Sermon 194

In description of hypocrites

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

يصف فيها المنافقين

We praise Allah for the succour He has given us in carrying out His obedience and in preventing us from disobedience, and we ask Him to complete His favours (to us) and to make us hold on to His rope. We stand witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. He entered every hardship in search of Allah's pleasure and endured for its sake every grief. His near relations changed themselves for him and those who were remote from him (in relationship) united against him.

The Arabs let loose the reins (of their horses to quicken their march) against him, and struck the bellies of their carriers to (rouse them) in fighting against him, so much so that enemies came to his threshold from the remotest places and most distant areas.

نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا وَفَّقَ لَهُ مِنَ الطَّاعَةِ، وَذَادَ عَنْهُ مِنَ الْمَعْصِيةِ، وَنَسْأَلُهُ لِمِنَّتِهِ تَمَاماً، وَبِحَبْلِهِ اعْتِصَاماً. وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، خَاضَ إِلَى رِضْوَانِ اللهِ كُلَّ غَمْرَة، وَتَجَرَّعَ فِيهِ كُلَّ غُصَّة، وَقَدْ تَلَوَّنَ لَه الاَدْنَوْنَ، وَتَأَلَّبَ عَلَيْهِ الاْقْصَوْنَ، وَخَلَعَتْ إِلَيْهِ الْعَرَبُ أَعِنَّتَهَا، وَضَرَبَتْ إِلَى مُحَارَبَتِهِ بُطُونَ رَوَاحِلِهَا، حَتَّى أَنْزَلَتْ بِسَاحَتِهِ عَدَاوَتَهَا، مِنْ أبْعَدِ الدَّارِ، وَأَسْحَقِ الْمَزَارِ.

I advise you, O creatures of Allah, to fear Allah and I warn you of the hypocrites, because they are themselves misguided and misguide others, and they have slipped and make others slip too. They change into many colours, and adopt various ways. They support you with all sorts of supports, and lay in waiting for you at every lookout.

Their hearts are diseased while their faces are clean. They walk stealthily and tread like the approach of sickness (over the body). Their words speak of cure, but their acts are like incurable diseases. They are jealous of ease, intensify distress, and destroy hopes. Their victims are found lying down on every path, while they have means to approach every heart and they have (false) tears for every grief.

أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَأُحَذِّرُكُمْ أَهْلَ النِّفَاقِ، فَإِنَّهُمُ: الضَّالُّونَ الْمُضِلُّونَ، وَالزَّالُّونَ الْمُزِلُّونَ. يَتَلَوَّنُونَ أَلْوَاناً، وَيَفْتَنُّونَ افْتِنَاناً، َيَعْمِدُونَكُمْ بِكُلِّ عِمَاد، وَيَرْصُدُونَكُمْ بِكُلِّ مِرْصَاد. قُلوبُهُمْ دَوِيَّةٌ، وَصِفَاحُهُمْ نَقِيَّةٌ. يَمْشُونَ الْخَفَاءَ، وَيَدِبُّونَ الضَّرَاءَ. وَصْفُهُمْ دَوَاءٌ، وَقَوْلُهُمْ شِفَاءٌ، وَفِعْلُهُمُ الدَّاءُ الْعَيَاءُ. حَسَدَةُ الرَّخَاءِ، وَمُؤَكِّدُوا الْبَلاَءِ، وَمُقْنِطُوا الرَّجَاءِ. لَهُمْ بِكُلِّ طَرِيق صَرِيعٌ، وَإلى كُلِّ قَلْب شَفِيعٌ، وَلِكُلِّ شَجْو دُمُوعٌ.

They eulogise each other and expect reward from each other. When they ask something they insist on it, if they reprove (any one) they disgrace (him), and if they pass verdict they commit excess. They have adopted for every truth a wrong way, for every erect thing a bender, for every living being a killer, for every (closed) door a key and for every night a lamp. They covet, but with despair, in order to maintain with it their markets, and to popularise their handsome merchandise. When they speak they create doubts. When they describe they exaggerate. First they offer easy paths but (afterwards) they make them narrow. In short, they are the party of Satan and the stings of fire.

..they are Satan's Party; Beware! Verily, the party of Satan are the losers. (Qur'an, 58:19)

يَتَقَارَضُونَ الثَّنَاءَ، وَيَتَرَاقَبُونَ الْجَزَاء. إِنْ سَأَلُوا ألْحَفُوا، وَإِنْ عَذَلُوا كَشَفُوا، وَإِنْ حَكَمُوا أَسْرَفُوا. قَدْ أَعَدُّوا لِكُلِّ حَقٍّ بَاطِلاً، وَلِكُلِّ قَائِم مَائِلاً، وَلِكُلِّ حَيّ قَاتِلاً، وَلِكُلِّ بَاب مِفْتَاحاً، وَلِكُلِّ لَيْل مِصْبَاحاً. يَتَوَصَّلُونَ إِلَى الطَّمَعِ بِالْيَأْسِ لِيُقيمُوا بِهِ أَسْوَاقَهُمْ، وَيُنَفِّعُوا بِهِ أَعْلاَقَهُمْ. يَقُولُونَ فَيُشَبِّهُونَ، وَيَصِفُونَ فَيُمَوِّهُونَ. قَدْ هيّأُوا الطَّرِيقَ، وَأَضْلَعُوا الْمَضِيقَ.

فَهُمْ لُمَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ، وَحُمَةُ النِّيرَانِ (أُولئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ أَلاَ إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ)

Alternative Sources for Sermon 194

(1) Al-Yamani, al-Taraz, II, 308;

(2) al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 54, 269.