( 14 )

SERMON 204

What Amir al-mu'minin said generally to his companions warning them about the dangers of the Day of Judgement.

May Allah have mercy on you! Provide yourselves for the journey because the call for departure has been announced. Regard your stay in the world as very short and return (to Allah) with the best provision that is with you because surely in front of you lies a valley difficult to climb and places of stay full of fear and dangers. You have to reach there and stay in them. And know that the eyes of death are approaching towards you. It is as though you are (already) in its talons and it has struck itself against you. Difficult affairs and distressing dangers have crushed you into it. You should therefore cut away all the attachments of this world and assist yourselves with the provision of Allah's fear.

as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: A part of this saying has been quoted before through another narration.

SERMON 205

After swearing allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin Talhah and az-Zubayr complained to him that he had not consulted them or sought their assistance in the affairs (of state).

Amir al-mu'minin replied: Both of you frown over a small matter and leave aside big ones. Can you tell me of anything wherein you have a right of which I have deprived you or a share which was due to you and which I have held away from you or any Muslim who has laid any claim before me and I have been unable to decide it or been ignorant of it or committed a mistake about it?


( 141 )

[ 204 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

كان كثيراً ما ينادي به أصحابه

تَجَهَّزُوا رَحِمَكُمُ اللهُ! فَقَدْ نُودِيَ فِيكُمْ بِالرَّحِيلِ، وَأَقِلُّوا الْعُرْجَةَ (1) عَلَى الدُّنْيَا، وَانْقَلِبُوا بِصَالِحِ مَا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ مِنَ الزَّادِ، فإنَّ أَمَامَكُمْ عَقَبَةً كَؤُوداً (2) ، وَمَنَازِلَ مَخُوفَةً مَهُولَةً، لاَبُدَّ مِنَ الْوُرُودِ عَلَيْهَا، وَالْوُقُوفِ عِنْدَهَا. وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مَلاَحِظَ الْمَنِيَّةِ (3) نَحْوَكُمْ دَانِيَةٌ (4) ، وَكَأَنَّكُمْ بِمَخَالِبِهَا وَقَدْ نَشِبَتْ (5) فِيكُمْ، وَقَدْ دَهَمَتْكُمْ فِيهَا مُفْظِعَاتُ الْأُمُورِ، وَمُعْضِلاَتُ الْمَحْذُورِ. فَقَطِّعُوا عَلاَئِقَ الدُّنْيَا، وَاسْتَظْهِرُوا (6) بِزَادِ التَّقْوَى.

وقد مضى شيء من هذا الكلام فيما تقدم، بخلاف هذه الرواية.

[ 205 ] ومن كلام له عليه السلام

كلّم به طلحة والزبير بعد بيعته بالخلافة وقد عتبا من ترك مشورتهما، والاستعانة في الأمور بهما

لَقَدْ نَقَمْتُما (1) يَسِيراً، وَأَرْجَأْتُمَا (2) كَثِيراً، أَلاَ تُخْبِرَانِي، أَيُّ شَيْءٍ لَكُمَا فِيهِ حَقٌّ دَفَعْتُكُمَا عَنْهُ؟ وأَيُّ قَسْمٍ اسْتَأْثَرْتُ عَلَيْكُمَا بِهِ؟ أَمْ أَيُّ حَقٍّ رَفَعَهُ إِلَيَّ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ ضَعُفْتُ عَنْهُ، أَمْ جَهِلْتُهُ، أَمْ أَخْطَأْتُ بَابَهُ!


( 142 )

By Allah I had no liking for the caliphate nor any interest in government but you yourselves invited me to it and prepared me for it. When the caliphate came to me I kept the Book of Allah in my view and all that Allah had put therein for us and all that according to which He has commanded us to take decisions; and I followed it and also acted on whatever the Prophet - may Allah bless him and his descendants - had laid down as his sunnah. In this matter I did not need your advice or the advice of anyone else nor has there been any order of which I was ignorant so that I ought to have consulted you or my Muslim brethren. If it were so I would not have turned away from you or from others.

As regards your reference to the question of equality (in distribution of shares from the Muslim common fund) this is a matter in which I have not taken a decision by my own opinion nor have I done it by my caprice. But I found and you too (must have) found that whatever the Prophet - may Allah bless him and his descendants - brought had been finalised. Therefore I felt no need to turn towards you about a share which had been determined by Allah and in which His verdict has been passed. By Allah in this matter therefore you two or anyone else can have no favour from me. May Allah keep our hearts and your hearts in righteousness and may He grant us and you endurance.

Then Amir al-mu'minin added: May Allah have mercy on the person who when he sees the truth supports it when he sees the wrong rejects it and who helps the truth against him who is on the wrong.

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( 143 )

وَاللهِ مَا كَانَتْ لِي فِي الْخِلاَفَةِ رَغْبَةٌ، وَلاَ فِي الْوِلاَيَةِ إِرْبَةٌ (3) ، وَلكِنَّكُمْ دَعَوْتُمُونِي إِلَيْهَا، وَحَمَلْتُمُونِي عَلَيْهَا، فَلَمَّا أَفْضَتْ إِلَيَّ نَظَرْتُ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ وَمَا وَضَعَ لَنَا، وَأَمَرَنَا بِالْحُكْمِ بِهِ فَاتَّبَعْتُهُ، وَمَا اسْتَسَنَّ النَّبِيُّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ- فَاقْتَدَيْتُهُ، فَلَمْ أَحْتَجْ فِي ذلِكَ إِلَى رَأْيِكُمَا، وَلاَ رَأْيِ غَيْرِكُمَا، وَلاَ وَقَعَ حُكْمٌ جَهِلْتُهُ، فَأَسْتَشِيرَكُمَا وَإِخْوَانِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ; وَلَوْ كَانَ ذلِكَ لَمْ أَرْغَبْ عَنْكُمَا، وَلاَ عَنْ غَيْرِكُمَا. وَأَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُمَا مِنْ أَمْرِ الْأُسْوَةِ (4) ، فَإِنَّ ذلِكَ أَمْرٌ لَمْ أَحْكُمْ أَنَا فِيهِ بِرَأْيِي، وَلاَ وَلِيتُهُ هَوىً مِنِّي، بَلْ وَجَدْتُ أَنَا وَأَنْتُما مَا جَاءَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ- قَدْ فُرِغَ مِنْهُ، فَلَمْ أَحْتَجْ إِلَيْكُمَا فِيَما قَدْ فَرَغَ اللهُ مِنْ قَسْمِهِ، وَأَمْضَى فِيهِ حُكْمَهُ، فَلَيْسَ لَكُمَا، وَاللهِ، عِنْدِي وَلاَ لِغَيْرِكُمَا فِي هذَا عُتْبَى (5) .أَخَذَ اللهُ بِقُلُوبِنَا وَقُلُوبِكُمْ إِلَى الْحَقِّ، وَأَلْهَمَنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ الصَّبْرَ.

ثم قال(عليه السلام): رَحِمَ اللهُ رَجُلاً رَأَى حَقّاً فَأَعَانَ عَلَيْهِ، أَوْ رَأَى جَوْراً فَرَدَّهُ، وَكَانَ عَوْناً بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ.

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