وَنَاظِرُ قَلْبِ اللَّبِيبِ بِهِ يُبْصِرُ أَمَدَهُ،
He who has an intelligent mind looks to his goal.
وَيَعْرِفُ غَوْرَهُ وَنَجْدَهُ.
He knows his low road as well as his high road.
دَاع دَعَا،
The caller has called.
وَرَاع رَعَى،
The shepherd has tended (his flocks).
فَاسْتَجِيبُوا لِلدَّاعِي،
So respond to the caller
وَاتَّبِعُوا الرَّاعِيَ.
and follow the shepherd.
قَدْ خَاضُوا بِحَارَ الْفِتَنِ،
They (the opponents) have entered the oceans of disturbance
وَأَخَذُوا بِالْبِدَعِ دُونَ السُّنَنِ،
and have taken to innovations instead of the Sunnah (the Prophet's holy deeds, utterances and his unspoken approvals),
وَأَرَز الْمُؤْمِنُونَ،
while the believers have sunk down,
وَنَطَقَ الضَّالُّونَ الْمُكَذِّبُونَ.
and the misguided and the liars are speaking.
نَحْنُ الشِّعَارُ وَالاْصْحَابُ،
We are the near ones, companions,
وَالْخَزَنَةُ وَالاْبْوَابُ،
treasure holders and doors (to the Sunnah).
وَلاَ تُؤْتَى الْبُيُوتُ إِلاَّ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا،
Houses are not entered save through their doors.
فَمَنْ أَتَاهَا مِنْ غَيْرِ أَبْوَابِهَا سُمِّيَ سَارِقاً.
Whoever enters them from other than the door is called a thief.
فِيهِمْ كَرَائِمُ الْقُرْآنِ،
The delicacies of the Qur'an are about them (Ahlul Bayt, the descendants of the Prophet)
وَهُمْ كُنُوزُ الرَّحْمنِ،
and they are the treasurers of Allah.
إِنْ نَطَقُوا صَدَقُوا،
When they speak they speak the truth,
وَإِنْ صَمَتُوا لَمْ يُسْبَقُوا.
but when they keep quiet no one can speak unless they speak.
فَلْيَصْدُقْ رَائِدٌ أَهْلَهُ،
The forerunner should report correctly to his people,
وَلْيُحْضِرْ عَقْلَهُ،
should retain his wits
وَلْيَكُنْ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ الاْخِرَةِ،
and should be one of the children (a man) of the next world,
فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهَا قَدِمَ،
because he has come from there
وَإِلَيْهَا يَنْقَلِبُ.
and would return to it.
وَالنّاظِرُ بِالْقَلْبِ،
The beginning of the action of one who sees with heart
الْعَامِلُ بِالْبَصَرِ،
and acts with eyes
يَكُونُ مُبْتَدَأُ عَمَلِهِ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ: أَعَمَلُهُ عَلَيْهِ أَمْ لَهُ؟!
it is to assess whether the action will go against him or for him.
فَإِنْ كَانَ لَهُ مَضَى فِيهِ،
If it is for him he indulges in it,
وَإِنْ كَانَ عَليْهِ وَقَفَ عِنْدَهُ.
but if it is against him he keeps away from it.
فَإِنَّ الْعَامِلَ بَغَيْرِ عِلْم كَالسَّائِرِ عَلَى غيْرِ طَرِيق،
For, he who acts without knowledge is like one who treads without a path.
فَلاَ يَزِيدُهُ بُعْدُهُ عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ الْوَاضِحِ إِلاَّ بُعْداً مِنْ حَاجَتِهِ،
Then his deviation from the path keeps him at a distance from his aim.
وَالْعَامِلُ بالْعِلْمِ كَالسَّائِرِ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ الْوَاضِحِ،
And he who acts according to knowledge is like he who treads the clear path.
فَلْيَنْظُرْ نَاظِرٌ: أَسَائِرٌ هُوَ أَمْ رَاجِعٌ؟!
Therefore, he who can see should see whether he should proceed or return.
وَاعْلَمْ أَنِّ لِكُلِّ ظَاهِر بَاطِناً عَلى مِثَالِهِ،
You should also know that the outside (of every thing) has a similar inside.
فَمَا طَابَ ظَاهِرُهُ طَابَ بَاطِنُهُ،
Of whatever the outside is good, its inside too is good,
وَمَا خَبُثَ ظَاهِرُهُ خَبُثَ بَاطِنُهُ،
and whatever the outside is bad, its inside too is bad.
وَقَدْ قَالَ الرَّسُولُ الصَّادِقُ (صلى الله عليه وآله): «إِنَّ اللهَ يُحِبُّ الْعَبْدَ وَيُبْغِضُ عَمَلَهُ، وَيُحِبُّ الْعَمَلَ وَيُبْغِضُ بَدَنَهُ».
The truthful Prophet (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his progeny) has said that: "Allah may love a man but hate his action, and may love the action but hate the man."
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ كُلَّ عَمَل نَبَاتٌ،
You should also know that every action is like vegetation,
وَكُلَّ نَبَات لاَ غِنَى بِهِ عَنِ الْمَاءِ،
and vegetation cannot do without water
وَالْمِيَاهُ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ،
while waters are different.
فَمَا طَابَ سَقْيُهُ طَابَ غَرْسُهُ وَحَلَتْ ثَمَرَتُهُ،
So where the water is good the plant is good and its fruits are sweet,
وَمَا خَبُثَ سَقْيُهُ خَبُثَ غَرْسُهُ وَأَمَرَّتْ ثَمَرَتُهُ.
whereas where the water is bad the plant will also be bad and its fruits will be bitter.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 154: Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 252, 324, 331; al-Yamani, al-Taraz, I, 217.
