Sermon of Muttaqin

Hammām, a devout worshipper, once attained the honor of visiting Imam Ali (peace be upon him). He requested that the Imam describe the God-conscious (al-muttaqūn) in such a way that it would be as though he could see them before him. After a brief pause, the Imam began to speak:

Parts

Part 1

Their Speech is Correct and Upright

Part 1 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious speak rightly and beautifully. Imam Ali's reply to Hammām, and Lady Fiḍḍah, who spoke only in Qur'an.

Part 2

Their Manner of Dress, Conduct, and Way of Life is based upon Moderation

Part 2 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious live by moderation in dress and conduct, as in the story of Salmān al-Fārsī, governor of Madāʾin.

Part 3

They walk with humility

Part 3 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious walk with humility. Mālik al-Ashtar's patience with the shopkeeper who insulted him in Kūfah.

Part 4

They restrain their eye from which Allah has made unlawful

Part 4 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious lower their gaze from what Allah forbade, and the story of the seminary student who became Mir Damad.

Part 5

They devote their hearing to knowledge that benefits them

Part 5 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious devote their hearing to beneficial knowledge, with accounts of Allamah Majlisi, the Gateway to the Imams.

Part 6

They remain the same during trials and hardships as times of comfort and ease

Part 6 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious stay the same in hardship and in ease, as Abu Dharr showed when he refused Uthman's two hundred dinars.

Part 7

They long to see their beloved

Part 7 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious long to meet their Lord, and the story of Ali ibn Mahziyar's longing to meet Imam al-Mahdi (ajtf).

Part 8

Creator is great within their soul and everything else is small

Part 8 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the Creator is so great in their souls that all else seems small, and Prophet Ibrahim (p) hearing the attributes of Allah.

Part 9

They are people of certainty

Part 9 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the God-conscious are people of certainty (yaqīn), and the young man who told the Prophet (p) the reality of his certainty.

Part 10

Their hearts are filled with sorrow

Part 10 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the hearts of the God-conscious are filled with sorrow, from Prophet Yaʿqūb's grief to Imam al-Sajjad's weeping.

Part 11

People are secure from their harm

Part 11 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: people are safe from the harm of the God-conscious, and Muslim ibn Aqīl's refusal to kill Ibn Ziyād in Hani's house.

Part 12

They possess lean bodies and slender

Part 12 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the bodies of the God-conscious are lean and slender, and the marks of worship seen on Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas (p).

Part 13

Their needs are few and modest

Part 13 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the needs of the God-conscious are few and modest, and the story of Lady Narjis (p), the Roman princess and captive.

Part 14

Their souls are chaste, pure, and guarded from sin

Part 14 of the Sermon of Muttaqin: the souls of the God-conscious are chaste, pure and guarded from sin, and the four qualities Allah praised in Jaʿfar ibn Abi Talib.