الْحَمْدُ لله الَّذِي لَبِسَ الْعِزَّ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءَ،
Praise be to Allah who wears the apparel of Honour and Dignity
وَاخْتَارَهُمَا لنَفْسِهِ دُونَ خَلْقِهِ،
and has chosen them for Himself instead of for His creation.
وَجَعَلَهُمَا حِمىً وَحَرَماً عَلَى غَيْرِهِ،
He has made them inaccessible and unlawful for others.
وَاصْطَفَاهُمَا لِجَلاَلِهِ.
He has selected them for His own great self,
وَجَعَلَ اللَّعْنَةَ عَلَى مَنْ نَازَعَهُ فِيهِمَا مِنْ عِبَادِهِ،
and has hurled a curse on him who contests with Him concerning them.
رأس العصيان
Allah's trial and the vanity of Iblis
ثُمَّ اخْتَبَرَ بِذلِكَ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ الْمُقَرَّبِينَ،
Then He put His angels on trial concerning these attributes
لِيمِيزَ المُتَوَاضِعيِنَ مِنْهُمْ مِنَ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ،
in order to distinguish those who are modest from those who are vain.
فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ وَهُوَ الْعَالِمُ بِمُضْمَرَاتِ القُلُوبِ،
Therefore, Allah, who is aware of whatever is hidden in the hearts
وَمَحْجُوبَاتِ الْغُيُوبِ:
and whatever lies behind the unseen said:
(إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَراً مِنْ طِين * فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ * فَسَجَدَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ * إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ)
. . . "Verily I am about to create man from clay," And when I have completed and have breathed into him of My spirit, then fall ye prostrating in obeisance unto him. And did fall prostrating in obeisance the angels all together, Save lblis;... (Qur'an. 38:71-74)
اعْتَرَضَتْهُ الْحَمِيَّةُ،
His vanity stood in his way.
فَافْتَخَرَ عَلَى آدَمَ بَخَلْقِهِ،
Consequently, he felt proud over Adam by virtue of his creation
وَتَعَصَّبَ عَلَيْهِ لاِصْلِهِ.
and boasted over him on account of his origin.
فَعَدُوُّ اللهِ إِمَامُ الْمُتَعَصِّبِينَ،
Thus, this enemy of Allah is the leader of those who boast,
وَسَلَفُ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ،
and the fore-runner of the vain.
الَّذِي وَضَعَ أَسَاسَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ،
It is he who laid the foundation of factionalism,
وَنازَعَ اللهَ رِدَاءَ الْجَبْرِيَّةِ،
quarreled with Allah about the robe of greatness,
وَادَّرَعَ لِبَاسَ التَّعَزُّزِ،
put on the dress of haughtiness
وَخَلَعَ قِنَاعَ التَّذَلُّلِ.
and took off the covering of humility.
أَلاَ تَرَوْنَ كَيْفَ صَغَّرَهُ اللهُ بِتَكَبُّرِهِ،
Do you not see how Allah made him low on account of his vanity
وَوَضَعَهُ بِتَرَفُّعِهِ،
and humiliated him for his feigning to be high?
فَجَعَلَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَدْحُوراً،
He discarded him in this world
وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ فِي الاْخِرَةِ سَعِيراً؟!
and provided for him burning fire in the next world.
ابتلاء الله لخلقه
Allah’s trial of His creatures
وَلَوْ أَرَادَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ آدَمَ مِنْ نُور يَخْطَفُ الاْبْصَارَ ضِيَاؤُهُ،
If Allah had wanted to create Adam from a light whose glare would have dazzled the eyes,
وَيَبْهَرُ الْعُقُولَ رُوَاؤُهُ،
whose handsomeness would have amazed the wits
وَطِيب يَأْخُذُ الاْنْفَاسَ عَرْفُهُ،
and whose fragrance would have caught the breath,
لَفَعَلَ،
He could have done so;
وَلَوْ فَعَلَ لَظَلَّتْ لَهُ الاْعْنَاقُ خَاضِعَةً،
and if He had done so, people would have bowed to him in humility
وَلَخَفَّتِ الْبَلْوَى فِيهِ عَلَى المَلائِكَةِ.
and the trial of the angels through him would have become easier.
وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يَبْتَلِي خَلْقَهُ بِبَعْضِ مَا يَجْهَلُونَ أَصْلَهُ،
But Allah, the Glorified, tries His creatures by means of those things whose real nature they do not know
تَمْيِيزاً بِالاخْتِبَارِ لَهُمْ،
in order to distinguish (good and bad) for them through the trial,
وَنَفْياً لِلاْسْتِكَبَارِ عَنْهُمْ،
and to remove vanity from them and keep them
وَإِبْعَاداً لِلْخُيَلاَءِ مِنْهُم.
and keep them aloof from pride and self-admiration.
فَاعْتَبِروا بِمَا كَانَ مِنْ فِعْلِ اللهِ بِإِبْلِيسَ،
You should take a lesson from what Allah did with Satan;
إِذْ أَحْبَطَ عَمَلَهُ الطَّوِيلَ،
namely He nullified his great acts
وَجَهْدَهُ الْجَهِيدَ،
and extensive efforts on account of the vanity of one moment,
وَكَانَ قَدْ عَبَدَ اللهَ سِتَّةَ آلاَفِ سَنَة،
although Satan had worshipped Allah for six thousand years –
لاَ يُدْرَى أمِنْ سِنِي الدُّنْيَا أَمْ مِنْ سِنِي الاْخِرَةِ، عَنْ كِبْرِ سَاعَة وَاحِدَة.
whether by the reckoning of this world or of the next world is not known.
فَمَنْ بَعْدَ إِبْلِيسَ يَسْلَمُ عَلَى اللهِ بِمِثْلِ مَعْصِيَتِهِ؟
Who now can remain safe from Allah after Satan by committing a similar disobedience?
كَلاَّ،
None at all.
مَا كَانَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لِيُدْخِلَ الْجَنَّةَ بَشَراً بِأَمْر أَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنْهَا مَلَكاً،
Allah, the Glorified, cannot let a human being enter Paradise if he does the same thing for which Allah turned out from it an angel.
إِنَّ حُكْمَهُ فِي أَهْلِ السَّماءِ وأَهْلِ الاْرْضِ لَوَاحِدٌ،
His command for the inhabitants in the sky and of the earth is the same.
وَمَا بَيْنَ اللهِ وَبَيْنَ أَحَد مِنْ خَلْقِهِ
There is no friendship between Allah and any individual out of His creation
هَوَادَةٌ فِي إِبَاحَةِ حِمىً حَرَّمَهُ عَلَى الْعَالَمينَ.
so as to give him license for an undesirable thing which He has held unlawful for all the worlds.
التحذير من الشيطان
Warning against Satan
فَاحْذَرُوا عَدُوَّ اللهِ أَنْ يُعْدِيَكُمْ بِدَائِهِ،
Therefore, you should fear lest the enemy of Allah (Satan) infects you with his disease,
وَأَنْ يَسْتَفِزَّكُمْ [بِنِدَائِهِ، وَأَنْ يُجْلِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ] بِخَيْلِهِ وَرَجِلِهِ.
or ‘leads you astray through his call, or marches on you with his horsemen and footmen’, (ref. 17:64)
فَلَعَمْرِي لَقَدْ فَوَّقَ لَكُمْ سَهْمَ الْوَعِيدِ،
because, by my life, he has put the menacing arrow in the bow for you,
وَأَغْرَقَ لَكُم بِالنَّزْعِ الشَّدِيدِ،
has stretched the bow strongly,
وَرَمَاكُمْ مِنْ مَكَان قَرِيب،
and has aimed at you from a nearby position,
و
and:
(قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لاَزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الاْرْضِ وَلاَغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ)
He (Satan) said: "My Lord! Because Thou hast left me to stray, certainly will I adorn unto them the path of error, and certainly will I cause them all to go astray." (Qur'an, 15:39)
قَذْفاً بِغَيْب بَعِيد،
Although he (Satan) had said so only by guessing about the unknown future
وَرَجْماً بِظَنٍّ غَيْرِ مُصِيب،
and by wrong conjecturing,
صَدَّقَهُ بِهِ أَبْنَاءُ الْحَمِيَّةِ،
yet the sons of vanity,
وَإِخْوَانُ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ،
the brothers of haughtiness
وَفُرْسَانُ الْكِبْرِ وَالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
and the horsemen of pride and intolerance proved him to be true,
حَتَّى إِذَا انْقَادَتْ لَهُ الْجَامِحَةُ مِنْكُمْ،
so much so that when disobedient persons from among you bowed before him,
وَاسْتَحْكَمَتِ الطَّمَاعِيَّةُ مِنْهُ فِيكُمْ،
and his greed about you gained strength;
فَنَجَمَتِ الْحَالُ مِنَ السِّرِّ الْخَفِىِّ إِلَى الاْمْرِ الْجَلِيِّ،
and what was a hidden secret turned into a clear fact,
اسْتَفْحَلَ سُلْطَانُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ،
he spread his full control over you
وَدَلَفَ بِجُنُودِهِ نَحْوَ كُمْ،
and marched with his forces towards you.
فَأَقْحَمُوكُمْ وَلَجَاتِ الذُّلِّ،
Then they pushed you into the hollows of disgrace,
وَأَحَلُّوكم وَرَطَاتِ الْقَتْلِ،
threw you into the whirlpools of slaughter,
وَأَوْطَأُوكُمْ إِثْخَانَ الْجِرَاحَةِ،
and trampled you, wounding you
طَعْناً فِي عُيُونِكُم،
by striking your eyes with spears,
وَحَزّاً فِي حُلُوقِكُمْ،
cutting your throats,
وَدَقّاً لِمَناخِرِكُمْ،
tearing your nostrils,
وَقَصْداً لِمَقَاتِلِكُمْ،
breaking your limbs
وَسوقاً بِخَزَائمِ الْقَهْرِ
and taking you in ropes of control
إِلَى النَّارِ المُعَدَّةِ لَكُمْ،
towards the fire already prepared.
فَأَصْبَحَ أَعْظَمَ فِي دِينِكُمْ جَرْحاً،
In this way he became more harmful to your religion
وَأَوْرَىفِي دُنْيَا كُمْ قَدْحاً،
and a greater kindler of flames (of mischief) about your worldly matters
مِنَ الَّذِينَ أَصْبَحْتُمْ لَهُمْ مُنَاصِبِينَ،
than the enemies against whom you showed open opposition
وَعَلَيْهِمْ مُتَأَلِّبِين.
and against whom you marched your forces.
فَاجْعَلُوا عَلَيْهِ حَدَّكُمْ،
You should therefore spend all your force against him,
وَلَهُ جَدَّكُمْ،
and all your efforts against him,
فَلَعَمْرُ اللهِ لَقَدْ فَخَرَ عَلَى أَصْلِكُمْ،
because, by Allah, he boasted over your (i.e., Adam's) origin,
وَوَقَعَ في حَسَبِكُمْ،
questioned your position
وَدَفَعَ فِي نَسَبِكُمْ،
and spoke lightly of your lineage.
