Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons
Sermon 240: Exhorting his men to jihad and asking them to refrain from seeking ease
ومن كلام له (عليه السلام)
يحثّ فيه أصحابه على الجهاد
Allah seeks you to thank Him and assigns to you His affairs. He has allowed time in the limited field (of life) so that you may vie with each other in seeking the reward (of Paradise). Therefore, tight up your girdles and wrap up the skirts. High courage and dinners do not go together. Sleep causes weakness in the big affairs of the day and (its) darkness obliterates the memories of courage.
وَاللهُ مُسْتأْدِيكُمْ شُكْرَهُ، وَمُوَرِّثُكُمْ أَمْرَهُ، وَمُمْهِلُكُمْ فِي مِضْمار مَحْدُود، لِتَتَنَازَعُوا سَبَقَهُ، فَشدُّوا عُقَدَ الْمَـآزِرِ، وَاطْوُوا فُضُولَ الْخَوَاصِر، وَلاَ تَجْتَمِعُ عَزِيمَةٌ وَوَلِيمَةٌ، وَمَا أَنْقَضَ النَّوْمَ لِعَزَائِمِ الْيَوْمِ،أَمحَى الظُّلَمَ لِتَذَاكِيرِ الْهِمَمِ!
Alternative Sources for Sermon 240
(1) Al-'Amidi, Ghurar, 308.