Verily our affair is difficult and arduous...
Verily our affair is difficult and arduous, rough and harsh, secret, hidden and veiled, none have access to it except the favoured angel, the appointed prophet or the believer whose heart Allah, the Glorified, has tested for faith. 15ـ إنَّ أمْرَنا صَعْبٌ مُسْتَصْعَبٌ، خَشِنٌ مُخْشَوْشِنٌ، سِـرٌ مُسْتَسِـرٌّ، مُقَنِّعٌ، لا يَحْمِلُهُ إلاّ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ، أوْ نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ، أوْ مُؤْمِنٌ إمْتَحَنَ اللّهُ سُبْحانَهُ قَلْبَهُ لِلإيمانِ.
Indeed here (and he pointed towards his chest) there is great knowledge; if only I could get someone who would bear it.
Yes, I do find some who can understand but cannot be relied upon and would use the tools of religion for worldly gain or would dominate the people through the favours of Allah over His servants and through His authority over His friends; or [I find] one who is submissive to those who bear the truth but has no insight or intelligence, misgivings pierce into his heart at the first instance of doubt.
16ـ إنَّ هيهُنا «وأشارَ بِيَدِهِ إلى صَدْرِهِ» لَعِلْماً جَمّاً، لَوْ أصَبْتُ لَهُ حَمَلَةً، بَلى أُصِيبُ لَقِناً غَيْـرَ مَأْمُون عَلَيْهِ، مُسْتَعْمِلاً آلَةَ الدّينِ لِلدُّنيا، أوْ مُسْتَظْهِراً بِنِعَمِ اللّهِ عَلى عِبادِهِ، وبِحُجَجِهِ عَلى أوْلِيائِهِ،أوْ مُنْقاداً لِحَمَلَةِ الحَقِّ، لا بَصِيرَةَ لَهُ في إحْنائِهِ، يَنْقَدِحُ الشَّكُّ في قَلْبِهِ لأوَّلِ عارِض مِنْ شُبْهَة. The People of Remembrance (or followers of the Qur’an) are the People of Allah and His favoured ones.
17ـ أهْلُ الذِّكْرِ (القُرْْآنِ)، أهْلُ اللّهِ، وخاصَّتُهُ (حامَّتُهُ). I am the allotter of hellfire, the treasurer of the gardens [of Paradise], the owner of the pond [of Kawthar ] and the holder of the Elevations, and there is no Imam from among us, the household [of the Prophet], except that he knows those who are his sincere friends [and followers], and this is the meaning of the words of the Most High: ‘ You are only a warner, and there is a guide for every people ’[^2].
18ـ أنَا قَسيمُ النّارِ، وخازِنُ الجِنانِ، وصاحِبُ الحَوْضِ، وصاحِبُ الأعْرافِ، ولَيْسَ مِنّا أهْلَ البَيْتِ إمامٌ إلاّ وهُوَ عارِفٌ (عالِمٌ) بِأهْلِ وِلايَتِهِ، وَذلِكَ لِقَوْلِ اللّهِ تَعالى: إنَّما أنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ ولِكُلِّ قَوْم هاد. I am the brother of the Prophet of Allah, the first to accept Islam, the breaker of the idols, the warrior against the disbelievers and the vanquisher of adversaries.
19ـ أنَا صِنْوُ رَسُولِ اللّهِ، والسّابِقُ إلَى الإسْلامِ، وكاسِرُ الأصْنامِ، وَمُجاهِدُ الكُفّارِ، وقامِعُ الأضْدادِ.
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