أ ـ إنكارُ سَبِّهِ
Denial of Revilement
923. المستدرك على الصحيحين عن عبيد اللّه بن أبي مليكة :
923. Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihayn, reporting from Ubaidullah ibn Abu Malika, who said:
جاءَ رَجُلٌ مِن أهلِ الشّامِ فَسَبَّ عَلِيّا عِندَ ابنِ عبّاسٍ ،
“A man from Syria came and reviled Ali in the presence of Ibn Abbas.
فَحَصَبَهُ ابنُ عَبّاسِ فَقالَ :
Ibn Abbas threw a pebble at him and said:
يا عَدُوَّ اللّهِ ، آذَيتَ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله
‘O enemy of God! You have thereby hurt the Messenger of God (SA),
«إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَ الْأَخِرَةِ وَ أَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا» ! الأحزاب : 57 .
“ Indeed, those who hurt God and His Messenger are cursed by God in the world and the Hereafter, and He has prepared a humiliating punishment for them”. Quran, 33: 57.
لَو كانَ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله حَيّا لآَذَيتَهُ .
Had the Messenger of God (SA) been alive, you would have hurt him.’”
المستدرك على الصحيحين : ج3 ص131 ح4618 .
Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 131, h. 4618.
924. تاريخ الطبري عن عليّ بن محمّد :
924. Tarikh al-Tabari, reporting from Ali ibn Muhammad, who said:
خَطَبَ بُسرٌ عَلى مِنبَرِ البَصرَةِ ، فَشَتَمَ عَلِيّا عليه السلام ،
“Busr spoke on the pulpit of Basra and reviled Ali (AS).
ثُمَّ قالَ :
He then said:
نَشَدتُ اللّهَ رَجُلاً عَلِمَ أنّي صادِقٌ إلّا صَدَّقَني ،
‘I implore by God a man, who knows that I am truthful, to attest to me,
أو كاذِبٌ إلّا كَذَّبَني !
or that I am a liar, to deny me!’
قالَ : فَقالَ أبو بَكرَةَ : اللّهُمَّ إنّا لا نَعلَمُكَ إلّا كاذِبا .
He said: Abu Bakra said: By God, we only know you are a liar.
قالَ : فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَخُنِقَ ،
He said: He commanded that he be strangled.
قالَ : فَقامَ أبو لُؤلُؤَةَ الضَّبِّيُّ فَرَمى بِنَفسِهِ عَلَيهِ ، فَمَنَعَهُ .
He said: Abu Lu’lu’a al-Dabbi stood and threw himself on him and prevented him.”
تاريخ الطبري : ج5 ص167 .
Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 5, p. 167.
925. المستدرك على الصحيحين عن أبي عبد اللّه الجدلي :
925. Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihayn, reporting from Abu Abdillah al- Jadali, who said:
دَخَلتُ عَلى اُمِّ سَلَمَةَ فَقالَت لي : أيُسَبُّ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله فيكُم ؟
“I entered upon Umm Salama, so she said to me: Is the Messenger of God reviled among you?
فَقُلتُ : مَعاذَ اللّهِ ـ أو : سُبحانَ اللّهِ ! أو كَلِمَةً نَحوَها ـ
I said: I seek refuge in God or ‘Glory be to God’,
فَقالَت : سَمِعتَ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله يَقولُ :
She said: I heard the Messenger of God (SA) say:
مَن سَبَّ عَلِيّا فقد سَبَّني .
Whoever reviles Ali has indeed reviled me.”
المستدرك على الصحيحين : ج3 ص130 ح4615 .
Al-Mustadrak Ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 130, h. 4615.
926. صحيح مسلم عن عامر بن سعد بن أبي وقّاص عن أبيه :أمَرَ مُعاوِيَةُ بنُ أبي سُفيانَ سَعدا فَقالَ : ما مَنَعَكَ أن تَسُبَّ أبا التُّرابِ؟
926. Sahih Muslim, reporting from Amir ibn Sa‘d ibn Abu Waqqas, who said: “Muawiyah ibn Abu Sufyan commanded Sa’d and said to him: “What prevents you from reviling Abu Turab?
