Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
200

SERMON 200

One should not be afraid of the
scarcity of those who tread on the right path

O' people, do not
wonder at the small number of those who follow the right path,
because people throng only round the table (of this world) whose
edibles are few but whose hunger is insatiable.

O' people, certainly,
what gathers people together (in categories) is (their) agreement
(to good or bad) and (their) disagreement, for only one individual
killed the camel of Thamud (1) but
Allah held all of them in punishment because all of them joined
him by their acquiescing in their consenting to it. Thus, Allah,
the Glorified. has said:
Then they hamstrung
her, and turned (themselves) regretful. (Qur'an, 26:157).

Then their land
declined by sinking (into the earth) as the spike of a plough
pierces unploughed weak land. O' people, he who treads the clear
path (of guidance) reaches the spring of water, and whoever
abandons it strays into waterless desert.

(1).
Thamud, in ancient Arabia, a tribe or group of tribes, seems to
have been prominent from about the 4th Century B.C. to the first
half of the 7th Century A.D. Their place of stay and homeland was
at a place lying on the way between the Hijaz and Syria called the
Valley of al-Qura and bore this name because it consisted of
several townships. Allah deputed for their guidance and directions
the Prophet Salih who preached to them as Allah relates in his
story:

And unto (the people
of) Thamud (We did send) their brother Salih, he said: "O'
my people! worship ye Allah (alone). Ye have no god other than
Him; indeed came unto you a clear proof from your Lord; this is
the She-camel of Allah (which) unto you is a sign, so leave it
(free) to pasture in Allah's earth and touch her not with any
harm, or ye shall be seized with a painful chastisement. And
remember when He made you successors after the (people) Ad and
settled you in the earth, ye build mansions on its plain and hew
the mountains into dwellings. So remember ye the bounties of
Allah, and see ye not evil in the earth, making mischief."
Said the chiefs of those who were puffed up with pride among his
people to those who were reckoned weak, to those who believed
from among them; "Know ye that Salih is sent by his
Lord?" Said they: "Verily, in what he hath been sent
with, we are believers." Said those who were puffed up with
pride; "Verily we, in that which ye believe are
disbelievers." They hamstrung the She-camel and rebelled
against the command of their Lord, and they said: "O'
Salih! bring us what thou didst, threaten us with, if thou art
of the apostles." Then seized them (unawares) the
earthquake, so became they in their dwellings, motionless
(dead). Then he turned away from them and said: "O' my
people! Indeed I did deliver unto you the message of my Lord,
and did admonish you, but ye love not the admonishers."
(Qur'an, 7:73-79).

(The people of) Thamud
belied the warners, and said they: "What! a single man,
from among us! and we to follow him? Verily then we shall be
astray and in distress. It is that (the duty of) reminding hath
been bestowed on him (alone), of all the (people) among us? Nay!
he is a great liar, an insolent one!" "Soon they shall
know on the morrow, (as to) who is the liar, the insolent one!
(O' Our Apostle Salih!) verily We are going to send the
She-camel as a trial for them; so watch them and be patient. And
(thou O' Salih!) make them aware (beforehand) that the water is
(to be) divided between them; and every drinking share shall be
witnessed (on it)." But they called their companions, then
he pursued (her) and hamstrung (her). How (great) was My
chastisement and My warning? Verily sent We upon them a single
(violent) blast, and they were (all) like the dry stubble used
by a fencer in a fence. (Qur'an, 54:23-31).