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LETTER 38

To the people of Egypt when he appointed (Malik) al-Ashtar as their Governor.

From the slave of Allah 'Ali Amir al-mu'minin to the people who became wrathful for the sake of Allah when He was disobeyed on His earth and His rights were ignored and oppression  had spread its coverings over the virtuous as well as the vicious on the local as well as the foreigner. Consequently no good was acted upon nor any evil was avoided.

Now I have sent to you a man from among the servants of Allah who allows himself no sleep in days of danger nor does He shrink from the enemy at critical moments. He is severer on the wicked than a blazing fire. He is Malik ibn al-Harith our brother from (the tribe of) Madhhij. Therefore listen to him and obey his orders that accord with right because he is a sword among the swords of Allah whose edge is not dull and which does not miss its victim. If he orders you to advance advance and if he orders you to stay stay because he surely neither advances or attacks nor puts anyone backward or forward save with my command. I have preferred him for you rather than for myself because of his being your well-wisher and (because of) the severity  of his harshness over your enemies.

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[ 38 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى أهل مصر، لما ولّى عليهم الأشتر

مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ عَلِيٍّ أَمِيرِالْمُؤْمِنينَ، إِلَى الْقَومِ الَّذِينَ غَضِبُوا لِلَّهِ حِينَ عُصِيَ فِي أَرْضِهِ، وَذُهِبَ بِحَقِّهِ، فَضَرَبَ الْجَوْرُ (1) سُرَادِقَهُ (2) عَلَى الْبَرِّ (3) وَالْفَاجِرِ، وَالْمُقِيمِ وَالظَّاعِنِ (4) ، فَلاَ مَعْرُوفٌ يُسْتَرَاحُ إِلَيْهِ (5) ، وَلاَ مُنْكَرٌ يُتَنَاهَى عَنْهُ.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَقَدْ بَعَثْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ عَبْداً مِنْ عِبَادِاللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ، لاَيَنَامُ أَيَّامَ الخَوْفِ، وَلاَ يَنْكُلُ (6) عَنِ الْأَعْدَاءِ سَاعَاتِ الرَّوْعِ (7) ، أَشَدَّ عَلَى الْفُجَّارِ مِنْ حَرَيقِ النَّارِ، وَهُوَ مَالِكُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ أَخُو مَذْحِجٍ (8) ، فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ أَطِيعُوا أَمْرَهُ فِيَما طَابَقَ الْحَقَّ، فَإِنَّهُ سَيْفٌ مِنْ سُيُوفِ اللهِ، لاَ كَلِيلُ (9) الظُّبَةِ (10) ، وَلاَ نَابِي (11) الضَّرِيبَةِ (12) : فَإِنْ أَمَرَكُمْ أَنْ تَنْفِرُوا فانْفِرُوا، وَإِنْ أَمَرَكُمْ أَنْ تُقيِمُوا فَأَقِيمُوا، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُقْدِمُ وَلاَ يُحْجِمُ، وَلاَ يُؤَخِّرُ وَلاَ يُقَدِّمُ إِلاَّ عَنْ أَمْرِي، وَقَدْ آثَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ (13) عَلَى نَفْسِي لِنَصِيحَتِ هِ لَكُمْ، وَشِدَّةِ شَكِيمَتِهِ (14) عَلَى عَدُوِّكُمْ.

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