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LETTER 42

To `Umar ihn Abi Salamah al-Makhzumi (foster son of the Holy Prophet from Umm al-mu'minin Umm Salamah) who was Amir al-mu'minin's Governor of Bahrain hut whom he removed and replaced by an- Nu'man ibn Ajlan az-Zuraqi.

Now I have posted an-Nu'man ibn `Ajlan az-Zuraqi at Bahrain and have released you from that position without anything  bad from you nor reproach on you because you managed the governorship well and discharged the obligations. Therefore proceed to me when you are neither suspected nor rebuked neither blamed nor guilty. I have just intended to proceed towards the recalcitrant of Syria and desired that you should be with me because you are among those on whom I rely in fighting the enemy and erecting the pillars of religion if Allah wills. 

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LETTER 43

To Masqalah ibn Hubayrah ash-Shaybani the Governor of Ardashir Khurrah (Iran).

I have come to know concerning you a matter which if you have done it you have displeased your Allah and disobeyed your Imam. You are distributing among the Arabs (Bedouins) of your kin who tend towards you the property of the Muslims which they collected by dint of their spears and horses and on which their blood was shed. By-Allah Who germinated the seed and created living beings if this is true you will be humbled in


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[ 42 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى عمر بن أبي سلمة المخزومي وكان عامله على البحرين، فعزله، واستعمل النعمان بن عجلان الزّرقي مكانه

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي قَدْ وَلَّيْتُ النُعْمَانَ بْنَ عَجْلاَنَ الزُّرَقيَّ عَلَى الْبَحْرَيْنِ، وَنَزَعْتُ يَدَكَ، بِلاَ ذَمٍّ لَكَ، وَلاَ تَثْرِيبٍ (1) عَلَيْكَ، فَلَقَدْ أَحْسَنْتَ الْوِلاَيَةَ، وَأَدَّيْتَ الْأَمَانَةَ، فَأَقْبِلْ غَيْرَ ظَنِينٍ (2) ، وَلاَ مَلُومٍ، وَلاَ مُتَّهَمٍ، وَلاَ مَأْثُومٍ، فَقَدْ أَرَدْتُ الْمَسِيرَ إِلَى ظَلَمَةِ (3) أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ مَعِي، فَإِنَّكَ مِمَّنْ أَسْتَظْهِرُ بِهِ (4) عَلَى جِهَادِ الْعَدُوِّ، وَإِقَامَةِ عَمُودِ الدِّيِنِ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ.

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[ 43 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى مصقلة بن هُبَيرة الشيباني وهو عامله على أردشير خُرّة (1)

بَلَغَنِي عَنْكَ أَمْرٌ إِنْ كُنْتَ فَعَلْتَهُ فَقَدْ أَسْخَطْتَ إِلهَكَ، وَأَغْضَبْتَ إِمَامَكَ: أَنَّكَ تَقْسِمُ فَيْءَ (2) الْمُسْلِمِينَ الَّذِي حَازَتْهُ رِمَاحُهُمْ وَخُيُولُهُمْ، وَأُرِيقَتْ عَلَيْهِ دِمَاؤُهُمْ، فِيمَنِ اعْتَامَكَ (3) مِنْ أَعْرَابِ قَوْمِكَ، فَوَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ، وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ (4) ، لَئِنْ كَانَ ذلِكَ حَقّاً


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my view and you will become light in weight. Therefore do not treat lightly the obligations of your Lord and do not reform your world by ruining your religion since then you will be among losers by the way of (your) actions.

Know that the right of those Muslims who are around you and those who are around me in this property is equal. For that reason they come to me and take from it.

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LETTER 44

To Ziyad ibn Abih when Amir al-mu'minin had come to know that Mn`awiyah had written to Ziyad to deceive him and to attach him to himself in kinship.

I have learnt that Mu`awiyah has written to you to deceive your wit and blunt your sharpness. You should be on guard against him because he is the Satan who approaches a believer from the front and from the back from the right and from the left to catch him suddenly in the hour of his carelessness and overcome his intelligence.

In the days of `Umar ibn al-Khattab Abu Sufyan (1) happened to utter a thoughtless point which was an evil suggestion of Satan from which neither kinship is established nor entitlement to succession occurs. He who relies on it is like the uninvited guest to a drink-party or like the dangling cup (tied to a saddle).

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: When Ziyad read this letter he said By Allah he has testified to it. This point remained in his mind till Mu`awiyah claimed him (as his brother by his father).


