وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ
I stand witness that there is no god except Allah,
وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ:
He is One and there is no partner with Him.
الاْوَّلُ لاَ شَيْءَ قَبْلَهُ،
He is the First, such that nothing was before Him.
وَالاخِرُ لاَ غَايَةَ لَهُ،
He is the Last, such that there is not limit for Him.
لاَ تَقَعُ الاْوْهَامُ لَهُ عَلى صِفَة،
Imagination cannot catch any of His qualities.
وَلاَ تُعْقَدُ الْقُلُوبُ مِنْهُ عَلَى كَيْفِيَّة،
Hearts cannot entertain belief about His nature.
وَلاَ تَنَالُهُ التَّجْزِئَةُ وَالتَّبْعِيضُ،
Analysis and division cannot be applied to Him.
وَلاَ تُحِيطُ بِهِ الاْبْصَارُ وَالْقُلُوبُ.
Eyes and hearts cannot encompass Him.
منها:
A part of the same sermon
فَاتَّعِظُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ بِالعِبَرِ النَّوَافِعِ،
O creatures of Allah! Take lesson from useful items of instruction
وَاعْتَبِرُوا بِالاْي السَّوَاطِعِ،
and shining indications.
وَازْدَجِرُوا بِالنُّذُرِ الْبَوَالِغِ،
Be cautioned by effective items of warning.
وَانْتَفِعُوا بِالذِّكْرِ وَالْمَوَاعِظِ،
Get benefit from preaching and admonition.
فَكَأَنْ قَدْ عَلِقَتْكُمْ مَخَالِبُ الْمَنِيَّةِ،
It is as though the claws of death are pressed in you,
وَانْقَطَعَتْ مِنْكُمْ عَلاَئِقُ الاْمْنِيَّةِ،
the connection of hope and desires has been cut asunder,
وَدَهِمَتْكُمْ مُفْظِعَاتُ الاْمُورِ،
hard affairs have befallen you
وَالسِّيَاقَةُ إِلى الْوِرْدِ المَوْرُودِ،
and your march is towards the place where everyone has to go, namely death.
(وَكُلُّ نَفْس مَعَهَا سَائِقٌ وَشَهِيدٌ):
Hence, "with every person there is a driver and a witness" (Qur'an, 50:21).
سَائِقٌ يَسُوقُهَا إِلَى مَحْشَرِهَا;
The driver drives him towards resurrection
وَشاهِدٌ يَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهَا بِعَمَلِهَا.
while the witness furnishes evidence about his deeds.
منها: في صفة الجنّة
A part of the same sermon about Paradise
دَرَجَاتٌ مُتَفَاضِلاَتٌ،
In Paradise there are various degrees of excellence
وَمَنَازِلُ مُتَفَاوِتَاتٌ،
and different places of stay.
لاَ يَنْقَطِعُ نَعِيمُهَا،
Its blessings never end.
وَلاَ يَظْعَنُ مُقِيمُهَا،
He who stays in it will never depart from it.
وَلاَ يَهْرَمُ خَالِدُهَا،
He who is endowed with everlasting abode in it will not get old,
وَلاَ يَبْأَسُ سَاكِنُهَا.
and its resident will not face want.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 85: Abu Nu’aym, Hilyah, I, 77; al-Wasiti, ‘Uyun al-hikam; Sibt, Tadhkirah, 131; Ibn Talhah, Matalib, I, 140.
