In this sermon he recalls the creation of Earth and Sky and the creation of Adam and in it he mentions the Hajj
ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) يذكر فيها ابتداءَ خلق السماءِ والاَرض، وخلق آدم عليه الصلاة والسلام
(فيها ذكر الحج)
(وتحتوي على حمد الله، وخلق العالم، وخلق الملائكة، واختيار الانبياء، ومبعث النبي، والقرآن، والاحكام الشرعية)
Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described by speakers, whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators and whose claim (to obedience) cannot be satisfied by those who attempt to do so, whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate, and the divings of understanding cannot reach; He for whose description no limit has been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and no duration is fixed. He brought forth creation through His Omnipotence, dispersed winds through His Compassion, and made firm the shaking earth with rocks.
الحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذَي لاَ يَبْلُغُ مِدْحَتَهُ القَائِلُونَ، وَلاِ يُحْصِي نَعْمَاءَهُ العَادُّونَ، ولاَ يُؤَدِّي حَقَّهُ الُمجْتَهِدُونَ، الَّذِي لاَ يُدْركُهُ بُعْدُ الهِمَمِ، وَلاَ يَنَالُهُ غَوْصُ الفِطَنِ، الَّذِي لَيْسَ لِصِفَتِهِ حَدٌّ مَحْدُودٌ، وَلاَ نَعْتٌ مَوْجُودٌ، وَلا وَقْتٌ مَعْدُودٌ، وَلا أَجَلٌ مَمْدُودٌ. فَطَرَ الخَلائِقَ بِقُدْرَتِهَ، وَنَشَرَ الرِّيَاحَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ، وَوَتَّدَ بِالصُّخُورِ مَيَدَانَ أَرْضِهِ.
The foremost in religion is the acknowledgement of Him, the perfection of acknowledging Him is to testify Him, the perfection of testifying Him is to believe in His Oneness, the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection of His purity is to deny Him attributes, because every attribute is a proof that it is different from that to which it is attributed and everything to which something is attributed is different from the attribute.
Thus whoever attaches attributes to Allah recognises His like, and whoever recognises His like regards Him two; and whoever regards Him as two recognises parts for Him; and whoever recognises parts for Him mistook Him; and whoever mistook Him pointed at Him; and whoever pointed at Him admitted limitations for Him; and whoever admitted limitations for Him numbered Him. Whoever said: ‘In what is He?’, held that He is contained; and whoever said: ‘On what is He?’, held He is not on something else.
أَوَّلُ الدِّينِ مَعْرِفَتُهُ، وَكَمَالُ مَعْرِفَتِهِ التَّصْديقُ بِهِ، وَكَمَالُ التَّصْدِيقِ بِهِ تَوْحِيدُهُ، وَكَمَالُ تَوْحِيدِهِ الاخْلاصُ لَهُ، وَكَمَالُ الاخْلاصِ لَهُ نَفْيُ الصِّفَاتِ عَنْهُ، لِشَهَادَةِ كُلِّ صِفَة أَنَّها غَيْرُ المَوْصُوفِ، وَشَهَادَةِ كُلِّ مَوْصُوف أَنَّهُ غَيْرُ الصِّفَةِ، فَمَنْ وَصَفَ اللهَ سُبْحَانَهُ فَقَدْ قَرَنَهُ، وَمَنْ قَرَنَهُ فَقَدْ ثَنَّاهُ،وَمَنْ ثَنَّاهُ فَقَد جَزَّأَهُ، وَمَنْ جَزَّأَهُ فَقَدْ جَهِلَهُ، وَمَنْ جَهِلَهُ فَقَدْ أشَارَ إِلَيْهِ، وَمَنْ أشَارَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَدْ حَدَّهُ، وَمَنْ حَدَّهُ فَقَدْ عَدَّهُ، وَمَنْ قَالَ: «فِيمَ» فَقَدْ ضَمَّنَهُ، وَمَنْ قَالَ: «عَلاَمَ؟» فَقَدْ أَخْلَى مِنُهُ.
