear t hquakes, nor

do t hey pay heed t o t hunders. They ar e gone and not expect ed back. They

are exi st ent but unseen. They were uni t ed but are now di sper sed. They

were f r i endl y and are now separated.





Thei r account s ar e unknown and t hei r houses ar e si l ent , not because of

l engt h of t i me or di st ance of pl ace, but because t hey have been made t o

dr i nk t he cup ( of deat h) whi ch has changed t hei r speech i nt o dumbness,

t hei r hear i ng i nt o deaf ness and t hei r movement s i nt o st i l l ness. I t

seems as t hough t hey are f al l en i n sl umber . They are nei ghbour s not

f eel i ng af f ect i on f or each ot her , or f r i ends who do not meet eachot her . The bonds of t hei r knowi ng each ot her have been worn out and t he

connect i ons of t hei r f r i endshi p have been cut asunder . Ever yone of t hem

i s t her ef or e al one al t hough t hey ar e a gr oup, and t hey ar e st r anger s,

even t hough f r i ends. They are unaware of morni ng af t er a ni ght and of

eveni ng af t er a day. The ni ght or t he day when t hey depar t ed has become

ever exi st ent f or t hem. [ 2] They f ound t he danger s of t hei r pl aced of

st ay more ser i ous t han t hey had appr ehended, and t hey wi t nessed t hat

i t s s i gns wer e gr eat er t han t hey had guessed. The t wo obj ect i ves

( namel y par adi se and hel l ) have been st r et ched f or t hem upt o a poi nt

beyond t he reach of f ear or hope. Had t hey been abl e to speak t heywoul d have become dumb to descr i be what t hey wi t nessed or saw.

Even t hough t hei r t r aces have been wi ped out and t hei r news has st opped

( ci r cul at i ng) , eyes ar e capabl e of dr awi ng a l esson, as t hey l ooked at

t hem, ear s of i nt el l i gence hear d t hem and t hey spoke wi t hout ut t er i ng

words. So, t hey sai d t hat handsome f aces have been dest r oyed and

del i cat e bodi es have been smear ed wi t h ear t h. We have put on a worn- out

shroud. The nar r owness of t he grave has over whel med us and st r angeness

has spr ead among us. Our si l ent abodes have been rui ned. The beaut y of

our bodi es has di sappear ed. Our known f eat ur es have become hat ef ul . Ourst ay i n t he pl aces of st r angeness has become l ong. We do not get r el i ef

f r om pai n, nor wi deni ng f r om nar r owness.

Now. i f you por t r ay t hem i n your mi nd, or i f t he cur t ai ns conceal i ng

t hem ar e r emoved f r om t hem f or you, i n t hi s st at e when t hei r ear s have

l ost t hei r power and t ur ned deaf , t hei r eyes have been f i l l ed wi t h dust

and sunk down, t hei r t ongues whi ch were ver y act i ve have been cut i nt o

pi eces, t hei r hear t s whi ch were ever wakef ul have become mot i onl ess i n

t hei r chest s, i n ever y l i mb of t hei r s a pecul i ar decay has occur r ed

whi ch has def ormed i t , and has paved t he way f or cal ami t y towards i t ,al l t hese l i e power l ess, wi t h no hand t o hel p t hem and no hear t t o

gr i eve over t hem, ( t hen) you woul d cer t ai nl y not i ce t he gr i ef of

( t hei r ) hear t s and t he di r t of ( t hei r ) eyes.

Ever y t r oubl e of t hei r s i s such t hat i t s posi t i on does not change and

t he di st r ess does not cl ear away. How many a pr est i gi ous body and

amazi ng beaut y t he ear t h has swal l owed, al t hough when i n t he wor l d he





enj oyed abundant pl easur es and was nur t ur ed i n honour . He cl ung t o

enj oyment s ( even) i n t he hour of gr i ef . I f di st r ess bef el l hi m he

sought r ef uge i n consol at i on ( der i ved) t hr ough t he pl easur es of l i f e

and pl ayi ng and games. He was l aughi ng at t he wor l d whi l e t he wor l d was

l aughi ng at hi m because of hi s l i f e f ul l of f or get f ul ness. Then t i me

t r ampl ed hi m l i ke t horns, t he days weakened hi s energy and deat h begant o l ook at hi m f r om near . Then he was over t aken by a gr i ef whi ch he had

never f el t , and ai l ment s appear ed i n pl ace of t he heal t h he had

pr evi ousl y possessed.

He t hen t ur ned t o t hat wi t h whi ch t he physi ci an had made hi m f ami l i ar ,

namel y suppr essi ng t he hot ( di seases) wi t h col d ( medi ci nes) and cur i ng

t he col d wi t h hot doses, but t he col d t hi ngs di d not hi ng save aggr avat e

t he hot ai l ment s, whi l e t he hot ones di d not hi ng except i ncr easi ng t he

col dness, nor di d he acqui r e t emper at eness i n hi s const i t ut i on but

r at her ever y ai l ment of hi s i ncr eased t i l l hi s physi ci ans became

hel pl ess, hi s at t endant s gr ew l oat hsome and hi s own peopl e f el t

di sgust ed f r om descr i bi ng hi s di sease, avoi ded answer i ng t hose who

enqui r ed about hi m and quar r el l ed i n f r ont of hi m about t he ser i ous

news whi ch t hey were conceal i ng f r om hi m. Thus, someone woul d say "hi s

condi t i on i s what i t i s" and woul d consol e them wi t h hopes of hi s

r ecover y, whi l e another one woul d advocate pat i ence on mi ss i ng hi m,

r ecal l i ng t o t hem t he cal ami t i es t hat had bef al l en t he ear l i er

gener at i ons.

I n t hi s st at e when he was get t i ng r eady to depar t f r om t he wor l d and

l eave hi s bel oved ones, such a ser i ous choki ng over t ook hi m t hat hi s

senses became bewi l der ed and t he dampness of hi s t ongue dr i ed up. Now,

t her e was many an i mpor t ant quest i on whose r epl y he knew about he coul d

not ut t er i t , and many a voi ce t hat was pai nf ul f or hi s hear t t hat he

hear d but r emai ned ( unmoved) as t hough he was deaf t he voi ce of ei t her

and el der whom he used t o respect or of a younger whom he used t o

caress. The pangs of deat h ar e t oo hi deous t o be cover ed by descr i pt i on

or t o be appr eci at ed by t he hear t s of t he peopl e i n t hi s wor l d.


[ 1] . The genesi s of t he descendi ng of t hi s ver se i s t hat t he t r i bes of

Banu `Abd Manaf and Banu Sahm began t o boast agai nst each ot her over

t he abundance of t hei r weal t h and t he number of t hei r t r i besmen, and i n

order t o pr ove t hey had a gr eat er number each one began t o i ncl ude

t hei r dead as wel l , wher eupon t hi s ver se was r eveal ed t o the ef f ect

t hat abundance of r i ches and maj or i t y i n number s has made you so





f or get f ul t hat you count t he dead al so wi t h t he l i vi ng. Thi s ver se i s

al so t aken t o mean t hat abundance of r i ches and progeny has made you

f or get f ul t i l l you r eached t he gr aves, but t he ut t er ance of Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n suppor t s t he f i r st meani ng.

[ 2] . Thi s means t hat f or hi m he who di es i n t he day i t i s al ways day

wher eas f or hi m who di es i n t he ni ght t he dar kness of ni ght neverdi spel s, because they ar e at a pl ace wher e ther e i s no t ur ni ng of t he

moon and t he sun and no r ot at i on of t he ni ght s and t he days. The same

meani ng has been expr essed by a poet l i ke t hi s:

There is sure to be a day without a night,

Or a night that would come without a day.

*****

Sermon 222 Delivered after reciting the verse:

. . . therein declare glory unto Him in the mornings and the evenings;

Men whom neither merchandise nor any sale diverteth from the

remembrance of Allah and constancy in prayer and paying the poor-rate;

they fear the day when the hearts and eyes shall writhe of the anguish.

( Qur ' an, 24: 36- 37)

Cer t ai nl y, Al l ah, t he Gl or i f i ed, t he Subl i me, has made Hi s r emembr ance

t he l i ght f or hear t s whi ch hear wi t h i t s hel p despi t e deaf ness, seewi t h i t s hel p despi t e bl i ndness and become submi ssi ve wi t h i t s hel p

despi t e unr ul i ness.

