أَرْسَلَهُ عَلَى حِينِ فَتْرَة مِنَ الرُّسُلِ،
Allah deputed the Prophet (S) at a time when there had been no prophets for some time.
وَطُولِ هَجْعَة مِنَ الاْمَمِ،
People had been in slumber for a long time
وَانْتِقَاض مِنَ الْمُبْرَمِ،
and the twist of the rope had loosened.
فَجَاءَهُمْ بِتَصْدِيقِ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ،
The Prophet came with (a Book containing) testification to what (books) were already there
وَالنُّورِ الْمُقْتَدَى بِهِ.
and also with a light to be followed.
ذلِكَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَنْطِقُوهُ، وَلَنْ يَنْطِقَ،
It is the Qur'an. If you ask it to speak it won't do so;
وَلَكِنْ أُخْبِرُكُمْ عَنْهُ:
but I will tell you about it.
أَلاَ إِنَّ فِيهِ عِلْمَ مَا يَأْتي،
Know that it contains knowledge of what is to come about,
وَالْحَدِيثَ عَنِ الْمَاضِي،
stories of the past,
وَدَوَاءَ دَائِكُمْ،
cure for your ills
وَنَظْمَ مَا بَيْنَكُمْ.
and regulation for whatever faces you.
منها: في دولة بنى أمية
A part of the same sermon about the autocracy of the Umayyads
فَعِنْدَ ذلِكَ لاَ يَبْقَى بَيْتُ مَدَر وَلاَ وَبَر
At that time there will remain no house or tent
إِلاَّ وَأَدْخَلَهُ الظَّلَمَةُ تَرْحَةً،
but oppressors would inflict it with grief
وَأَوْلَجُوا فِيهِ نِقْمَةً،
and inject sickness in it.
فَيَوْمَئِذ لاَ يَبْقَى لَهُمْ فِي السَّماءِ عَاذِرٌ،
On that day no one in the sky will listen to their excuse
وَلاَ فِي الاْرْضِ نَاصِرٌ.
and no one on the earth will come to their help.
أَصْفَيْتُمْ بِالاْمْرِ غَيْرَ أَهْلِهِ،
You selected for the governance (caliphate) one who is not fit for it,
وَأَوْرَدْتُمُوهُ غَيْرَ مَوْرِدِهِ،
and you raised him to a position which was not meant for him.
وَسَيَنْتَقِمُ اللهُ مِمَّنْ ظَلَمَ،
Shortly Allah will take revenge from every one who has oppressed,
مَأْكَلاً بِمَأْكَل،
food for food
وَمَشْرَباً بِمَشْرَب،
and drink for drink,
مِنْ مَطَاعِمِ الْعَلْقَمِ،
namely (they will be given) colocynth for eating,
وَمَشَارِبِ الصَّبِرِوَالْمَقِرِ،
myrrh and aloes for drinking,
وَلِبَاسِ شِعَارِ الْخَوْفِ،
and fear for an inner covering
وَدِثَارِ السَّيْفِ
and the sword for an outer one.
وَإِنَّمَا هُمْ مَطَايَا الْخَطِيئَاتِ وَزَوَامِلُ الاْثَامِ.
They are nothing but carrier-beasts laden with sins and camels laden with evil deeds.
فَأُقْسِمُ، ثُمَّ أُقْسِمُ،
I swear and again swear
لَتَنَخَّمَنَّهَا أُمَيَّةُ مِنْ بَعْدِي كَمَا تُلْفَظُ النُّخَامَةُ،
that the Umayyads will have to spit out the caliphate as phlegm is spat
ثُمَّ لاَ تَذُوقُهَا
and thereafter they will never taste it
وَلاَ تَطْعَمُ بِطَعْمِهَا أَبَداً مَا كَرَّ الْجَدِيدَانِ
nor relish its flavour so long as day and night rotate.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 158: Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, (‘a.dh.r, m.q.r and n.kh.m) I, 46, III, 198, IV, 347, V, 34; al-Kulayni, Rawdah, 62; al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 173.
