]عظة الناس[
Admonishing the people
انْتَفِعُوا بِبَيَانِ اللهِ،
(O creatures!) Seek benefit from the sayings of Allah,
وَاتَّعِظُوا بِمَوَاعِظِ اللهِ،
be admonished of Allah
وَاقْبَلُوا نَصِيحَةَ اللهِ،
and accept the advice of Allah
فَإنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ أَعْذَرَ إلَيْكُمْ بِالْجَلِيَّةِ،
because Allah has left no excuse for you by providing clear guidance,
وَاتَّخَذَ عَلَيْكُمْ الْحُجَّةَ،
has put before you the plea
وَبَيَّنَ لَكُمْ مَحَابَّهُ مِنَ الاْعْمَالِ،
and clarified for you what acts He likes
وَمَكَارِهَهُ مِنْهَا،
and what acts He hates,
لِتَتَّبِعُوا هذِهِ،
so that you may follow the one
وَتَجْتَنِبُوا هذِهِ،
and avoid the other.
فَإنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) كَانَ يَقُولُ:
The Prophet of Allah used to say.
«إنَّ الْجَنَّةَ حُفَّتْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ، وَإنَّ النَّارَ حُفَّتْ بِالشَّهَوَاتِ».
"Paradise is surrounded by unpleasant things while Hell is surrounded by desires."
وَاعْلَمُوا أنَّهُ مَا مِنْ طَاعَةِ اللهِ شَيْءٌ إلاَّ يَأْتي فِي كُرْه،
You should know that every obedience to Allah is unpleasant in appearance
وَمَا مِنْ مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ شَيءٌ إلاَّ يَأْتِي فِي شَهْوَة.
while every disobedience to Allah has the appearance of enjoyment.
فَرَحِمَ اللهُ رَجُلاً نَزَعَ عَنْ شَهْوَتِهِ،
Allah may have mercy on the person who kept aloof from his desire
وَقَمَعَ هَوَى نَفْسِهِ،
and uprooted the appetite of his heart,
فَإنَّ هذِهِ النَّفْسَ أَبْعَدُ شَيْء مَنْزِعاً،
because this heart has far-reaching aims
وَإنَّهَا لاَ تَزَالُ تَنْزِعُ إِلَى مَعْصِيَة فِي هَوىً.
and it goes on pursuing disobedience through desires.
وَاعْلَمُوا ـ عِبَادَ اللهِ ـ
You should know, O creatures of Allah,
أَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يُصْبِحُ وَلاَ يُمْسِي إلاَّ وَنَفْسُهُ ظَنُونٌ عِنْدَهُ،
that a believer should be distrustful of his heart every morning and evening.
فَلاَ يَزَالُ زَارِياً عَلَيْهَا
He should always blame it (for shortcomings)
وَمُسْتَزِيْداً لَهَا،
and ask it to add to (its good acts).
فَكُونُوا كَالسَّابِقِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ،
You should behave like those who have gone before you
وَالْمَاضِينَ أَمَامَكُمْ،
and the precedents in front of you.
قَوَّضُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا تَقْوِيضَ الرَّاحِلِ،
They left this world like a traveller
وَطَوَوْهَا طَيَّ الْمَنَازلِ.
and covered it as distance is covered.
فضل القرآن
The greatness of the Holy Qur'an
وَاعْلَمُوا
And know
أَنَّ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ هُوَ النَّاصِحُ الَّذِي لاَ يَغُشُّ،
that this Qur'an is an adviser who never deceives,
وَالْهَادِي الَّذِي لاَ يُضِلُّ،
a leader who never misleads
وَالْمحَدِّثُ الَّذِي لاَ يَكْذِبُ،
and a narrator who never speaks a lie.
وَمَا جَالَسَ هذَا الْقُرْآنَ أَحَدٌ
No one will sit beside this Qur'an
إِلاَّ قَامَ عَنْهُ بِزِيَادَة أَوْ نُقْصَان:
but that when he rises he will achieve one addition or one diminution –
زِيَادَة فِي هُدىً، أَوْ نُقْصَان مِنْ عَمىً.
addition in his guidance or elimination in his (spiritual) blindness.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ عَلَى أَحَد بَعْدَ الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ فَاقَة،
You should also know that no one will need anything after (guidance from) the Qur'an
وَلاَ لاحَد قَبْلَ الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ غِنىً;
and no one will be free from want before (guidance from) the Qur'an.
