الشهادتان
The Two Testimonies
وَأَحْمَدُ اللهَ وَأَسْتَعِينُهُ عَلَى مَدَاحِرِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَمَزَاجِرِهِ،
I praise Allah and seek His help from (what led to the) punishment of Satan and his deceitful acts,
وَالاعْتِصَامِ مِنْ حَبَائِلِهِ وَمَخَاتِلِهِ.
and (l seek His) protection from Satan's traps and waylayings.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ،
I stand witness that there is no god but Allah and I stand witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny)
وَنَجِيبُهُ وَصَفْوَتُهُ،
and his chosen and his selected one.
لاَ يُؤَازَى فَضْلُهُ،
Muhammad's (S) distinction cannot be paralleled
وَلاَ يُجْبَرُ فَقْدُهُ،
nor can his loss be made good.
أَضَاءَتْ بِهِ الْبِلاَدُ بَعْدَ الضَّلاَلَةِ الْمُظْلِمَةِ،
Populated places were brightened through him when previously there was dark misguidance,
وَالْجَهَالَةِ الْغَالِبَةِ،
overpowering ignorance
وَالْجَفْوَةِ الْجَافِيَةِ،
and rude habits,
وَالنَّاسُ يَسْتَحلُّونَ الْحَرِيمَ،
and people regarded unlawful as lawful,
وَيَسْتَذِلُّونَ الْحَكِيمَ،
humiliated the man of wisdom,
يَحْيَوْنَ عَلَى فَتْرَة،
passed lives when there were no prophets
وَيَمُوتُونَ عَلَى كَفْرَةِ!
and died as unbelievers.
التحذير من الفتن
Warning against Religious Strife
ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ مَعْشَرَ الْعَرَبِ أَغْرَاضُ بَلاَيَا قَدِ اقْتَرَبَتْ،
You, O people of Arabia, will be victims of calamities which have come near.
فَاتَّقُوا سَكَرَاتِ النِّعْمَةِ،
You should avoid the intoxication of wealth,
وَاحْذَرُوا بِوَائِقَ النِّقْمَةِ،
fear the disasters of chastisement,
وَتَثَبَّتُوا فِي قَتَامِ الْعِشْوَةِ،
keep steadfast in the darkness
وَاعْوِجَاجِ الْفِتْنَةِ عِنْدَ طُلُوعِ جَنِينِهَا،
and crookedness of mischief when its hidden nature discloses itself,
وَظُهُورِ كَمِينِهَا،
its secrets become manifest
وَانْتِصَابِ قُطْبِهَا، وَمَدَارِ رَحَاهَا.
and its axis and the pivot of its rotation gain strength.
تَبْدَأُ فِي مَدَارِجَ خَفِيَّة،
It begins in imperceptible stages
وَتَؤُولُ إِلَى فَظَاعَة جَلِيَّة،
but develops into great hideousness.
شِبَابُهَا كَشِبَابِ الْغُلاَمِ،
Its youth is like the youth of an adolescent
وَآثَارُهَا كَآثَارِ السِّلاَمِ
and its marks are like the marks of beating by stone.
يَتَوَارَثُهَا الظَّلَمَةُ بالْعُهُودِ!
Oppressors inherit it by (mutual) agreement.
أَوَّلُهُمْ قَائِدٌ لاِخِرِهِمْ،
The first of them serves as a leader for the latter one
وَآخِرُهُمْ مُقْتَد بأَوَّلِهِمْ،
and the latter one follows the first one.
يَتَنَافَسُونَ في دُنْيا دَنِيَّة،
They vie with each other in (the matter of) this lowly world,
وَيَتَكَالَبُونَ عَلى جِيفَة مُرِيحَة،
and leap over this stinking carcass.
وَعَنْ قَلِيل يَتَبَرَّأُ التَّابِعُ مِنَ الْمَتْبُوعِ،
Shortly the follower will denounce his connection with the leader,
وَالْقَائِدُ مِنَ الْمَقُودِ،
and the leader with the follower.
فَيَتَزَايَلُونَ بِالْبِغْضَاءِ،
They will disunite on account of mutual hatred
وَيَتَلاَعَنُونَ عِنْدَ اللِّقَاءِ.
and curse one another when they meet.
ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بَعْدَ ذلِكَ طَالِعُ الْفِتْنَةِ الرَّجُوفِ،
Then after this there will appear another arouser of mischief
وَالْقَاصِمَةِ الزَّحُوفِ،
who will destroy ruined things.