I n al l t he per i ods and t i mes when t here were no pr ophets, t here have

been per sons wi t h whom Al l ah, pr eci ous are Hi s bount i es, whi sper ed

t hr ough t hei r wi t s and spoke t hr ough t hei r mi nds. Wi t h t he hel p of t he

br i ght awakeni ng of t hei r ear s, eyes and hear t s t hey keep r emi ndi ng

others of t he remembr ance of t he days of Al l ah and maki ng others f eel

f ear f or Hi m l i ke gui de- poi nt s i n wi l der nesses. Whoever adopt s t he

mi ddl e way, t hey pr ai se hi s ways and gi ve hi m t he t i di ngs ofdel i ver ance, but whoever goes r i ght and l ef t t hey vi l i f y hi s ways and

f r i ght en hi m wi t h r ui n. I n t hi s way, t hey ser ved as l amps i n t hese

darknesses and gui des t hr ough these doubt s.

Ther e ar e some peopl e devot ed t o t he r emembrance ( of Al l ah) who have

adopt ed i t i n pl ace of wor l dl y mat t er s so t hat commer ce or t r ade does





not t ur n t hem away f r om i t . They pass t hei r l i f e i n i t . They speak i nt o

t he ear s of negl ect f ul per sons war ni ng agai nst mat t er s hel d unl awf ul by

Al l ah, t hey or der t hem t o pr act i se j ust i ce and t hemsel ves keep

pr act i si ng i t , and t hey ref r ai n t hem f r om t he unl awf ul and t hemsel ves

r ef r ai n f r om i t . I t i s as t hough t hey have f i ni shed t he j our ney of t hi s

wor l d t owards t he next wor l d and have behel d what l i es beyond i t .Consequent l y, t hey have become acquai nt ed wi t h al l t hat bef el l t hem i n

t he i nt er st i ce dur i ng t hei r l ong st ay t her ei n, and t he Day of J udgement

f ul f i l s i t s pr omi ses f or t hem. Ther ef or e, t hey removed t he cur t ai n f r om

t hese t hi ngs f or t he peopl e of t he wor l d, t i l l i t was as t hough t hey

were seei ng what peopl e di d not see and were hear i ng what peopl e di d

not hear .

I f you pi ct ur e t hem i n your mi nd i n t hei r admi r abl e posi t i ons and wel l -

known si t t i ngs, when t hey have opened t he recor ds of t hei r act i ons and

ar e pr epar ed t o render an account of t hemsel ves i n r espect of t he smal l

as wel l as t he bi g t hi ngs t hey wer e or der ed t o do but t hey f ai l ed t o

do, or wer e or der ed t o ref r ai n f r om but t hey i ndul ged t her ei n, and t hey

r eal i sed t he wei ght of t hei r bur den ( of bad act s) on t hei r backs, and

t hey f el t t oo weak t o bear t hem, t hen t hey wept bi t t er l y and spoke t o

each ot her wi l e st i l l cr yi ng and bewai l i ng t o Al l ah i n r epent ance and

acknowl edgement ( of t hei r shor t comi ngs) , you woul d f i nd t hem t o be

embl ems of gui dance and l amps i n darkness, angel s woul d be sur r oundi ng

t hem, peace woul d be descendi ng upon t hem, t he doors of t he sky woul d

be opened f or t hem and posi t i ons of honour woul d be assi gned t o them i n

t he pl ace of whi ch Al l ah had i nf ormed t hem. Theref ore, He hasappr eci at ed t hei r act i ons and pr ai sed t hei r posi t i on. They cal l Hi m and

br eat he i n t he ai r of f or gi veness, t hey ar e ever needy of Hi s bount y

and r emai n humbl e bef or e Hi s great ness, t he l engt h of t hei r gr i ef has

pai ned t hei r hear t s, and t he l engt h of weepi ng t hei r eves. They knock

at ever y door of i ncl i nat i on t owar ds Al l ah. They ask Hi m Whom

generosi t y does not make dest i t ut e and f r om Whom t hose who approach Hi m

do not get di sappoi nt ed.

Ther ef or e, t ake account of your sel f f or your own sake because t he

account of ot her s wi l l be t aken by one ot her t han you.*****



Sermon 223 Amir al-mu'minin recited the verse: O' thou man! what hath beguild thee

from thy Lord ...

Amir al-mu'minin recited the verse:

O' thou man! what hath beguild thee from thy Lord, the Most Gracious

One. ( Qur ' an, 82: 6)

Then he said:

The addressee ( i n t hi s ver se) i s devoi d of ar gument and hi s excuse i s

most decept i ve. He i s det ai ni ng hi msel f i n i gnor ance.

O' man! what has embol dened you t o ( commi t ) si ns, what had decei ved you

about your Al l ah and what has made you sat i sf i ed wi t h the dest r uct i on

of your sel f . I s t her e no cur e f or your ai l ment or no awakeni ng f r omyour sl eep? Do you not have pi t y on your sel f as you have on others?

General l y, when you see anyone exposed t o t he heat of t he sun you cover

hi m wi t h shade, or i f you see anyone af f l i ct ed wi t h gr i ef t hat pai ns

hi s body you weep out of pi t y f or hi m. What has t hen made you pat i ent

over your own di sease, what has made you f i r m i n your own af f l i ct i ons,

and what has consol ed you f r om weepi ng over your sel f al t hough your l i f e

i s t he most pr eci ous of al l l i ves t o you, and why does not t he f ear of

an ai l ment t hat may bef al l you i n t he ni ght keep you wakef ul al t hough

you l i e on t he way t o Al l ah' s wr at h due to your si ns?

You shoul d cur e t he di sease of l anguor i n your hear t by det er mi nat i on,

and t he sl eep of negl ect f ul ness i n your eyes by wakef ul ness. Be

obedi ent t o Al l ah, and l ove Hi s r emembr ance, and pi ct ur e t o your sel f

t hat you ar e r unni ng away whi l e He i s appr oachi ng you. He i s cal l i ng

you t o Hi s f or gi veness and conceal i ng your f aul t s wi t h Hi s ki ndness,

whi l e you ar e f l eei ng away f r om Hi m t owar ds ot her s. Cer t ai nl y, Gr eat i s

Al l ah t he power f ul , Who i s so generous, and how humbl e and weak ar e you

and st i l l so bol d t o commi t Hi s di sobedi ence al t hough you l i ve i n Hi s

pr ot ect i on and under go changes of l i f e i n t he expanse of Hi s ki ndness.

He does not r ef use you Hi s ki ndness and does not r emove Hi s pr otect i onf r om you. I n f act , you have not been wi t hout Hi s ki ndness even f or a

moment , whether i t be a f avour t hat He conf err ed upon you or a si n of

your s t hat He has conceal ed or a cal ami t y t hat He has warded of f f r om

you. What i s your i dea about Hi m i f you had obeyed Hi m? By Al l ah, i f

t hi s had been t he case wi t h t wo persons equal i n power and mat chi ng i n

mi ght ( one bei ng i nat t ent i ve and t he other shower i ng f avour s upon you)



t hen you woul d have been t he f i r st t o adj udge your sel f t o be of bad

behavi our and evi l deeds.

I t r ut hf ul l y say that t he wor l d has not decei ved you but you have had

your sel f decei ved by i t . The wor l d had opened t o you t he cur t ai ns and

di vul ged t o you ( ever yt hi ng) equal l y. And i n al l t hat i t f or et ol d you

about t he t r oubl es bef al l i ng your bodi es and t he decay i n your power ,i t has been t oo t r ue and f ai t hf ul i n pr omi se, and di d not speak a l i e

t o you or decei ve you. There ar e many who advi se you about i t but t hey

ar e bl amed, and speak t he t r ut h about i t but t hey ar e opposed. I f you

underst and t he wor l d by means of di l api dated houses and f or l orn abodes,

t hen wi t h your good underst andi ng and f ar r eachi ng power of dr awi ng

l essons you wi l l f i nd i t l i ke one who i s ki nd over you and caut i ous

about you. I t i s good abode f or hi m who does not l i ke i t as an abode,

and a good pl ace of st ay f or hi m who does not r egard i t a permanent

home f or st ay.

Onl y those who r un away f r om t hi s wor l d t oday wi l l be r egar ded vi r t uous

t omorr ow. When t he ear t hquake occur s, t he Day of Resurr ect i on

appr oaches wi t h al l i t s sever i t i es, t he peopl e of ever y wor shi ppi ng

pl ace cl i ng t o i t , al l t he devot ees cl i ng t o t he obj ect of t hei r

devot i on and al l t he f ol l ower s cl i ng t o t hei r l eader . Then on t hat day

even t he openi ng of an eye i n t he ai r and t he sound of a f oot st ep on

t he gr ound wi l l be assi gned i t s due thr ough Hi s J ust i ce and Hi s Equi t y.

