Text:Imam al-Husayn's (a) Sermon in Mina

According to Sulaym b. Qays, one year before Mu'awiya's death, Husayn b. Ali (a), 'Abd Allah b. al-'Abbas and 'Abd Allah b. Ja'far went to hajj. Imam al-Husayn (a) gathered men and women and friends of Banu Hashim as well as some people from Ansar who knew him and his household. He then sent some people and said: bring to me all the righteous companions who have come to hajj this year.

After the invitation, over 700 people gathered in Mina around Imam al-Husayn's (a) camp; most of them were Tabi'un (people who met the Prophet's (s) companions) and about 200 of them were companion. Imam al-Husayn (a) stood up in order to deliver his sermon; after praising God, he said:

First Part of the Sermon

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.	بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
"And then, this rebel [that is, Mu'awiya] did to us and our Shi'as [followers] what you have witnessed.	أما بعد فإنَّ هذا الطاغية قد فعل بنا وبشيعتنا ما قد رأيتم وعلمتم وشهدتم،
I want to ask you something; if I am right, confirm me, and if I am mistaken, then correct me.	وإني أريد أن أسألكم عن شيء، فإن صدقتُ فصدقوني وإن كذبتُ فكذبوني،
I swear you to God, the Prophet (s) and my kinship with him that you propagate my message when you return to your lands and invite those people in your tribes that you trust."	وأسألكم بحق الله عليكم وحق رسول الله(ص) وقرابتي من نبيكم لما سيرتم مقامي هذا، ووصفتم مقالتي ودعوتم أجمعين في أمصاركم من قبائلكم من أمنتم من الناس .
According to another version: "return to your cities and tribes and invite people whom you trust to what you know about us and our right, since I fear that my right obsolesces and fades away: "Allah will complete his light, even though the unbelievers may detest (it)"	وفي رواية أخرى بعد قوله: فكذبوني: إسمعوا مقالتي واكتبوا قولي، ثم ارجعوا إلى أمصاركم وقبائلكم فمن أمنتم من الناس، ووثقتم به فادعوهم إلى ما تعلمون من حقنا فإني أتخوف أن يدرس هذا الأمر ويذهب الحق ويغلب، ﴿والله متم نوره ولو كره الكافرون﴾
Imam al-Husayn (a) recited and interpreted all Qur'anic verses concerning Ahl al-Bayt's (a) virtues as well as what the Prophet (s) had said about his father and mother and his household.	وما ترك شيئا مما أنزل الله فيهم من القرآن إلا تلاه وفسره، ولا شيئا مما قاله رسول الله(ص) في أبيه وأخيه وأمه وفي نفسه وأهل بيته إلا رواه،
The Prophet (s)'s companion verified all these by saying: "yes, we swear to God that we heard these remarks from the Prophet (s) and we testify for that",	كل ذلك يقول أصحابه: اللهم نعم، وقد سمعنا وشهدنا،
and Tabi'un said: "we swear to God that we heard these remarks from righteous and trustworthy companion".	ويقول التابعي: اللهم قد حدثني به من أصدقه وأئتمنه من الصحابة،
Then Imam al-Husayn (a) said: "I swear you to God that you convey these remarks to anyone whom you trust".	فقال: أنشدكم الله إلا حدثتم به من تثقون به وبدينه.
According to Sulaym, Imam swear them to God and asked: Do you know that Ali b. Abi Talib (a) was the Prophet's (s) brother when he (s) made the Pact of Brotherhood between pairs of his companion, he made a pact between Ali (a) and himself...	قال سليم: فكان فيما ناشدهم الحسين(ع) وذكرهم أن قال: أنشدكم الله! أتعلمون أنَّ علي بن أبي طالب كان أخا رسول الله(ص) حين آخى بين أصحابه فآخى بينه وبين نفسه،
by saying to Ali: "you are my brother and I am your brother in this world and the afterlife?"	وقال: أنت أخي وأنا أخوك في الدنيا والآخرة.
They replied: yes.	قالوا: اللهم نعم!