He is a Being, but not through phenomenon of coming into being. He exists but not from non-existence. He is with everything but not in physical nearness. He is different from everything but not in physical separation. He acts but without connotation of movements and instruments. He sees even when there is none to be looked at from among His creation. He is only One, such that there is none with whom He may keep company or whom He may miss in his absence.
كائِنٌ لاَ عَنْ حَدَث، مَوْجُودٌ لاَ عَنْ عَدَم، مَعَ كُلِّ شَيْء لاَ بِمُقَارَنَة، وَغَيْرُ كُلِّ شيء لا بِمُزَايَلَة، فَاعِلٌ لا بِمَعْنَى الْحَرَكَاتِ وَالاْلةِ، بَصِيرٌ إذْ لاَ مَنْظُورَ إلَيْهِ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ، مُتَوَحِّدٌ إذْ لاَ سَكَنَ يَسْتَأْنِسُ بهِ وَلاَ يَسْتوْحِشُ لِفَقْدِهِ.
خلق العالم
He initiated creation most initially and commenced it originally, without undergoing reflection, without making use of any experiment, without innovating any movement, and without experiencing any aspiration of mind. He allotted all things their times, put together their variations gave them their properties, and determined their features knowing them before creating them, realising fully their limits and confines and appreciating their propensities and intricacies.
أَنْشَأَ الخَلْقَ إنْشَاءً، وَابْتَدَأَهُ ابْتِدَاءً، بِلاَ رَوِيَّة أَجَالَهَا، وَلاَ تَجْرِبَة اسْتَفَادَهَا، وَلاَ حَرَكَة أَحْدَثَهَا، وَلاَ هَمَامَةِ نَفْس اضطَرَبَ فِيهَا. أَحَالَ الاْشياءَ لاِوْقَاتِهَا، وَلاَمَ بَيْنَ مُخْتَلِفَاتِهَا، وَغَرَّزَ غَرائِزَهَا، وَأَلزَمَهَا أشْبَاحَهَا، عَالِماً بِهَا قَبْلَ ابْتِدَائِهَا، مُحِيطاً بِحُدُودِها وَانْتِهَائِهَا، عَارفاً بِقَرَائِنِها وَأَحْنَائِهَا.
When Almighty created the openings of atmosphere, expanse of firmament and strata of winds, He flowed into it water whose waves were stormy and whose surges leapt one over the other. He loaded it on dashing wind and breaking typhoons, ordered them to shed it back (as rain), gave the wind control over the vigour of the rain, and acquainted it with its limitations. The wind blew under it while water flowed furiously over it.
ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ ـ سُبْحَانَهُ ـ فَتْقَ الاْجْوَاءِ، وَشَقَّ الاْرْجَاءِ، وَسَكَائِكَ الَهوَاءِ، فأَجازَ فِيهَا مَاءً مُتَلاطِماً تَيَّارُهُ، مُتَراكِماً زَخَّارُهُ، حَمَلَهُ عَلَى مَتْنِ . الرِّيحِ الْعَاصِفَةِ، وَالزَّعْزَعِ الْقَاصِفَةِ، فَأَمَرَها بِرَدِّهِ، وَسَلَّطَهَا عَلَى شَدِّهِ، وَقَرنَهَا إِلَى حَدِّهِ، الهَوَاءُ مِنْ تَحْتِها فَتِيقٌ، وَالمَاءُ مِنْ فَوْقِهَا دَفِيقٌ.
Then Almighty created forth wind and made its movement sterile, perpetuated its position, intensified its motion and spread it far and wide. Then He ordered the wind to raise up deep waters and to intensify the waves of the oceans. So the wind churned it like the churning of curd and pushed it fiercely into the firmament throwing its front position on the rear and the stationary on the flowing till its level was raised and the surface was full of foam.
