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LETTER 39

To 'Amr ibn al-'As

You have surely made your religion subservient to the worldly seekings of a man whose misguidance is not a concealed affair and whose veil has been torn away. He mars an honourable man with his company and befools those who keep his society. You are following in his footsteps and seeking his favours like the dog that follows the lion looking at his paws and waiting for whatever remnants of his prey fall down to him. In this way you have ruined your world as well as the next life although if you had stuck to the right you would have got what you were after. If Allah grants me power over you and Ibn Abi Sufyan (Mu'awiyah) I shall award you both recompense of what you have done but if you escape and survive then hereafter there is only evil for you both; and that is an end to the matter.

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LETTER 40

To one of his officers

Now I have come to know such a thing about you that if you have done so then you have displeased your Lord disobeyed your Imam and betrayed your trust.

I have come to know that you have razed the ground and taken away whatever was under your feet and devoured what ever was in your hands. Send me your account and know that the accounting to Allah will be severer than that to the people; and that is an end to the matter.


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[ 39 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى عمروبن العاص

فَإِنَّكَ جَعَلْتَ دِينَكَ تَبْعاً لِدُنْيَا امْرِىءٍ ظَاهِرٍ غَيُّهُ، مَهْتُوكٍ سِتْرُهُ، يَشِينُ الْكَرِيمَ بِمَجْلِسِهِ، وَيُسَفِّهُ الْحَلِيمَ بِخِلْطَتِهِ، فَاتَّبَعْتَ أَثَرَهُ، وَطَلَبْتَ فَضْلَهُ، اتِّبَاعَ الْكَلْبِ لِلضِّرْغَامِ (1) ، يَلُوذُ إلَى مَخَالِبِهِ، وَيَنْتَظِرُ مَا يُلْقَى إِلَيْهِ مِنْ فَضْلِ فَرِيسَتِهِ، فَأَذْهَبْتَ دُنْيَاكَ وَآخِرَتَكَ! وَلَوْ بِالْحَقِّ أَخَذْتَ أَدْرَكْتَ مَا طَلَبْتَ، فَإِنْ يُمَكِّنِّي اللهُ مِنْكَ وَمِنِ ابْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ أَجْزِكُمَا بِمَا قَدَّمْتُما، وَإِنْ تُعْجِزَا (2) وَتَبْقَيَا فَمَا أَمَامَكُمَا شَرٌ لَكُمَا، وَالسَّلاَمُ.

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[ 40 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى بعض عماله

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي عَنْكَ أَمْرٌ، إِنْ كُنْتَ فَعَلْتَهُ فَقَدْ أَسْخَطْتَ رَبَّكَ، وَعَصَيْتَ إِمَامَكَ، وَأَخْزَيْتَ أَمَانَتَكَ (1) . بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ جَرَّدْتَ (2) الْأَرْضَ فأَخَذْتَ مَا تَحْتَ قَدَمَيْكَ، وَأَكَلْتَ مَا تَحْتَ يَدَيْكَ، فَارْفَعْ إِلَيَّ حِسَابَكَ، وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ حِسَابَ اللهِ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ حِسَابِ النَّاسِ، وَالسَّلاَمُ.