Part 10: Pronouncing the covenant and taking the oath of allegiance

جزء 10: بيان العهد و أخذ البيعة

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، إِنَّكُمْ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ تُصَافِقُونِي بِكَفٍّ وَاحِدٍ فِي وَقْتٍ وَاحِدٍ،

O people! There are too many of you to shake my hand at the same time,

 

وَ قَدْ أَمَرَنِيَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ آخُذَ مِنْ أَلْسِنَتِكُمُ الْإِقْرَارَ بِمَا عَقَّدْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ أَميرِ الْمُؤْمنينَ، وَ لِمَنْ جَاءَ بَعْدَهُ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ مِنِّي وَ مِنْهُ، عَلَى مَا أَعْلَمْتُكُمْ أَنَّ ذُرِّيَّتِي مِنْ صُلْبِهِ.

and Allah, the mighty and the majestic, commanded me to take verbal recognition from you regarding what I finalized (on behalf of Allah) about Ali, the Commander of the Believers, and about the Imams from me and him who shall succeed him, based on what I informed you that my offspring are from his loins.

 

فَقُولُوا بِأَجْمَعِكُمْ:

Therefore, pronounce this in one voice:

 

إِنَّا سَامِعُونَ مُطِيعُونَ رَاضُونَ مُنْقَادُونَ لِمَا بَلَّغْتَ عَنْ رَبِّنَا وَ رَبِّكَ فِي أَمْرِ عَلِيٍّ أَميرِالْمُؤْمِنينَ وَ أَمْرِ وُلْدِهِ مِنْ صُلْبِهِ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ.

“We heard, obeyed, are satisfied, and are submitted to what you have conveyed to us from our Lord and your Lord with regard to the authority of Ali, the Commander of the Believers, and the authority of the Imams from his loins.

 

نُبَايِعُكَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ بِقُلُوبِنَا وَ أَنْفُسِنَا وَ أَلْسِنَتِنَا وَ أَيْدِينَا،

We pledge allegiance to you in this regard with our hearts, our souls, our tongues, and our hands.

 

عَلَى ذَلِكَ نَحْيَا وَ نَمُوتُ وَ نُبْعَثُ،

According to this, shall we live, shall we die, and shall we be resurrected.

 

وَ لَا نُغَيِّرُ وَ لَا نُبَدِّلُ وَ لَا نَشُكُّ [وَلانَجْحَدُ] وَ لَا نَرْتَابُ وَ لَا نَرْجِعُ عَنْ العَهْدِ وَ لَا نَنْقُضُ الْمِيثَاقَ.

We shall not alter, nor shall we substitute, nor shall we entertain doubt, [nor shall we deny,] nor shall we distrust, nor shall we withdraw from the covenant, nor shall we breach the pact.

 

[وَعَظْتَنا بِوَعْظِ اللَّهِ فِي عَلِىٍّ أَميرِ الْمؤْمِنينَ وَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْتَ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ مِنْ وُلْدِهِ بَعْدَهُ، الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ وَ مَنْ نَصَبَهُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَهُما.

[(O Messenger!) You advised us on behalf of Allah regarding Ali, the Commander of the Believers, and the Imams after him that you mentioned to be of your offspring from his descendants (who are): al-Hasan, al-Husain, and whomever Allah shall appoint after them.

 

فَالْعَهْدُ وَ الْمِيثاقُ لَهُمْ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنَّا، مِنْ قُلُوبِنا وَ أَنْفُسِنَا وَ أَلْسِنَتِنَا وَ ضَمائِرِنَا وَ أَيْدينَا.

The covenant and the pledge are taken from us, from our hearts, our souls, our tongues, our minds, and our hands.

 

مَنْ أَدْرَكَها بِيَدِهِ وَ إِلَّا فَقَدْ أَقَرَّ بِها بِلِسانِهِ، وَ لَا نَبْتَغِي بِذالِكَ بَدَلاً وَ لَا يَرَى اللَّهُ مِنْ أَنْفُسِنا حِوَلاً].

Anyone (of us) who can reach him shall shake his hand, otherwise he shall affirm the covenant by his tongue. We shall not seek any substitute for it, nor shall Allah see in our souls any diversion from it.][1]

 

نَحْنُ نُؤَدِّي ذَلِكَ عَنْكَ الدَّانِيَ وَ الْقَاصِيَ مِنْ أَوْلَادِنَا وَ أَهَالِينَا،

We shall convey the same on your behalf to anyone, near or far, among our offspring and our people,

 

وَ نُشْهِدُ اللَّهَ بِذالِكَ، وَ كَفى‏ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيداً،

We take Allah as witness to this, and surely Allah suffices as witness.

