Sermon 164: The people are behind me…

When people went to Amir al-mu'minin in a deputation and complained to him through what they had to say against `Uthman, and requested him to speak to him on their behalf and to admonish him for their sake, he went to see him and said:1

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام)

لما اجتمع الناس اليه وشكوا ما نقموه على عثمان وسألوه مخاطبته واستعتابه لهم، فدخل(عليه السلام) على عثمان فقال :

The people are behind me and they have made me an ambassador between you and themselves; but by Allah, I do not know what to say to you. I know nothing (in this matter) which you do not know, nor can I lead you to any matter of which you are not aware. You certainly know what we know, we have not come to know anything before you which we could tell you; nor did we learn anything in secret which we should convey to you. You have seen as we have seen and you have heard as we have heard. You sat in the company of the Prophet of Allah as we did. (Abu Bakr) Ibn Abi Quhafah and (`Umar) ibn al-Khattab were no more responsible for acting righteously than you, since you are nearer than both of them to the Prophet of Allah through kinship, and you also hold relationship to him by marriage which they do not hold.

إِنَّ النَّاسَ وَرَائي، وَقَدِ اسْتَسْفَرُوني بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُمْ، وَوَاللهِ مَا أَدْرِي مَا أَقُولُ لَكَ! مَا أَعْرِفُ شَيْئاً تَجْهَلُهُ، وَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَمْر لاَ تَعْرِفُهُ، إِنَّكَ لَتَعْلَمُ مَا نَعْلَمُ، مَا سَبَقْنَاكَ إِلَى شَيْء فَنُخْبِرَكَ عَنْهُ، وَلاَ خَلَوْنَا بِشَيْء فَنُبَلِّغَكَهُ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتَ كَمَا رَأَيْنَا، وَسَمِعْتَ كَمَا سَمِعْنَا، وَصَحِبْتَ رَسُولَ الله(صلى الله عليه وآله) كَمَا صَحِبْنَا. وَمَا ابْنُ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ وَلاَ ابْنُ الْخَطَّابِ بِأَوْلَى بِعَمَلِ الْحَقِّ مِنْكَ، وَأَنْتَ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) وَشِيجَةَ رَحِم مِنْهُمَا، وَقَدْ نِلْتَ مَنْ صَهْرِهِ مَا لَمْ يَنَالاَ

Then (fear) Allah, in your own self; for, by Allah, you are not being shown anything as if you are blind or being apprised of anything as if you are ignorant. The ways are clear while the banners of faith are fixed. You should know that among the creatures of Allah, the most distinguished person before Allah is the just Imam who has been guided (by Allah) and guides others. So, he stands by the recognised ways of the Prophet's behaviour and destroys unrecognised innovations.

The (Prophet's) ways are clear and they have signs, while innovations are also clear and they too have signs. Certainly, the worst man before Allah is the oppressive Imam who has gone astray and through whom others go astray. He destroys the the accepted sunnah and revives abandoned innovations. I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: "On the Day of Judgement the oppressive Imam will be brought without anyone to support him or anyone to advance excuses on his behalf, and then he will be thrown into Hell where he will rotate as the hand-mill rotates, then (eventually) he will be confined to its hollow."

فَاللهَ اللهَ فِي نَفْسِكَ! فَإِنَّكَ ـ وَاللهِ ـ مَا تُبَصَّرُ مِنْ عَمىً، وَلاَ تُعَلّمُ مِنْ جَهْل، وَإِنَّ الْطُّرُقَ لَوَاضِحَةٌ، وَإِنَّ أَعْلاَمَ الدِّينِ لَقَائِمَةٌ. فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَفْضَلَ عِبَادِاللهِ عِنْدَ اللهِ إِمَامٌ عَادِلٌ، هُدِيَ وَهَدَي، فَأَقَامَ سُنَّةً مَعْلُومَةً، وَأَمَاتَ بِدْعَةً مَجْهُولَةً، وَإِنَّ السُّنَنَ لَنَيِّرَةٌ، لَهَا أَعْلاَمٌ، وَإِنَّ الْبِدَعَ لَظَاهِرَةٌ، لَهَا أَعْلاَمٌ، وَإِنَّ شَرَّ النَّاسِ عِنْدَاللهِ إِمَامٌ جَائِرٌ ضَلَّ وَضُلَّ بِهِ، فَأَمَاتَ سُنَّةً مَأْخُوذَةً، وَأَحْيَا بِدْعَةً مَتْرُوكَةً. وَإِني سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) يَقُولُ: "يُؤْتَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِالاْمَامِ الْجَائِرِ وَلَيْسَ مَعَهُ نَصِيرٌ وَلاَ عَاذِرٌ، فَيُلْقَى فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ، فَيَدُورُ فِيهَا كَمَا تَدُورُ الرَّحَى، ثُمَّ يَرْتَبِطُ فِي قَعْرِهَا ."

I swear to you by Allah that you should not be that Imam of the people who will be killed because it has been said that, "An Imam of this people will be killed after which killing and fighting will be made open for them till the Day of Judgement, and he will confuse their matters and spread troubles over them. As a result, they will not discern truth from wrong. They will oscillate like waves and would be utterly misled." You should not behave as the carrying beast for Marwan so that he may drag you wherever he likes, despite (your) seniority of age and length of life.

