About the transient nature of this world and importance of the next world
So now, surely this world has turned its back and announced its departure while the next
world has appeared forward and proclaimed its approach. Today is the day of preparation
while tomorrow is the day of race. The place to proceed to is Paradise while the place of
doom is Hell. Is there no one to offer repentance over his faults before his death? Or is there
no one to perform virtuous acts before the day of trial?
Beware, surely you are in the days of hopes behind which stands death. Whoever acts during
the days of his hope before approach of his death, his action would benefit him and his death
would not harm him. But he who fails to act during the period of hope before the approach of
death his action is a loss and his death is a harm to him. Beware, and act during a period of
attraction just as you act during a period of dread. Beware, surely I have not seen a coveter for
Paradise asleep nor a dreader from Hell to be asleep. Beware, he whom right does not benefit
must suffer the harm of the wrong, and he whom guidance does not keep firm will be led
away by misguidance towards destruction.
Beware, you have been ordered insistently to march and been guided how to provide for the
journey. Surely the most frightening thing which I am afraid of about you is to follow desires
and to widen the hopes. Provide for yourself from this world what would save you tomorrow
(on the Day of Judgement).
as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: If there could be an utterance which would drag by neck towards
renunciation in this world and force to action for the next world, it is this sermon. It is enough
to cut off from the entanglements of hopes and to ignite the flames of preaching (for virtue)
and warning (against vice). His most wonderful words in this sermon are "Today is the day of
preparation while tomorrow is the day of race. The place to proceed to is Paradise while the
place of doom is Hell," because besides sublimity of words, greatness of meaning, true
similes and factual illustrations, there are wonderful secrets and delicate implications therein.
It is his saying that he place to proceed to is Paradise while the place of doom is Hell. Here he
has used two different words to convey two different meanings. For Paradise he has used the
word "the place to proceed to" but for Hell this word has not been used. One proceeds to a
place which he likes and desires, and this can be true for Paradise only. Hell does not have the
attractiveness that it may be liked or proceeded to. We seek Allah's protection from it. Since
for Hell it was not proper to say "to be proceeded to" Amir al-mu'minin employed the word
"doom" implying the last place of stay where one reaches even though it may mean grief and
worry or happiness and pleasure.
This word is capable of conveying both senses. However, it should be taken in the sense of
"al-masir" or "al-ma'al", that is, last resort. Qur'anic verse is "say thou "Enjoy ye (your
pleasures yet a while ), for your last resort is unto the (hell) fire" (14:30). Here to say
"sabqatakum" that is, "the place for you to proceed to" in place of the word "masirakum" that
is, your doom or last resort would not be proper in any way. Think and ponder over it and see
how wondrous is its inner implication and how far its depth goes with beauty. Amir almu'minin's
utterance is generally on these lines. In some versions the word "sabqah" is shown
as "subqah" which is applied to reward fixed for the winner in a race. However, both the
meanings are near each other, because a reward is not for an undesirable action but for good
and commendable performance.
ادامه مطلب+
