Hadith 957
۞
Look, how they were when their groups were united, their views were unanimous, their hearts were moderate, their hands used to help one another, their swords were intended for assisting one another, their eyes were sharp and their aims were the same. Did they not become masters of the corners of the earth and rulers over the neck of all the worlds? Thereafter, also see what happened to them towards the end when division overtook them, unity became fractured, and differences arose between their words and their hearts. They divided into various groups and were scattered fighting among themselves. Then Allāh took away from them the apparel of His honour and deprived them of the prosperity produced by His favours. Only their stories have remained among you for the guidance of those who may learn the lesson from them.
فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانُوا حَيْثُ كَانَتِ الاْمْلاَءُ مُجْتَمِعَةً، وَالاْهْوَاءُ مُؤْتَلِفَةً، وَالْقُلُوبُ مُعْتَدِلَةً، وَالاْيْدِي مُتَرَادِفَةً، وَالسُّيُوفُ مُتَنَاصِرَةً، وَالْبَصَائِرُ نَافِذَةً، وَالْعَزَائِمُ وَاحِدَةً، أَلَمْ يَكُونُوا أَرْبَاباً فِي أَقْطَارِ الاْرَضِينَ، وَمُلُوكاً عَلَى رِقَابِ الْعَالَمِينَ؟ فَانْظُرُوا إِلَى مَا صَارُوا إِلَيْهِ فِي آخِرِ أُمُورِهِمْ، حِينَ وَقَعَتِ الْفُرْقَةُ، وَتَشَتَّتَتِ الاْلْفَةُ، وَاخْتَلَفَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ وَالاْفْئِدَةُ، وَتَشَعَّبُوا مُخْتَلِفِينَ، وَتَفَرَّقُوا مُتَحَارِبِينَ، قَدْ خَلَعَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ لِبَاسَ كَرَامَتِهِ، وَسَلَبَهُمْ غَضَارَةَ نِعْمَتِهِ، وَبَقّى قَصَصَ أَخْبَارِهِمْ فِيكُمْ عِبَراً لِلْمُعْتَبِرِينَ.
Similar narrations
- Nahj al-Balāgha #960 [Condemning the disobedient ones :] Beware! You have shaken your hands loose from the rope of obedience, and broken the divine fort around...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #927 Known as “al-Khuṭbah al-Qāṣi‘ah” (Sermon of Disparagement). It comprises disparagement of Satan [Iblīs] for his vanity and his refusing to...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #931 [Allāh’s trial of His creatures :] If Allāh had wanted to create Adam from a light whose glare would have dazzled the eyes, whose...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #932 You should take a lesson from what Allāh did with Satan; namely He nullified his great acts and extensive efforts on account of the vanity...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #933 [Warning against Satan :] Therefore, you should fear lest the enemy of Allāh (Satan) infects you with his disease, or ‘leads you astray...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #936 You should therefore spend all your force against him, and all your efforts against him, because, by Allāh, he boasted over your (i.e.,...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #937 You should therefore put out the fires of haughtiness and the flames of intolerance that are hidden in your hearts. This vanity can exist in...
- Nahj al-Balāgha #940 They are the foundation of vice and the linings of disobedience. Satan has made them carriers of misguidance and the soldiers with whom he...