O My God they are disgusted of me and I am disgusted of them.

O My God they are disgusted of me and I am disgusted of them. They are weary of me and I am weary of them. Change them for me with better ones and change me for them with worse one. O My God, melt their hearts as salt melts in water. By Allah, I wish I had only a thousand horsemen of Banu Firas ibn Ghanm (as the poet says): If you call them the horsemen would come to you like the summer cloud. (Thereafter Amir al-mu'minin alighted from the pulpit).

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: In this verse the word " armiyah " is plural of " ramiyy " which means cloud and " hamim " here means summer. The poet has particularised the cloud of summer because it moves swiftly. This is because it is devoid of water while a cloud moves slowly when it is laden with rain. Such clouds generally appear (in Arabia) in winter.

By this verse the poet intends to convey that when they are called and referred to for help they approach with rapidity and this is borne by the first line "if you call them they will reach you." قال السيد الشريف: قلتُ أنا: والارمية جمع رَميٍّ وهو: السحاب، والحميم في هذا الموضع: وقت الصيف، وإنما خصّ الشاعر سحاب الصيف بالذكر لانه أشد جفولاً، وَأسرع خُفوفاً، لانه لا ماء فيه، وإنما يكون السحاب ثقيل السير لامتلائه بالماء، وذلك لا يكون في الاكثر إلا زمان الشتاء، وإنما أراد الشاعر وصفهم بالسرعة إذا دُعوا، والاغاثة إذا استغيثوا، والدليل على ذلك قوله: «هنالك، لو دعوت، أتاك منهم...».

Alternative Sources for Sermon 25 (1) Al-Mas`udi, Muruj, III, 149; (2) Ibn `Abd Rabbih, al-`Iqd, III, 337; (3) Ibn `Asakir, Ta'rikh, I, 305, X, 225; (4) al-Baladhuri, Ansab, II, 383; (5) al-Mufid, al-'Irshad, * 163; (6) al-Thaqafi, al-Gharat II, 636. [^1]: When after arbitration Mu`awiyah's position was stabilised he began thinking of taking possession of Amir al-mu'minin's cities and extend his domain.

He sent his armies to different areas in order that they might secure allegiance for Mu`awiyah by force.