الْحَمْدُ لله الْفَاشِي حَمْدُهُ،
Praise be to Allah Whose praise is wide-spread,
وَالْغَالِبِ جُنْدُهُ،
Whose army is over-powering
وَالْمُتَعَالِي جَدُّهُ.
and Whose dignity is grand.
أحْمَدُهُ عَلَى نِعَمِهِ التُّؤَامِ،
I praise Him for His successive favours
وَآلاَئِهِ الْعِظَامِ،
and His great gifts.
الَّذِي عَظُمَ حِلْمُهُ فَعَفَا،
His forbearance is high so that He forgives
وَعَدَلَ فِي كُلِّ مَا قَضَى،
and is just in whatever He decides.
وَعَلِمَ مَا يَمْضِي وَمَا مَضَى،
He knows what is going on and what has already passed.
مُبْتَدِعِ الْخَلاَئِقِ بِعِلْمِهِ،
He crafted all creation by His knowledge
وَمُنْشِئِهِمْ بِحُكْمِهِ،
and produced it by His intelligence
بِلاَ اقْتِدَاء وَلاَ تَعْلِيم،
without limitation, without learning,
وَلاَ احْتِذَاء لِمِثَالِ صَانِع حَكِيم،
without following the example of any intelligent producer,
وَلاَ إِصابَةِ خَطَأ،
without committing any mistake
وَلاَ حَضْرَةِ مَلاَ
and without the availability of any group (for help);
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ،
I stand witness that Muhammad - the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - is His slave and His messenger
ابْتَعَثَهُ وَالنَّاسُ يَضْرِبُونَ فِي غَمْرَة،
whom He deputed (at a time) when people were collecting in the abyss
وَيَمُوجُونُ فِي حَيْرَة،
and moving in bewilderment.
قَدْ قَادَتْهُمْ أَزِمَّةُ الْحَيْنِ،
The reins of destruction were dragging them,
وَاسْتَغْلَقَتْ عَلَى أَفْئِدَتِهِمْ أَقْفَالُ الرَّيْنِ.
and the locks of misguidance and deviation lay fixed on their hearts.
الوصية بالزهد والتقوى
Advice about fear of Allah and an account of this world and its people
أُوصِيكُمْ عِبَادَ اللهِ بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، فَإِنَّهَا حَقُّ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ،
I advise you, O creatures of Allah, that you should have fear of Allah because it is a right of Allah over you
وَالْمُوجِبَةُ عَلَى اللهِ حَقَّكُمْ،
and it creates your right over Allah,
وَأَنْ تَسْتَعِينُوا عَلَيْهَا بِاللهِ،
and that you should seek Allah's help in it,
وَتَسْتَعِينُوا بِهَا عَلَى اللهِ،
and its help in (meeting) Allah.
فَإِنَّ الْتَّقْوَى فِي الْيَوْمِ الْحِرْزُ وَالْجُنَّةُ،
Certainly, for today fear of Allah is a protection and a shield,
وَفِي غَد الطَّرِيقُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ،
and for tomorrow (the Day of Judgement) it is the road to Paradise.
مَسْلَكُهَا وَاضِحٌ،
Its way is clear
وَسَالِكُهَا رَابحٌ،
and he who treads it is the gainer.
وَمُسْتَوْدَعُهَا حَافِظٌ،
Whoever holds it, guards it.
لَمْ تَبْرَحْ عَارِضَةً نَفْسَهَا عَلَى الاُمَمِ الْمَاضِينَ
It has presented itself to the people who have already passed and to those coming from behind,
وَالْغَابِرينَ لِحَاجَتِهِمْ إِلَيْهَا غَداً،
because they will need it tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement)
إِذَا أَعَادَ اللهُ مَا أَبْدَى،
when Allah will revive His creation again,
وَأَخَذَ مَا أَعْطَى،
take back what He has given
وَسَأَلَ عَمَّا أَسْدَى.
and take account of what He has bestowed.
فَمَا أَقَلَّ مَنْ قَبِلَهَا،
How few will be those who accept it
وَحَمَلَهَا حَقَّ حَمْلِهَا!
and practise it as it ought to be practised.
أُولئِكَ الاْقَلُّونَ عَدَداً،
They will be very few in number,
وَهُمْ أَهْلُ صِفَةِ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ
and they are the people who correspond to the description given by Allah, the Glorified,
إِذْ يَقُولُ:
when He says:
(وَقَلِيلٌ مِنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ)
... And very few of My creatures are grateful! (Qur'an. 34:13)
فَأَهْطِعُوا بِأَسْمَاعِكُمْ إِلَيْهَا،
Therefore, hasten with your ears towards it
وأكظّوا بِجِدِّكُمْ عَلَيْهَا،
and intensify your efforts for it.
وَاعْتَاضُوهَا مِنْ كُلِّ سَلَف خَلَفاً،
Make it a substitute for all your past (short-comings) to take their place as a successor,
وَمِنْ كُلِّ مُخَالِف مُوَافِقاً.
and make it your supporter against every opponent.
أَيْقِظُوا بِهَا نَوْمَكُمْ،
Turn your sleep into wakefulness by its help,
واقْطَعُوا بِهَا يَوْمَكُمْ،
and pass your days with it.
وَأَشْعِرُوهَا قُلُوبَكُمْ،
Make it the equipment of your hearts,
وَارْحَضُوا بِهَا ذُنُوبَكُمْ،
wash your sins with it,
وَدَاوُوا بِهَا الاْسْقَامَ،
treat your ailments with it
وَبَادِرُوا بِهَا الْحِمَامَ،
and hasten towards your death with it.
