عبد الله بن أبي الحارث الهمداني

Abu Ja’far (asws) says that Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) gave a sermon saying: ‘Praise be to Allah (azwj), the Abaser, the Raiser, the Harmer, the Benefitter, the vastly Benevolent, Majestic is His (azwj) Praise, True are His (azwj) Names, Overwhelming by the Hidden and what approaches the hearts, the One Who (azwj) Made the death to be in the midst of His (azwj) creatures with Justice, and Favoured them with the life. So He (azwj) Bestows life and Brings upon death and Measures out the sustenance by His (azwj) Knowledge by an Estimation, and Mastered by His (azwj) Wisdom the measure of it. He (azwj) is All-Aware, All-Seeing. He (azwj) is Eternal without cessation, and the Remaining without an end. He (azwj) Knows what is in the earth, and what is in the Heaven, and what lies between the two and what is (covered) underneath the soil. I (asws) Praise Him (azwj) sincerely with the treasured Praise, by what the Angels and the Prophets (as) Praised Him (azwj). A Praise which cannot be numbered, nor can time pass it by, and no one has even come with the like of it. I (asws) believe in Him (azwj) and place reliance upon Him (azwj), and Guided by Him (azwj), Sufficed by Him (azwj), and Judged by Him (azwj) with good, and by His (azwj) Pleasure. And I (asws) testify that there is no god except Allah (azwj), One with no associates to Him (azwj), and I (asws) testify that Muhammad (saww) is His (azwj) servant and His (azwj) Messenger (saww) having Sent with the Guidance and the Religion of the Truth to Make it overcome all of the other Religions even though the Polytheists may be averse to it. May greetings be upon him (saww) and his (saww) Progeny (asws)’. O you people! The world is not a house for you to settle in, but rather you are in it like passengers of a caravan, which have been asked to move on soon after being disembarked. They came to it lightly (without luggage) and would be exiting from it lightly (with empty hands), not finding a way to divert from the journey, or a way to return to what they had left behind. Take them seriously, for they relied upon the world and did not prepare until they were taken by the throat, and their conclusion was that they ended-up in a house of people for whom the pens have dried up (nothing to be written anymore for them). There remains neither any news for most of them nor any traces of them. They were in the world only for a little while and were dispatched to the Hereafter in a hurry. So you have become residents in their houses, following in their footsteps like a herd of animals travelling on a journey in which there is neither ‘Where’ (are we going?) and no ‘How far’ (are we going?). Your days are tiring upon yourselves and your nights are an escape for your souls. So in the morning your condition is what their condition used to be and you just follow their ways as examples. So do not let the life of the world deceive you, for you are only travelers in it. Death would descend among you and shoot its arrows, and herd you all to the House of the Reward, and the Punishment, and the Recompense, and the Accounting’. May Allah (azwj) have Mercy upon the person who is concerned about his Lord (azwj) and moved away from his sins, and (likes to) argue against his own desires and rejects his own yearnings. A person who harnessed himself with the reins of piety for fearing for the Sake of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, led to His (azwj) obedience by its reins, raising his head towards the Return with his eyes expecting the approach of death at all times, permanently thinking about it with a prolonged vigilance, abstaining from the world, earnestly working for the Hereafter. A person who has made the patience to be his ride to salvation, and the piety as his preparation for his death and as a medication for his (spiritual) illness. He learned a lesson, and considered, and left the world and the people. He learnt it for understanding and steadfastness, and his heart had respected the remembrance of the Return. He folded up his mattress, separated himself from his pillow, stood up on his feet and entered in its surroundings, fearful for the Sake of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, displaying humbleness between his face and the two palms in secret to his Lord (azwj) shedding tears and making his heart as a strong enclave in a prolonged fear of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic. His interest is great regarding what is in the possession of Allah (azwj) whilst his fear for Pleasing Him (azwj) is intense. He suffices himself with the subsistence for his affairs and displays other than what he conceals, being content with the minimum from what he knows. These are the trusted ones of Allah (azwj) in His (azwj) land, by whom He (azwj) Defends His (azwj) servants. If one of them were to swear upon Allah (azwj) Majestic is His (azwj) Mention, he would fulfill it, or if he were to supplicate against anyone, Allah (azwj) would Help him. He (azwj) Listens to him when he whispers to Him (azwj) and Answers Him (azwj) when he calls upon Him (azwj). Allah (azwj) has Made the Good Ending to be for the pious and the Paradise for its deserving ones. “[10:10] Their cry in it shall be the best of the calls Glory to Thee, O Allah! Their calling out to the Master (azwj) for what He (azwj) would have Bestowed upon them, and their greeting in it shall be: Peace; and the last of their cry shall be: Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds”.