The sermon of ‘Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, called the Sermon of Means and Connections — Hadith 1

4. Muhammad Bin Ali Bin Ma’mar, from Muhammad Bin Ali Bin Ukaayat Al-Tamimy, from Al-Husayn Bin Al-Nazar Al-Fahry, from Abu Amro Al-Awzaiy, from Amro Bin Shimr, from Jabir Bin Yazeed who said: ‘I came up to Abu Ja’far (asws), so I said, ‘O son (asws) of the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj), the differing among the Shiites in this Doctrine causes me pain’. He (asws) said: ‘O Jabir, shall I (asws) not suffice you with the meanings of their differences, from where they are differing, and from which perspective they are separating? ’ I said, ‘Yes, O son (asws) of the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj)’. He (asws) said: ‘So do not differ if they differ, O Jabir. The one who fights against the Master (asws) of the Era (Imam (asws) of his time) is like the one who has fought against the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj) in his (saww) days. O Jabir, listen attentively’. I said, ‘As you (asws) like’. He (asws) said: ‘Listen attentively, and make it reach to wherever your ride takes you, that Amir-ul-Momineen (asws) preached to the People at Al-Medina, seven days after the passing away of the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj), and that was when he (asws) was free from collecting the Quran and compiling it. He (asws) said: ‘Praise be to Allah (azwj) Who has Prevented the imaginations to grasp Him (azwj) except for His (azwj) Existence, and Veiled the intellects to think about His (azwj) Essence due to the restrictions of Him (azwj) having no similarities or images. But He (azwj) is the One in Whose Essence there are not differences nor any division into a number of parts due to the Perfection. He (azwj) is separate from the things, not due to being in a different place, and He (azwj) is in things, not being mixed within them, and He (azwj) Knows these, not by the use of tools. And He (azwj) is not Knowledgeable except by it, and there is nothing between Him (azwj) and His (azwj) Knowledge, any other knowledge. He (azwj) is the Knowledgeable by Himself (azwj). If it is said that He (azwj) was, it would be interpreted as the eternal existence, and if it is said that He (azwj) will never cease (to exist), it would be interpreted as the negation of the non-existence. He (azwj) is Glorious, and higher than the words of those who worship other than Him (azwj) and have taken a god other than Him (azwj). He (azwj) is Higher and Greater. We (asws) Praise Him (azwj) with a Praise of those of His (azwj) creatures who has Pleased Him (azwj), and He (azwj) has Made it to be more than Obligatory upon Himself (azwj) to Accept it. And I (asws) hereby tes