أمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ الاْمْرَ يَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّماءِ إِلَى الاْرْضِ كَقَطر المَطَرِ إِلَى كُلِّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا قُسِمَ لَهَا مِنْ زِيَادَةٍ أَوْ نُقْصَانٍ،
Now then, verily Divine orders descend from heaven to earth like drops of rain, bringing to everyone what is destined for him whether plenty or paucity.
فإذا رَأَى أَحَدُكُمْ لاِخِيهِ غَفِيرَةً في أَهْلٍ أَوْ مَالٍ أَوْ نَفْسٍ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ لَهُ فِتْنَةً،
So if any one of you observes for his brother plenty of progeny or of wealth or of self, it should not be a worry for him.
فَإِنَّ المَرْءَ المُسْلِمَ مَا لَمْ يَغْشَ دَنَاءَةً تَظْهَرُ فَيَخْشَعُ لَهَا إِذَا ذُكِرَتْ، وَيُغْرَى بهَا لِئَامُ النَّاسِ،
So long as a Muslim does not commit such an act that if it is disclosed he has to bend his eyes (in shame) and by which low people are emboldened,
كانَ كَالفَالِجِ اليَاسِرِشة الَّذِي يَنْتَظِرُ أَوَّلَ فَوْزَةٍ مِنْ قِدَاحِهِ تُوجِبُ لَهُ المَغْنَمَ، وَيُرْفَعُ عَنْهُ بها المَغْرَمُ.
he is like the gambler who expects that the first draw of his arrow would secure him gain and also cover up the previous loss.
كَذْلِكَ المَرْءُ المُسْلِمُ البَرِيءُ مِنَ الخِيَانَةِ يَنْتَظِرُ مِنَ اللهِ إِحْدَى الحُسْنَيَيْنِ:
Similarly, the Muslim who is free from dishonesty expects one of the two good things:
إِمَّا دَاعِيَ اللهِ فَمَا عِنْدَ اللهِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ،
either call from Allah and in that case whatever is with Allah is the best for him,
وَإِمَّا رِزْقَ اللهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ ذُوأَهْلٍ وَمَالٍ،
or the livelihood of Allah. He has already children and property
وَمَعَهُ دِينُهُ وَحَسَبُهُ.
while his faith and respect are with him.
إِنَّ المَالَ وَالبَنِينَ حَرْثُ الدُّنْيَا،
Certainly, wealth and children are the plantations of this world
والعَمَلَ الصَّالِحَ حَرْثُ الاْخِرَةِ،
while virtuous deed is the plantation of the next world.
وَقَدْ يَجْمَعُهُمَا اللهُ لاِقْوَامٍ،
Sometimes Allah joins all these in some groups.
فَاحْذَرُوا مِنَ اللهِ مَا حَذَّرَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ،
Beware of Allah against what He has cautioned you
وَاخْشَوْهُ خَشْيَةً لَيْسَتُ بَتَعْذِيرٍ
and keep afraid of Him to the extent that no excuse be needed for it.
وَاعْمَلُوا في غَيْرِ رِيَاءٍ وَلاَ سُمْعَةٍ؛
Act without show or intention of being heard,
فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ لِغَيْرِ اللهِ يَكِلْهُ اللهُ إِلَى مَنْ عَمِلَ لَهُ.
for if a man acts for other than Allah, then Allah entrusts him to that one.
نَسْأَلُ اللهَ مَنَازِلَ الشُّهَدَاءِ،
We ask Allah (to grant us) the positions of the martyrs,
وَمُعَايَشَةَ السُّعَدَاءِ،
company of the virtuous
وَمُرَافَقَةَ الاْنْبِيَاءِ.
and friendship of the prophets.
أَيُّهَا النّاسُ،
O people!
إِنَّهُ لاَ يَسْتَغْنِي الرَّجُلُ ـ وَإِنْ كَانَ ذَا مَالٍ ـ عَنْ عَشِيرَتِهِ،
Surely no one (even though he may be rich) can do without his kinsmen,
وَدِفَاعِهِمْ عَنْهُ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَلسِنَتِهمْ،
and their support by hands or tongues.
