وَمِنۡ خُطۡبَةٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his sermons
فِي الۡمُبَادَرَةِ إِلَى صَالِحِ الۡأَعۡمَالِ
About decline and destruction of the world
وَاتَّقُوا [في بعض النسخ: فَاتَّقُوا] اللهَ عِبَادَ اللهِ، وَبَادِرُوا آجَالَكُمۡ بِأَعۡمَالِكُمۡ، وَابۡتَاعُوا مَا يَبۡقَى لَكُمۡ بِمَا يَزُولُ عَنۡكُمۡ، وَتَرَحَّلُوا فَقَدۡ جُدَّ بِكُمۡ، وَاسۡتَعِدُّوا لِلۡمَوۡتِ فَقَدۡ أَظَلَّكُمۡ،
O creatures of Allāh! Fear Allāh and anticipate your death through good actions. Purchase everlasting joy by paying with the transitory things — pleasures of this world. Get ready for the journey, for you are being driven onward, and prepare yourselves for death, since it is hovering over you.
وَكُونُوا قَوۡماً صِيحَ بِهمۡ فَانۡتَبَهُوا، وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ الدُّنۡيَا لَيۡسَتۡ لَهُمۡ بِدَارٍ فَاسۡتَبۡدَلُوا فَإِنَّ اللهَ [في بعض النسخ: اللهَ سُبۡحَانَهُ] لَمۡ يَخۡلُقۡكُمۡ عَبَثاً، وَلَمۡ يَتۡرُكۡكُمۡ سُدًى، وَمَا بَيۡنَ أَحَدِكُمۡ وَبَيۡنَ الۡجَنَّةِ أَوِ النَّارِ إِلَّا الۡمَوۡتُ أَنۡ يَنۡزِلَ بِهِ.
Be a people who wake up when called, and who know that this world is not their abode, and so have it changed (with the next). Certainly, Allāh has not created you aimlessly nor left you as useless. There is nothing between anyone of you and Paradise or Hell except death that must befall him.
وَإِنَّ غَايَةً تَنۡقُصُهَا اللَّحۡظَةُ، وَتَهۡدِمُهَا السَّاعَةُ، لَجَدِيرَةٌ بِقِصَرِ الۡمُدَّةِ، وَإِنَّ غَائِباً يَحۡدُوهُ الۡجَدِيدَانِ: اللَّيۡلُ وَالنَّهَارُ، لَحَرِيٌّ بِسُرۡعَةِ الۡأَوۡبَةِ، وَإِنَّ قَادِماً يَقۡدُمُ بِالۡفَوۡزِ أَوِ الشِّقۡوَةِ لَمُسۡتَحِقٌّ لِأَفۡضَلِ الۡعُدَّةِ،
The life that is being shortened every moment and being dismantled every hour must be regarded very short. The hidden thing—namely death—which is being driven (to you) by two over new phenomena, the day and the night, is certainly quick of approach. The traveller which is approaching with success or failure (namely death) deserves the best of provision.
فَتَزَوَّدُوا فِي الدُّنۡيَا مِنَ الدُّنۡيَا مَا تَحۡرُزُونَ [تُحۡرِزُوۡنَ] بِهِ أَنۡفُسَكُمۡ [في بعض النسخ: نُفُوسَكُمۡ] غَداً. فَاتَّقَى عَبۡدٌ رَبَّهُ [رَبِّهُ]؛ نَصَحَ [في بعض النسخ: وَنَصَحَ] نَفۡسَهُ، قَدَّمَ [في بعض النسخ: وَقَدَّمَ] تَوۡبَتَهُ، غَلَبَ [في بعض النسخ: وَغَلَبَ] شَهۡوَتَهُ، فَإِنَّ أَجَلَهُ مَسۡتُورٌ عَنۡهُ، وَأَمَلَهُ خَادِعٌ لَهُ، وَالشَّيۡطَانُ مُوَكَّلٌ بِهِ؛ يُزَيِّنُ لَهُ الۡمَعۡصِيَةَ لِيَرۡكَبَهَا، وَيُمَنِّيهِ التَّوۡبَةَ لِيُسَوِّفَهَا، حَتَّى تَهۡجُم [في بعض النسخ: إِذَا هَجَمَتۡ] مَنِيَّتُهُ عَلَيۡهِ أَغۡفَلَ مَا يَكُونُ عَنۡهَا. فَيَا لَهَا حَسۡرَةً عَلَى كُلِّ ذِي غَفۡلَةٍ أَنۡ يَكُونَ عُمُرُهُ عَلَيۡهِ حُجَّةً، وَأَنۡ تُؤَدِّيَهُ أَيَّامُهُ إِلَى الشِّقۡوَةِ [في بعض النسخ: شِقۡوَةٍ]!
So acquire such provision from this world while you are here with which you may shield yourself tomorrow (on the Day of Judgement). So everyone should fear Allāh, should admonish himself, should send forward his repentance, and should overpower his desire, because his death is hidden from him, his desires deceive him, and Satan is posted on him and he beautifies for him sin so that he may commit it, and prompts him to delay repentance till his desires make him the most negligent. Piety is for the negligent person whose life itself would be a proof against him and his own days (passed in sin) would lead him to punishment.
نَسۡأَلُ اللهَ سُبۡحَانَهُ أَنۡ يَجۡعَلَنَا وَإِيَّاكُمۡ مِمَّنۡ [مِمِّنۡ] لَا تُبۡطِرُهُ نَعۡمَةٌ، وَلَا تُقَصِّرُ بِهِ عَنۡ طَاعَةِ رَبِّهِ غَايَةٌ، وَلَا تَحُلُّ بِهِ بَعۡدَ الۡمَوۡتِ نَدَامَةٌ وَلَا كَآبَةٌ.
We ask Allāh, the Glorified, that He may make us and you like one whom bounty does not mislead, whom nothing can stop from obedience of Allāh, and whom shame and grief do not befall after death.
