أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ،
O people!
انْظُرُوا إِلى الدُّنْيَا نَظَرَ الزَّاهِدِينَ فِيهَا،
Look at the world like those who abstain from it,
الصَّادِفِينَ عَنْهَا؛
and turn away from it.
فَإِنَّهَا وَاللهِ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ تُزِيلُ الثَّاوِيَ السَّاكِنَ،
By Allah, it would shortly turn out its inhabitants
وَتَفْجَعُ الْمُتْرَفَ الاْمِنَ،
and cause grief to the happy and the safe.
لاَ يَرْجِعُ مَا تَوَلَّى مَنْهَا فَأَدْبَرَ،
That which turns and goes away from it never returns
وَلاَ يُدْرَى مَا هُوَ آتٍ مِنْهَا فَيُنْتَظَرَ.
and that which is likely to come about is not known or anticipated.
سُرُورُهَا مَشُوبٌ بِالْحُزْنِ،
Its joy is mingled with grief.
وَجَلَدُالرِّجَالِ فَيهَا إِلَى الضَّعْفِ وَالْوَهْنِ
Herein men's firmness inclines towards weakness and languidness.
فَلا يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ كَثْرَةُ مَا يُعْجِبُكُمْ فِيهَا لِقِلَّةِ مَا يَصْحَبُكُمْ مِنْهَا
The majority of what pleases you here should not mislead you because that which would help you would be little.
رَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأً تَفَكَّرَ فَاعْتَبَرَ،
Allah may shower His mercy on him who ponders and takes lesson thereby,
واعْتَبَرَ فَأَبْصَرَ،
and when he takes lesson he achieves enlightenment.
فَكَأَنَّ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنَ الدٌّنْيَا عَنْ قَلِيل لَمْ يَكُنْ،
Whatever is present in this world would shortly not exist,
وَكَأَنَّ مَا هُوَ كَائِنٌ مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ عَمَّا قَلَيل لَمْ يَزَلْ،
while whatever is to exist in the next world is already in existence.
وَكُلُّ مَعْدُود مُنْقَض،
Every countable thing would pass away.
وَكُلُّ مُتَوَقَّع آت،
Every anticipation should be taken to be coming up
وَكُلُّ آت قَرِيبٌ دَان.
and every thing that is to come up should be taken as just near.
منها: في صفة العالم
A part of the same sermon on the attributes of a learned person
الْعَالِمُ مَنْ عَرَفَ قَدْرَهُ،
Learned is he who knows his worth.
وَكَفَى بِالْمَرءِ جَهْلاً أَلاَّ يَعْرِفَ قَدْرَهُ;
It is enough for a man to remain ignorant if he knows not his worth.
وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَبْغَضَ الرِّجَالِ إِلَى اللهِ لَعَبْدٌ وَكَّلَهُ اللهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ،
Certainly, the most hated man with Allah is he whom Allah has left for his own self.
جَائِرٌ عَنْ قَصْدِ السَّبِيلِ،
He goes astray from the right path,
سَائِرٌ بَغَيْرِ دَلِيل،
and moves without a guide.
إِنْ دُعِيَ إِلَى حَرْثِ الدُّنْيَا عَمِلَ،
If he is called to the plantation of this world he is active,
أوْ إِلَى حَرْثِ الاْخِرَةِ كَسِلَ!
but if he is called to the plantation of the next world he is slow.
كَأَنَّ مَا عَمِلَ لَهُ وَاجِبٌ عَلَيْهِ،
As though what he is active for is obligatory upon him
وَكَأَنَّ مَا وَنَى فِيهِ سَاِقطٌ عَنْهُ!
whereas in whatever he is slow was not required of him.
منها: في آخر الزمان
A part of the same sermon concerning future times
وَذلِكَ زَمَانٌ لاَ يَنْجُو فِيهِ إِلاَّ كُلُّ مٌؤْمِنٍ نُوَمَةٍ إِنْ شَهِدَ لَمْ يُعْرَفْ،
There would be a time wherein only a sleeping (inactive) believer would be safe (such that) if he is present he is not recognised
وَإِنْ غَابَ لَمْ يُفْتَقَدْ،
but if he is absent he is not sought after.
أُولَئِكَ مَصَابِيحُ الْهُدَى،
These are the lamps of guidance
وَأَعْلاَمُ السُّرَى
and banners of night journeys.
لَيْسُوا بِالْمَسَايِيحِ
They do not spread calumnies
وَلاَ الْمَذَايِيعِ الْبُذُرِ
nor divulge secrets, nor slander.
أُولَئِكَ يَفْتَحُ اللهُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِهِ،
They are those for whom Allah opens the doors of His mercy
وَيَكْشِفُ عَنْهُمْ ضَرَّاءَ نِقْمَتِهِ
and keeps off from them the hardships of His chastisement.
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ،
O people!
سَيَأْتي عَلَيْكُمْ زَمَانٌ يُكْفَأُ فِيهِ الاْسْلاَمُ،
A time will come to you when Islam would be capsized
كَمَا يُكْفَأُ الاْنَاءُ بِمَا فِيهِ.
as a pot is capsized with all its contents.
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ،
O people,
إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَعَاذَكُمْ مِنْ أَنْ يَجُورَ عَلَيْكُمْ،
Allah has protected you from that He might be hard on you
وَلَمْ يُعِذْكُمْ مِنْ أَنْ يَبْتَلِيكُمْ،
but He has not spared you from being put on trial.
وَقَدْ قَالِ جَلَّ مِنْ قَائِل:
Allah the Sublimest of all speakers has said:
(إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لاَيَات وَإِنْ كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ).
Verily in this are signs and We do only try (the people). (Qur'an, 23:30)
قال السيد الشريف: أما قوله (عليه السلام): «كلّ مؤمِن نُوَمَة» فإنما أَراد به: الخامل الذكر القليل الشر. والمساييح: جمع مِسياح، وهو: الذي يسيح بين الناس بالفساد والنمائم. والمذاييع: جمع مِذْياع، وهو: الذي إذا سمع لغيره بفاحشة أذاعها، ونوّه بها. والبُذُرُ: جمع بَذُور وهو: الذي يكثر سفهه ويلغو منطقه.
as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: As regards Amir al-mu'minin's words "kullu mu'minin nuwamah" (every sleeping believer), he implies thereby one who is talked of little and causes no evil. And the word "al-masayih" is the plural of "misyah". He is one who spreads trouble among people through evils and calumnies. And the word "al-madhayi" is the plural of "midhya". He is one who on hearing of an evil about some one spreads it and shouts about it. And "al-budhur" is the plural of "badhur". He is one who excels in foolishness and speaks rubbish.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 103: Al-Kulayni, Rawdah, 139; al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 143; al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, II, 225; Ibn Qutaybah, ‘Uyun, II, 352; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, 219; Ibn Talhah, Matalib, I, 202; al-Qadi al-Quda’i, Dustur, 48; al-Khuza’i, al-Fitan, see Ibn Tawus, al-Malahim, 27; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, V, 131.
