الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ الْحَمْدَ مِفْتَاحاً لِذِكْرِهِ،
Praise be to Allah who made praise the Key for His remembrance,
وَسَبَباً لِلْمَزِيدِ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ،
a means for increase of His bounty
وَدَلِيلاً عَلَى آلاَئِهِ وَعَظَمَتِهِ.
and a guide for His Attributes and Dignity.
عِبَادَ اللهِ، إِنَّ الدَّهْرَ يَجْرِي بِالْبَاقِينَ كَجَرْيِهِ بِالْمَاضِينَ،
O creatures of Allah! Time will deal with the survivors just as it dealt with those gone by.
لاَ يَعُودُ مَا قَدْ وَلَّى مِنْهُ،
The time that has passed will not return
وَلاَ يَبْقَى سَرْمَداً مَا فِيهِ.
and whatever there is in it will not stay for ever.
آخِرُ فَعَالِهِ كَأَوَّلِهِ، مُتَسَابِقَةٌ أُمُورُهُ،
Its later deeds are the same as the former ones. Its troubles try to excel one another.
مُتَظَاهِرَةٌ أَعْلاَمُهُ.
Its banners follow each other.
فَكَأَنَّكُمْ بَالسَّاعَةِ تَحْدُوكُمْ حَدْوَالزَّاجِرِ بِشَوْلِهِ،
It is as though you are attached to the last day which is driving you as rapidly as are driven the she camels which are dry for seven months.
فَمَنْ شَغَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِغَيْرِ نَفْسِهِ تَحَيَّرَ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ،
He who busies himself with things other than improvement of his own self becomes perplexed in darkness
وَارْتَبَكَ فِي الْهَلَكَاتِ،
and entangled in ruination.
وَمَدَّتْ بِهِ شَيَاطِينُهُ فِي طُغْيَانِهِ،
His evil spirits immerse him deep in vices
وَزَيَّنَتْ لَهُ سَيِّىءَ أَعْمَالِهِ،
and make his bad actions appear handsome.
فَالْجَنَّةُ غَايَةُ السَّابِقِينَ،
Paradise is the end of those who are forward (in good acts)
وَالنَّارُ غَايَةُ الْمُفَرِّطِينَ.
and Hell is the end of those who commit excesses.
اعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ،
Know, O creatures of Allah,
أَنَّ التَّقْوَى دَارُ حِصْن عَزِيز،
that piety is a strong house of protection
وَالْفُجُورَ دَارُ حِصْن ذَلِيل،
while impiety is a weak house
لاَ يَمْنَعُ أَهْلَهُ،
which does not protect its people,
وَلاَ يُحْرِزُمَنْ لَجَأَ إِلَيْهِ.
and does not give security to him who takes refuge therein.
أَلاَ وَبِالتَّقْوَى تُقْطَعُ حُمَةُ الْخَطَايَا،
Know that the sting of sins is cut by piety
وَبِالْيَقِينِ تُدْرَكُ الْغَايَةُ الْقُصُوَى.
and the final aim is achieved by conviction of belief.
عِبَادَ اللهِ،
O creatures of Allah!
اللهَ اللهَ فِي أَعَزِّ الاْنْفُسِ عَلَيْكُم،
(Fear) Allah, (fear) Allah, in the matter of your own selves,
وَأَحَبِّهَا إِلَيْكُمْ;
which are the most beloved and dear to you,
فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَوْضَحَ سَبِيلَ الْحَقِّ
because Allah has clarified to you the way of truthfulness
وَأَنَارَ طُرُقَهُ،
and lighted its paths.
فَشِقْوَةٌ لاَزِمَةٌ، أَوْ سَعَادَةٌ دَائِمَةٌ!
So (you may choose) either ever-present misfortune or eternal happiness.
فَتَزَوَّدُوا فِي أَيَّامِ الْفَنَاءِ لاَيَّامِ الْبَقَاءِ.
You should therefore provide in these mortal days for the eternal days.
قَدْ دُلِلْتُمْ عَلَى الزَّادِ،
You have been informed of the provision,
وَأُمِرْتُمْ بَالظَّعْنِ،
ordered to march
وَحُثِثْتُمْ عَلَى الْمَسِيرِ،
and told to make haste in setting off.
فَإِنَّمَا أَنْتُمْ كَرَكْب وُقُوف،
You are like staying riders
لاَ يَدْرُونَ مَتَى يُؤْمَرُونَ بَالسَّيْرِ،
who do not know when they would be ordered to march on.
