Sermon 68 : Commentary

Syrian raiding parties under Muawiyah's command frequently attacked the borders and outlying areas of Iraq.

Instead of rising to defend the territory and respond to the Imam's call for mobilization, large numbers of Kufans would retreat into their homes, avoid military service, and show little enthusiasm for jihad.

The Imam compared their unreliability to camels with hollow humps, i.e. useless for bearing any burden and worn-out clothes that tear as soon as they are patched.

He expressed deep disappointment that their numerical strength in the city did not translate into effective support on the battlefield and that relying on them was like shooting broken arrows.

The sermon reflects the chronic problem of war weariness, tribal divisions, and lack of commitment among many of the people of Kufa in the later years of Imam Ali's rule.

Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani states that the Imam's metaphors are deliberately very sharp in this sermon.

Camels with hollow humps that cannot carry loads, worn clothes tear again as soon as they are mended.

These images convey the futility of relying on people who collapse under pressure.

Likewise, hiding like the lizard in its hole or a badger in its den betrays cowardice and self-preservation at the expense of collective duty.

When Imam Ali states, I know what you can, I know what can improve you, but I shall not improve your condition by marring myself, shows that the Imam understood the measures needed to discipline them, yet refused to adopt oppressive or unjust methods that would compromise his own principles.