وَهُمْ أَعْظَمُ النَّاسِ حَيْطَةً مِنْ وَرَائِهِ وَأَلَمُّهُمْ لِشَعَثِهِ،
They alone are his support from rear and can ward off from him his troubles,
وَأَعْطَفُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ عِنْدَ نَازِلَةٍ إنْ نَزَلَتْ بِهِ.
and they are the most kind to him when tribulations befall him.
وَلِسَانُ الصِّدْقِ يَجْعَلُهُ اللهُ لِلْمَرْءِ في النَّاسِ خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنَ المَالِ يُورِثُهُ غيرَهُ.
The good memory of a man that Allah retains among people is better than the property which others inherit from him.
أَلاَ لاَيَعْدِلَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ عَنِ القَرَابِةِ يَرَى بِهَا الخَصَاصَةَ أنْ يَسُدَّهَا بِالَّذِي لايَزِيدُهُ إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُ وَلاَ يَنْقُصُهُ إِنْ أَهْلَكَهُ،
In the same Sermon: Behold! If any one of you finds your near ones in want or starvation, he should not desist from helping them with that which will not increase if this help is not extended, nor decrease by thus spending it.
وَمَنْ يَقْبِضْ يَدَهُ عَنْ عَشِيرَتِهِ،
Whoever holds up his hand from (helping) his kinsmen,
فَإِنَّمَا تُقْبَضُ مِنْهُ عَنْهُمْ يَدٌ وَاحِدَةٌ،
he holds only one hand,
وَتُقْبَضُ مِنْهُمْ عَنْهُ أَيْد كَثِيرَةٌ;
but at the time of his need many hands remain held up from helping him.
وَمَنْ تَلِنْ حَاشِيَتُهُ يَسْتَدِمْ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ المَوَدَّةَ.
One who is sweet tempered can retain the love of his people for good.
قال السيد الشريف: اقول:
As-Sayyid ar-Radi says:
الغفيرة ها هنا الزيادة و الكثرة ،
In this sermon "al-ghafirah" means plenty or abundance,
من قولهم للجمع الكثير:
and this is derived from the Arab saying,
الجم الغفير، و الجماء الغفير.
"al-jamm al-ghafir" or "al-jamma' al-ghafir" meaning thick crowd.
و يروي "عِفوة من اهل أو مال" و العِفوة: الخيار من الشيء،
In some versions for "al-ghafirah" "‘afwatan" appears. "‘afwah" means the good and selected part of anything.
يقال: اكلت عِفوة الطعام، اي خياره.
It is said "akaltu ‘afwata 't-ta’am", to mean "I ate select meal."
وما أحسن المعنى الذي أراده (عليه السلام) بقوله: «ومن يقبض يده عن عشيرته...» إلى تمام الكلام،
About "wa man yaqbid yadahu ‘an ‘ashiratihi" appearing towards the end he points out how beautiful the meaning of this sentence is,
فإن الممسك خيره عن عشيرته إنما يمسك نفع يد واحدة;
Amir al-mu'minin implies that he who does not help his own kinsmen withholds only his hand
فإذا احتاج إلى نصرتهم، واضطر إلى مرافدتهم قعدوا عن نصره،
but when he is in need of their assistance and would be looking for their sympathy
وتثاقلوا عن صوته، فمنع ترافد الايدي الكثيرة، وتناهض الاقدام الجمة.
and support then he would remain deprived of the sympathies and succour of so many of their extending hands and marching feet.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 23: Al-Kulayni, al-Kafi, II, 56, 294, V, 56; Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, al-’Iqd, II, 366; Nasr ibn Muzahim, Siffin, 10; al-Ya’qubi Ta'rikh, II, 149; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, bab al-kasb wa al-mal; al-Muttaqi, Kanz, VIII, 225; Ibn ‘Asakir, Ta'rikh, in the biographical account of ‘A1i (A); Ibn Salam, Gharib al-hadith, II, 183; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, III, 468; Ibn Qutaybah, ‘Uyun, I, 189; al-Thaqafi, al-Gharat, I, 80.
