Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons
Sermon 133: This world and the Hereafter have submitted to Him….
On the Glory of Allah
ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)
يعظّم الله سبحانه ويذكر القرآن والنبي ويعظ الناس
This world and the Hereafter have submitted to Him their reins, and the skies and earths have flung their keys towards Him. The thriving trees bow to Him in the morning and evening, and produce for Him flaming fire from their branches, and at His command, turn their own feed into ripe fruits.
وَانْقَادَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا وَالاخِرَةُ بِأَزِمَّتِهَا، وَقَذَفَتْ إِلَيْهِ السَّماَوَاتُ وَالاَرَضُونَ مَقَالِيدَهَا، وَسَجَدَتْ لَهُ بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالاْصَالِ الاْشْجَارُ النَّاضِرَةُ، وَقَدَحَتْ لَهُ مِنْ قُضْبَانِهَا النِّيرَانَ الْمُضِيئَةَ، وَآتَتْ أُكُلَهَا بِكَلِمَاتِهِ الِّثمَارُ الْيَانِعَةُ.
A part of the same sermon about the Holy Qur'an
منها: في القرآن
The Book of Allah is among you. It speaks and its tongue does not falter. It is a house whose pillars do not fall down, and a power whose supporters are never routed.
وَكِتَابُ اللهِ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِكُمْ، نَاطقٌ لاَ يَعْيَا لِسَانُهُ، وَبَيْتٌ لاَ تُهْدَمُ أَرْكَانُهُ، وَعِزٌّ لاَ تُهْزَمُ أَعْوَانُهُ.
A part of the same sermon about the Holy Prophet
منها: في رسول الله
Allah deputised the Prophet after a gap from the previous prophets when there was much talk (among the people). With him Allah exhausted the series of prophets and ended the revelation. He then fought for Him those who were turning away from Him and were equating others with Him.
أَرْسَلَهُ عَلَى حِينِ فَتْرَة مِنَ الرُّسُلِ، وَتَنَازُع مِنَ الاْلْسُنِ، فَقَفَّى بِهِ الرُّسُلَ، وَخَتَمَ بِهِ الْوَحْيَ، فَجَاهَدَ فِي اللهِ الْمُدْبِرِينَ عَنْهُ، وَالْعَادِلِينَ بِهِ.
A part of the same sermon about this world
منها: في الدنيا
Certainly this world is the end of the sight of the (mentally) blind who see nothing beyond it. The sight of a looker (who looks with the eye of his mind) pierces through and realises that the (real) house is beyond this world. The looker therefore wants to get out of it while the blind wants to get into it. The looker collects provision from it (for the next world) while the blind collects provision for this very world.
وَإِنَّمَا الدُّنْيَا مَنْتَهَى بَصَرِ الاْعْمَى، لاَ يُبْصِرُ مِمَّا وَرَاءَهَا شَيئاً، وَالْبَصِيرُ يَنْفُذُهَا بَصَرُهُ، وَيَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الدَّارَ وَرَاءَهَا، فَالبَصِيرُ مِنْهَا شَاخِصٌ، وَالاْعْمَى إِلَيْهَا شَاخِصٌ، وَالْبَصِيرُ مِنْهَا مُتَزَوِّدٌ، وَالاْعْمَى لَهَا مُتَزَوِّدٌ.
A part of the same sermon - A caution
منها: في عظة الناس
You should know that a man gets satiated and wearied with everything except life, because he does not find for himself any pleasure in death. It is in the position of life for a dead heart, sight for the blind eye, hearing for the deaf ear, quenching for the thirsty and it contains complete sufficiency and safety.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شَيْء إِلاَّ وَيَكَادُ صَاحِبُهُ يَشْبَعُ مِنْهُ وَيَمَلُّهُ، إِلاَّ الْحَيَاةَ فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَجِدُ لَهُ فِي الْمَوْتِ رَاحَةً، وَإِنَمَا ذلِكَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْحِكْمَةِ الَّتي هِيَ حَيَاةٌ لِلْقَلْبِ الْمَيِّتِ، وَبَصَرٌ لِلْعَيْنِ الْعَمْيَاءِ، وَسَمْعٌ لَلاْذُنِ الصَّمَّـاءِ، وَرِيٌّ لِلظَّمْآنِ، وَفِيهَا الْغِنَى كُلُّهُ وَالسَّلاَمَةُ.
The Book of Allah is that through which you see, you speak and you hear. Its one part speaks for the other part, and one part testifies to the other. It does not create differences about Allah nor does it mislead its own follower from (the path of) Allah. You are joined together in hatred of each other and in the growing of herbage on your filth (i.e., for covering inner dirt by good appearance outside). You are sincere with one another in your love of desires and bear enmity against each other in earning wealth. The evil spirit (Satan) has perplexed you and deceit has misled you. I seek the help of Allah for myself and you.
كِتَابُ اللهِ تُبْصِرُونَ بِهِ، وَتَنْطِقُونَ بِهِ، وَتَسْمَعُونَ بِهِ، وَيَنْطِقُ بَعْضُهُ بِبَعْض، وَيَشْهَدُ بَعْضُهُ عَلى بَعْض، وَلاَ يَخْتَلِفُ فِي اللهِ، وَلاَ يُخَالِفُ بِصَاحِبِهِ عَنِ اللهِ. قَدِ اصْطَلَحْتُمْ عَلَى الْغِلِّ فِيَما بَيْنَكُمْ، وَنَبَتَ الْمرْعَى عَلَى دِمَنِكُمْ، وَتَصَافَيْتُمْ عَلى حُبِّ الاْمَالَ، وَتَعَادَيْتُمْ فِي كَسْبِ الاْمْوَالِ. لَقَدِاسْتَهَامَ بِكُمُ الْخَبِيثُ، وَتَاهَ بِكُمُ الْغُرُورُ، وَاللهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى نَفْسِي وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 133
(1) Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 77;
(2) See Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh, II, 386.