فَقالَ : أما ما ذَكَرتُ ثَلاثا قالَهُنَّ لَهُ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله
He said: Since I remember three things said by the Messenger of God (SA) concerning him,
فَلَن أسُبَّهُ ؛
I will never revile nor him.
لأَنَ تَكونَ لي واحِدَةٌ مِنهُنَّ أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِن حُمرِ النَّعَمِ .
Had I had one of them, it would have been dearer to me than the red camels.
سَمِعُتَ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله يَقولُ لَهُ ، خَلَّفَهُ في بَعضِ مَغازيهِ ،
I heard the Messenger of God (SA) say the following to Ali after he had left him behind in one of his military campaigns.
فَقالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ : يا رَسولُ اللّهِ ، خَلَّفتَني مَعَ النِّساءِ وَالصِّبيانِ ؟
Ali said to him: O the Messenger of God, you left me behind with the women and children.
فَقالَ لَهُ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله :
Thereupon the Messenger of God (SA) said to him:
«أما تَرضى أن تَكونَ مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ هارونَ مِن موسى إلّا أنَّهُ لا نُبُوَّةَ بَعدي» .
Are you not pleased to be in relation unto me as Aaron was in relation unto Moses, except that there is no Prophethood after me.
وسَمِعتُهُ يَقولُ يَومَ خَيبَرَ :
I also heard him say on the Day of Khaybar:
«لاُعطِيَنَّ الرّايَةَ رَجُلاً يُحِبُّ اللّهَ ورَسولَهُ ، ويُحِبُّهُ اللّهُ ورَسولُهُ» .
I shall certainly give the standard to a man who loves God and his Messenger and whom God and his Messenger love.
قالَ : فَتَطاوَلنا لَها ،
He said: We had been anxiously waiting for it,
فَقالَ : «اُدعوا لي عَليِّا» .
when he said: ‘Call Ali’.
فاُتِيَ بِه أرمَدَ ،
He was (called and) brought while he was sore-eyed.
فَبَصَقَ في عَينِهِ وَدَفَعَ الرّايَةَ إلَيهِ ،
The Messenger of God applied saliva to his eyes and handed the standard over to him,
فَفَتَحَ اللّهُ عَلَيهِ .
and so God gave him victory.
ولَمّا نَزَلَت هذِهِ الآيَةَ : «فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْاْ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ» آل عمران : 61 .
When this verse was revealed: ‘Then say,“ Come! Let us call our sons and your sons’,” Quran, 3:61.
دَعا رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله عَلِيّا وفاطِمَةَ وحَسَنا وحُسَينا فَقالَ : «اللّهُمَّ هؤُلاءِ أهلي» .
the Messenger of God (SA) called Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain and said: O God, they are my household.”
صحيح مسلم : ج4 ص1871 ح32 .
Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1871, h 32.
ب ـ اِمتِناعُ النّاسِ مِن سَبِّهِ
The Refusal of the People to Revile Him
927. تاريخ اليعقوبيـ في حَوادِثِ سَنَةِ (44 ه ) ـ:
927. Tarikh al-Yaqubi reporting - concerning the events of the year 44 AH:
في هذِهِ السَّنَةِ عَمِلَ مُعاوِيَةُ المَقصورَةَ فِي المَسجِدِ ،
“In this year Muawiyah built a booth in the Mosque,
وأخَرَجَ المَنابِرَ إلَى المُصَلّى فِي العيدَينِ ،
brought forth the pulpit to the prayer area for the two Festivals,
وخَطَبَ الخُطبَةَ قَبلَ الصَّلاةِ ،
and delivered a sermon before the prayer.
وذلِكَ أنَّ النّاسَ إذا صَلَّوا انصَرَفوا لِئَلّا يَسمَعوا لَعنَ عَلِيٍّ ،
For people would go away after they had prayed, lest they hear ‘Ali’s curse.
