Al-Muttaqin Sermon

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Al-Muttaqin Sermon
Other namesHammam Sermon
SubjectDescription of the pious
Issued byImam Ali (a)
Main narratorHammam
Shi'a sourcesNahj al-balagha


Al-Muttaqīn sermon (Arabic: خطبة المتّقین, the pious sermon) is one of the most famous sermons of Imam 'Ali (a) in which he describes pious Muslims. The sermon characterizes the pious so well in their personal and social life that at the end of the sermon, Hammam, the Imam's companion who had asked about the characteristics of the pious, loses consciousness and passes away.

Cause of Delivering

It is narrated that Hammam, who was a devoted worshiper and one of the companions of Imam Ali (a) asked him to describe the pious:[1] "O, Amir al-Mu'minin, describe the pious for me as if I am looking at them." Imam Ali (a) tried to void answering and said, "O Hammam, be wary of Allah and perform good deeds because 'Indeed Allah is with those who are Godwary and those who are virtuous.'"[2]

Hammam was not content with that and insisted on more details. Then the Imam praised Allah and extolled Him and sought His blessings on the Prophet (s) and started the sermon.[3]

It is narrated that after the sermon, Hammam lost consciousness and passed away. Imam 'Ali (a) said, "Verily, by God I feared this for him." Then he added: "Effective advice has such influence on its people (who have receptive ears)."

Someone said, "O Amir al-Mu'minin, why did not it affect you?" Amir al-Mu'minin (a) replied, "Woe to you! There is a fixed hour for each death that it will not exceed and a cause which does not change. Be silent and never repeat such talk; indeed Satan had put it on your tongue."[4]

Name

According to the sermon's content, which describes the pious, the sermon was called the pious (al-Muttaqin is the plural of al-Muttaqi, meaning pious). Also, it is called the sermon of Hammam, as he was the cause of delivering this sermon.

Content

As the sermon's name implies, the sermon's main subject is a description of the pious. Imam 'Ali (a) characterizes them in their personal and social life and their worship and connection with Allah. Here are some of these attributes: (Categories may have overlaps)

Attributes of the God-wary

Social

  • Speaking properly,
  • Moderation,
  • Humility,
  • Avoiding the forbidden,
  • Listening to beneficial knowledge,
  • Greed for knowledge,
  • Endurance of hardships,
  • Forgiving who did wrong to them,
  • Avoiding indecent speech,
  • Not misappropriating what they have been trusted with,
  • Suppressing the anger,
  • People are at ease with them,
  • Good deeds are expected from them.

Personal

  • Blaming themselves (being suspicious about themselves),
  • Fear of being complimented,
  • Having faith with certainty,
  • Forbearance,
  • Hoping for the next life and renouncing this world.
  • Temperance and Simplicity

Connection with God

  • Night prayers with recitation of the Qur'an,
  • Seeking a cure for themselves in the Qur'an,
  • Their hearts are influenced by the Qur'an,
  • Humility in worship,
  • Remembering and thanking God throughout the day.

Translations and Commentaries

In addition to translations of Nahj al-balagha, which include this sermon, the sermon has been solely translated to Farsi several times.

Moreover, more than 15 commentaries have been written about this sermon in addition to those of the whole Nahj al-balagha. Almost all of these commentaries are in Farsi.

Number of the al-Muttaqin sermon in different versions of Nahj al-balagha

Version's Name Sermon's number
Al-Mu'jam al-mufahras by Subhi Salih 193
Misbah al-salikin by Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani 184
Minhaj al-bara'a by Mirza Habib Allah al-Khoei, Mulla Salih Qazwini 192
Sharh nahj al-balagha by Ibn Abi l-Hadid, Muhammad 'Abduh 186
Sharh-i Nahj al-balagha by Mulla Fath Allah Kashani 221
Fi zilal nahj al-balagha by Muhammad Jawad Mughniyya 191

Notes

  1. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 10, p. 133.
  2. ↑ Quran, 16:128.
  3. ↑ Ṣhahīdī, Tarjuma-yi Nahj al-balāgha, p. 224.
  4. ↑ Ṣhahīdī, Tarjuma-yi Nahj al-balāgha, p. 227.

References

  • Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Ḥibat Allah. Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha. Edited by Muḥammad Abū l-Faḍl Ibrāhīm. Qom: Ismāʿīlīyān, [n.d].
  • Ṣhahīdī, Sayyid Jaʿfar. Tarjuma-yi Nahj al-balāgha. Teharn: Intishārāt-i ʿIlmī wa Farhangī, 1377 Sh.


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