Jami' al-Saghir / Jam' al-Jawami' (al-Suyuti) 4-2570b

Translation

Machine translation, not reviewed

"On the authority of Muhammad ibn Idris al-Shafi'i, from Yahya ibn Salim, from 'Abd Allah ibn Ja'far, from 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, that he addressed the people one day and said in his sermon: The most wondrous thing in man is his heart, which has sources of wisdom and their opposites. If hope (sanah) overtakes it, greed (lahhahu) befalls it; if greed stirs it, greed destroys it; if despair (malakahu) takes hold of it, regret kills it; if anger comes upon it, rage (al-qanat) overwhelms it; if it is made happy (u'sida) with contentment (bil-rida), it forgets caution; if fear reaches it, grief occupies it; if a calamity afflicts it, distress breaks it; if it gains wealth, rebellion makes it tyrannical; if poverty seizes it, affliction preoccupies it; if hunger overcomes it, weakness keeps it seated. Every shortfall in it is harmful, and every excess in it is corrupting. He said: A man from among those who had witnessed the Battle of the Camel stood up and said: O Commander of the Faithful, tell us about qadar. He said: A dark house, so do not enter it (a deep sea, so do not plunge into it). He said: O Commander of the Faithful, tell us about qadar. He said: The secret of Allah, so do not burden yourself with it. He said: O Commander of the Faithful, tell us about qadar. He said: As you have refused, it is a matter between two matters: no compulsion and no delegation. He said: O Commander of the Faithful, so-and-so says: he says it is by capability, and he is present (your companion). He said: Bring him to me. They brought him, and when he saw him he drew his sword about four fingers' width and said: Is the capability you possess with Allah or without Allah? Beware of saying either of them, or you will apostatize and I will strike your neck. The man said: What then should I say, O Commander of the Faithful? He said: Say: I possess it by Allah, who if He wills, grants it to me."

Report a problem

No source translates this, so this English was written by a computer model. It can be wrong; rely on the Arabic. Report a problem below.