He then said: I swear you to God, you know that the Prophet (s) purchased the location of his mosque and houses and built ten rooms there, nine rooms for himself and one room in the middle for my father, Ali b. Abi Talib (a),	قال: أنشدكم الله! هل تعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) اشترى موضع مسجده ومنازله فابتناه، ثم ابتنى فيه عشرة منازل، تسعة له وجعل عاشرها في وسطها لأبي
and he then closed all the doors to the mosque except that of my father's room. Some Muslims talked to the Prophet (s) about this and the Prophet (s) said: "I did not close your doors and keep Ali's door open except by the Divine order.	ثم سدَّ كل باب شارع إلى المسجد غير بابه فتكلم في ذلك من تكلم، فقال: ما أنا سددت أبوابكم وفتحت بابه، ولكن الله أمرني بسد أبوابكم وفتح بابه،
Then the Prophet (s) banned sleeping in the mosque except for Ali (a). Now janaba occurred in the mosque, his house and the Prophet's (s) houses and they had children in these houses.	ثم نهى الناس أن يناموا في المسجد غيره، وكان يجنب في المسجد، ومنزله في منزل رسول الله(ص) فولد لرسول الله(ص) وله فيه أولاد.
People said: yes. Imam al-Husayn (a) said: do you know that 'Umar b. al-Khattab liked to open a small window, the size of his eye, from his house to the mosque, but the Prophet (s) did not allow him to do so	قالوا: اللهم نعم! قال: أفتعلمون أن عمر بن الخطاب حرص على كوة قدر عينه يدعها في منزله إلى المسجد فأبى عليه،
saying that: God has commanded me to build a clean mosque in which nobody resides except me and my brother and his children. People confirmed: yes.	ثم خطب، فقال إنَّ الله أمرني أن أبني مسجدا طاهرا لا يسكنه غيري وغير أخي وبنيه. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Then Imam al-Husayn (a) said: I swear you to God, do you know that the Prophet (s) had appointed Ali (a) for wilaya and told his audience to propagate this message to others? People said: yes, we swear to God.	قال:أنشدكم الله! أتعلمون أن رسول اللهصلی الله عليه وآله وسلم نصبه يوم غدير خم، فنادى له بالولاية، وقال: ليبلغ الشاهد الغائب. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Imam al-Husayn (a) said: I swear you to God, do you know that the Prophet (s) told Imam Ali (a) in the Battle of Tabuk: "you are to me like Aaron (a) to Moses (a), and you are the ruler of every believer after me"? People said: yes, we swear to God.	قال:أنشدكم الله! أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) قال له في غزوة تبوك: أنت مني بمنزلة هارون من موسى، وأنت ولي كل مؤمن بعدي . قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Imam al-Husayn (a) said: I swear you to God, do you know that when the Prophet (s) called Najran's christians for mubahala, he only took with him Ali (a) and his wife, Fatima al-Zahra (a) and their sons, Hasan b. Ali (a) and Husayn b. Ali (a)? They said: yes, we swear to God.	قال: أنشدكم الله! أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) حين دعا النصارى من أهل نجران إلى المباهلة لم يأت إلا به وبصاحبته وابنيه، قالوا: اللهم نعم.
He said: I swear you to God, do you know that the Prophet (s) gave the flag to Ali (a) on the Khaybar day, saying that "I give the flag to someone who is loved by God and the Prophet (s) and who loves God and the Prophet (s); who continuously attacks the enemy and never escapes and God conquers the Khaybar fort by his hands? They said: yes, we swear to God.	قال: أنشدكم الله! أتعلمون أنه دفع إليه اللواء يوم خيبر، ثم قال: لأدفعه إلى رجل يحبه الله ورسوله ويحب الله ورسوله، كرار غير فرار، يفتحها الله على يديه. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Imam al-Husayn (a) said: do you know that the Prophet (s) sent Ali (a) for the announcement of al-Bara'a Verses and said: "nobody announces [this message] except me or someone from me"? They said: yes, we swear to God.	قال: أتعلمون أن رسول الله بعثه ببراءة وقال: لا يبلغ عني إلا أنا، أو رجل مني. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
He said: Do you know that the Prophet (s) judged between Ali (a), Ja'far and Zayd and said: "Ali! You are from me and I am from you, and you are the leader of every believer after me." They said: Yes, we swear to God.	قال: أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) قضى بينه وبين جعفر وزيد فقال: يا علي! أنت مني وأنا منك، وأنت ولي كل مؤمن بعدي. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Then Imam al-Husayn (a) said: Do you know that Ali (a) had private meetings with the Prophet (s) every day and met him every night in his house, and whenever he asked the Prophet (s) a question, he answered him, and when he did not speak, the Prophet (s) began to talk? They said: yes, we swear to God.	قال: أتعلمون أنه كانت له من رسول الله(ص) كل يوم خلوة، وكل ليلة دخلة، إذا سأله أعطاه، وإذا سكت أبداه. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Then Imam al-Husayn (a) said: Do you know that the Prophet (s) preferred Ali to Ja'far and Hamza b. 'Abd al-Muttalib when he told Fatima al-Zahra (a): "I marry you to the best man in my household whose belief in Islam is earlier than all, whose patience is greater than all, and whose knowledge is more than all? They said: Yes, we swear to God.	قال:أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) فضله على جعفر وحمزة حين قال لفاطمةعليها السلام:زوجتك خير أهل بيتي، أقدمهم سلما، وأعظمهم حلما، وأكثرهم علما. قالوا: اللهم نعم .
