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LETTER 17

In reply to a letter from Mu'awiyah.(1)

As for your demand to me to (hand over) Syria I cannot give you today what I denied you yesterday. As regards your saying that the war has eaten up Arabia save its last breath you should know that he whom right has eaten up goes to Paradise and he whom wrong has eaten up goes to Hell. As for our equality in (the art of) war and in (numbers of) men certainly you cannot be more penetrating in doubtfulness (of belief) than I am in certainty (of belief) and the people of Syria are not more greedy for this world than the people of Iraq are for the next world.

As for your saying that both of us are sons of 'Abd Manaf it is no doubt so but Umayyah cannot be like Hashim nor Harb like Abd al-Muttalib nor can Abu Sufyan be like Abu Talib. The muhajir (immigrant) cannot be a match for him who was set free (on the day of fall of Mecca) nor can one of pure descent be a match for him who has been adopted nor the pursuer of truth be a match of the adherent to wrong nor a believer be a match for a hypocrite. How bad are the successors who go on following their predecessors who have fallen in the fire of Hell! 

Besides that we also have the distinction of prophethood among us by virtue of which we subdued the strong and raised up the down-trodden. When Allah made Arabia enter (the fold of) His religion and the people submitted to it willingly or unwillingly you were among those who entered the religion either from greed or from fear at a time when those who had gone first had preceded and the first muhajirun had acquired their (peculiar) distinction.


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[ 17 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى معاوية، جواباً عن كتابٍ منه إليه

وَأَمَّا طَلَبُكَ إِلَيَّ الشَّامَ، فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ لِأُعْطِيَكَ الْيَوْمَ مَا مَنَعْتُكَ أَمْسِ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكَ: إِنَّ الْحَرْبَ قَدْ أَكَلَتِ الْعَرَبَ إِلاَّ حُشَاشَاتِ أَنْفُسٍ بَقِيَتْ، أَلَا وَمَنْ أَكَلَهُ الْحَقُّ فَإِلَى الْجَنَّةِ،مَنْ أَكَلَهُ الْبَاطِلُ فَإِلَى النَّارِ. وَأَمَّا اسْتِوَاؤُنَا فِي الْحَرْبِ والرِّجَالِ، فَلَسْتَ بِأَمْضَى عَلَى الشَّكِّ مِنِّي عَلَى الْيَقِينِ، وَلَيْسَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ بِأَحْرَصَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكَ: إِنَّا بَنُوعَبْدِ مَنَافٍ، فَكَذلِكَ نَحْنُ، وَلكِنْ لَيْسَ أُمَيَّةُ كَهَاشِمَ، وَلاَ حَرْبٌ كَعَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، وَلاَ أَبُوسُفْيَانَ كَأَبِي طَالِبٍ، وَلاَ المُهَاجرُ (1) كَالطَّلِيقِ (2) ، وَلاَ الصَّرِيحُ (3) كَاللَّصِيقِ (4) ، وَلاَ الْمُحِقُّ كَالْمُبطِلِ، وَلاَ الْمُؤْمِنُ كَالْمُدْغِلِ (5) . وَلَبِئْسَ الْخَلَفُ خَلَفٌ يَتْبَعُ سَلَفاً هَوَى فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ.

وَفِي أَيْدِينَا بعْدُ فَضْلُ النُّبُوَّةِ الَّتِي أَذْلَلْنَا بِهَا الْعَزِيزَ، وَنَعَشْنَا (6) بِهَا الذَّل ِيلَ. وَلَمَّا أَدْخَلَ اللهُ الْعَرَبَ فِي دِينِهِ أَفْوَاجاً، وَأَسْلَمَتْ لَهُ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةُ طَوْعاً وَكَرْهاً، كُنْتُمْ مِمَّنْ دَخَلَ فِي الدِّينِ: إِمَّا رَغْبَةً وَإِمَّا رَهْبَةً، عَلَى حِينَ فَازَ أَهْلُ السَّبْقِ بِسَبْقِهِمْ، وَذَهَبَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ الْأََوَّلُونَ بِفَضْلِهِمْ.


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Now do not allow Satan have a share with you nor let him have his sway over you; and that is an end to the matter. 

