فإِنَّ الغَايَةَ أَمَامَكُمْ،
Your ultimate goal (reward or punishment) is before you.
وَإِنَّ وَرَاءَكُمُ السَّاعَةَ تَحْدُوكُمْ
Behind your back is the hour (of resurrection) which is driving you on.
تَخَفَّفُواتَلْحَقوا،
Keep (yourself) light and overtake (the forward ones).
فَإنَّمَا يُنْتَظَرُ بِأوَّلِكُمْ آخِرُكُمْ .
Your last ones are being awaited by the first ones (who have preceded).
وأقول:
as-Sayyid ar-Radi says:
إنّ هذا الكلام لو وزن بعد كلام الله سبحانه وكلام رسوله صلى الله عليه وآله بكل كلام لمال به راجحاً،
If this utterance of Ali (p.b.u.h.) is weighed with any other utterance except the word of Allah or of the Holy Prophet,
وبرّز عليه سابقاً.
it would prove heavier and superior in every respect.
فأما قوله عليه السلام :
For example, Ali’s saying
«تخففوا تلحقوا»،
“Keep light and overtake”
فما سمع كلام أقل منه مسموعاً ولا أكثر منه محصولاً،
is the shortest expression ever heard with the greatest sense conveyed by it.
وما أبعد غورها من كلمة!
How wide is its meaning
وأنقع نطفتها من حكمة!
and how clear its spring of wisdom!
وقد نبهنا في كتاب «الخصائص» على عظم قدرها وشرف جوهرها.
We have pointed out the greatness and meaningfulness of this phrase in our book al-Khasa’is.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 21: al-Sharif al-Radi, Khasa'is, 87; al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, * V, 157.
