Peak of Eloquence Nahjul Balagha By Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib - English Translation - Sermon 197

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Allah’s Attribute of Omniscience

Allah knows the cries of the beasts in the forest, the sins of the people in seclusion, themovements of the fishes in the deep seas and the rising of the water by tempestuous winds. I testify that Muhammad (h) is

the choice of Allah, the conveyor of His revelation and the Messenger of His mercy.

Why Fearing Allah

I admonish you to fear Allah Who created you. To Him is your return, with Him lies the success of your aims, at Him terminate (all) your desires, toward Him runs your path of righteousness and He is the aim of your fears (for seeking protection). Certainly, fear of Allah is themedicine for your hearts, the sight for the blindness of your spirits, the cure for the ailments of your bodies, the rectifier of the evils of your breasts, the

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purifier of the pollution of your minds, the light of the darkness of your eyes, the consolation for the fear of your heart and the brightness for the gloom of your ignorance.

Therefore, make obedience to Allah the way of your life, not only your outside covering. Make it your inner habit instead of only outer routine, subtle enough to enter through your ribs (up to the heart), the guide for all your affairs, the watering place for your getting down (on the Day of Judgement), the one who intercedes for the achievement of your aims, the asylum for the day of your fear, the lamp of the interior of your graves, the company for your long loneliness and the deliverance from the troubles of your abodes. Certainly, obedience to Allah is a protection against encircling calamities, expected dangers and the flames of burning fires.

Therefore, whoever entertains fear of Allah, troubles remain away from him after having been near, affairs become sweet after their bitterness, waves (of troubles) recede from him after having crowded over him, difficulties become easy for him after occurring, generosity rains fast over him after shortage, mercy bends over him after it had been loath, the favors (of Allah) spring forth on him after they had been dried and blessing descends over him in showers after being scanty. So, fear Allah Who benefits you with His good advice, preaches to you through His Messenger and obliges you with His favors. Devote yourselves to His worship and acquit yourselves of the obligation of obeying Him.

About Islam

Islam is the religion which Allah has chosen for Himself, developed it before His eyes, preferred it as the best among His creations, established its pillars on His love. He has disgraced other religions by giving honor to it. He has humiliated all communities before its sublimity; He has humbled its enemies with His kindness and made its opponents lonely by according it His support. He has smashed the pillars of misguidance with its columns. He has quenched the thirst of the thirsty with its cisterns and filled the cisterns through those who draw its water.

He made Islam such that its constituent parts cannot break, its joins cannot separate, its structure cannot fall, its columns cannot decay, its plant cannot be uprooted, its time does not end, its laws do not expire, its twigs cannot be cut, its parts do not become narrow, its ease does not change into difficulty, its clarity is not affected by gloom, its straightness does not acquire curvature, its wood has no crookedness, its vast paths

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have no narrowness, its lamp knows no putting off and its sweetness has no bitterness.

It consists of columns whose bases Allah has fixed in truthfulness and whose foundation He has strengthened, and of sources the streams of which are ever full of water, of lamps the flames of which are full of light and of beacons with the help of which travelers get guidance and of signs through which a way is found to its highways and of watering places which provide water to those who come to them. Allah has placed in Islam the height of His pleasure, the pinnacle of His pillars and the prominence of His obedience. Before Allah, therefore, its columns stand strong, its structure is lofty, its proofs are bright, its fires are aflame, its authority is strong, its beacons are high and its destruction is difficult. You should, therefore, honor it, follow it, fulfil its obligations and accord the status due to it.

About the Holy Prophet (h)

Allah, the Glorified One, deputed Muhammad (k) with the truth

at a time when the destruction of the world was near and the next life was at hand, when its brightness was turning into gloom after shining. It has become troublesome for its inhabitants, its surface had become rough and its decay had approached near. This was during the exhaustion of its life at