Then Almighty raised the foam on to the open wind and vast firmament and made there-from the seven skies and made the lower one as a stationary surge and the upper one as protective ceiling and a high edifice without any pole to support it or nail to hold it together.
Then He decorated them with stars and the light of meteors and hung in it the shining sun and effulgent moon under the revolving sky, moving ceiling and rotating firmament.
ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ سُبْحَانَهُ رِيحاً اعْتَقَمَ مَهَبَّهَا، وَأَدَامَ مُرَبَّهَا، وَأَعْصَفَ مَجْرَاها، وَأَبْعَدَ مَنْشَاهَا، فَأَمَرَها بِتَصْفِيقِ المَاءِ الزَّخَّارِ، وَإِثَارَةِ مَوْجِ البِحَارِ، فَمَخَضَتْهُ مَخْضَ السِّقَاءِ، وَعَصَفَتْ بهِ عَصْفَهَا بِالفَضَاءِ، تَرُدُّ أَوَّلَهُ عَلَى آخِرِهِ، وَسَاجِيَهُ عَلَى مَائِرِهِ، حَتَّى عَبَّ عُبَابُهُ، وَرَمَى بِالزَّبَدِ رُكَامُهُ، فَرَفَعَهُ فِي هَوَاء مُنْفَتِق، وَجَوٍّ مُنْفَهِق، فَسَوَّى مِنْهُ سَبْعَ سَموَات، جَعَلَ سُفْلاَهُنَّ مَوْجاً مَكْفُوفاً، وَعُلْيَاهُنَّ سَقْفاً مَحْفُوظاً، وَسَمْكاً مَرْفُوعاً، بِغَيْر عَمَد يَدْعَمُهَا، وَلا دِسَار يَنْظِمُها.
ثُمَّ زَيَّنَهَا بِزينَةِ الكَوَاكِبِ، وَضِياءِ الثَّوَاقِبِ، وَأَجْرَى فِيها سِرَاجاً مُسْتَطِيراً، وَقَمَراً مُنِيراً: في فَلَك دَائِر، وَسَقْف سَائِر، وَرَقِيم مَائِر.
خلق الملائكة
Then He created the openings between high skies and filled them with all classes of His angels. Some of them are in prostration and do not kneel up. Others in kneeling position and do not stand up. Some of them are in array and do not leave their position. Others are extolling Allah and do not get tired. The sleep of the eye or the slip of wit, or languor of the body or the effect of forgetfulness does not effect them.
Among them are those who work as trusted bearers of His message, those who serve as speaking tongues for His prophets and those who carry to and fro His orders and injunctions. Among them are the protectors of His creatures and guards of the doors of the gardens of Paradise.
Among them are those also whose steps are fixed on earth but their necks are protruding into the skies, their limbs are getting out on all sides, their shoulders are in accord with the columns of the Divine Throne, their eyes are downcast before it, they have spread down their wings under it and they have rendered between themselves and all else curtains of honour and screens of power.
They do not think of their Creator through image, do not impute to Him attributes of the created, do not confine Him within abodes and do not point at Him through illustrations.
ثُمَّ فَتَقَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمواتِ العُلاَ، فَمَلاَهُنَّ أَطْواراً مِنْ مَلائِكَتِهِ:
مِنْهُمْ سُجُودٌ لاَيَرْكَعُونَ، وَرُكُوعٌ لاَ يَنْتَصِبُونَ، وَصَافُّونَ لاَ يَتَزَايَلُونَ، وَمُسَبِّحُونَ لاَ يَسْأَمُونَ، لاَ يَغْشَاهُمْ نَوْمُ العُيُونِ، وَلاَ سَهْوُ العُقُولِ، وَلاَ فَتْرَةُ الاَبْدَانِ، ولاَ غَفْلَةُ النِّسْيَانِ.
وَمِنْهُمْ أُمَنَاءُ عَلَى وَحْيِهِ، وأَلسِنَةٌ إِلَى رُسُلِهِ، وَمُخْتَلِفُونَ بِقَضَائِهِ وَأَمْرهِ.