أَلاَ فَمَا يَصْنَعُ بِالدُّنْيَا مَنْ خُلِقَ لِلاخِرَةِ!
Beware, what will he, who has been created for the next world, do with this world?
وَمَا يَصْنَعُ بِالْمَالِ مَنْ عَمَّا قَلِيل يُسْلَبُهُ،
What will a person do with wealth which he would shortly be deprived of
وَتَبْقَى عَلَيْهِ تَبِعَتُهُ وَحِسَابُهُ!
while only its ill effects and reckoning would be left behind for him?
عِبَادَ اللهِ،
O creatures of Allah!
إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِمَا وَعَدَ اللهُ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ مَتْرَكٌ،
The good which Allah has promised should not be abandoned
وَلاَ فِيَما نَهَى عَنْهُ مِنَ الشَّرِّ مَرْغَبٌ.
and the evil from which He has refrained should not be coveted.
عِبَادَ اللهِ،
O creatures of Allah!
احْذَرُوا يَوْماً تُفْحَصُ فِيهِ الاْعْمَالُ،
Fear the day when actions will be reckoned;
وَيَكْثُرُ فِيهِ الزِّلْزَالُ، وَتَشِيبُ فِيهِ الاْطْفَالُ.
there will be much quaking and even children will get old.
اعْلَمُوا، عِبَادَ اللهِ،
Know, O creatures of Allah,
أَنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ رَصَداً مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ،
that your own self is a guard over you;
وَعُيُوناً مِنْ جَوَارِحِكُمْ،
limbs are watchmen
وَحُفَّاظَ صِدْق يَحْفَظُونَ أَعْمَالَكُمْ،
and truthful vigil-keepers who preserve (the record of) your actions
وَعَدَدَ أَنْفَاسِكُمْ،
and the numbers of your breaths.
لاَ تَسْتُرُكُمْ مِنْهُمْ ظُلْمَةُ لَيْل دَاج،
The gloom of the dark night cannot conceal you from them,
وَلاَ يُكِنُّكُمْ مِنْهُمْ بَابٌ ذُورِتَاج،
nor can closed doors hide you from them.
وَإِنَّ غَداً مِنَ الْيَوْمِ قَرِيبٌ.
Surely tomorrow is close to today.
يَذْهَبُ الْيَوْمُ بِمَا فِيهِ،
Today will depart with all that it has
وَيَجِيءُ الْغَدُ لاَ حِقاً بِهِ،
and tomorrow will come in its wake.
فَكَأَنَّ كُلَّ امْرِىء مِنْكُمْ قَدْ بَلَغَ مِنَ الاْرْضِ مَنْزِلَ وَحْدَتِهِ،
It is as though every one of you has reached that place on earth where he would be alone,
وَمَخَطَّ حُفْرَتِهِ،
namely the location of his grave.
فَيَالَهُ مِنْ بَيْتِ وَحْدَة،
So, what to say of the lonely house,
وَمَنْزِلِ وَحْشَة، وَمُفْرَدِ غُرْبَة!
the solitary place of staying and the solitary exile.
وَكَأَنَّ الصَّيْحَةَ قَدْ أَتَتْكُمْ،
It is as though the cry (of the Horn) has reached you,
وَالسَّاعَةَ قَدْ غَشِيَتْكُمْ،
the Hour has overtaken you
وَبَرَزْتُمْ لَفَصْلِ الْقَضَاءِ،
and you have come out (of your graves) for the passing of judgement.
قَدْ زَاحَتْ عَنْكُمُ الاْبَاطِيلُ،
(The curtains of) falsehood have been removed from you
وَاضْمَحَلَّتْ عَنْكُمُ الْعِلَلُ،
and your excuses have become weak.
وَاسْتَحَقَّتْ بِكُمُ الْحَقَائِقُ،
The truth about you has been proved.
وَصَدَرَتْ بِكُمُ الاْمُورُ مَصَادِرَهَا،
All your matters have proceeded to their consequences.
فَاتَّعِظُوا بِالْعِبَرِ،
Therefore. you should (now) take counsel from examples,
وَاعْتَبِرُوا بَالْغِيَرِ،
learn lessons from vicissitudes
وَانْتَفِعُوا بِالنُّذُرِ.
and take advantage of the warners.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 157: Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, II, 510 (sh.w.l); al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 97; al-Wasiti, ‘Uyun al-hikam, see Bihar, vol. XVII, 113.
