الْحَمْدُ للهِ الْمَعْرُوفِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رُؤْيَة،
Praise be to Allah who is well-known without being seen,
الْخَالِقِ مِنْ غَيْرِ رَوِيَّة،
Who creates without pondering over,
الَّذِي لَمْ يَزَلْ قَائِماً دَائِماً;
Who has ever been existent
إِذْ لاَ سَمَاءٌ ذَاتُ أَبْرَاج،
when there was no sky with domes,
وَلاَ حُجُبٌ ذَاتُ إِرْتَاج،
nor curtains with lofty doors,
وَلاَ لَيْلٌ دَاج،
nor gloomy night,
وَلاَ بَحْرٌ سَاج،
nor peaceful ocean,
وَلاَ جَبَلٌ ذُوفِجَاج،
nor mountains with broad pathways,
وَلاَ فَجٌّ ذُواعْوِجَاج،
nor curved mountain roads,
وَلاَ أَرْضٌ ذَاتُ مِهَاد،
nor earth of spread floors,
وَلاَ خَلْقٌ ذُوااعْتِماد:
nor self-reliant creatures.
ذلِكَ مُبْتَدِعُ الْخَلْقِ وَوَارِثُهُ،
He is the Originator of creation and their Master.
وَإِلهُ الْخَلْقِ وَرَازِقُهُ،
He is the God of the creation and its feeder.
وَالشَّمْسُ وَالْقَمَرُ دَائِبَانِ فِي مَرْضَاتِهِ:
The sun and the moon are steadily moving in pursuit of His will.
يُبْلِيَانِ كُلَّ جَدِيد،
They make every fresh thing old
وَيُقَرِّبَانِ كُلَّ بَعِيد.
and every distant thing near.
قَسَمَ أَرْزَاقَهُمْ،
He distributed their sustenance
وَأَحْصَى آثَارَهُمْ وَأَعْمَالَهُمْ،
and has counted their deeds and acts,
وَعَدَدَ أنْفاسَهُمْ،
the number of their breaths,
وَخَائِنَةَ أعْيُنِهِمْ
their concealed looks,
وَمَا تُخْفِي صُدُورُهُمْ مِنَ الضَّمِيرِ،
and whatever is hidden in their bosoms.
وَمُسْتَقَرَّهُمْ
He knows their places of stay
وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهُمْ مِنَ الاْرْحَامِ وَالظُّهُورِ،
and places of last resort in the loins and wombs
إِلَى أَنْ تَتَنَاهَى بِهِمُ الْغَايَاتُ.
till they reach their end.
هُوَ الَّذِي اشْتَدَّتْ نِقْمَتُهُ عَلَى أَعْدَائِهِ فِي سَعَةِ رَحْمَتِهِ،
His punishment on enemies is harsh despite the extent of His Mercy,
وَاتَّسَعَتْ رَحْمَتُهُ لاِوْلِيَائِهِ فِي شِدَّةِ نِقْمَتِهِ،
and His compassion on His friends is vast despite His harsh punishment.
قَاهِرُ مَنْ عَازَّهُ،
He overpowers one who wants to overcome Him,
وَمُدَمِّرُ مَنْ شَاقَّهُ،
and destroys one who clashes with Him.
وَمُذِلُّ مَنْ نَاوَاهُ،
He disgraces one who opposes Him
وَغَالِبُ مَنْ عَادَاهُ.
and gains sway over one who bears Him hostility.
مَنْ تَوَكَّلَ عَلَيْهِ كَفَاهُ،
He is sufficient for one who relies on Him.
وَمَنْ سَأَلَهُ أَعْطَاهُ،
He gives one who asks Him.
وَمَنْ أَقْرَضَهُ قَضَاهُ،
He repays one who lends to Him.
وَمَنْ شَكَرَهُ جَزَاهُ.
He rewards one who thanks Him.
عِبَادَ اللهِ،
O creatures of Allah,
زِنُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُوزَنُوا،
weigh yourselves before you are weighed
وَحَاسِبُوهَا مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُحَاسَبُوا،
and assess yourselves before you are assessed.
وَتَنَفَّسُوا قَبْلَ ضِيقِ الْخِنَاقِ،
Breathe before suffocation of the throat.
وَانْقَادُوا قَبْلَ عُنْفِ السِّيَاقِ،
Be submissive before you are harshly driven.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يُعَنْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لَهُ مِنْهَا وَاعِظٌ وَزَاجِرٌ،
Know that if one does not help himself in acting as his own adviser and warner
لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِهَا زَاجِرٌ وَلاَ وَاعِظٌ.
then no one else can (effectively) be his adviser or warner.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 90: Al-Wasiti, ‘Uyun al-hikam; al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 185; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, II, 345.