 

وَ أَنْتَ عَلَيْنَا بِهِ شَهِيدٌ، وَ كُلُّ مَنْ أَطَاعَ مِمَّنْ ظَهَرَ وَ اسْتَتَرَ وَ مَلَائِكَةُ اللَّهِ وَ جُنُودُهُ وَ عَبِيدُهُ، وَ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهِيدٍ.

You are also witness over us; so are anyone who obeyed, visible or covered, Allah’s Angels, His forces, and His servants. And Allah is greater than every witness.”

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، مَا تَقُولُونَ؟ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ كُلَّ صَوْتٍ وَ خَافِيَةَ كُلِّ نَفْسٍ.

O people! What do you say? Verily, Allah is well-aware of every voice and the secrecy of every soul;

 

فَمَنِ اهْتَدى‏ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَ مَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّما يَضِلُّ عَلَيْها.

“He who accepts guidance, it is to the benefit of his own soul, and he who goes astray, does so to his own loss.”[2]

 

وَ مَنْ بَايَعَ فَإِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُ اللَّهَ، يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ.

Those who pledge fealty, they indeed pledge fealty to Allah; the hand of Allah is over their hands.[3]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَ بَايِعُوا عَلِيّاً أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَ الْحَسَنَ وَ الْحُسَيْنَ وَ الْأَئِمَّةَ ع [مِنْهُمْ]،

O people! Be mindful of Allah, give your oath of allegiance to Ali, the Commander of the Believers, may Allah’s blessings be upon him, to al-Hasan and al-Husain, and to the Imams [from them],

 

كَلِمَةً طَيِّبَةً بَاقِيَةً،

a goodly Word, that is enduring.[4]

 

يُهْلِكُ اللَّهُ مَنْ غَدَرَ، وَ يَرْحَمُ مَنْ وَفَى.

Allah shall cause whoever acts treacherously to perish and shall have mercy on whoever remains loyal.

 

فَمَنْ نَكَثَ فَإِنَّما يَنْكُثُ عَلى‏ نَفْسِهِ،

“Thus, anyone who violates his oath has indeed violated his (own) soul,

 

وَ مَنْ أَوْفى‏ بِما عاهَدَ عَلَيْهُ اللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْراً عَظِيما.

and anyone who fulfills the covenant he has made with Allah, He shall soon grant him a great reward.”[5]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، قُولُوا الَّذِي قُلْتُ لَكُمْ، وَ سَلِّمُوا عَلَى عَلِيٍّ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.

O people! Say what I told you, and greet Ali with the title of “The Commander of the Believers.”

 

وَ قُولُوا: سَمِعْنا وَ أَطَعْنا غُفْرانَكَ رَبَّنا وَ إِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ.

And also say: “We listened, and obeyed, Your forgiveness (do we seek), Our Lord, and towards Your (reward or punishment) is the eventual turn.”[6]

 

وَ قُولُوا: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدانا لِهذا وَ ما كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْ لا أَنْ هَدانَا اللَّهُ.

And say: “Praise be to Allah who has guided us to this. Never could we be guided had Allah not guided us.”[7]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، إِنَّ فَضَائِلَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ - وَ قَدْ أَنْزَلَهَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ - أَكْثَرُ مِنْ أَنْ أُحْصِيَهَا فِي مَقَامٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَمَنْ أَنْبَأَكُمْ بِهَا وَ عَرَّفَهَا فَصَدِّقُوهُ.

O people! Without doubt, the merits of Ali Ibn Abi Talib in the sight of Allah, the mighty and the majestic, which are indeed revealed in the Quran, are more numerous than I could recount in one speech; thus, whenever someone relates them to you and acquaints (you) with them,[8] believe him.[9]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، مَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ عَلِيّاً وَ الْأَئِمَّةَ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْتُهُمْ فَقَدْ فازَ فَوْزاً عَظِيماً.

O people! Whoever obeys Allah, His Messenger, Ali, and the Imams that I mentioned, has indeed achieved a great prosperity.[10]

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، السَّابِقُونَ إِلَى مُبَايَعَتِهِ وَ مُوَالَاتِهِ وَ التَّسْلِيمِ عَلَيْهِ بِإِمْرَةِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ فِي جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ.

O people! The foremost from among you in paying homage to him, (truly) accepting his guardianship, and greeting him as “the Commander of the Believers” are the winners of the gardens of bliss.

 

مَعَاشِرَ النَّاسِ، قُولُوا مَا يَرْضَى اللَّهُ بِهِ عَنْكُمْ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ،

O people! Say what makes Allah be pleased with you,

 

فَإِنْ تَكْفُرُوا أَنْتُمْ وَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعاً فَلَنْ يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئاً.

and (know that) if you and all the people on earth disbelieve, it shall not harm Allah in the least.