فَاسْتَشْفُوهُ مِنْ أَدْوَائِكُمْ،
Therefore, seek cure from it for your ailments
وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِهِ عَلَى لاَوَائِكُمْ،
and seek its assistance in your distresses.
فَإنَّ فِيهِ شِفَاءً مِنْ أَكْبَرِ الدَّاءِ،
It contains a cure for the biggest diseases,
وَهُوَ الْكُفْرُ وَالنِّفَاقُ،
namely unbelief, hypocrisy,
وَالْغَيُّ وَالضَّلاَلُ،
revolt and misguidance.
فَاسْأَلُوا اللهَ بِهِ،
Pray to Allah through it
وَتَوَجَّهُوا إِلَيْهِ بِحُبِّهِ،
and turn to Allah with its love.
وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا بِهِ خَلْقَهُ،
Do not ask the people through it.
إنَّهُ مَا تَوَجَّهَ الْعِبَادُ إلَى اللهِ بِمِثْلِهِ.
There is nothing like it through which the people should turn to Allah, the Sublime.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ شَافِعٌ مُشَفَّعٌ،
Know that it is an interceder and its intercession will be accepted.
وَقَائِلٌ مُصَدَّقٌ،
It is a speaker who is testified.
وَأَنَّهُ مَنْ شَفَعَ لَهُ الْقُرْآنُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُفِّعَ فِيهِ،
For whoever the Qur'an intercedes on the Day of Judgement, its intercession for him would be accepted.
وَمَنْ مَحَلَ بِهِ الْقُرْآنُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ صُدِّقَ عَلَيْه،
He about whom the Qur'an speaks ill on the Day of Judgement shall testify to it.
فَإنَّهُ يُنَادِي مُنَاد يَوْمَ الْقِيَامةِ:
On the Day of Judgement an announcer will announce,
أَلاَ إنَّ كُلَّ حَارِث مُبْتَلىً فِي حَرْثِهِ وَعَاقِبَةِ عَمَلِهِ،
"Beware. every sower of a crop is in distress
غَيْرَ حَرَثَةِ الْقُرآنِ;
except the sowers of the Qur'an."
فَكُونُوا مِنْ حَرَثَتِهِ وَأَتْبَاعِهِ،
Therefore, you should be among the sowers of the Qur'an and its followers.
وَاسْتَدِلُّوهُ عَلى رِّبِّكُمْ،
Make it your guide towards Allah.
وَاسْتَنْصِحُوهُ عَلى أَنْفُسِكُمْ،
Seek its advice for yourselves,
وَاتَّهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ آرَاءَكُمْ،
do not trust your views against it.
وَاسْتَغِشُّوا فِيهِ أَهْوَاءَكُمْ.
and regard your desires in the matter of the Qur'an as deceitful.
الحث على العمل
About the believers and their good deeds; and the hypocrites and their bad deeds
الْعَمَلَ الْعَمَلَ، ثُمَّ النِّهَايَةَ النِّهَايَةَ، وَالاسْتَقَامَةَ الاسْتِقَامَةَ،
Action! action! Then (look at) the end; the end, and (remain) steadfast; steadfast.
ثُمَّ الصَّبْرَ الصَّبْرَ، وَالْوَرَعَ الْوَرَعَ!
Thereafter (exercise) endurance, endurance, and piety, piety.
إنَّ لَكُمْ نِهَايَةً
You have an objective.
فَانْتَهُوا إلى نِهَايَتِكُمْ،
Proceed towards your objective.
وَإنَّ لَكُمْ عَلَماً فَاهْتَدُوا بِعَلَمِكُمْ،
You have a sign. Take guidance from your sign.
وَإنَّ لِلاْسْلاَمِ غَايَةً فانْتَهُوا إلى غَايَتِهِ،
Islam has an objective. Proceed towards its objective.
وَاخْرُجُوا إلَى اللهِ بِمَا افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ حَقِّهِ،
Proceed towards Allah's by fulfilling His rights which He has enjoined upon you.
