Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
28

SERMON 28

About the transient nature of
this world and importance of the next world

So now, surely this
world has turned its back and announced its departure while the
next world has appeared forward and proclaimed its approach. Today
is the day of preparation while tomorrow is the day of race. The
place to proceed to is Paradise while the place of doom is Hell.
Is there no one to offer repentance over his faults before his
death? Or is there no one to perform virtuous acts before the day
of trial?

Beware, surely you are
in the days of hopes behind which stands death. Whoever acts
during the days of his hope before approach of his death, his
action would benefit him and his death would not harm him. But he
who fails to act during the period of hope before the approach of
death his action is a loss and his death is a harm to him. Beware,
and act during a period of attraction just as you act during a
period of dread. Beware, surely I have not seen a coveter for
Paradise asleep nor a dreader from Hell to be asleep. Beware, he
whom right does not benefit must suffer the harm of the wrong, and
he whom guidance does not keep firm will be led away by
misguidance towards destruction.

Beware, you have been
ordered insistently to march and been guided how to provide for
the journey. Surely the most frightening thing which I am afraid
of about you is to follow desires and to widen the hopes. Provide
for yourself from this world what would save you tomorrow (on the
Day of Judgement).

as-Sayyid ar-Radi
says: If there could be an utterance which would drag by neck
towards renunciation in this world and force to action for the
next world, it is this sermon. It is enough to cut off from the
entanglements of hopes and to ignite the flames of preaching (for
virtue) and warning (against vice). His most wonderful words in
this sermon are "Today is the day of preparation while
tomorrow is the day of race. The place to proceed to is Paradise
while the place of doom is Hell," because besides sublimity
of words, greatness of meaning, true similes and factual
illustrations, there are wonderful secrets and delicate
implications therein.

It is his saying that
he place to proceed to is Paradise while the place of doom is
Hell. Here he has used two different words to convey two different
meanings. For Paradise he has used the word "the place to
proceed to" but for Hell this word has not been used. One
proceeds to a place which he likes and desires, and this can be
true for Paradise only. Hell does not have the attractiveness that
it may be liked or proceeded to. We seek Allah's protection from
it. Since for Hell it was not proper to say "to be proceeded
to" Amir al-mu'minin employed the word "doom"
implying the last place of stay where one reaches even though it
may mean grief and worry or happiness and pleasure.

This word is capable
of conveying both senses. However, it should be taken in the sense
of "al-masir" or "al-ma'al", that is, last
resort. Qur'anic verse is "say thou "Enjoy ye (your
pleasures yet a while ), for your last resort is unto the (hell)
fire" (14:30). Here to say "sabqatakum" that is,
"the place for you to proceed to" in place of the word
"masirakum" that is, your doom or last resort would not
be proper in any way. Think and ponder over it and see how
wondrous is its inner implication and how far its depth goes with
beauty. Amir al-mu'minin's utterance is generally on these lines.
In some versions the word "sabqah" is shown as
"subqah" which is applied to reward fixed for the winner
in a race. However, both the meanings are near each other, because
a reward is not for an undesirable action but for good and
commendable performance.