الْحَمْدُ للهِ الاْوَّلِ قَبْلَ كُلِّ أَوِّل، وَالاْخِرِ بَعْدَ كُلِّ آخِر،
Praise to Allah, Who is the First before every first and the Last after every last.
بِأَوَّلِيَّتِهِ وَجَبَ أَنْ لاَ أَوَّلَ لَهُ، وَبِآخِرِيَّتِهِ وَجَبَ أَنْ لاَ آخِرَ لَهُ،
His Firstness necessitates that there is no (other) first before Him and His Lastness necessitates that there is no other last after Him.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ شَهَادَةً يُوَافِقُ فِيهَا السِّرُّ الاْعْلاَنَ، وَالْقَلْبُ اللِّسَانَ.
I do stand witness that there is no god but Allah both openly as well as secretly, with heart as well as with tongue.
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، لاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شِقَاقِي،
O people, do not commit the crime of opposing me,
وَلاَ يَسْتَهْوِيَنَّكُمْ عِصْيَاني،
do not be seduced into disobeying me
وَلاَ تَتَرَامَوْا بِالاْبْصَارِ عِنْدَ مَا تَسْمَعُونَهُ مِنِّي.
and do not wink at each other with eyes when you hear me.
فَوَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ، وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ،
By Allah, Who germinates the seed and blows the wind,
إِنَّ الَّذِي أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ (صلى الله عليه وآله)،
whatever I convey to you is from the Prophet.
مَا كَذَبَ الْمُبَلِّغُ، وَلاَ جَهِلَ السَّامِعُ،
Neither the conveyor (of Allah's message, i.e. the Prophet) lied nor the hearer misunderstood.
لَكَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى ضِلِّيل قَدْ نَعَقَ بِالشَّامِ ،
Well, it is as though I see a misguided man 1 who is shouting in Syria (ash-Sham)
وَفَحَصَ بِرَايَاتِهَ فِي ضَوَاحِي كُوفَانَ.
and has put his banners in the outskirts of Kufah.
فإِذَا فَغَرَتْ فَاغِرَتُهُ،
When his mouth would be fully opened,
وَاشْتَدَّتْ شَكِيمَتُهُ،
his recalcitrance would become intense
وَثَقُلَتْ فِي الاْرْضِ وَطْأَتُهُ،
and his steps on earth would become heavy (and tyrannical)
عَضَّتِ الْفِتْنَةُ أَبْنَاءَهَا بِأَنْيَابِهَا،
then the disorder (so created) would cut the people with its teeth
وَمَاجَتِ الْحَرْبُ بِأَمْوَاجِهَا،
and war would rage with (all) its waves,
وَبَدَا مِنَ الاْيَّامِ كُلُوحُهَا،
days would become severe
وَمِنَ اللَّيَالِي كُدُوحُهَا
and night full of toil.
فَإِذَا يَنَعَ زَرْعُهُ،
So when the crops grows
وَقَامَ عَلَى يَنْعِهِ،
and stands on stalks,
وَهَدَرَتْ شَقَاشِقُهُ،
its foam shoots forth
وَبَرَقَتْ بَوَارِقُهُ،
and its lightning shines,
عُقِدَتْ رَايَاتُ الْفِتَنِ الْمُعْضِلَةِ،
the banners of misguiding rebellion would fire up
وَأَقْبَلْنَ َالْلَيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ،
and shoot forth like darkening night
وَالْبَحْرِ الْمُلْتَطِمِ.
and surging sea.
هذا، وَكَمْ يَخْرِقُ الْكُوفَةَ مِنْ قَاصِف،
This and how many other storms would rend Kufah
وَيَمُرُّ عَليْهَا مِنْ عَاصِف !
and gales would sweep over it,
وَعَنْ قَلِيل تَلْتَفُّ الْقُرُونُ بِالْقُرُونِ،
and shortly heads would clash with heads,
وَيُحْصَدُ الْقَائِمُ،
the standing crop would be harvested
وَيُحْطَمُ الْـمَحْصُودُ.
and the harvest would be smashed.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 101: Al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, VI, 48; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, (b.j.r); al-Saduq, al-'Amali; al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 329; al-Karajiki, Ma’dan, 226; al-Bayhaqi, al-Mahasin, 41; al-Jahiz, al-Hayawan, II, 90.
1. Some people have taken this to refer to Mu`awiyah and others to `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan.
