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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Nahjul Balagha Part 1, The Sermons Sermon 34: Woe to you! I am tired of rebuking you ... To prepare the people for fighting with the people of Syria (ash-Sham) [^1] After dealing with the Kharijites, Amir al-mu’minin rebukes the people and counsels them to be on the right: ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) في استنفار الناس إلى الشام [بعد فراغه من أمر الخوارج] ]وفيها يتأفف بالناس، وينصح لهم بطريق السداد: [ Woe to you. I am tired of rebuking you.

Do you accept this worldly life in place of the next life? Or disgrace in place of dignity? When I invite you to fight your enemy your eyes revolve as though you are in the clutches of death, and in the senselessness of last moments. My pleadings are not understood by you and you remain stunned. It is as though your hearts are affected with madness so that you do not understand. You have lost my confidence for good. Neither are you a support for me to lean upon, nor a means to honour and victory.

Your example is that of the camels whose protector has disappeared, so that if they are collected from one side they disperse away from the other side. اُفٍ لَكُمْ! لَقَدْ سَئِمْتُ عِتَابَكُمْ!

أَرَضِيتُمْ بِالْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الاْخِرَةِ عِوَضاً؟ وَبِالذُّلِّ مِنَ الْعِزِّ خَلَفاً؟ إِذَا دَعَوْتُكُمْ إِلَى جِهَادِ عَدُوِّكُمْ دَارَتْ أَعْيُنُكُمْز، كَأَنَّكُمْ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ فِي غَمْرَةٍ وَمِنَ الذُّهُولِ في سَكْرَةٍ، يُرْتَجُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَوَارِي فَتَعْمَهُونَ فَكَأَنَّ قُلُوبَكُمْ مَأْلُوسَةٌ فَأَنْتُمْ لاَ تَعْقِلُونَ. مَا أَنْتُمْ لي بِثِقَةٍ سَجِيسَ اللَّيَالي وَمَاأَنْتُمْ بِرُكْنٍ يُمَالُ بِكُمْ وَلاَزَوَافِرُ عِزٍّ يُفْتَقَرُ إِلَيْكُمْ.

مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلاَّ كَإِبِلٍ ضَلَّ رُعَاتُهَا، فَكُلَّمَا جُمِعَتْ مِنْ جَانِبٍ انْتَشَرَتْ مِن آخَرَ، By Allah, how bad are you for igniting flames of war. You are intrigued against but do not intrigue (against the enemy). Your boundaries are decreasing but you do not get enraged over it. Those against you do not sleep but you are unmindful. By Allah, those who leave matters one for the other are subdued.

By Allah, I believed about you that if battle rages and death hovers around you, you will cut away from the son of Abi Talib like the severing of head from the trunk.[^2] لَبِئْسَ ـ لَعَمْرُ اللهِ ـ سُعْرُ نَارِ الْحَرْبِ أَنْتُمْ! تُكَادُونَ وَلاَ تَكِيدُونَ، وَتُنْتَقَصُ أَطْرَافُكُمْ فَلاَ تَمْتَعِضُونَ لاَ يُنَامُ عَنْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ في غَفْلَةٍ سَاهُونَ، غُلِبَ وَاللهِ الْمُتَخَاذِلُونَ!

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