He then said: Do you know that the Prophet (s) said: "I am the head of all the children of Adam (a) and my brother, Ali (a), is the head of all Arabs, Fatima (a) is the head of all women in the Heaven, and my sons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn (a), are the heads of all young people in the Heaven"? The audience said: Yes, we swear to God.	قال:أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) قال: أنا سيد ولد بني آدم، وأخي علي سيد العرب، وفاطمة سيدة نساء أهل الجنة، والحسن والحسين ابناي سيدا شباب أهل الجنة. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Imam al-Husayn (a) went on: Do you know that the Prophet (s) told Ali (a) to make ghusl of his corpse after his death and told him that Jibra'il (Gabriel) will help him in this? They said: Yes, we swear to God.	قال: أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) أمره بغسله وأخبره أن جبرئيل يعينه عليه. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
He said: Do you know that the Prophet (s) delivered a sermon to people in the last days of his life and said: "I will leave among you two precious things (thaqalayn): the Book of God (the Qur'an) and my kindred ('itra); appeal to them in order not to be misled"? They said: Yes, we swear to God.	قال: أتعلمون أن رسول الله(ص) قال في آخر خطبة خطبها: إني تركت فيكم الثقلين: كتاب الله وأهل بيتي، فتمسكوا بهما لن تضلوا. قالوا: اللهم نعم.
Thus Imam al-Husayn (a) cited everything in the Qur'an or the Prophet's (s) words concerning Ali b. Abi Talib (a) and his household and swore his audience, and they confirmed it.	فلم يدع شيئا أنزله الله في علي بن أبي طالب(ع) خاصة وفي أهل بيته من القرآن ولا على لسان نبيه إلا ناشدهم فيه، فيقول الصحابة: اللهم نعم، قد سمعنا،
Then Imam al-Husayn (a) asked them if they heard the Prophet (s) saying that "everyone who thinks that he loves me but hates Ali (a) is a liar.	ثم ناشدهم أنهم قد سمعوه يقول: من زعم أنه يحبني ويبغض عليا فقد كذب ليس يحبني ويبغض عليا،
A person who hates Ali (a) does not love me". Someone asked the Prophet (s): why? He replied: "Because Ali (a) is from me and I am from Ali (a); everyone who loves him loves me too and everyone who loves me loves God. And everyone who hates Ali (a) hates me too and everyone who hates me hates God"? They said: Yes, we swear to God that we have heard this.	فقال له قائل: يا رسول الله! وكيف ذلك. قال:لأنه مني وأنا منه، من أحبه فقد أحبني، ومن أحبني فقد أحب الله، ومن أبغضه فقد أبغضني، ومن أبغضني فقد أبغض الله، فقالوا: اللهم نعم، قد سمعنا وتفرقوا على ذلك

Second and Third Parts of the Sermon

People! Learn what God has taught His friends, such as what He said about Jewish scholars: "why do not the rabbis and the scholars of law forbid them from their uttering sinful words" and "curses were pronounced on those among the children of Israel who rejected faith".	اعتبروا أيها الناس بما وعظ الله به أولياءه من سوء ثنائه على الأحبار إذ يقول: ﴿لولا ينهيهم الربانيون والأحبار عن قولهم الاثم﴾ وقال: ﴿لعن الذين كفروا من بني إسرائيل﴾ إلى قوله: ﴿لبئس ما كانوا يفعلون﴾.
