الْحَمْدُ للهِ الْوَاصِلِ الْحَمْدَ بِالنِّعَمِ وَالنِّعَمَ بِالشُّكْرِ،
Praise be to Him Who makes praise followed by bounty and bounty with gratefulness.
نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى آلاَئِهِ كَمَا نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى بَلاَئِهِ،
We praise Him on His bounties as on His trials.
وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ عَلَى هذِهِ النُّفُوسِ الْبِطَاءِ عَمَّا أُمِرَتْ بِهِ،
We seek His help against these hearts which are slow to obey what they have been commended
السِّرَاعِ إِلَى مَا نُهِيَتْ عَنْهُ،
but quick towards what they have been desisted from.
وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ مِمَّا أَحَاطَ بِهِ عِلْمُهُ،
We seek His forgiveness from that which His knowledge covers
وَأَحْصَاهُ كِتَابُهُ:
and His document preserves –
عِلْمٌ غَيْرُ قَاصِر،
knowledge which does not leave anything
وَكِتَابٌ غَيْرُ مُغَادِر،
and a document which does not omit anything.
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ إِيمَانَ مَنْ عَايَنَ الْغُيُوبَ،
We believe in Him like the belief of one who has seen the unknown
وَوَقَفَ عَلَى الْمَوْعُودِ،
and has attained the promised rewards –
إِيمَاناً نَفَى إِخْلاَصُهُ الشِّرْكَ،
belief, the purity whereof keeps off from belief in partners of Allah,
وَيَقِينُهُ الشَّكَ،
and whose conviction removes doubt.
وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ،
We stand witness that there is no god but Allah, the One, Who has no partner for Him,
وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ،
and that Muhammad is His slave and His Prophet, Allah may bless him and his descendants.
شَهَادَتَيْنِ تُصْعِدَانِ الْقَوْلَ، وَتَرْفَعَانِ الْعَمَلَ،
These two testimonies heighten the utterance and raise the act.
لاَيَخِفُّ مِيزَانٌ تُوضَعَانِ فِيهِ،
The scale wherein they would be placed would not be light
وَلاَ يَثْقُلُ مِيزَانٌ تُرْفَعَانِ مِنُهُ.
while the scale from which they are removed would not become heavy.
أُوصِيكُمْ، عِبَادَ اللهِ، بَتَقْوَى اللهِ
O creatures of Allah! I advise you to have fear of Allah
الَّتي هِيَ الزَّادُ وَبِهَا الْمَعَاذُ:
which is the provision (for the next world) and with it is (your) return.
زَادٌ مُبْلِغٌ وَمَعَاذٌ مُنْجِحٌ،
The provision would take you (to your destination) and the return would be successful.
دَعَا إِلَيْهَا أَسْمَعُ دَاع،
The best one who is able to make people listen has called towards it
وَوَعَاهَا خَيْرُ وَاع،
and the best listener has listened to it.
فَأَسْمَعَ دَاعِيهَا،
So the caller has proclaimed
وَفَازَ وَاعِيهَا.
and the listener has listened and preserved.
عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّ تَقْوَى اللهِ حَمَتْ أوْلِيَاءَ اللهِ مَحَارِمَهُ،
O creations of Allah! Certainly fear of Allah has saved the lovers of Allah from unlawful items
وَأَلْزَمَتْ قُلُوبَهُمْ مَخَافَتَهُ،
and gave His dread to their hearts
حَتَّى أَسهَرَتْ لَيَالِيَهُمْ،
till their nights are passed in wakefulness
وَأَظْمَأَتْ هَوَاجِرَهُمْ;
and their noons in thirst.
فَأَخَذُوا الرَّاحَةَ بِالنَّصَبِ،
So they achieve comfort through trouble
وَالرِّيَّ بِالظَّمَإِ،
and copious watering through thirst.
وَاسْتَقْرَبُوا الاْجَلَ فَبَادَرُوا الْعَمَلَ،
They regarded death to be near and therefore hastened towards (good) actions.
وَكَذَّبُوا الاْمَلَ فَلاَحَظُوا الاْجَلَ.
