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SERMON 125

About the Kharijites and their opinion on Arbitration

We did not name people the arbitrators but we named the Qur'an the arbitrator. The Qur'an is a book covered between two flaps and it does not speak. It should therefore necessarily have an interpreter. Men alone can be such interpreters. When these people invited us to name the Qur'an as the arbitrator between us we could not be the party turning away from the Book of Allah. since Allah has said:

. . . And then if ye quarrel about anything refer it to Allah and the Prophet . . (Qur'an 4:59)

Reference to Allah means that we decide according to the Qur'an while reference to the Prophet means that we follow his Sunnah. Now therefore if arbitration were truly done through the Book of Allah (Qur'an). we would be the most rightful of all people for the Caliphate; or if it were done by the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) we would be the most preferable of them.

Concerning your point why I allowed a time lag between myself and them with regard to the Arbitration I did so in order that the ignorant may find out (the truth) and one who already knows may hold with it firmly. Possibly Allah may as a result of this peace improve the condition of these people and they will not be caught by the throats and will not before indication of the right fall into rebellion as before. Certainly the best man before Allah is he who loves most to act according to right even though it causes him hardship and grief rather than according to wrong even though it gives him benefit and increase.

So where are you being misled and from where have you been brought (to this state)? Be prepared to march to the people


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[ 125 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

في تحكيم

و ذلك بعد سماعه لأمر الحكَمين

إِنَّا لَمْ نُحَكِّمِ الرِّجَالَ، وَإِنَّمَا حَكَّمْنَا الْقُرْآنَ. وهذَا الْقُرْآنُ إِنَّمَا هُوَ خَطٌّ مَسْتُورٌ بَيْنَ الدَّفَّتَيْنِ (1) ، لاَ يَنْطِقُ بِلِسَانٍ، وَلاَ بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ تَرْجُمَانٍ، وَإِنَّمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنْهُ الرِّجَالُ. وَلَمَّا دَعَانَا الْقَوْمُ إِلَى أَنْ نُحَكِّمَ بَيْنَنَا الْقُرْآنَ لَمْ نَكُنِ الْفَرِيقَ الْمُتَوَلِّيَ عَنْ كِتَابِ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَي، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ: (فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ في شَيْء فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللهِ وَالرَّسُولِ)، فَرَدُّهُ إِلَى اللهِ أَنْ نَحْكُمَ بِكِتَابِهِ، وَرَدُّهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ أَنْ نَأْخُذَ بسُنَّتِهِ; فَإِذَا حُكِمَ بِالصِّدْقِ فِي كِتَابِ اللهِ، فَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ النَّاسِ بِهِ، وَإِنْ حُكِمَ بِسُنَّةِ رَسُولِِ اللّه صَلَّي عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَنَحْنُ أَوْلاَهُمْ بِهِ. وَأَمَّا قَوْلُكُمْ: لِمَ جَعَلْتَ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُمْ أَجَلاً فِي التَّحْكِيمِ؟ فَإِنَّمَا فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ لِيَتَبَيَّنَ الْجَاهِلُ، وَيَتَثَبَّتَ الْعَالِمُ، وَلَعَلَّ اللهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ فِي هذِهِ الْهُدْنَةِ أَمْرَ هذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ، وَلاَ تُؤْخَدُ بِأَكْظَامِهَا (2) ، فَتَعْجَلَ عَنْ تَبَيُّنِ الْحَقِّ، وَتَنْقَادَ لِأَوَّلِ الْغَيِّ. إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ اللهِ مَنْ كَانَ الْعَمَلُ بِالْحَقِّ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ـ وَإِنْ نَقَصَهُ وَكَرَثَهُ (3) ـ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ وَإِنْ جَرَّ إِلَيْهِ فَائِدَةً وَزَادَهُ، فَأَيْنَ يُتَاهُ بِكُمْ! وَمِنْ أَيْنَ أُتِيتُمْ! اسْتَعِدُّوا لِلْمَسِيرِ إِلَى قَوْمٍ حَيَارَى عَنِ الْحَقِّ لاَ يُبْصِرُونَهُ، وَمُوزَعِينَ بِالْجَوْرِ (4) لاَ


