Text:Lady Fatima's Sermon to the Women of Medina

It is narrated in the book of Al-Ihtijaj from Suwayd b. Ghafala: When Fatimat al-Zahra (peace be upon her) became sick, and her illness became severe, a group of women from Muhajir (emigrants) and Ansar (inhabitants) gathered to visit her.

They greeted her and said: “O Daughter of God's Messenger! How is your illness, and what are you doing about it?	فَقُلْنَ لَهَا کَیْفَ أَصْبَحْتِ مِنْ عِلَّتِکِ یَا ابْنَةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ؟
She praised God and sent greetings to his father. She said, ‘By Allah, I have been resenting your world, and detesting your men. I have cast them away after testing them and hated them after examining them.	فَحَمِدَتِ اللهَ وَ صَلَّتْ عَلَی أَبِیهَا ثُمَّ قَالَتْ أَصْبَحْتُ وَ اللهِ عَائِفَةً لِدُنْیَاکُنَّ قَالِیَةً لِرِجَالِکُنَّ لَفَظْتُهُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ عَجَمْتُهُمْ وَ سَئِمْتُهُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ سَبَرْتُهُمْ
Thus, away with the men of playing after seriousness, striking the soft rocks, slackening the spears, the foolishness of judgments, and deviation of fancies!	فَقُبْحاً لِفُلُولِ الْحَدِّ وَ اللَّعِبِ بَعْدَ الْجِدِّ وَ قَرْعِ الصَّفَاةِ وَ صَدْعِ الْقَنَاةِ وَ خَتْلِ الْآرَاءِ وَ زَلَلِ الْأَهْوَاءِ
“Certainly evil is that which their souls have sent before for them, that Allah became displeased with them, and in chastisement shall they abide.”	وَ بِئْسَ ما قَدَّمَتْ لَهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ أَنْ سَخِطَ اللهُ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ فِی الْعَذابِ هُمْ خالِدُونَ
Certainly, I have girt them with its noose, burdened them with its load, and waged its raid on them. So, may the unjust people be killed, cursed, and damned.	لَا جَرَمَ لَقَدْ قَلَّدْتُهْم رِبْقَتَهَا وَ حَمَّلْتُهُمْ أَوْقَتَهَا وَ شَنَنْتُ عَلَیْهِمْ غَارَاتِهَا فَجَدْعاً وَ عَقْراً وَ بُعْداً لِلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِینَ
Woe unto them! Whereto did they move it from the position of the mission, the bases of the prophethood and the place of descent of Gabriel, who is aware of life and religion’s affairs? That was the great loss.	وَیْحَهُمْ أَنَّی زَعْزَعُوهَا عَنْ رَوَاسِی الرِّسَالَةِ وَ قَوَاعِدِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ الدَّلَالَةِ وَ مَهْبِطِ الرُّوحِ الْأَمِینِ وَ الطَّبِینِ بِأُمُورِ الدُّنْیَا وَ الدِّینِ أَلا ذلِکَ هُوَ الْخُسْرانُ الْمُبِینُ
What did they deny from Abu l-Hasan (Ali)? Yes, they denied the beating of his sword, his carelessness about his death, his deadly assaults, and his anger for the sake of Allah.	وَ مَا الَّذِی نَقَمُوا مِنْ أَبِی الْحَسَنِ ع نَقَمُوا وَ اللهُ مِنْهُ نَکِیرَ سَیْفِهِ وَ قِلَّةَ مُبَالاتِهِ لِحَتْفِهِ وَ شِدَّةَ وَطْأَتِهِ وَ نَکَالَ وَقْعَتِهِ وَ تَنَمُّرَهُ فِی ذَاتِ اللهِ
By Allah, if they turned away from the reign, which the Prophet had handed over to him (to Imam Ali), he would catch it tenderly, and he would move without harm or worry. He would lead them to a fresh flowing fount and would return them with satiety, while he himself would not profit of anything but a little just to break his acute thirst and hunger.	وَ تَاللهِ لَوْ مَالُوا عَنِ الْمَحَجَّةِ اللَّائِحَةِ وَ زَالُوا عَنْ قَبُولِ الْحُجَّةِ الْوَاضِحَةِ لَرَدَّهُم إِلَیْهَا وَ حَمَلَهُمْ عَلَیْهَا وَ لَسَارَ بِهِمْ سَیْراً سُجُحاً لَا یَکْلُمُ حشاشه [خِشَاشُهُ‏] وَ لَا یَکِلُّ سَائِرُهُ وَ لَا یَمَلُّ رَاکِبُهُ وَ لَأَوْرَدَهُمْ مَنْهَلًا نَمِیراً صَافِیاً رَوِیّاً تَطْفَحُ ضَفَّتَاهُ وَ لَا یَتَرَنَّقُ جَانِبَاهُ وَ لَأَصْدَرَهُمْ بِطَاناً
He advised them in secret and in public, and he did not indulge in worldly pleasures. He did not seek any gain from it, except for the satisfaction of the one who quenches thirst and the contentment of the one who provides sustenance. The ascetic made clear to them the difference between the sincere and the worldly, and the truthful from the liar.	وَ نَصَحَ لَهُمْ سِرّاً وَ إِعْلَاناً وَ لَمْ یَکُنْ یَتَحَلَّی مِنَ الدُّنْیَا بِطَائِلٍ وَ لَا یَحْظَی مِنْهَا بِنَائِلٍ غَیْرَ رَیِّ النَّاهِلِ وَ شُبْعَةِ الْکَافِلِ وَ لَبَانَ لَهُمُ الزَّاهِدُ مِنَ الرَّاغِبِ وَ الصَّادِقُ مِنَ الْکَاذِبِ
