Sermon 66: O Muslims! ...

In one of the days of Siffin Amir al-Muminin said to his followers about ways of fighting

مَعَاشِرَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ:

O Muslims!

اسْتَشْعِرُوا الْخَشْيَةَ

Make fear of Allah the routine of your life.

وَتَجَلْبَبُواالسَّكِينَةَ،

Cover yourselves with peace of mind

وَعَضُّواعَلَى النَّوَاجِذِ فَإِنَّهُ أَنْبَى لِلْسُّيُوفِ عَنِ الْهَامِ

and clench your teeth because this makes the sword slip off from the skull.

وَأَكْمِلُوا اللاَّمَةَ ،

Complete your armour

وَقَلْقِلُواالسُّيُوفَ فِي أَغْمَادِهَا قَبْلَ سَلِّهَا،

and shake your swords in their sheathes before showing them out.

وَالْحَظُوا الْخَزْرَ

Have your eyes on the enemy.

وَاطْعُنُوا الشَّزْرَ وَنَافِحُوا بِالظُّبَا

Use your spears on both sides

وَصِلُوا السُّيُوفَ بَالْخُطَا

and strike (the enemy) with swords.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّكُمْ بِعَيْنِ اللهِ،

Keep in mind that you are before Allah

وَمَعَ ابْنِ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وآله ،

and in the company of the Prophet's cousin.

فَعَاوِدُوا الْكَرَّ،

Repeat your attacks

وَاسْتَحْيُوا مِنَ الْفَرِّ

and feel ashamed of running away,

فَإِنَّهُ عَارٌ فِي الاْعْقَابِ وَنَارٌ يَوْمَ الْحِسَابِ،

because it is a shame for posterity and (cause of awarding you) fire on the Day of Judgement.

وَطِيبُوا عَنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ نَفْساً،

Give your lives (to Allah) willingly

وَامْشُوا إِلَى الْمَوْتِ مَشْياً سُجُحاً

and walk towards death with ease.

وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِهذَا السَّوَادِ الاْعْظَمِ،

Beware of this great majority,

وَالرِّوَاقِ المُطَنَّبِ،

and the pitched tent

فَاضْرِبُوا ثَبَجَهُ فإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ كَامِنٌ فِي كِسْرِهِ

and aim at its centre because Satan is hiding in its corner.

قَدْ قَدَّمَ لِلْوَثْبَةِ يَداً،

He has extended his hand for assault

وَأَخَّرَ لِلنُّكُوصِ رِجْلاً؛

and has kept back his foot for running away.

فَصَمْداً صَمْداً! حَتَّى يَنْجَلِيَ لَكُمْ عَمُودُ الْحَقِّ .

Keep on enduring till the light of Truth dawns upon you.

(وَأَنْتُمُ الاْعْلَوْنَ وَاللهُ مَعَكُمْ وَلَنْ يَتِرَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ).

While ye have the upper hand, and Allah is with you, and never will He depreciate your deeds. (Qur'an, 47:35)

 

Alternative Sources for Sermon 66: Nasr, Siffin, see Ibn Abi al-Hadid, I, 479; Ibn Qutaybah, ‘Uyun, I, 110, 133; al-Jahiz, al-Bayan, II, 24; al-Bayhaqi, al-Mahasin, 45; al-Tabari, Basharah, 172; al-Quda’i, Dustur, 124; Ibn ‘Asakir, Ta'rikh, XII, 182; al-Mas’udi, Muruj, II, 380; Furat, Tafsir al-Qur'an.