وَإِني أَنْشُدُكَ اللهَ أنْ تَكُونَ إِمَامَ هذِهِ الاْمَّةِ الْمَقْتُولَ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يُقَالُ: يُقْتَلُ فِي هذِهِ الاْمَّةِ إِمَامٌ يَفْتَحُ عَلَيْهَا الْقَتْلَ وَالْقِتَالَ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقُيَامَةِ، وَيَلْبِسُ أُمُورَهَا عَلَيْهَا، وَيَبُثُّ الْفِتَنَ فِيهَا، فَلاَ يُبْصِرُونَ الْحَقَّ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ، يَمُوجُونَ فِيهَا مَوْجاً، وَيَمْرُجُونَ فِيهَا مَرْجاً. فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ لِمَرْوَانَ سَيِّقَةً يَسُوقُكَ حَيْثُ شَاءَ بَعْدَ جَلاَلَ السِّنِّ وَتَقَضِّي الْعُمُرِ

Then `Uthman said to Amir al-mu'minin: "Speak to the people to give me time until I redress their grievances." Amir al-mu'minin then said: "So far as Medina is concerned here is no question of time. As for remoter areas you can have the time needed for your order to reach there."

فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْـمَانُ: كَلِّمِ النَّاسَ فِي أَنْ يُؤَجِّلُونِي، حَتَّى أَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ مِن مَظَالِمِهِمْ، فَقال(عليه السلام): مَا كَانَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَلاَ أَجَلَ فِيهِ، وَمَا غَابَ فَأَجَلُهُ وُصُولُ أَمْرِكَ إِلَيْهِ

Alternative Sources for Sermon 164

(1) Al-Baladhuri, Ansab, V, 60;

(2) al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, V, 96, events of 34 H.;

(3) Ibn `Abd Rabbih, al-`Iqd, IV,308 , II,273 ;

(4) al-Mufid, al-Jamal,100 ;

(5) Ibn Miskawayh, Tajarib al-'umam (1909 ), I,478 .

Notes

1. During the Caliphate of `Uthman when the Muslims were weary of the oppression of the Government and its officials collected in Medina to complain to the senior companions of the Prophet, they came to Amir al-mu'minin in a peaceful manner and requested him to see `Uthman and advise him not to trample on the Muslims' rights and to put an end to the troubles which were proving the cause of the people's ruin, whereupon Amir al-mu'minin went to him and uttered these words.

In order to make the bitterness of the admonition palatable Amir al-mu'minin adopted that way of speech in the beginning which would create a sense of responsibility in the addressee and direct him towards his obligations. Thus, by mentioning his companionship of the Prophet, his personal position, and his kinship to the Prophet as against the two previous Caliphs, his intention was to make him realise his duties; in any case, this was obviously not an occasion for eulogising him, so that its later portion can be disregarded and the whole speech be regarded as an eulogy of his attainments, because from its very beginning it is evident that whatever `Uthman did, he did it wilfully, that nothing was done without his knowledge or his being informed, and that he could not be held unaccountable for it because of his being unaware of it. If the adoption of a line of action which made the whole Islamic world raise hue and cry in spite of his having being a companion of the Prophet, having heard his instructions, having seen his behaviour and having been acquainted with the commandments of Islam can be regarded as a distinction, then this taunt may also be regarded as praise. If that is not a distinction then this too cannot be called and eulogy. In fact, the words about which it is argued that they are in praise are enough to prove the seriousness of his crime, because a crime in ignorance and unawareness is not so serious as the weight given to the seriousness of the commission of a crime despite knowledge and awareness. Consequently a person who is unaware of the rise and fall of a road and stumbles in the dark night is excusable but a person who is aware of the rise and fall of the road and stumbled in broad day light is liable to be blamed. If on this occasion he is told that he has eyes and is also aware of the rise and fall of the way, it would not mean that his vastness of knowledge or the brightness of his eye-sight is being praised, but the intention would be that he did not notice the pitfalls despite his eyes, and did not walk properly, and that therefore for him, having or not having eyes is the same, and knowing or not knowing is equal.

In this connection great stress in laid on his being a son-in-law, namely that the Prophet married his two daughters Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum to him one after the other. Before taking this to be a distinction, the real nature of `Uthman's son-in-lawship should be seen. History shows that in this matter `Uthman did not enjoy the distinction of being the first, but before him Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum had been married to two sons of Abu Lahab namely `Utbah and `Utaybah, but despite their being sons-in-law, they have not been included among people of position of pre-prophethood period. How then can this be regarded as a source of position without any personal merit, when there is no authority about the importance of this relationship, nor was any importance attached to this matter in such a way that there might have been some competition between `Uthman and some other important personality in this regard and that his selection for it might have given him prominence, or that these two girls might have been shown to possess an important position in history, tradition or biography as a result of which this relationship could be given special importance and regarded as a distinction for him? If the marriage of these two daughters with `Utbah and `Utaybah in the pre-prophethood period is held as lawful on the ground that marriage with unbelievers had not till then been made unlawful, then in `Uthman's case also the condition for lawfulness was his acceptance of Islam, there is no doubt that he had pronounced the kalimah ash-shahadatayn (there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger) and had accepted Islam outwardly. As such this marriage can be held a proof of his outward Islam, but no other honour can be proved through it. Again, it is also not agreed that these two were the real daughters of the Messenger of Allah, because there is one group which denies them to be his real daughters, and regards them as being the daughters of Khadijah's sister Halah, or the daughters of her own previous husband. Thus, Abu'l-Qasim al-Kufi (d. 352 A.H.) writes:

"When the Messenger of Allah married Khadijah, then some time thereafter Halah died leaving two daughters, one named Zaynab and the other named Ruqayyah and both of them were brought up by the Prophet and Khadijah and they maintained them, and it was the custom before Islam that a child was assigned to whoever brought him up." (al-lstighathah, p. 69)

Ibn Hisham has written about the issues of Hadrat Khadijah as follows:

"Before marriage with the Prophet she was married to Abi Halah ibn Malik. She delivered for him Hind ibn Abi Halah and Zaynab bint Abi Halah. Before marriage with Abi Halah she was married to `Utayyiq ibn `Abid ibn `Abdillah ibn `Amr ibn Makhzum and she delivered for him `Abdullah and a daughter." (as-Sirah an-nabawiyyah, vol. 4, p. 293)

This shows that of Hadrat Khadijah had two daughters before being married to the Prophet and according to all appearance they would be called his daughters and those to whom they were married would be called his sons-in-law, but the position of this relationship would be the same as if those girls were his daughters. Therefore, before putting it forth as a matter for pride the real status of the daughters should be noted and a glance should be cast at `Uthman's conduct. In this connection, al-Bukhari and other narrators (of traditions) and historians record this tradition as follows:

Anas ibn Malik relates that: "We were present on the occasion of the burial of the Prophet's daughter Umm Kulthum, while the Prophet was sitting beside her grave. I saw his eyes shedding tears. Then he said, 'Is there any one among you who has not committed a sin last night?' Abu Talhah (Zayd ibn Sahl al-Ansari) said, 'I', then the Prophet said, 'Then you get into the grave,' consequently he got down into the grave."

The commentators said about 'committed sin' that the Holy Prophet meant to say 'one who had not had sexual intercourse.' On this occasion the Holy Prophet unveiled the private life of `Uthman and prevented him from getting down into the grave, although it was a prominent merit of the Prophet's character that he did not disgrace or belittle any one by making public his private life, and despite of knowledge of others' shortcomings, ignored them; but in this case the filth was such that it was deemed necessary to disgrace him before the whole crowd.

Since `Uthman did not show any regard for the demise of his wife (Umm Kulthum) nor was he moved or felt sorry (for this event), and paid no heed to the cutting off his relationship with the Holy Prophet (for being his son-in-law), he (`Uthman) had sexual intercourse on the same night, therefore the Holy Prophet deprived him of this right and honour. (al-Bukhari, as-Sahih, vol. 2, pp. 100-101, 114; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad, vol. 3, pp. 126, 228, 229, 270; al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak, vol. 4, p. 47; al-Bayhaqi, as-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 4, p. 53; Ibn Sa`d, at-Tabaqat al-kabir, vol. 8, p. 26; as-Suhayli, ar-Rawd al-unuf, vol. 2, p. 107; Ibn Hajar, al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 489; Fath al-bari, vol. 3, p. 122; al-`Ayni, `Umdah al-qari, vol. 4,p. 85; Ibn al-Athir, an-Nihayah, vol. 3, p. 276; Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-`Arab, vol. 9, pp. 280-281; az-Zabidi, Taj al-`arus, vol. 6, p. 220).

Sermon 165: Allah has provided wonderful creations…

Describing the wonderful creation of the peacock

ومن خطبة له

يذكر فيها عجيب خلقه الطاووس

About the wonderful creation of birds

خلقة الطيور

Allah has provided wonderful creations including the living, the lifeless, the stationary, and the moving. He has established such clear proofs for His delicate creative power and great might that minds bend down to Him in acknowledgement thereof and in submission to Him, and arguments about His Oneness strike our ears. He has created birds of various shapes which live in the burrows of the earth, in the openings of high passes and on the peaks of mountains.

ابْتَدَعَهُمْ خَلْقاً عَجِيباً مِنْ حَيَوَان وَمَوَات، وَسَاكِن وَذِي حَرَكَات، وَأَقَامَ مِنْ شَوَاهِدِ الْبَيِّنَاتِ عَلَى لَطِيفِ صَنْعَتِهِ، وَعَظِيمِ قُدْرَتِهِ، مَا انْقَادَتْ لَهُ الْعُقُولُ مُعْتَرِفَةً بِهِ، وَمُسْلِّمَةً لَهُ، وَنَعَقَتْ فِي أَسْـمَاعِنَا دَلاَئِلُهُ عَلَى وَحْدَانِيَّتِهِ، وَمَا ذَرَأَ مِنْ مُخْتَلِفِ صُوَرِ الاْطْيَارِ الَّتِي أَسْكَنَهَا أَخَادِيدَ الاْرْضِ، وَخُرُوقَ فِجَاجِهَا، وَرَوَاسِي أعْلاَمِهَا

They have different kinds of wings, and various characteristics. They are controlled by the rein of (Allah's) authority. They flutter with their wings in the expanse of the vast firmament and the open atmosphere. He brought them into existence from non-existence in strange external shapes, and composed them with joints and bones covered with flesh. He prevented some of them from flying easily in the sky because of their heavy bodies and allowed them to use their wings only close to the ground. He has set them in different colours by His delicate might and exquisite creative power.

مِنْ ذَوَاتِ أَجْنِحَة مُخْتَلِفَة، وَهَيْئَات مُتَبَايِنَة، مُصَرَّفَة فِي زِمَامِ التَّسْخِيرِ، وَمُرَفْرِفَة بِأَجْنِحَتِهَا فِي مَخَارِقِ الْجَوِّ المُنفَسِحِ وَالْفَضَاءِ المُنفَرِجِ. كَوَّنَهَا بَعْدَ إِذْ لَمْ تَكُنْ فِي عَجائِبِ صُوَر ظَاهِرَة، وَرَكَّبَهَا فِي حِقَاقِ مَفَاصِلَ مُحْتَجِبَة، وَمَنَعَ بَعْضَهَا بِعَبَالَةِ خَلْقِهِ أَنْ يَسْمُوَ فِي الْهَوَاءِ خُفُوفاً، وَجَعَلَهُ يَدِفُّ دَفِيفاً، وَنَسَقَهَا عَلَى اخْتِلاَفِهَا فِى الاْصَابِيغِ بِلَطِيفِ قُدْرَتِهِ، وَدَقِيقِ صَنْعَتِهِ ;

Among them are those which are tinted with one hue and there is no other hue except the one in which they have been dyed. There are others which are tinted with one colour, and they have a neck ring of a different colour than that with which they are tinted.

