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LETTER 70

To Sahl ibn Hunayf al-Ansari his Governor of Medina about certain persons in Medina who had gone over to Mu`awiyah.

Now I have come to know that certain persons from your side are stealthily going over to Mu`awiyah. Do not feel sorry for their numbers so lost to you or for their help of which you are deprived. It is enough that they have gone into misguidance and you have been relieved of them. They are running away from guidance and truth and advancing towards blindness and ignorance. They are seekers of this world and are proceeding to it and are leaping towards it. They have known justice seen it heard it and appreciated it. They have realized that here to us all men are equal in the matter of right. Therefore they ran away to selfishness and partiality. let them remain remote and far away.

By Allah surely they have not gone away from oppression and joined justice. In this matter we only desire Allah to resolve for us its hardships and to level for us its uneveness if Allah wills; and that is an end to the matter.

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LETTER 71

To al-Mundhir ibn Jarud al-`Abdi who had misappropriated certain things given into his administrative charge.

Now the good behaviour of your father deceived me about you and I thought that you would follow his way and tread in


( 517 )

[ 70 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى سهل بن حُنَيف الانصاري، وهو عامله على المدينه، في معنى قوم من أهلها لحقوا بمعاوية

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رِجَالاً مِمَّنْ قِبَلَكَ (1) يَتَسَلَّلُونَ (2) إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَلاَ تَأْسَفْ عَلَى مَا يَفُوتُكَ مِنْ عَدَدِهِمْ، وَيَذْهَبُ عَنْكَ مِنْ مَدَدِهِمْ، فَكَفى لَهُمْ غَيّاً (3) ، وَلَكَ مِنْهُمْ شَافِياً، فِرَارُهُمْ مِنَ الْهُدَى والْحَقِّ، وَإِيضَاعُهُمْ (4) إِلَى الْعَمَى وَالْجَهْلِ، وَإِنَّمَا هُمْ أَهْلُ دُنْيَا مُقْبِلُونَ عَلَيْهَا، وَمُهْطِعُونَ إِلَيْهَا (5) قَدْ عَرَفُوا الْعَدْلَ وَرَأَوْهُ، وَسَمِعُوه ُووََعَوْهُ، وَعَلِمُوا أَنَّ النَّاسَ عِنْدَنَا فِي الْحَقِّ أُسْوَةٌ، فَهَرَبُوا إِلَى الْأَثَرَةِ، فَبُعْداً لَهُمْ وَسُحْقاً (6) !!

إِنَّهُمْ ـ وَاللهِ ـ لَمْ يَنْفِرُوا مِنْ جَوْرٍ، وَلَمْ يَلْحَقُوا بِعَدْلٍ، وَإِنَّا لَنَطْمَعُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ أَنْ يُذَلِّلَ اللهُ لَنَا صَعْبَهُ، يُسَهِّلَ لَنَا حَزْنَهُ (7) ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، وَالسَّلاَمُ.

[ 71 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى المنذر بن الجارود العَبْدي وقد خان في بعض ما ولاّه من أعماله

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ صَلاَحَ أَبِيكَ غَرَّنِي مِنْكَ، وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ تَتَّبِعُ


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his path. But according to what has reached me about you you are not giving up following your passions and are not retaining any provision for the next world. You are making this world by ruining your next life and doing good to your kinsmen by cutting yourself off from religion.

If what has reached me about you is correct then the camel of your family and the strap of your shoe is better than yourself. A man with qualities like yours is not fit to close a hole in the ground nor for performing any deed nor for increasing his position   nor for taking him as a partner in any trust nor for trusting him against misappropriation. Therefore proceed to me as soon as this letter of mine reaches you if Allah so wills.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: al-Mundhir ibn Jarud al-`Abdi is he about whom Amir al-mu'minin (peace be upon him) said that:

He looks very often at his shoulders feels proud in his garments  (appearance) and usually blows away (dust) from his shoes.

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LETTER 72

To `Abdullah ibn al-`Abbas

Now you cannot go farther than the limit of your life nor can you be given a livelihood which is not for you. Remember that this life consists of two days - a day for you and a day against you and that the world is a house (changing) authorities. Whatever  in it is for you will come to you despite your weakness; and whatever in it turns against you cannot be brought back despite your strength.


( 519 )

هَدْيَهُ (1) ، وَتَسْلُكُ سَبِيلَهُ، فَإِذَا أَنْتَ فِيَما رُقِّي َ (2) إِلَيَّ عَنْكَ لاَتَدَعُ لِهَوَاكَ انْقِيَاداً، وَلَاتُبْقِي لِآخِرَتِكَ عَتَاداً (3) ، تَعْمُرُ دُنْيَاكَ بَخَرَابِ آخِرَتِكَ، وَتَصِلُ عَشِيرَتَكَ بِقَطِيعَةِ دِينِكَ. وَلَئِنْ كَانَ مَا بَلَغَنِي عَنْكَ حَقّاً، لَجَمَلُ أَهْلِكَ وَشِسْعُ (4) نَعْلِكَ خَيْرٌ مِنْكَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ بِصِفَتِكَ فَلَيْسَ بِأَهْلٍ أَنْ يُسَدَّ بِهِ ثَغْرٌ، أَوْ يُنْفَذَ بِهِ أَمْرٌ، أَوْ يُعْلَى لَهُ قَدْرٌ، أَوْ يُشْرَكَ فِي أَمَانَة، أَوْ يُؤْمَنَ عَلَى خِيَانَة (5) . فَأقْبِلْ إِلَيَّ حِينَ يَصِلُ إِلَيْكَ كِتَابِي هذَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ. قال الرضي: وَالمنذر بن الجارود هذا هو الذي قال فيه أميرالمؤمنين عليه السلام: إنه لنظّارٌ في عِطْفَيْهِ (6) ، مُختالٌ في بُرْدَيْه (7) ، تَفّالٌ في شِرَاكَيْهِ (8) .

[ 72 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى عبدالله بن العباس

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِسَابِقٍ أَجَلَكَ، وَلاَ مَرْزوُقٍ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ؛ وَاعْلَمْ بِأنَّ الدَّهْرَ يَوْمَانِ: يَوْمٌ لَكَ وَيَوْمٌ عَلَيْكَ، وَأَنَّ الدُّنْيَا دَارُ دُوَلٍ (1) ، فَمَا كَانَ مِنْهَا لَكَ أَتَاكَ عَلَى ضَعْفِكَ، وَمَا كَانَ مِنْهَا عَلَيْكَ لَمْ تَدْفَعْهُ بقُوَّتِكَ.

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