أَلاَ وإنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدْ جَمَعَ حِزْبَهُ
Beware! Satan1 has collected his group
وَاسْتَجْلَبَ خَيْلَهُ وَرَجِلَهُ،
and assembled his horse-men and foot-soldiers.
وإِنَّ مَعِي لَبَصِيرَتي.
Surely, with me is my sagacity.
مَا لَبَّسْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي،
I have neither deceived myself
وَلاَ لُبِّسَ عَلَيَّ.
nor ever been deceived.
وَايْمُ اللهِ لاَفْرِطَنَّ لَهُمْ حَوْضاً أَنَا مَاتِحُهُ !
By Allah I shall fill to the brim for them a cistern from which I alone would draw water.
لاَ يَصْدِرُونَ عَنْهُ، وَلاَ يَعُودُونَ إِلَيْهِ.
They can neither turn away from it nor return to it.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 10: Al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 118; see also under Sermon:22 and Sermon:134 below.
1. When Talhah and az-Zubayr broke away by violating the Oath of allegiance and set for Basrah in the company of `A'ishah, Amir al-mu'minin spoke in these words which are part of the long speech. Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has written that in this sermon Satan denotes the real Satan as well as Mu`awiyah because Mu`awiyah was secretly conspiring with Talhah and az-Zubayr and instigating them to fight against Amir al-mu'minin but the reference to the real Satan is more appropriate, obvious and in accord with the situation and circumstances.
