هذا جَزَاءُ مَنْ تَرَكَ الْعُقْدَةَ!
This is the reward of one who breaks a pledge.
أَمَا وَاللهِ لَوْ أَنِّي حِينَ أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِما أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ
By Allah, when I gave you my orders (namely) to abide by arbitration
حَمَلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْمَكْرُوهِ الَّذِي يَجْعَلُ اللهُ فِيهِ خَيْراً،
I had led you to an undesirable thing (namely war) in which Allah had ordained good.
فَإِنِ اسْتَقَمْتُمْ هَدَيْتُكُمْ
If you had been steadfast I would have guided you,
وَإِنِ اعْوَجَجْتُمْ قَوَّمْتُكُمْ
if you had been bent I would have straightened you
وَإِنْ أَبَيْتُمْ تَدَارَكْتُكُمْ،
and if you had refused I would have rectified you.
لَكَانَتِ الْوُثْقَى،
This was the surest way.
وَلكِنْ بِمَنْ وَإِلَى مَنْ؟
But with whom and to whom?
أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُدَاوِيَ بِكُمْ
I wanted my treatment from you
وَأَنْتُمْ دَائي،
but you proved to be my disease,
كَنَاقِشِ الشَّوْكَةِ بِالشَّوْكَةِ،
like the extractor of thorn with the thorn
وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ ضَلْعَهَا مَعَهَا!
when he knows that the thorn bends towards itself.
اللَّهُمَّ قَدْ مَلَّتْ أَطِبَّاءُ هذَا الدَّاءِ الدَّوِيِّ،
My God, the physicians have despaired of this fatal ailment
وَكَلَّتِ النَّزْعَةُ بِأَشْطَانِ الرَّكِيِّ!
and water-drawers have become tired with the rope of this well.
أَيْنَ الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ دُعُوا إِلَى الاِسْلاَمِ فَقَبِلُوهُ؟
Where 1 are those who were invited to Islam and they accepted it?
وَقَرَأُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَأَحْكَمُوهُ؟
They read the Qur'an and decided according to it.
وَهِيجُوا إِلى الْجِهَادِ
They were exhorted to fight
فَوَلَّهُوا اللِّقَاحَ أَوْلاَدَهَا، وَسَلَبُوا السُّيُوفَ أَغْمَادَهَا،
and they leapt (towards it) as she-camels leap towards their young.
وَأَخَذُوا بِأَطْرَافِ الاْرْضِ زَحْفاً زَحْفاً
They took their swords out of the sheaths
وَصَفّاً صَفّاً؟!
and went out into the world in groups and rows.
بَعْضٌ هَلَكَ،
Some of them perished
وَبَعْصٌ نَجَا.
and some survived.
لاَيُبَشَّرُونَ بِالاْحْيَاءِ،
The good news of survival does not please them
وَلاَ يُعَزَّوْنَ عَنِ الْمَوْتَى،
nor do they get condoled about the dead.
مُرْهُ الْعُيُونِ مِنَ الْبُكَاءِ،
Their eyes have turned white with weeping.
خُمْصُ الْبُطُونِ مِنَ الصِّيَامِ،
Their bellies are emaciated because of fasting.
ذُبُلُ الشِّفَاهِ مِنَ الدُّعَاءِ،
Their lips are dry because of (constant) praying.
صُفْرُ الاْلْوَانِ مِنَ السَّهَرِ،
Their colour is pale because of wakefulness.
عَلَى وَجُوهِهمْ غَبَرَةُ الْخَاشِعيِنَ،
Their faces bear the dust of God-fearing.
أُولئِكَ إِخْوَاني الذَّاهِبُونَ،
These are my comrades who have departed.
فَحَقَّ لَنَا أَنْ نَظْمَأَ إِلَيْهِمْ
We should be justified if we feel eager for them
وَنَعَضَّ الاْيْدِيَ عَلَى فِرَاقِهمْ!
and bite our hands in their separation.
إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُسَنِّي لَكُمْ طُرُقَهُ،
Certainly, Satan has made his ways easy for you
وَيُرِيدُ أَنْ يَحُلَّ دِينَكُمْ عُقْدَةً عُقْدَةً،
and wants to unfasten the knots of religion one by one
وَيُعْطِيَكُمْ بَالْجَمَاعَةِ الْفُرْقَةَ، وَبِالْفُرْقَةِ الْفَتْنَةَ;
and to cause division among you in place of unity.
فَاصْدِفُوا عَنْ نَزَغَاتِهِ وَنَفَثَاتِهِ،
Keep away from his evil ideas and enchantments
وَاقْبَلُوا النَّصِيحَةَ مِمَّنْ أَهْدَاهَا إِلَيْكُمْ،
and accept good advice of one who offers it to you
وَاعْقِلوهَا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ.
and preserve it in your minds.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 121: Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, al-’Iqd, II, 165; Ibn Talhah, Matalib, I, 100; al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 139; al-Mufid, al-'Ikhtisas, 153, quoted from Ibn Da'b's work; al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I, 273; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, 130; al-'Amidi, Ghurar; al-Tusi, al-'Amali, * 135.
1. Although all those who fought under the banner of Amir al-mu'minin were called Shi`ahs of `Ali, yet only those who had tears in their eyes, paleness on their faces, the Qur'anic verses on their tongues, zeal of religion in their hearts, steadfastness in their feet, determination and courage in their spirits, and patience and endurance in their minds could in true sense he called Shi`ahs of `AIi. These were the people in whose separation Amir al-mu'minin's feelings were coming out in the shape of sighs through the breath, while the flames of the fire of separation were consuming his heart and spirit. These were the people who leapt towards death like mad men and did not feel happy if they survived. Rather, their heart's slogan was as the Persian hemistich says: We are ashamed why we have remained alive. He who has even a slight brilliance of these qualities can alone be called the follower of the Descendants of the Prophet or the Shi`ah of `Ali, otherwise it would be a word which has lost its meaning and been bereft of its dignity through misuse. Thus tradition has it that Amir al-mu'minin saw a group of men at his door and enquired from Qanbar who they were and he answered they were his Shi`ahs. On hearing this Amir al-mu'minin had a frown on his forehead and said. "Why are they called Shi`ahs? They have no sign of Shi`ahs." Thereupon Qanbar enquired what were the signs of Shi`ahs and Amir al-mu'minin replied: Their bellies are thin through hunger, their lips dry through thirst and their eyes bleared through weeping.
