Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
150

SERMON 150

The condition of the people
during disorder, and advice against oppression and unlawful
earning.

I praise Allah and
seek His help from (what led to the) punishment of Satan and his
deceitful acts, and (l seek His) protection from Satan's traps and
waylayings. I stand witness that there is no god but Allah and I
stand witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Prophet (peace be
upon him and his progeny) and his chosen and his selected one.
Muhammad's (p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) distinction cannot be paralleled nor
can his loss be made good. Populated places were brightened
through him when previously there was dark misguidance,
overpowering ignorance and rude habits, and people regarded
unlawful as lawful, humiliated the man of wisdom, passed lives
when there were no prophets and died as unbelievers.

You, O' people of
Arabia, will be victims of calamities which have come near. You
should avoid the intoxication of wealth, fear the disasters of
chastisement, keep steadfast in the darkness and crookedness of
mischief when its hidden nature discloses itself, its secrets
become manifest and its axis and the pivot of its rotation gain
strength. It begins in imperceptible stages but develops into
great hideousness. Its youth is like the youth of an adolescent
and its marks are like the marks of beating by stone.

Oppressors inherit it
by (mutual) agreement. The first of them serves as a leader for
the latter one and the latter one follows the first one. They vie
with each other in (the matter of) this lowly world, and leap over
this stinking carcass. Shortly the follower will denounce his
connection with the leader, and the leader with the follower. They
will disunite on account of mutual and curse one another when they
meet. Then after this there will appear another arouser of
mischief who will destroy ruined things. The heart will become
wavering after being normal, men will be misled after safety,
desires will multiply and become diversified and views will become
confused.

Whoever proceeds
towards this mischief will be ruined and whoever strives for it
will be annihilated. They will be biting each other during it as
the wild asses bite each other in the herd. The coils of the rope
will be disturbed and the face of affairs will be blinded. During
it sagacity will be on the ebb, and the oppressors will (get the
opportunity to) speak. This mischief will smash the Bedouins with
its hammers and crush them with its chest. In its dust the single
marchers will be lost, and in its way the horsemen will be
destroyed. It will approach with the bitterness of destiny and
will give pure blood (instead of milk). It will breach the
minarets of faith and shatter the ties of firm belief. The wise
will run away from it while the wicked will foster it. It will
thunder and flash (like lightning). It will create a severe
disaster. In it kinship will be forsaken and Islam will be
abandoned. He who declaims it will also be affected by it, and he
who flees from it will (be forced to) stay in it.

A part of the same
sermon

Among them some will
be unavenged martyrs and some will be stricken with fear and seek
protection. They will be deceived by pledges and fraudulent
belief. You should not become landmarks of mischiefs and signs of
innovations but should adhere to that on which the rope of the
community has been wound and on which the pillars of obedience
have been founded. Proceed towards Allah as oppressed and do not
proceed to Him as oppressors. Avoid the paths of Satan and the
places of revolt. Do not put in your bellies unlawful morsels
because you are facing Him Who has made disobedience unlawful for
you, and made the path of obedience easy for you.