Sermon of Laylat al-Harir

The Sermon of Laylat al-Harir was delivered by Imam Ali (a) on one of the nights of the Battle of Siffin to encourage his soldiers to continue fighting against the army of Mu'awiya. Laylat al-Harir was a night in which the troops of Mu'awiya, struck by the attacks of Imam Ali's forces, wailed like dogs.

This sermon was delivered after the night prayer on the twelfth of Safar 37 AH (approximately August 13, 657 CE), and according to another report, on the night of the tenth or seventeenth of Safar of the same year (approximately August 11 or August 18, 657 CE).

The sermon begins with praise and glorification of God. Imam Ali (a) advises his companions to remember God, perform prayer, recite the Qur’an, and supplicate. He also urges them to observe caution in battle, to be patient, steadfast, and truthful. Then, referring to the weakness of the enemy, he encourages his soldiers not to lose their resolve at the end of the conflict, just as they exerted effort at the beginning, and to entrust the outcome to the divine decree.

Transmission of the Sermon in Sources

The Sermon of Laylat al-Harir has been transmitted in both Shi'i and Sunni sources. The earliest known report is found in Kitab Sulaym b. Qays, attributed to Sulaym b. Qays al-Hilali (d. 76 AH / ≈ 695 CE). After him, al-Nasr b. Muzahim (d. 212 AH / ≈ 827 CE) included it in Waq‘at Siffin, and Ibn Qutayba al-Dinawari cited it in al-Imama wa al-Siyasa. The complete text is also recorded in al-Futuh by Ibn A‘tham al-Kufi, composed in the 4th century AH (10th century CE).

In Nahj al-Balagha, a sermon titled “Laylat al-Harir” is mentioned, but it differs from this sermon. According to Ibn Abi al-Hadid, the commentator of Nahj al-Balagha, that sermon pertains to the day following Laylat al-Harir, while according to Imad al-Din al-Tabari, a 6th-century historian (12th century CE), it relates to the beginning of the Battle of Siffin.