The world is never devoid of an establisher of the proof of Allah, either [as an] apparent and known [person] or [as a] hidden and unknown [person], so that the proof of Allah and His message does not become void.
76
ـ لاتَخْلُو الأرْضُ مِنْ قائِم لِلّهِ بِحُجَجِهِ (بِحُجَّة)، إمّا ظاهِراً مَشْهُوراً، وَإمّا باطِناً (خائِفاً) مَغْمُوراً، لِئَلاّ تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُ اللّهِ وبَيِّناتُهُ
.
78. No one from this nation can be compared to the progeny of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and no one who has benefitted from their blessings (i.e. the blessings of their knowledge and wisdom) will ever be equal to them.
77
ـ لا يُقاسُ بِ آلِ مُحَمَّد صَلَواتُ اللّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ هذِهِ الأُمَّةِ أحَدٌ، وَلايَسْتَوي (ولا يُسَوّى) بِهِمْ مَنْ جَـرَتْ نِعْمَتُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أبَداً
.
79. People! There is no proof of Allah, the Glorified, on His earth greater than our Prophet, Muhammad (s), nor is there any wisdom more manifest than His book, the Glorious Qur’an and Allah, the Exalted, has not praised anyone from among you except he who holds fast to his rope and follows His prophet; and only he perishes, who perishes when he disobeys Him, goes against His commands and follows his vain desires. This is why the Almighty says ‘… let those who disobey His order beware lest an ordeal should afflict them or a painful chastisement befall them.’7
78
ـ يا أيُّها النّاسُ إنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لِلّهِ سُبْحانَهُ حُجَّةٌ في أرْضِهِ أوْكَدُ مِنْ نَبِيِّنا مُحَمَّد صلَّى اللّه عليه وآله وسلَّم، ولاحِكْمَةٌ أبْلَغُ مِنْ كِتابِهِ القُرآنِ العَظيمِ، وَلا مَدَحَ اللّهُ تَعالى مِنْكُمْ إلاّ مَنِ اعْتَصَمَ بِحَبْلِهِ، واقْتَدى بِنَبِيِّهِ، وإنَّما هَلَكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ عِنْدَ ماعَصاهُ وَخالَفَهُ، واتَّبَعَ هَواهُ، فَلِذلِكَ يَقُولُ عَزَّ مِنْ قائِل: ï´؟فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذينَ يُخالِفُونَ عَنْ أمْرِهِ أنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذابٌ أليمٌï´¾
.
80. The one who looks with the insight of the wise sees his path of guidance (or goal) and knows its valleys and its peaks.
79
ـ ناظِرُ قَلْبِ اللَّبِيبِ بِهِ يُبْصِرُ رُشْدَهُ (أمَدَهُ)، ويَعْرِفُ غَوْرَهُ وَنَجْدَهُ.
81. We are the callers to truth, the leaders of creation and the speakers of truth, he who obeys us acquires [success] and he who disobeys us is destroyed.
80
ـ نَحْنُ دُعاةُ الحَقِّ، وأئِمَّةُ الخَلْقِ، واَلْسِنَةُ الصِّدْقِ، مَنْ أطاعَنا مَلَكَ، وَ مَنْ عَصانا هَلَكَ.
82. By Allah! I have never hidden a single word nor have I ever spoken a lie.
81
ـ واللّهِ ما كُنْتُ وَشْمَةً، ولاكَذَبْتُ كِذْبَةً.
83. By Allah! I do not hate the sudden coming of death to me, nor is it an event that I reject. I am but like a traveller who has come to his destination or a seeker who finds what he is looking for.
82
ـ وَاللّهِ ما فَجَعَنِي مِنَ الْمَوْتِ وارِدٌ كَرِهْتُهُ، ولاطالِعٌ أنْكَرْتُهُ، وما كُنْتُ إلاّ كَغارِب (كَقارِب) وَرَدَ، أوْ طالِب وَجَدَ.
84. By Allah! If I were to spend a sleepless night on the thorns of al-Sa‘dؤپn8 or be driven shackled in chains as a prisoner, it would be more acceptable to me than meeting Allah and His Prophet as an oppressor over any [of His] servants, or a usurper of any worldly possessions. And how can I oppress for the sake of the body which is fast moving towards destruction and is going to spend a long time [buried] in the earth?
