Sermons · Al-Gharra (literally, "the brilliant"), in which Ali enjoined people to piety

al-Sharif al-Radi (d. 406 AH) · Thaqalayn library edition, reproduced verbatim

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Arabic text

[التنفير من الدنيا] فَإِنَّ الدُّنْيَا رَنِقٌ مَشْرَبُهَا، رَدِغٌ مَشْرَعُهَا، يُونِقُ مَنْظَرُهَا، وَيُوبِقُ مَخْبَرُهَا، غُرُورٌ حَائِلٌ، وَضَوْءٌ آفِلٌ، وَظِلٌّ زائِلٌ، وَسِنَادٌ مَائِلٌ، حَتَّى إِذَا أَنِسَ نَافِرُهَا، وَاطْمَأَنَّ نَاكِرُهَا، قَمَصَتْ بِأَرْجُلِهَا، وَقَنَصَتْ بِأَحْبُلِهَا، وَأَقْصَدَتْ بِأَسْهُمِهَا، وَأَعْلَقَتِ الْمَرْءَ أَوْهَاقَ الْمَنِيَّةِ قَائِدَةً لَهُ إِلى ضَنْكَ الْمَضْجَعِ، وَوَحْشَةِ الْمَرْجِعِ، ومُعَايَنَةِ الْـمَحَلِّ، وَثَوَابِ الْعَمَلِ، وَكَذلِكَ الْخَلَفُ بِعَقْبِ السَّلَفِ، لاَتُقْلِعُ الْمَنِيَّةُ اخْتِرَاماً، وَلاَيَرْعَوِي الْبَاقُونَ اجْتِرَاماً، يَحْتَذُون مِثَالاً، وَيَمْضُونَ أَرْسَالاً، إِلَى غَايَةِ الانْتِهَاءِ، وَصَيُّورِ الْفَنَاءِ.

Translation

[Caution against this world] Certainly this world is a dirty watering place and a muddy source of drinking. Its appearance is attractive and its inside is destructive. It is a changeable deception, a vanishing reflection and a bent pillar. When its despiser begins to like it and he who is not acquainted with it feels satisfied with it, then it raises and puts down its feet (in joy), entraps him in its trap, makes him the target of its arrows and puts round his neck the rope of death taking him to the narrow grave and fearful abode in order to show him his place of stay and the recompense of his acts. This goes on from generation to generation. Neither death stops from cutting them asunder nor do the survivors keep aloof from committing of sins. They are emulating each other and proceeding in groups towards the final objective and the rendezvous of death,

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