قَالَ : فَصَعِقَ هَمَّامٌ صَعْقَةً كَانَتْ نَفْسُهُ فِيهَا. فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عليه السلام) : أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كُنْتُ أَخَافُهَا عَلَيْهِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ : أَ هَكَذَا تَصْنَعُ الْمَوَاعِظُ الْبَالِغَةُ بِأَهْلِهَا! فَقَالَ لَهُ قَائِلٌ : فَمَا بَالُكَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ؟ فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) : وَيْحَكَ إِنَّ لِكُلِّ أَجَلٍ وَقْتاً لَا يَعْدُوهُ وَسَبَباً لَا يَتَجَاوَزُهُ فَمَهْلًا لَا تَعُدْ لِمِثْلِهَا فَإِنَّمَا نَفَثَ الشَّيْطَانُ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ.
It is related that Hammām passed into a deep swoon and then expired. Then Amīr al-mu’minīn said: Verily, by Allāh I had this fear about him. Then he added: Effective advices produce such effects on receptive minds. Someone [2] said to him: O’ Amīr al-mu’minīn, how is it you do not receive such an effect? Amīr al-mu’minīn replied: Woe to you. For death there is a fixed hour which cannot be exceeded, and a cause which does not change. Now look, never repeat such talk which Satan had put on your tongue.