فَمِنْهَا مَغْمُوسٌ فِي قَالَبِ لَوْن لاَ يَشُوبُهُ غَيْرُ لَوْنِ مَا غُمِسَ فِيه، وَمِنْهَا مَغْمُوسٌ فِي لَوْنِ صِبْغ قَدْ طُوِّقَ بِخِلاَفِ مَا صُبِغَ بِهِ

About the Peacock

الطاووس

The most amazing among them in its creation is the peacock, which Allah has created in the most symmetrical dimensions, and arranged its hues in the best arrangement with wings whose ends are inter-leaved together and whose tail is long. When it moves to its female it spreads out its folded tail and raises it up so as to cast a shade over its head, as if it were the sail of a boat being pulled by the sailor. It feels proud of its colours and swaggers with its movements. It copulates like the cocks. It leaps (on the female) for fecundation like lustful energetic men at the time of fighting.

وَمِنْ أَعْجَبِهَا خَلْقاً الطَّاوُوسُ، الَّذِي أَقَامَهُ فِي أَحْكَمِ تَعْدِيل، وَنَضَّدَ أَلْوَانَهُ فِي أَحْسَنِ تَنْضِيد، بِجَنَاح أَشْرَجَ قَصَبَهُ، وَذَنَب أَطَالَ مَسْحَبَهُ. إذَا دَرَجَ إلَى الاْنْثَى نَشَرَهُ مِنْ طَيِّهِ، وَسَمَا بِهِ مُطِلاًّ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ كَأَنَّهُ قِلْعُ دَارِيّ عَنَجَهُ نُوتِيُّهُ

يَخْتَالُ بِأَلْوَانِهِ، وَيَمِيسُ بِزَيَفَانِهِ، يُفْضِي كَإفْضَاءِ الدِّيَكَةِ، وَيَؤُرُّ بِمَلاَقِحِهِ أَرَّ الْفُحُولِ الْمُغْتَلِمَةِ لِلضِّرَابِ

I am telling you all this from observation, unlike he who narrates on the basis of weak authority, as for example, the belief of some people that it fecundates the female by a tear which flows from its eyes and when it stops on the edges of the eyelids the female swallows it and lays its eggs thereby and not through fecundation by a male other than by means of this flowing tear. Even if they say this, it would be no amazing than (what they say about) the mutual feeding of the crows (for fecundation).

You would imagine its feathers to be sticks made of silvers and the wonderful circles and sun-shaped feathers growing thereon to be of pure gold and pieces of green emerald. If you likened them to anything growing on land, you would say that it is a bouquet of flowers collected during every spring. If you likened them to cloths, they would be like printed apparels or amazing variegated cloths of Yemen. If you likened them to ornaments then they would be like gems of different colour with studded silver.

أُحِيلُكَ مِنْ ذلِكَ عَلَى مُعَايَنَة، لاَ كَمَنْ يُحِيلُ عَلى ضَعِيف إسْنَادُهُ، وَلَوْ كَانَ كَزَعْمِ مَنْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ يُلْقِحُ بِدَمْعَة تَسْفَحُهَا مَدَامِعُهُ، فَتَقِفُ في ضَفَّتَي جُفُونِهِ، وأَنَّ أُنْثَاهُ تَطْعَمُ ذلِكَ، ثُمَّ تَبِيضُ لاَ مِنْ لِقَاحِ فَحْل سِوَى الدَّمْعِ الْمُنبَجِسِ، لَمَا كَانَ ذلِكَ بَأَعْجَبَ مِنْ مُطَاعَمَةِ الْغُرَابِ!. تَخَالُ قَصَبَهُ مَدَارِىَ مِنْ فِضَّة، وَمَا أُنْبِتَ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ عَجِيبِ دَارَاتِهِ وَشُمُوسِهِ خَالِصَ الْعِقْيَانِ، وَفِلَذَ الزَّبَرْجَدِ. فَإنْ شَبَّهْتَهُ بِمَا أَنْبَتَتِ الاْرْضُ قُلْتَ: جَنِىٌّ جُنِىَ مِنْ زَهْرَةِ كُلِّ رَبِيع، وَإنْ ضَاهَيْتَهُ بِالْملابِسِ فَهُوَ كَمَوْشِىِّ الْحُلَلِ أَوْ كَمُونِقِ عَصْبِ الَيمَنِ، وَإنْ شَاكَلْتَهُ بِالْحُلِيِّ فَهُوَ كَفُصُوص ذَاتِ أَلْوَان، قَدْ نُطِّقَتْ بِاللُّجَيْنِ الْمُكَلَّلِ

The peacock walks with vanity and pride, and throws open its tail and wings and laughs admiring the handsomeness of its dress and the hues of its necklace of gems. But when it casts its glance at its legs it cries loudly with a voice which indicates its call for help and displays its true grief, because its legs are thin like the legs of Indo-Persian cross-bred cocks.

At the end of its shin there is a thin thorn and on the crown of its head there is a bunch of green variegated feathers. Its neck begins in the shape of a goblet and its stretch up to its belly is like the hair-dye of Yemen in colour or like silk cloth put on a polished mirror which looks as if it has been covered with a black veil, except that on account of its excessive lustre and extreme brightness it appears that a lush green colour has been mixed with it.