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لَتَجِدَنَّ لَِكَ عَلَيَّ هَوَاناً، وَلَتَخِفَّنَّ عِنْدِي مِيزَاناً، فَلاَ تَسْتَهِنْ بِحَقِّ رَبِّكَ، وَلاَ تُصلِحْ دُنْيَاكَ بِمَحْقِ دِينِكَ، فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالاً.

أَلاَ وَإِنَّ حَقَّ مَنْ قِبَلَكَ (5) وَقِبَلَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي قِسْمَةِ هذَا الْفَيْءِ سَوَاءٌ، يَرِدُونَ عِنْدِي عَلَيْهِ،يَصْدُرُونَ عَنْهُ، والسَّلامُ.

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[ 44 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى زياد بن أبيه وقد بلغه أن معاوية كتب إليه يريد خديعته باستلحاقه

وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ مُعَاويَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْكَ يَسْتَزِلُّ (1) لُبَّكَ (2) ، وَيَسْتَفِلُّ (3) غَرْبَكَ (4) ، فاحْذَرْهُ، فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْتِي الْمَرْءَ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ، وَعَنْ يَمينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ، لِيَقْتَحِمَ غَفْلَتَهُ (5) ، وَيَسْتَلِبَ غِرَّتَهُ (6) .

وَقَدْ كَانَ مِنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فَلْتَهٌ (7) مِنْ حَدِيثِ النَّفْسِ، وَنَزْغَةٌ مِنْ نَزَغَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ، لاَ يَثْبُتُ بِهَا نَسَبٌ، وَلاَ يُسْتَحَقُّ بِهَا إِرْثٌ، وَالْمُتَعَلِّقُ بِهَا كَالْوَاغِلِ الْمُدَفَّعِ، وَالنَّوْطِ الْمُذَبْذَبِ.

فلمّا قرأ زياد الكتاب قال: شهد بها وربّ الكعبة، ولم يزل في نفسه حتى ادّعاه معاويةُ.



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Amir al-mu'minin's word "al-waghil" means the man who joins the drinking group so as to drink with them but he is not one of them. He is therefore constantly turned out and pushed off. As for the words "an-nawtu'l-mudhabdhab" it is a wooden cup or a bowl or the like attached to the saddle of the rider so that it dangles when the rider drives the beast or quickens its pace.

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(1). Caliph `Umar sent Ziyad to Yemen for some encounter. When he returned after finishing the job he addressed a gathering which included Amir al-mu `minin `Umar `Amr ibn al-`As and Abu Sufyan. Impressed with the speech `Amr ibn al-`As said:

"What a good man! Had he been from the Quraysh he would have led the whole of Arabia with his stick." Whereupon Abu Sufyan said "He is from the Quraysh as I know who is his father." `Amr ibn al-`As enquired "Who was his father?" Abu Sufyan said "It is I." History also conclusively holds that Ziyad's mother Sumayyah who was the slave-maid of al-Harith ibn Kaldah and was married to a slave named `Ubayd used to lead an immoral life in a quarter of at-Ta'if known as Haratu 'l-Baghaya and immoral men used to visit her. Once Abu Sufyan also got to her through Abu Maryam as-Saluli. As a result Ziyad was born. When `Amr ibn al-`As heard this from Abu Sufyan he asked why he had not declared it. Abu Sufyan pointed to `Umar and said that he was afraid of him otherwise he would have declared him his own son. Although he would not have dared to do this when Mu`awiyah acquired power he started correspondence with him because Mu`awiyah was in need of such persons who were intelligent and cunning and expert in machinations. In any case when Amir al-mu 'minin got information about this correspondence he wrote this letter to Ziyad wherein he warned him against Mu`awiyah so that he should not fall in the trap. But he did fall in his trap and joined Mu`awiyah and the latter declared him his brother by attaching him in his kin although the Prophet had declared.

The child goes to the (lawful) husband while the adulterer gets stones.


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قال الرضي: قوله عليه السلام: ِ( الواغل)ُ: هوالذي يهجم على الشّرْب ليشرب معهم وَليس منهم، فلا يزال مُدفّعاً محاجزاً. و"النّوْط المُذَبْذَب": هو ما يناط برحل الراكب من قعب أو قدح أو ما أشبه ذلك، فهو أبداً يتقلقل إذا حث ظهره واستعجل سيره.

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