( 420 )

LETTER 46 

To One of his Officers

Now you are surely one of those whose help I take in establishing religion and with whose help I break the haughtiness  of the sinful and guard critical boundaries. You should seek Allah's help in whatever causes you anxiety. Add a little harshness to the mixture of leniency and remain lenient where leniency is more appropriate. Adopt harshness when you cannot do without harshness. Bend your wings (in humbleness) before the subjects. Meet them with your face broad and keep yourself lenient (in behaviour) with them. Treat them equally in looking at them with half eyes or full eyes in signalling and in greeting so that the great should not expect transgression on your part and the weak should not lose hope in your justice; and that is an end to the matter.

* * * * *

WILL 47

For Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon them) when (`Abd ar-Rahman) Ibn Muljam (the curse of Allah be upon him) struck him (fatally with a sword).

I advise you (both) to fear Allah and that you should not hanker after the (pleasures of this) world even though it may run after you. Do not be sorry for anything of this world that you have been denied. Speak the truth and act (in expectation) for reward. Be an enemy of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed.


( 421 )

[ 46 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى بعض عمّاله

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّكَ مِمَّنْ أَسْتَظْهِرُ (1) بِهِ عَلَى إِقَامَةِ الدِّينِ، وَأَقْمَعُ (2) بِهِ نَحْوَةَ (3) الْأَثِيمِ (4) ، وَأَسُدُّ بِهِ لَهَاةَ (5) الثَّغْرِ (6) الْمَخُوفِ (7) . فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ عَلَى مَا أَهَمَّكَ، وَاخْلِطِ الشِّدَّةَ بِضِغْثٍ (8) مِنَ اللِّينِ، وَارْفُقْ مَا كَانَ الرِّفْقُ أَرْفَقَ، وَاعْتَزِمْ بِالشِّدَّةِ حِينَ لاَ تُغْنِي عَنْكَ إِلاَّ الشِّدَّةُ، وَاخْفِضْ لِلرَّعِيَّةِ جَنَاحَكَ، وَابْسِطْ لَهُمْ وَجْهَكَ وَأَلِنْ لَهُمْ جَانِبَكَ، وَآسِ (9) بَيْنَهُمْ فِي اللَّحْظَةِ وَالنَّظْرَةِ، وَالْإِشَارَةِ وَالتَّحِيَّةِ، حَتَّى لاَ يَطْمَعَ الْعُظَمَاءُ فِي حَيْفِكَ (10) ، وَلاَ يَيْأَسَ الضُّعَفَاءُ مِنْ عَدْلِكَ، وَالسَّلاَمُ.

* * * * *

[ 47 ] ومن وصية له عليه السلام

للحسن والحسين عليهم السلام لما ضربه ابن ملجم لعنه الله

أُوصِيكُمَا بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وأَلَّا تَبْغِيَا الدُّنْيَا وَإِنْ بَغَتْكُمَا (1) ، وَلاَ تَأْسَفَا عَلَى شَيْءٍ مِنْهَا زُوِيَ (2) عَنْكُمَا، وَقُولاَ بِالْحَقِّ، وَاعْمَلاَ لِلْأجْرِ، وَكُونَا لِلظَّالِمِ خَصْماً، وَلِلْمَظْلُومِ عَوْناً.



( 422 )

I advise you (both) and all my children and members of my family and everyone whom my writing reaches to fear Allah to keep your affairs in order and to maintain good relations among yourselves for I have heard your grand-father (the Holy Prophet - p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) saying Improvement of mutual differences is better than general prayers and fastings."

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of orphaus. So do not allow them to starve and they should not be ruined in your presence.

(Fear)Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of your neighbours, because they were the subject of the Prophet's advice. He went on advising in their favour till we thought he would allow them a share in inheritance.

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of the Qur'an. No one should excel you in acting upon it.

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of prayer, because it is the pillar of your religion.

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of your Lord's House (Ka'bah). Do not forsake it so long as you live, because if it is abandoned you will not be spared.

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of jihad with the help of your property, lives and tongues in the way of Allah.

You should keep to a respect for kinship and spending for others. Avoid turning away from one another and severing mutual relations. Do not give up bidding for good and forbidding from evil lest the mischievous gain positions over you, and then if you will pray, the prayers will not be granted.


( 423 )

أُوصِيكُمَا، وَجَمِيعَ وَلَدِي وَأَهْلِي وَمَنْ بَلَغَهُ كِتَابِي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَنَظْمِ أَمْرِكُمْ، وَصَلاَحِ ذَاتِ بَيْنِكُمْ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ جَدَّكُمَا ـ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ـ يَقُولُ: "صَلاَحُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَامَّةِ الصَّلاَةِ الصِّيَامِ".