Thus God reproached them, since they witnessed the wrong actions of tyrants among them without prohibiting them out of desire to gain advantages from them or fear of losing what they had, whereas God says: "fear not men, but fear Me"	وإنما عاب الله ذلك عليهم لأنهم كانوا يرون من الظلمة الذين بين أظهرهم المنكر والفساد فلا ينهونهم عن ذلك رغبة فيما كانوا ينالون منهم ورهبة مما يحذرون، والله يقول: ﴿ولا تخشوا الناس واخشون﴾
and "the believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil".	وقال: ﴿المؤمنون والمؤمنات بعضهم أولياء بعض يأمرون بالمعروف وينهون عن المنكر﴾.
God obliged the enjoining of the right and the forbidding of the wrong because He knew that if this is done, then all other religious obligations will be done,	فبدء الله بالأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر فريضة منه لعلمه بأنها إذا أديت وأقيمت استقامت الفرائض كلها هينها وصعبها،
since enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong are invitations to Islam, together with returning unfairly gained property (radd al-mazalim), opposing unjust people, distributing the treasury and booties, and consuming zakat for appropriate purposes.	وذلك أن الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر دعاء إلى الإسلام مع رد المظالم ومخالفة الظالم، وقسمة الفيئ والغنائم وأخذ الصدقات من مواضعها، ووضعها في حقها.
And then you, the powerful group [scholars]! You are a group that is known for knowledge and goodness and benevolence, and by God's help, you are awesome in people's minds. The nobles count on you and the poor honor you,	ثم أنتم أيها العصابة عصابة بالعلم مشهورة، وبالخير مذكورة، وبالنصيحة معروفة، وبالله في أنفس الناس مهابة يهابكم الشريف، ويكرمكم الضعيف،
and your peers put you ahead of themselves. You intercede for people's needs when they are denied of seeking them, and you walk on streets like kings and seniors.	ويؤثركم من لا فضل لكم عليه ولا يدلكم عنده، تشفعون في الحوائج إذا امتنعت من طلابها، وتمشون في الطريق بهيبة الملوك وكرامة الأكابر،
Is not all this because people hope that you carry out the God's right?	أليس كل ذلك إنما نلتموه بما يرجى عندكم من القيام بحق الله،
However, you have failed most of His rights and so you have underestimated the rights of Imams and violated the rights of the poor, but you think that you have secured your own rights.	وإن كنتم عن أكثر حقه تقصرون، فاستخففتم بحق الأئمة، فأما حق الضعفاء فضيعتم، وأما حقكم بزعمكم فطلبتم،
You have not spent any money, nor risked you lives for the one who has created it. You have not fought any tribe for the sake of God. Do you hope to go to the Heaven together with the prophets and away from divine tortures?	فلا مال بذلتموه، ولا نفسا خاطرتم بها للذي خلقها، ولا عشيرة عاديتموها في ذات الله، أنتم تتمنون على الله جنته ومجاورة رسله وأمانه من عذابه.
O' those who have hopes in God! I fear that God inflicts you with retribution because, by God's honors, you have achieved a position by which you are superior to others	لقد خشيت عليكم أيها المتمنون على الله أن تحل بكم نقمة من نقماته، لأنكم بلغتم من كرامة الله منزلة فضلتم بها،
and you do not respect anyone who is known by God and you see the violation of divine covenants but you are not concerned,	ومن يعرف بالله لا تكرمون، وأنتم بالله في عباده تكرمون، وقد ترون عهود الله منقوضة فلا تقرعون،
whereas you are concerned for the violation of your fathers' pacts. You see that the Prophet's (s) covenant is ignored, and the blind, the deaf, the dumb and the disabled are free in the cities, and you have no mercy.	وأنتم لبعض ذمم آبائكم تقرعون وذمة رسول الله محقورة، والعمي والبكم والزمن في المداين مهملة لا ترحمون،
You do nothing to the extent of your positions and you ignore those who try to do so, while you refuge to the flattery and the compromise with the tyrants.	ولا في منزلتكم تعملون، ولا من عمل فيها تعتبون، وبالادهان والمصانعة عند الظلمة تأمنون،
This is what God has commanded you: to prevent and mutually prohibit, of which you are ignorant. Your tragedy is greater than that of all people, since you failed to preserve the position of scholars; I wish you understood this.	كل ذلك مما أمركم الله به من النهي والتناهي وأنتم عنه غافلون، وأنتم أعظم الناس مصيبة لما غلبتم عليه من منازل العلماء لو كنتم تسمعون.