Along the openings of its ears there is a line of shining bright daisy colour like the thin end of a pen. Whiteness shines on the black background. There is hardly a hue from which it has not taken a bit and improved it further by regular polish, lustre, silken brightness and brilliance. It is therefore like scattered blossoms which have not been seasoned by the rains of spring or the sun of the summer.

يَمْشِي مَشْيَ الْمَرِحِ الْـمُخْتَالِ، وَيَتَصَفَّحُ ذَنَبَهُ وَجَنَاحَهُ، فَيُقَهْقِهُ ضَاحِكاً لِجَمَالِ سِرْبَالِهِ، وَأَصَابِيغِ وِشَاحِهِ; فَإذَا رَمَى بِبَصَرِهِ إِلَى قَوَائِمِهِ زَقَا مُعْوِلاً بِصَوْت يَكَادُ يُبِينُ عَنِ اسْتِغَاثَتِهِ، وَيَشْهَدُ بِصَادِقِ تَوَجُّعِهِ، لاِنَّ قَوَائِمَهُ حُمْشٌ كَقَوَائِمِ الدِّيَكَةِ الْخِلاَسِيَّةِ. وَقَدْ نَجَمَتْ مِنْ ظُنْبُوبِ سَاقِهِ صِيصِيَةٌ خَفِيَّةٌ، وَلَهُ فِي مَوْضِعِ الْعُرْفِ قُنْزُعَةٌ خَضْرَاءُ مُوَشَّاةٌ، وَمَخْرَجُ عَنُقِهِ كالاْبْرِيقِ، وَمَغَرزُهَا إلَى حَيْثُ بَطْنُهُ كَصِبْغِ الْوَسِمَةِ الْـيَـمَانِيَّةِ، أَوْ كَحَرِيرَة مُلْبَسَة مِرْآةً ذَاتَ صِقَال، وَكَأَنَّهُ مُتَلَفِّعٌ بِمِعْجَر أَسْحَمَ; إلاَّ أنَّهُ يُخَيَّلُ لِكَثْرَةِ مَائِهِ، وَشِدَّةِ بَرِيقِهِ، أَنَّ الْخُضْرَةَ النَّاضِرَةَ مُمْتَزِجَةٌ بِهِ، وَمَعَ فَتْقِ سَمْعِهِ خَطٌّ كَمُسْتَدَقِّ الْقَلَمِ فِي لَوْنِ الاْقْحُوَانِ، أَبْيَضُ يَقَقٌ، فَهُوَ بِبَيَاضِهِ فِي سَوَادِ مَا هُنَالِكَ يَأْتَلِقُ. وَقَلَّ صِبْغٌ إلاَّ وَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِنْهُ بِقِسْط، وَعَلاَهُ بِكَثْرَةِ صِقَالِهِ وَبَرِيقِهِ، وَبَصِيصِ دِيبَاجِهِ وَرَوْنَقِهِ، فَهُوَ كَالاْزَاهِيرِ الْمَبْثُوثَةِ، لَمْ تُرَبِّهَا أَمْطَارُ رَبِيع، وَلاَ شُمُوسُ قَيْظ

It also sheds its plumage and puts off its dress. They all fall away and grow again. They fall way from the feather stems like the falling of leaves from twigs, and then they begin to join together and grow till they return to the state that existed before their falling away. The new hues do not change from the previous ones, nor does any colour occur in other than its own place. If you carefully look at one hair from the hairs of its feather stems it would look like red rose, then emerald green and then golden yellow.

وَقَدْ يَنْحَسِرُ مِنْ رِيشِهِ، وَيَعْرَى مِنْ لِبَاسِهِ، فَيَسْقُطُ تَتْرَى، وَيَنْبُتُ تِبَاعاً، فَيَنْحَتُّ مِنْ قَصَبِهِ انْحِتَاتَ أَوْرَاقِ الاْغْصَانِ، ثُمَّ يَتَلاَحَقُ نَامِياً حَتَّى يَعُودَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ قَبْلَ سُقُوطِهِ، لاَ يُخَالِفُ سَالِفَ أَلْوَانِهِ، وَلاَ يَقَعُ لَوْنٌ فِي غَيْرِ مَكَانِهِ !

وَإذَا تَصَفَّحْتَ شَعْرَةً مِنْ شَعَرَاتِ قَصَبِهِ أَرَتْكَ حُمْرَةً وَرْدِيَّةً، وَتَارَةً خُضْرَةً زَبَرْجَدِيَّةً، وَأَحْيَاناً صُفْرَةً عسْجَدِيَّةً

How can sharpness of intellect describe such a creation, or faculty of mind, or the utterances of describers manage to tell of it. Even its smallest parts have made it impossible for the imagination to pick them out or for tongues to describe them. Glorified is Allah who has disabled intellects from describing the creation which He placed openly before the eyes and which they see bounded, shaped, arranged and coloured. He also disabled tongues from briefly describing its qualities and also from expanding in its praise.

فَكَيْفَ تَصِلُ إلَى صِفَةِ هذَا عَمَائِقُ الْفِطَنِ، أَوْ تَبْلُغُهُ قَرَائِحُ الْعُقُولِ، أَوْ تَسْتَنْظِمُ وَصْفَهُ أَقْوَالُ الْوَاصِفِينَ؟! وَأَقَلُّ أَجْزَائِهِ قَدْ أَعْجَزَ الاْوهَامَ أَنْ تُدْرِكَهُ، وَالاْلْسِنَةَ أَنْ تَصِفَهُ! فَسُبْحَانَ الَّذِي بَهَرَ الْعُقُولَ عَنْ وَصْفِ خَلْق جَلاَّهُ لِلْعُيُونِ، فَأَدْرَكَتْهُ مَحْدُوداً مُكَوَّناً، وَمُؤَلَّفاً مُلَوَّناً، وَأَعْجَزَ الاَْلْسُنَ عَنْ تَلْخِيصِ صِفَتِهِ، وَقَعَدَ بِهَا عَنْ تَأْدِيَةِ نَعْتِهِ !

The magnificence of the Creator in great and small creation

صغار المخلوقات

Glorified is Allah who has assigned feet to small ants and gnats and also to those above them, the serpents and the elephants. He has made it obligatory upon Himself that no skeleton in which He infuses the spirit would move, but that death is its promised place and destruction its final end.

فَسُبْحَانَ مَنْ أَدْمَجَ قَوَائِمَ الذَّرَّةِ وَالْهَمَجَةِ إلَى مَا فَوْقَهُمَا مِنْ خَلْقِ الْحِيتَانِ وَالاْفْيِلَةِ! وَوَأَى عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَلاَّ يَضْطَرِبَ شَبَحٌ مِمَّا أَوْلَجَ فِيهِ الرُّوحَ، إِلاَّ وَجَعَلَ الْحِمَامَ مَوْعِدَهُ، وَالْفَنَاءَ غَايَتَهُ

A part of the same sermon describing Paradise

منها: في صفة الجنة

If you cast your mind's eye at what is described to you about Paradise, your heart would begin to hate the delicacies of this world that have been displayed here, namely its desires and its pleasures, and the beauties of its scenes, and you would be lost in the rustling of the trees whose roots lie hidden in the mounds of musk on the banks of the rivers in Paradise and in the attraction of the bunches of fresh pearls in the twigs and branches of those trees, and in the appearance of different fruits from under the cover of their leaves. These fruits can be picked without difficulty as they come down at the desire of their pickers. Pure honey and fermented wine will be handed round to those who settle down in the courtyards of its palaces.

فَلَوْ رَمَيْتَ بِبَصَرِ قَلْبِكَ نَحْوَ مَا يُوصَفُ لَكَ مِنْهَا لَعَزَفَتْ نَفْسُكَ عَنْ بَدَائِعِ مَا أُخْرِجَ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا مِنْ شَهَوَاتِهَا وَلَذَّاتِهَا، وَزَخَارِفِ مَنَاظِرِهَا، وَلَذَهِلَتْ بِالْفِكْرِ فِي اصْطِفَاقِ أَشْجَار غُيِّبَتْ عُرُوقُهَا فِي كُثْبَانِ الْمِسْكِ عَلَى سَوَاحِلِ أَنْهَارِهَا، وَفِي تَعْلِيقِ كَبَائِسِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ الرَّطْبِ فِي عَسَالِيجِهَا وَأَفْنَانِهَا، وَطُلُوعِ تِلْكَ الِّثمارِ مُخْتَلِفَةً فِي غُلُفِ أَكْمَامِهَا، تُجْنَى مِنْ غَيْرِ تَكَلُّف فَتأْتي عَلَى مُنْيَةِ مُجْتَنِيهَا، وَيُطَافُ عَلَى نُزَّالِهَا فِي أَفْنِيَةِ قُصُورِهَا بِالاْعْسَالِ الْمُصَفَّقَةِ، وَالْخُمُورِ الْمُرَوَّقَةِ

They are a people whom honour has always followed till they were made to settle in the house of eternal abode, and they obtained rest from the movement of journeying. O listener! If you busy yourself in advancing towards these wonderful scenes which will rush towards you, then your heart will certainly die due to eagerness for them, and you will be prepared to seek the company of those in the graves straight away from my audience here and hasten towards them. Allah may, by His mercy, include us and you too among those who strive with their hearts for the abodes of the virtuous.

قَوْمٌ لَمْ تَزَلِ الْكَرَامَةُ تَتَمادَى بهِمْ حَتَّى حَلُّوا دَارَ الْقَرَارِ، وَأَمِنُوا نُقْلَةَ الاْسْفَارِ. فَلَوْ شَغَلْتَ قَلْبَكَ أَيُّهَا الْمُسْتَمِعُ بِالْوُصُولِ إلَى مَا يَهْجُمُ عَلَيكَ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْمَنَاظِرِ الْمُونِقَةِ، لَزَهِقَتْ نَفْسُكَ شَوْقاً إِلَيْهَا، وَلَتَحَمَّلْتَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِي هذَا إِلَى مُجَاوَرَةِ أَهْلِ الْقُبُورِ اسْتِعْجَالاً بِهَا. جَعَلَنَا اللهُ وَإِيَّاكُمْ مِمَّنْ يَسْعَى بِقَلْبِهِ إِلى مَنَازِلِ الاْبْرَارِ بِرَحْمَتِهِ

Note explaining some of the wonderful and obscure portions of this sermon

تفسير بعض ما في هذه الخطبة من الغريب

As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: In Amir al-mu'minin's words "ya'urru bimalaqihihi", "al-arr" implies "copulation", e.g. when it is said "arra'r-rajulu al-mar'ata ya'urruha", it means "He copulated with the woman."

In his words "ka'annahu qal`u dariyyin `anajahu nutiyyuhu", "al-qal`" means the sail of a boat. "dari" means belonging to Darin which is a small town on the coast from where scents are bought. And "`anajahu" means "turned it". It is said "`anajtun'n-naqata - like nasartu - a`najuha `anjan". "When you turn the she-camel." And "an-nuti" means sailor. His words "daffatay jufunihi" means edges of the eyelids, since "ad-daffatan" means the two edges. His words "wa filadhu'z-zabarjadi": "al-filadh" is the plural of "al-fildhah" it means piece. His words "ka ba'isi'l-lu'lu'i'r-ratibi". "al-kibasah" means bunch of dates. "al-`asalij" means twigs. Its singular is "`usluj".

قال السيد الشريف: قَوْلُهُ (عليه السلام): «ويَؤُرُّ بِمَلاقِحِهِ» الاْرُّ: كِنَايَةٌ عَنِ النّكَاح، يُقَالُ: أرّ المَرْأةَ يَؤُرّهَا، إذَا نَكَحَهَا. وَقَوْلُهُ(عليه السلام): «كَأنّهُ قلْعُ دَارِيّ عَنَجَهُ نُوتيّهُ» الْقلْعُ: شِرَاعُ السّفِينَةِ، وَدَارِيّ: مَنْسُوبٌ إلى دَارِينَ، وَهِيَ بَلْدَةٌ عَلَى الْبَحْرِ يُجْلَبُ مِنْهَا الطّيبُ. وَعَنَجَهُ: أَيْ عطفه. يُقَالُ: عَنَجْتُ النّاقَةَ أَعْنُجُهَا عَنْجاً إذَا عَطَفْتُهَا. وَالنّوتي: الْمَلاّحُ. وَقَوْلُهُ: «ضَفّتَيْ جُفُونِهِ» أَرَادَ جَانِبَيْ جُفُونِهِ. وَالضّفّتَانِ: الجانِبَانِ. وَقَوْلُهُ: «وَفِلَذَ الزّبَرْجَدِ» الْفِلَذُ: جَمْعُ فِلْذَة، وَهِيَ القِطْعَةُ. وَقَوْلُهُ: «كَبَائِسِ اللّؤْلُؤِ الرّطْبِ» الْكِبَاسَة: الْعِذْقُ. وَالْعَسَالِيجُ: الْغُصُونُ، وَاحِدُهَا عُسْلُوجٌ

Alternative Sources for Sermon 165

(1) Al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`, I;

(2) Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 27, II,140 (d.w.r), III,238 (`a.s.l.j).

Sermon 166: The young among you...

Advice for observing courtesy and kindness and keeping in and out of the same

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

الحثّ على التآلف

The young among you should follow the elders while the elders should be kind to the young. Do not be like those rude people of the pre-lslamic (al-jahiliyyah) period who did not exert themselves in religion nor use their intellects in the matter of Allah. They1 are like the breaking of eggs in the nest of a dangerous bird, because their breaking looks bad, but keeping them intact would mean the production of dangerous young ones.

لِيَتَأَسَّ صَغِيرُكُمْ بِكَبِيرِكُمْ، وَلْيَرأَفْ كَبِيرُكُمْ بِصَغيرِكُمْ، وَلاَ تَكُونُوا كَجُفَاةِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ: لاَ في الدِّينِ يَتَفَقَّهُونَ، وَلاَ عَنِ اللهِ يَعْقِلُونَ، كَقَيْضِ بَيْض في أَدَاح يَكُونُ كَسْرُهَا وِزْراً، وَيُخْرِجُ حِضَانُهَا شَرّاً

A part of the same sermon about the autocracy and oppression of the Umayyads and their fate

منها: في بني أمية

They will divide after their unity and scatter away from their centre. Some of them will stick to the branches, and bending down as the branches bend, until Allah, the Sublime, will collect them together for the day that will be worst for the Umayyads just as the scattered bits of clouds collect together in the autumn. Allah will create affection among them. Then He will make them into a strong mass like the mass of clouds. Then he will open doors for them to flow out from their starting place like the flood of the two gardens (of Saba') from which neither high rocks remained safe nor small hillocks, and its flow could be repulsed neither by strong mountains nor by high lands. Allah will scatter them in the low lands of valleys and then He will make them flow like streams throughout the earth, and through them He will arrange the taking of rights of one people by another people and make one people to stay in the houses of another people. By Allah, all their position and esteem will dissolve as fat dissolves on the fire.

افْتَرَقُوا بَعْدَ أُلْفَتِهِمْ، وَتَشَتَّتُوا عَنْ أَصْلِهِمْ، فَمِنْهُمْ آخِذٌ بِغُصْن أَيْنَما مَالَ مَالَ مَعَهُ، عَلَى أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى سَيَجْمَعُهُمْ لِشَرِّ يَوْم لِبَنِي أُمَيَّةَ، كَمَا تَجْتَمِعُ قَزَعُ الْخَرِيفِ يُؤَلِّفُ اللهُ بَيْنَهُمْ، ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُمْ رُكَاماً كَرُكَامِ السَّحَابِ، ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَاباً، يَسِيلُونَ مِنْ مُسْتَثَارِهِمْ كَسَيْلِ الْجَنَّتَيْنِ، حَيْثُ لَمْ تَسْلَمْ عَلَيْهِ قَارَةٌ وَلَمْ تَثْبُتْ عَلَيْهِ أَكَمَةٌ، وَلَمْ يَرُدَّ سَنَنَهُ رَصُّ طَوْد، وَلاَ حِدَابُ أَرْض، يُذعْذِعُهُمُ اللهُ فِي بُطُونِ أَوْدِيَتِهِ، ثُمَّ يَسْلُكُهُمْ يَنَابِيعَ فِي الاْرْضِ، يَأَخُذُ بِهِمْ مِنْ قَوْم حُقُوقَ قَوْم، وَيُمَكِّنُ لِقَوْم فِي دِيَارِ قَوْم. وَايْمُ اللهِ، لَيَذُوبَنَّ مَا فِي أَيْدِيهمْ بَعْدَ الْعُلُوِّ وَالتَّـمْكِينِ، كَمَا تَذُوبُ الاْلْيَةُ عَلَى النَّارِ

The cause of tyranny

الناس آخر الزمان

O people! If you had not evaded support of the truth and had not felt weakness from crushing wrong then he who was not your match would not have aimed at you and he who overpowered you would not have overpowered you. But you roamed about the deserts (of disobedience) like Banu Isra'il (Children of Israel). I swear by my life that after me your tribulations will increase several times, because you will have abandoned the truth behind your backs, severed your connection with your near ones and established relations with remote ones.