وَمِنْهُمُ الحَفَظَةُ لِعِبَادِهِ، وَالسَّدَنَةُ لاِبْوَابِ جِنَانِهِ.
وَمِنْهُمُ الثَّابِتَةُ في الاْرَضِينَ السُّفْلَى أَقْدَامُهُمْ، وَالمَارِقَةُ مِنَ السَّماءِ العُلْيَا أَعْنَاقُهُمْ، والخَارجَةُ مِنَ الاْقْطَارِ أَرْكَانُهُمْ، وَالمُنَاسِبَةُ لِقَوَائِمِ العَرْشِ أَكْتَافُهُمْ، نَاكِسَةٌ دُونَهُ أَبْصارُهُمْ، مُتَلَفِّعُونَ تَحْتَهُ بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ، مَضْرُوبَةٌ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مِنْ دُونَهُمْ حُجُبُ العِزَّةِ، وَأسْتَارُ القُدْرَةِ، لاَ يَتَوَهَّمُونَ رَبَّهُمْ بالتَّصْوِيرِ، وَلاَ يُجْرُونَ عَلَيْهِ صِفَاتِ المَصْنُوعِينَ، وَلاَ يَحُدُّونَهُ بِالاْماكِنِ، وَلاَ يُشِيرُونَ إِلَيْهِ بِالنَّظَائِرِ.
منها: في صفة خلق آدم (عليه السلام)
Allah collected from hard, soft, sweet and sour earth, clay which He dripped in water till it got pure, and kneaded it with moisture till it became gluey. From it He carved an image with curves, joints, limbs and segments. He solidified it till it dried up for a fixed time and a known duration. Then He blew into it out of His Spirit whereupon it took the pattern of a human being with mind that governs him, intelligence which he makes use of, limbs that serve him, organs that change his position, sagacity that differentiates between truth and untruth, tastes and smells, colours and species. He is a mixture of clays of different colours, cohesive materials, divergent contradictories and differing properties like heat, cold, softness and hardness, grief and joy.
ثُمَّ جَمَعَ سُبْحَانَهُ مِنْ حَزْنِ الاْرْضِ وَسَهْلِهَا، وَعَذْبِهَا وَسَبَخِهَا، تُرْبَةً سَنَّهَا بالمَاءِ حَتَّى خَلَصَتْ، وَلاَطَهَا بِالبَلَّةِ حَتَّى لَزَبَتْ، فَجَبَلَ مِنْها صُورَةً ذَاتَ أَحْنَاء وَوُصُول، وَأَعْضَاء وَفُصُول: أَجْمَدَهَا حَتَّى اسْتَمْسَكَتْ، وَأَصْلَدَهَا حَتَّى صَلْصَلَتْ، لِوَقْت مَعْدُود، وَأجَل مَعْلُوم، ثُمَّ نَفَخَ فِيها مِنْ رُوحِهِ فَمَثُلَتْ إِنْساناً ذَا أَذْهَان يُجيلُهَا، وَفِكَر يَتَصَرَّفُ بِهَا، وَجَوَارِحَ يَخْتَدِمُهَا، وَأَدَوَات يُقَلِّبُهَا، وَمَعْرِفَة يَفْرُقُ بِهَا بَيْنَ الحَقِّ وَالبَاطِلِ، والاَذْوَاقِ والَمشَامِّ، وَالاْلوَانِ وَالاْجْنَاس، مَعْجُوناً بطِينَةِ الاْلوَانِ الُمخْتَلِفَةِ، وَالاَشْبَاهِ المُؤْتَلِفَةِ، وَالاْضْدَادِ المُتَعَادِيَةِ، والاْخْلاطِ المُتَبَايِنَةِ، مِنَ الحَرِّ والبَرْدِ، وَالبَلَّةِ وَالْجُمُودِ، وَالْمَساءَةِ وَالسُّرُورِ،
Then Allah asked the angels to fulfil His promise with them and to accomplish the pledge of His injunction to them by acknowledging Him through prostration to Him and submission to His honoured position. So Allah said:
“Be prostrate towards Adam and they prostrated except Iblis (Satan).” (Qur’an, 2:34; 7:11; 17:61; 18:50; 20:116)
Self-importance withheld him and vice overcame him. So that he took pride in his own creation with fire and treated contemptuously the creation of clay. So Allah allowed him time in order to let him fully deserve His wrath, and to complete (man’s) test and to fulfil the promise (He had made to Satan). Thus, He said:
“Verily you have been allowed time till the known Day. “ (Qur’an, 15:38; 38:81)
وَاسْتَأْدَى اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ المَلائكَةَ وَدِيعَتَهُ لَدَيْهِمْ، وَعَهْدَ وَصِيَّتِهِ إِلَيْهمْ، في الاْذْعَانِ بالسُّجُودِ لَهُ، وَالخُنُوعِ لِتَكْرِمَتِهِ، فَقَالَ عزَّمِن قائِل: ( اسْجُدُوا لاِدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ)، اعْتَرَتْهُ الحَمِيَّةُ، وَغَلَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشِّقْوَةُ، وَتَعَزَّزُ بِخِلْقَةِ النَّارِ، وَاسْتَوْهَنَ خَلْقَ الصَّلْصَالِ، فَأَعْطَاهُ اللهُ تَعالَى النَّظِرَةَ اسْتِحْقَاقاً لِلسُّخْطَةِ، وَاسْتِتْماماً لِلْبَلِيَّةِ، وَإِنْجَازاً لِلْعِدَةِ، فَقَالَ: (إنَّكَ مِنَ المُنْظَرِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ)
Thereafter, Allah inhabited Adam (p.b.u.h.) in a house where He made his life pleasant and his stay safe, and He cautioned him of Iblis and his enmity. Then his enemy (Iblis) envied his abiding in Paradise and his contacts with the virtuous. So he changed his conviction into wavering and determination into weakness. He thus converted his happiness into fear and his prestige into shame. Then Allah offered to Adam (p.b.u.h.) the chance to repent, taught him words of His Mercy, promised him return to His Paradise and sent him down to the place of trial and procreation of progeny.
ثُمَّ أَسْكَنَ سُبْحَانَهُ آدَمَ دَاراً أرْغَدَ فِيهَاعَيْشَهُ، وَآمَنَ فِيهَا مَحَلَّتَهُ، وَحَذَّرَهُ إِبْلِيسَ وَعَدَاوَتَهُ، فَاغْتَرَّهُ عَدُوُّهُ نَفَاسَةً عَلَيْهِ بِدَارِ الْمُقَامِ، وَمُرَافَقَةِ الاْبْرَارِ، فَبَاعَ الْيَقِينَ بِشَكِّهِ، وَالعَزِيمَةَ بِوَهْنِهِ، وَاسْتَبْدَلَ بِالْجَذَلِ وَجَلاً، وَبِالاْغْتِرَارِ نَدَماً.
ثُمَّ بَسَطَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لَهُ في تَوْبَتِهِ، وَلَقَّاهُ كَلِمَةَ رَحْمَتِهِ، وَوَعَدَهُ المَرَدَّ إِلَى جَنَّتِهِ، فَأَهْبَطَهُ إِلَى دَارِ الَبَلِيَّةِ، وَتَنَاسُلِ الذُّرِّيَّةِ.
اختيار الانبياء
From his (Adam’s) progeny Allah chose prophets and took their pledge for his revelation and for carrying His message as their trust. In course of time many people perverted Allah’s trust with them and ignored His position and took compeers along with Him. Satan turned them away from knowing Him and kept them aloof from His worship. Then Allah sent His Messengers and series of His prophets towards them to get them to fulfil the pledges of His creation, to recall to them His bounties, to exhort them by preaching, to unveil before them the hidden virtues of wisdom and show them the signs of His Omnipotence namely the sky which is raised over them, the earth that is placed beneath them, means of living that sustain them, deaths that make them die, ailments that turn them old and incidents that successively betake them.