This is because the execution of affairs and rulings [key decisions] are in the hands of the Divine scholars who are Divine trustees for His halal and haram, but you are robbed of such a position,	ذلك بأن مجاري الأمور والأحكام على أيدي العلماء بالله، الأمناء على حلاله وحرامه، فأنتم المسلوبون تلك المنزلة،
because you parted from the right and you disputed over the Tradition, whereas there was obvious evidence.	وما سلبتم ذلك إلا بتفرقكم عن الحق واختلافكم في السنة بعد البيتة الواضحة،
And if you were patient despite the troubles and if you tolerated the hardship for the sake of God, Divine affairs would come from you and refer to you.	ولو صبرتم على الأذى وتحملتم المؤونة في ذات الله كانت أمور الله عليكم ترد، وعنكم تصدر، وإليكم ترجع.
But you put the tyrants in your place and assigned them with the divine affairs, and they act out of suspicions and practice their desires.	ولكنكم مكنتم الظلمة من منزلتكم، وأسلمتم أمور الله في أيديهم يعملون بالشبهات، ويسيرون في الشهوات،
They [that is, the tyrants] took over such a position because of your getaway from death and your penchant for life, which will abandon you.	سلطهم على ذلك فراركم من الموت وإعجابكم بالحياة التي هي مفارقتكم،
Thus you left the poor to their hands; some [of these poor people] are the tyrants' slaves, and some are weakened and defeated in their lives.	فأسلمتم الضعفاء في أيديهم، فمن بين مستعبد مقهور وبين مستضعف على معيشته مغلوب، ،
They manipulate the affairs of the lands by their verdicts and bring about humiliation by their whims,	يتقلبون في الملك بآرائهم ويستشعرون الخزي بأهوائهم
following the villain and rising against God. In every city, they have an orator on a minbar who speaks in their favor. The whole territory is in their hands and people are their slaves who cannot reject any touching hands.	اقتداء بالأشرار، وجرأة على الجبار، في كل بلد منهم على منبره خطيب يصقع، فالأرض لهم شاغرة وأيديهم فيها مبسوطة،
Some of them are tyrants and obstinate, and some are dominant and strict over the poor. They are rulers who do not know God.	الناس لهم خول لا يدفعون يد لامس، فمن بين جبار عنيد، وذي سطوة على الضعفة شديد، مطاع لا يعرف المبدئ والمعيد.
It is surprising—and why should I not be surprised—that the lands are in the hands of a nefarious deceiver and a cruel tax collector and a ruler of the believers who has no mercy over them. God adjudicates our disputes and issues His verdict over what we disagree about.	فيا عجبا ومالي لا أعجب والأرض من غاش غشوم ومتصدق ظلوم، وعامل على المؤمنين بهم غير رحيم، فالله الحاكم فيما فيه تنازعنا، والقاضي بحكمه فيما شجر بيننا.
O' God! You know that what we did is not out of competition for the power, nor for the search of the worthless wealth of this world; rather it was done to demonstrate to men the shining principles and values of Your religion,	اللهم إنك تعلم أنه لم يكن ما كان منا تنافسا في سلطان، ولا التماسا من فضول الحطام، ولكن لنري المعالم من دينك،
to reform the affairs of Your land, to protect and secure the indisputable rights of Your oppressed servants, and to act in accordance with the duties, traditions and ordinances You have decreed.	ونظهر الاصلاح في بلادك، ويأمن المظلومون من عبادك، ويعمل بفرائضك وسنتك وأحكامك،
And if you [people] do not help us [in this cause], the tyrants will have [more] power over you and will try to extinguish the light of your Prophet (s). God suffices us and in Him we trust and to Him we will return and the return is to Him.	فإنكم إلا تنصرونا وتنصفونا قوي الظلمة عليكم، وعملوا في إطفاء نور نبيكم، وحسبنا الله وعليه توكلنا وإليه أنبنا وإليه المصير]