Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
98

SERMON 98

About abstinence of the world
and vicissitudes of time

We praise Allah for
what has happened and seek His succour in our affairs for what is
yet to happen, and we beg Him for safety in the faith just as we
beg Him for safety in our bodies.

O' creatures of Allah!
I advise you to keep away from this world which is (shortly) to
leave you even though you do not like its departure, and which
would make your bodies old even though you would like to keep them
fresh. Your example and its example is like the travellers who
travel some distance and then as though they traverse it quickly
or they aimed at a sign and reached it at once. How short is the
distance to the aim if one heads towards it and reaches it. And
how short is the stage of one who has only a day which he cannot
exceed while a swift driver is driving him in this world till he
departs from it.

So do not hanker after
worldly honour and its pride, and do not feel happy over its
beauties and bounties nor wail over its damages and misfortunate
because its honour and pride would end while its beauty and bounty
would perish, and its damages and misfortunes would pass away.
Every period in it has an end and every living being in it is to
die. Is not there for you a warning in the relics of the
predecessors and an eye opener and lesson in your fore-fathers,
provided you understand?

Do you not see that
your predecessors do not come back and the surviving followers do
not remain? Do you not observe that the people of the world pass
mornings and evenings in different conditions? Thus, (somewhere)
the dead is wept for, someone is being condoled, someone is
prostrate in distress, someone is enquiring about the sick,
someone is passing his last breath, someone is hankering after the
world while death is looking for him, someone is forgetful but he
is not forgotten (by death), and on the footsteps of the
predecessors walk the survivors.

Beware! At the time of
committing evil deeds remember the destroyer of joys, the spoiler
of pleasures, and the killer of desires (namely death). Seek
assistance of Allah for fulfilment of His obligatory rights, and
for (thanking Him) for His countless bounties and obligations.