Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons
Sermon 50: Verily, the source of misguidance lies in ...
Admixture of right and wrong
ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام)
وفيها بيان لما يخرب العالم به من الفتن وبيان هذه الفتن
The basis of the occurrence of evils are those desires which are acted upon and the orders that are innovated. They are against the Book of Allah. People co-operate with each other about them even though it is against the Religion of Allah. If wrong had been pure and unmixed it would not be hidden from those who are in search of it. And if right had been pure without admixture of wrong those who bear hatred towards it would have been silenced.
What is, however, done is that something is taken from here and something from there and the two are mixed! At this stage Satan overpowers his friends and they alone escape for whom ‘virtue has been apportioned by Allah from before’ (ref. 21:101).
إِنَّمَا بَدْءُ وُقُوعِ الْفِتَنِ أَهْوَاءٌ تُتَّبَعُ، وَأَحْكَامٌ تُبْتَدَعُ، يُخَالَفُ فِيهَا كِتابُ اللهِ، وَيَتَوَلَّى عَلَيْهَا رِجَالٌ رِجَالاً، عَلَى غَيْرِ دِينِ اللهِ، فَلَوْ أَنَّ الْبَاطِلَ خَلَصَ مِنْ مِزَاجِ الْحَقِّ لَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَى الْمُرْتَادِينَ، وَلَوْ أَنَّ الْحقَّ خَلَصَ مِنْ لَبْسِ البَاطِلِ انْقَطَعَتْ عَنْهُ أَلْسُنُ الْمُعَانِدِينَ; وَلكِن يُؤْخَذُ مِنْ هذَا ضِغْثٌ، وَمِنْ هذَا ضِغْثٌ، فَيُمْزَجَانِ! فَهُنَالِكَ يَسْتَوْلي الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى أَوْلِيَائِهِ، وَيَنْجُو الَّذِينَ سَبَقَتْ لَهُمْ مِنَ اللهِ الْحُسْنَى.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 50
(1) al-Barqi, al-Mahasin, I, 208;
(2) al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, bab al-bida` wa al-ra'y wa al-maqayis;
(3) Idem., Rawdat al-Kafi, 58;
(4) al-Ya`qubi, Ta'rikh, II, 136;
(5) al-Tawhidi, al-Basa'ir, 32.