وَاعْتَبِرُوا بِمَنْ أَضَاعَهَا،
Take a lesson from him who neglects it,
وَلاَ يَعْتَبِرَنَّ بِكُمْ مَنْ أَطَاعَهَا.
so that others who follow it should not take a lesson from you (i.e., from your neglecting it).
أَلاَ وصُونُوهَا وَتَصَوَّنُوا بِهَا،
Beware, therefore; you should take care of it and should take care of yourselves through it.
وَكُونُو عَنِ الدُّنْيَا نُزَّاهاً،
Keep away from this world
وَإِلَى الاْخِرَةِ وُلاَّهاً
and proceed towards the next world infatuatedly.
وَلاَ تَضَعُوا مَنْ رَفَعَتْهُ التَّقْوَى،
Do not regard humble he whom fear of Allah has given a high position,
وَلاَ تَرْفَعُوا مَنْ رَفَعَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا،
and do not accord a high position to him whom this world has given a high position.
وَلاَ تَشِيمُوا بَارِقَهَا،
Do not keep your eyes on the shining clouds of the world,
وَلاَ تَسْمَعُوا نَاطِقَهَا،
do not listen to him who speaks of it,
وَلاَ تُجِيبُوا نَاعِقَهَا،
do not respond to him who calls towards it,
وَلاَ تَسْتَضِيئُوا بِإِشْرَاقِهَا،
do not seek light from its glare,
وَلاَ تُفْتَنُوا بِأَعْلاَقِهَا،
and do not die in its precious things,
فَإِنَّ بَرْقهَا خَالِبٌ،
because its brightness is deceitful,
وَنُطْقَهَا كَاذِبٌ،
its words are false,
وَأَمْوَالَهَا مَحْرُوبةٌ،
its wealth is liable to be looted,
وَأَعْلاَقَهَا مَسْلُوبَةٌ.
and its precious thing are to be taken away.
أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْمُتَصَدِّيَةُ الْعَنُونُ،
Beware, this world attracts and then turns away.
وَالْجَامِحَةُ الْحَرُونُ،
It is stubborn, refusing to go ahead.
وَالْمَائِنَةُ الْخَأُون،
It speaks lies and misappropriates.
وَالْجَحُودُ الْكَنُودُ،
It disowns and is ungrateful.
وَالْعَنُودُ الصَّدُودُ،
It is malicious and abandons (its lovers).
وَالْحَيُودُ الْمَيُودُ.
It attracts but causes trouble.
حَالُهَا انْتِقَالٌ،
Its condition is changing,
وَوَطْأَتُهَا زِلْزَالٌ،
its step shaking,
وَعِزُّهَا ذُلٌّ،
its honour disgrace,
وَجِدُّهَا هَزْلٌ،
its seriousness jest,
وَعُلْوُهَا سُفْلٌ،
and its height lowliness.
دَارُ حَرَب وَسَلَب،
It is a place of plunder and pillage,
وَنَهْب وَعَطَب،
and ruin and destruction.
أَهْلُهَا عَلَى سَاق وَسِيَاق،
Its people are ready with their feet to drive,
وَلَحَاق وَفِرَاق.
to overtake and to depart.
قَدْ تَحَيَّرَتْ مَذَاهِبُهَا،
Its routes are bewildering,
وَأَعْجَزَتْ مَهَارِبُهَا،
its exits are baffling,
وَخَابَتْ مَطَالِبُهَا،
and its schemes end in disappointment.
فَأَسْلَمَتْهُمُ الْمَعَاقِلُ،
Consequently, strongholds betray them,
وَلَفَظَتْهُمُ الْمَنَازِلُ،
houses throw them out
وَأَعْيَتْهُمُ الْـمَحَاوِلُ
and cunning fails them.
فَمِنْ نَاج مَعْقُور،
Some of them are like hocked camel,
وَلَحْم مَجْزُور،
some like butchered meat,
وَشِلْو مَذْبُوح،
some like severed limbs,
وَدَم مَسْفُوح،
some like spilt blood,
وَعَاضّ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ،
some are biting their hands (in pain)
وَصَافِق لِكَفَّيْهِ،
some are rubbing their palms (in remorse),
وَمُرْتَفِق بِخَدَّيْهِ،
some are holding their cheeks on their hands (in anxiety),
وَزَار عَلَى رَأْيِهِ،
some are cursing their own views
وَرَاجِع عَنْ عَزْمِهِ،
and some are retreating from their determination.
وَقَدْ أَدْبَرَتِ الْحِيلَةُ،
But the time for action has gone away
وَأَقْبَلَتِ الْغِيلَةُ،
and the hour of calamity has approached,
(وَلاَتَ حِينَ مَنَاص)
while (there was no longer) the time to escape (Qur'an, 38:3).
هَيْهَاتَ هَيْهَاتَ!
Alas! Alas!
قَدْ فَاتَ مَا فَاتَ،
What has been lost is lost!
وَذَهَبَ مَا ذَهَبَ،
What has gone is gone!
ومَضَتِ الدُّنْيَا لِحَالِ بَالِهَا
The world has passed in its usual manner.
(فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءُ وَالاْرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْظَرِينَ).
So wept not on them the heavens and the earth nor were they respited. (Qur'an, 44:29)
Alternative Sources for Sermon 191: Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 87, 180, 245; Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh, see ‘Abd al-Zahra', III, 28.
