Sermon of Imam Sajjad in Kufa
Sermon of Imam Sajjad in Kufa was a speech delivered by the forth Imam after the tragedy of Karbala. After the Caravan of Captives reached Kufa, Imam Sajjad delivered a sermon after Zaynab and criticized the people of Kufa for breaking their allegiance to Imam Hussain and left him alone.
The Sermon
"O people! Whoever knows me knows me, and he, who does not know me, should know that I am the son of that person, who was dishonored and whose entire belongings were looted and plundered, and whose women and children were captivated. I am the son of the one who was killed by a collective group, while this honor (Martyrdom) is sufficient for us”.
Then he continued: "O people! I put you on your oath to tell me in the name of Allah, whether you know that at one time you wrote letters to my father and then deceived him. You made firm promises with him and then rose to fight against him. May Allah destroy you, may you reap the harvest of your misdeeds in both the worlds, and may you be disgraced for the indecent policy which you have adopted. How will you face the Prophet of Allah when you are brought before him on the Day of Judgment and with which eyes will you look at him? At that time the Holy Prophet will tell you: "You have killed my children and behaved towards me dishonorably. You are not my followers".
These few sentences of the Imam changed the thinking of Ii the people of Kufa and the smiling faces of those persons who had mostly come to see the prisoners blushed with shame. They tried to control themselves but could not do so. At last the groanings and lamentations of the people could be heard from different sides. They began reproaching one another.
While people were weeping and sighing, the Imam addressed them once again in these words: "May Allah bless those, who accept my advice and put into practice my recommendations about their duty to Allah, the Prophet of Allah and the Progeny of the Prophet, for it is incumbent upon us to follow the Prophet of Allah".
This brief address brought about such a turn in the minds of the people that they cried: "O son of the Prophet of Allah! All of us will hear what you say and obey your orders. We will honor the promises made with you. We will not forsake you and will not side with anyone else. We are ready to act upon whatever you say. We will fight with him, against whom you fight, and will make peace with him, with whom you make peace. We are prepared even to take steps to arrest Yazid. We hate those who oppress you".
The Impact
It is said that Imam Sajjad’s speech left a great influence on people of Kufa. Many started crying and mourning over the martyrdom of Imam Hussain. Others decided to take revenge.