وَمِنۡ كَلَامٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his statements
عِنۡدَ عَزۡمِهِ عَلَى الۡمَسِيرِ إِلَى الشَّامِ،
When Amīr al-Muʾminīn decided to march towards Syria (ash-Shām), he spoke these words:
وَهُوَ دُعَاءٌ دَعَا بِهِ رَبَّهُ عِنۡدَ وَضۡعِ رِجۡلِهِ فِي الرِّكَابِ
أَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي [إِنَّي] أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنۡ وَعۡثَاءِ السَّفَرِ، وَكَآبَةِ المُنۡقَلَبِ، وَسُوءِ الۡمَنۡظَرِ فِي الۡأَهۡلِ وَالۡمَالِ وَالۡوَلَدِ.
My Allāh, I seek Thy protection from the hardships of journey, from the grief of returning, and from the scene of devastation of property and men.
أَللَّهُمَّ أَنۡتَ الصَّاحِبُ فِي السَّفَرِ، وَأَنۡتَ الۡخَلِيفَةُ فِي الۡأَهۡلِ، وَلَا يَجۡمَعُهُمَا غَيۡرُكَ، لِأَنَّ الۡمُسۡتَخۡلَفَ لَا يَكُونُ مُسۡتَصۡحَباً، وَالۡمُسۡتَصۡحَبُ لَا يَكُونُ مُسۡتَخۡلَفاً.
O Allāh, Thou art the companion in journey, and Thou art one who is left behind for (protection of the) family. None except Thee can join these two because one who is left behind cannot be a companion in journey, nor one who is in company on a journey can at the same time be left behind.
[قال السيد الشريف:] أَقُولُ: وَابۡتِدَاءُ هٰذَا الۡكَلَامِ مَرۡوِيٌّ عَنۡ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَآلِهِ، وَقَدۡ قَفَّاهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ بِأَبۡلَغِ كَلَامٍ وَتَمَّمَهُ بِأَحۡسَنِ تَمَامٍ؛ مِنۡ قَوۡلِهِ: «وَلَا يَجۡمَعُهُمَا غَيۡرُكَ» إِلَىٰ آخِرِ الۡفَصۡلِ.
as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: The earlier part of this sermon is related from the Prophet, but Amīr al-Muʾminīn has completed it very aptly by adding most eloquent sentences at the end. This addition is from “None except Thee can join” up to the end.
