وَاتَّقُوا اللهَ عِبَادَ اللهِ،
O creatures of Allah! Fear Allah
وَبَادِرُوا آجَالَكُمْ بِأَعْمَالِكُمْ
and anticipate your death by good actions.
وَابْتَاعُوامَا يَبْقَى لَكُمْ بِمَا يَزُولُ عَنْكُمْ،
Purchase everlasting joy by paying transitory things - pleasures of this world.
وَتَرَحَّلُوافَقَدْ جُدَّ بِكُمْ
Get ready for the journey, for you are being driven,
وَاسْتَعِدُّوا لِلْمَوْتِ فَقَدْ أَظَلَّكُمْ
and prepare yourselves for death, since it is hovering over you.
وَكُونُوا قَوْماً صِيحَ بِهمْ فَانْتَبَهُوا،
Be a people who wake up when called,
وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا لَيْسَتْ لَهُمْ بِدَارٍ فَاسْتَبْدَلُوا
and who know that this world is not their abode, and so have it changed (with the next).
فَإِنَّ اللهَ لَمْ يَخْلُقْكُمْ عَبَثاً،
Certainly, Allah has not created you aimlessly nor left you as useless.
وَلَمْ يَتْرُكْكُمْ سُدىً وَمَا بَيْنَ أَحَدِكُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْجَنَّةِ أَوِ النَّارِ إِلاَّ الْمَوْتُ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِهِ.
There is nothing between anyone of you and Paradise or Hell except death that must befall him.
وَإِنَّ غَايَةً تَنْقُصُهَا اللَّحْظَةُ،
The life that is being shortened every moment
وَتَهْدِمُهَا السَّاعَةُ، لَجَدِيرَةٌ بِقِصَرِالْمُدَّةِ،
and being dismantled every hour must be regarded very short.
وَإِنَّ غَائِباً يَحْدُوهُ الْجَدِيدَانِ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهَارُ،
The hidden thing namely death which is being driven (to you) by two over new phenomena, the day and the night,
لَحَرِيٌّ بِسُرْعَةِ الاْوْبَةِ
is certainly quick of approach.
وَإِنَّ قَادِماً يَقْدُمُ بِالفَوْزِ أَوالشِّقْوَةِ لَمُسْتَحِقٌّ لاِفْضَلِ الْعُدَّةِ،
The traveller which is approaching with success or failure (namely death) deserves the best of provision.
فَتَزَوَّدُوا فِي الدُّنيَا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَا تَحْرُزُونَ بِهِ نُفُوسَكُمْ غَداً.
So acquire such provision from this world while you are here with which you may shield yourself tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement).
فَاتَّقَىْ عَبْدٌ رَبِّهُ،
So everyone should fear Allah,
نَصَحَ نَفْسَهُ،
should admonish himself,
قَدَّمَ تَوْبَتَهُ،
should send forward his repentance
غَلَبَ شَهْوَتَهُ،
and should overpower his desire,
فَإِنَّ أَجَلَهُ مَسْتُورٌ عَنْهُ،
because his death is hidden from him,
وَأَمَلَهُ خَادِعٌ لَهُ،
his desires deceive him
والشَّيْطَانُ مُوَكَّلٌ بِه،
and Satan is posted on him
يُزَيِّنُ لَهُ الْمَعْصِيَةَ لِيَرْكَبَهَا،
and he beautifies for him sin so that he may commit it
وَيُمَنِّيهِ التَّوْبَةَ لِيُسَوِّفَهَا حتّى تَهْجُم مَنِيَّتُهُ عَلَيْهِ أَغْفَلَ مَا يَكُونُ عَنْهَا.
and prompts him to delay repentance till his desires make him the most negligent.
فَيَالَهَا حَسْرَةً عَلَى كُلِّ ذِي غَفْلَةٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ عُمُرُهُ عَلَيْهِ حُجَّةً،
Pity is for the negligent person whose life itself would be a proof against him
وَأَنْ تُؤَدِّيَهُ أَيَّامُهُ إِلَى الشِّقْوَةِ!
and his own days (passed in sin) would lead him to punishment.
نَسْأَلُ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ
We ask Allah, the Glorified, that He may make us and you
مِمِّنْ لاَ تُبْطِرُهُ نَعْمَةٌ وَلاَ تُقَصِّرُ بِهِ عَنْ طَاعَةِ رَبِّهِ غَايَةٌ،
like one whom bounty does not mislead, whom nothing can stop from obedience of Allah
وَلاَ تَحُلُّ بِهِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ نَدَامَةٌ وَلاَ كَآبَةٌ.
and whom shame and grief do not befall after death.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 64: Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 105, 154, 155, 246; Sibt, Tadhkirah, 145. Nasr, Siffin, 7.