They rejected their desires and so they kept death in their sight.
ثُمَّ إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا دَارُ فَنَاء، وَعَنَاء، وَغِيَر، وَعِبَر:
Then, this world is a place of destruction, tribulations, changes and lessons.
فَمِنَ الْفَنَاءِ أَنَّ الدَّهْرَ مُوتِرٌ قَوْسَهُ،
As for destruction, the time has its bow pressed (to readiness)
لاَ تُخْطِىءُ سِهَامُهُ،
and its dart does not go amiss,
وَلاَ تُؤْسَى جِرَاحُهُ،
its wound does not heal;
يَرْمِي الْحَيَّ بِالْمَوْتِ،
it afflicts the living with death,
وَالصَّحِيحَ بِالسَّقَمِ،
the healthy with ailment
وَالنَّاجِيَ بِالْعَطَبِ،
and the safe with distress.
آكِلٌ لاَ يَشْبَعُ،
It is an eater who is not satisfied
وَشَارِبٌ لاَ يَنْقَعُ.
and a drinker whose thirst is never quenched.
وَمِنَ الْعَنَاءِ أَنَّ الْمَرْءَ يَجْمَعُ مَا لاَ يَأْكُلُ،
As for tribulation, a man collects what he does not eat
وَيَبْني مَا لاَ يَسْكُنُ،
and builds wherein he does not live.
ثُمَّ يَخْرُجُ إِلَى اللهِ،
Then he goes out to Allah
لاَ مَالاً حَمَلَ،
without carrying the wealth
وَلاَ بِنَاءً نَقَلَ!
or shifting the building.
وَمنْ غِيَرِهَا أَنَّكَ تَرَى الْمَرْحُومَ مَغْبُوطاً،
As for its changes, you see a pitiable man becoming enviable
والْمَغْبُوطَ مَرْحُوماً،
and an enviable man becoming pitiable.
لَيْسَ ذلِكَ إِلاَّ نَعِيماً زَلَّ، وَبُؤْساً نَزَلَ.
This is because the wealth has gone and misfortune has come to him.
وَمِنْ عِبَرِهَا أَنَّ المَرْءَ يُشْرِفُ عَلَى أَمَلِهِ
As for its lessons, a man reaches near (realisation of) his desires
فَيَقْتَطِعُهُ حُضُورُ أَجَلِهِ،
when (suddenly) the approach of his death cuts them;
فَلاَ أَمَلٌ يُدْرَكُ، وَلاَ مُؤَمَّلٌ يُتْرَكُ.
then neither the desire is achieved nor the desirer spared.
فَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ،
Glory to Allah,
مَا أَعَزَّ سُرُورَهَا!
how deceitful are its pleasures,
وَأَظْمَأَ رِيَّهَا!
how thirst-rousing its quenching
وَأَضْحَى فَيْئَهَا!
and how sunny its shade.
لاَ جَاء يُرَدُّ،
That which approaches (i.e. death) cannot be sent back,
وَلاَ مَاض يَرْتَدُّ.
he who goes away does not return.
فَسُبْحَانَ اللهِ،
Glory to Allah,
مَا أَقْرَبَ الْحَيَّ مِنَ المَيِّتِ لِلَحَاقِهِ بِهِ،
how near is the living to the dead because he will meet him soon
وَأَبْعَدَ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ لاِنْقِطَاعِهِ عَنْهُ!
and how far is the dead from the living because he has gone away from him.
إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ بِشَرٍّ مِنَ الشَّرِّ إِلاَّ عِقَابُهُ،
Certainly nothing is viler than evil except its punishment
وَلَيْسَ شَيْءٌ بِخَيْر مِنَ الْخَيْرِ إِلاَّ ثَوَابُهُ،
and nothing is better than good except its reward.
وَكُلُّ شَيْء مِنَ الدُّنْيَا سَمَاعُهُ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ عِيَانِهِ،
In this world everything that is heard is better than what is seen,
وَكُلُّ شَيْء مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ عِيَانُهُ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ سَمَاعِهِ،
while of everything of the next world that is seen is better than what is heard.
فَلْيَكْفِكُمْ مِنَ الْعِيَانِ السَّمَاعُ،
So you should satisfy yourself by hearing rather than seeing
وَمِنَ الْغَيْبِ الْخَبَرُ.
and by the news of the unknown.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مَا نَقَصَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا وَزَادَ في الاْخِرَةِ
You should know that what is little in this world but much in the next
خَيْرٌ مِمَّا نَقَصَ مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ وَزَادَ فِي الدُّنْيَا:
is better than what is much in this world but little in the next.
فَكَمْ مِنْ مَنْقُوص رَابح
In how many cases little is profitable
وَمَزِيد خَاسِر!
while much causes loss.
إنَّ الَّذي أُمِرْتُمْ بِهِ أَوْسَعُ مِنَ الَّذِي نُهِيتُمْ عَنْهُ،
Certainly that which you have been commanded to do is wider than what you have been refrained from,
وَمَا أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّا حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ،
and what has been made lawful for you is more than what has been prohibited.
فَذَرُوا مَا قَلَّ لِمَا كَثُرَ،
Then give up what is less for what is much,
وَمَا ضَاقَ لِمَا اتَّسَعَ.
and what is limited for what is vast.
قَدْ تُكُفِّلَ لِكُمْ بِالرِّزْقِ،
Allah has guaranteed your livelihood
وَأُمِرْتُمْ بَالْعَمَلِ،
and has commanded you to act.
فَلاَ يَكُونَنَّ الْمَضْمُونُ لَكُمْ طَلَبُهُ أَوْلَى بِكُمْ مِنَ الْمَفْرُوضِ عَلَيْكُمْ عَمَلُهُ،
Therefore, the pursuit of that which has been guaranteed to you should not get preference over that whose performance has been enjoined upon you.
مَعَ أَنَّهُ واللهِ لَقَدِ اعْتَرَضَ الشَّكُّ، وَدَخِلَ الْيَقِينُ،
But by Allah, most certainly the position is that doubt has overtaken and certainty has been shattered
حَتَّى كَأَنَّ الَّذِي ضُمِنَ لَكُمْ قَدْ فُرِضَ عَلَيْكُمْ،
and it seems as if what has been guaranteed to you is obligatory on you
وَكَأَنَّ الَّذِي قَدْ فُرِضَ عَلَيْكُمْ قَدْ وُضِعِ عَنْكُمْ.
and what was made obligatory on you has been taken away from you.
فَبَادِرُوا الْعَمَلَ،
So, hasten towards (good) actions
وَخَافُوا بَغْتَةَ الاْجَلِ،
and dread the suddenness of death,
فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُرْجَى مِنْ رَجْعَةِ الْعُمُرِ
because the return of age cannot be hoped for,
مَا يُرْجَى مِنْ رَجْعَةِ الرِّزْقِ،
as the return of livelihood can be hoped for.
مَا فَاتَ الْيَوْمَ مِنَ الرِّزْقِ رُجِيَ غَداً زِيَادَتُهُ،
Whatever is missed from livelihood today may be hoped tomorrow with increase,
وَمَا فَاتَ أَمْسِ مِنَ الْعُمُرِ
but whatever is lost from the age yesterday,
لَمْ يُرْجَ الْيَوُمَ رَجْعَتُهُ.
its return cannot be expected today.
الرَّجَاءُ مَعَ الْجَائِي،
Hope can be only for that which is to come,
وَالْيَأْسُ مَعَ الْمَاضِي
while about that which is passed there is only disappointment. So
، فـَ (اتَّقُوا اللهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ. )
"fear Allah as He ought to be feared and do not die until you are (true) Muslim." (Qur'an , 3:102)
Alternative Sources for Sermon 114: Al-Yamani, al-Taraz, II, 335; al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 156; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, II, at the beginning of each part; al-Qadi al-Quda’i, Dustur, 33; al-'Amidi, Ghurar; al-Tusi, al-'Amali, II, 107.