فَتَزِيغُ قُلُوبٌ بَعْدَ اسْتِقَامَة،
The heart will become wavering after being normal,
وَتَضِلُّ رِجَالٌ بَعْدَ سَلاَمَة،
men will be misled after safety,
وَتَخْتَلِفُ الاَهْوَاءُ عِنْدَ هُجُومِهَا،
desires will multiply and become diversified
وَتَلْتَبِسُ الاْرَاءُ عِنْدَ نُجُومِهَا.
and views will become confused.
مَنْ أَشْرَفَ لَهَا قَصَمَتْهُ،
Whoever proceeds towards this mischief will be ruined
وَمَنْ سَعَى فِيهَا حَطَمَتْهُ،
and whoever strives for it will be annihilated.
يَتَكَادَمُونَ فِيهَا تَكَادُمَ الْحُمُرِ فِي الْعَانَةِ!
They will be biting each other during it as the wild asses bite each other in the herd.
قَدِ اضْطَرَبَ مَعْقُودُ الْحَبْلِ،
The coils of the rope will be disturbed
وَعَمِيَ وَجْهُ الاَمْرِ،
and the face of affairs will be blinded.
تَغِيضُ فِيهَا الْحِكْمَةُ،
During it sagacity will be on the ebb,
وَتَنْطِقُ فِيهَا الظَّلَمَةُ،
and the oppressors will (get the opportunity to) speak.
وَتَدُقُّ أَهْلَ الْبَدْوِ بِمِسْحَلِهَا،
This mischief will smash the Bedouins with its hammers
وَتَرُضُّهُمْ بِكَلْكَلِهَا!
and crush them with its chest.
يَضِيعُ فِي غُبَارِهَا الْوُحْدَانُ،
In its dust the single marchers will be lost,
وَيَهْلِكُ فِي طَرِيقِهَا الرُّكْبَانُ،
and in its way the horsemen will be destroyed.
تَرِدُ بِمُرِّ الْقَضَاءِ،
It will approach with the bitterness of destiny
وَتَحْلُبُ عَبِيطَ الدِّمَاءِ،
and will give pure blood (instead of milk).
وَتَثْلِمُ مَنَارَ الدِّينَ،
It will breach the minarets of faith
وَتَنْقُضُ عَقْدَ الْيَقِينِ،
and shatter the ties of firm belief.
يَهْرُبُ مِنْهَا الاْكْياسُ،
The wise will run away from it
وَيُدَبِّرُهَا الاْرْجَاسُ،
while the wicked will foster it.
مِرْعَادٌ مِبْرَاقٌ،
It will thunder and flash (like lightning).
كَاشِفَةٌ عَنْ سَاق!
It will create a severe disaster.
تُقْطَعُ فِيهَا الاَرْحَامُ،
In it kinship will be forsaken
وَيُفَارَقُ عَلَيْهَا الاِسْلاَمُ!
and Islam will be abandoned.
بَرِيُّهَا سَقِيمٌ،
He who declaims it will also be affected by it,
وَظَاعِنُهَا مُقِيمٌ!
and he who flees from it will (be forced to) stay in it.
بَيْنَ قَتِيل مَطْلُول،
Among them some will be unavenged martyrs
وَخَائِف مُسْتَجِير،
and some will be stricken with fear and seek protection.
يَخْتِلُونَ بِعَقْدِ الاَيمَانِ وَبِغُرُورِ الاْيمَانِ;
They will be deceived by pledges and fraudulent belief.
فَلاَ تَكُونُوا أَنْصَابَ الْفِتَنِ،
You should not become landmarks of mischiefs
وَأَعْلاَمَ الْبِدَعِ،
and signs of innovations
وَالْزَمُوا مَا عُقِدَ عَلَيْهِ حَبْلُ الْجَمَاعَةِ،
but should adhere to that on which the rope of the community has been wound
وَبُنِيَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْكَانُ الطَّاعَةِ،
and on which the pillars of obedience have been founded.
وَاقْدَمُوا عَلَى اللهِ مَظْلُومِينَ،
Proceed towards Allah as oppressed
وَلاَ تَقْدَمُوا عَلَيْهِ ظَالِمِينَ،
and do not proceed to Him as oppressors.
وَاتَّقُوا مَدَارِجَ الشَّيْطَانِ
Avoid the paths of Satan
وَمَهَابِطَ الْعُدْوَانِ،
and the places of revolt.
وَلاَ تُدْخِلُوا بُطُونَكُمْ لُعَقَ الْحَرَامِ،
Do not put in your bellies unlawful morsels
فَإِنَّكُمْ بِعَيْنِ مَنْ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُم الْمَعْصِيَةَ،
because you are facing Him Who has made disobedience unlawful for you,
وَسَهَّلَ لَكُمْ سُبُلَ الطَّاعَةِ.
and made the path of obedience easy for you.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 151: Al-Sayyid al-Yamani, al-Taraz, I, 334.