فَقَدَّمَ مُعاوِيَةُ الخُطبَةَ قَبلَ الصَّلاةِ ،
Muawiyah brought forward the sermon and delayed the prayer,
ووَهَبَ فَدَكا لِمَروانَ بنِ الحَكَمِ لِيُغيظَ بِذلِكَ آلَ رَسولِ اللّهِ .
even as he granted Fadak to Marwan ibn al-Hakam in order to enrage the household of the Messenger of God.”
تاريخ اليعقوبي : ج2 ص223 .
Tarikh al-Yaqubi, vol. 2, p. 223.
928. الطبقات الكبرى عن سعد بن محمّد بن الحسن بن عطيّة :
928. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, reporting from Sa‘d ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Atiyya, who said:
جاءَ سَعدُ بنُ جُنادَةَ إلى عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ وهُوَ بِالكوفَةِ ،
“Sa‘d ibn Junada came to Ali ibn Abi Talib when he was in Kufah.
فَقالَ : يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ، إنَّهُ وُلِدَ لي غُلامٌ فَسَمِّهِ .
He said: O’ Commander of the Faithful, a son was born to me, [so] name him.
قالَ : هذَا عَطِيَّةُ اللّهِ .
He said: ‘Atiyyatullah, [Atiyyatullah: the gift of God.]
فَسُمِّيَ عَطِيَّةُ . (هو عطيّة بن سعد بن جنادة العوفي ، من أعلام التابعين . وهو أوّل من زار قبر الإمام الحسين عليه السلام مع جابر بن عبد اللّه الأنصاري .)
he was thus named Atiyya. [He was Atiyyah ibn Sa’d ibn Junadah al-Awfi who was a prominent Tabii (successor). He was the first person to visit the grave of Imam al-Husain with Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari.]
وكانَت اُمُّهُ اُمَّ وَلَدٍ رومِيَّةً .
His mother was a Roman bondswoman.
وخَرَجَ عَطِيَّةُ مَعَ ابنِ الأَشعَثِ عَلَى الحَجّاجِ ، فَلَمَّا انهَزَمَ جَيشُ ابنِ الأَشعَثِ هَرَبَ عَطِيَّةُ إلى فارِسَ ،
Atiyah revolted with Ibn al-Ashath against al-Hajjaj; when the army of Ibn al-Ashath was defeated, Atiyyah fled to Faris.
فَكَتَبَ الحَجّاجُ إلى مُحَمَّدِ بنِ القاسِمِ الثَّقَفِيِّ : أنِ ادعُ عَطِيَّةَ ،
So al-Hajjaj wrote to Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Thaqafi to summon Atiyya
فَإِن لَعَنَ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ
in order to curse Ali ibn Abi Talib,
وإلّا فَاضرِبهُ أربَعَمِئَةِ سَوطٍ وَاحلِق رَأسَهُ ولِحيَتَهُ .
or else, strike him four hundred lashes and shave his head and beard.
فَدَعاهُ فَأَقرَأَهُ كِتابَ الحَجّاجِ ،
He summoned him and made him read the letter of al-Hajjaj.
فَأَبى عَطِيَّةُ أن يَفعَلَ ، فَضَرَبَهُ أربَعَمِئَةِ سَوطٍ وحَلَقَ رَأسَهُ ولِحيَتَهُ .
When Atiyyah refused to comply, he struck him four hundred lashes and shaved his head and beard.”
الطبقات الكبرى : ج6 ص304 .
Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 6, p. 304.
ج ـ مَدينَةٌ امتَنَعَت مِن سَبِّهِ
A City Refuses to Revile Him
929. معجم البلدانـ في وَصفِ مَدينَةِ سِجِستانَ ـ: قالَ الرَّهنِيُّ :
929. Mu‘jam al-Buldan’ in describing the city of Sijistan, writes: Al-Rahani said:
وأجَلُّ مِن هذَا كُلِّهِ أنَّهُ لُعِنَ عَلِيُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ رضى الله عنه عَلى مَنابِرِ الشَّرقِ وَالغَربِ
“Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) would be cursed on the pulpits of the East and West,
ولَم يُلعَن عَلى مِنبَرِها إلّا مَرَّةً ،
but he was not cursed on its pulpits except once.