وَأَجْلَبَ بِخَيْلِهِ عَلَيْكُمْ،
He advanced on you with his army,
وَقَصَدَ بِرَجِلِهِ سَبِيلَكُمْ،
and brought his footmen towards your path.
يَقْتَنِصُونَكُمْ بِكُلِّ مَكَان،
They are chasing you from every place,
وَيَضْرِبُونَ مِنْكُمْ كُلَّ بَنَان،
and they are hitting you at every finger joint.
لاَ تَمْتَنِعُونَ بِحِيلَة،
You are not able to defend by any means,
وَلاَ تَدْفَعُونَ بِعَزِيمَة،
nor can you repulse them by any determination.
فِي حَوْمَةِ ذُلّ،
You are in the thick of disgrace,
وَحَلْقَةِ ضِيق،
the ring of straitness,
وَعَرْصَةِ مَوْت،
the field of death
وَجَوْلَةِ بَلاَء.
and the way of distress.
فَأَطْفِئُوا مَا كَمَنَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ مِنْ نِيرَانِ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ، وَأَحْقَادِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ،
You should therefore put out the fires of haughtiness and the flames of intolerance that are hidden in your hearts.
وإنَّمَا تِلْكَ الْحَمِيَّةُ تَكُونُ فِي الْمُسْلِمِ مِنْ خَطَرَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ
This vanity can exist in a Muslim only by the machinations of Satan,
وَنَخَواتِهِ،
his haughtiness,
وَنَزَغَاتِهِ
mischief
وَنَفَثَاتِهِ.
and whisperings.
وَاعْتَمِدُوا وَضْعَ التَّذَلُّلِ عَلَى رُؤُوسِكُمْ،
Make up your mind to have humility over your heads,
وَإِلْقَاءَ التَّعَزُّزِ تَحَتْ أَقْدَامِكُمْ،
to trample self-pride under your feet
وَخَلْعَ التَّكَبُّرِ مِنْ أَعْنَاقِكُمْ.
and to cast off vanity from your necks.
وَاتَّخِذُوا التَّوَاضُعَ مَسْلَحَةً بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ عَدُوِّكُمْ إِبْلِيسَ وَجُنُودِهِ،
Adopt humility as the weapon between you and your enemy, Satan and his forces.
فَإِنَّ لَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّة
He certainly has, from every people,
جُنُوداً وأَعْوَاناً،
fighters, helpers,
وَرَجِلاً وَفُرْسَاناً،
footmen and horsemen.
وَلاَ تَكُونُوا كالْمُتَكَبِّرِ عَلَى ابْنِ أُمِّهِ
Do not be like him who feigned superiority over the son of his own mother
مِنْ غَيْرِ مَا فَضْل جَعَلَهُ اللهُ فِيهِ سِوَى مَا أَلْحَقَتِ الْعَظَمَةُ بِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ عَدَاوَةِ الْحَسَدِ،
without any distinction given to him by Allah except the feeling of envy
وَقَدَحَتِ الْحَمِيَّةُ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِنْ نَارِ الْغَضَبِ،
which his feeling of greatness created in him and the fire of anger that vanity kindled in his heart.
وَنَفَخَ الشَّيْطَانُ فِي أَنْفِهِ مِنْ رِيحِ الْكِبْرِ الَّذِي أَعْقَبَهُ اللهُ بِهِ النَّدَامَةَ،
Satan blew into his nose his own vanity, after which Allah gave him remorse
وَأَلْزَمَهُ آثَامَ الْقَاتِلِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.
and made him responsible for the sins of all killers up to the Day of Judgement.
التحذير من الكبر
Caution against vanity and boasting about ignorance
أَلاَ وَقدْ أَمْعَنْتُمْ فِي الْبَغْيِ،
Beware! You strove hard in revolting
وَأَفْسَدْتُمْ فِي الاْرْضِ،
and created mischief on the earth
مُصَارَحَةً لله بِالمُنَاصَبَةِ،
in open opposition to Allah
وَمُبَارَزَةً لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِالُمحَارَبَةِ.
and in challenging the believers over fighting.
فَاللهَ اللهَ في كِبْرِ الْحَمِيَّةِ،
(You should fear) Allah! Allah! in feeling proud of your vanity
وَفَخْرِ الْجَاهلِيَّةِ!
and boasting over ignorance,
فَإِنَّهُ مَلاَقِحُ الشَّنَآنِ وَمَنَافِخُ الشَّيْطانِ،
because this is the root of enmity and the design of Satan
اللاِتي خَدَعَ بِهَا الاْمَمَ الْمَاضِيَةَ،
wherewith he has been deceiving past people
والْقُرُونَ الْخَالِيَةَ،
and bygone ages,
حَتّى أَعْنَقُوا فِي حَنَادِسِ جَهَالَتِهِ،
with the result that they fell into the gloom of his ignorance
وَمهَاوِي ضَلاَلَتِهِ،
and the hollows of his misguidance,
ذُلُلاً عَنْ سِيَاقِهِ،
submitting to his driving
سُلُساً فِي قِيَادِهِ،
and accepting his leadership.
أَمْراً تَشَابَهَتِ الْقُلُوبُ فِيهِ،
In this matter the hearts of all the people were similar,
وَتَتَابَعَتِ الْقُرونُ عَلَيْهِ،
and centuries passed by, one after the other, in just the same way,
وَكِبْراً تَضَايَقَتِ الصُّدُورُ بِهِ.
and there was vanity with which chests were tightened.
التحذير من طاعة الكبراء
Caution against obeying haughty leaders and elders
ألاَ فَالْحَذَرَ الْحَذَرَ مِنْ طَاعَةِ سَادَاتِكُمْ وَكُبَرَائِكُمْ!
Beware! Beware of obeying your leaders and elders
الَّذِينَ تَكَبَّرُوا عَنْ حَسَبِهِمْ،
who felt proud of their achievements
وَتَرَفَّعُوا فَوْقَ نَسَبِهِمْ،
and boasted about their lineage.
وَأَلْقَوُا الْهَجِينَةَ عَلَى رَبِّهِمْ،
They hurled the (liability for) things on Allah
وَجَاحَدُوا اللهَ مَا صَنَعَ بِهمْ،
and quarrelled with Allah in what He did with them,
مُكَابَرَةً لِقَضَائِهِ،
contesting His decree
وَمُغَالَبَةً لاِلائِهِ،
and disputing His favours.
فَإِنَّهُمْ قَوَاعِدُ أَسَاسِ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ،
Certainly, they are the main foundation of obstinacy,
وَدَعَائِمُ أَرْكَانِ الْفِتْنَةِ،
the chief pillars of mischief
وَسُيُوفُ إعْتِزَاءِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ
and the swords of pre-Islamic boasting over forefathers.
فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ وَلاَ تَكُونُوا لِنِعَمِهِ عَليْكُمْ أَضْدَاداً،
Therefore, fear Allah, do not become antagonistic to His favours on you,
وَلاَ لِفَضْلِهِ عِنْدَكُمْ حُسَّاداً،
nor jealous of His bounty over you (1)
وَلاَ تُطِيعُوا الاْدْعِيَاءَ الَّذِينَ شَرِبْتُمْ بِصَفْوِكُمْ كَدَرَهُمْ،
and do not obey the claimants (of Islam) whose dirty water you drink along with your clean one,
وَخَلَطْتُمْ بِصِحَّتِكُمْ مَرَضَهُمْ،
whose ailments you mix with your healthiness
وَأَدْخَلْتُمْ فِي حَقِّكُمْ بَاطِلَهُمْ،
and whose wrongs you allow to enter into your rightful matters.
وَهُمْ أَسَاسُ الْفُسُوقِ،
They are the foundation of vice
وَأَحْلاَسُ الْعُقُوقِ،
and the linings of disobedience.
اتَّخَذَهُمْ إِبْلِيسُ مَطَايَا ضَلاَل،
Satan has made them carriers of misguidance
وَجُنْداً بِهمْ يَصُولُ عَلَى النَّاسِ،
and the soldiers with whom he attacks men.
وَتَرَاجِمَةً يَنْطِقُ عَلَى أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ،
They are interpreters through whom he speaks
اسْتِرَاقاً لِعُقُولِكُمْ،
in order to steal away your wits,
وَدُخُولاً فِي عُيُونِكُمْ،
enter into your eyes
وَنَفْثاً فِي أَسْـمَاعِكُمْ،
and blow into your ears.
فَجَعَلَكُمْ مَرْمَى نَبْلِهِ،
In this way he makes you the victim of his arrows,
وَمَوْطِىءَ قَدَمِهِ،
the treading ground of his footsteps
وَمأْخَذَ يَدِهِ.
and source of strength for his hands.
العبرة بالماضين
Taking lessons from the past peoples
فَاعْتَبِرُوا بَمَا أَصَابَ الاْمَمَ المُسْتَكْبِرِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ مِنْ بَأْسِ اللهِ وَصَوْلاَتِهِ، وَوَقَائِعِهِ وَمَثُلاَتِهِ،
Take instruction from how Allah's wrath, violence, chastisement and punishment fell upon the arrogant nations before you.
وَاتَّعِظُوا بِمَثَاوِي خُدُودِهِمْ،
Take admonition from the resting places of their cheeks
وَمَصَارعِ جُنُوبِهِمْ،
and their bodies,
وَاسْتَعِيذوا بِاللهِ مِنْ لَوَاقِحِ الْكبْرِ،
and seek Allah's protection from the dangers of pride,
كَمَا تَسْتَعِيذُونَهُ مِنْ طَوَارِقِ الدَّهْرِ،
as you seek His protection from calamities.
فَلَوْ رَخَّصَ اللهُ فِي الْكِبْرِ لاِحَد مِنْ عِبَادِهِ لَرَخَّصَ فِيهِ لِخَاصَّةِ أَنبِيَائِهِ [وَأَولِيائِهِ]،
Certainly, if Allah were to allow anyone to indulge in pride He would have allowed it to his selected prophets and vicegerents.
وَلكِنَّهُ سُبْحَانَهُ كَرَّهَ إِلَيْهِمُ التَّكَابُرَ،
But Allah, the Sublime, disliked vanity for them
وَرَضِيَ لَهُمُ التَّوَاضُعَ،
and liked humbleness for them.
فَأَلْصَقُوا بِالاْرْضِ خُدُودَهُمْ،
Therefore, they laid their cheeks on the ground,
وَعَفَّرُوا فِي التُّرَابِ وُجُوهَهُمْ،
smeared their faces with dust,
وَخَفَضُوا أَجْنِحَتَهُمْ لِلْمُؤمِنِينَ،
bent themselves down for the believers
وَكَانُوا قَوْماً مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ،
and remained humble people.
قَدِ اخْتَبَرَهُمُ اللهُ بالْـمَخْمَصَةِ،
Allah tried them with hunger,
وَابْتَلاَهُمْ بِالْـمَجْهَدَةِ،
afflicted them with difficulty,
وَامْتَحَنَهُمْ بِالْـمَخَاوِفِ،
tested them with fear,
وَمَخَضَهُمْ بِالْمَكَارِهِ،
and upset them with troubles.
