إِنَّا لَمْ نُحَكِّمِ الرِّجَالَ، وَإِنَّمَا حَكَّمْنَا الْقُرْآنَ.
We did not name people as arbitrators but we named the Qur'an the arbitrator.
وهذَا الْقُرْآنُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ خَطٌّ مَسْتُورٌ بَيْنَ الدَّفَّتَيْنِ،
The Qur'an is a book, covered, between two flaps,
لاَ يَنْطِقُ بِلِسَان،
and it does not speak.
وَلاَ بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ تَرْجُمَان،
It should therefore necessarily have an interpreter.
وَإِنَّمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنْهُ الرِّجَالُ.
Men alone can be such interpreters.
وَلَمَّا دَعَانَا الْقَوْمُ إِلَى أَنْ نُحَكِّمَ بَيْنَنَا الْقُرْآنَ
When these people invited us to name the Qur'an as the arbitrator between us,
لَمْ نَكُنِ الْفَرِيقَ الْمُتَوَلِّيَ عَنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ،
we could not be the party turning away from the Book of Allah.
وقَالَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ:
since Allah has said:
(فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ في شَيْء فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللهِ وَالرَّسُول)،
. . . And then if ye quarrel about anything refer it to Allah and the Prophet . . (Qur'an, 4:59)
فَرَدُّهُ إِلَى اللهِ أَنْ نَحْكُمَ بِكِتَابِهِ،
Reference to Allah means that we decide according to the Qur'an
وَرَدُّهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ أَنْ نَأْخُذَ بسُنَّتِهِ;
while reference to the Prophet means that we follow his Sunnah.
فَإِذَا حُكِمَ بِالصِّدْقِ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ،
Now therefore, if arbitration were truly done through the Book of Allah (Qur'an).
فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِهِ،
we would be the most rightful of all people for the Caliphate;
وَإِنْ حُكمَ بسُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ
or if it were done by the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (S),
فَنَحْنُ أَوْلاَهُمْ بِهِ.
we would be the most preferable of them.
وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكُمْ: لِمَ جَعَلْتَ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُمْ أَجَلاً فِي التَّحْكِيمِ؟
Concerning your point why I allowed a time lag between myself and them with regard to the Arbitration,
فَإِنَّمَا فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ لِيَتَبَيَّنَ الْجَاهِلُ،
I did so in order that the ignorant may find out (the truth)
وَيَتَثَبَّتَ الْعَالِمُ،
and one who already knows may hold with it firmly.
وَلَعَلَّ اللهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ فِي هذِهِ الْهُدْنَةِ أَمْرَ هذِهِ الاْمَّةِ،
Possibly Allah may, as a result of this peace, improve the condition of these people,
وَلاَ تُؤْخَدُ بِأَكْظَامِهَا،
and they will not be caught by the throats
فَتَعْجَلَ عَنْ تَبَيُّنِ الْحَقِّ،
and will not, before indication of the right,
وَتَنْقَادَ لاِوَّلِ الْغَيِّ.
fall into rebellion as before.
إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ اللهِ مَنْ كَانَ الْعَمَلُ بِالْحَقِّ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ـ
Certainly the best man before Allah is he who loves most to act according to right,
وَإِنْ نَقَصَهُ وَكَرَثَهُ ـ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ
even though it causes him hardship and grief rather than according to wrong,
وَإِنْ جَرَّ إِلَيْهِ فَائِدَةً وَزَادَهُ،
even though it gives him benefit and increase.
فَأَيْنَ يُتَاهُ بِكُمْ؟!
So, where are you being misled
وَمِنْ أَيْنَ أُتِيتُمْ؟!
and from where have you been brought (to this state)?
اسْتَعِدُّوا لِلْمَسِيرِ إِلَى قَوْم
Be prepared to march to the people
حَيَارَى عَنِ الْحَقِّ لاَ يُبْصِرُونَهُ،
who have deviated from the right and do not see it,
وَمُوزَعِينَ بِالْجَوْرِ لاَ يَعْدِلُونَ بِهِ،
have been entangled in wrong-doing and are not corrected.
جُفَاة عَنِ الْكِتَابِ، نُكُب عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ.
They are away from the Book and turned from the (right) path.
مَا أَنْتُمْ بَوَثِيقَة يُعْلَقُ بِهَا،
You are not trustworthy to rely upon,
وَلاَ زَوَافِرَ يُعْتَصَمُ إِلَيْهَا،
nor are you holders of honour to be adhered to.
لَبِئْس حُشَّاشُ نَارِ الْحَرْبِ أَنْتُمْ!
You are very bad in kindling the fire of fighting.
أُفٍّ لَكُمْ! لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْكُمْ بَرْحاً،
Woe to you! I had to bear a lot of worries from you.
يَوْماً أُنَادِيكُمْ وَيَوْماً أُنَاجِيكُمْ،
Some day I call you (to jihad) and some day I speak to you in confidence,
فَلاَ أحْرارُ صِدْق عِنْدَ النِّدَاءِ،
you are neither true free men at the time of call,
وَلاَ إِخْوَانُ ثِقَة عِنْدَ النَّجَاءِ!
nor trustworthy brothers at the time of speaking in confidence.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 125: Al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, VI, 37, events of 37 H.; Sibt ibn al-Jawzi, Tadhkirah, 100; al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 157; al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I, 275.
