يَعْطِفُ الْهَوَى عَلَى الْهُدَى
He will direct desires towards (the path of) guidance
إِذَا عَطَفُوا الْهُدَى عَلَى الْهَوَى،
while people will have turned guidance towards desires,
وَيَعْطِفُ الرَّأْيَ عَلَى الْقُرْآنِ
and he will turn their views to the direction of the Qur'an
إِذَا عَطَفُوا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى الرَّأْيِ.
while the people will have turned the Qur'an to their views.
حَتَّى تَقُومَ الْحَرْبُ بِكُمْ عَلَى سَاق،
(Before this Enjoiner of Good (1), matters will deteriorate) till war will rage among you with full force,
بَادِياً نَوَاجِذُهَا،
showing forth its teeth,
ممْلُوءَةً أَخْلاَفُهَا،
with udders full
حُلْواً رَضَاعُهَا،
of sweet milk
عَلْقَماً عَاقِبَتُهَا.
but with a sour tip.
أَلاَ وَفِي غَد ـ
Beware, it will be tomorrow
وَسَيَأْتِي غَدٌ بِمَا لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ ـ
and the morrow will come soon with things which you do not know.
يَأْخُذُ الْوَالِي مِنْ غَيْرِهَا عُمَّالَهَا عَلَى مَسَاوِىءِ أَعْمَالِهَا،
The Man in power, not from this crowd, will take to task all those were formerly appointed for their ill deeds
وَتُخْرِجُ لَهُ الاْرْضُ أَفَالِيذَ كَبِدِهَا، وَتُلْقي إِلَيْهِ سِلْماً مَقَالِيدَهَا،
and the earth will pour forth its eternal treasures and fling before him easily her keys.
فَيُرِيكُمْ كَيْفَ عَدْلُ السِّيرَة
He will show you the just way of behaviour
و يُحْيِي مَيِّتَ الْكِتابِ و الْسُّنَّةِ
and revive the Qur'an and sunnah which have become lifeless (among people).
كأَنَّي بِهِ قَدْ نَعَقَ بِالشَّامِ،
As if I see (him), he (the Enjoiner of Evil), (2) is shouting in Syria (ash-Sham)
وَفَحَصَ بِرَايَاتِهِ فِي ضَوَاحِي كُوفَانَ،
and is extending his banners to the outskirts of Kufah.
فَعَطَفَ عَلَيْهَا عَطْفَ الضَّرُوسِ،
He is bent towards it like the biting of the she-camel.
وَفَرَشَ الاْرْضَ بِالرُّؤُوسِ،
He has covered the ground with heads.
قَدْ فَغَرَتْ فَاغِرَتُهُ،
His mouth is wide open
وَثَقُلَتْ فِي الاْرْضِ وَطْأَتُهُ،
and (the trampling of) his footsteps on the ground have become heavy.
بَعِيدَ الْجَوْلَةِ،
His advance is broad
عَظِيمَ الصَّوْلَةِ.
and his attacks are severe.
وَاللهِ لِيُشَرِّدَنَّكُمْ فِي أَطْرَافِ الاْرْضِ
By Allah, he will disperse you throughout the earth
حَتَّى لاَ يَبْقَى مِنْكُمْ إِلاِّ قَلَيلٌ،
till only a few of you remain,
كَالْكُحْلِ فِي الْعَيْنِ،
like kohl in the eye.
فَلاَ تَزَالُونَ كَذلِكَ،
You will continue like this
حَتَّى تَؤُوبَ إِلَى الْعَرَبِ عَوَازِبُ أَحْلاَمِهَا!
till the Arabs return to their senses.
فَالْزَمُوا السُّنَنَ الْقَائِمَةَ،
You should therefore stick to established ways,
وَالاْثَارَ الْبَيِّنَةَ،
clear signs
وَالْعَهْدَ الْقَرِيبَ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ بَاقِي النُّبُوَّةِ.
and the early period which has the lasting virtues of the Prophethood.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ إِنَّمَا يُسَنِّي لَكُمْ طُرُقَهُ
You should know that Satan makes his ways easy
لِتَتَّبِعُوا عَقِبَهُ.
so that you may follow him on his heels.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 138: Al- 'Amidi, Ghurar, 296.
1. This prophecy of Amir al-mu'minin is with regard to the appearance of the Twelfth Imam, Abu'l-Qasim Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (p.b.u.h.).
2. This refers to `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who came to power in Syria (ash-Sham) after his father Marwan ibn al-Hakam and then after the killing of al-Mukhtar ibn Abi `Ubayd ath-Thaqafi in his encounter with Mus`ab ibn az-Zubayr he proceeded towards Iraq. He clashed with Mus`ab's force at Maskin near Dayru'l-jathaliq in the outskirts of Kufah. After defeating him he made a victorious entry into Kufah and took allegiance from its inhabitants. Then he sent al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi to Mecca to fight with `Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr. Consequently this man besieged Mecca and stoned it, and shed the blood of thousands of innocent persons like water. He killed Ibn az-Zubayr and hung his body on the gallows. He perpetrated such atrocities on the people that one shudders at the thought of them.
