SERMON 153
About negligent persons and the
characteristics of beasts, carnivores and women
He
has been allowed time by Allah. He is falling into error along with
negligent persons and goes early in the morning with sinners, without any
road to lead or any Imam to guide.
A part of the same sermon
At
last when Allah will make clear to them the reward for their sins, and
take them out from the veils of their neglectfulness they will proceed to
what they were running away from, and run away from what they were
proceeding to. They will not benefit from the wants they will satisfy or
the desires they would fulfil.
I
warn you and myself from this position. A man should derive benefit from
his own self. Certainly, prudent is he who hears and ponders over it, who
sees and observes and who benefits from instructive material and then
treads on clear paths wherein he avoids falling into hollows and straying
into pitfalls, and does not assist those who misguide him by turning away
from truthfulness, changing his words, or fearing truth.
O' my
listener! Be cured from your intoxication, wake up from your slumber,
decrease your hasty activity and ponder over what has come to you through
the Holy Prophet, the Ummi (1)
which is inevitable and inescapable. You should turn away from him who
opposes him and leave him and leave whatever he has adopted for himself.
Put off your vanity, drop your haughtiness and recall your grave because
your way passes over it.
You
will be dealt with as you deal with others, you will reap what you sow,
and what you send today will meet you tomorrow. So provide for your future
and send (some good acts) for your day (of reckoning). Fear, fear, O'
listener! Act, act, O' careless! No one will warn you like him who knows.
One
of the firm decisions of Allah in the Wise Reminder (Qur'an) upon which He
bestows reward or gives punishment, and through which He likes or dislikes
is that it will not benefit a man, even though he exerts himself and acts
sincerely if he leaves this world to meet Allah with one of these acts
without repenting, namely that he believed in a partner with Allah during
his obligatory worship, or appeased his own anger by killing an
individual, or spoke about acts committed by others, or sought fulfilment
of his needs from people by introducing an innovation in his religion, or
met people with a double face, or moved among them with a double tongue.
Understand this because an illustration is a guide for its like.
Beasts are concerned with their bellies. Carnivores are concerned with
assaulting others. Women are concerned with the adornments of this ignoble
life and the creation of mischief herein
(2).
(On the other hand) believers
are humble, believers are admonishers and believers are afraid (of Allah).
(1). The word "ummi" has been used in the Holy
Qur'an with reference to the Holy Prophet in chapter 7:157-158. For better
understanding of the word refer to the books of commentary on the Holy
Qur'an.
(2). The intention is to say that the
cause of all mischief and evil is the passion to satisfy bodily needs and
the passion to subdue.
If a
human being is subjugated by the passion to satisfy bodily needs and
considers filling the stomach as his aim there will be no difference
between him and a beast, because a beast too has no aim except to fill its
belly.
But
if he is over-powered by the passion to subdue others and takes to killing
and devastation there will be no difference between him and a carnivorous
beast, because the latter's aim is also tearing and devouring.
If
both the passions are at work in him then he is like a woman, because in a
woman both these passions act side by side and because of this she is
extremely eager of adornment and is active in fanning mischief and
disturbance.
However, a true believer will never agree to adopt these habits as his
mode of behaviour, rather he keeps his passions suppressed so that he
neither allows pride and vanity to approach near him nor does he fan
mischief or disturbance for fear of Allah.
Ibn
Abi'l-Hadid has written that Amir al-mu'minin delivered this sermon at the
time of marching towards Basrah, and since the trouble of Basrah was the
result of a woman's instigation, Amir al-mu'minin has, after mentioning
beasts and carnivore, held a woman also to possess such qualities. Thus
the battle of Basrah was the result of these qualities, whereby thousands
of persons were involved in death and destruction.
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