الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي لَمْ تَسْبِقْ لَهُ حَالٌ حالاً،
Praise be to Allah for Whom one condition does not proceed another
فَيَكُونَ أَوَّلاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ آخِراً،
so that He may be the First before being the Last
وَيَكُونَ ظَاهِراً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَكُونَ بَاطِناً.
or He may be Manifest before being Hidden.
كُلُّ مُسَمّىً بِالْوَحْدَةِ غَيْرَهُ قَلِيلٌ،
Everyone called one (alone) save Him is by virtue of being small (in number);
وَكُلُّ عَزِيز غَيْرَهُ ذَلِيلٌ،
and everyone enjoying honour other than Him is humble.
وَكُلُّ قَوِي غَيْرَهُ ضَعِيفٌ،
Every powerful person other than Him is weak.
وَكُلُّ مَالِك غَيْرَهُ مَمْلُوكٌ،
Every master (owner) other than Him is slave (owned).
وَكُلُّ عَالِم غَيْرَهُ مُتَعَلِّمٌ،
Every knower other than Him is seeker of knowledge.
وَكُلُّ قَادِر غَيْرَهُ يَقْدِرُ وَيَعْجَزُ،
Every controller other than Him is sometimes imbued with control and sometimes with disability.
وَكُلُّ سَمِيع غَيْرَهُ يَصَمُّ عَنْ لَطِيفِ الاْصْوَاتِ،
Every listener other than Him is deaf to light voices while loud voices
ويُصِمُّهُ كَبِيرُهَا، وَيَذْهَبُ عَنْهُ مَا بَعُدَ مِنْهَا،
make him deaf and distant voices also get away from him.
وَكُلُّ بَصِير غَيْرَهُ يَعْمَى عَنْ خَفِيِّ الاْلْوَانِ وَلَطِيفِ الاْجْسَامِ،
Every onlooker other than Him is blind to hidden colours and delicate bodies.
وَكُلُّ ظَاهِر غَيْرَهُ غَيْرُ بَاطِن،
Every manifest thing other than Him is hidden,
وَكُلُّ بَاطِن غَيْرَهُ غَيْرُ ظَاهِر.
but every hidden thing other than Him is incapable of becoming manifest.
لَمْ يَخْلُقْ مَا خَلَقَهُ لِتَشْدِيدِ سُلْطَانٍ،
He did not create what He created to fortify His authority
وَلاَ تَخْوُّفٍ مِنْ عَوَاقِبِ زَمَانٍ،
nor for fear of the consequences of time,
وَلاَ اسْتِعَانَةٍ عَلَى نِدٍّاً مُثَاوِرٍ وَلاَ شَرِيكٍ مُكَاثِرٍ وَلاَ ضِدٍّ مُنَافِرٍ
nor to seek help against the attack of an equal or a boastful partner or a hateful opponent.
وَلكِنْ خَلاَئِقُ مَرْبُوبُونَ وَعِبَادٌ دَاخِرُونَ
On the other hand all the creatures are reared by him and are His humbled slaves.
لَمْ يَحْلُلْ فِي الاْشْيَاءِ فَيُقَالَ: هُوَ فيها كَائِنٌ،
He is not conditioned in anything so that it be said that He exists therein,
وَلَمْ يَنْأَ عَنْهَا فَيُقَالَ: هُوَ مِنْهَا بَائِنٌ
nor is He separated from anything so as to be said that He is away from it.
لَمْ يَؤُدْهُ خَلْقُ مَا ابْتَدَأَ، وَلاَ تَدْبِيرُ مَا ذَرَأَ
The creation of what He initiated or the administration of what He controls did not fatigue Him.
وَلاَ وَقَفَ بِهِ عَجْرٌ عَمَّا خَلَقَ،
No disability overtook Him against what He created.
وَلاَ وَلَجَتْ عَلَيْهِ شُبْهُةٌ فِيَما قَضَى وَقَدَّرَ،
No misgiving ever occurred to Him in what He ordained and resolved.
بَلْ قَضَاءٌ مُتْقَنٌ،
But His verdict is certain,
وَعِلْمٌ مُحْكَمٌ،
His knowledge is definite,
وَأَمْرٌ مُبْرَمٌ
His governance is overwhelming.
المَأْمُولُ مَعَ النِّقَمِ،
He is wished for at time of distress
المرَهُوبُ مَعَ النِّعَمِ
and He is feared even in bounty.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 65: Al-Saduq, al-Tawhid, 29, 62; al-Wasiti, ‘Uyun; al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 238.