 

اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ [بِمَا أَدَّيْتُ وَ أَمَرْتُ]،

O Allah! Forgive the believers [through what I have conveyed and commanded,]

 

وَاغْضِبْ عَلَى [الْجاحِدِينَ] الْكَافِرِينَ،

and let Your Wrath descend upon those [who deny] and disbelieve,

 

وَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِين‏.

and praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.


[1] We have mentioned the part within the brackets from al-Yaqin due to the greater fluency of its narration. The original text of this part according to the narration in al-Ihtijaj is as follows: “We obey Allah, and obey you and Ali, the Commander of the Believers, and his descendants, whom as you mentioned, are from your offspring from his loins after al-Hasan (PBUH) and al-Husain (PBUH).”—I have already informed you of the position of al-Hasan and al-Husain to me, and their status before Allah. Verily, they are the chiefs of the youth of Paradise. Indeed, they both are Imams after their father, Ali, and I am their father prior to him—Thus say: “We obey Allah, and obey you, Ali, al-Hasan, al-Husain, and the Imams that you mentioned, based on the covenant and the pledge that are taken from us for the Commander of the Believers, from our hearts, our souls, our tongues, and through handshaking for him who can reach his hand to them both (the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and Imam Ali (PBUH)), or else through affirming by tongue. We shall not seek any substitute for it, nor shall we ever let our souls deviate from it.”

وَ نُطِيعُ اللَّهَ وَ نُطِيعُكَ وَ عَلِيّاً أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ وُلْدَهُ الْأَئِمَّةَ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْتَهُمْ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ مِنْ صُلْبِهِ بَعْدَ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ الَّذِينَ قَدْ عَرَّفْتُكُمْ مَكَانَهُمَا مِنِّي وَ مَحَلَّهُمَا عِنْدِي وَ مَنْزِلَتَهُمَا مِنْ رَبِّي فَقَدْ أَدَّيْتُ ذَلِكَ إِلَيْكُمْ. فَإِنَّهُمَا سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَ إِنَّهُمَا الْإِمَامَانِ بَعْدَ أَبِيهِمَا عَلِيٍّ، وَ أَنَا أَبُوهُمَا قَبْلَهُ. فَقُولُوا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ بِذَلِكَ وَ إِيَّاكَ وَ عَلِيّاً وَ الْحَسَنَ وَ الْحُسَيْنَ وَ الْأَئِمَّةَ الَّذِينَ ذَكَرْتَ، عَهْداً وَ مِيثَاقاً مَأْخُوذاً لِأَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ قُلُوبِنَا وَ أَنْفُسِنَا وَ أَلْسِنَتِنَا وَ مُصَافَقَةِ أَيْدِينَا مَنْ أَدْرَكَهُمَا بِيَدِهِ وَ أَقَرَّ بِهِمَا بِلِسَانِهِ لَا نَبْتَغِي بِذَلِكَ بَدَلاً وَ لَا نَرَى مِنْ أَنْفُسِنَا عَنْهُ حِوَلاً أَبَداً

[2] Chapter 39, Verse 41 of the Holy Quran.

[3] cf. Chapter 48, Verse 10 of the Holy Quran.

[4] This phrase refers to the Verse 28, Chapter 43 of the Holy Quran, where Allah states, “(Allah) made it a Word, enduring in his posterity…” On the commentary of this verse, Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, “This (word) means leadership (Imamate), which Allah has placed it in the offspring of al-Husain (PBUH) until the Day of Judgement.” (Kamal al-Din, p. 358, Hadith 57; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 24, p. 177, Hadith 8).

[5] Chapter 48, Verse 10 of the Holy Quran.

[6] Chapter 2, Verse 285 of the Holy Quran. For the usage of term “Masir” for Paradise and Hell, refer to verses 25:15 and 14:30 of the Holy Quran, respectively.

[7] Chapter 7, Verse 43 of the Holy Quran.

[8] This phrase can be read in two ways with different meanings. The word وَ عَرَّفَهَا (with accent) means “and introduced them”, but وَ عَرَفَهَا (without accent) means “while cognizant of them”.

[9] There are numerous traditions from different Imams (PBUT) to this effect: “Do not call us Lords (Arbab), but (other than this) tell anything you wish in our merits, because you will never reach the depth of the merits that Allah has bestowed upon us.” cf. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 25, p. 270, Hadith 15; p. 273, Hadith 20; p. 279, Hadith 22; p. 283, Hadith 30; p. 289, Hadith 45; vol. 26, pp. 2-6, Hadith 1; vol. 47, p. 68, Hadith 15.

[10]  cf. Chapter 33, Verse 71 of the Holy Quran.