فَلاَ تَعْتَبِرُوا الرِّضَى وَالسُّخْطَ بِالمَالِ وَالْوَلَدِ
Therefore, do not regard wealth and progeny the criterion for Allah's pleasure and displeasure,
جَهْلاً بِمَوَاقِعِ لْفِتْنَةِ،
as you are not aware of the chances of mischief
وَالاْخْتِبَارِ فِي مَوَاضِعِ الْغِنَى وَالاْفْتِقارِ،
and trials during richness and power
فَقَدْ قَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ:
as Allah, the Glorified, the Sublime, has said:
(أَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّ مَا نُمِدُّهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ مَال وَبَنِينَ * نُسَارِعُ لَهُمْ فِي الْخَيْرَاتِ بَلْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ)،
What! Think they that what We aid them with of wealth and children, We are hastening unto them the good things? Nay! They (only) perceive not. (Qur'an, 23:55-56)
فَإِنَّ اللهَ سْبْحَانَهْ يَخْتَبِرُ عِبَادَهُ الْمُسْتَكْبِرِينَ فِي أَنْفُسِهمْ بِأَوْلِيَائِهِ الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي أَعْيُنِهِمْ.
Certainly, Allah the Glorified, tries His creatures who are vain about themselves through His beloved persons who are humble in their eyes.
تواضع الانبياء (عليهم السلام)
The humility of the Prophets (peace be on them)
وَلَقَدْ دَخَلَ مُوسَى بْنُ عِمْرَانَ وَمَعَهُ أَخُوهُ هَارُونُ(عليهما السلام) عَلَى فِرْعَوْنَ،
When Musa son of ‘Imran went to Pharaoh along with his brother Harun (Aaron)
وَعَلَيْهِمَا مَدَارِعُ الصُّوفِ،
wearing (coarse) shirts of wool
وَبِأَيْدِيهِمَا الْعِصِيُّ،
and holding sticks in their hands,
فَشَرَطَا لَهُ ـ إِنْ أَسْلَمَ ـ بَقَاءَ مُلْكِهِ، وَدَوامَ عِزِّهِ،
they guaranteed him retention of his country and continuity of his honour if he submitted;
فَقَالَ:
but he said:
أَلاَ تَعْجبُونَ مِنْ هذَيْنِ
"Do you not wonder at these two men
يَشْرِطَانِ لِي دَوَامَ الْعِزِّ،
guaranteeing me the continuity of my honour
وَبَقَاءَ الْمُلْكِ،
and the retention of my country
وَهُمَا بِمَا تَرَوْنَ مِنْ حَالِ الْفَقْرِ وَالذُّلِّ،
although you see their poverty and lowliness.
فَهَلاَّ أُلْقِيَ عَلَيْهِمَا أَسَاوِرَةٌ مِنْ ذَهَب؟
Otherwise, why do they not have gold bangles on their wrists?"
إِعْظَاماً لِلذَّهَبِ وَجَمْعِهِ،
He said so feeling proud of his gold and collected possessions,
وَاحْتِقَاراً لِلصُّوفِ وَلُبْسِهِ!
and considering wool and its cloth as nothing.
وَلَوْ أَرَادَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ بأَنْبِيَائِهِ
When Allah, the Glorified, deputed His prophets,
حَيْثُ بَعَثَهُمْ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ لَهُمْ كُنُوزَ الْذِّهْبَانِ،
if He had wished to open for them treasures
وَمَعَادِنَ الْعِقْيَانِ،
and mines of gold
وَمَغَارِسَ الْجِنَانِ،
and (surround them with) planted gardens
وَأَنْ يَحْشُرَ مَعَهُمْ طَيْرَ السَّماءِ
and to collect around them birds of the skies
وَوُحُوشَ الاْرَضِينَ
and beasts of the earth,
لَفَعَلَ،
He could have done so.
وَلَوْ فَعَلَ لَسَقَطَ الْبَلاَءُ،
If He had done so then there would have been no trial,
وَبَطَلَ الْجَزَاءُ،
nor recompense
وَاضْمَحَلَّتِ الاْنْبَاءُ،
and no tidings (about the affairs of the next world).
وَلَمَا وَجَبَ لِلْقَابِلِينَ أُجُورُ الْمُبْتَلِينَ،
Those who accepted (His message) could not be given the recompense falling due after trial
وَلاَ اسْتَحَقَّ الْمُؤمِنُونَ ثَوَابَ الْـمُحْسِنِينَ،
and the believers could not deserve the reward for good acts,
وَلاَ لَزِمَتِ الاْسْمَاءُ مَعَانِيَهَا،
and all these words (2) would not have retained their meanings.
وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ جَعَلَ رُسُلَهُ أُولِي قُوَّة فِي عَزَائِمِهِمْ،
But Allah, the Glorified, makes His Prophets firm in their determination
وَضَعَفَةً فِيَما تَرَى الاْعْيُنُ مِنْ حَالاَتِهِمْ،
and gives them weakness of appearance as seen from the eyes,
مَعَ قَنَاعَة تَمْلاُ الْقُلُوبَ
along with contentment that fills the hearts
وَالْعُيُونَ غِنىً،
and eyes resulting from care-freeness,
وَخَصَاصَة تَمْلاَ الاْبْصَارَ وَالاْسْمَاعَ أَذىً.
and with want that pains the eyes and ears.
وَلَوْ كَانَتِ الاْنْبِيَاءُ أَهْلَ قُوَّة لاَ تُرَامُ،
If the prophets possessed authority that could not be assaulted,
وَعِزَّة لاَ تُضَامُ،
or honour that could not be damaged
وَمُلْك تُمَدُّ نُحْوَهُ أَعْنَاقُ الرِّجَالِ،
or domain towards which the necks of people would turn
وَتُشَدُّ إِلَيْهِ عُقَدُ الرِّحَالِ،
and the saddles of mounts could be set,
لَكَانَ ذلِكَ أَهْوَنَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ فِي الاْعَتِبَارِ،
it would have been very easy for people to seek lessons
وَأَبْعَدَ لَهُمْ مِنَ الاْسْتَكْبَارِ،
and quite difficult to feel vanity.
وَلامَنُوا عَنْ رَهْبَة قَاهِرَة لَهْمْ،
They would have then accepted belief out of fear felt by them
أَوْ رَغْبَة مَائِلَة بِهِمْ،
or inclination attracting them,
فَكَانَتِ النِّيَّاتُ مُشْتَرَكَةً،
and the intention of them all would have been the same,
وَالْحَسَنَاتُ مُقْتَسَمَةً.
although their actions would have been different.
وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سْبْحَانَهُ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الاْتِّبَاعُ لِرُسُلِهِ،
Therefore, Allah, the Glorified decided that people should follow His prophets,
وَالْتَّصْدِيقُ بِكُتُبِهِ،
acknowledge His books,
وَالْخُشُوعُ لِوَجْهِهِ،
remain humble before His face,
وَالاْسْتِكَانَةُ لاِمْرِهِ،
obey His command
وَالاْسْتِسْلاَمُ لِطَاعَتِهِ،
and accept His obedience
أُمُوراً لَهُ خَاصَّةً،
with sincerity in which
لاَ تَشُوبُهَا مِنْ غَيْرِهَا شَائِبَةٌ،
there should not be an iota of anything else;
وَكُلَّمَا كَانَتِ الْبلْوَى وَالاْخْتِبَارُ أَعْظَمَ كَانَتِ الْمَثُوبَةُ
and as the trial and tribulation would be stiffer the reward
وَالْجَزَاءُ أَجْزَلَ.
and recompense too should be larger.
الكعبة المقدسة
The Holy Ka’bah
ألاَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ،
Do you not see that Allah, the Glorified,
اخْتَبَرَ الاْوَّلِينَ مِنْ لَدُنْ آدَمَ صَلَّى اللهِ عَلَيْهِ،
has tried all the people among those who came before, beginning with Adam,
إِلَى الاخِرِينَ مِنْ هذا الْعَالَمِ،
upto the last ones in this world
بَأَحْجَار لاَ تَضُرُّ وَلاَ تَنْفَعُ،
with stones which yield neither benefit nor harm,
وَلاَ تُبْصِرُ وَلاَ تَسْمَعُ،
which neither see nor hear.
فَعَجَلَهَا بَيْتَهُ الْحَرَامَ الَّذِي جَعَلَهُ لِلنَّاسِ قِيَاماً.
He made those stones into His sacred house which He made a standby for the people.
ثُمَّ وَضَعَهُ بِأَوْعَرِ بِقَاعِ الاْرْضِ حَجَراً،
He placed it in the most rugged stony part of the earth
وَأَقَلِّ نَتَائِقِ الدُّنْيَا مَدَراً،
and on a highland with least soil thereon,
وَأَضْيَقِ بُطُونِ الاْوْدِيَةِ قُطْراً،
among the most narrow valleys
بَيْنَ جِبَال خَشِنَة،
between rough mountains,
وَرِمَال دَمِثَة،
soft sandy plains,
وَعُيُون وَشِلَة،
springs of scanty water
وَقُرىً مُنْقَطِعَة،
and scattered habitants,
لا يَزْكُو بِهَا خُفٌّ وَلاَ حَافِرٌ وَلاَ ظِلْفٌ
where neither camels nor horses nor cows and sheep can prosper.
ثُمَّ أَمَرَ آدَمَ وَوَلَدَهُ أَنْ يَثْنُوا أَعْطَافَهُمْ نَحْوَهُ،
Then He commanded Adam and his sons to turn their attention towards it.
فَصَارَ مَثَابَةً لِمُنْتَجَعِ أَسْفَارِهمْ،
In this way it became the centre of their journey in seeking pastures
وَغَايَةً لِمُلْقَى رِحَالِهِمْ،
and the rendezvous for meeting of their carrier-beasts,
تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِ ثِمَارُ الاْفْئِدَةِ مِنْ مَفَاوِزِ قِفَار سَحِيقَة،
so that human spirits hasten towards it from distant waterless deserts,
وَمَهَاوِي فِجَاج عَمِيقَة،
deep and low lying valleys
وَجَزَائِرِ بِحَار مُنْقَطِعَة،
and scattered islands in the seas.
حَتَّى يَهُزُّوا مَنَاكِبَهُمْ ذُلُلاً يُهَلِّلُونَ لله حَوْلَهُ،
They shake their shoulders in humbleness, recite the slogan of having reached His audience,
وَيَرْمُلُونَ عَلَى أَقْدَامِهِمْ شُعْثاً غُبْراً لَهُ،
march with swift feet, and have dishevelled hair and dusted faces.
قَدْ نَبَذُوا السَّرَابِيلَ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ،
They throw their pieces of cloth on their backs,
وَشَوَّهُوا بِإِعْفَاءِ الشُّعُورِ مَحَاسِنَ خَلْقِهِمُ،
they have marred the beauty of their faces by leaving the hair uncut
ابْتِلاَءً عَظِيماً،
as a matter of great test,
وَامْتِحاناً شَدِيداً،
severe tribulation,
وَاخْتِبَاراً مُبِيناً،
open trial,
وَتَمْحِيصاً بَلِيغاً،
and extreme refining.
جَعَلَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى سَبَباً لِرَحْمَتِهِ،
Allah has made it a means to His mercy
وَوُصْلَةً إِلَى جَنَّتِهِ.
and an approach to His Paradise.