(1). During the battle of Siffin Mu'awiyah thought of again demanding the province of Syria from Amir al-mu'minin and to play such a trick as to succeed in his designs. In this connection he consulted 'Amr ibn al-'As. But the latter did not agree with this idea and said O' Mu'awiyah, think a little, what effect will this writing of yours have on 'Ali? How can he fall in this trap by your persuasion. On this Mu'awiyah said We are all descendants of 'Abd Manaf. What difference is there between 'Ali and me that he may score over me and I may not succeed in deceiving him? 'Amr ibn al-'As said If you think so, then write and see (the outcome). Mu'awiyah therefore wrote a letter to Amir al-mu'minin wherein he made a demand for Syria and also wrote: "We are descendants of 'Abd Manaf. There is no distinction of one over the other among us." Then Amir al-mu'minin wrote this letter in reply and mentioning his own predecessors along with those of Mu'awiyah disproved his contention of equality. Although the origin of both was the same and the paternal chain of both joined at 'Abd Manaf the progeny of 'Abd Shams was the source of all evil in morality and character and was involved in heresy and vice whereas the house of Hashim was the worshipper of one God and kept aloof from idolatory. If the branches growing out of the same root bear both flowers as well as thorns then both cannot be deemed equal. Consequently it does not need any detailed explanation to show that Umayyah and Hashim Harb and 'Abd al-Muttalib and Abu Sufyan and Abu Talib were not match of each other from any angle. This is not denied by any historian nor by any biographer. In fact after this reply even Mu'awiyah did not dare refute it because the fact could be concealed that after 'Abd Manaf it was Hashim alone who possessed conspicuous prestige among the Quraysh and the most important positions with relation to the Ka'bah namely siqayah (i.e. the superintendence of the water-supply especially with a veiw to the needs of pilgrims) and rifadah (provisioning of pilgrims) was assigned to him. As such at the time of hajj caravan after caravan used to come and stay with him and he was such a generous host to them that those who partook of his generosity and benevolence would praise him for long thereafter.

The worthy son of this very large-hearted and courageous father was 'Abd al-Muttalib whose name was Shaybah and surname was Sayyidu'l-Batha' (the Chief of the Valley of Mecca). He was the successor to the distinction of Abraham's line and owner of the greatness and chiefdom

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فَلاَ تَجْعَلَنَّ لِلشَّيْطَانِ فِيكَ نَصِيباً، وَلاَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ سَبِيلاً، وَالسَّلاَمُ.


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of Quraysh. The high courage and far-sightedness showed by him before Abraham is a shining star of the family of 'Abd Manaf.'Abd Manaf was a pearl and 'Abd al-Muttalib was the lustre of the pearl.

'Abd al-Muttalib's son was Ahu Talib whose lap served as the cradle for 'Abdullah's orphan child and the training place of the Prophet. He brought up the Prophet in his care and shielded him against his enemies. To compare  Abu Sufyan Harb and Umayyah with them or to regard them as their matches is the same as to close one's eyes to the lustre of light and to regard it as darkness.

After recounting this geneological difference the next point of distinction  that Amir al-mu'minin has described is that he himself is a muhajir (immigrant from Mecca) while Mu'awiyah is a taliq (i.e. one of those whom the Prophet had spared on the day of fall of Mecca). Therefore when the Prophet entered Mecca victorious he enquired from the Quraysh how they thought he would deal with them and all said that being a generous son of a generous father they expected only good from him whereupon the Prophet  said Go away, you have all been spared. That is you did deserve to be detained as slaves but as a mark of obligation you have been left free. These spared ones included Mu'awiyah and Abu Sufyan also. Thus Ibn Abi'l-Hadid and ash-Shaykh Muhammad 'Abduh have recorded the following note in their annotations to this letter "Abu Sufyan and Mu'awiyah both were among the spared ones." (Ibn Abi'l-Hadid vol.17 p.119;'Abduh vol.3 p.17)

The third point of distinction is that Amir al-mu'minin's lineage is pure and clear and there is no doubtful point anywhere. As against this for Mu'awiyah he has used to the word "lasiq". Men of letters have given lasiq to mean "One who is attributed to other than his father." In this connection the first doubt that is entertained about Umayyah is whether he was the son of 'Abd Shams or only his slave who began to be known as his son because of having been brought up by him. Thus al-'Allamah al-Majlisi has related from Kamil al-Baha'i that:

