أَتَأْمُرُونِّي أَنْ أَطْلُبَ النَّصْرَ بِالْجَوْرِ فِيمَنْ وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْهِ!
Do you command me that I should seek support by oppressing those over whom I have been placed?
وَاللهِ لاَ أَطُورُ بِهِ مَا سَمَرَ سَميرٌ
By Allah, I won't do so as long as the world goes on,
وَمَا أَمَّ نَجْمٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ نَجْماً!
and as long as one star leads another in the sky.
لَوْ كَانَ الْمَالُ لي
Even if it were my property,
لَسَوَّيْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ،
I would have distributed it equally among them,
فَكَيْفَ وَإِنَّمَا الْمَالُ مَالُ اللهِ !
then why not when the property is that of Allah.
أَلاَ وَإِنَّ إِعْطَاءَ الْمَالِ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهَ تَبْذِيرٌ وَإِسْرَافٌ،
Beware; certainly that giving of wealth without any right for it is wastefulness and lavishness.
وَهُوَ يَرْفَعُ صَاحِبَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَيَضَعُهُ فِي الاخِرَةِ،
It raises its doer in this world, but lowers him in the next world.
وَيُكْرِمُهُ فِي النَّاسِ وَيُهِينُهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ،
It honours him before people, but disgraces him with Allah.
وَلَمْ يَضَعِ امْرُؤٌ مَالَهُ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ وَعِنْدَ غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ
If a man gives his property to those who have no right for it or do not deserve it,
إِلاَّ حَرَمَهُ اللهُ شُكْرَهُمْ
Allah deprives him of their gratefulness,
وَكَانَ لِغَيْرِهِ وَدُّهُمْ،
and their love too would be for others.
فَإِنْ زَلَّتْ بِهِ النَّعْلُ يَوْماً فَاحْتَاجَ إِلى مَعُونَتِهِمْ
Then if he falls on bad days and needs their help,
فَشَرُّ خَلِيل وَأَلاْمُ خَدِين!
they would prove the worst comrades and ignoble friends.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 126: Ibn Qutaybah, al-'Imamah, I, 153; al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 131; al-Kulayni, Furu’ al-Kafi, IV, 31; al-Mufid, al-Majalis, 95; al-Tusi, al-'Amali, I, 197; al-Mada'ini, see Ibn Abi al-Hadid, I, 182; al-Thaqafi, al-Gharat, I, 75.
