أَدْحَضُ مَسْؤُول حُجَّةً،
The addressee (in this verse) is devoid of argument
وَأَقْطَعُ مُغْتَرٍّ مَعْذِرَةً،
and his excuse is most deceptive.
لَقَدْ أَبْرَحَ جَهَالَةً بِنَفْسِهِ .
He is detaining himself in ignorance.
يَا أَيُّهَا الاْنْسَانُ، مَا جَرَّأَكَ عَلَى ذَنْبِكَ،
O man! What has emboldened you to (commit) sins,
وَمَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ،
what has deceived you about your Allah
وَمَا آنَسَكَ بِهَلَكَةِ نَفْسِكَ؟
and what has made you satisfied with the destruction of yourself?
أَمَا مِنْ دَائِكَ بُلوُلٌ،
Is there no cure for your ailment
أَمْ لَيْسَ مِنْ نَوْمَتِكَ يَقَظَةٌ؟
or no awakening from your sleep?
أَمَا ترْحَمُ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ مَا تَرْحَمُ مِنْ غَيْرِكَ؟
Do you not have pity on yourself as you have on others?
فَلَرُبَّمَا تَرَى الضَّاحِيَ مِنْ حَرِّ الشَّمْسِ فَتُظِلُّهُ،
Generally, when you see anyone exposed to the heat of the sun you cover him with shade,
أَوْ تَرَى الْمُبْتَلَى بِأَلَم يُمِضُّ جَسَدَهُ فَتَبْكِي رَحْمَةً لَهُ!
or if you see anyone afflicted with grief that pains his body you weep out of pity for him.
فَمَا صَبَّرَك عَلَى دَائِكَ،
What has then made you patient over your own disease,
وَجَلَّدَكَ عَلَى مُصَابِكَ،
what has made you firm in your own afflictions,
وَعَزَّاكَ عَنِ الْبُكَاءِ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ وَهِيَ أَعَزُّ الاْنْفُسِ عَلَيْكَ!
and what has consoled you from weeping over yourself although your life is the most precious of all lives to you,
وَكَيْفَ لاَ يُوقِظُكَ خَوْفُ بَيَاتِ نِقْمَة،
and why does not the fear of an ailment that may befall you in the night keep you wakeful
وَقَدْ تَوَرَّطْتَ بمَعَاصِيهِ مَدَارِجَ سَطَوَاتِهِ!
although you lie on the way to Allah's wrath due to your sins?
فَتَدَاوَ مِنْ دَاءِ الْفَتْرَةِ فِي قَلْبِكَ بِعَزِيمَة،
You should cure the disease of languor in your heart by determination,
وَمِنْ كَرَى الْغَفْلَةِ فِي نَاظِرِكَ بِيَقَظَة،
and the sleep of neglectfulness in your eyes by wakefulness.
وَكُنْ لله مُطِيعاً،
Be obedient to Allah,
وَبِذِكْرِهِ آنِساً،
and love His remembrance,
وَتَمَثَّلْ فِي حَالِ تَوَلِّيكَ عَنْهُ إِقْبَالَهُ عَلَيْكَ،
and picture to yourself that you are running away while He is approaching you.
يَدْعُوكَ إِلَى عَفْوِهِ،
He is calling you to His forgiveness
وَيَتَغَمَّدُكَ بِفَضْلِهِ،
and concealing your faults with His kindness,
وَأَنْتَ مُتَوَلٍّ عنْهُ إِلَى غَيْرِهِ.
while you are fleeing away from Him towards others.
فَتَعَالى مِنْ قَوِيّ مَا أَكْرَمَهُ!
Certainly, Great is Allah the powerful, Who is so generous,
وَتَوَاضَعْتَ مِنْ ضَعِيف مَا أَجْرَأَكَ عَلَى مَعْصِيَتِهِ!
and how humble and weak are you and still so bold to commit His disobedience
وَأَنْتَ فِي كَنَفِ سِتْرِهِ مُقيِمٌ،
although you live in His protection
وَفِي سَعَةِ فَضْلِهِ مَتَقَلِّبٌ،
and undergo changes of life in the expanse of His kindness.
فَلَمْ يَمْنَعْكَ فَضْلَهُ،
He does not refuse you His kindness
وَلَمْ يَهْتِكْ عَنْكَ سِتْرَهُ،
and does not remove His protection from you.
بَلْ لَمْ تَخْلُ مِنْ لُطْفِهِ مَطْرِفَ عَيْن فِي نِعْمَة يُحْدِثُهَا لَكَ،
In fact, you have not been without His kindness even for a moment, whether it be a favour that He conferred upon you
أَوْ سَيِّئَة يَسْتُرُهَا عَلَيْكَ،
or a sin of yours that He has concealed
أَوْ بَلِيَّة يَصْرِفُهَا عَنْكَ،
or a calamity that He has warded off from you.
فَمَا ظَنُّكَ بِهِ لَوْ أَطَعْتَهُ!
What is your idea about Him if you had obeyed Him?
