بَعَثَ اللهُ رُسُلَهُ بِمَا خَصَّهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ وَحْيِهِ،
Allah deputed prophets and distinguished them with His revelation.
وَجَعَلَهُمْ حُجَّةً لَهُ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ،
He made them as pleas for Him among His creation,
لِئَلاَّ تَجِبَ الْحُجَّةُ لَهُمْ بِتَرْكِ الاْعْذَارِ إِلَيْهِمْ،
so that there should not remain any excuse for people.
فَدَعَاهُمْ بِلِسَانِ الصِّدْقِ إِلَى سَبِيلِ الْحَقِّ.
He invited people to the right path through a truthful tongue.
أَلاَ إِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ كَشَفَ الْخَلْقَ كَشْفَةً،
You should know that Allah fully knows creation.
لاَ أَنَّهُ جَهِلَ مَا أَخْفَوْهُ مِنْ مَصُونَ أَسْرَارِهِمْ وَمَكْنُونِ ضَماَئِرِهمْ،
Not that He was not aware of what they concealed from among their hidden secrets and inner feelings,
وَلكِنْ لِيَبْلُوَهُمْ (أَيُّهُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلا)،
but in order to try them as to “..which of them performs the best deeds” (18:7),
فَيَكُونَ الثَّوَابُ جَزَاءً،
so that there is reward in respect of good acts and chastisement
وَالْعِقَابُ بَوَاءً
in respect of evil acts.
فضل أهل البيت (عليهم السلام)
The excellence of Ahlul Bayt (the Household of the Holy Prophet)
أَيْنَ الَّذِينَ زَعَمُوا أَنَّهُمُ الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ دُونَنَا، كَذِباً وَبَغْياً عَلَيْنَا،
Where are those who falsely and unjustly claimed that they are deeply versed in knowledge, as against us,
أَنْ رَفَعَنَا اللهُ وَوَضَعَهُمْ،
although Allah raised us in position and kept them down,
وَأَعْطَانَا وَحَرَمَهُمْ،
bestowed upon us knowledge but deprived them,
وَأَدْخَلَنَا وَأَخْرَجَهُمْ.
and entered us (in the fortress of knowledge) but kept them out.
بِنَا يُسْتَعْطَى الْهُدَى،
With us guidance is to be sought
وَبِنَا يُسْتَجْلَى الْعَمَى.
and blindness (of misguidance) is to be changed into brightness.
إِنَّ الاْئِمَّةَ مِنْ قُرَيش
Surely the Imams (divine leaders) will be from the Quraysh.
غُرِسُوا فِي هذَا الْبَطْنِ مِنْ هَاشِم،
They have been planted in this line through Hashim.
لاَ تَصْلُحُ عَلَى سِوَاهُمْ،
It would not suit others
وَلاَ تَصْلُحُ الْوُلاَةُ مِنْ غَيْرِهمْ.
nor would others be suitable as heads of affairs.
منها: في أهل الضلال
A part of the same sermon concerning the misguided ones
آثَرُوا عَاجِلاً، وَأَخَّرُوا آجِلاً،
They have adopted this world and abandoned the next world;
وَتَرَكُوا صَافِياً،
left clean water
وَشَرِبُوا آجِناً،
and drunk stinking water.
كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى فَاسِقِهِمْ
I can almost see their wicked one (1) who committed unlawful acts,
وَقَدْ صَحِبَ الْمُنكَرَ فَأَلِفَهُ،
associated himself with them,
وَبَسِىءَ بِهِ وَوَافَقَهُ،
befriended them and accorded with them
حَتَّى شَابَتْ عَلَيْهِ مَفَارِقُهُ،
till his hair grew grey
وَصُبِغَتْ بِهِ خَلاَئِقُهُ،
and his nature acquired their tinge.
ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ مُزْبِداً كَالتَّيَّارِ لاَ يُبَالِي مَا غَرَّقَ،
He proceeded onward emitting foam like a torrential stream not caring whom he drowned,
أَوْ كَوَقْعِ النَّارِ في الْهَشيمِ لاَ يَحْفِلُ مَا حَرَّقَ!
or, like fire in straw, without realising what he burnt.
أَيْنَ الْعُقُولُ الْمُسْتَصْبِحَةُ بِمَصَابِيحِ الْهُدَى،
Where are the minds which seek light from the lamps of guidance,
وَالاْبْصَارُ اللاَّمِحَةُ إِلَى مَنَارِ التَّقْوَى؟!
and the eyes which look at minarets of piety?
أَيْنَ الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي وُهِبَتْ للهِ،
Where are the hearts dedicated to Allah,
وَعُوقِدَتْ عَلَى طَاعَةِ اللهِ؟!
and devoted to the obedience of Allah?
ازْدَحَمُوا عَلَى الْحُطَامِ،
They are all crowding towards worldly vanities
وَتَشَاحُّوا عَلَى الْحَرَامِ،
and quarrelling over unlawful issues.
وَرُفِعَ لَهُمْ عَلَمُ الْجَنَّةِ وَالنَّارِ،
The ensigns of Paradise and Hell have been raised for them
فَصَرَفُوا عَنِ الْجَنَّةِ وُجُوهَهُمْ،
but they have turned their faces away from Paradise
وَأَقْبَلُوا إِلَى النَّارِ بِأَعْمَالِهِمْ،
and proceeded to Hell by dint of their performances.
دَعَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ فَنَفَرُوا وَوَلَّوْا،
Allah called them but they showed dislike and ran away.
وَدَعَاهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَاسْتَجَابُوا وَأَقْبَلُوا!
When Satan called them they responded and proceeded (towards him).
Alternative Sources for Sermon 144: Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, see ‘Abd al-Zahra', II, 322.
1. Here the reference is to `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan who committed extreme atrocities through his officer al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi.