وَاصْطَفى سُبْحَانَهُ مِنْ وَلَدَهِ أَنْبيَاءَ أَخَذَ عَلَى الْوَحْيِ مِيثَاقَهُم، وَعَلَى تَبْليغِ الرِّسَالَةِ أَمَانَتَهُمْ، لَمَّا بَدَّلَ أَكْثَرُ خَلْقِهِ عَهْدَ اللهِ إِلَيْهِمْ، فَجَهِلُوا حَقَّهُ، واتَّخَذُوا الاْنْدَادَ مَعَهُ، وَاجْتَالَتْهُمُ الشَّيَاطِينُ عَنْ مَعْرفَتِهِ، وَاقتَطَعَتْهُمْ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِ، فَبَعَثَ فِيهمْ رُسُلَهُ، وَوَاتَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنْبِياءَهُ، لِيَسْتَأْدُوهُمْ مِيثَاقَ فِطْرَتِهِ، وَيُذَكِّرُوهُمْ مَنْسِيَّ نِعْمَتِهِ، وَيَحْتَجُّوا عَلَيْهِمْ بَالتَّبْلِيغِ، وَيُثِيرُوا لَهُمْ دَفَائِنَ الْعُقُولِ، وَيُرُوهُمْ آيَاتِ الْمَقْدِرَةِ: مِنْ سَقْف فَوْقَهُمْ مَرْفُوع، وَمِهَاد تَحْتَهُمْ مَوْضُوع، وَمَعَايِشَ تُحْيِيهِمْ، وَآجَال تُفْنِيهمْ، وَأَوْصَاب(5) تُهْرِمُهُمْ، وَأَحْدَاث تَتَابَعُ عَلَيْهِمْ،
Allah never allowed His creation to remain without a Prophet deputised by Him, or a book sent down from Him or a binding argument or a standing plea. These Messengers were such that they did not feel little because of smallness of their number or of largeness of the number of their falsifiers. Among them was either a predecessor who would name the one to follow or the follower who had been introduced by the predecessor.
لَمْ يُخْلِ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ خَلْقَهُ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ مُرْسَل، أَوْ كِتَاب مُنْزَل، أَوْ حُجَّة لاَزِمَة، أَوْ مَحَجَّة قَائِمَة، رُسُلٌ لا تُقَصِّرُ بِهِمْ قِلَّةُ عَدَدِهِمْ، وَلاَ كَثْرَةُ المُكَذِّبِينَ لَهُمْ: مِنْ سَابِق سُمِّيَ لَهُ مَنْ بَعْدَهُ، أَوْ غَابِر عَرَّفَهُ مَنْ قَبْلَهُ.
مبعث النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
In this way ages passed by and times rolled on, fathers passed away while sons took their places till Allah deputised Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) as His Prophet, in fulfilment of His promise and in completion of His Prophethood. His pledge had been taken from the Prophets, his traits of character were well reputed and his birth was honourable. The people of the earth at this time were divided in different parties, their aims were separate and ways were diverse. They either likened Allah with His creation or twisted His Names or turned to else than Him. Through Muhammad (S) Allah guided them out of wrong and with his efforts took them out of ignorance.
عَلَى ذْلِكَ نَسَلَتِ القُرُونُ، وَمَضَتِ الدُّهُورُ، وَسَلَفَتِ الاْباءُ، وَخَلَفَتِ الاْبْنَاءُ.
