Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
192

SERMON 192

It is related that a companion
of Amir al-mu'minin called Hammam(1)
who was a man devoted to worship said to him, "O' Amir
al-mu'minin, describe to me the pious man in such a way as though
I see them." Amir al-mu'minin avoided the reply and said,
"O' Hammam, fear Allah and perform good acts because 'Verily,
Allah is with those who guard (themselves against evil), and those
who do good (to others)'" (Qur'an, 16:128). Hammam was not
satisfied with this and pushed him to speak. Thereupon, Amir
al-mu'minin praised Allah and extolled Him and sought His
blessings on the Holy Prophet and then spoke:

Now then, Allah the
Glorified, the Sublime, created (the things of) creation. He
created them without any need for their obedience or being safe
from their sinning, because the sin of anyone who sins does not
harm Him nor does the obedience of anyone who obeys Him benefit
Him. He has distributed among them their livelihood, and has
assigned them their positions in the world.

Thus, the God-fearing,
in it are the people of distinction. Their speech is to the point,
their dress is moderate and their gait is humble. They keep their
eyes closed to what Allah has made unlawful for them, and they put
their ears to that knowledge which is beneficial to them. They
remain in the time of trials as though they remain in comfort. If
there had not been fixed periods (of life) ordained for each,
their spirits would not have remained in their bodies even for the
twinkling of an eye because of (their) eagerness for the reward
and fear of chastisement. The greatness of the Creator is seated
in their heart, and, so, everything else appears small in their
eyes. Thus to them Paradise is as though they see it and are
enjoying its favours. To them, Hell is also as if they see it and
are suffering punishment in it.

Their hearts are
grieved, they are protected against evils, their bodies are thin,
their needs are scanty, and their souls are chaste. They endured
(hardship) for a short while, and in consequence they secured
comfort for a long time. It is a beneficial transaction that Allah
made easy for them. The world aimed at them, but they did not aim
at it. It captured them, but they freed themselves from it by a
ransom.

During a night they
are upstanding on their feet reading portions of the Qur'an and
reciting it in a well-measured way, creating through it grief for
themselves and seeking by it the cure for their ailments. If they
come across a verse creating eagerness (for Paradise) they pursue
it avidly, and their spirits turn towards it eagerly, and they
feel as if it is in front of them. And when they come across a
verse which contains fear (of Hell) they bend the ears of their
hearts towards it, and feel as though the sound of Hell and its
cries are reaching their ears. They bend themselves from their
backs, prostrate themselves on their foreheads, their palms, their
knees and their toes, and beseech Allah, the Sublime, for their
deliverance. During the day they are enduring, learned, virtuous
and God-fearing. Fear (of Allah) has made them thin like arrows.
If any one looks at them he believes they are sick, although they
are not sick, and he says that they have gone mad. In fact, great
concern (i.e., fear) has made them mad.

They are not satisfied
with their meagre good acts, and do not regard their major acts as
great. They always blame themselves and are afraid of their deeds.
When anyone of them is spoken of highly, he says: "I know
myself better than others, and my Lord knows me better than I
know. O' Allah do not deal with me according to what they say, and
make me better than they think of me and forgive me (those
shortcomings) which they do not know."

The peculiarity of
anyone of them is that you will see that he has strength in
religion, determination along with leniency, faith with
conviction, eagerness in (seeking) knowledge in forbearance,
moderation in riches, devotion in worship, gracefulness in
starvation, endurance in hardship, desire for the lawful, pleasure
in guidance and hatred from greed. He performs virtuous deeds but
still feels afraid. In the evening he is anxious to offer thanks
(to Allah). In the morning his anxiety is to remember (Allah). He
passes the night in fear and rises in the morning in joy - fear
lest night is passed in forgetfulness, and joy over the favour and
mercy received by him. If his self refuses to endure a thing which
it does not like he does not grant its request towards what it
likes. The coolness of his eye lies in what is to last for ever,
while from the things (of this world) that will not last he keeps
aloof. He transfuses knowledge with forbearance, and speech with
action.

You will see his hopes
simple, his shortcomings few, his heart fearing, his spirit
contented, his meal small and simple, his religion safe, his
desires dead and his anger suppressed. Good alone is expected from
him. Evil from him is not to be feared. Even if he is found among
those who forget (Allah) he is counted among those who remember
(Him), but if he is among the rememberers he is not counted among
the forgetful. He forgives him who is unjust to him, and he gives
to him who deprives him. He behaves well with him who behaves ill
with him.

Indecent speech is far
from him, his utterance is lenient, his evils are non-existent his
virtues are ever present, his good is ahead and mischief has
turned its face (from him). He is dignified during calamities,
patient in distresses, and thankful during ease. He does not
commit excess over him whom he hates, and does not commit sin for
the sake of him whom he loves. He admits truth before evidence is
brought against him. He does not misappropriate what is placed in
his custody, and does not forget what he is required to remember.
He does not call others bad names, he does not cause harm to his
neighbour, he does not feel happy at others misfortunes, he does
not enter into wrong and does not go out of right.

If he is silent his
silence does not grieve him, if he laughs he does not raise his
voice, and if he is wronged he endures till Allah takes revenge on
his behalf. His own self is in distress because of him, while the
people are in ease from him. He puts himself in hardship for the
sake of his next life, and makes people feel safe from himself.
His keeping away from others is by way of asceticism and
purification, and his nearness to those to whom he is near is by
way of leniency and mercifulness. His keeping away is not by way
of vanity or feeling of greatness, nor his nearness by way of
deceit and cheating.

It is related that
Hammam passed into a deep swoon and then expired. Then Amir
al-mu'minin said: Verily, by Allah I had this fear about him. Then
he added: Effective advices produce such effects on receptive
minds. Someone (2) said to him: O'
Amir al-mu'minin, how is it you do not receive such an effect?
Amir al-mu'minin replied: Woe to you. For death there is a fixed
hour which cannot be exceeded, and a cause which does not change.
Now look, never repeat such talk which Satan had put on your
tongue.

(1).
According to Ibn Abi'l-Hadid this is Hammam ibn Shurayh but
al-Allamah al-Majlisi says that apparently this is Hammam ibn
Ubadah.

(2).
This man was Abdullah ibn al-Kawwa' who was in the fore-front of
the Kharijite movement and was a great opponent of Amir
al-mu'minin.