On that day many an argument wi l l pr ove voi d and a cont ent i on f or

excuses wi l l st and r ej ect ed.

Ther ef or e, you shoul d now adopt f or your sel f t he cour se wi t h whi ch your

excuse may hol d good and your pl ea may be pr oved. Take f r om t he

t r ansi ent t hi ngs of t hi s wor l d t hat whi ch wi l l st ay f or you ( i n t he

next wor l d) , pr ovi de f or your j our ney, keep ( your ) gaze on t he

br i ght ness of del i ver ance and keep r eady t he saddl es ( f or set t i ng of f ) .

*****

Sermon 224 About keeping aloof from oppression and misappropriation. `Aqil'scondition of poverty and destitution

By Al l ah, I woul d r at her pass a ni ght i n wakef ul ness on t he t hor ns of

as-sa`dan ( a pl ant havi ng shar p pr i ckl es) or be dr i ven i n chai ns as a

pr i soner t han meet Al l ah and Hi s Messenger on t he Day of J udgement as

an oppr essor over any per son or a usurper of anythi ng out of wor l dl y



weal t h. And how can I oppr ess any one f or ( t he sake of a l i f e) t hat i s

f ast movi ng t owar ds dest r uct i on and i s t o remai n under t he ear t h f or a

l ong t i me.

By Al l ah, I cer t ai nl y saw ( my br ot her ) Àqi l f al l en i n dest i t ut i on and

he asked me a sa` ( about t hr ee ki l ogr ams i n wei ght ) out of your ( shar e

of ) wheat , and I al so saw hi s chi l dr en wi t h di shevel l ed hai r and adust y count enance due t o st arvat i on, as t hough t hei r f aces had been

bl ackened by i ndi go. He came to me sever al t i mes and r epeat ed hi s

r equest t o me agai n and agai n. I hear d hi m, and he t hought I woul d sel l

my f ai t h t o hi m and f ol l ow hi s t r ead l eavi ng my own way. Then I ( j ust )

heat ed a pi ece of i r on and t ook i t near hi s body so that he mi ght t ake

a l esson f r om i t , t hen he cri ed as a per son i n pr ot r acted i l l ness cri es

wi t h pai n and he was about t o get bur nt wi t h i t s brandi ng. Then I sai d

t o hi m, "Moani ng women may moan over you, O' Àqi l . Do you cr y on

account of t hi s ( heat ed) i r on whi ch has been made by a man f or f un

whi l e you ar e dr i vi ng me t owar ds t he f i r e whi ch Al l ah, t he Power f ul ,

has pr epar ed f or ( a mani f est at i on of ) Hi s wr at h? Shoul d you cr y f r om

pai n, but I shoul d not cry f r om t he f l ames?"

A st r anger i nci dent t han t hi s i s t hat a man [ 1] came t o us i n the

ni ght ; wi t h a cl osed f l ask f ul l of honey past e but I di sl i ked i t as

t hough i t was t he sal i va of a ser pent or i t s vomi t . I asked hi m whet her

i t was a rewar d, or zakat ( poor - t ax) or char i t y, f or t hese ar e

f orbi dden t o us member s of t he Prophet ' s f ami l y. He sai d i t was nei t her

t hi s nor t hat but a pr esent . Then I sai d, "Chi l dl ess women may weep

over you. Have you come to devi at e me f r om t he rel i gi on of Al l ah, or

ar e you mad, or have you been over powered by some j i nn, or are you

speaki ng wi t hout senses? "

By Al l ah, even i f I am gi ven al l t he domai ns of t he seven ( st ar s) wi t h

al l t hat exi st s under t he ski es i n or der t hat I may di sobey Al l ah t o

t he extent of snat chi ng one gr ai n of bar l ey f r om an ant I woul d not do

i t . For me your wor l d i s l i ght er t han t he l eaf i n t he mout h of a l ocust

t hat i s chewi ng i t . What has Àl i t o do wi t h bount i es t hat wi l l pass

away and pl easur es t hat wi l l not l ast ? We do seek pr ot ect i on of Al l ah

f r om t he sl i p of wi sdom and t he evi l s of mi st akes, and f r om Hi m we seeksuccour .


[ 1] . I t was al - Ashàt h i bn Qays.

*****







Sermon 225

Supplication

O' my Al l ah! pr eserve ( t he gr ace of ) my f ace wi t h easi ness of l i f e and

do not di sgrace my count enance wi t h dest i t ut i on, l est I may have t o bega l i vel i hood f r om t hose who beg f r om Thee, t r y to seek the f avour of

Thy evi l cr eatures, engage mysel f i n prai si ng t hose who gi ve t o me, and

be tempt ed i n abusi ng t hose who do not gi ve t o me, al t hough behi nd al l

t hese Thou ar t t he mast er of gi vi ng and denyi ng.

. . . Verily Thou over all things, art the All-powerful. ( Qur ' an, 66: 8)

*****

Sermon 226

Transience of the world and the helplessness of those in graves

Thi s i s a house sur r ounded by cal ami t i es and wel l - known f or

decei t f ul ness. I t s condi t i ons do not l ast and t hose who i nhabi t i t do

not r emai n saf e. I t s condi t i ons are var i abl e and i t s ways changi ng.

Li f e i n i t i s bl amewor t hy and saf et y i n i t i s non- exi st ent . Yet i t s

peopl e ar e t ar get s; i t st r i kes t hem wi t h i t s ar r ows and dest r oys t hem

t hr ough deat h.

Know, O' creat ur es of Al l ah, t hat , cer t ai nl y, you and al l t he t hi ngs oft hi s wor l d t hat you have ar e ( t r eadi ng) on t he l i nes of t hose ( who

were) bef ore you. They were of l onger ages, had more popul ated houses

and wer e of mor e l ast i ng t r aces. Thei r voi ces have become si l ent , t hei r

movement s have become st at i onary, t hei r bodi es have become r ot t en,

t hei r houses have become empt y and t hei r t r aces have been obl i t erated.

Thei r magni f i cent pl aces and spread- out car pet s wer e changed t o st ones,

l ai d- i n- bl ocks and cave- l i ke dug out gr aves whose ver y f oundat i on i s

based on r ui ns and whose const r uct i on has been made wi t h soi l . Thei r

posi t i ons ar e cont i guous, but t hose set t l ed i n t hem ar e l i ke f ar f l ung

st r anger s. They ar e among t he peopl e of t hei r ar ea but f eel l onel y, andt hey ar e f r ee f r om wor k but st i l l engaged ( i n act i vi t y) . They f eel no

at t achment wi t h homel ands nor do they keep cont act among t hemsel ves

l i ke nei ghbour s despi t e near ness of nei ghbour hood and pr i or i t y of

abodes. And how can t hey meet each ot her when decay has gr ound t hem

wi t h i t s chest , and st ones and ear t h have eat en t hem.



I t i s as t hough you t oo have gone wher e t hey have gone, t he same

sl eepi ng pl ace has caught you and the same pl ace has det ai ned you. What

wi l l t hen be your posi t i on when your af f ai r s r each t hei r end and gr aves

are t ur ned upsi de down ( t o t hr ow out t he 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 ( t he f al se dei t i es) will vanish ( away) from them. ( Qur ' an, 10: 30)

*****

Sermon 227

Supplication

O' my Al l ah! Thou art t he most at t ached t o Thy l overs and the most

r eady to assi st t hose who t r ust i n Thee. Thou seest t hem i n t hei rconceal ment s, knowest what ever i s i n t hei r consci ences, and ar t awar e

of t he ext ent of t hei r i nt el l i gence. Consequent l y, t hei r secrets ar e

open t o Thee and t hei r hear t s ar e eager f r om Thee. I f l onel i ness bor es

t hem, Thy remembr ance gi ves t hem sol ace. I f di st r esses bef al l t hem,

t hey beseech Thy pr ot ect i on, because t hey know t hat t he rei ns of

af f ai r s ar e i n Thy hands, and t hat t hei r movement s depend upon Thy

commands .

O' my Al l ah! i f I amunabl e t o expr ess my request or cannot see my

needs, t hen gui de me t owar ds my bet t er ment and t ake my bet t er ment andt ake my hear t t owar ds t he cor r ect goal . Thi s i s not agai nst ( t he mode

of ) Thy gui dance nor anyt hi ng new agai nst Thy ways of support .

O' my Al l ah! deal wi t h me thr ough Thy f orgi veness and do not deal wi t h

me accor di ng t o Thy j ust i ce.