Umayyah was a Byzantinian slave of 'Abd Shams. When he found him intelligent and sagacious he freed him and adopted him as hisson as a result of which he began to be called Umayyah son of 'Abd Shams as Zayd (ibn al-Harithah) was called Zayd ibn Muhammad

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before the verse was revealed (to prohibit it).(Bihar al-anwar 1st ed. vol.8 p.383)

The second doubt in the Umayyad lineage is whether Harb who is known as the son of Umayyah was really his son or a slave brought up by him. In this connection Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has quoted from Abu'l-Faraj al-Isbahani's book that:

Mu'awiyah enquired from the lineage expert Daghfal (Ibn Hanzalah) whether he had seen 'Abd al-Muttalib and he replied in the affirmative.He further enquired how he found him and Daghfal replied He was prestigious, handsome and a man of open forehead, while his face bore the brightness of Prophethood. Then Mu'awiyah enquired whether he had seen Umayyah ibn 'Abd Shams also and he replied that he had seen him too. He enquired how he found him and he replied Weak bodied, bent stature and blind in the eyes. In front of him was his slave Dhakwan who led here and there. Mu'awiyah said it was his son Abu 'Amr (Harb) whereupon he said You say so but the Quraysh only know that he was his slave. (al-Aghani vol.1 p.12; Sharh Nahj al-balaghah vol.17 pp.231-232) 

In this connection the third doubt is about Mu'awiyah himself. Thus Ibn Abi'l-Hadid has written that:

Mu'awiyah's mother Hind led a life of vileness and immorality. az-Zamakhshari (Abu'l-Qasim Mahmud ibn 'Umar [467/1075- 538/
1144]) has written in his book Rabi'u 'l-abrar that Mu'awiyah's parentage was traced back to four persons who were: Musafir ibn
Abi 'Amr 'Umarah ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughirah al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib and as-Sabbah (a singer for 'Umarah). (Sharh Nahj al-balaghah vol.1 p.336)

The fourth point of distinction that Amir al-mu'minin has stated is that he himself was the devotee of right while Mu'awiyah was the devotee of wrong and this fact needs no proof for the whole life of Mu'awiyah was spent in suppressing right and hankering after wrong. No where is his step seen advancing towards right. 

The fifth distinction that Amir al-mu'minin has mentioned is that he himself was a believer whereas Mu'awiyah was a mischief-monger and a hyp-

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LETTER 18

To `Abdullah ibn al- `Abbas his Governor of Basrah

You should know that Basrah is the place where Satan descends and mischiefs happen. Keep the people of this place pleased with good treatment and remove the knots of fear from their hearts.

I have come to know of your strictness with Banu Tamim (1) and your harshness over them. Banu Tamim are those that if one star sets another one rises for them. They were never exceeded in (the art of) war in pre-Islamic times or after Islam. They have a special kinship with us and a particular relationship. We shall be rewarded if we pay heed to the kinship and be deemed sinful if we disregard it. O' Abu'l-`Abbas may Allah have mercy on you. keep yourself restrained in whatever you say or do good or bad about your people as we are both partners in this (responsibility). Prove yourself according to my good impressions about you and do not prove my opinion (about you) wrong; and that is an end to the matter.

ocrite. Just as there can be no doubt about Amir al-mu'minin's belief there can be no doubt about Mu`awiyah's mischief-mongering and hypocricy. Thus Amir al-mu'minin has exposed his hypocricy in the earlier writing in these words. 

These people had not accepted Islam but they had secured safety by verbally professing it and had hidden their misbelief. Consequently when they found helpers for their mischief they disclosed it.

(1). When Talhah and az-Zubayr reached Basrah it was Banu Tamim who took active part in the movement to avenge `Uthman's blood and werc foremost in fanning this mischief. Therefore when `Abdullah ibn al-Abbas took over as the Governor of Basrah in view of their breach of faith and animosity he thought they deserved harsh treatment and was to some extent severe with them. But in this tribe there were also a few

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[ 18 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى عبد الله بن العباس وهو عامله على البصرة

وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْبَصْرَةَ مَهْبِطُ إِبْلِيسَ، وَمَغْرِسُ الْفِتَنِ، فَحَادِثْ أَهْلَهَا بِالْإِِحْسَانِ إِلَيْهِمْ، وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةَ الْخَوْفِ عَنْ قُلُوبِهِمْ.

وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي تَنَمُّرُكَ (1) لِبَنِيٍ تَمِيم، وَغِلْظَتُكَ عَلَيْهِمْ، وَإِنَّ بَنِي تَمِيم لَمْ يَغِبْ لَهُمْس نَجْمٌ (2) إِلاَّ طَلَعَ لَهُمْ آخَرُ (3) ، وَإِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُسْبَقُوا بِوَغْمٍ (4) فِي جَاهِلِيَّة وَلاَ إِسْلاَمٍ، وَإِنَّ لَهُمْ بِنَا رَحِماً مَاسَّةً، وَقَرَابَةً خَاصَّةً، نَحْنُ مَأْجُورُونَ عَلَى صِلَتِهَا، وَمَأزُورُونَ عَلَى قَطِيعَتِهَا. فَارْبَعْ (5) أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ، رَحِمَكَ اللهُ، فِيَما جَرَى عَلَى َلِسَانِكَ وَ يَدَكَ مِنْ خَيْر وَشَرّ! فَإِنَّا شَرِيكَانِ فِي ذلِكَ،كُنْ عِنْدَ صَالِحِ ظَنِّي بِكَ، وَلاَ يَفِيلَنَّ (6) رَأَيِي فِيكَ، وَالسَّلاَمُ.


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LETTER 19

To one of his officers

Now the cultivators (1) (dahaqin plural of dihqan) of your city have complained of your strictness hard heartedness humiliating treatment and harshness. I thought over it and found that since they are unbelievers they cannot be brought near nor kept away or treated severely because of the pledge with them. Behave with them in between strictness and softness and adopt for them a mingling or remoteness and aloofness with nearness and closeness if Allah so wills.

sincere followers of Amir al-mu'minin. When they saw this behaviour of Ibn 'Abbas with their tribe they sent a letter to Amir al-mu'minin through Jariyah ibn Qadamah wherein they complained of Ibn 'Abbas's harsh treatment. Thereupon Amir al-mu'minin wrote this letter to Ibn 'Abbas in which he instructed him to change his ways and to behave well with them and has drawn his attention to the kinship existing between Banu Hashim and Banu Tamim. That kinship was this that Banu Hashim and Banu Tamim join the lineal line at Ilyas ibn Mudar because Hashim is the descendant of Mudrikah ibn Ilyas while Tamim is the descendant of Tabikhah ibn Ilyas.

(1). These people were Magians (majus). That is why the treatment of Amir al-mu'minin's officer with them was not the same as with Muslims. Disgusted with this they wrote a letter of complaint to Amir al-mu'minin and spoke of the Officer's harshness. In reply Amir al-mu'minin wrote to his officer that he should meet out treatment to them in which there should be neither harshness nor such leniency which they may exploit to create mischief because if they are let loose they get involved in machinations against the government and disturb the country's administration by creating one mischief or the other while a wholly repressive policy cannot be justified because they are counted among the subjects and their rights as such cannot be ignored.


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[ 19 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى بعض عماله

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ دَهَاقِينَ (1) أهْلِ بَلَدِكَ شَكَوْا مِنْكَ غِلْظَةً وَقَسْوَةً، وَاحْتِقَاراً وَجَفْوَةً، وَنَظَرْتُ فَلَمْ أَرَهُمْ أَهْلاً لِأََََنْ يُدْنَوْا (2) لِشِرْكِهِمْ، وَلاَ أَنْ يُقْصَواْ (3) وَيُجْفَوْا (4) لِعَهْدِهِمْ، فَالْبَسْ لَهُمْ جِلْبَاباً مِنَ اللِّينِ تَشُوبُهُ (5) بِطَرَفٍ مِنَ الشِّدَّةِ، وَدَاوِلْ (6) لَهُمْ بَيْنَ الْقَسْوَةِ وَالرَّأْفَةِ، وَامْزُجْ لَهُمْ بَيْنَ التَّقْرِيبِ وَالْإِدْنَاءِ، وَالْإِبْعَادِ وَالْإِقْصَاءِ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ.