إنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْزَلَ كِتَاباً هَادِياً بَيَّنَ فِيهِ الْخَيْرَ وَالْشَّرَّ;
Allah, the Glorified, has sent down a guiding Book wherein He has explained virtue and vice.
فَخُذُوا نَهْجَ الْخَيْرِ تَهْتَدُوا،
You should adopt the course of virtue whereby you will have guidance,
وَاصْدِفُوا عَنْ سَمْتِ الشَّرِّ تَقْصِدُوا.
and keep aloof from the direction of vice so that you remain on the right way.
الْفَرَائِضَ الْفَرائِضَ!
(Mind) the obligations, (mind) the obligations!
أَدُّوهَا إلَى اللهِ تُؤَدِّكُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ.
Fulfil them for Allah and they will take you to Paradise.
إنَّ اللهَ تَعالَى حَرَّمَ حَرَاماً غَيْرَ مَجْهُول،
Surely, Allah has made unlawful the things which are not unknown
وَأَحَلَّ حَلاَلاً غَيْرَ مَدْخُول ،
and made lawful the things which are without defect.
وَفَضَّلَ حُرْمَةَ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْحُرَمِ كُلِّهَا،
He has declared paying regard to Muslims as the highest of all regards.
وَشَدَّ بِالاْخْلاَصِ وَالتَّوحِيدِ حُقُوقَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي مَعَاقِدِهَا،
He has placed the rights of Muslims in the same grade (of importance) as devotion (to Himself and His Oneness).
فَالْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ،
Therefore, a Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand every (other) Muslim is safe, save in the matter of truth.
وَلاَ يَحِلُّ أَذَى الْمُسْلِمِ إِلاَّ بَمَا يَجِبُ.
It is not, therefore, lawful to molest a Muslim except when it is obligatory.
بَادِرُوا أَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ وَخَاصَّةَ أَحَدِكُمْ
Hasten towards the most common matter which is peculiar to every one;
وَهُوَ الْمَوْتُ،
and that is death.
فَإنَّ النَّاسَ أَمَامَكُمْ،
Certainly, people (who have already gone) are ahead of you
وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ تَحْدُوكُمْ مِنْ خَلْفِكُمْ،
while the hour (Day of Judgement) is driving you from behind.
تَخَفَّفُوا تَلْحَقُوا،
Remain light, in order that you may overtake them.
فَإنَّمَا يُنْتَظَرُ بِأَوَّلِكُمْ آخِرُكُمْ.
Your backs are being awaited for the sake of the fronts.
اتَّقُوا اللهَ فِي عِبَادِهِ وَبِلاَدِهِ،
Fear Allah in the matter of His creatures and His cities
فَإنَّكُمْ مَسْؤُولُونَ حَتَّى عَنِ الْبِقَاعِ وَالْبَهَائِمِ،
because you will be questioned even about lands and beasts.
أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَلاَ تَعْصُوهُ،
Obey Allah and do not disobey Him.
وَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الْخَيْرَ فَخُذُوا بِهِ،
When you see virtue adopt it,
وَإذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الشَّرَّ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْه
and when you see vice avoid it.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 167: Al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, V, 157, events of 35 H.; al-Radi, al-Khasa'is, 87.