*****

Sermon 228

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

of troubles

May Al l ah rewar d such and such man [ 1] who st r ai ght ened the cur ve,

cured t he di sease, abandoned mi schi ef and est abl i shed t he sunnah. He

depar t ed ( f r om t hi s wor l d) wi t h unt ar ni shed cl ot hes and l i t t l e

shor t comi ngs. He achi eved good ( of t hi s wor l d) and r emai ned saf e f r om





i t s evi l s. He of f er ed Al l ah' s obedi ence and f ear ed Hi m as He deser ved.

He went away and l ef t t he peopl e i n di vi di ng ways wherei n t he mi sl ed

cannot obt ai n gui dance and t he gui ded cannot at t ai n cer t ai nt y.


[ 1] . I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en ( i n Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 14,pp. 3- 4) t hat t he r ef erence her e i s t o t he second Cal i ph Ùmar , and

t hat t hese sent ences have been ut t er ed i n hi s pr ai se as i ndi cated by

t he word " Ùmar" wr i t t en under t he word "such and such" i n as- Sayyi d

ar - Radi ' s own hand i n t he manuscr i pt of Nahj al-balaghah wr i t t en by

hi m. Thi s i s I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d' s st at ement , but i t i s t o be seen t hat i f

as- Sayyi d ar - Radi had wr i t t en t he wor d "Ùmar " by way of expl anat i on i t

shoul d have exi st ed, as ot her expl anat i ons by hi m have r emai ned, i n

t hose ver si ons whi ch have been copi ed f r om hi s manuscr i pt . Even now

t her e exi st s i n al - Musi l ( I r aq) uni ver si t y t he ol dest copy of Nahj al-

balaghah wr i t t en by the f amous cal l i gr aphi st Yaqut al - Must a`si mi ; butno one has af f or ded any cl ue t o t hi s expl anat i on of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi .

Even i f t he vi ew of I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d i s accept ed i t woul d be deemed t o

r epr esent t he per sonal opi ni on of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi whi ch may ser ve as

a suppl ement ary ar gument i n support of an or i gi nal argument but t hi s

personal vi ew cannot be assi gned any regul ar i mport ance.

I t i s st r ange t hat t wo and a hal f cent ur i es af t er as- Sayyi d ar - Radi

namel y i n the sevent h cent ur y A. H. , I bn Abi ' l Hadi d makes t he st at ement

t hat t he ref er ence her e i s t o Cal i ph Ùmar and t hat as- Sayyi d ar - Radi

hi msel f had so i ndi cat ed, as a r esul t of whi ch some ot her annot at or sal so f ol l owed t he same l i ne, but t he cont empor ar i es of as- Sayyi d ar -

Radi who wr ot e about Nahj al-balaghah have gi ven no such i ndi cat i on i n

t hei r wr i t i ngs al t hough as cont empor ar i es t hey shoul d have had bet t er

i nf or mat i on about as- Sayyi d Ar - Radi ' s wr i t i ng. Thus, al - Àl l amah Àl i

i bn Nasi r who was a cont emporary of as- Sayyi d ar - Radi and wr ot e an

annot at i on of Nahj al-balaghah under t he name of A`lam Nahj al-balaghah

wr i t es i n connect i on wi t h t hi s sermon:

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has prai sed one of hi s own compani ons f or hi s good

conduct . He had di ed bef or e the t r oubl es t hat ar ose af t er t he deat h oft he Pr ophet of Al l ah.

Thi s i s suppor t ed by t he annot at i ons of Nahj al-balaghah wr i t t en by al -

Àl l amah Qut bu' d- Di n ar - Rawandi ( d. 573 A. H. ) . I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d ( vol .

14, p. 4) and I bn Maytham al - Bahr ani ( i n Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol .

4, p. 97) have quot ed hi s f ol l owi ng vi ew.





By t hi s Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r ef ers t o one of hi s own compani ons who di ed

bef or e t he mi schi ef and di sr upt i on t hat occur r ed f ol l owi ng t he deat h of

t he Pr ophet of Al l ah.

Al - `Al l amah al - Haj j al - Mi r za Habi bu' l l ah al - Khu' i i s of t he opi ni on

t hat t he per son i s Mal i k i bn al - Har i t h al - Asht ar on t he gr ound t hat

af t er t he assassi nat i on of Mal i k the si t uat i on of t he Musl i m communi t ywas such as Ami r al - mu' mi ni n expl ai ns i n t hi s ser mon.

al - Khu' i adds t hat :

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has prai sed Mal i k r epeat edl y such as i n hi s l et t er t o

t he peopl e of Egypt sent t hrough Mal i k when he was made the governor of

t hat pl ace, and l i ke hi s ut t er ances when t he news of Mal i k' s

assassi nat i on r eached hi m, he sai d: "Mal i k! who i s Mal i k? I f Mal i k was

a st one, he was har d and sol i d; i f he was a rock, he was a gr eat r ock

whi ch had no paral l el . Women have become bar r en t o gi ve bi r t h t o suchas Mal i k. " Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had even expr essed i n some of hi s

ut t er ances t hat , "Mal i k was t o me as I was t o t he Hol y Pr ophet . "

Ther ef or e, one who possesses such a posi t i on cer t ai nl y deser ves such

at t r i but es and even beyond t hat . ( Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 14, pp.

374- 375)

I f t hese words had been about Cal i ph `Umar and t her e was some

t r ust wor t hi ness about i t I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d woul d have r ecor ded t he

aut hor i t y or t r adi t i on and i t woul d have exi st ed i n hi st or y and been

known among the peopl e. But here nothi ng i s f ound to pr ove t hest atement except a f ew sel f - concoct ed event s. Thus about t he pr onouns

i n t he words "khayraha" and "sharraha" he t akes t hem t o r ef er t o t he

cal i phate and wr i t es t hat t hese words can appl y onl y t o one who enj oys

power and aut hor i t y because wi t hout aut hor i t y i t i s i mpossi bl e t o

est abl i sh t he sunnah or pr event i nnovat i on. Thi s i s t he gi st of t he

argument he has advanced on t hi s occasi on; al t hough t here i s no pr oof

t o est abl i sh t hat t he ant ecedent of t hi s pr onoun i s t he cal i phat e. I t

can r at her r ef er t o the wor l d ( when Ami r al - mu' mi ni n says, "He achi eved

good [ of t hi s wor l d] and r emai ned saf e f r om i t s evi l s. " ) and t hat woul d

be i n accor d wi t h t he cont ext . Agai n, t o r egar d aut hor i t y as acondi t i on f or t he saf eguar di ng of peopl e' s i nt er est and t he pr opagat i on

of t he sunnah means t o cl ose t he door t o pr ompt i ng others t o good and

di ssuadi ng t hem f r om evi l , al t hough Al l ah has assi gned t hi s dut y t o a

gr oup of t he peopl e wi t hout t he condi t i on of aut hor i t y:



And that there should be among you a group who call ( manki nd) unto

virtue and enjoin what is good and forbid wrong; and these are they who

shall be successful. ( Qur ' an, 3: 104)

Si mi l ar l y i t i s r el at ed f r om t he Pr ophet :

So l ong as peopl e go on pr ompt i ng f or good and di ssuadi ng f r om evi l andassi st i ng each ot her i n vi r t ue and pi et y t hey wi l l r emai n i n

r i ght eousness.

Agai n, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n, i n t he cour se of a wi l l , says i n gener al

t er ms:

Est abl i sh t he pi l l ar s of t he Uni t y of Al l ah and t he sunnah, and keep

both these l amps af l ame.

I n t hese sayi ngs t her e i s no hi nt t hat t hi s obl i gat i on cannot be

di schar ged wi t hout aut hor i t y. Fact s al so t el l us t hat ( despi t e ar my andf or ce, and power and aut hor i t y) t he rul er s and ki ngs coul d not pr event

evi l or pr opagate vi r t ue to the ext ent t o whi ch some unknown godl y

per sons wer e abl e t o i ncul cat e mor al val ues by i mpr i nt i ng t hei r

moral i t y on hear t and mi nds, al t hough t hey were not backed by any army

or f or ce and t hey di dn' t have any equi pment save dest i t ut i on. No doubt

aut hor i t y and cont r ol can bend heads down bef or e i t , but i t i s not

necessar y that i t shoul d al so pave t he way f or vi r t ue i n hear t s.

Hi st or y shows t hat most of t he r ul er s dest r oyed t he f eat ur es of I sl am.

I sl am' s exi st ence and pr ogr ess has been possi bl e by t he ef f or t s of

t hose hel pl ess per sons who possessed nothi ng save pover t y anddi scomf i t ur e.