الَى أَنْ بَعَثَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ مُحَمَّداً(صلى الله عليه وآله) لاِنْجَازِ عِدَتِهِ وَتَمامِ نُبُوَّتِهِ، مَأْخُوذاً عَلَى النَّبِيِّينَ مِيثَاقُهُ، مَشْهُورَةً سِمَاتُهُ، كَرِيماً مِيلادُهُ. وَأهْلُ الاْرْضِ يَوْمَئِذ مِلَلٌ مُتَفَرِّقَةٌ، وَأَهْوَاءٌ مُنْتَشِرَةٌ، وَطَرَائِقُ مُتَشَتِّتَةٌ، بَيْنَ مُشَبِّه للهِ بِخَلْقِهِ، أَوْ مُلْحِد في اسْمِهِ، أَوْ مُشِير إِلَى غَيْرهِ، فَهَدَاهُمْ بهِ مِنَ الضَّلاَلَةِ، وَأَنْقَذَهُمْ بمَكانِهِ مِنَ الجَهَالَةِ.
Then Allah chose for Muhammad, peace be upon him and on his progeny, to meet Him, selected him for His own nearness, regarded him too dignified to remain in this world and decided to remove him from this place of trial. So He drew him towards Himself with honour. Allah may shower His blessing on him, and his progeny.
ثُمَّ اخْتَارَ سُبْحَانَهُ لِمحَمَّد صلى الله عليه لِقَاءَهُ، وَرَضِيَ لَهُ مَا عِنْدَهُ، فَأَكْرَمَهُ عَنْ دَارِالدُّنْيَا، وَرَغِبَ بِهَ عَنْ مُقَارَنَةِ البَلْوَى، فَقَبَضَهُ إِلَيْهِ كَرِيماً صَلَّى اللهُ علَيهِ و آلِهِ،
But the Prophet left among you the same which other Prophets left among their peoples, because Prophets do not leave them untended (in dark) without a clear path and a standing ensign, namely the Book of your Creator clarifying its permission and prohibitions, its obligations and discretion, its repealing injunctions and the repealed ones, its permissible matters and compulsory ones, its particulars and the general ones, its lessons and illustrations, its long and the short ones, its clear and obscure ones, detailing its abbreviations and clarifying its obscurities.
وَخَلَّفَ فِيكُمْ مَا خَلَّفَتِ الاْنْبيَاءُ في أُمَمِها، إذْ لَم يَتْرُكُوهُمْ هَمَلاً، بِغَيْر طَريق واضِح، ولاَعَلَمٍ قَائِم.
كِتَابَ رَبِّكُمْ [فِيكُمْ:] مُبَيِّناً حَلاَلَهُ وَحَرامَهُ، وَفَرَائِضَهُ وَفَضَائِلَهُ، وَنَاسِخَهُ وَمَنْسُوخَهُ، وَرُخَصَهُ وَعَزَائِمَهُ، وَخَاصَّهُ وَعَامَّهُ، وَعِبَرَهُ وَأَمْثَالَهُ، وَمُرْسَلَهُ وَمَحْدُودَهُ، وَمُحْكَمَهُ وَمُتَشَابِهَهُ، مُفَسِّراً جُمَلَهُ، وَمُبَيِّناً غَوَامِضَهُ.
In it there are some verses whose knowledge is obligatory and others whose ignorance by the people is permissible. It also contains what appears to be obligatory according to the Book but its repeal is signified by the Prophet’s action (sunnah) or that which appears compulsory according to the Prophet’s action but the Book allows not following it.
Or there are those which are obligatory in a given time but not so after that time. Its prohibitions also differ. Some are major regarding which there exists the threat of fire (Hell), and others are minor for which there are prospects of forgiveness. There are also those of which a small portion is also acceptable (to Allah) but they are capable of being expanded.