وَامتَنَعوا عَلى بَني اُمَيَّةَ حَتّى زادوا في عَهدِهِم ألاّ يُلعَنَ عَلى مِنبَرِهِم أحَدٌ ،
They refused to comply with the Umayyads, such that they agreed that no one be cursed from their pulpit,
ولا يَصطادوا في بَلَدِهِم قُنفُذا ولا سُلحَفاةً ،
nor should any hedgehog or tortoise be hunted in their city.
وأيُّ شَرَفٍ أعظَمُ مِنِ امِتناعِهِم مِن لَعنِ أخي رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله عَلى مِنبَرِهِم
What is more honourable than their refusal to curse the brother of the Messenger of God on their pulpit,
وهُوَ يُلعَنُ عَلى مَنابِرِ الحَرَمَينِ مَكَّةَ وَالمَدينَةِ ! !
when he was being cursed on the pulpits of the two sanctuaries of Mecca and Madinah!”
معجم البلدان : ج3 ص191 .
Mu‘jam al-Buldan, vol. 3, p. 191.
د ـ الِامتِناعُ مِنَ البَراءَةِ
Refusal to Disassociation
930. تاريخ الطبري عن أبي مخنفـ
930. Tarikh al-Tabari, reporting from Abu Mikhnaf
في بَيانِ مَقتَلِ حُجرِ بنِ عَدِيٍّ وأصحابِهِ ـ:
concerning the killing of Hujr ibn Adi and his companions:
جاءَ رَسولُ مُعاوِيَةَ إلَيهِم بِتَخلِيَةِ سِتَّةٍ وبِقَتلِ ثَمانِيَةٍ ،
“The messenger of Muawiyah came to them with a message to the effect that six of them be freed and eight be killed.
فَقالَ لَهُم رَسولُ مُعاوِيَةَ :
The messenger of Muawiyah said to them:
إنّا قَد اُمِرنا أن نَعرِضَ عَلَيكُمُ البَراءَةَ مِن عَلِيٍّ وَاللَّعَن لَهُ ،
Indeed, we have been commanded to offer to you the disassociation from Ali.
فَإِن فَعَلتُم تَرَكناكُم ،
If you do, we will leave you;
وإن أبَيتُم قَتَلناكُم ،
however, if you refuse, we will kill you.
وإنَّ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ يَزعُمُ أنَّ دِماءَكُم قَد حَلَّت لَهُ بِشَهادَةِ أهلِ مِصرِكُم عَلَيكُم ،
For the Commander of the Faithful claims that spilling your blood is permissible for him based on the testimony of your fellow city dwellers against you.
غَيرَ أنَّهُ قَد عفا عَن ذلِكَ ،
However, he has forgiven you on condition that
فَابرَؤوا مِن هذَا الرَّجُلِ نُخَلِّ سَبيلَكُم .
you disassociate yourselves from this man.
قالوا : اللّهُمَّ إنّا لَسنا فاعِلي ذلِكَ .
They said: O God, indeed we will not do that.
فَأَمَرَ بِقُبورِهِم فَحُفِرَت ،
He commanded that their graves be dug,
واُدِنَيت أكفانُهُم ،
their shrouds be brought.
وقامُوا اللَّيلَ كُلَّهُ يُصَلّونَ ،
They spend the entire night in prayer.
فَلَمّا أصبَحوا قالَ أصحابُ مُعاوِيَةَ : يا هؤُلاءِ ،
When they arose in the morning, the companions of Muawiyah said: O these!