اللهَ اللهَ فِي الأََيْتَامِ، فَلاَ تُغِبُّوا (3) أَفْوَاهَهُمْ، وَلاَ يَضِيعُوا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ. وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي جِيرَانِكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ وَصِيَّةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ، مَا زَالَ يُوصِي بِهِمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُمْ (4) .

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، لاَ يَسْبِقْكُمْ بِالْعَمَلِ بِهِ غَيْرُكُمْ.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ، فَإِنَّهَا عَمُودُ دِينِكُمْ.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي بَيْتِ رَبِّكُمْ، لاَ تُخْلُوهُ مَا بَقِيتُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ تُرِكَ لَمْ تُنَاظَرُوا (5) .

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْجِهَادِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالتَّوَاصُلِ وَالتَّبَاذُلِ (6) ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّدَابُرَ وَالتَّقَاطُعَ. لاَ تَتْرُكُوا الْأَمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ فَيُوَلَّى عَلَيْكُمْ أَشْرَارُكُمْ، ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَ فَلاَ يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ.


( 424 )

Then he said: O' sons of `Abd al-Muttalib, certainly I do not wish to see you plunging harshly into the blood of Muslims shouting "Amir al-mu'minin has been killed. Beware do not kill on account of me except my killer.

Wait till I die by his (Ibn Muljam's) existing stroke. Then strike him one stroke for his stroke and do not dismember the limbs of the man for I have heard the Messenger of Allah (p.b. u.h.a.h.p.) saying Avoid cutting limbs even though it may be a rabid dog.

LETTER 48

To Mu'awiyah

Surely revolt and falsehood abase a man in his religious as well as worldly matters and manifest his shortcomings before his critic. You know that you cannot catch what is destined to remain away from you. Many people had aims other than right (ones) and began to swear by Allah (that they will attain their goal) but He falsified them. Therefore fear the Day when happy is he who made his end happy (by good actions) while repentant is he who allowed Satan to lead him and did not resist him. You called us to a settlement through the Qur'an although you were not a man of the Qur'an and we responded to the Qur'an through its judgement and not to you; and that is an end to the matter.

* * * * *


( 425 )

ثمّ قال:

يَا بَنِي عَبْدِالْمُطَّلِبِ، لاَ أُلْفِيَنَّكُمْ (7) تَخُوضُونَ (8) دِمَاءَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ خَوْضاً، تَقُولُونَ: قُتِلَ أَمِيرُالْمُؤْمِنِينَ. أَلاَ لاَ تَقْتُلُنَّ بِي إِلاَّ قَاتِلِي.

انْظُرُوا إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ مِنْ ضَرْبَتِهِ هذِهِ، فَاضْرِبُوهُ ضَرْبَةً بِضَرْبَةٍ، وَلاَ يُمَثَّلوُا (9) بِالرَّجُلِ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَمَ يَقُولُ:( إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْمُثْلَةَ (10) وَلَوْ بَالْكَلْبِ الْعَقُورِ).

[ 48 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى معاوية

وَإِنَّ الْبَغْيَ وَالزُّورَ يُوتِغَانِ (1) الْمَرْءَ فِي دِينِهِ وَدُنْيَاهُ، وَيُبْدِيَانِ خَلَلَهُ عِنْدَ مَنْ يَعِيبُهُ، وَقَدْ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّكَ غَيْرُ مُدْرِكٍ مَا قُضِيَ فَوَاتُهُ (2) ، وَقَدْ رَامَ أَقْوَامٌ أَمْراً بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ، فَتَأَوَّلوا (3) عَلَى اللهِ فَأَكْذَبَهُمْ (4) ، فَاحْذَرْ يَوْماً يُغْتَبطُ (5) فِيهِ مَنْ أَحْمَدٍ (6) عَاقِبَةَ عَمَلِهِ، وَيَنْدَمُ مَنْ أَمْكَنٍَ (7) الشَّيْطَانَ مِنْ قِيَادِهِ فَلَمْ يُجَاذِبْهُ. وَقَدْ دَعَوْتَنَا إِلَى حُكْمِ الْقُرْآنِ وَلَسْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ، وَلَسْنَا إِيَّاكَ أَجَبْنَا، وَلَكِنَّا أَجَبْنَا الْقُرْآنَ إِلى فِي حُكْمِهِ، وَالسَّلاَمُ.

* * * * *