Sermon 105

In eulogy of the Holy Prophet

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

في بعض صفات الرسول الكريم وتهديد بني أمية وعظة الناس

Then Allah sent Muhammad (S) as a witness, giver of good tidings and warner, the best in the universe as a child and the most chaste as a grown up man, the purest of the purified in conduct, the most generous of those who are approached for generosity.

حَتَّى بَعَثَ اللهُ مُحَمَّداً(صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)، شَهِيداً، وَبَشِيراً، وَنَذِيراً، خَيْرَ الْبَرِيَّةِ طِفْلاً، وَأَنْجَبَهَا كَهْلاً، أَطْهَرَ الْمُطَهَّرِينَ شِيمَةً، وَأَجْوَدَ الْمُسْتَمْطَرِينَ دِيمَةً

About the Ummayads

بنو أمية

This world did not appear sweet to you in its pleasures and you did not secure milk from its udders except after having met it when its nose-rein was trailing and its leather girth was loose. For certain people its unlawful items were like bent branches (laden with fruit) while its lawful items were far away, not available.

By Allah, you would find it like a long shade upto a fixed time. So the earth is with you without let or hindrance and your hands in it are extended while the hands of the leaders are held away from you. Your swords are hanging over them while their swords are held away from you.

فَمَا احْلَوْلَتْ الدُّنْيَا لَكُمْ فِي لَذَّتِهَا، وَلاَ تَمَكَّنْتُمْ مِنْ رَضَاعِ أَخْلاَفِهَا إِلاَّ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا صَادَفْتُمُوهَا جَائِلاً خِطَامُهَا قَلِقاً وَضِينُهَا ، قَدْ صَارَ حَرَامُهَا عِنْدَ أَقْوَامٍ بِمَنْزِلَةِ السِّدْر الْـمَخْضُودِ وَحَلاَلُهَا بَعِيداً غَيْرَ مَوْجُودٍ، وَصَادَفْتُمُوهَا، وَاللهِ، ظِلاًّ مَمْدُوداً إِلَى أَجَلٍ مَعْدُودٍ، فَالاْرْضُ لَكُمْ شَاغِرَةٌ وَأَيْدِيكُمْ فِيهَا مَبْسُوطَةٌ، وَأَيْدِي الْقَادَةِ عَنْكُمْ مَكْفُوفَةٌ، وَسُيُوفُكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ مَسَلَّطَةٌ، وَسُيُوفُهُمْ عَنْكُمْ مَقْبُوضَةٌ.

Beware that for every blood (that is shed) there is an avenger and for every right there is a claimant. The avenger for our blood is like the judge for his own claim, and it is Allah who is such that if one seeks Him, then He does not disappoint him, and one who runs away from Him cannot escape Him. I swear by Allah, O Banu Umayyah, shortly you will see it (i.e. your possession) in the hands of others and in the house of your enemy. Know that the best looking eye is that whose sight catches virtue and know that the best hearing ear is that which hears good advice and accepts it.

أَلاَ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ دَم ثَائِراً، وَلَكُلِّ حَقٍّ طَالِباً، وَإِنَّ الثَّائِرَ فِي دِمَائِنَا كَالْحَاكِمِ في حَقِّ نَفْسِهِ، وَهُوَ اللهُ الَّذِي لاَ يُعْجِزُهُ مَنْ طَلَبَ، وَلاَ يَفُوتُهُ مَنْ هَرَبَ. فَأُقْسِمُ بِاللهِ، يَا بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، عَمَّا قَلِيل لَتَعْرِفُنَّهَا فِي أَيْدِي غَيْرِكُمْ وَفِي دَارِ عَدُوِّكُمْ! أَلاَ إِنَّ أبْصَرَ الاْبْصَارِ مَا نَفَذَ فِي الْخَيْرِ طَرْفُهُ! أَلاَ إِنَّ أَسْمَعَ الاْسْمَاعِ مَا وَعَى التَّذْكِيرَ وَقَبِلَهُ!

Exhortation (About the functions of the Imams)

وعظ الناس

O people! Secure light from the flame of lamps of the preacher who follows what he preaches and draw water from the spring which has been cleaned of dirt.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، اسْتَصْبِحُوا مِنْ شُعْلَةِ مِصْبَاح وَاعِظ مُتَّعِظ، وَامْتَاحُوا مِنْ صَفْوِ عَيْن قَدْ رُوِّقَتْ مِنَ الْكَدَرِ.

O creatures of Allah, do not rely on your ignorance, do not be obedient to your desires, because he who stays at this place is like one who stays on the brink of a bank undermined by water carrying ruin on his back from one portion to the other following his opinion which he changes (one after the other). He wants to make adhere what cannot adhere and to bring together what cannot keep together. So fear Allah and do not place your complaints before him who cannot redress your grievance, nor undo with his opinion what has been made obligatory for you.

عِبَادَ اللهِ، لاَ تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى جَهَالَتِكُمْ، وَلاَ تَنْقَادُوا لاِهْوَائِكُمْ، فَإِنَّ النَّازِلَ بِهذَا الْمَنْزِلِ نَازِلٌ بِشَفَا جُرُف هَار، يَنْقُلُ الرَّدَى عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ مِنْ مَوْضِع إِلَى مَوْضَع، لِرَأْي يُحْدِثُهُ بَعْدَ رَأْي، يُرِيدُ أَنْ يُلْصِقَ مَا لاَ يَلْتَصِقُ، وَيُقَرِّبَ مَا لاَ يَتَقَارَبُ! فَاللهَ اللهَ أَنْ تَشْكُوا إِلَى مَنْ لاَ يُشْكِي شَجْوَكُمْ، وَلاَ يَنْقُضُ بِرَأْيِهِ مَا قَدْ أَبْرَمَ لَكُمْ.

Certainly, there is no obligation on the Imam except what has been devolved on him from Allah, namely to convey warnings, to exert in good advice, to revive the sunnah, to enforce penalties on those liable to them and to issue shares to the deserving. So hasten towards knowledge before its vegetation dries up and before you turn yourselves away from seeking knowledge from those who have it. Desist others from the unlawful and abstain from it yourself, because you have been commanded to abstain (yourself) before abstaining (others).

إِنَّهُ لَيسَ عَلَى الاْمَامِ إِلاَّ مَا حُمِّلَ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ: الاْبْلاَغُ فَي الْمَوْعِظَةِ، وَالاجْتِهَادُ فِي النَّصِيحَةِ، وَالاْحْيَاءُ لِلسُّنَّةِ، وَإِقَامَةُ الْحُدُودِ عَلَى مُسْتَحِقِّيهَا، وَإِصْدَارُ السُّهْمَانِ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا. فَبَادِرُوا الْعِلْمَ مِنْ قَبْلِ تَصْوِيحِ نَبْتِهِ، وَمِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُشْغَلُوا بَأَنْفُسِكُمْ عَنْ مُسْتَثَارِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ عِنْدِ أَهْلِهِ، وَانْهَوْا عَنْ المُنْكَرِ وَتَنَاهَوْا عَنْهُ، فَإِنَّمَا أُمِرْتُمْ بالنَّهْي بَعْدَ التَّنَاهِي!

Alternative Sources for Sermon 105

(1) Al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 160;

(2) 'Ali ibn Ibrahim al-Qummi, Tafsir, I, 384.