نَحْمَدُهُ عَلَى مَا أَخَذَ وَأَعْطَى،
We praise Him for whatever He takes or gives
وَعَلَى مَا أَبْلَى وَابْتَلَى،
or whatever He inflicts on us or tries us with.
الْبَاطِنُ لِكُلِّ خَفِيَّة،
He is aware of all that is hidden
الْحَاضِرُ لِكُلِّ سَرِيرَة،
and He sees all that is concealed.
العَالِمُ بِمَا تُكِنُّ الصُّدُورُ،
He knows all that breasts contain
وَمَا تَخُونُ الْعُيُونُ.
or eyes hide.
وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ غَيْرُهُ،
We render evidence that there is no god except He
وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً نَجِيبُهُ وَبَعِيثُهُ،
and that Muhammad - peace be upon him and his progeny - has been chosen by Him and deputised by Him –
شَهَادَةً يُوَافِقُ فِيهَا السِّرُّ الاْعْلاَنَ،
evidence tendered both secretly and openly,
وَالْقَلْبُ اللِّسَانَ.
by heart and by tongue.
منها: في عظة الناس
A part of the same sermon
فَإِنَّهُ وَاللهِ الْجِدُّ لاَ اللَّعِبُ،
By Allah, certainly it is reality not play,
وَالْحَقُّ لاَ الْكَذِبُ،
truth not falsehood.
وَمَا هُوَ إِلاَّ الْمَوْتُ أَسْمَعَ دَاعِيهِ،
It is none else than death.
وَأَعْجَلَ حَادِيهِ،
Its caller is making himself heard and its dragsman is making haste.
فَلاَ يَغُرَّنَّكَ سَوَادُ النَّاسِ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ،
The majority of the people should not deceive you.
فَقَدْ رَأَيْتَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكَ مِمَّنْ جَمَعَ الْمَالَ
You have seen those who lived before you, amassed wealth,
وَحَذِرَ الاْقْلاَلَ،
feared poverty
وَأَمِنَ الْعَوَاقِبَ ـ
and felt safe from its (evil) consequences,
طُولَ أَمَل وَاسْتِبْعَادَ أَجَل ـ
the longevity of desires and the (apparent) distance from death.
كَيْفَ نَزَلَ بِهِ الْمَوْتُ
How, then, death overtook them,
فَأَزْعَجَهُ عَنْ وَطَنِهِ،
turned them out of their homelands
وَأَخَذَهُ مِنْ مَأْمَنِهِ،
and took them out of their places of safety.
مَحْمُولاً عَلَى أَعْوَادِ الْمَنَايَا يَتَعَاطَى بِهِ الرِّجَالُ الرِّجَالَ،
They were borne on coffins, people were busy about them one after another,
حَمْلاً عَلَى المَنَاكِبِ
carrying them on their shoulders
وَإِمْسَاكاً بِالاْنَامِلِ.
and supporting them with their hands.
أَمَا رَأَيْتُمُ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُلُونَ بَعِيداً،
Did you not witness those who engaged in long-reaching desires,
وَيَبْنُونَ مَشِيداً،
built strong buildings,
وَيَجْمَعُونَ كَثِيراً!
amassed much wealth
أَصْبَحَتْ بُيُوتُهُمْ قُبُوراً،
but their houses turned to graves
وَمَا جَمَعُوا بُوراً،
and their collections turned into ruin.
وَصَارَتْ أَمْوَالُهُمْ لِلْوَارِثِينَ،
Their property devolved on the successors
وَأَزْوَاجُهُمْ لِقَوْم آخَرِينَ،
and their spouses on those who came after them.
لاَ فِي حَسَنَة يَزِيدُونَ،
They cannot (now) add to their good acts
وَلاَ مِنْ سَيِّئَة يَسْتَعْتِبُونَ!
nor invoke (Allah's) mercy in respect of evil acts.
فَمَنْ أَشْعَرَ التَّقْوَى قَلْبَهُ بَرَّزَ مَهَلُهُ،
Therefore, whoever makes his heart habituated to fear Allah achieves a forward position
وَفَازَ عَمَلُهُ.
and his action is successful.
فَاهْتَبِلُوا هَبَلَهَا،
Prepare yourself for it
وَاعْمَلُوا لِلْجَنَّةِ عَمَلَهَا،
and do all that you can for Paradise.
فَإِنَّ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ تُخْلَقْ لَكُمْ دَارَ مُقَام،
Certainly this world has not been made a place of permanent stay for you.
بَلْ خُلِقَتْ لَكُمْ مَجَازاً لِتَزَوَّدُوا مِنْهَا الاَعْمَالَ إِلَى دَارِ الْقَرَارِ;
But it has been created as a pathway in order that you may take from it the provisions of your (good) actions for the permanent house (in Paradise).
فَكُونُوا مِنْهَا عَلى أَوْفَاز،
Be ready for departure from here
وَقَرِّبُوا الظُّهُورَ لِلزِّيَالِ.
and keep close your riding animals for setting off.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 132: Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 282; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, II, 210 (w.f.z), V, 239 (h.b.1).
