إِنَّ الْوَفَاءَ تَوْأَمُ الصِّدْقِ،
O people! Surely loyalty (fulfilment of pledge) and truthfulness are twins.
وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ جُنَّةً أوْقَى مِنْهُ،
I do not know a better shield (against the assaults of sin) than it.
وَمَا يَغْدِرُ مَنْ عَلِمَ كَيْفَ الْمَرْجِعُ،
One who realises the reality of return (to the next world) never betrays.
وَلَقَدْ أَصْبَحْنا في زَمَان اتَّخَذَ أَكْثَرُ أَهْلِهِ الْغَدْرَ كَيْساً،
We are in a period when most of the people regard betrayal as wisdom.
وَنَسَبَهُمْ أَهْلُ الْجَهْلِ فِيهِ إِلى حُسْنِ الْحِيلَةِ،
In these days the ignorants call it excellence of cunning.
مَا لَهُمْ! قَاتَلَهُمُ اللهُ!
What is the matter with them? Allah may destroy them.
قَدْ يَرَى الْحُوَّلُ الْقُلَّبُ وَجْهَ الْحِيلَةِ وَدُونَهَا مَانِعٌ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللهِ وَنَهْيِهِ،
One who has been through thick and thin of life finds the excuses to be preventing him from orders and prohibitions of Allah
فَيَدَعُهَا رَأْيَ عَيْن بَعْدَ الْقُدْرَةِ عَلَيْهَا،
but he disregards them despite capability (to succumb to them and follows the commands of Allah),
وَيَنْتَهِزُ فُرْصَتَهَا مَنْ لاَ حَرِيجَةَ لَهُ فِي الدِّينِ.
while one who has no restraints of religion seizes the opportunity (and accepts the excuses for not following the commands of Allah).
Alternative Sources for Sermon 41: Ibn Talhah, Matalib, I, 170; al-Jahiz, Rasa'il, 125.