وَلَوْ أَرَادَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْ يَضَعَ بَيْتَهُ الْحَرَامَ،
If Allah, the Glorified, had placed His sacred House
وَمَشَاعِرَهُ الْعِظَامَ،
and His great signs
بَيْنَ جَنَّات وَأَنْهَار،
among plantations, streams,
وَسَهْل وَقَرَار،
soft and level plains,
جَمَّ الاْشْجَارِ،
plenty of trees,
دَانِيَ الِّثمارِ،
an abundance of fruits,
مُلْتَفَّ الْبُنَى،
a thick population,
مُتَّصِلَ الْقُرَى،
close habitats,
بَيْنَ بُرَّة سَمْرَاءَ،
golden wheat,
وَرَوْضَة خَضْرَاءَ،
lush gardens,
وَأَرْيَاف مُحْدِقَة،
green land,
وَعِرَاص مُغْدِقَة،
watered plains,
وَزُرُوع نَاضِرَة،
thriving orchards
وَطُرُق عَامِرَة،
and crowded streets,
لَكَانَ قَدْ صَغُرَ قَدْرُ الْجَزَاءِ
the amount of recompense would have decreased
عَلَى حَسَبِ ضَعْفِ الْبَلاَءِ.
because of the lightness of the trial.
وَلَوْ كَانَ الاْسَاسُ الْـمَحْمُولُ عَلَيْهَا،
If the foundation on which the House is borne
وَالاْحْجَارُ الْمَرْفُوعُ بِهَا،
and the stones with which it has been raised
بَيْنَ زُمُرُّدَة خَضْرَاءَ،
had been of green emerald
وَيَاقُوتَة حَمْرَاءَ،
and red rubies,
وَنُور وَضِيَاء،
and there had been brightness and effulgence,
لَخَفَّفَ ذلِكَ مُضَارَعَةَ الشَّكِّ فِي الصُّدُورِ،
then this would have lessened the action of doubts in the breasts,
وَلَوَضَعَ مُجَاهَدَةَ إبْلِيسَ عَنِ الْقُلُوبِ،
would have dismissed the effect of Satan's activity from the hearts,
وَلَنَفَى مُعْتَلَجَ الرَّيْبِ مِنَ الْنَّاسِ.
and would have stopped the surging of misgivings in people.
وَلكِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ يَخْتَبِرُ عِبَادَهُ بِأَنْوَاعِ الشَّدَائِدِ،
But Allah tries His creatures by means of different troubles, wants them to render worship through hardships
وَيَتَعَبَّدُهُمْ بِأَلْوَانِ الْـمَجَاهِدِ، وَيَبْتَلِيهِمْ بِضُرُوبِ الْمَكَارِهِ،
and involves them in distresses,
إِخْرَاجاً لِلتَّكَبُّرِ مِنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ،
all in order to extract out vanity from their hearts,
وَإِسْكَاناً لِلتَّذَلُّلِ فِي نُفُوسِهمْ،
to settle down humbleness in their spirits
وَلِيَجْعَلْ ذلِكَ أَبْوَاباً فُتُحاً إِلَى فَضْلِهِ،
and to make all this an open door for His favours
وَأَسْبَاباً ذُلُلاً لِعَفْوِهِ.
and an easy means for His forgiveness (for their sins).
عود إلى التحذير
Caution against rebellion and oppressiveness
فَاللهَ اللهَ فِي عَاجِلِ الْبَغْيِ،
(Fear) Allah! Allah! from the immediate consequence of rebellion (to accrue in this world),
وَآجِلِ وَخَامَةِ الظُّلْمِ،
and the eventual consequence of weighty oppressiveness (to accrue in the next world),
وَسُوءِ عَاقِبَةِ الْكِبْرِ،
and from the evil result of vanity,
فَإنَّهَا مَصْيَدَةُ إِبْلِيسَ الْعُظْمَى،
because it is the great trap of Satan
وَمَكِيدَتهُ الْكُبْرَى،
and his big deceit
الَّتِي تُسَاوِرُ قُلُوبَ الرِّجَالِ مُسَاوَرَةَ السُّمُومِ الْقَاتِلَةِ،
which enters the hearts of the people like a fatal poison.
فَمَا تُكْدِي أَبَداً،
It never goes waste,
وَلاَ تُشْوِي أَحَداً،
nor misses anyone –
لاَ عَالِماً لِعِلْمِهِ،
neither the learned because of his knowledge,
وَلاَ مُقِلاًّ في طِمْرِهِ.
nor the destitute (3) in his rags.
فضائل الفرائض
The Benefits of Religious duties
وَعَنْ ذلِكَ مَا حَرَسَ اللهُ عِبَادَهُ
This is the thing against which Allah has protected His creatures
الْمُؤْمِنِينَ بِالصَّلَوَاتِ وَالزَّكَوَاتِ،
who are believers by means of prayers, and alms-giving,
وَمُجَاهَدَةِ الصِّيَامِ فِي الاْيَّامِ الْمَفْرُوضَاتِ،
and suffering the hardship of fasting in the days in which it has been made obligatory,
تسْكِيناً لاَطْرَافِهِمْ،
in order to give their limbs peacefulness,
وَتَخْشِيعاً لاِبْصَارِهمْ،
to cast fear in their eyes,
وَتَذْلِيلاً لِنُفُوسِهِمْ،
to make their spirits humble,
وَتَخْفِيضاً لِقُلُوبِهِمْ،
to give their hearts humility
وَإِذْهَاباً لِلْخُيَلاَءِ عَنْهُمْ،
and to remove haughtiness from them.
لِما فِي ذلِكَ مِنْ تَعْفِيرِ عِتَاقِ الْوُجُوهِ بالتُّرَابِ تَوَاضُعاً،
All this is achieved through the covering of their delicate cheeks with dust in humility,
وَالْتِصَاقِ كَرَائِمِ الْجَوَارِحِ بِالاْرْضِ تَصَاغُراً،
prostrating their main limbs on the ground in humbleness,
وَلُحُوقِ الْبُطُونِ بِالمُتونِ مِنَ الصِّيَامِ تَذَلُّلاً،
and retracting of their bellies so as to reach to their backs due to fasting by way of lowliness (before Allah),
مَعَ مَا فِي الزَّكَاةِ مِنْ صَرْفِ ثَمَرَاتِ الاْرْضِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ إِلَى أَهْلِ الْمَسْكَنَةِ وَالْفَقْرِ.
besides giving all sorts of products of the earth to the needy and the destitute by way of alms.
انْظُرُوا إِلَى مَا فِي هذِهِ الاْفْعَالِ مِنْ قَمْعِ نَوَاجِمِ الْفَخْرِ، وَقَدْعِ طَوَالِعِ الْكِبْرِ!
Look what there is in these acts by way of curbing the appearance of pride and suppressing the traces of vanity.
وَلَقَدْ نَظَرْتُ فَمَا وَجَدْتُ أَحَداً مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ
I cast my glance and noticed that no one in the world, except you,
يَتَعَصَّبُ لِشَيْء مِنَ الاْشْيَاءِ إِلاَّ عَنْ عِلَّة تَحْتَمِلُ تَمْوِيهَ الْجُهَلاَءِ،
feels vanity for anything without a cause which may appeal to the ignorant,
أَوْ حُجَّة تَلِيطُ بِعُقُولِ السُّفَهَاءِ غَيْرَكُمْ،
or a reason which may cling to the minds of the foolish,
فَإِنَّكُمْ تَتَعَصَّبُونَ لاِمْر مَا يُعْرَفُ لَهُ سَبَبٌ وَلاَ عِلَّةٌ.
because you feel vanity for something for which no reason is discernible, nor any ground.
أَمَّا إِبْلِيسُ فَتَعَصَّبَ عَلَى آدَمَ لاِصْلِهِ،
As for Satan, he felt proud over Adam because of his origin
وَطَعَنَ عَلَيْهِ فِي خِلْقَتِهِ،
and taunted at him about his creation,
فَقَالَ: أَنَا نَارِيٌّ وَأَنْتَ طِينِيٌّ.
since he said "I am of fire while you are of clay."
العصبية
Undue prejudice and vanity
وَأَمَّا الاْغْنِيَاءُ مِنْ مُتْرَفَةِ الاْمَمِ،
In the same way the rich among the prosperous communities
فَتَعَصَّبُوا لاِثَارِ مَوَاقِعِ النِّعَمِ،
have been feeling vanity because of their riches,
فَـ (قَالُوا نَحْنُ أَكْثَرُ أَمْوَالاً وَأَوْلاَداً وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ)
as (Allah) said: And said they: "We are more (than you) in wealth and in children, and we shall not be chastised." (Qur'an, 34:35)
Enthusiasm for attractive manners, respectable position, and taking lessons from the past
فَإنْ كَانَ لاَ بُدَّ مِنَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ،
In case you cannot avoid vanity,
فَلْيَكُنْ تَعَصُّبُهُمْ لِمَكَارِمِ الْخِصَالِ،
your vanity should be for good qualities,
وَمَحَامِدِ الاْفْعَالِ،
praiseworthy acts,
وَمَحَاسِنِ الاْمُورِ،
and admirable matters
الَّتِي تَفَاضَلَتْ فِيهَا الْـمُجَدَاءُ وَالنُّجَدَاءُ مِنْ بُيُوتَاتِ الْعَرَبِ وَيَعَاسِيبِ الْقَبَائِلِ،
with which the dignified and noble chiefs of the Arab families distinguished themselves,
بِالاْخْلاَقِ الرَّغِيبَةِ،
as attractive manners,
وَالاْحْلاَمِ الْعَظِيمَةِ،
high thinking,
وَالاْخْطَارِ الْجَلِيلَةِ،
respectable position
وَالاْثَارِ الَمحْمُودَةِ.
and good performances.
فَتَعَصَّبُوا لِخِلاَلِ الْحَمْدِ مِنَ الْحِفْظِ لِلْجِوَارِ،
You too should show vanity in praiseworthy habits like the protection of the neighbour,
وَالْوَفَاءِ بِالذِّمَامِ،
the fulfilment of agreements,
وَالطَّاعَةِ لِلْبِرِّ،
obedience to the virtuous,
وَالْمَعْصِيَةِ لِلْكِبْرِ،
opposition to the haughty,
وَالاْخْذِ بِالْفَضْلِ،
extending generosity to others,
وَالْكَفِّ عَنِ الْبَغْيِ،
abstention from rebellion,
وَالاْعْظَامِ لِلْقَتْلِ،
keeping aloof from blood-shed,
وَالاْنْصَافِ لِلْخَلْقِ،
doing justice to people,
وَالْكَظْمِ لِلْغَيْظِ،
suppressing anger
وَاجْتِنَابِ الْفَسَادِ فِي الاْرْضِ.
and avoiding trouble on the earth.
واحْذَرُوا مَا نَزَلَ بِالاْمَمِ قَبْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْمَثُلاَتِ بِسُوءِ الاْفْعَالِ،
You should also fear what calamities befell peoples before you on account of their evil deeds
وَذَمِيمِ الاْعْمَالِ،
and detestable actions.
فَتَذَكَّرُوا فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ أَحْوَالَهُمْ،
Remember, during good or bad circumstances, what happened to them,
وَاحْذَرُوا أَنْ تَكُونُوا أَمْثَالَهُمْ.
and be cautious that you do not become like them.
فَإِذَا تَفَكَّرْتُمْ فِي تَفَاوُتِ حَالَيْهِمْ،
After you have thought over both the conditions of these people,
فَالْزَمُوا كُلَّ أَمْر لَزِمَتِ الْعِزَّةُ بِهِ حَالَهُمْ،
attach yourself to everything with which their position became honourable,
وَزَاحَتِ الاْعْدَاءُ لَهُ عَنْهُمْ،
on account of which enemies remained away from them
وَمُدَّتِ الْعَافِيَةُ فِيهِ عَلَيْهِمْ،
through which safety spread over them,
وَانْقَادَتِ النِّعْمَةُ لَهُ مَعَهُمْ،
by reason of which riches bowed before them
وَوَصَلَتِ الْكَرَامَةُ عَلَيْهِ حَبْلَهُم:
and as a result of which distinction connected itself with their rope.
مِنَ الاْجْتِنَابِ لِلْفُرْقَةِ،
These things were abstention from division,
وَاللُّزُومِ لِلاْلْفَةِ،
sticking to unity,
وَالتَّحَاضِّ عَلَيْهَا،
calling each other to it
وَالتَّوَاصِي بِهَا.
and advising each other about it.
وَاجْتَنِبُوا كُلَّ أَمْر كَسَرَ فِقْرَتَهُمْ،
You avoid everything which broke their backbone
وَأَوْهَنَ مُنَّتَهُمْ:
and weakened their power,
مِنْ تَضَاغُنِ الْقُلُوبِ،
such as malice in the heart,
وَتَشَاحُنِ الصُّدُورِ،
hatred in the chest,
وتَدَابُرِ النُّفُوسِ،
turning away (from each other's help)
وَتَخَاذُلِ الاْيْدِي.
and withholding the hand from one another's assistance.
وَتَدَبَّرُوا أَحْوَالَ الْمَاضِينَ مِنَ الْمُؤمِنِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ،
Think about the condition of people from among the believers who passed before you.
كَيْفَ كَانُوا فِي حَالِ التـَّمحِيصِ وَالْبَلاَءِ؟
What distresses and trials they were in!
أَلَمْ يَكُونُوا أَثْقَلَ الْخَلاَئِقِ أَعْبَاءً،
Were they not the most over-burdened among all the people
وَأَجْهَدَ الْعِبَادِ بَلاَءً، وَأَضْيَقَ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا حَالاً؟!
and in the most straitened circumstances in the whole world?
اتَّخَذَتْهُمُ الْفَراعِنَةُ عَبِيداً
The Pharaohs took them as slaves.
فَسَامُوهُم سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ،
They inflicted on them the worst punishments
وَجَرَّعُوهُمُ الْمُرَارَ،
and bitter sufferings.
فَلَمْ تَبْرَحِ الْحَالُ بِهِمْ فِي ذُلِّ الْهَلَكَةِ
They continuously remained in this state of ruinous disgrace
وَقَهْرِ الْغَلَبَةِ،
and severe subjugation.
لاَ يَجِدُونَ حِيلَةً فِي امْتِنَاع،
They found no method for escape
وَلاَ سَبِيلاً إِلَى دِفَاع،
and no way for protection.
حَتَّى إِذَا رَأَى اللهُ جِدَّ الصَّبْرِ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى الاْذَى فِي مَحَبَّتِهِ،
Till when Allah, the Glorified, noticed that they were enduring troubles in His love
وَالاحْتِمالَ لِلْمَكْرُوهِ مِنْ خَوْفِهِ،
and bearing distresses out of fear for Him,
جَعَلَ لَهُمْ مِنْ مَضَايِقِ الْبَلاَءِ فَرَجاً،
He provided escape from the distress of trials.
فَأَبْدَلَهُمُ الْعِزَّ مَكَانَ الذُّلِّ،
So, He changed their disgrace into honour
وَالاْمْنَ مَكَانَ الْخَوْفِ،
and fear into safety.
فَصَارُوا مُلُوكاً حُكَّاماً،
Consequently, they became ruling kings
وأَئِمَّةً أَعْلاَماً،
and conspicuous leaders
وَبَلَغَتِ الْكَرَامَةُ مِنَ اللهِ لَهُمْ مَا لَمْ تَذْهَبِ الاْمَالُ إِلَيْهِ بِهِمْ.
and Allah's favours over them reached limits to which their own wishes had not reached.
فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانُوا حَيْثُ كَانَتِ الاْمْلاَءُ مُجْتَمِعَةً،
Look, how they were when their groups were united,
وَالاْهْوَاءُ مُؤْتَلِفَةً،
their views were unanimous,
وَالْقُلُوبُ مُعْتَدِلَةً،
their hearts were moderate,
وَالاْيْدِي مُتَرَادِفَةً،
their hands used to help one another,
وَالسُّيُوفُ مُتَنَاصِرَةً،
their swords were intended for assisting one another,
وَالْبَصَائِرُ نَافِذَةً،
their eyes were sharp
وَالْعَزَائِمُ وَاحِدَةً،
and their aims were the same.
أَلَمْ يَكُونُوا أَرْبَاباً فِي أَقْطَارِ الاْرَضِينَ،
Did they not become masters of the corners of the earth
وَمُلُوكاً عَلَى رِقَابِ الْعَالَمِينَ؟
and rulers over the neck of all the worlds?
فَانْظُرُوا إِلَى مَا صَارُوا إِلَيْهِ فِي آخِرِ أُمُورِهِمْ،
Thereafter, also see what happened to them towards the end
حِينَ وَقَعَتِ الْفُرْقَةُ،
when division overtook them,
وَتَشَتَّتَتِ الاْلْفَةُ،
unity became fractured,
وَاخْتَلَفَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ وَالاْفْئِدَةُ،
and differences arose between their words and their hearts.
وَتَشَعَّبُوا مُخْتَلِفِينَ،
They divided into various groups
وَتَفَرَّقُوا مُتَحَارِبِينَ،
and were scattered fighting among themselves.
قَدْ خَلَعَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ لِبَاسَ كَرَامَتِهِ،
Then Allah took away from them the apparel of His honour
وَسَلَبَهُمْ غَضَارَةَ نِعْمَتِهِ،
and deprived them of the prosperity produced by His favours.
وَبَقّى قَصَصَ أَخْبَارِهِمْ فِيكُمْ عِبَراً لِلْمُعْتَبِرِينَ.
Only their stories have remained among you for the guidance of those who may learn the lesson from them.
الاعتبار بالامم
Learning lessons from the past nations
فَاعْتَبِرُوا بِحَالِ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ
You should take a lesson from the fate of the progeny of Ismael,
وَبَنِي إِسْحَاقَ وَبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ(عليهم السلام)،
the children of Isaac and the children of Israel.
فَمَا أَشَدَّ اعْتِدَالَ الاْحْوَالِ،
How similar are their affairs
وَأَقْرَبَ اشْتِبَاهَ الاْمْثَالِ!
and how akin are their examples.
تَأَمَّلُوا أَمْرَهُمْ فِي حَالِ تَشَتُّتِهِمْ، وَتَفَرُّقِهِمْ،
In connection with the details of their division and disunity,
لَيَالِيَ كَانَتِ الاْكَاسِرَةُ وَالْقَيَاصِرَةُ أَرْبَاباً لَهُمْ،
think of the days when Kisras of Persia and the Caesars of Rome had become their masters. (4)
يَحْتَازُونَهُمْ عَنْ رِيفِ الاْفَاقِ،
They turned them out from the pastures of their lands,
وَبَحْرِ الْعِرَاقِ،
the rivers of Iraq
وَخُضْرَةِ الدُّنْيَا،
and the fertility of the world,
إِلَى مَنَابِتِ الشِّيحِ،
towards thorny forests,
وَمَهَا فِي الرِّيحِ،
the passages of (hot) winds
وَنَكَدِ الْمَعَاشِ،
and hardships in livelihood.
فَتَرَكُوهُمْ عَالَةً مَسَاكِينَ إِخْوَانَ دَبَر وَوَبَر،
In this way they turned them into just herders of camels.
أَذَلَّ الاْمَمِ داراً،
Their houses were the worst in the world
وَأَجْدَبَهُمْ قَرَاراً،
and their places of stay were the most drought-stricken.
لاَ يَأْوُونَ إِلَى جَنَاحِ دَعْوَة يَعْتَصِمُونَ بِهَا،
There was not one voice towards which they could turn for protection,
وَلاَ إِلَى ظِلِّ أُلْفَة يَعْتَمِدُونَ عَلَى عِزِّهَا،
nor any shade of affection on whose strength they could repose trust.
فَالاْحْوَالُ مُضْطَرِبَةٌ،
Their condition was full of distress.
وَالاْيْدِي مُخْتَلِفَةٌ،
Their hands were scattered.
وَالْكَثْرَةُ مُتَفَرِّقَةٌ،
Their majority was divided.
فِي بَلاَءِ أَزْل،
They were in great anguish
وأَطْبَاقِ جَهْل!
and under layers of ignorance.
مِنْ بَنَات مَوْءُودَة،
They buried their daughters alive,
وَأَصْنَام مَعْبُودَة،
worshipped idols,
وَأَرْحَام مَقْطُوعَة،
disregarded kinship
وَغَارَات مَشْنُونَة.
and practised robbery.
النعمة برسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
The blessing of the Messenger of Allah, peace be on him
فَانْظُرُوا إِلَى مَوَاقِعِ نِعَمِ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ عَلَيْهِمْ
Now, look at the various favours of Allah upon them,
حِينَ بَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولاً،
that He deputed towards them a prophet
فَعَقَدَ بِمِلَّتِهِ طَاعَتَهُمْ،
who got them to pledge their obedience to him
وَجَمَعَ عَلَى دَعْوَتِهِ أُلْفَتَهُمْ،
and made them unite at his call.
كَيْفَ نَشَرَتِ النِّعْمَةُ عَلَيْهِمْ جَنَاحَ كَرَامَتِهَا،
(Look) how (Allah's) bounty spread the wings of its favours over them
وَأَسَالَتْ لَهُمْ جَدَاوِلَ نَعِيمِهَا،
and flowed for them streams of its blessing,
وَالْتَفَّتِ الْمِلَّةُ بِهِمْ فِي عَوَائِدِ بَرَكَتِهَا،
and the whole community became wrapped in blissful prosperity.
فَأَصْبَحُوا فِي نِعْمَتِهَا غَرِقِينَ،
Consequently, they were submerged under its bounty
وَفِي خُضْرَةِ عَيْشِهَا فَكِهِينَ،
and enjoyed its lush life.
قَدْ تَرَبَّعَتِ الاْمُورُ بِهِمْ،
Their affairs were settled
فِي ظِلِّ سُلْطَان قَاهِر،
under the protection of a powerful ruler,
وَآوَتْهُمُ الْحَالُ إِلَى كَنَفِ عِزّ غَالِب،
and circumstances offered them overpowering honour,
وَتَعَطَّفَتِ الاْمُورُ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي ذُرَى مُلْك ثَابِت،
and all things became easy for them under the auspices of a strong country.
فَهُمْ حُكَّامٌ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ،
They became rulers over the world
وَمُلُوكٌ فِي أَطْرَافِ الاْرَضِينَ،
and kings in the (various) parts of the earth.
يَمْلِكُونَ الاْمُورَ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ يَمْلِكُهَا عَلَيْهِمْ،
They became masters of those who were formerly their masters,
وَيُمْضُونَ الاَحْكَامَ فِيمَنْ كَانَ يُمْضِيهَا فِيهِمْ!
and began issuing commands over those who used to command them.
لاَ تُغْمَزُ لَهُمْ قَنَاةٌ،
They were so strong that neither did their spears need testing
وَلاَ تُقْرَعُ لَهُمْ صَفَاةٌ!
nor did their weapons have any flaw.
لوم العصاة
Condemning the disobedient ones
أَلاَ وَإنَّكُمْ قَد نَفَضْتُمْ أَيْدِيَكُمْ مِنْ حَبْلِ الطاعَةِ،
Beware! You have shaken your hands loose from the rope of obedience,
وَثَلَمْتُمْ حِصْنَ اللهِ الْمَضْرُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ،
and broken the divine fort around you
بَأَحْكَامِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ،
by (resorting to) pre-Islamic rules.
فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ قَدْ امْتَنَّ عَلَى جَمَاعَةِ هذِهِ الاْمَّةِ
Certainly, it is a great blessing of Allah, the Glorified, on this Ummah,
فِيَما عَقَدَ بَيْنَهُمْ مِنْ حَبْلِ هذِهِ الاْلْفَةِ
that He has engendered among them unity through the cord of affection
الَّتِي يَنْتَقِلُونَ فِي ظِلِّهَا،
in whose shade they walk
وَيَأْوُونَ إَلَى كَنَفِهَا،
and take shelter.
بِنِعْمَة لاَ يَعْرِفُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْـمَخْلُوقِينَ لَهَا قِيمَةً،
This is a blessing whose value no one in the whole world realises,
لاِنَّهَا أَرْجَحُ مِنْ كُلِّ ثَمَن، وَأَجَلُّ مِنْ كُلِّ خَطَر.
because it is more valuable than any price and higher than any wealth.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ صِرْتُمْ بَعْدَ الْهِجْرَةِ أَعْرَاباً،
You should know that you have again reverted to the position of the Bedouin Arabs after migration (to Islam),
وَبَعْدَ الْمُوَالاَةِ أحْزَاباً،
and have become different parties after having been once united.
مَا تَتَعَلَّقُونَ مِنَ الاْسْلاَمِ إِلاَّ بِاسْمِهِ،
You do not possess anything of Islam except its name,
وَلاَ تَعْرِفُونَ مِنَ الاْيمَانِ إِلاَّ رَسْمَهُ،
and know nothing of belief save its show.
تَقُولُونَ: النَّارَ وَلاَ الْعَارَ!
You say, "The Fire yes, but no shameful position,"
كَأَنَّكُمْ تُرِيدُونَ أَنْ تُكْفِئُوا الاْسْلاَمَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ،
as if you would throw down Islam on its face
انْتِهَاكاً لِحَرِيمِهِ،
in order to defame its honour
وَنَقْضاً لِمِيثَاقِهِ الَّذِي وَضَعَهُ اللهُ لَكُمْ حَرَماً فِي أَرْضِهِ،
and break its pledge (for brotherhood) which Allah gave you as a sacred trust on His earth
وأَمْناً بَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ.
and (a source of) peace among the people.
وإِنَّكُمْ إِنْ لَجَأْتُمْ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ حَارَبَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكُفْرِ،
Be sure that if you incline towards anything other than Islam, the unbelievers will fight you.
ثُمَّ لاَ جَبْرَائِيلُ وَلاَ مِيكَائِيلُ
Then there will be neither Gabriel nor Michael,
وَلاَ مُهَاجِرُونَ وَلاَ أَنْصَارٌ يَنْصُرُونَكُمْ
neither muhajirun nor ansar to help you,
إِلاَّ الْمُقَارَعَةَ بِالسَّيْفِ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللهُ بَيْنَكُمْ.
but only the clashing of swords, till Allah settles the matter for you.
وَإِنَّ عِنْدَكُمُ الاْمْثَالَ مِنْ بَأْسِ اللهِ تَعَالَى وَقَوَارِعِهِ،
Certainly, there are examples before you of Allah's wrath, punishment,
وَأَيَّامِهِ وَوَقَائِعِهِ،
days of tribulations and happenings.
فَلاَ تَسْتَبْطِئُوا وَعِيدَهُ
Therefore, do not disregard His promises,
جَهْلاً بَأَخْذِهِ،
ignoring His punishment,
وَتَهَاوُناً بِبَطْشِهِ،
making light His wrath
وَيأْساً مِنْ بَأْسِهِ،
and not expecting His violence,
فَإِنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ لَمْ يَلْعَنِ الْقَرْنَ الْمَاضِيَ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ
because Allah, the Glorified, did not curse the past ages
إِلاَّ لِتَرْكِهِمُ الاْمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ المُنكَرِ،
except because they had left off asking others to do good acts and refraining them from bad acts.
فَلَعَنَ السُّفَهَاءَ لِرُكُوبِ الْمَعَاصِي،
In fact Allah cursed the foolish for committing sins
وَالْحُلَمَاءَ لِتَرْكِ الْتَّنَاهِيْ!
and the wise because they gave up refraining others from evils.
أَلاَ وَقَدْ قَطَعْتُمْ قَيْدَ الاْسْلاَمِ،
Beware! You have broken the bonds of Islam,
وَعَطَّلْتُمْ حُدُودَهُ،
transgressed its limits,
وَأَمَتُّمْ أَحْكَامَهُ.
and destroyed its commands.
Amir al-mu'minin's high position and wonderful deeds in Islam
أَلاَ وَقَدْ أَمَرَنِيَ اللهُ بِقِتَالِ أَهْلِ الْبَغْي
Beware! Surely Allah has commanded me to fight those who revolt,
وَالْنَّكْثِ
or who break the pledge,
وَالْفَسَادِ فِي الاْرْضِ،
or create trouble on the earth.
فَأَمَّا النَّاكِثُونَ فَقَدْ قَاتَلْتُ،
As regards pledge-breakers, I have fought them,
وَأَمَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ فَقَدْ جَاهَدْتُ،
as regards deviators from truth, I have waged holy war against them,
وَأَمَّا الْمَارِقَةُ فَقَدْ دَوَّخْتُ،
and as regards those who have gone out of the faith, I have put them in (serious) disgrace 5.
وَأَمَّا شَيْطَانُ الرَّدْهَةِ فَقَدْ كُفِيتُهُ بِصَعْقَة
As for Satan of the pit, (6) he too has been dealt with by me through the loud cry
سُمِعْتْ لَهَا وَجْبَةُ قَلْبِهِ وَرَجَّةُ صَدْرِهِ،
with which the scream of his heart and shaking of his chest was also heard.
وَبَقِيَتْ بَقِيَّةٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَغْيِ،
Only a small portion of the rebels has remained.
وَلَئِنْ أَذِنَ اللهُ فِي الْكَرَّةِ عَلَيْهِمْ
If Allah allows me one more chance over them
لاَدِيلَنَّ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ مَا يَتَشَذَّرُ فِي أَطْرَافِ الاْرْضِ تَشَذُّراً!
I will annihilate them except a few remnants that may remain scattered in the suburb of the cities.
شجاعته وفضله (عليه السلام)
His Courage and Merits, may peace be upon him
أَنَا وَضَعْتُ [فِي الصِّغَرَ] بَكَلاَكِلِ الْعَرَبِ،
Even in my boyhood I had lowered the chest of (the famous men) of Arabia,
وَكَسَرْتُ نَوَاجِمَ قُرُونِ رَبِيعَةَ وَمُضَرَ.
and broken the horn points (i.e., defeated the chiefs) of the tribes of Rabi’ah and Mudar.
وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَوْضِعِي مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) بِالْقَرَابَةِ الْقَرِيبَةِ،
Certainly, you know my position of close kinship and special relationship with the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him
وَالْمَنْزِلَةِ الْخَصِيصَةِ:
and his descendants.
وَضَعَنِي فِي حِجْرِهِ
When I was only a child he took charge of me.
وَأَنَا وليدٌ يَضُمُّنِي إِلَى صَدْرِهِ،
He used to press me to his chest
وَيَكْنُفُنِي فِي فِرَاشِهِ،
and lay me beside him in his bed,
وَيُمِسُّنِي جَسَدَهُ،
bring his body close to mine
وَيُشِمُّنِي عَرْفَهُ،
and make me smell his fragrance.
وَكَانَ يَمْضَغُ الشَّيْءَ ثُمَّ يُلْقِمُنِيهِ،
He used to chew something and then feed me with it.
وَمَا وَجَدَ لِي كَذْبَةً فِي قَوْل،
He found no lie in my speaking,
وَلاَ خَطْلَةً فِي فِعْل.
nor weakness in any act.
وَلَقَدْ قَرَنَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) مِنْ لَدُنْ [أَنْ] كَانَ فَطِيماً أَعْظَمَ مَلَك مِنْ مَلاَئِكَتِهِ
From the time of his weaning, Allah had put a mighty angel with him
يَسْلُكُ بِهِ طَرِيقَ الْمَكَارِمِ،
to take him along the path of high character
وَمَحَاسِنَ أَخْلاَقِ الْعَالَمِ،
and good behaviour
لَيْلَهُ وَنَهَارَهُ،
through day and night,
وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَتَّبِعُهُ اتِّبَاعَ الْفَصِيلِ أَثَرَ أُمِّهِ،
while I used to follow him like a young camel following in the footprints of its mother.
يَرْفَعُ لي فِي كُلِّ يَوْم عَلَماً مِنْ أخْلاقِهِ،
Every day he would show me in the form of a banner some of his high traits
وَيَأْمُرُني بِالاقْتِدَاءِ بِهِ.
and commanded me to follow it.
وَلَقَدْ كَانَ يُجَاوِرُ فِي كُلِّ سَنَة بِحِرَاءَ،
Every year he used to go in seclusion to the hill of Hira',
فَأَرَاهُ وَلاَ يَرَاهُ غَيْرِي،
where I saw him but no one else saw him.
وَلَمْ يَجْمَعْ بَيْتٌ وَاحِدٌ يَوْمَئِذ فِي الاْسْلاَمِ
In those days Islam did not exist in any house
غَيْرَ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) وَخَدِيجَةَ
except that of the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - and Khadijah,
وَأَنَا ثَالِثُهُمَا،
while I was the third after these two.
أَرَى نُورَ الْوَحْيِ وَالرِّسَالَةِ،
I used to see and watch the effulgence of divine revelation and message,
وَأَشُمُّ رِيحَ النُّبُوَّةِ.
and breathed the scent of Prophethood.
وَلَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَنَّةَ الشَّيْطَانِ حِينَ نَزَلَ الْوَحْيُ عَلَيْهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله)
When the revelation descended on the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his descendants - I heard the moan of Satan.
فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ مَا هذِهِ الرَّنَّةُ؟
I said, "O Prophet of Allah, what is this moan?"
فَقَالَ: «هذَا الشَّيْطَانُ قَدْ أَيِسَ مِنْ عِبَادَتِهِ، إِنَّكَ تَسْمَعُ مَا أَسْمَعُ، وَتَرَى مَا أَرَى، إِلاَّ أَنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِنَبِيّ، وَلكِنَّكَ وَزِيرٌ، وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خَيْر».
and he replied, "This is Satan who has lost all hope of being worshipped. O Ali, you see all that I see and you hear all that I hear, except that you are not a Prophet, but you are a vicegerent and you are surely on (the path of) virtue."
وَلَقَدْ كُنْتُ مَعَهُ(صلى الله عليه وآله) لَمَّا أَتاهُ المَلاَ مِنْ قُريْش،
I was with him when a party of the Quraysh came to him
فَقَالُوا لَهُ:
and said to him,
يَا مُحُمَّدُ، إِنَّكُ قَدِ ادَّعْيْتَ عَظِيماً لَمْ يَدَّعِهِ آبَاؤُكَ وَلاَ أحَدٌ مِن بَيْتِكَ، وَنَحْنُ نَسَأَلُكَ أَمْراً إِنْ أَجَبْتَنَا إِلَيْهِ وَأَرَيْتَنَاهُ، عَلِمْنَا أَنَّكَ نِبِيٌّ وَرَسُولٌ، وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّكَ سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ.
"O Muhammad, you have made a big claim which none of your fore-fathers or those of your family have made. We ask you one thing; if you give us an answer to it and show it to us, we will believe that you are a prophet and a messenger, but if you cannot do it, we will know that you are a sorcerer and a liar."
فَقَالَ لهم (صلى الله عليه وآله):
The Messenger of Allah said:
«وَمَا تَسْأَلُونَ؟».
"What do you ask for?"
قَالُوا:
They said:
تَدْعُو لَنَا هذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ حَتَّى تَنْقَلِعَ بِعُرُوقِهَا وَتَقِفَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ.
"Ask this tree to move for us, even with its roots, and stop before you."
فَقَالَ (صلى الله عليه وآله):
The Prophet said,
«إِنَّ الله عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْء قَدِيرٌ، فإِنْ فَعَلَ اللهُ ذلِكَ لَكُمْ، أَتُؤْمِنُونَ وَتَشْهَدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ؟».
"Verily, Allah has power over everything. If Allah does it for you, will you then believe and stand witness to the truth?"
قَالُوا:
They said
نَعَمْ.
"Yes".
قَالَ:
Then he said,
«فَإِنِّي سَأُرِيكُمْ مَا تَطْلُبُونَ، وإِنِّي لاَعْلَمُ أَنَّكُمْ لاَ تَفِيئُونَ إِلَى خَيْر، وَإِنَّ فِيكُمْ مَنْ يُطْرَحُ فِي الْقَلِيبِ، وَمَنْ يُحَزِّبُ الاْحْزَابَ».
"I shall show you whatever you want, but I know that you won't bend towards virtue, and there are among you those who will be thrown into the pit, and those who will form parties (against me)."
ثُمَّ قَالَ:
Then the Holy Prophet said:
«يَا أَيَّتُهَا الشَّجَرَةُ إِنْ كُنْتِ تُؤمِنِينَ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الاْخِرِ، وَتَعْلَمِينَ أَنِّي رَسُولُ اللهِ، فَانْقَلِعِي بعُرُوقِكِ حَتَّى تَقِفِي بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ».
"O tree, if you do believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement, and know that I am the Prophet of Allah, come up with your roots and stand before me with the permission of Allah."
فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَهُ بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيّاً
By Him who deputed the Prophet with truth,
لاَنْقَلَعَتْ بِعُرُوقِهَا،
the tree did remove itself with its root
وَجَاءَتْ وَلَهَا دَوِيٌّ شَدِيدٌ،
and came with a great humming sound
وَقَصْفٌ كَقَصْفِ أَجْنِحَةِ الطَّيْرِ،
and a flapping like the flapping of the wings of birds,
حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) مُرَفْرِفَةً،
till it stopped before the Messenger of Allah
وَأَلْقَتْ بِغُصْنِهَا الاْعْلَى عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله)،
and cast its higher branches over the Prophet,
وَبِبَعْضِ أَغْصَانِهَا عَلَى مَنْكِبِي،
while some of its branches came down onto my shoulders,
وَكُنْتُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ(عليه السلام).
and I was on the right side of the Holy Prophet.
فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ الْقَوْمُ إِلَى ذلِكَ
When the people saw this
قَالُوا ـ عُلُوّاً وَاسْتِكْبَاراً ـ :
they said by way of pride and vanity.
فَمُرْهَا فَلْيَأْتِكَ نِصْفُهَا وَيَبْقَى نِصْفُهَا.
"Now you order half of it to come to you and the other half of it remain (in its place)."
فَأَمَرَهَا بِذلِكَ،
The Holy Prophet ordered the tree to do the same.
فَأَقْبَلَ إِلَيْهِ نِصْفُهَا كَأَعْجَبِ إِقْبَال وَأَشَدِّهِ دَوِيّاً،
Then half of the tree advanced towards him in an amazing manner and with greater humming.
فَكَادَتْ تَلْتَفُّ بِرَسُولِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله).
It was about to touch the Prophet of Allah.
فَقَالُوا ـ كُفْراً وَعُتُوّاً ـ :
Then they said, disbelieving and revolting,
فَمُرْ هذَا النِّصْفَ فَلْيَرْجِعْ إِلَى نِصْفِهِ كَمَا كَانَ.
"Ask this half to get back to its other half and be as it was."
فَأَمَرَهُ فَرَجَعَ.
The Prophet ordered it and it returned.
فَقُلْتُ أَنَا:
Then I said,
لاَ إِلهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ، إِنِّي أَوَّلُ مْؤْمِن بِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ آمَنَ أَنَّ الشَّجَرَةَ فَعَلَتْ مَا فَعَلَتْ بِأَمْرِ اللهِ تَصْدِيقاً لِنُبُوَّتِكَ، وإِجْلاَلاً لِكَلِمَتِكَ.
"There is no god but Allah! O Prophet of Allah, I am the first to believe in you and to acknowledge that the tree did what it did just now with the command of Allah, the Sublime, in testimony to your Prophethood and to heighten your word”.
فَقَالَ الْقَوْمُ كُلُّهُمْ:
Upon this all the people shouted,
بَلْ سَاحِرٌ كَذَّابٌ، عَجِيبُ السِّحْرِ خَفِيفٌ فِيهِ، وَهَلْ يُصَدِّقُكَ فِي أَمْرِكَ إِلاَّ مِثْلُ هذَا (يَعْنُونَنِي).
"Rather a sorcerer, a liar; it is wonderful sorcery, he is very adept in it. Only a man like this (pointing to me) can stand testimony to you in your affairs."
وَإِنِّي لَمِنْ قَوْم لاَ تَأخُذُهُمْ فِي اللهِ لَوْمَةُ لاَئِم،
Certainly, I belong to the group of people who care not for the reproach of anybody in matters concerning Allah.
سِيَماهُمْ سِيَما الصِّدِّيقِينَ،
Their countenance is the countenance of the truthful
وَكَلاَمُهُمْ كَلاَمُ الاْبْرَارِ،
and their speech is the speech of the virtuous.
عُمَّارُ اللَّيْلِ،
They are wakeful during the nights (in devotion to Allah),
وَمَنَارُ النَّهَارِ،
and over beacons (of guidance) in the day.
مُتَمَسِّكُونَ بِحَبْلِ الْقُرْآنِ،
They hold fast to the rope of the Qur'an.
يُحْيُونَ سُنَنَ اللهِ وسُنَنَ رَسُولِهِ،
revive the traditions of Allah and of His Prophet.
لاَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ وَلاَيَعْلُونَ،
They do not boast nor indulge in self conceit,
وَلاَيَغُلُّونَ وَلاَ يُفْسِدُونَ،
nor misappropriate, nor create mischief.
قُلُوبُهُمْ فِي الْجِنَانِ،
Their hearts are in Paradise
وَأَجْسَادُهُمْ في الْعَمَلِ!
while their bodies are busy in (good) acts.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 192: Ibn Tawus, Kitab al-yaqin, 196; al-Kulayni, Furu’ al-Kafi, IV, 168; al-Saduq, al-Faqih, I, 152; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, I, 113; al-Mawardi, A’lam, 97; See al-Tehrani, al-Dhari’ah, VII, 204.
1. The intention is that "you should not create conditions by which you may be deprived of Allah's favours, like the jealous who aims at harming him of whom he is jealous."
2. The intention is to say that if belief is accepted under force of awe and fear and worship is offered under the influence of power and authority then neither will it be belief in the true sense nor worship in real spirit. This is because belief is the name of inner testimony and heart-felt conviction. The conviction produced by force and compulsion can be only verbal but not heart-felt. Similarly, worship is the name of open acknowledgement of one's position of servitude. Worship which is devoid of the feeling of servitude or the sense of devotion and which is performed only in view of authority or fear cannot be real worship. Therefore, such belief and such worship would not present their correct connotation.
3. The reason for specifying the learned and the poor is that the learned has the light of learning to lead him, which the destitution of the poor may deny to him. In spite of this, both the learned and the poor fall into his deceit. Then how can the ignorant save himself from his clutches, and how can the rich who has all the means to get into wrong ways, defend himself against him. Nay! Verily man is wont to rebel! As he deemeth himself needless!
4. If a glance is cast at the rise and fall and events and happenings of the past people this fact will shine like daylight that the rise and fall of communities is not the result of luck or change, but that, to a great extent, it is affected by their acts and deeds. And of whatever type those deeds are, their results and consequences are in accord with them. Consequently, the stories and events of past people openly reflect that the result of oppression and evil deeds has always been ruin and destruction, while the consequence of virtuous action and peaceful living was always good luck and success. Since time and people make no difference, if the same conditions appear again and the same actions are repeated the same results must accrue which had appeared in the earlier set of circumstances, because the accrual of the results of good or bad actions is sure and certain like the properties and effects of everything. It this were not so it would not be possible to kindle hope in the minds of the oppressed and the afflicted by presenting to them past events and their effects, nor could the oppressors and tyrants be warned of the ill-effects of their deeds, on the ground that it was not necessary that the same would accrue now as had accrued earlier. But it is the universality of causality which makes past events the object of a lesson for posterity. Consequently, it was for this purpose that Amir al-mu'minin provoked thinking and consideration and mentioned the various events of Banu Isma`il, Banu Ishaq and Banu Isra'il and their affliction at the hands of the kings of Persia and Rome. The progeny of Ismael, the elder son of Ibrahim (Abraham), is called Banu Isma`il while the progeny of his younger son Issac is called Banu Ishaq which later continued to divide into various off-shoots and acquired different names. Their original abode was at Canaan in Palestine, where Ibrahim had settled after the immigration from the plains of the Euphrates and the Tigris. His son Isma`il had settled in the Hijaz, where Ibrahim had left him and his mother Hajar (Hagar). Isma`il married as-Sayyidah bint Mudad a woman of the tribe of Jurhum which also inhabited this very area. His progeny sprang from her and spread throughout the world. The other son of Ibrahim namely Ishaq remained in Canaan. His son was Ya`qub (Jacob/lsrael) who married Liya the daughter of his mother's brother and after her death married his other daughter. Both of them bore him progeny which is known as Banu Isra'il. One of his sons was Yusuf (Joseph), who reached the neighbouring country, Egypt, through an accident, and, after suffering slavery and imprisonment, eventually became the ruler and occupier of the throne. After this change, he sent for all his relations and kith and kin and in this way Egypt became the abode of Banu Isra'il. For some time they lived there in peace and safety, and led a life of respect and esteem, but by and by the locals began to view them with disdain and hatred and made them the target of all sorts of tyrannies, so much so that they used to kill their children and retained their women as slave-maids, as a result of which their determination and courage was trampled and their spirit of freedom was completely subdued. At last, conditions changed and the period of their troubles came to an end, after four hundred years of the shackles of slavery; when Allah sent Musa to deliver them from the oppression of the Pharaoh. Musa set off with them to leave Egypt, but in order to destroy the Pharaoh, Allah turned them towards the Nile where there was all flood in front, and on the rear the huge forces of the Pharaoh. This bewildered them much, but Allah commanded Musa to enter the river without fear. Thus, when he went forward, there appeared in the river not only one but several courses to pass through and Musa crossed to the other side of the river along with Banu Isra'il. Pharaoh was closely following. When he saw them passing he too advanced with his arm but when they reached the middle of the stream the still water began moving and, engulfing Pharaoh and his army in its waves, finished them. About them the Qur'an says: And (remember ye) when We delivered you from Pharaoh's people who afflicted you with grievous torment, slaying your sons and by letting your women alive, and in that was a great trial from your Lord. (2:49) However, when, after leaving the boundaries of Egypt, they entered their motherland Palestine, they established their own state and began to live in freedom, and Allah changed their lowliness and disgrace into the greatness and sublimity of rule and power. In this connection, Allah says: And made We inheritors the people who were deemed weak (to inherit) the eastern parts of the earth and the western parts of it, which we had blessed therein (with fertility) and the good word of thy Lord was fulfilled in the children of Israel for what they did endure; and destroyed We, what Pharaoh and his people had wrought, and what shade they did make. (Qur'an, 7:137) On occupying the throne of rule and regaining prosperity and peacefulness, Banu Isra'il forgot all the ignominies and disgraces of the period of slavery, and instead of being thankful to Allah for the favours granted by Him they took to rebellion and revolt. Consequently, they shamelessly indulged in vices and misconduct and partook in mischiefs and evil deeds to the maximum, made lawful things unlawful and unlawful things lawful by false excuses and disobeyed the prophets who tried to preach and correct them under the command of Allah, and even killed them. The natural consequence of their vicious activities was that they were caught in punishment for their deeds. Consequently, Nebuchadnezzar, who was ruling in Babylon (Iraq) in 600 B.C., rose to march against Syria and Palestine and killed seventy thousand Banu Isra'il with his blood-thirsty swords, devastated their towns, drove away the survivors with him like sheep and goats and threw them in the abyss of ignominy by turning them into slaves. Although after this ruination there seemed no way for them to regain position and power, yet nature gave them still another chance to recover. When Nebuchadnezzar died and power came in the hands of Belshazzar he started all sorts of oppression on the people. Being disgusted with this, they sent word to the ruler of Persia that they were tired of enduring the oppression of their ruler and that he should rescue them from him, and free them from the oppression of Belshazzar. Cyrus the Great, who was a just and upright ruler, rose up in response to this request and, with the co-operation of the local population, overturned the government, as a consequence of which the yoke of slavery on Banu Isra'il's necks was also removed, and they were allowed to return to Palestine. Thus, after seventy years of subjugation they again set foot in their homeland and took over the reins of government. If they had taken their lesson from the past events they would not have committed the same evils as a consequence of which they had to suffer slavery; but the mental constitution of this community was such that whenever they achieved prosperity and freedom from care they lost themselves in the intoxication of riches and in the enjoyment of pleasure, mocked the laws of religion, derided the prophets and even killing them did not mean anything serious to them. Thus, when their ruler Herod at the request of his sweetheart, beheaded the Prophet Yahya (John) and presented his head to her, none of them raised any voice against this brutality or was affected by it in any manner. This was the state of their unruliness and fierceness when `Isa made his appearance. He stopped them from evil deeds and exhorted them to adopt good habits, but they opposed him too and gave him troubles of various sorts, so much so that they tried to end his life. However, Allah foiled all their devices and made `Isa safe against their approach. When their disobedience reached this stage and their capacity to accept guidance was completely wiped out, fate decided to ruin them and made full arrangements for their annihilation and destruction. The ruler of Roma (Byzantia) Vespasianus sent his son Titus to attack Syria, he laid siege round Jerusalem, demolished the houses and broke down the walls of the Synagogue as a result of which thousand of Banu Isra'il left their houses and became scattered abroad, while thousands died of hunger; and those who remained were put to sword. Most of them settled in Hijaz, but because of their rejecting Prophet Muhammad (S) their unity was so disturbed that they could never again converge on any one centre of honour and could never regain a life of prestige and dignity in place of disgrace and ignominy. In the same way the ruler of Persia made serious attacks on Arabia and subjugated the inhabitants of those places. Thus, Shapur ibn Hurmuz, at the age of sixteen, took with him four thousand combatants and attacked Arabs who resided within the boundaries of Persia and then advanced towards Bahrayn, Qatif and Hajar and ruined Banu Tamim, Banu Bakr ibn Wa'il and Banu `Abd al-Qays and cut through the shoulders of seventy thousand Arabs, after which his nickname became "Dhu'l-Aktaf" (the shoulderer). He forced the Arabs that they should live in tents built of hair, should grow long hair on their heads, should not wear white clothes and should ride unsaddled horses. Then he settled twelve thousand people of Isfahan and other cities of Persia in the area between Iraq and Syria. In this way he drove the inhabitants of those places from fertile lands to waterless forests which had neither any of the conveniences of life nor means of livelihood, and for long these people remained the victims of other's oppression due to their own disunity and division. At last, Allah deputed the Prophet and raised them out of disgrace to the highest pinnacle of progress and sublimity.
5. Amir al-mu'minin, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Jabir ibn `Abdullah al-Ansari, `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud, `Ammar ibn Yasir, Abu Sa`id al-Khudri and `Abdullah ibn `Abbas narrated that the Holy Prophet commanded `Ali ibn Abi Talib to fight those who are pledge-breakers (nakithin), deviators from truth (qasitin) and those who have left the faith (mariqin). (al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 139; al-Isti`ab, vol. 3, p. 1117; Usd al-ghabah, vol. 3, pp. 32-33; ad-Durr al-manthur, vol. 6, p. 18; al-Khasa'is al-kubra, vol. 2, p. 138; Majma` az-zawa'id, vol. 5, p. 186; vol. 6, p. 235; vol. 7, p. 238; Kanz al-`ummal, vol. 6, pp. 72, 82, 88, 155, 215, 319, 391, 392; Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 8, p. 340; vol. 13, pp. 186-187; al-Tarikh, Ibn `Asakir, vol. 5, p. 41; at-Tarikh, Ibn Kathir, vol. 7 pp. 304-306; ar-Riyad an-nadarah, vol. 2, p. 240; Sharh al-mawahib al-ladunniyyah, vol. 3, pp. 316-317; Muwaddah al-awham, vol. 1, p. 386). Ibn Abi'l-Hadid says: "It has been proved (by right ascription) from the Holy Prophet that he said to `Ali (p.b.u.h.): You will fight after me those who are pledge-breakers, deviators from truth and those who have gone out of the faith. "The pledge-breakers were the people of Jamal, because they broke their allegiance with him. The deviators from truth were the people of Syria (ash-Sham) at Siffin. Those who have gone out of the faith were the Kharijites at an-Nahrawan. Regarding these three groups, Allah says (about the first one): Verily, those who swear their fealty unto thee do but swear fealty unto Allah; the hand of Allah is above their hands; so whosoever violateth his oath, doth violate it only to the hurt of his (own) self;... (Qur'an, 48:10) (About the second group) Allah says: And as for the deviators, they shall be for the hell, a fuel. (Qur'an, 72:15)" Concerning the third group, Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has referred to the following tradition (hadith) that al-Bukhari (in as-Sahih, vol. 4, pp. 166-167, 243), Muslim (in as-Sahih, vol. 3, pp. 109-117), at-Tirmidhi (in al-Jami` as-Sahih, vol. 4, p. 481), Ibn Majah (in as-Sunan, vol. I, pp. 59-62), an-Nasa'i (in as-Sunan, vol. 3, pp. 65-66), Malik ibn Anas (in al-Muwatta', pp. 204-205), ad-Dar'qutni (in as-Sunan, vol. 3, pp.131-132), ad-Darimi (in as-Suman, vol. 2, p. 133), Abu Dawud (in as-Sunan, vol. 4, pp. 241-246), al-Hakim (in al-Mustadrak, vol. 2, pp. 145-154; vol. 4, p. 531), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (in al-Musnad, vol. 1, pp. 88, 140, 147; vol. 3, pp. 56, 65) and al-Bayhaqi (in as-Sunan al-kubra', vol. 8, pp. 170-171) have narrated through a group of the companions of the Holy Prophet that he said about Dhu'l-Khuwaysirah (the surname for Dhu'th-Thudayyah Hurqus ibn Zuhayr at-Tamimi, the chief of the Kharijites): From this very person's posterity there will arise people who will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go beyond their throat, they will kill their followers of Islam and will spare the idol-worshippers. They will glance through the teaching of Islam as hurriedly as the arrow passes through its prey. If I were to ever find them I would kill them like `Ad. Then Ibn Abi'l-Hadid continues: This is the sign for his (Holy Prophet's) prophethood and his prophecy of the secret knowledge. (Sharh Nahjul Balaghah, vol. 13, p.183)
6. By "Satan of the pit" the reference is to Dhu'th-Thudayyah (whose full name already mentioned in footnote no. 5) who was killed in Nahrawan by the stroke of lightning from the sky, and there was no need to kill him by sword. The Holy Prophet had foretold his death. Therefore, after the annihilation of the Kharijites at Nahrawan, Amir al-mu'minin came out in search, but could not find his body anywhere. In the meantime, ar-Rayyan ibn Sabirah saw forty to fifty bodies in a pit on the bank of the canal. When they were taken out the body of Dhu'th-Thudayyah was also found among them. He was called Dhu'th-Thudayyah because of a mass of flesh on his shoulder. When Amir al-mu'minin saw his body he said, "Allah is Great, neither I spoke lie nor was I told wrong." (Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, vol. 13, pp. 183-184; at-Tabari, vol 1, pp. 3383-3384; Ibn al-Athir vol. 3, p. 348)
