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

and the misery from the Bounties. The hardships are not painful after which there is the Paradise, and the goodtime is not the (lasting) comfort after which there is the Fire. And every bounty apart from the Paradise is insignificant, and every affliction apart from the Fire is healthy. And turning away from correcting the consciences leads to the major sins. Purification of the deeds is more difficult than the deed itself, and the sincerity of the intention from the corruption is more difficulty upon the performer of the deed than the lengthy Jihaad. Far it is! Had it not been for the piety I (asws) would have been the shrewdest of the Arabs. O you people! Allah (azwj) the High Promised His (azwj) Prophet (saww) Muhammad (saww) the Means (Al-Waseela), and His (azwj) Promise is True, and Allah (azwj) does not Go against His (azwj) Promise. Surely Al-Waseela is on the steps of the Paradise and is at the peak of the nearness (to Allah (azwj)), and is a total security at the very end of it. There are a thousand staircases, and what is in between one staircase and the other there is a travel distance by a fine horse of a hundred years. And in between these is a staircase of gems going up to a staircase of jewels, to a staircase of aquamarines, to a staircase of pearls, to a staircase of rubies, to a staircase of emeralds, to a staircase of corals, to a staircase of camphor, to a staircase of ambergris, to a staircase of aloe, to a staircase of gold, to a staircase of clouds, to a staircase of air, to a staircase of Light which encompasses all of the Gardens. And on that Day the Messenger (saww) of Allah (azwj) would be seated wearing two Garments – a Garment of the Mercy of Allah (azwj) and a Garment of the Light of Allah (azwj). On him (saww) will be a Crown of the Prophet-hood and a Garland of the Message, the Light of which will illuminate the whole of the Pausing Place (Station in the Hereafter). And on that Day, I (asws) will be upon the High Level, and it will be lower than his (saww) Level, and on me (asws) would be two Garments – a Garment of purple Light and a Garment of Camphor. And the Messengers (as) and the Prophets (saww) would have paused upon my (asws) staircase, with the Flags of the Eras and the Proof of the ages on our (asws) right, and they (as) will have Majestic Garments of Light and the Prestige. There is no Angel of Proximity, and no Messenger Prophet (saww) who will look at us (asws) except that he will be stunned by our (asws) Light. And stranger than our (asws) Illumination and our (asws) Majesty is t