لاَ يَشْغَلُهُ شَأْنٌ،
One condition does not prevent Him from (getting into) another condition,
وَلاَ يُغَيِّرُهُ زَمَانٌ،
time does not change Him,
وَلاَ يَحْوِيهِ مَكَانٌ،
place does not locate him
وَلاَ يَصِفُهُ لِسَانٌ،
and the tongue does not describe Him.
وَلاَ يَعْزُبُ عَنْهُ عَدَدُ قَطْرِ الْمَاءِ،
The number of drops of water,
وَلاَ نُجُومِ السَّماءِ،
of stars in the sky,
وَلاَسَوَافِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْهَوَاءِ،
or of currents of winds in the air are not unknown to Him,
وَلاَ دَبِيبُ الـنَّمْلِ عَلَى الصَّفَا،
nor the movements of ants on rocks,
وَلاَ مَقِيلُ الذَّرِّ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الظَّلْمَاءِ.
or the resting place of grubs in the dark night.
يَعْلَمُ مَسَاقِطَ الاْوْرَاقِ،
He knows the places where leaves fall,
وَخَفِيَّ طَرْفِ الاْحْدَاقِ.
and the secret movements of the pupils of the eyes.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إلهِ إِلاَّ اللهُ
I stand witness that there is no god but Allah,
غَيْرَ مَعْدُول بِهِ،
Who has no parallel,
وَلاَ مَشْكُوك فِيهِ،
Who is not doubted,
وَلاَ مَكْفُور دِينُهُ،
Whose religion is not denied
وَلاَ مَجْحُود تَكْوِينُهُ،
and Whose creativeness is not questioned.
شَهَادَةَ مَنْ صَدَقَتْ نِيَّتُهُ،
My witnessing is like that of a man whose intention is free,
وَصَفَتْ دِخْلَتُهُ،
whose conscience is clear,
وَخَلَصَ يَقِينُهُ،
whose belief is pure
وَثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ.
and whose loads (of good actions) are heavy.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ،
I also stand witness that Muhammad - the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny - is His slave and His Messenger,
الْـمُجْتَبَى مِنْ خَلاَئِقِهِ،
chosen from His creations,
وَالْمُعْتَامُ لِشَرْحِ حَقَائِقِهِ،
selected for detailing His realities,
وَالْـمُخْتَصُّ بِعَقَائِلِ كَرَامَاتِهِ،
picked for His selected honours
وَالْمُصْطَفَى لِكَرَائِمِ رِسَالاَتِهِ،
and chosen for His esteemed messages.
وَالْمُوَضَّحَةُ بِهِ أَشْرَاطُ الْهُدَى،
Through him the signs of guidance have been lighted
وَالْـمَجْلُوُّ بِهِ غِرْبِيبُ الْعَمَى.
and the gloom of blindness (misguidance) has been dispelled.
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ،
O people,
إنَّ الدُّنْيَا تَغُرُّ الْمُؤَمِّلَ لَهَا وَالْـمُخلِدَ إِلَيْهَا،
surely this world deceives him who longs for it and who is attracted towards it.
وَلاَ تَنْفَسُ بِمَنْ نَافَسَ فِيهَا،
It does not behave niggardly with him who aspires for it
وَتَغْلِبُ مَنْ غَلَبَ عَلَيْهَا.
and overpowers him who overpowers it.
وَايْمُ اللهِ،
By Allah,
مَا كَانَ قَوْمٌ قَطُّ فِي غَضِّ نِعْمَة مِنْ عَيْش فَزَالَ عَنْهُمْ
no people are deprived of the lively pleasures of life after enjoying them,
إِلاَّ بِذُنُوب اجْتَرَحُوهَا،
except as a result of sins committed by them,
لاِنَّ (اللهَ لَيْسَ بِظَلاَّم لِلْعَبِيدِ)
because certainly Allah is not unjust to His creatures.
وَلَوْ أَنَّ النَّاسَ حِينَ تَنْزِلُ بِهِمُ النِّقَمُ،
Even then, when calamities descend upon people
وَتَزُولُ عَنْهُمُ النِّعَمُ،
and pleasures depart from them,
فَزِعُوا إِلَى رَبِّهِمْ بِصِدْق مِنْ نِيَّاتِهمْ،
they turn towards Allah with true intention
وَوَلَه مِنْ قُلُوبِهمْ،
and the feeling in their hearts
لَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِمْ كُلَّ شَارِد،
that He will return them everything that has fled from them
وَأَصْلَحَ لَهُمْ كُلَّ فَاسِد،
and cure all their ills.
وَإنِّي لاَخْشَى عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَكُونُوا فِي فَتْرَة،
I fear about you lest you fall into ignorance (that prevailed before the appearance of the Prophet).
وَقَدْ كَانَتْ أُمُورٌ مَضَتْ،
In the past there were certain matters
مِلْتمْ فِيهَا مَيْلَةً،
in which you were deflected,
كُنْتُمْ فِيهَا عِندِي غَيْرَ مَحْمُودِينَ،
and in my view you were not worthy of admiration;
وَلَئِنْ رُدَّ عَلَيْكُمْ أَمْرُكُمْ إنَّكُمْ لَسُعَدَاءُ،
but if your previous position could be returned to you then you would become virtuous.
وَمَا عَلَيَّ إلاَّ الْجُهْدُ،
I can only strive;
وَلَوْ أَشاءُ أَنْ أَقُولَ لَقُلْتُ:
but if I were to speak I would (only) say
عَفَا اللهُ عَمَّا سَلَفَ!
may Allah forgive your past actions.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 178: Al-Wasiti, ‘Uyun al-hikam, see al-Majlisi, Bihar, vol. 77, 307; al-Saduq, al-Khisal, II, 163; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, 162; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, III, 282 (‘a.q.l.).