I f i t i s i nsi st ed t hat t he r ef er ence her e shoul d onl y be t o a r ul er ,

t hen why shoul d i t not be t aken t o mean a compani on of Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

who had been the head of a Pr ovi nce such as Sal man al - Far i si f or whose

bur i al Ami r al - mu' mi ni n went t o al - Mada' i n; and i t i s not i mpl ausi bl e

t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n mi ght have ut t er ed t hese wor ds af t er hi s bur i al

by way of comment s on hi s l i f e and way of governance. However , t o

bel i eve t hat t hey ar e about Cal i ph Ùmar i s wi t hout any pr oof . I n t he

end, I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has quot ed t he f ol l owi ng st at ement s of ( t hehi st or i an) at - Tabar i i n pr oof of hi s hypot hesi s:

" I t i s r el at ed f r om al - Mughi r ah i bn Shu`bah t hat when Cal i ph Ùmar di ed

I bnah Abi Hat hmah sai d cr yi ng. ' Oh Ùmar , you wer e the man who

st r ai ght ened t he cur ve, r emoved i l l s, dest r oyed mi schi ef , r evi ved t he

sunnah, r emai ned chast e and depar t ed wi t hout ent angl i ng i n evi l s. '



( Accor di ng t o at - Tabar i ) al - Mughi r ah r el at ed t hat ' When Ùmar was

bur i ed I came t o Àl i and I want ed t o hear somet hi ng f r om hi m about

Ùmar . So, on my ar r i val Ami r al - mu' mi ni n came out i n t hi s st ate t hat

was wr apped i n one cl oth af t er bat hi ng and was j er ki ng t he hai r of hi s

head and bear d and he had no doubt t hat t he Cal i phat e woul d come t o

hi m. On thi s occasi on he sai d, "May Al l ah have mercy on Ùmar. " I bnahAbi Hathmah has corr ect l y sai d t hat he enj oyed t he good of t he

Cal i phat e and r emai ned saf e f r om i t s evi l s. By Al l ah, she di d not say

i t her sel f but was made t o say so. ' " ( at - Tabar i , vol . 1, p. 2763; I bn

Abi ' l - Hadi d, vol . 12, p. 5; I bn Kat hi r , vol . 7, p. 140)

The r el at er of t hi s event i s al - Mughi r ah i bn Shu`bah whose adul t er y

wi t h Umm J ami l , t he Cal i ph Ùmar ' s savi ng hi m f r om t he penal t y despi t e

t he evi dence, and hi s openl y abusi ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n i n Kuf ah under

Muàwi yah' s behest ar e admi t t ed f act s of hi st or y. On t hi s ground what

wei ght hi s st at ement s can car r y i s qui t e cl ear . Fromt he f act ual poi nt

of vi ew al so, t hi s st or y cannot be accept ed. Al - Mughi r ah' s st at ement

t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had no doubt about hi s Cal i phat e i s agai nst t he

f act s. What were the f actors f r omwhi ch he made thi s guess when t he

act ual f act s wer e t o t he cont r ar y. I f t he cal i phat e was cer t ai n f or any

one, i t was Ùt hman. Thus, at t he Consul t at i ve Commi t t ee Àbd ar - Rahman

i bn Àwf sai d t o Ami r al - mu' mi ni n: "O' Àl i ! do not cr eat e a si t uat i on

agai nst your sel f f or I have observed and consul t ed t he peopl e and t hey

al l want Ùt hman. " ( at - Tabar i , vol . 1, p. 2786; I bn al - At hi r , vol . 3,

p. 71; Abu' l - Fi da' , vol . 1, p. 166)

Consequent l y, Ami r al - mu' mi ni n was sur e not t o get t he cal i phate as has

al r eady been st at ed on t he aut hor i t y of at - Tabar i ' s Hi st or y, under t he

ser mon of t he Camel ' s Foam ( ash-Shiqshiqiyyah) , namel y t hat on seei ng

t he names of t he members of t he Consul t at i ve Commi t t ee, Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n had sai d t o al - Àbbas i bn Àbd al - Mut t al i b t hat t he cal i phat e

coul d not be gi ven t o anyone except Ùt hman si nce al l t he powers had

been gi ven t o Àbd ar - Rahman i bn Àwf and he was Ùt hman' s br ot her - i n-

l aw ( si st er ' s husband) and Sa`d i bn Abi Waqqas was a r el at i ve and

t r i besman of Àbd ar - Rahman. These t wo woul d j oi n i n gi vi ng t he

cal i phat e t o hi m.At t hi s st age, t he quest i on ar i ses as t o what t he r eason was t hat

act uated al - Mughi r ah t o pr ompt Ami r al - mu' mi ni n to say somethi ng about

Ùmar . I f he knew t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had good i deas about Ùmar , he

shoul d have al so known hi s i mpr essi on; but i f he t hought t hat Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n di d not ent er t ai n good i deas about hi m t hen t he pur pose of hi s

aski ng Ami r al - mu' mi ni n woul d be none other t han t hat whatever he may



say he woul d, by exposi ng i t , cr eat e an atmosphere agai nst hi m and make

t he members of t he Consul t at i ve Commi t t ee suspi ci ous of hi m. The vi ews

of t he members of t he Consul t at i ve Commi t t ee are wel l underst ood f r om

t he ver y f act t hat by put t i ng t he condi t i on of f ol l owi ng t he conduct of

t he f i r st t wo Cal i phs i n el ect i ng t he cal i ph t hey had shown t hei r

adherence t o t hem. I n t hese ci r cumst ances when al - Mughi r ah t r i ed t opl ay t hi s t r i ck Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d j ust by way of r el at i ng a f act

t hat Ùmar achi eved t he good ( of t hi s wor l d) and r emai ned saf e f r om i t s

evi l . Thi s sent ence has no connect i on wi t h pr ai se or eul ogy. Ùmar di d

i n hi s days enj oy al l ki nds of advant ages whi l e hi s per i od was f r ee

f r om t he mi schi ef s t hat cropped up l at er . Af t er r ecor di ng t hi s

st at ement I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d wr i t es:

From t hi s event t he bel i ef gai ns st r engt h t hat i n t hi s ut t er ance t he

al l usi on i s t owar ds Ùmar .

I f t he ut t erance means t he word ut t ered by I bnah Abi Hathmah aboutwhi ch Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has sai d t hat t hey ar e not her own hear t ' s voi ce

but she was made to ut t er t hem, t hen doubt l essl y t he ref er ence i s t o

Ùmar, but t he vi ew t hat t hese words were ut t ered by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n

i n pr ai se of Ùmar i s not at al l est abl i shed. Rat her , f r om t hi s

t r adi t i on i t i s evi dent l y shown t hat t hese wor ds wer e ut t er ed by I bnah

Abi Hathmah. Al l ah al one knows on what gr ound t he words of I bnah Abi

Hathmah are quoted and t hen i t i s dar i ngl y argued t hat t hese words were

ut t ered by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n about Ùmar. I t seems Ami r al - mu' mi ni n had

ut t ered t hese words about someone on some occasi on, t hen I bnah Abi

Hat hmah used si mi l ar words on Ùmar ' s deat h and t hen even Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n' s words were taken t o be i n pr ai se of Ùmar. Ot herwi se, no

mi nd except a mad one can argue t hat t he words ut t ered by I bnah Abi

Hat hmah shoul d be deemed a gr ound t o hol d that Ami r al - mu' mi ni n sai d

t hese wor ds i n pr ai se of Ùmar . Can i t be expect ed, af t er ( a gl ance at )

t he ser mon of t he Camel ' s Foam, t hat Ami r al - mu' mi ni n mi ght have

ut t er ed t hese wor ds. Agai n, i t i s wor t h consi der at i on t hat i f t hese

words had been ut t ered by Ami r al - mu' mi ni n on Ùmar ' s death, t hen at

t he Consul t at i ve Commi t t ee when he r ef used t o f ol l ow t he conduct of t he

( f i r st ) t wo Cal i phs i t shoul d have been sai d t o hi m t hat onl y the ot herday he has sai d that Ùmar had est abl i shed the sunnah and bani shed

i nnovat i ons, so t hat when hi s conduct was i n accor d wi t h t he sunnah

what was t he sense i n accept i ng t he sunnah but r ef usi ng t o f ol l ow hi s

conduct .

*****



Sermon 229

(About allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin for the Caliphate. A similar

sermon in somewhat different version has already appeared earlier.)

You drew out my hand t owar ds you f or al l egi ance but I hel d i t back andyou st r et ched i t but I cont r act ed i t . Then you cr owed over me as t he

t hi r st y camel s cr owd on t he wat er i ng ci st er ns on t hei r bei ng t aken

t her e, so much so that shoes wer e t or n, shoul der - cl ot hs f el l away and

t he weak got t r ampl ed, and t he happi ness of peopl e on t hei r al l egi ance

t o me was so mani f est ed t hat smal l chi l dr en f el t j oyf ul , t he ol d

st agger ed ( up t o me) f or i t , t he si ck t oo r eached f or i t hel t er skel t er

and young gi r l s r an f or i t wi t hout vei l s.