83
ـ واللّهِ لأنْ أبيتَ عَلى حَسَكِ السَّعْدانِ مُسَهَّداً، وأُجَرَّ فِي الأغْلالِ مُصَفَّداً، أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِنْ أنْ ألْقَي اللّهَ ورَسُولَهُ ظالِماً لِبَعْضِ العِبادِ، أوْ غاصِباً لِشَـيْء مِنَ الحُطامِ، وكَيْفَ أظْلِمُ لِنَفْس يُسْرِعُ إلَى الْبِلى قُفُولُها، وَيَطُولُ فِي الثَّرى حُلُولُها
.
85. The devout companions of the Messenger of Allah (s) know that I never disobeyed Allah, the Glorified, or His Prophet for even a moment; and I supported him in situations where the valiant ones retreated and when the feet were slow in moving forward with courage – Allah honoured me with [all] this. I spared no effort in his obedience, may the blessings of Allah be upon him, and I fought his enemies with all my might, and I put my life on the line in order to protect him, and he divulged to me from his knowledge that which he did not divulge to anyone other than me.
84
ـ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَ المُسْتَحْفِظُونَ مِنْ أصْحابِ رَسُولِ اللّهِ صلَّى اللّه عليه وآله وسلَّم إنَّنِي لَمْ أرُدَّ عَلَى اللّهِ سُبْحانَهُ ولاعَلى رَسُولِهِ ساعَةً قَطُّ، ولَقَدْ واسَيْتُهُ بِنَفْسِي فيِ المَواطِنِ الَّتي تَنْكِصُ فيها الأبـْطالُ، وتَتَـأَخَّرُ عَنْها الأقْدامُ نَجْدَةً، أكْرَمَنِي اللّهُ بِها، ولَقَدْ بَذَلْتُ في طاعَتِهِ صَلَواتُ اللّهِعَلَيْهِ وآلِهِ جُهْدِي، وجاهَدْتُ أعْدائَهُ بِكُلِّ طاقَتِي، ووَقَيْتُهُ بِنَفْسِي، ولَقَدْ أفْضى إلَيَّ مِنْ عِلْمِهِ بِما لَمْ يُفْضِ بِهِ إلى أحَد غَيْرِي
.
86. Knowledge has led them to real understanding and they have acquired the spirit of conviction. They take easy what the easygoing regard as hard. They are comfortable with that which the ignorant are repelled by. They live in this world with their bodies but their spirits are in the higher realm. They are the vicegerents of Allah on His earth and the callers to His religion. Ah, ah! How I yearn to see them.
85
ـ هَجَمَ بِهِمُ الْعِلْمُ عَلى حَقيقَةِ الإيمانِ (الْبَصيرةِ)، وباشَـرُوا رُوحَ اليَقينِ، فاَسْتَسْهَلُوا (فَاسْتَلانُوا)، مَا اسْتَوْعَرَ المُتْرَفُونَ، وأنِسُوا بِمَا اسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْهُ الجاهِلُونَ، وصَحِبُوا الدُّنيا بِأبْدان أرْواحُها مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِالمَحَلِّ الأعْلى، أُولئِكَ خُلَفاءُ اللّهِ فِي أرْضِهِ والدُّعاةُ إلى دينِهِ آه آه شَوْقاً إلى رُؤْيَتِهِمْ
.
87. They are the supports of Islam and those entrusted with its protection. Through them the truth is restored in its rightful place and falsehood is removed from its position with its tongue is severed from its root. They have understood religion through reflection and contemplation, not by mere hearsay and [blind following of] what is narrated.
86
ـ هُمْ دَعائِمُ الإسْلامِ، ووَلائِجُ الإعْتِصامِ، بِهِمْ عادَ الحَقُّ في نِصابِهِ وَانْزاحَ الباطِلُ عَنْ مُقامِهِ، وانْقَطَعَ لِسانُهُ مِنْ مَنْبَتِهِ، عَقَلُوا الدِّينَ عَقْلَ وِعايَة، وَرِعايَة، لاعَقْلَ سـَماع ورِوايَة
.
88. Verily we are the masters of speech; in us its offshoots (or veins) are fixed and its branches hang over us.
87
ـ وإنّا لأُمَراءُ الكَلامِ فيِنا تَشَبَّثَتْ (وفينا تَنَشَّبَتْ عُرُوقُهُ) فُرُوعُهُ وَعَلَيْنا تَهَدَّلَتْ أغْصانُهُ (غُصُونُهُ)
.
89. The chain of delusion will never be severed until the rising of the [Imam of the] avenger of the age.
88
ـ لَنْ تَنْقَطِعَ سِلْسِلَةُ الهَذَيانِ حَتّى يُدْرَكَ الثّارُ مِنَ الزَّمانِ.
