أَلاَ وَإِنَّ الاْرْضَ الَّتِي تَحْمِلُكُم،
Beware; the earth which bears you
وَالسَّماءَ الَّتِي تُظِلُّكُمْ،
and the sky which overshadows
مُطِيعَتَانِ لِرَبِّكُمْ،
you are obedient to their Sustainer (Allah).
وَمَا أَصْبَحَتَا تَجُودَانِ لَكُمْ بِبَرَكَتِهِمَا تَوَجُّعاً لَكُمْ،
They have not been bestowing their blessings on you for any feeling of pity on you
وَلاَ زُلْفَةً إِلَيْكُمْ،
or inclination towards you,
وَلاَ لِخَيْر تَرْجُوَانِهِ مِنْكُمْ،
nor for any good which they expect from you,
وَلكِنْ أُمِرَتَا بِمَنَافِعِكُمْ فَأَطَاعَتَا،
but they were commanded to bestow benefits on you and they are obeying,
وَأُقِيمَتَا عَلَى حُدُودِ مَصَالِحِكُمْ فَقَامَتَا.
and were asked to maintain your good and so they are maintaining it.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَبْتَلِي عِبَادَهُ عِنْدَ الاْعْمَالِ السَّيِّئَةِ بِنَقْصِ الَّثمَرَاتِ،
Certainly, Allah tries his creatures in respect of their evil deeds by decreasing fruits,
وَحَبْسِ الْبَرَكَاتِ،
holding back blessings
وَإِغْلاَقِ خَزَائِنِ الْخَيْرَاتِ،
and closing the treasures of good,
لِيَتُوبَ تَائِبٌ،
so that he who wishes to repent may repent,
وَيُقْلِعَ مُقْلِعٌ،
he who wishes to turn away (from evils) may turn away,
وَيَتَذَكَّرَ مُتَذَكِّرٌ،
he who wishes to recall (forgotten good) may recall,
وَيَزْدَجِرَ مُزْدَجِرٌ.
and he who wishes to abstain (from evil) may abstain. Allah,
وَقَدْ جَعَلَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ الاسْتِغْفَارَ سَبَباً
the Glorified, has made the seeking of (His) forgiveness a means
لِدُرُورِ الرِّزْقِ وَرَحْمَةِ الْخَلْقِ، فَقَالَ:
for the pouring down of livelihood and mercy on the people as Allah has said:
)اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّاراً * يُرْسِلِ السَّماءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَاراً* وَ يُمْدِدْكُمْ بِأمْوالٍ وَ بَنِينَ وَ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أنْهاراً( ،
... Seek ye the forgiveness of your Lord! Verily, He is the Most-forgiving, He will send (down) upon you the cloud raining in torrents, and help you with wealth and sons (children) . . . (Qur'an, 17:10-12)
فَرَحِمَ اللهُ امْرَأً اسْتَقْبَلَ تَوْبَتَهُ،
Allah may shower mercy on him who took up repentance,
وَاسْتَقَالَ خَطِيئَتَهُ،
gave up sins
وَبَادَرَ مَنِيَّتَهُ!
and hastened (in performing good acts before) his death.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا خَرَجْنَا إِلَيْكَ مِنْ تَحْتِ الاْسْتَارِ وَالاْكْنَانِ،
O My God! We have come out to Thee from under the curtains and coverings (of houses)
وَبَعْدَ عَجِيجِ الْبَهَائِمِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ،
when the beasts and children are crying,
رَاغِبِينَ فِي رَحْمَتِكَ،
seeking Thy Mercy,
وَرَاجِينَ فَضْلَ نِعْمَتِكَ،
hoping for the generosity of Thy bounty
وَخَائِفِينَ مِنْ عَذَابِكَ وَنِقْمَتِكَ.
and fearing Thy chastisement and retribution.
اللَّهُمَّ فَاسْقِنَا غَيْثَكَ،
O My God! Give us to drink from Thy rain
وَلاَ تَجْعَلْنَا مِنَ الْقَانِطِينَ،
and do not disappoint us,
وَلاَ تُهْلِكْنَا بِالسِّنِين،
nor kill us by years (of drought)
وَلاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا )بِمَا فَعَلَ السُّفَهَاءُ مِنَّا (يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ.
nor punish us “..for what the foolish among us have committed” (7:155), O the Most Merciful of all!
اللَّهُمَّ
O My God!
إِنَّا خَرَجْنَا إِلَيْكَ نَشْكُو إِلَيْكَ مَا لاَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْكَ،
We have come out to Thee to complain to Thee who is (already) not hidden from Thee,
حِينَ أَلْجَأَتْنَا الْمضَايِقُ الْوَعْرَةُ،
when the severe troubles have forced us,
وَأَجَاءَتْنَا الْمَقَاحِطُ الْـمُجْدِبَةُ،
drought-stricken famines have driven us,
وَأَعْيَتْنَا الْمَطَالِبُ الْمُتَعَسِّرَةُ،
distressing wants have made us helpless
وَتَلاَحَمَتْ عَلَيْنَا الْفِتَنُ الْمُسْتَصْعِبَةُ.
and troublesome mischiefs have incessantly befallen us.
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ أَلاَّ تَرُدَّنَا خَائِبِينَ،
O My God! We beseech Thee not to send us back disappointed
وَلاَ تَقْلِبَنَا وَاجِمِينَ،
nor to return us with down-cast eyes,
وَلاَ تُخَاطِبَنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا،
nor to address us (harshly) for our sins,
وَلاَ تُقَايِسَنَا بِأَعْمَالِنَا.
nor deal with us according to our deeds.
اللَّهُمَّ انْشُرْ عَلَيْنَا غَيْثَكَ
O My God! Do pour on us Thy mercy,
وَبَرَكَتَكَ،
Thy blessing,
وَرِزْقَكَ
Thy sustenance
وَرَحْمَتَكَ،
and Thy pity,
وَاسْقِنَا سُقْيَا نَافِعَةً
and make us enjoy a drink which benefits us,
مُرْوِيَةً
quenches our thirst,
مُعْشِبَةً،
produces green herbage
تُنْبِتُ بِهَا مَا قَدْ فَاتَ،
by which all that has died down grows again
وَتُحْيِي بِهَا مَا قَدْ مَاتَ،
and all that had withered is revived.
نَافِعَةَ الْحَيَا، كَثِيرَةَ الْـمُجْتَنَى،
It should bring about the benefit of freshness and plentifulness of ripe fruits.
تُرْوِي بِهَا الْقِيعَانَ،
With it plains may be watered,
وَتُسِيلُ الْبُطْنَانَ،
rivers may begin flowing,
وَتَسْتَوْرِقُ الاْشْجَارَ،
plants may pick up foliage
وَتُرْخِصُ الاْسْعَارَ،
and prices may come down.
إِنَّكَ عَلى مَا تَشَاءُ قَدِيرٌ.
Surely, Thou art powerful over whatever Thou willest.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 143: Al-Daylami, A’lam, see al-Nuri, Mustadrak al-Wasa'il, I, 439; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 137 (b.t.n).
