Sermon (152): Description of the Ahl al-Bayt, the Connection of Knowledge and Action, and the Fruit of Deeds
The intelligent sees his work with the eyes of the heart and recognizes his high and low (good and bad paths). The caller has called, and the guardian has guarded. Say 'Here I am' to the caller's voice, and follow the guardian. Some people have entered the rivers of seditions and have fallen into innovations, leaving the Sunnahs. The believers are crouched down, and the tongues of the misguided and rejecters are open. We are those with close relationship, and special companions, and treasurers, and doors, and in houses, entry is through doors, and whoever enters from other than doors, his name is thief. A part of this sermon is: (The family of Muhammad) The refined verses of the Quran were revealed about them, and they are Allah's treasuries. If they speak, they speak truth, and if they remain silent, no one has the right to precede them in speech. The leader should speak truthfully to his people and tribe (in every matter) and should not let his intellect be lost, and should be from the people of the Hereafter, for he has come from there and has to return there. The beginning of the action of the one who sees with the (eyes of the) heart and acts with insight is such that he (first) recognizes whether this action is beneficial or harmful for him. If it is beneficial, he advances; if it is harmful, he stops. For the one who advances without knowing is like one who has taken to a wrong path, so the more he advances on that path, the more he will go away from the goal, and the one who acts in the (light of) knowledge is like one walking on a bright path. (So now) the observer should see whether he is advancing forward or turning backward. You should know that every apparent has such a hidden. Whose apparent is good, his hidden is also good. Whose apparent is bad, his hidden is also bad. And sometimes it happens as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said that Allah loves a servant (because of faith) and considers his action bad, and (somewhere) loves the action and hates the doer's essence. Look, every action is a growing vegetation, and for vegetation, water is necessary, and water is of different types. Where good water is given, there the crop will also be good, and its fruit will also be sweet, and where bad water is given, there the crop will also be bad, and the fruit will also be bitter.
