Peak of Eloquence Nahjul Balagha By Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib - English Translation - Sermon 220

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Delivered after reciting this verse: “...therein are men whom neither merchandise nor any sale diverts from the remembrance of Allah and are constantly praying and paying the poor-rate declare glory to Him in the mornings and the evenings; they fear the Day when the hearts and eyes shall writhe in anguish” (Holy Quran, 24: 36-37) ..

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Certainly, Allah, the Glorified One, the Sublime, has made His remembrance the light for the hearts which hear, with its help, despite deafness, see with its help despite blindness and become submissive with its help despite unruliness.

In all the periods when there were no prophets, there have been persons with whom Allah, precious are His bounties, whispered through their wits and spoke through their minds. With the help of the bright awakening of their ears, eyes and hearts did they keep reminding others of the remembrance of the Days of Allah, making others fear Him with piety; they were like guide posts in the wildernesses. Whoever adopts the middle way, they praise his ways and give him the tidings of deliverance. But whoever goes right and left, they vilify his ways and frighten him with ruin. In this way, they served as lamps in the darkness and guides through these doubts.

There are some people who are devoted to the remembrance (of Allah). They have adopted it in place of worldly matters so that commerce or trade does not turn them away from it. They pass their life in it. They speak into the ears of neglectful persons, warning against matters regarded as unlawful by Allah, ordering them to practice justice while they themselves keep practicing it. They keep other away from what is unlawful while they themselves refrain from it. It is as though they have finished the journey of this world towards the next and have beheld what lies beyond it. Consequently, they have become acquainted with all that befell them in the interstice during their long stay the rein and the Day of Judgement fulfills its promises for them. Therefore, they removed the curtain from these things for the people of the world, till it was as though they were seeing what people did not see and hearing what people did not hear.

If you picture them in your mind in their admirable positions and well-known sittings, when they have opened the records of their actions and are prepared to render an account of themselves with regard to the small as well as the big things they were ordered to do but failed to do, or were ordered to refrain from but they indulged therein, so they realized the weight of their burden (of bad deeds) on their backs and felt too weak to bear them. Then they wept bitterly and spoke to each other while still crying and beseeching Allah in repentance and acknowledgment (of their shortcomings)..., you would find them to be symbols of guidance and lamps in the darkness. Angels will be surrounding them, peace will be descending upon them, the gates of heaven will be opened for them, and positions of honor will be assigned to them in the place of which Allah

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had informed them. Therefore, He has appreciated their actions and praised their status. They call Him and breathe in the air of forgiveness. They are ever needy of His bounty. They remain humble before His greatness, the length of their grief has pained their hearts and prolonging their grief. They knock at every door of inclination towards Allah. They ask the One Whom generosity does not impoverish and from Whom those who approach Him do not get disappointed.

Therefore, take account of yourself for your own sake because the account of others will be taken by One other than you.