Sermon 039 – In disparagement of those who shrink from fighting
I am faced with men who do not obey when I order and do not respond when I call them. May you have no father! (Woe to you!) What are you waiting for to rise for the cause of Alláh? Does not faith join you together, or sense of shame rouse you? I stand […]
Sermon 038 – About naming of doubt as such and disparagement of those in doubt
Doubt is named doubt because it resembles truth. As for lovers of Alláh, their conviction serves them as light and the direction of the right path (itself) serves as their guide; while the enemies of Alláh, in time of doubt call to misguidance in the darkness of doubt and their guide is blindness (of […]
Sermon 037 – About his own steadfastness in religion and precedence in (acceptance of) belief.
About his own steadfastness in religion and precedence in (acceptance of) belief. I discharged duties when others lost courage (to do so), and I came forward when others hid themselves. I spoke when others remained mum. I stroke with Divine light when others remained standing. I was the quietest of them in voice but […]
Sermon 036 – Warning the people of Nahrawán (1) of their fate
I am warning you that you will be killed on the bend of this canal and on the level of this low area while you will have no clear excuse before Alláh nor any open authority with you. You have come out of your houses and then divine decree entangled you. I had advised […]
Sermon 035 – Amír al-mu’minín said after Arbitration. (1)
All praise is due to Alláh even though time has brought (for us) crushing calamity and great occurrence. And I stand witness that there is no god but Alláh the One, there is no partner for Him nor is there with Him any god other than Himself, and that Muhammad is His slave and […]
Sermon 034 – To prepare the people for fighting with the people of Syria (ash-Shám)(1) Amír al-mu’minín said:
To prepare the people for fighting with the people of Syria (ash-Shám)(1) Amír al-mu’minín said: Woe to you. I am tired of rebuking you. Do you accept this worldly life in place of the next life? Or disgrace in place of dignity? When I invite you to fight your enemy your eyes revolve as […]
Sermon 033 – `Abdulláh ibn `Abbás says that when Amír al-mu’minín set out for war with the people of Basrah
he came to his audience at Dhíqár and saw that he was stitching his shoe. Then Amír al-mu’minín said to me, “What is the price of this shoe?” I said: “It has no value now.” He then said, “By Alláh, it should have been more dear to me than ruling over you but for the […]
Sermon 032 – About the disparagement of the world and categories of its people
O’ people! we have been borne in such a wrongful and thankless period wherein the virtuous is deemed vicious and the oppressor goes on advancing in his excess. We do not make use of what we know and do not discover what we do not know. We do not fear calamity till it befalls. […]
Sermon 030 – Disclosing real facts about assassination of `Uthmán Ibn `Affán(1) Amír al-mu’minín said:
If I had ordered his assassination I should have been his killer, but if I had refrained others from killing him I would have been his helper. The position was that he who helped him cannot now say that he is better than the one who deserted him while he who deserted him cannot […]
Sermon 029 – About those who found pretexts at the time of jihád
O’ people, your bodies are together but your desires are divergent. Your talk softens the hard stones and your action attracts your enemy towards you. You claim in your sittings that you would do this and that, but when fighting approaches, you say (to war), “turn thou away” (i.e. flee away). If one calls […]