Sermon 144

About Deputation of Prophets

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

مبعث الرسل

Allah deputed prophets and distinguished them with His revelation. He made them as pleas for Him among His creation, so that there should not remain any excuse for people. He invited people to the right path through a truthful tongue. You should know that Allah fully knows creation. Not that He was not aware of what they concealed from among their hidden secrets and inner feelings, but in order to try them as to "..which of them performs the best deeds" (18:7), so that there is reward in respect of good acts and chastisement in respect of evil acts.

بَعَثَ اللهُ رُسُلَهُ بِمَا خَصَّهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ وَحْيِهِ، وَجَعَلَهُمْ حُجَّةً لَهُ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ، لِئَلاَّ تَجِبَ الْحُجَّةُ لَهُمْ بِتَرْكِ الاْعْذَارِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَدَعَاهُمْ بِلِسَانِ الصِّدْقِ إِلَى سَبِيلِ الْحَقِّ. أَلاَ إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ كَشَفَ الْخَلْقَ كَشْفَةً، لاَ أَنَّهُ جَهِلَ مَا أَخْفَوْهُ مِنْ مَصُونَ أَسْرَارِهِمْ وَمَكْنُونِ ضَماَئِرِهمْ، وَلكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَهُمْ (أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلا)، فَيَكُونَ الثَّوَابُ جَزَاءً، وَالْعِقَابُ بَوَاءً

The excellence of Ahlul Bayt (the Household of the Holy Prophet)

فضل أهل البيت (عليهم السلام)

Where are those who falsely and unjustly claimed that they are deeply versed in knowledge, as against us, although Allah raised us in position and kept them down, bestowed upon us knowledge but deprived them, and entered us (in the fortress of knowledge) but kept them out. With us guidance is to be sought and blindness (of misguidance) is to be changed into brightness. Surely the Imams (divine leaders) will be from the Quraysh. They have been planted in this line through Hashim. It would not suit others nor would others be suitable as heads of affairs.

أَيْنَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمُ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ دُونَنَا، كَذِباً وَبَغْياً عَلَيْنَا، أَنْ رَفَعَنَا اللهُ وَوَضَعَهُمْ، وَأَعْطَانَا وَحَرَمَهُمْ، وَأَدْخَلَنَا وَأَخْرَجَهُمْ. بِنَا يُسْتَعْطَى الْهُدَى، وَبِنَا يُسْتَجْلَى الْعَمَى. إِنَّ الاْئِمَّةَ مِنْ قُرَيش غُرِسُوا فِي هذَا الْبَطْنِ مِنْ هَاشِم، لاَ تَصْلُحُ عَلَى سِوَاهُمْ، وَلاَ تَصْلُحُ الْوُلاَةُ مِنْ غَيْرِهمْ.

A part of the same sermon concerning the misguided ones

منها: في أهل الضلال

They have adopted this world and abandoned the next world; left clean water and drunk stinking water. I can almost see their wicked one

who committed unlawful acts, associated himself with them, befriended them and accorded with them till his hair grew grey and his nature acquired their tinge. He proceeded onward emitting foam like a torrential stream not caring whom he drowned, or, like fire in straw, without realising what he burnt.

آثَرُوا عَاجِلاً، وَأَخَّرُوا آجِلاً، وَتَرَكُوا صَافِياً، وَشَرِبُوا آجِناً، كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى فَاسِقِهِمْ وَقَدْ صَحِبَ الْمُنكَرَ فَأَلِفَهُ، وَبَسِىءَ بِهِ وَوَافَقَهُ، حَتَّى شَابَتْ عَلَيْهِ مَفَارِقُهُ، وَصُبِغَتْ بِهِ خَلاَئِقُهُ، ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ مُزْبِداً كَالتَّيَّارِ لاَ يُبَالِي مَا غَرَّقَ، أَوْ كَوَقْعِ النَّارِ في الْهَشيمِ لاَ يَحْفِلُ مَا حَرَّقَ!

Where are the minds which seek light from the lamps of guidance, and the eyes which look at minarets of piety? Where are the hearts dedicated to Allah, and devoted to the obedience of Allah? They are all crowding towards worldly vanities and quarrelling over unlawful issues. The ensigns of Paradise and Hell have been raised for them but they have turned their faces away from Paradise and proceeded to Hell by dint of their performances. Allah called them but they showed dislike and ran away. When Satan called them they responded and proceeded (towards him).

أَيْنَ الْعُقُولُ الْمُسْتَصْبِحَةُ بِمَصَابِيحِ الْهُدَى، وَالاْبْصَارُ اللاَّمِحَةُ إِلَى مَنَارِ التَّقْوَى؟! أَيْنَ الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي وُهِبَتْ للهِ، وَعُوقِدَتْ عَلَى طَاعَةِ اللهِ؟! ازْدَحَمُوا عَلَى الْحُطَامِ، وَتَشَاحُّوا عَلَى الْحَرَامِ، وَرُفِعَ لَهُمْ عَلَمُ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ، فَصَرَفُوا عَنِ الْجَنَّةِ وُجُوهَهُمْ، وَأَقْبَلُوا إِلَى النَّارِ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ، دَعَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ فَنَفَرُوا وَوَلَّوْا، وَدَعَاهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَاسْتَجَابُوا وَأَقْبَلُوا!

Alternative Sources for Sermon 144

(1) Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, see 'Abd al-Zahra', II, 322.

• Here the reference is to `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who committed extreme atrocities through his officer al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi.]