*****

Sermon 230

Advice about fear of Allah, and an account of those who remain

apprehensive of death and adopt abstemiousness

Cer t ai nl y, f ear of Al l ah i s t he key t o gui dance, pr ovi si on f or t he next

wor l d, f r eedom f r om ever y sl aver y and del i ver ance f r om al l r ui n. Wi t h

i t s hel p t he seeker succeeds and he who makes f or saf ety escapes and

achi eves hi s ai ms.

Per f or m ( good) act s whi l e such act s ar e bei ng r ai sed ( i n val ue) ,r epent ance can be of benef i t , pr ayer can be hear d, condi t i ons are

peacef ul and t he pens ( of t he t wo angel s) ar e i n mot i on ( t o r ecor d t he

act i ons) . Hast en t owar ds ( vi r t uous) act i ons bef or e t he change of age

( t o ol dness) , l i nger i ng i l l ness or snat chi ng deat h ( over t akes you) .

Cert ai nl y, deat h wi l l end your enj oyment s, mar your pl easures and

r emove your obj ect i ves. I t i s an unwant ed vi si t or , an i nvi nci bl e

adver sary and an unaccount i ng ki l l er . I t s r opes have ent r apped you, i t s

evi l s have sur r ounded you, i t s ar r owheads have ai med at you, i t s sway

over you i s gr eat , i t s oppr essi on on you i s cont i nuous and t he chance

of i t s mi ssi ng you i s r emot e.

Very soon you wi l l be over whel med wi t h t he gl oom of i t s shades, t he

sever i t y of i t s i l l ness, t he dar kness of i t s di st r esses, t he nonsense

ut t er ances of i t s pangs, t he gr i ef of i t s dest r uct i on, t he dar kness of

i t s encompassment and t he unwhol esomeness of i t s t ast e. I t wi l l seem as

i f i t has come t o you al l of a sudden, si l enced t hose who wer e



whi sper i ng t o you, separ at ed your gr oup, dest r oyed your doi ngs,

devast at ed your houses and al t er ed your successor s t o di st r i but e your

est at e among t he chi ef r el at i ves, who di d not gi ve you any benef i t , or

t he gr i eved near ones who coul d not pr ot ect ( you) , or t hose rej oi cer s

who di d not l ament ( you) .

Ther ef or e, i t i s upon you t o st r i ve, make ef f or t , equi p your sel f , getr eady and pr ovi de your sel f f r om t he pl ace of pr ovi si on. And l et not t he

l i f e of t hi s wor l d decei ve you as i t decei ved t hose bef or e you among

t he past peopl e and bygone per i ods - - t hose who ext r act ed i t s mi l k,

benef i t ed f r om i t s negl ect f ul ness, passed a l ong t i me and t ur ned i t s

new t hi ngs i nt o ol d ( by l i vi ng l ong) . Thei r abodes t ur ned i nt o gr aves

and t hei r weal t h i nt o i nher i t abl e est ate. They do not know who came t o

t hem( at t hei r gr aves) ; do not pay heed t o t hose who weep over t hem,

and do not r espond t o t hose who cal l t hem. Theref ore, beware of t hi s

wor l d as i t i s t r eacher ous, decei t f ul and cheat i ng, i t gi ves and t akes

back, cover s wi t h cl ot hes and uncover s. I t s pl easur e does not l ast , i t s

hardshi p does not end and i t s cal ami t y does not st op.

A part of the same sermon about ascetics

They ar e f r om among t he peopl e of t hi s wor l d but ar e not i t s peopl e,

because t hey remai n i n i t as t hough t hey do not bel ong t o i t . They act

herei n on what t hey obser ve and hast en here i n ( t o avoi d) what t hey

f ear . Thei r bodi es move among the peopl e of t he next wor l d. They see

t hat t he peopl e of t hi s wor l d at t ach i mpor t ance t o t he deat h of t hei r

bodi es but t hey t hemsel ves at t ach more i mport ance t o t he deat h of t hehear t s of t hose who ar e l i vi ng.

*****

Sermon 231

Amir al-mu'minin delivered this sermon at Dhiqar on his way to Basrah,

and the historian al-Waqidi has mentioned it (in Kitab al-Jamal). About

the Holy Prophet

The Pr ophet mani f est ed what ever he was commanded and conveyed t he

messages of hi s Lord. Consequent l y, Al l ah r epai r ed t hr ough hi m t he

cr acks, j oi ned t hr ough hi m t he sl i t s and cr eat ed ( t hr ough hi m)

af f ect i on among ki n al t hough t hey bor e i nt ense enmi t y i n ( t hei r ) chest s

and deep- seat ed r ancour i n ( t hei r ) hear t s.

*****



Sermon 232

`Abdullah ibn Zama`ah who was one of the followers of Amir al-mu'minin

came to him during his Caliphate to ask for some money when Amir al-

mu'minin said:

Thi s money i s not f or me nor f or you, but i t i s t he col l ect i ve proper t y

of t he Musl i ms and t he acqui si t i on of t hei r swor ds. I f you had t aken

par t wi t h t hem i n t hei r f i ght i ng you woul d have a shar e equal t o

t hei r s, ot her wi se t he ear ni ng of t hei r hands cannot be f or ot her t han

t hei r mout hs.

*****

Sermon 233

On Ja`dah ibn Hubayrah al-Makhzumi's [ 1] inability to deliver a sermon.

About speaking the truth

Know t hat t he t ongue i s a par t of a man' s body. I f t he man desi st s,

speech wi l l not co- oper at e wi t h hi m and when he di l at es, speech wi l l

not gi ve hi m t i me t o st op. Cer t ai nl y, we ar e t he mast er s of speaki ng.

I t s vei ns ar e f i xed i n us and i t s br anches ar e hangi ng over us.

Know t hat - may Al l ah have mercy on you - you ar e l i vi ng at a t i me when

t hose who speak about r i ght are f ew, when t ongues ar e l oat h t o ut t er

t he t r ut h and t hose who st i ck t o t he r i ght ar e humi l i at ed. The peopl eof t hi s t i me ar e engaged i n di sobedi ence. Thei r yout hs are wi cked,

t hei r ol d men ar e si nf ul , t hei r l ear ned men ar e hypocr i t es, and t hei r

speaker s are sycophant s. Thei r youngs do not r espect t hei r el der s, and

t hei r r i ch men do not suppor t t he dest i t ut e.


[ 1] . Once Ami r al - mu' mi ni n asked hi s nephew ( si st er ' s son) J a`dah i bn

Hubayr ah al - Makhzumi t o del i ver a sermon, but when he rose f or speaki ng

hi s t ongue f al t er ed and he coul d ut t er not hi ng, wher eupon Ami r al -mu' mi ni n ascended t he pul pi t t o speak and del i ver ed a l ong sermon out

of whi ch a f ew sent ences have been r ecor ded here by as- Sayyi d ar - Radi .

*****







Sermon 234

Causes for difference in the features and traits of people. Dhi`lib al-

Yamami has related from Ahmad ibn Qutaybah, and he from `Abdullah ibn

Yazid and he from Malik ibn Dihyah who said, "We were with Amir al-

mu'minin when discussion arose about the differences of men (infeatures and conduct) and then Amir al-mu'minin said":

They di f f er among t hemsel ves because of t he sour ces [ l ] of t hei r cl ay

( f r om whi ch t hey have been cr eat ed) . Thi s i s because they ar e ei t her

f r om sal t i sh soi l or sweet soi l or f r om r ugged ear t h or sof t ear t h.

They, r esembl e each ot her on t he basi s of t he af f i ni t y of t hei r soi l

and di f f er accor di ng t o i t s di f f er ence. Ther ef or e, somet i mes a per son

of handsome f eat ur es i s weak i n i nt el l i gence, a t al l st at ur ed per son i s

of l ow cour age, a vi r t uous per son i s ugl y i n appear ance, a shor t

st at ur ed per son i s f ar - si ght ed, a good- nat ur ed per son has an evi lt r ai t , a per son of per pl exed hear t has bewi l der i ng mi nd and a shar p-

t ongued person has a wakef ul hear t .


