Sermon 240: Exhorting his men to jihad and asking them to refrain from seeking ease

Allah seeks you to thank Him and assigns to you His affairs.

وَاللهُ مُسْتأْدِيكُمْ شُكْرَهُ،

Allah seeks you to thank Him

وَمُوَرِّثُكُمْ أَمْرَهُ،

and assigns to you His affairs.

وَمُمْهِلُكُمْ فِي مِضْمار مَحْدُود،

He has allowed time in the limited field (of life)

لِتَتَنَازَعُوا سَبَقَهُ،

so that you may vie with each other in seeking the reward (of Paradise).

فَشدُّوا عُقَدَ الْمَـآزِرِ،

Therefore, tight up your girdles

وَاطْوُوا فُضُولَ الْخَوَاصِر،

and wrap up the skirts.

وَلاَ تَجْتَمِعُ عَزِيمَةٌ وَوَلِيمَةٌ،

High courage and dinners do not go together.

وَمَا أَنْقَضَ النَّوْمَ لِعَزَائِمِ الْيَوْمِ،

Sleep causes weakness in the big affairs of the day

أَمحَى الظُّلَمَ لِتَذَاكِيرِ الْهِمَمِ!

and (its) darkness obliterates the memories of courage.

 

Alternative Sources for Sermon 240:  Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 308.