أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ،
O people,
إِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا دارُ مَجَاز،
certainly this world is a passage
وَالاْخِرَةُ دَارُ قَرَار،
while the next world is a place of permanent abode.
فَخُذُوا مِنْ مَمَرِّكُمْ لِمَقَرِّكُمْ،
So, take from the passage (all that you can) for the permanent abode.
وَلاَ تَهْتِكُوا أَسْتَارَكُمْ عِنْدَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ أَسْرَارَكُم،
Do not tear away your curtain before Him Who is aware of your secrets.
وَأَخْرِجُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا قُلُوبَكُمْ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنْهَا أَبْدَانُكُمْ،
Take away from this world your hearts before your bodies go out of it,
فَفِيهَا اخْتُبِرْتُمْ،
because herein you have been put on trial,
ولِغِيْرِهَا خُلِقْتُمْ.
and you have been created for the other world.
إِنَّ الْمَرْءَ إِذَا هَلَكَ قَالَ النَّاسُ:
When a man dies people ask
مَا تَرَكَ؟
what (property) he has left
وَقَالَتِ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ:
while the angels ask
مَا قَدَّمَ؟
what (good actions) he has sent forward.
لله آبَاؤُكُمْ!
May Allah bless you;
فَقَدِّمُوا بَعْضَاً يَكُنْ لَكُمْ قَرْضاً،
send forward something, it will be a loan for you,
وَلاَ تُخَلِّفُوا كُلاًّ فَيَكُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ.
and do not leave everything behind, for that would be a burden on you.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 203: Al-Saduq, al-'Amali, 132; al-Saduq, ‘Uyun akhbar al-Rida, I, 298; al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 139; al-Tabarsi, Mishkat, 243; Ibn Qutaybah, ‘Uyun, II, 253; al-Mubarrad, al-Kamil; Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, al-’Iqd, II, 200; Warram, Majmu’ah, 66; al-Qali, al-'Amali, I, 258; al-Bayhaqi, al-Mahasin, II, 31; see ‘Arshi.