وَايْمُ اللهِ لَوْ أَنَّ هذِهِ الصِّفَةَ كَانَتْ فِي مُتَّفِقَيْنِ فِي الْقُوَّةِ، مُتَوَازِيَيْنِ فِي الْقُدْرَ،
By Allah, if this had been the case with two persons equal in power and matching in might (one being inattentive and the other showering favours upon you)
لَكُنْتَ أَوَّلَ حَاكِم عَلى نَفْسِكَ بِذَمِيمِ الاْخْلاَقِ،
then you would have been the first to adjudge yourself to be of bad behaviour
وَمَسَاوِىءِ الاْعَمْالِ.
and evil deeds.
وَحَقّاً أَقُولُ! مَا الدُّنْيَا غَرَّتْكَ،
I truthfully say that the world has not deceived you
وَلكِنْ بِهَا اغْتَرَرْتَ،
but you have had yourself deceived by it.
وَلَقَدْ كَاشَفَتْكَ الْعِظَاتِ،
The world had opened to you the curtains
وَآذَنَتْكَ عَلَى سَوَاء،
and divulged to you (everything) equally.
وَلَهِيَ بِمَا تَعِدُكَ مِنْ نُزُولِ الْبَلاَءِ بِجِسْمِكَ،
And in all that it foretold you about the troubles befalling your bodies
وَالنَّقْصِ فِي قُوَّتِكَ،
and the decay in your power,
أَصْدَقُ وَأَوْفَى مِنْ أَنْ تَكْذِبَكَ،
it has been too true and faithful in promise, and did not speak a lie to you
أَوْ تَغُرَّكَ،
or deceive you.
وَلَرُبَّ نَاصِح لَهَا عِنْدَكَ مُتَّهَمٌ،
There are many who advise you about it but they are blamed,
وَصَادِق مِنْ خَبَرِهَا مُكَذَّبٌ،
and speak the truth about it but they are opposed.
وَلَئِنْ تَعَرَّفْتهَا فِي الدِّيَارِ الْخَاوِيَةِ،
If you understand the world by means of dilapidated houses
وَالرُّبُوعِ الْخَالِيَةِ،
and forlorn abodes,
لَتَجِدَنَّهَا مِنْ حُسْنِ تَذْكِيرِكَ،
then with your good understanding
وَبَلاَغِ مَوْعِظَتِكَ،
and far reaching power of drawing lessons
بِمَحَلَّةِ الشَّفِيقِ عَلَيْكَ،
you will find it like one who is kind over you
وَالشَّحِيحِ بك!
and cautious about you.
وَلَنِعْمَ دَارُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْضَ بِهَا دَاراً،
It is good abode for him who does not like it as an abode,
وَمَحَلُّ مَنْ لَمْ يُوَطِّنْهَا مَحَلاًّ!
and a good place of stay for him who does not regard it a permanent home for stay.
وَإِنَّ السُّعَدَاءَ بالدُّنْيَا غَداً هُمُ الْهَارِبُونَ مِنْهَا الْيَوْمَ.
Only those who run away from this world today will be regarded virtuous tomorrow.
إِذَا رَجَفَتِ الرَّاجِفَةُ،
When the earthquake occurs,
وَحَقَّتْ بِجَلاَئِلِهَا الْقِيَامَةُ،
the Day of Resurrection approaches with all its severities,
وَلَحِقَ بِكُلِّ مَنْسَك أَهْلُهُ،
the people of every worshipping place cling to it,
وَبِكُلِّ مَعْبُود عَبَدَتُهُ،
all the devotees cling to the object of their devotion
وَبِكُلِّ مُطَاع أَهْلُ طَاعَتِهِ،
and all the followers cling to their leader.
فَلَمْ يُجْزَ فِي عَدْلِهِ وَقِسْطِهِ يَوْمَئِذ خَرْقُ بَصَر فِي الْهَوَاءِ، وَلاَ هَمْسُ قَدَم فِي الاْرْضِ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهِ،
Then on that day even the opening of an eye in the air and the sound of a footstep on the ground will be assigned its due through His Justice and His Equity.
فَكَمْ حُجَّة يَوْمَ ذَاكَ دَاحِضَة،
On that day many an argument will prove void
وَعَلاَئِقِ عُذْر مُنْقَطِعَة!
and a contention for excuses will stand rejected.
فَتَحَرَّ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ مَايَقُومُ بِهِ عُذْرُكَ،
Therefore, you should now adopt for yourself the course with which your excuse may hold good
وَتَثْبُتُ بِهِ حُجَّتُكَ،
and your plea may be proved.
وَخُذْ مَا يَبْقَى لَكَ مِمَّا لاَ تَبْقَى لَهُ،
Take from the transient things of this world that which will stay for you (in the next world),
وَتَيَسَّرْ لِسَفَرِكَ،
provide for your journey,
وَشِمْ بَرْقَ النَّجَاةِ،
keep (your) gaze on the brightness of deliverance
وَارْحَلْ مَطَايَا التَّشْمِيرِ.
and keep ready the saddles (for setting off).
Alternative Sources for Sermon 222: Al-Yamani, al-Taraz, II, 272; al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 232.