90. We are the door of ‘ل¸¤iل¹*ل¹*ah’ which is the door of peace; one who enters it is safe and secure, whereas one who turns away from it is destroyed.
89
ـ نَحْنُ بابُ حِطَّة، وهُوَ بابُ السّلامِ، مَنْ دَخَلَهُ سَلِمَ ونَجا، ومَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهُ هَلَكَ.
91. We are the middle cushion which is joined by those who remain behind and to which those who have exceeded the limits return.
90
ـ نَحْنُ النُّمْرُقَةُ الوُسْطى، بِها يَلْحَقُ التّالِي، وإلَيْها يَرْجِعُ الغالِي.
92. We are the trustees of Allah over His servants and the establishers of truth in His lands. Through us the friend [of Allah] is saved and by us the enemy is destroyed.
91
ـ نَحْنُ أُمَناءُ اللّهِ عَلى عِبادِهِ، ومُقِيمُوا الْحَقِّ في بِلادِهِ، بِنا يَنْجُو المُوالِي، وبِنا يَهْلِكُ المُعادِي.
93. We are the [family] tree of Prophethood, the station of revelation, the ones upon whom angels descend, the fountains of wisdom and the sources of knowledge. Our helpers and lovers await mercy while our enemies and haters await wrath.
92
ـ نَحْنُ شَجَرَةُ النُّبُوَّةِ، ومَحَطُّ الرِّسالَةِ، ومُخْْتَلَفُ الْمَلائِكَةِ، ويَنابيعُ الْحِكَمِ، وَمَعادِنُ الْعِلْمِ، ناصِرُنا ومُحِبُّنا يَنْتَظِرُ الرَّحْمَةَ، وعَدُوُّنا ومُبْغِضِينا يَنْتَظِرُ السَّطْوَةَ
.
94. We are the nearest ones [to the Prophet (s)], the companions, the custodians [of the treasures of Paradise] and the doors [of knowledge and wisdom]; and houses are not entered but through their doors, and whoever enters them without going through their doors is [considered] a thief and is not spared punishment.
93
ـ نَحْنُ الشِّعارُ والأصْحابُ، والسَّدَنَةُ والأبوابُ، وَلا يُؤْتَى البُيُوتُ إلاّ مِنْ أبْوابِها، ومَنْ أتاها مِنْ غَيْرِ أبْوابِها كانَ سارِقاً لاتَعْدُوهُ العُقُوبَةُ
.
95. Far be it! If there was no command of piety, I would have been the most cunning of all the Arabs.
94
ـ هَيْهاتَ لَوْلاَ التُّقى لَكُنْتُ أدْهَى العَرَبِ.
96. I have never rejected Allah from the time that I came to know Him.
95
ـ ما أنْكَرْتُ اللّهَ تَعالى مُنْذُ عَرَفْتُهُ.
97. I have never doubted in the truth since the time it was shown to me.
96
ـ ما شَكَكْتُ فِي الحَقِّ مُذْ أُرِيتُهُ.
98. I have never lied nor have I been accused of lying.
97
ـ ما كَذَبْتُ ولاكُذِّبْتُ.
99. I have never strayed [from the right path] nor has anyone gone astray because of me.
98
ـ ما ضَلَلْتُ ولاضُلَّ بِي.
100. No verse [of the Qur’an] was revealed but that I knew the occasion of its revelation and where it was revealed, [whether] in daytime or night, on a mountain or a plain; and my Lord has gifted me with an intelligent heart and an eloquent tongue.
99
ـ ما نَزَلَتْ آيَةٌ إلاّ وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ فيما نَزَلَتْ وأيْنَ نَزَلَتْ، في نَهار، أوْ لَيْل، في جَبَل، أوْ سَهْل، وإنَّ رَبِّي وَهَبَ لِي قَلْباً عَقُولاً، ولِساناً قَؤُولاً
.
101. We have established the pillar of truth and vanquished the forces of falsehood.
1. This tradition falls under the subject of giving charity.
2. Surah al-Ra’d [13]:7
3. A male bee which is followed by the other bees.
4. Part of the sermon was delivered after he became the Khalifa.
5. Because he had already reached the peak of certitude.
6. An expression that conveys humility as it was only slaves and prisoners who would ride on the hinds of camels.
7. Al-Noor [24]:63
8.This is a plant with sharp prickles.
من شبكة الامام الرضا عليه السلام