The sermon of al-Talutiyah

5. Muhammad Bin Ali Bin Ma’mar, from Muhammad Bin Ali, from Abdullah Bin Ayyub Al-Ash’ary, from Amro Al-Awza’iy, from Amro Bin Shimr, from Salma Biin Kuheyl, from Abu Al-Haysam Bin Al-Tayhaan who has narrated: Amir-ul-Momineen عليه الصلاة والسلام gave a sermon to the people at Al-Medina. Amir-ul-Momineen عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘All Praise is due to Allah عز وجل besides Whom عز وجل there is no god but Him عز وجل. He عز وجل was Alive without (dependence on) any quality and without reliance on anything but on Himself عز وجل to exist nor can there be ‘where’ for Him عز وجل, nor He عز وجل is within anything, nor He عز وجل is upon anything, nor there is a beginning place for Him عز وجل, and He عز وجل is not strong after having Created a thing, nor was He عز وجل weak before anything came into being, nor was He عز وجل lonely before He عز وجل Began anything, nor is there anything which Resembles Him عز وجل, nor was He عز وجل without a Kingdom before He عز وجل Created it, nor will He عز وجل be without it after it goes away. He عز وجل is a Living God without having a lifespan, and He عز وجل was the Owner before He عز وجل Created anything, and will be the Owner after having Creating the Universe. And there cannot be for Allah عز وجل, ‘How’ nor ‘Where’, and no Limit to be Recognised by, and nothing resembles Him عز وجل, and He عز وجل does not age due to the Duration of His عز وجل Remaining, nor does He عز وجل weaken due to being Alone, nor does He عز وجل get scared like His عز وجل creatures do due to something. But, He عز وجل is All Hearing without having ears, He عز وجل is All Seeing without having eyes, and He عز وجل is Almighty without deriving strength from His عز وجل creatures. The gaze of the lookers cannot perceive Him عز وجل, and the ears of the listeners cannot sense (hear) Him عز وجل. If He عز وجل Intends something, it would be without any consultation, or demonstration, or informing, or asking anyone about anything from His عز وجل creatures, of His عز وجل Intention. The vision cannot perceive Him عز وجل, but He عز وجل Sees all visions. And He عز وجل is the Kind, the Aware, and I عليه الصلاة والسلام testify that there is no god except Allah عز وجل, One, having no associates for Him عز وجل, and I عليه الصلاة والسلام testify that Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم is His عز وجل servant. He عز وجل Sent him عليه الصلاة والسلام with the Guidance, and the true Religion, to overcome all the religions even though the Polytheists may not like it. So he صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم preached the Message, and I عليه الصلاة والسلام follow the evidence. O you community which has been deceived, and understood the deception of the deceiver who deceived it, but still persisted upon what it recognised, and wandered randomly in its seduction. And the truth had been clarified but they still turned away from it, and the path was made clear but they still deviated from it. But, by the One عز وجل Who Split the seed and stemmed life from it, had you sought the knowledge from its Mine, and drank the water with its sweetness, and kept the good in its place, and take the path which was clear, and approached the truth by its programme the way would have been set out for you, and the signs would have appeared to you, and Al-Islam would have been illuminated for you. So you would have eaten plentiful, and there would have been no breadwinner among you who would have failed (to earn), nor any injustice would have been done to any Muslim or allies. But, you walked upon the path of the darkness, so your world became dark for you by its vastness. And the doors of knowledge were closed to you so you spoke from your own desires, and differed in your Religion, and started issuing verdicts (Fatwas) in the Religion of Allah عز وجل without (being Blessed with the) Knowledge. And you followed the misguided people so they misguided you, and you abandoned the Imams عليه الصلاة والسلام so they عليه الصلاة والسلام abandoned you. So you took control (of your own affairs) through judging by your own desires. When a matter was mentioned, you asked the People عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Remembrance (Ahl Al-Zikr), so when they عليه الصلاة والسلام issued a verdict (Fatwa) to you, you said, ‘This is exactly the knowledge’. So how come you have abandoned him عليه الصلاة والسلام, and neglected him عليه الصلاة والسلام, and opposed him عليه الصلاة والسلام? Slowly (but surely), just wait a little while, and you will harvest all of what you have cultivated, and you will find the evil of what you have done and sought. By the One عز وجل Who Split the seed and stemmed life from it, you knew that I عليه الصلاة والسلام was your Master and the one عليه الصلاة والسلام whom you had been Commanded (for being obedient to), and I عليه الصلاة والسلام am more knowledgeable than you all and the one عليه الصلاة والسلام by whose knowledge was your salvation, and the successor عليه الصلاة والسلام of your Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, and the best of your Lord عز وجل, and the tongue (speaker) for your light (guidance), and the knowledge by which you can correct yourselves. So slowly (but surely) what has been narrated will descend upon you all, what has been promised, that which descended upon the communities before you. And Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic will Question you all about your Imams عليه الصلاة والسلام with whom عليه الصلاة والسلام you will be raised, and to Allah عز وجل Mighty and Majestic you will be going to tomorrow. But, by Allah عز وجل, if I عليه الصلاة والسلام had for me عليه الصلاة والسلام, the number of companions which Talut had, or the number of the people at Badr who oppose your enemies, I عليه الصلاة والسلام would have struck by the sword until you would have come to the truth, and you would have repented sincerely. So that would have been more suitable than mending the rifts and taking to friendliness. Our Allah عز وجل, Judge between us with the truth, and You عز وجل are the Best of the Judges’. He (the narrator) said, ‘Then he عليه الصلاة والسلام went out from the Masjid. He عليه الصلاة والسلام passed by a herd in which were around thirty sheep, so he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘By Allah عز وجل, if I عليه الصلاة والسلام had for me عليه الصلاة والسلام for the sake of Allah عز وجل and His عز وجل Messenger صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم, the number of these sheep, I عليه الصلاة والسلام would have removed the son of the woman who ate unhealthy things, from his kingdom’. He (the narrator) said, ‘When it was evening, three hundred and sixty men had pledged allegiance to him عليه الصلاة والسلام, to the death. So Amir-ul-Momineen عليه الصلاة والسلام said to them: ‘Come to us (in the morning) to the Ahjaar Al-Zayt having shaved (your heads)’. And Amir-ul-Momineen عليه الصلاة والسلام shaved (his عليه الصلاة والسلام head). No one from the people remained loyal, except for Abu Dharr (ar), and Al-Miqdad (ar), and Huzayfa Al-Yamani (ar), and Ammar Bin Yasser (ar), and Salman (ar). So he عليه الصلاة والسلام raised his عليه الصلاة والسلام hands towards the sky and said: ‘Our Allah عز وجل! The people have weakened me عليه الصلاة والسلام just as the Children of Israel had weakened Haroun عليه السلام. Our Allah عز وجل! You عز وجل Know what we hide and what we proclaim, and there is nothing which is hidden from You عز وجل in the earth, nor in the sky. Make me to pass away as a Muslim, and Associate me عليه الصلاة والسلام with the righteous ones’. But, by the House (Kaaba), and the Leading up to the House (and in another copy, ‘Al-Muzdalifa’), and the walking to the throwing of the pebbles, had it not been for the oath which the Ummy Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم had taken from me عليه الصلاة والسلام, I عليه الصلاة والسلام would have returned the opposition to the gulf of the death, and I عليه الصلاة والسلام would have sent upon them thunderbolts of the death, and after a little while they will come to know’.