Peak of Eloquence Nahjul Balagha By Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib - English Translation - Sermon 175

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Admonishing

(O creatures!) Seek benefit from the sayings of Allah, be admonished of Allah and accept the advice of Allah because Allah has left no excuse for you when He has provided clear guidance for you, has put before you the plea and clarified for you what deeds He likes and what deeds He hates, so that you may ac upon one and avoid the other. The Prophet of Allah (k) used to say, “Paradise is surrounded by

unpleasant things, while Hell is surrounded by desires.”

You should know that every act of obedience to Allah is unpleasant in appearance while every disobedience to Allah has the appearance of enjoyment. May Allah have mercy on the person who keeps aloof from his desire and uproot the appetite of his heart because this heart has far-reaching aims, yet it goes on pursuing disobedience through desires.

You should know, O servants of Allah, that a believer should be distrustful of his heart every morning and evening. He should always blame it (for shortcomings) and ask it to add to (its good deeds). You should behave like those who have gone before you and those ahead. They left this world like a traveler and covered it as distance is covered.

The Greatness of the Holy Quran

And be aware that this Holy Quran is an adviser that never deceives, a leader who never misleads, and a narrator who never speaks a lie. No one will sit in the company of this Holy Quran except that when he rises, he will achieve one addition or one diminution: addition in his guidance or elimination in his (spiritual) blindness. You should also know that no one will need any thing beyond (guidance from) the Holy Quran

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and no one will be free from want beyond (guidance from) the Holy Quran. Therefore, seek cure from it for your ailments and seek its assistance in your distresses. It contains a cure for the most serious diseases, namely unbelief, hypocrisy, rebellion (against God’s commandments) and misguidance. Pray to Allah through it and turn to Allah through loving it. Do not ask the people through it. There is nothing like it through which the people should turn to Allah, the Sublime.

Be informed that it intercedes. Its intercession will be accepted. It is a speaker that testifies. For whoever the Holy Quran intercedes on the Day of Judgement, its intercession for him will be accepted. He about whom the Holy Quran speaks ill on the Day of Judgement shall testify to it. On the Day of Judgement, an announcer will announce: ‘Beware! Everyone who sow a crop is in distress except those who sow (the seeds) of the Holy Quran.” Therefore, you should be among the sowers of the Holy Quran and of its followers. Make it your guide towards Allah. Seek its advice for yourselves. Ddo not trust your views against it and regard your desires in the matter of the Holy Quran as deceitful.

About the believers and their good deeds, and the hypocrites and their bad deeds

Action! Action! Then (look at) the end results (of your actions and remain) steadfast. Steadfast! Thereafter, (exercise) endurance. Endurance and piety, piety! You have an objective. Proceed towards your objective. You have a sign. Take guidance from your sign. Islam has an objective. Proceed towards its objective. Proceed towards Allah by fulfilling His rights which He has enjoined upon you. He has clearly stated His demands. I am a witness for you and shall plead for excuses on your behalf on the Day of Judgement.

Beware! What had been ordained has occurred, and that which had been destined has come to pass. I am speaking to you with the promise and pleas of Allah.

Allah the Sublime has said the following: “Verily, those who say: ‘Our Master is Allah! and who persevere rightly, the angels descend upon them (saying): ‘Fear not, nor grieve and receive the glad tidings of the Garden which you were promised’” (Holy Quran, 41: 30).

You have said, “Our Master is Allah;” so, remain steadfast to His Book, to the way of His command, and to the virtuous course of worshiping Him. Thereafter, do not go out of it, do not introduce

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innovation in it, and do not turn away from it because those who shrink from this course will be cut off from (the mercy of) Allah on the Day of Judgement.