[ l ] . Ami r al - mu' mi ni n has ascr i bed t he di f f er ences i n f eat ur es and

char act er s of peopl e t o t he di f f er ences i n t he cl ay f r om whi ch t hey ar e

cr eat ed and accor di ng t o whi ch thei r f eat ur es ar e shaped and the

skel et ons of t hei r char act er s ar e f or med. Ther ef or e, t o t he extent t hat

t hei r cl ay of or i gi n i s aki n, t hei r ment al and i magi nat i ve t endenci es

t oo wi l l be si mi l ar and t o t he ext ent by whi ch t hey di f f er , t her e wi l l

be a di f f er ence i n t hei r i ncl i nat i ons and t endenci es. By or i gi ns of a

t hi ng ar e meant t hose t hi ngs on whi ch i t s comi ng i nt o exi st ence

depends, but t hey shoul d not be i t s cause. The word "tin" i s t he pl ur al

of "tinah" whi ch means or i gi n or basi s. Her e "tinah" means semen whi ch

af t er passi ng t hr ough var i ous st ages of devel opment emerges i n t he

human shape. I t s or i gi n means t hose const i t uent s f r om whi ch t hose i t ems

ar e cr eat ed whi ch hel p i n t he f or mat i on of semen. Thus, by sal t i sh,

sweet , sof t or har d soi l t he r ef er ence i s t o t hese el ement ar y

const i t uent s. Si nce t hose el ement ar y const i t uent s car r y di f f er entpr oper t i es t he semen gr owi ng out of t hem wi l l al so bear di f f er ent

char act er i st i cs and pr opensi t i es whi ch wi l l ( event ual l y) show f or t h i n

t he di f f er ences i n f eat ur es and conduct of t hose bor ne i n i t .

I bn Abi ' l - Hadi d has wr i t t en ( i n Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol . 13, p. 19)

t hat "or i gi ns of tinah" i mpl i es t hose pr eser vat i ve f act or s whi ch ar e

di f f er ent i n t hei r pr oper t i es as Pl at o and ot her phi l osopher s have



hel d. The r eason f or cal l i ng t hem "or i gi ns of tinah" i s t hat t hey ser ve

as an asyl um f or t he human body and pr event t he el ement s f r om

di f f usi on. J ust as t he exi st ence of a t hi ng hi nges on i t s basi s, i n t he

same way the exi st ence of t hi s body whi ch i s made up of el ement s

depends on pr eservat i ve f act or s. So l ong as t he pr eservat i ve f act or

exi st s t he body i s al so saf e f r om di sr upt i on and di si nt egr at i on and t heel ement s t oo ar e i mmune to di f f usi on and di sper sal . When i t l eaves t he

body t he el ement s al so get di sper sed.

Accordi ng to t hi s expl anat i on Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds woul d mean that

Al l ah has cr eat ed di f f er ent or i gi nal f act or s among whom some ar e

vi ci ous and some ar e vi r t uous, some ar e weak and some ar e st r ong, and

ever y per son wi l l act accor di ng t o hi s or i gi nal f actor . I f t her e i s

si mi l ar i t y i n t he i ncl i nat i ons of t wo per sons i t i s because t hei r

or i gi nal f act or ar e s i mi l ar , and i f t hei r t endenci es di f f er i t i s

because t hei r or i gi nal f act or s do not have any si mi l ar i t y. But t hi s

concl usi on i s not cor r ect because Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds do not onl y

r ef er t o di f f er ences i n conduct and behavi our but al so of f eat ur es and

shape and t he di f f er ences of f eat ur es and shape cannot be t he resul t of

di f f er ences i n or i gi nal f act or s.

I n any case, whet her t he or i gi nal f act or s are t he cause of di f f er ences

i n f eat ur es and conduct or t he el ement ar y const i t uent s are t he cause,

t hese wor ds appear t o l ead t o t he negat i on of vol i t i on and t o pr ove t he

compul si on ( of dest i ny) i n human act i ons, because i f man' s capaci t y f or

t hi nki ng and act i ng i s dependent on "tinah" t hen he woul d be compel l ed

t o behave hi msel f i n a f i xed way on account of whi ch he woul d nei t her

deser ve pr ai se f or good act s nor be hel d bl ame wor t hy f or bad habi t s.

But t hi s hypot hesi s i s i ncor r ect because i t i s wel l est abl i shed t hat

j ust as Al l ah knows everyt hi ng i n cr eat i on af t er i t s comi ng i nt o bei ng,

i n t he same way He knew i t bef ore i t s cr eat i on. Thus, He knew what

act i ons man woul d per f or m of hi s f r ee wi l l and what he woul d l eave.

Ther ef or e, Al l ah gave hi m capaci t y t o act accor di ng t o hi s f r ee wi l l ,

and creat ed hi m f r om a sui t abl e "tinah" . Thi s tinah i s not t he cause of

hi s act i ons so as t o snat ch away f r om hi m hi s f r ee wi l l but t he meani ng

of creat i ng f r om sui t abl e tinah i s t hat Al l ah does not by f or ce st andi n man' s way but al l ows hi m t o t r ead t he pat h he want s t o t r ead of hi s

own f r ee wi l l .

*****



Sermon 235

Spoken when Amir al-mu'minin was busy in the funeral ablution (ghusl)

of the Holy Prophet and shrouding him

May my f ather and my mother shed t hei r l i ves f or you. O' Messenger ofAl l ah! Wi t h your deat h t he pr ocess of pr ophet hood, r evel at i on and

heavenl y messages has st opped, whi ch had not st opped at t he deat h of

ot her s ( pr ophet s) . Your posi t i on wi t h us ( member s of your f ami l y) i s so

speci al t hat your gr i ef has become a sour ce of consol at i on ( t o us) as

agai nst t he gr i ef of al l ot her s; your gr i ef i s al so common so t hat al l

Musl i ms shar e i t equal l y. I f you had not order ed endur ance and

pr event ed us f r om bewai l i ng, we woul d have pr oduced a st or e of t ear s

and even t hen t he pai n woul d not have subsi ded, and t hi s gr i ef woul d

not have ended, and t hey woul d have been t oo l i t t l e of our gr i ef f or

you. But t hi s ( deat h) i s a mat t er t hat cannot be r ever sed nor i s i tpossi bl e t o repul se i t . May my f at her and my mot her di e f or you; do

r emember us wi t h Al l ah and take car e of us.

*****

Sermon 236

In [ 1] this sermon Amir al-mu'minin has related his own condition after

the Prophet's immigration till his meeting with him.

I began f ol l owi ng t he path adopt ed by t he Pr ophet and t r eadi ng on t he

l i nes of hi s r emembr ance t i l l I r eached al - `Ar j .

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: Ami r al - mu' mi ni n' s wor ds "faata'u dhikrahu"

const i t ut e t he hi ghest f or ms of br evi t y and el oquence. He means t o say

t hat he was bei ng gi ven news about t he Pr ophet f r om t he commencement of

hi s set t i ng out t i l l he r eached t hi s pl ace, and he has expr essed t hi s

sense i n t hi s wonder f ul expr essi on.


[ 1] . Si nce t he commencement of prophet hood, t he Pr ophet r emai ned i n

Mecca f or t hi r t een year s. For hi m, t hi s per i od was of t he sever est

oppr essi on and dest i t ut i on. The unbel i ever s of t he Qur aysh had cl osed

al l t he door s of l i vel i hood upon hi m, and had l ef t no def i ci ency i n

i nf l i ct i ng har dshi ps upon hi m, so much so t hat i n or der t o t ake hi s

l i f e t hey began cont r i vi ng how t o do away wi t h hi m. For t y of t hei r







nobl es assembl ed i n t he hal l of audi ence ( Dar an-Nadwah) f o r

consul t at i on, and deci ded t hat one i ndi vi dual shoul d be pi cked out f r om

ever y t r i be and t hey shoul d j oi nt l y at t ack hi m. I n t hi s way, Banu