بَيْنَ مَأْخُوذ مِيثَاقُ عِلْمِهِ، وَمُوَسَّع عَلَى العِبَادِ في جَهْلِهِ، وَبَيْنَ مُثْبَت في الكِتابِ فَرْضُهُ، وَمَعْلُوم في السُّنَّهِ نَسْخُهُ، وَوَاجب في السُّنَّةِ أَخْذُهُ، وَمُرَخَّص في الكِتابِ تَرْكُهُ، وَبَيْنَ وَاجِب بِوَقْتِهِ، وَزَائِل في مُسْتَقْبَلِهِ، وَمُبَايَنٌ بَيْنَ مَحَارِمِهِ، مِنْ كَبير أَوْعَدَ عَلَيْهِ نِيرَانَهُ، أَوْ صَغِير أَرْصَدَ لَهُ غُفْرَانَهُ، وَبَيْنَ مَقْبُول في أَدْنَاهُ، ومُوَسَّع في أَقْصَاهُ.
و[منها:] في ذكر الحج
Allah has made obligatory upon you the pilgrimage (Hajj) to His sacred House which is the turning point for the people who go to it as beasts or pigeons go towards spring water. Allah the glorified made it a sign of their supplication before His Greatness and their acknowledgement of His Dignity. He selected from among His creation those who on listening to His call responded to it and testified His word.
They stood in the position of His Prophets and resembled His angels who surround the Divine Throne securing all the benefits of performing His worship and hastening towards His promised forgiveness. Allah the glorified made it (His sacred House) an emblem for Islam and an object of respect for those who turn to it. He made obligatory its pilgrimage and laid down its claim for which He held you responsible to discharge it. Thus, Allah, the Glorified, said:
“. . . And (purely) for Allah, is incumbent upon mankind, the pilgrimage to the House, for those who can afford to journey thither. And whoever denieth then verily, Allah is Self-sufficiently independent of the worlds” (Qur’an, 3:96).
وَفَرَضَ عَلَيْكُمْ حَجَّ بَيْتِهِ الحَرَامِ، الَّذِي جَعَلَهُ قِبْلَةً لِلاْنَامِ، يَرِدُونَهُ وُرُودَ الاَنْعَامِ، وَيأْلَهُونَ إِلَيْهِ وُلُوهَ الحَمَامِ.
جَعَلَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ عَلاَمَةً لِتَوَاضُعِهمْ لِعَظَمَتِهِ، وَإِذْعَانِهِمْ لِعِزَّتِهِ، وَاخْتَارَ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ سُمَّاعاً أَجَابُوا إِلَيْهِ دَعْوَتَهُ، وَصَدَّقُوا كَلِمَتِهُ، وَوَقَفُوا مَوَاقِفَ أَنْبِيَائِهِ، وَتَشَبَّهُوا بمَلاَئِكَتِهِ المُطِيفِينَ بِعَرْشِهِ، يُحْرِزُونَ الاْرْبَاحَ فِي مَتْجَرِ عِبَادَتِهِ، وَيَتَبَادَرُونَ عِنْدَهُ مَوْعِدَ مَغْفِرَتِهِ.
جَعَلَهُ سُبْحَانَهُ لِلاِسْلامِ عَلَماً، وَلِلْعَائِذِينَ حَرَماً، فَرَضَ حَجَّهُ، وَأَوْجَبَ حَقَّهُ، وَكَتَبَ عَلَيْكُمْ وِفَادَتَهُ، فَقَالَ سُبْحَانَهُ: (وَللهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلاً وَمَنْ كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ العَالَمينَ).
(1) Al-Harrani, Tuhaf, 57;
(2) al-Kulayni, Usul al-Kafi, I, 140;
(3) al-Qadi al-Quda`i, Dustur, 153;
(4) al-Razi, Tafsir, II, 164;
(5) Ibn Talhah, Matalib;
(6) al-Zamakhshari, Rabi`, I, bab al-sama' wa al-kawakib;
(7) al-Wasiti, `Uyun, see al-Majlisi, Bihar, vol.77, 300, 423;
(8) al-Rawandi, Sharh, see Kashif al-Ghita', Madarik, 69;
(9) al-Tabarsi, al-'Ihtijaj, I, 150
Here’s how to stay out of trouble when you’re ready to buy your next car, truck or SUV:
