Sermon 4: Through us you got guidance in the darkness...

Amir al-mu’minin’s far-sightedness and his staunch conviction in Belief

بِنَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ في الظَّلْمَاءِ،

Through us you got guidance in the darkness

وَتَسَنَّمْتُمُ العلْيَاءَ،

and secured high position,

وبِنَا انْفَجَرْتُم عَنِ السِّرَارِ،

and through us you got out of the gloomy night.

وُقِرَ سَمْعٌ لَمْ يَفْقَهِ الوَاعِيَةَ،

The ears which do not listen to the cries may become deaf.

كَيْفَ يُرَاعِي النَّبْأَةَ مَنْ أَصَمَّتْهُ الصَّيْحَةُ؟

How can one who remained deaf to the loud cries (of the Qur’an and the Prophet) listen to (my) feeble voice?

رُبِطَ جَنَانٌ لَمْ يُفَارِقْهُ الخَفَقَانُ.

The heart that has ever palpitated (with fear of Allah) may get peace.

مَا زِلتُ أَنْتَظِرُ بِكُمْ عَوَاقِبَ الغَدْرِ،

I always apprehended from you consequences of treachery

وَأَتَوَسَّمُكُمْ بِحِلْيَةِ الـمُغْتَرِّينَ ،

and I had seen you through in the garb of the deceitful.

سَتَرَني عَنْكُمْ جِلْبَابُ الدِّينِ،

The curtain of religion had kept me hidden from you

وَبَصَّرَنِيكُمْ صِدْقُ النِّيَّةِ،

but the truth of my intentions disclosed you to me.

أَقَمْتُ لَكُمْ عَلَى سَنَنِ الحَقِّ في جَوَادِّ الـمَضَلَّةِ،

I stood for you on the path of truth among misleading tracks

حيْثُ تَلْتَقُونَ وَلا دَلِيلَ،

where you met each other but there was no leader

وَتَحْتَفِرُونَ وَلا تُميِهُونَ.

and you dug but got no water.

اليَوْمَ أُنْطِقُ لَكُمُ العَجْمَاءَ ذاتَ البَيَان!

Today I am making these dumb things speak to you (i.e. my suggestive ideas and deep musings etc.) which are full of descriptive power.

عَزَبَ رَأْيُ امْرِىء تَخَلَّفَ عَنِّي،

The opinion of the person who abandons me may get astray.

مَا شَكَكْتُ في الحَقِّ مُذْ أُرِيتُهُ!

I have never doubted in the truth since it has been shown to me.

لَمْ يُوجِسْ مُوسَى خِيفَةً عَلَى نَفْسِهِ،

Musa (Moses)1 did not entertain fear for his own self.

أَشْفَقَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الجُهَّالِ وَدُوَلِ الضَّلالِ!

Rather he apprehended mastery of the ignorant and away of deviation.

اليَوْمَ تَوَاقَفْنَا عَلَى سَبِيلِ الحَقِّ وَالباطِلِ،

Today we stand on the cross-roads of truth and untruth.

مَنْ وَثِقَ بِمَاء لَمْ يَظْمَأْ!

The one who is sure of getting water feels no thirst.