وَلْيَصْدُقْ رَائِدٌ أَهْلَهُ، وَلْيَجْمَعْ شَمْلَهُ، وَلْيُحْضِرْ ذِهْنَهُ، فَلَقَدْ فَلَقَ لَكُمُ الاْمْرَ فَلْقَ الْخَرَزَةِ، وَقَرَفَهُ قَرْفَ الصَّمْغَةِ. فَعِنْدَ ذلِكَ أَخَذَ الْبَاطِلُ مَآخِذَهُ، وَرَكِبَ الْجَهْلُ مَرَاكِبَهُ، وَعَظُمَتِ الطَّاغِيَةُ، وَقَلَّتِ الدَّاعِيَةُ، وَصَالَ الدَّهْرُ صِيَالَ السَّبُعِ الْعَقُورِ، وَهَدَرَ فَنِيقُ الْبَاطِلِ بَعْدَ كُظُوم، وَتَوَاخَى النَّاسُ عَلَى الْفُجْورِ، وَتَهَاجَرُوا عَلَى الدِّينِ، وَتَحَابُّوا عَلَى الْكَذِبِ، وَتَبَاغَضُوا عَلَى الصِّدْقِ.
The forerunner must speak truth to his people, should keep his wits together and maintain presence of mind. He has clarified to you the matter as the stitch-hole is cleared, and scraped it as the gum is scraped (from the twigs). Nevertheless, now the wrong has set itself on its places and ignorance has ridden on its riding beasts. Unruliness has increased while the call for virtue is suppressed. Time has pounced upon like devouring carnivore, and wrong is shouting like a camel after remaining silent. People have become brothers over ill-doings, have forsaken religion, are united in speaking lie but bear mutual hatred in the matter of truth.