عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّكُمْ ـ وَمَا تَأْمُلُونَ مِنْ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا ـ
O servants of Allah! You and whatever you desire from this world are
أَثْوِيَاءُ مُؤَجَّلُونَ،
like guests with fixed period of stay,
وَمَدِينُونَ مُقْتَضَوْنَ:
and like debtors called upon to pay.
أَجَلٌ مَنْقُوصٌ، وَعَمَلٌ مَحْفُوظٌ،
Life is getting short while (the records of) actions are being preserved.
فَرُبَّ دَائِب مُضَيَّعٌ،
Many strivers are wasting (their efforts)
وَرُبَّ كَادِح خَاسِرٌ.
and many of those who exert are heading towards harm.
قَدْ أَصْبَحْتُمْ فِي زَمَن لاَ يَزْدَادُ الْخَيْرُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ إِدْبَاراً،
You are in a period when steps of virtue are moving backwards,
وَالشَّرُّ إِلاَّ إِقْبَالاً،
steps of evil are moving forward
وَالشَّيْطَانُ فِي هَلاَكِ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ طَمَعاً،
and Satan is increasing his eagerness to ruin people.
فَهذا أَوَانٌ قَوِيَتْ عُدَّتُهُ،
This is the time that his equipment is strong,
وَعَمَّتْ مَكِيدَتُهُ،
his traps have been spread
وَأَمْكَنَتْ فَرِيسَتُهُ .
and his prey has become easy (to catch).
اضْرِبْ بِطَرْفِكَ حَيْثُ شِئْتَ مِنَ النَّاسِ،
Cast your glance over people wherever you like,
فَهَلْ تُبْصِرُ إِلاَّ فَقِيراً يُكَابِدُ فَقْراً،
you will see either a poor man suffering from poverty,
أَوْ غَنِيّاً بَدَّلَ نِعْمَةَ اللهِ كُفْراً،
or a rich man ignoring Allah despite His bounty over him,
أَوْ بَخِيلاً اتَّخَذَ الْبُخْلَ بِحَقِّ اللهِ وَفْراً،
or a miser increasing his wealth by trampling on Allah's obligations,
أَوْ مُتَمَرِّداً كَأَنَّ بِأُذُنِهِ عَنْ سَمْعِ الْموَاعِظِ وَقْراً!
or an unruly person closing his ears to all counsel.
أَيْنَ خِيارُكُمْ وَصُلَحَاؤُكُمْ؟!
Where are your good people; where are your virtuous people?
وَأَيْنَ أَحْرَارُكُمْ وَسُمَحَاؤُكُمْ؟!
Where are your high spirited men and generous men?
وَأَيْنَ الْمُتَوَرِّعُونَ في مَكَاسِبِهِمْ،
Where are those of you who avoid deceit in their business
والْمُتَنَزِّهُونَ فِي مَذَاهِبِهمْ؟!
and remain pure in their behaviour?
أَلَيْسَ قَدْ ظَعَنُوا جَمِيعاً عَنْ هذِهِ الدُّنْيَا الدَّنِيَّةِ،
Have they not all departed from this ignoble,
وَالْعَاجِلَةِ المُنَغِّصَةِ،
transitory and troublesome world?
وَهَلْ خُلِّفْتُمْ إِلاَّ فِي حُثَالَة
Have you not been left among people who are just like rubbish
لاَ تَلْتَقِي بِذَمِّهِمْ الشَّفَتَانِ،
and so low that lips avoid mention of them
اسْتِصْغَاراً لِقَدْرِهِمْ، وَذَهَاباً عَنْ ذِكْرِهِمْ؟!
and do not move even to condemn their low position.
فَـ (إِنَّا للهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ)،
... "Verily we are Allah's and verily unto Him shall we return." (Qur'an, 2:156)
(ظَهَرَ الْفَسَادُ)
“Mischief has appeared..” (30:41)
فَلاَ مُنْكِرٌ مُغَيِّرٌ، وَلاَ زَاجرٌ مُزْدَجِرٌ.
and there is no one to oppose and change it, nor anyone to dissuade from it or desist from it.
أَفَبِهذَا تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تُجَاوِرُوا اللهَ فِي دَارِ قُدْسِهِ،
Do you, with these qualities, hope to secure abode in the purified neighbourhood of Allah
وَتَكُونُوا أَعَزَّ أَوْلِيَائِهِ عِنْدَهُ؟
and to be regarded His staunch lovers?
هَيْهَاتَ!
Alas!
لاَ يُخْدَعُ اللهُ عَنْ جَنَّتِهِ،
Allah cannot be deceived about His paradise
وَلاَ تُنَالُ مَرْضَاتُهُ إِلاَّ بِطَاعَتِهِ.
and His will cannot be secured save by His obedience.
لَعَنَ اللهُ الاْمِرِينَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ التَّارِكِينَ لَهُ،
May Allah curse those who advise good but they themselves avoid it,
وَالنَّاهِينَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ الْعَامِلِينَ بِهِ!
and those who desist others from evil but they themselves act upon it.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 129: Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 320; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, bab tabaddul al-'ahwal.