Know that if you had followed him who was calling you (to guidance) he would have made you tread the ways of the Prophet, then you would have been spared the difficulties of misguidance, and you would have thrown away the crushing burden from your necks.

أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، لَوْ لَمْ تَتَخَاذَلُوا عَنْ نَصْرِ الْحَقِّ، وَلَمْ تَهِنُوا عَنْ تَوْهِينِ الْبَاطِلِ، لَمْ يَطْمَعْ فِيكُمْ مَنْ لَيْسَ مِثْلَكُمْ، وَلَمْ يَقْوَ مَنْ قَوِيَ عَلَيْكُمْ، لكِنَّكُمْ تِهْتُمْ مَتَاهَ بَنِي إسْرَائِيلَ. وَلَعَمْرِي، لَيُضَعَّفَنَّ لَكُمُ التِّيهُ مِنْ بَعْدِي أَضْعَافاً، بِمَا خَلَّفْتُمُ الْحَقَّ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِكُمْ، وَقَطَعْتُمُ الاْدْنى، وَوَصَلْتُمُ الاْبْعَدَ. وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ إِنِ اتَّبَعْتُمُ الدَّاعِيَ لَكُمْ، سَلَكَ بِكُمْ مِنْهَاجَ الرَّسُولِ، وَكُفِيتُمْ مَؤُونَةَ الاعْتِسَافِ، وَنَبَذْتُمُ الثِّقْلَ الْفَادِحَ عَنِ الاْعْنَاقِ

Alternative Sources for Sermon 166

(1) Kitab Sulaym ibn Qays, 89;

(2) al-Kulayni, Rawdah, 62;

(3) al-Mufid, al-'Irshad,373 ;

(4) Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 46.

Notes

1. The implication is that the outer Islam of these people required that they should not be molested, but the consequence of sparing them in this way was that they would create mischief and rebellion.

Sermon 167: Allah, the Glorified, has sent down a guiding Book...

At the beginning of his Caliphate. About Fulfilment of rights and obligations, and advice to fear Allah in all matters.

ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)

في أوّل خلافته

Allah, the Glorified, has sent down a guiding Book wherein He has explained virtue and vice. You should adopt the course of virtue whereby you will have guidance, and keep aloof from the direction of vice so that you remain on the right way. (Mind) the obligations, (mind) the obligations! Fulfil them for Allah and they will take you to Paradise. Surely, Allah has made unlawful the things which are not unknown and made lawful the things which are without defect.

He has declared paying regard to Muslims as the highest of all regards. He has placed the rights of Muslims in the same grade (of importance) as devotion (to Himself and His Oneness). Therefore, a Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand every (other) Muslim is safe, save in the matter of truth. It is not, therefore, lawful to molest a Muslim except when it is obligatory.

إنَّ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَنْزَلَ كِتَاباً هَادِياً بَيَّنَ فِيهِ الْخَيْرَ وَالْشَّرَّ; فَخُذُوا نَهْجَ الْخَيْرِ تَهْتَدُوا، وَاصْدِفُوا عَنْ سَمْتِ الشَّرِّ تَقْصِدُوا

الْفَرَائِضَ الْفَرائِضَ! أَدُّوهَا إلَى اللهِ تُؤَدِّكُمْ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ. إنَّ اللهَ تَعالَى حَرَّمَ حَرَاماً غَيْرَ مَجْهُول، وَأَحَلَّ حَلاَلاً غَيْرَ مَدْخُول، وَفَضَّلَ حُرْمَةَ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْحُرَمِ كُلِّهَا، وَشَدَّ بِالاْخْلاَصِ وَالتَّوحِيدِ حُقُوقَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي مَعَاقِدِهَا، فَالْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ، وَلاَ يَحِلُّ أَذَى الْمُسْلِمِ إِلاَّ بَمَا يَجِبُ

Hasten towards the most common matter which is peculiar to every one; and that is death. Certainly, people (who have already gone) are ahead of you while the hour (Day of Judgement) is driving you from behind. Remain light, in order that you may overtake them. Your backs are being awaited for the sake of the fronts. Fear Allah in the matter of His creatures and His cities because you will be questioned even about lands and beasts. Obey Allah and do not disobey Him. When you see virtue adopt it, and when you see vice avoid it.

بَادِرُوا أَمْرَ الْعَامَّةِ وَخَاصَّةَ أَحَدِكُمْ وَهُوَ الْمَوْتُ، فَإنَّ النَّاسَ أَمَامَكُمْ، وَإِنَّ السَّاعَةَ تَحْدُوكُمْ مِنْ خَلْفِكُمْ، تَخَفَّفُوا تَلْحَقُوا، فَإنَّمَا يُنْتَظَرُ بِأَوَّلِكُمْ آخِرُكُمْ. اتَّقُوا اللهَ فِي عِبَادِهِ وَبِلاَدِهِ، فَإنَّكُمْ مَسْؤُولُونَ حَتَّى عَنِ الْبِقَاعِ وَالْبَهَائِمِ، أَطِيعُوا اللهَ وَلاَ تَعْصُوهُ، وَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الْخَيْرَ فَخُذُوا بِهِ، وَإذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الشَّرَّ فَأَعْرِضُوا عَنْه

Alternative Sources for Sermon 167

(1) Al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, V,157 , events of 35 H.;

(2) al-Radi, al-Khasa'is, 87.