وَبَيَّنَ لكُمْ مِنْ وَظَائِفِهِ.
He has clearly stated His demands for you.
أَنَا شَاهِدٌ لَكُمْ، وَحَجِيجٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَنْكُمْ.
I am a witness for you and shall plead excuses on your behalf on the Day of Judgement.
أَلاَ وَإنَّ الْقَدَرَ السَّابِقَ قَدْ وَقَعَ،
Beware! What had been ordained has occurred
وَالْقَضَاءَ الْمَاضِيَ قَدْ تَوَرَّدَ،
and that which had been destined has come into play.
وَإنِّي مُتَكَلِّمٌ بِعِدَةِ اللهِ وَحُجَّتِهِ،
I am speaking to you with the promise and pleas of Allah.
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى :
Allah the Sublime, has said:
) إِنَّ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ أَنْ لاَ تَخَافُوا وَلاَ تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِي كُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ(،
Verily, those who say: “Our Lord is Allah” and persevere aright, the angels descend upon them (saying): "Fear ye not, nor be grieved, and receive the glad tidings of the Garden which ye were promised." (Qur'an, 41:30)
وَقَدْ قُلْتُمْ) : رَبُّنَا اللهُ(،
You have said. "Our Lord is Allah."
فَاسْتَقِيمُوا عَلَى كِتَابِهِ،
Then keep steadfast to His Book,
وَعَلَى مِنْهَاجِ أَمْرِهِ،
to the way of His command
وَعَلَى الطَّرِيقَةِ الصَّالِحَةِ مِنْ عِبَادتِهِ،
and to the virtuous course of His worship.
ثُمَّ لاَ تَمْرُقُوا مِنْهَا،
Thereafter do not go out of it,
وَلاَ تَبْتَدِعُوا فِيهَا،
do not introduce innovations in it,
وَلاَ تُخَالِفُوا عَنْهَا;
and do not turn away from it,
فَإنَّ أَهْلَ الْمُرُوقِ مُنْقَطَعٌ بِهمْ عِنْدَ اللهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.
because those who go away from this course will be cut off from (the mercy of) Allah on the Day of Judgement.
نصائح للناس
Counselling people
ثُمَّ إيَّاكُمْ وَتَهْزِيعَ الاْخْلاَقِ وَتَصْرِيفَهَا،
Beware from destroying your manners and changing them,
وَاجْعَلُوا اللِّسَانَ وَاحِداً،
maintaining one tongue.
وَلْيَخْتَزِنَ الرَّجُلُ لِسَانَهُ،
A man should control his tongue
فَإنَّ هذَا اللِّسَانَ جَمُوحٌ بِصَاحِبِهِ،
because the tongue is obstinate with its master.
وَاللهِ مَا أَرَى عَبْداً يَتَّقِي تَقْوَى تَنْفَعُهُ حَتَّى يَخْتَزِنَ لِسَانَهُ،
By Allah, I do not find that fear of Allah benefits a man who practises it unless he controls his tongue.
وَإنَّ لِسَانَ الْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ قَلْبِهِ،
Certainly the tongue of a believer is at the back of his heart
وَإنَّ قَلْبَ الْمُنَافِقِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ لِسَانِهِ:
while the heart of a hypocrite is at the back of his tongue;
لاِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بَكَلاَم تَدَبَّرَهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ،
because, when a believer intends to say anything, he thinks it over in his mind.
فَإنْ كَانَ خَيْراً أَبْدَاهُ،
If it is good he discloses it,
وَإنْ كَانَ شَرّاً وَارَاهُ،
but if it is bad he lets it remain concealed.
وَإنَّ الْمُنَافِقَ يَتَكَلَّمُ بِمَا أَتَى عَلَى لِسَانِهِ
While a hypocrite speaks whatever comes to his tongue,
لاَ يَدْرِي مَاذَا لَهُ،
without knowing what is in his favour
وَمَاذَا عَلَيْهِ،
and what goes against him.
وَلَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله):
The Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - said:
«لاَ يَسْتَقِيمُ إيمَانُ عَبْد حَتَّى يَسْتَقِيمَ قَلْبُهُ،
"The belief of a person cannot be firm unless his heart is firm,
وَلاَ يَسْتَقِيمُ قَلْبُهُ حَتَّى يَسْتَقِيمَ لِسَانُهُ»;
and his heart cannot be firm unless his tongue is firm."
فَمَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَلْقَى اللهَ سُبْحانَهُ
So whoever of you can manage to meet Allah, the Sublime,
وَهُوَ نَقِيُّ الرَّاحَةِ
in such a position that his hands are unsmeared
مِنْ دِمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ،
with the blood of Muslims and their property
سَلِيمُ اللِّسَانِ مِنْ أَعْرَاضِهِمْ، فَلْيَفْعَلْ.
and his tongue is safe from exposing them, he should do so.
تحريم البدع
Following the sunnah and refraining from innovation
وَاعْلَمُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ
Know, O creatures of Allah,
أَنَّ الْمُؤمِنَ يَسْتَحِلُّ الْعَامَ مَا اسْتَحَلَّ عَاماً أَوَّلَ،
that a believer should regard lawful this year what he regarded lawful in the previous year,
وَيُحَرِّمُ الْعَامَ مَا حَرَّمَ عَاماً أَوَّلَ،
and should consider unlawful this year what he considered unlawful in the previous year.
وَأَنَّ مَا أَحْدَثَ النَّاسُ لاَ يُحِلُّ لَكُمْ شَيْئاً مِمَّا حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ،
Certainly people's innovation cannot make lawful for you what has been declared unlawful;
وَلكِنَّ الْحَلاَلَ مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ،
rather, lawful is that which Allah has made lawful
وَالْحَرَامَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللهُ،
and unlawful is that which Allah has made unlawful.
فَقَدْ جَرَّبْتُمُ الاْمْورَ
You have already tested the matters
وَضَرَّسْتُمُوهَا،
and tried them;
وَوُعِظْتُمْ بِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ،
you have been preached by those before you.
وَضُرِبَتِ الاْمْثَالُ لَكُم،
Illustrations have been drawn for you
وَدُعِيتُمْ إلَى الاْمْرِ الْوَاضِحِ;
and you have been called to clear fact.
فَلاَ يَصَمُّ عَنْ ذلِكَ إلاَّ أَصَمُّ،
Only a deaf man can remain deaf to all this,
وَلاَ يَعْمَى عَنْهُ إلاَّ أَعْمَى.
and only a blind man can remain blind to all this.
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَنْفَعْهُ اللهُ بِالْبَلاَءِ وَالتَّجَارِبِ
He whom Allah does not allow benefit from trials and experience
لَمْ يَنْتَفِعْ بِشَيْء مِنَ الْعِظَةِ،
cannot benefit from preaching.
وَأَتَاهُ الْتَّقْصِيرُ مِنْ أَمَامِه،
He will be faced with losses from in front,
حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ مَا أَنْكَرَ،
so that he will approve what is bad
وَيُنْكِرَ مَا عَرَفَ.
and disapprove what is good.
وَإنَّمَا النَّاسُ رَجُلاَنِ:
People are of two categories –
مُتَّبِعٌ شِرْعَةً،
the follower of the shari’ah (religious laws),
وَمُبْتَدِعٌ بِدْعَةً،
and the follower of the innovations
لَيْسَ مَعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ بُرْهَانُ سُنَّة،
to whom Allah has not given any testimony by way of sunnah
وَلاَ ضِياءُ حُجَّة.
or the light of any plea.
القرآن
Guidance from the Holy Qur'an
وَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَعِظْ أَحَداً بِمِثْلِ هذَا الْقُرْآنِ،
Allah the Glorified, has not counselled anyone on the lines of this Qur'an,
فَإِنَّهُ حَبْلُ اللهِ الْمَتِينُ، وَسَبَبُهُ الاْمِينُ،
for it is the strong rope of Allah and His trustworthy means.
وَفِيهِ رَبِيعُ الْقَلْبِ، وَيَنَابِيعُ الْعِلْمِ،
It contains the blossoming of the heart and springs of knowledge.
وَمَا لِلْقَلْبِ جَلاَءٌ غَيْرُهُ،
For the heart there is no other gloss than the Qur'an
مَعَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ ذَهَبَ الْمُتَذَكِّرُونَ،
although those who remembered it have passed away
وَبَقِيَ النَّاسُونَ أَوِ الْمُتَنَاسُونَ.
while those who forgot or pretended to have forgotten it have remained.
فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ خَيْراً فَأَعِينُوا عَلَيْهِ،
If you see any good give your support to it,
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ شَرّاً فَاذْهَبُوا عَنْهُ،
but if you see evil evade it,
فَإنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) كَانَ يَقُولُ:
because the Messenger of Allah used to say:
«يَابْنَ آدَمَ، اعْمَلِ الْخَيْرَ وَدَعِ الشَّرَّ، فَإِذَا أَنْتَ جَوَادٌ قَاصِدٌ»
"O son of Adam, do good and evade evil; by doing so you will be treading correctly."
أنواع الظلم
Categories of oppression
أَلاَ وَإنَّ الظُّلْمَ ثَلاَثَةٌ:
Know that injustice is of three kinds –
فَظُلْمٌ لاَ يُغْفَرُ،
one, the injustice that will not be forgiven,
وَظُلْمٌ لاَ يُتْرَكُ،
another, that will not be left unquestioned,
وظُلْمٌ مَغْفُورٌ لاَ يُطْلَبُ:
and another that will be forgiven without being questioned.
فَأَمَّا الظُّلْمُ الَّذِي لاَ يُغْفَرُ فَالشِّرْكُ بِاللهِ، قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
The injustice that will not be forgiven is duality of Allah. Allah has said:
(إنَّ اللهَ لاَ يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ)
Verily Allah forgiveth not that (anything) be associated with Him ... (Qur'an, 4:48,116).
وَأَمَّا الظُّلْمُ الَّذِي يُغْفَرُ فَظُلْمُ الْعَبْدِ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ بَعْضِ الْهَنَاتِ.
The injustice that will be forgiven is the injustice a man does to himself by committing small sins;
وَأَمَّا الظُّلْمُ الَّذِي لاَ يُتْرَكُ فَظُلْمُ الْعِبَادِ بَعْضِهِمْ بَعْضاً.
and the injustice that will not be left unquestioned is the injustice of men against other men.
الْقِصَاصُ هُنَاكَ شَدِيدٌ،
The retribution in such a case is severe.
لَيْسَ هُوَ جَرْحاً بِالْمُدَى
It is not wounding with knives,
وَلاَ ضَرْباً بِالسِّيَاطِ،
nor striking with whips,
وَلكِنَّهُ مَا يُسْتَصْغَرُ ذلِكَ مَعَهُ.
but it is so severe that all these things are small against it.
فَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّلَوُّنَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ،
You should therefore avoid change in the matter of Allah's religion
فَإِنَّ جَمَاعَةً فِيَما تَكْرَهُونَ مِنَ الْحَقّ،
for your unity in respect of a right which you dislike
خَيْرٌ مِنْ فُرْقَة فِيَما تُحِبُّونَ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ،
is better than your scattering away in respect of a wrong that you like.
وَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يُعْطِ أَحَداً بِفُرْقَة خَيْراً مِمَّنْ مَضَى،
Certainly, Allah the Glorified has not given any person, whether among the dead or among those who survive,
وَلاَ مِمَّنْ بَقِيَ
any good from separation.
يَا أيُّهَا النَّاسُ طُوبى لِمَنْ شَغَلَهُ عَيْبُهُ عَنْ عُيُوبِ النَّاسِ،
O people, blessed is the man whose own shortcomings keep him away from (looking into) the shortcomings of others,
وَطُوبى لِمَنْ لَزِمَ بَيْتَهُ،
and also blessed is the man who is confined to his house,
وَأَكَلَ قُوتَهُ،
eats his meal,
وَاشْتَغَلَ بِطَاعَةِ رَبِّهِ، وَبَكَى عَلَى خَطِيئَتِهِ،
buries himself in obeying his Allah. and weeps over his sins,
فَكَانَ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ فِي شُغُل،
so that he is engaged in himself
وَالنَّاسُ مِنْهُ فِي رَاحَة!
and people are in safety from him.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 176: Al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, 219; al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, II, 443; al-Barqi, al-Mahasin, 6; al-Saduq, al-'Amali, 153; al-’Ayyashi, Tafsir, II, 262; al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 71.