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who have deviated from the right and do not see it have been entangled in wrong-doing and are not corrected. They are away from the Book and turned from the (right) path. You are not trustworthy to rely upon nor are you holders of honour to be adhered to. You are very bad in kindling the fire of fighting. Woe to you! I had to bear a lot of worries from you. Some day I call you (to jihad) and some day I speak to you in confidence you are neither true free men at the time of call nor trustworthy brothers at the time of speaking in confidence.

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SERMON 126

When Amir al-mu'minin was spoken ill of for showing equality in the distribution (of shares from Bayt al-mal or the Muslim Public Treasury) he said:

Do you command me that I should seek support by oppressing those over whom I have been placed? By Allah I won't do so as long as the world goes on and as long as one star leads another in the sky. Even if it were my property I would have distributed it equally among them then why not when the property is that of Allah. Beware; certainly that giving of wealth without any right for it is wastefulness and lavishness. It raises its doer in this world but lowers him in the next world. It honours him before people but disgraces him with Allah. If a man gives his property to those who have no right for it or do not deserve it Allah deprives him of their gratefulness and their love too would be for others. Then if he falls on bad days and needs their help they would prove the worst comrades and ignoble friends.

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( 477 )

يَعْدِلُونَ (5) بِهِ، جُفَاةٍ عَنِ الْكِتَابِ، نُكُبٍ (6) عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ. مَا أَنْتُمْ بَوَثِيقَةٍ (7) يُعْلَقُ بِهَا، وَلاَ زَوَافِرَ (8) عِزٍ يُعْتَصَمُ إِلَيْهَا. لَبِئْس حُشَّاشُ (9) نَارِ الْحَرْبِ أَنْتُمْ! أُفٍّ لَكُمْ! لَقَدْ لَقِيتُ مِنْكُمْ بَرْحاً (10) ، يَوْماً أُنَادِيكُمْ وَيَوْماً أُنَاجِيكُمْ، فَلاَ أحْرارُ صِدْقٍ عِنْدَ النِّدَاءِ (11) ، وَلاَ إِخْوَانُ ثِقَةٍ عِنْدَ النَّجَاءِ (12) !

[ 126 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

لمّا عوتب على التسوية في العطاء

أَتَأْمُرُونِّي أَنْ أَطْلُبَ النَّصْرَ بِالْجَوْرِ فِيمَنْ وُلِّيتُ عَلَيْهِ! وَاللهِ لاَ أَطُورُ (1) بِهِ مَا سَمَرَ سَمِيرٌ (2) ، وَمَا أَمَّ (3) نَجْمٌ فِي السَّمَاءِ نَجْماً! لَوْ كَانَ الْمَالُ لِي لَسَوَّيْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَكَيْفَ وَإِنَّمَا الْمَالُ مَالُ اللهِ لَهُمْ. أَلاَ وَإِنَّ إِعْطَاءَ الْمَالِ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ تَبْذِيرٌ وَإِسْرَافٌ، وَهُوَ يَرْفَعُ صَاحِبَهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَيَضَعُهُ فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَيُكْرِمُهُ فِي النَّاسِ وَيُهِينُهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ، وَلَمْ يَضَعِ امْرُؤٌ مَالَهُ فِي غَيْرِ حَقِّهِ وَعِنْدَ غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ إِلاَّ حَرَمَهُ اللهُ شُكْرَهُمْ وَكَانَ لِغَيْرِهِ وَدُّهُمْ، فَإِنْ زَلَّتْ بِهِ النَّعْلُ يَوْماً فَاحْتَاجَ إِلى مَعُونَتِهِمْ فَشَرُّ خَلِيلٍ وَالْأَمُ خَدِينٍ! (4) .

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