تَجَهَّزُوا رَحِمَكُمُ اللهُ!
May Allah have mercy on you! Provide yourselves for the journey
فَقَدْ نُودِيَ فِيكُمْ بِالرَّحِيلِ،
because the call for departure has been announced.
وَأَقِلُّوا الْعُرْجَةَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا،
Regard your stay in the world as very short,
وَانْقَلِبُوا بِصَالِحِ مَا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ مِنَ الزَّادِ،
and return (to Allah) with the best provision that is with you,
فإنَّ أَمَامَكُمْ عَقَبَةً كَؤُوداً،
because surely, in front of you lies a valley, difficult to climb,
وَمَنَازِلَ مَخُوفَةً مَهُولَةً،
and places of stay full of fear and dangers.
لاَبُدَّ مِنَ الْوُرُودِ عَلَيْهَا، وَالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَهَا.
You have to reach there and stay in them.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مَلاَحِظَ الْمَنِيَّةِ نَحْوَكُمْ دَانِيَةٌ،
And know that the eyes of death are approaching towards you.
وَكَأَنَّكُمْ بِمَخَالِبِهَا وَقَدْ نَشِبَتْ فِيكُمْ،
It is as though you are (already) in its talons
وَقَدْ دَهَمَتْكُمْ فِيهَا مُفْظِعَاتُ الاْمُورِ،
and it has struck itself against you. Difficult affairs
وَمُعْضِلاَتُ الْـمَحْذُورِ.
and distressing dangers have crushed you into it.
فَقَطِّعُوا عَلاَئِقَ الدُّنْيَا،
You should therefore cut away all the attachments of this world
وَاسْتَظْهِرُوا بِزَادِ التَّقْوَى.
and assist yourselves with the provision of Allah's fear.
وقد مضى شيء من هذا الكلام فيما تقدم، بخلاف هذه الرواية.
As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: A part of this saying has been quoted before through another narration.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 204: Al-Saduq, al-'Amali, majlis 75; al-Mufid, al-Majalis, 116; al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, 110; al-Tabarsi, Mishkat, 275.