Hashi m woul d not dar e to f ace al l t he t r i bes, and t he mat t er woul d

qui eten down on t he payment of bl ood pr i ce. To gi ve a pr act i cal shape

t o t hi s scheme, t hese peopl e sat i n ambush near t he house of t hePr ophet on t he ni ght of t he f i r st of Rabi` al-awwal, so t hat when t he

pr ophet sl ept i n hi s bed he woul d be at t acked. On t hi s si de t he

pr epar at i on f or ki l l i ng hi m was compl et e, and on t he ot her si de Al l ah

i nf or med hi m of al l t he i nt r i gues of t he Qur aysh unbel i ever s and

commanded hi m t o make Àl i ( p. b. u. h. ) sl eep on hi s bed and hi msel f t o

i mmi gr at e t o Medi na. The Pr ophet sent f or Àl i ( p. b. u. h. ) and

di scl osi ng t o hi m hi s pl an, sai d: "Al i , you l i e on my bed. " Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n enqui r ed: "O' Messenger of Al l ah, wi l l your l i f e be saved by

my sl eepi ng her e?" The Pr ophet sai d: "Yes. " Hear i ng t hi s Ami r al -

mu' mi ni n per f or med a pr ost r at i on i n thanks- gi vi ng and, exposi ng hi msel ff ul l y t o t he danger , l ay on t he Pr ophet ' s bed whi l e t he Pr ophet l ef t

f r om t he rear door . The Qur aysh unbel i ever s wer e peepi ng and get t i ng

r eady f or t he at t ack but Abu Lahab sai d: " I t i s not pr oper t o at t ack i n

t he ni ght because t here ar e women and chi l dr en al so i n t he house. When

morni ng dawns you at t ack hi m, but keep wat ch dur i ng ni ght t hat he

shoul d not move anywhere. " Consequent l y, t hey kept t hei r eyes on t he

bed t hr oughout t he ni ght and soon, on t he appear ance of t he dawn,

pr oceeded f or war d st eal t hi l y. Hear i ng t he sound of t hei r f oot st eps,

Ami r al - mu' mi ni n r emoved t he cover i ng f r om hi s f ace and st ood up. The

Qur aysh gazed at hi m wi t h st r etched eyes as t o whether i t was ani l l usi on or f act . Af t er maki ng sur e t hat i t was Àl i t hey enqui r ed,

"Where i s Muhammad?" and Àl i r epl i ed, "Di d you ent r ust hi m t o me, t hat

now you are aski ng me?" They had no repl y t o t hi s. Men r an t o chase hi m

but f ound f oot pr i nt s onl y up t o t he cave of Thawr . Beyond t hat t her e

were nei t her f oot pr i nt s nor any si gn of hi di ng i n t he cave. They came

back bewi l der ed whi l e t he Pr ophet af t er st ayi ng i n t he cave f or t hr ee

days l ef t f or Medi na. Ami r al - mu' mi ni n passed t hese thr ee days i n

Mecca, r et ur ned t o t he peopl e t hei r pr oper t i es l yi ng i n t r ust wi t h t he

Pr ophet and set of f t owar ds Medi na t o j oi n t he Pr ophet . Upt o al - Àr j

whi ch i s a pl ace bet ween Mecca and Medi na, he kept get t i ng news aboutt he Pr ophet and he cont i nued hi s anxi ous mar ch i n hi s sear ch t i l l he

met t he Pr ophet at Quba on t he twel f t h of Rabi` al-awwal, and ent ered

Medi na wi t h hi m. ( at - Tabar i , at-Tafsir , vol . 9, pp. 148- 151; at-Tarikh,

vol . 1, pp. 1232- 1234; I bn Sa`d, at-Tabaqat, vol . 1, Par t 1, pp. 153-

154; I bn Hi sham, as-Sirah, vol . 2, pp. 124- 128; I bn al - At hi r , Usd al-

ghabah, vol . 4, p. 25; al - Kami l , vol . 2, pp. 101- 104; I bn Kat hi r , at-



Tafsir, vol . 2, pp. 302- 303; at-Tarikh, vol . 3, pp. 180- 181; I bn Abi ' l -

Hadi d, vol . 13, pp. 303- 306; as- Suyut i , ad-Durr al-manthur, vol . 3, pp.

179- 180; al - Àl l amah al - Maj l i si , Bihar al-anwar, vol . 19, pp. 28- 103) .

*****

Sermon 237

About collecting provision for the next world while in this world and

performing good acts before death

Per f or m ( good) act s whi l e you ar e st i l l i n t he vast ness of l i f e, t he

books ar e open ( f or r ecor di ng of act i ons) , r epent ance i s al l owed, t he

r unner away ( f r om Al l ah) i s bei ng cal l ed and t he si nner i s bei ng gi ven

hope ( of f or gi veness) bef or e t he ( l i ght of ) act i on i s put of f , t i me

expi r es, l i f e ends, t he door f or r epent ance i s cl osed and angel s ascend

t o t he sky.

Ther ef or e a man shoul d der i ve benef i t f r om hi msel f f or hi msel f , f r om

t he l i vi ng f or t he dead, f r om t he mor t al , f or t he l ast i ng and f r om t he

depar t er f or t he st ayer . A man shoul d f ear Al l ah whi l e he i s gi ven age

t o l i ve upt o hi s deat h, and i s al l owed t i me to act . A man shoul d

cont r ol hi s sel f by t he r ei n and hol d i t wi t h i t s br i dl e, t hus by t he

r ei n he shoul d pr event i t f r om di sobedi ence t owar ds Al l ah, and by t he

br i dl e he shoul d l ead i t t owar ds obedi ence t o Al l ah.

*****

Sermon 238

About the two arbitrators (Abu Musa al-Ashàri and Àmr ibn al-Às) and

disparagement of the people of Syria (ash-Sham).

Rude, l ow peopl e and mean sl aves. They have been col l ected f r om al l

si des and pi cked up f r omevery pack. They need t o be t aught t he t enets

( of I sl am) , di sci pl i ned, i nst r ucted, t r ai ned, super vi sed and l ed by t he

hand. They ar e nei t her muhajirun ( i mmi gr ant s f r om Mecca) , nor ansar ( hel per s of Medi na) nor t hose who made thei r dwel l i ngs i n t he abode ( i n

Medi na) and i n bel i ef .

Look! They have chosen f or t hemsel ves one who i s nearest of al l of t hem

t o what t hey desi r e, whi l e you have chosen one who i s near est t o what

you di sl i ke. You may cer t ai nl y recal l t hat t he ot her day Àbdul l ah i bn

Qays ( Abu Musa) was sayi ng: " I t i s a mi schi ef , t her ef or e, cut away your



bow- st r i ng and sheat he your swor ds. " I f he was r i ght ( i n what he sai d)

t hen he was wr ong i n mar chi ng ( wi t h us) wi t hout bei ng f or ced, but i f he

was l yi ng t hen he shoul d be vi ewed wi t h suspi ci on. Ther ef or e, send

Àbdul l ah i bn al - Àbbas t o f ace Àmr i bn al - Às. Make use of t hese days

and surr ound t he bor ders of I sl am. Do you not see t hat your ci t i es are

bei ng at t acked and your pr owess i s bei ng ai med at?*****

Sermon 239

Amir al-mu'minin describes herein the members of the Prophet's family

They ar e l i f e f or knowl edge and deat h f or i gnor ance. Thei r f or bear ance

t el l s you of t hei r knowl edge, and t hei r si l ence of t he wi sdom of t hei r

speaki ng. They do not go agai nst r i ght nor do they di f f er ( among

t hemsel ves) about i t . They ar e t he pi l l ar s of I sl am and t he asyl ums of( i t s) pr ot ect i on. Wi t h t hem r i ght has r et ur ned t o i t s posi t i on and

wr ong has l ef t i t s pl ace and i t s t ongue i s sever ed f r om i t s r oot . They

have under st ood t he r el i gi on at t ent i vel y and car ef ul l y, not by mer e

her esay or f r om r el at er s, because t he rel at er s of knowl edge ar e many

but i t s under st ander s ar e f ew.

*****

Sermon 240

When Ùthman ibn Àffan was surrounded, Àbdullah ibn al-Àbbas brought

a letter to Amir al-mu'minin from Ùthman in which he expressed the

desire that Amir al-mu'minin should leave for his estate Yanbu` so that

the proposal that was being mooted out for him to become caliph should

subside. Ùthman had this request earlier also. Upon this Amir al-

mu'minin said to Ibn al-Àbbas:

O' I bn al - Àbbas! Ùt hman j ust want s t o t r eat me l i ke t he wat er - dr awi ng

camel so t hat I may go f orward and backwar d wi t h t he bucket . Once he

sent me word that I shoul d go out t hen sent me word that I shoul d comeback. Now, agai n he sends me word t hat I shoul d go out . By Al l ah, I

cont i nued pr ot ect i ng hi m t i l l I f ear ed l est I become a si nner .

******



Sermon 241

Exhorting his men to jihad and asking them to refrain from seeking ease

Al l ah seeks you t o t hank Hi m and assi gns t o you Hi s af f ai r s. He has

al l owed t i me i n t he l i mi t ed f i el d ( of l i f e) so t hat you may vi e wi t heach ot her i n seeki ng t he r ewar d ( of Par adi se) . Ther ef or e, t i ght up

your gi r dl es and wr ap up t he ski r t s. Hi gh cour age and di nner s do not go

t oget her . Sl eep causes weakness i n t he bi g af f ai r s of t he day and ( i t s)

darkness obl i t er at es t he memor i es of cour age.

*****

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