If they did so, they would be granted blessings from the Heaven and the earth, and they would be rewarded by Allah according to their deeds.”	وَ لَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُری آمَنُوا وَ اتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنا عَلَیْهِمْ بَرَکاتٍ مِنَ السَّماءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ لکِنْ کَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْناهُمْ بِما کانُوا یَکْسِبُونَ وَ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْ هؤُلاءِ سَیُصِیبُهُمْ سَیِّئاتُ ما کَسَبُوا وَ ما هُمْ بِمُعْجِزِینَ
Come and listen, and as long as I live, I will see you as a wonder - and if you wonder, then what they say is astonishing.	أَلَا هَلُمَّ فَاسْمَعْ وَ مَا عِشْتَ أَرَاکَ الدَّهْرَ عَجَباً- وَ إِنْ تَعْجَبْ فَعَجَبٌ قَوْلُهُمْ
I wish I knew on what proof they have relied, to what refuge they resorted and to what tie they clung, and on whose progeny have they encroached and spoke against! Evil indeed is the patron, and evil indeed is the associate, and evil indeed is this change for the unjust!	لَیْتَ شِعْرِی إِلَی أَیِّ سِنَادٍ اسْتَنَدُوا وَ إِلَی أَیِّ عِمَادٍ اعْتَمَدُوا وَ بِأَیَّةِ عُرْوَةٍ تَمَسَّکُوا وَ عَلَی أَیَّةِ ذُرِّیَّةٍ أَقْدَمُوا وَ احْتَنَکُوا لَبِئْسَ الْمَوْلی وَ لَبِئْسَ الْعَشِیرُ وَ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِینَ بَدَلًا اسْتَبْدَلُوا
By Allah, they exchanged the good with the bad and the daring with the impotent. Disgrace be to the people, who think they do well....” Surely they themselves are the mischief-makers, but they do not perceive.”	وَ اللهِ الذَّنَابَی بِالْقَوَادِمِ وَ الْعَجُزَ بِالْکَاهِلِ فَرَغْماً لِمَعَاطِسِ قَوْمٍ یَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ یُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعاً ... أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَ لکِنْ لا یَشْعُرُونَ-
Woe to them! “Is he then who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you judge?”	وَیْحَهُمْ أَ فَمَنْ یَهْدِی إِلَی الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ یُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لا یَهِدِّی إِلَّا أَنْ یُهْدی فَما لَکُمْ کَیْفَ تَحْکُمُونَ
By Allah, it was impregnated so wait until it bears, then milk pure blood and fatal venom to the full of the bucket!	أَمَا لَعَمْرِی لَقَدْ لَقِحَتْ فَنَظِرَةٌ رَیْثَمَا تُنْتَجُ ثُمَّ احْتَلَبُوا مِلْءَ الْقَعْبِ دَماً عَبِیطاً وَ ذُعَافاً مُبِیداً
This is where the falsifiers will be losers, and the falsifiers will be known after what the earlier ones had established. Then, purify yourselves from your worldly desires, and find tranquility in the face of the trial.	هُنَالِکَ یَخْسَرُ الْمُبْطِلُونَ وَ یُعْرَفُ الْبَاطِلُونَ غِبَّ مَا أُسِّسَ الْأَوَّلُونَ ثُمَّ طِیبُوا عَنْ دُنْیَاکُمْ أَنْفُساً وَ اطْمَأَنُّوا لِلْفِتْنَةِ جَاشاً
Rejoice at a sharp sword, an assault of a tyrant enemy, general commotion and despotism, which will make your victuals so insignificant and your gathering separate. Alas, what a pity! How will you be while it has been obscured to your sights? Shall we then force you to accept it when you are averse to it?	وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِسَیْفٍ صَارِمٍ وَ سَطْوَةِ مُعْتَدٍ غَاشِمٍ وَ بِهَرْجٍ شَامِلٍ وَ اسْتِبْدَادٍ مِنَ الظَّالِمِینَ یَدَعُ فَیْئَکُمْ زَهِیداً وَ جَمْعَکُمْ حَصِیداً فَیَا حَسْرَتَی لَکُمْ وَ أَنَّی بِکُمْ وَ قَدْ عَمِیَتْ عَلَیْکُمْ أَ نُلْزِمُکُمُوها وَ أَنْتُمْ لَها کارِهُونَ
Suwayd b. Ghafla says: The women narrated and repeated the words of Fatima (a) to their men. After that, a group of elders and chiefs of Muhajirin and Ansar while apologizing and expressing regret, came to Fatima and said:	قَالَ سُوَیْدُ بْنُ غَفَلَةَ فَأَعَادَتِ النِّسَاءُ قَوْلَهَا (ع) عَلَی رِجَالِهِنَّ فَجَاءَ إِلَیْهَا قَوْمٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِینَ وَ الْأَنْصَارِ مُعْتَذِرِینَ
They told O, the master of all the ladies in all the worlds: If Abu al-Hasan had told us the facts before we had made a solid and firm covenant with the other (Abu Bakr), we would have never turned our backs on him or desired another.	وَ قَالُوا یَا سَیِّدَةَ النِّسَاءِ لَوْ کَانَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ذَکَرَ لَنَا هَذَا الْأَمْرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ یُبْرَمَ الْعَهْدُ وَ یُحْکَمَ الْعَقْدُ لَمَا عَدَلْنَا عَنْهُ إِلَی غَیْرِهِ
Fatima (a) said: I was responsible for recounting the facts (it was advice from me to you) I have completed the proof for you. Your excuse is not acceptable, and your fault is confirmed, and no excuse or justification can be imagined after that.	فَقَالَتْ (ع) إِلَیْکُمْ عَنِّی فَلَا عُذْرَ بَعْدَ تَعْذِیرِکُمْ وَ لَا أَمْرَ بَعْدَ تَقْصِیرِکُمْ