لَقَد رَأَيناكُمُ البارِحَةَ قَد أطلَتُمُ الصَّلاةَ ،
Indeed, we saw you last night extending your prayer
وأحسنتُمُ الدُّعاءَ ،
and your supplication.
فَأَخبِرونا ما قَولُكُم في عُثمانَ ؟
Inform us of your opinion about Uthman.
قالوا : هُوَ أوَّلُ مَن جارَ فِي الحُكمِ ،
They said: He was the first to judge unjustly
وعَمِلَ بِغَيرِ الحَقِّ .
and act contrary to the truth.
فَقالَ أصحابُ مُعاوِيَةَ : أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ كانَ أعلمُ بِكُم ،
The companions of Muawiyah said: The Commander of the Faithful was more knowledgeable about you.
ثُمَّ قاموا إلَيهِم فَقالوا : تَبرَؤونَ مِن هذَا الرَّجُلِ ؟
They stood before them and said: Will you disassociate yourselves from this man?
قالوا : بَل نَتَوَلّاهُ وَنَتَبَرَّأُ مِمَّن تَبَرَّأَ مِنهُ .
They said: Nay, we will befriend him and disassociate ourselves from him who disassociates himself from him.
فَأَخَذَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنهُم رَجُلاً لِيَقتُلَهُ ،
Each one of them took a man to kill.
ووَقَعَ قَبيصَةُ بنُ ضُبَيعَةَ في يَدَي أبي شَريفٍ البَدّيِّ ،
Qabisa ibn Dubayah fell into the hands of Abi Sharif al-Baddi.
فَقالَ لَهُ قَبيصَةُ : إنَّ الشَّرَّ بَينَ قَومي وقَومِكَ آمِنٌ ،
Qabisa said to him: ‘There is a peace treaty between my tribe and yours,
فَليَقتُلني سِواكَ ،
so let someone other than you kill me’.
فَقالَ لَهُ : بَرَّتكَ رَحِمٌ !
He said: ‘Family ties have exonerated you!’
فَأَخَذَ الحَضرَمِيَّ فَقَتَلَهُ ،
He thus took al-Hadrami and killed him,
وقَتَلَ القُضاعِيُّ قَبيصَةَ بنَ ضُبَيعَةَ .
whereas al-Qudaiy killed Qabisah ibn Dubayah.
قالَ : ثُمَّ إنَّ حُجرا قالَ لَهُم :
He said: Then Hujr said to them:
دَعوني أتَوَضَّأُ ،
‘Leave me to perform ablution,
قالوا لَهُ : تَوَضَّأ ،
they said: Perform it.
فَلَمّا أن تَوَضَّأَ قالَ لَهُم :
After he performed ablution he said to them:
دَعوني اُصَلّي رَكعَتَينِ ،
Allow me to perform two units of prayer.
فَاَيمُنُ اللّهِ ما تَوَضَّأتُ قَطُّ إلّا صَلَّيتُ رَكعَتَينِ .
By God, I have never performed ablution, but that I performed two units of prayer following it’.
قالوا : لِتصُلَّ . ِ
They said: ‘Pray!’
فَصَلّى ثُمَّ انصَرَفَ فَقالَ :
He prayed and then returned and said:
وَاللّهِ ما صَلَّيتُ صَلاةً قَطُّ أقصَرَ مِنها ،
‘By God, I have never performed a prayer shorter than this,
ولَولا أن تَرَوا أنَّ ما بي جَزَعٌ مِنَ المَوتِ لَأَحبَبتُ أن أستَكثِرَ مِنها ،
so that you may not assume that I have fear of death for I would have loved to increase it’.
ثُمَّ قالَ : اللّهُمَّ إنّا نَستَعديكَ عَلى اُمَّتِنا ،
He then said:‘ O God! We appeal your assistance against our community,
فَإِنَّ أهلَ الكوفَةِ شَهِدوا عَلَينا ،
for indeed the people of Kufah have born testimony against us
وإنَّ أهَلَ الشّامِ يَقتُلونَنا ،
and the Syrians are killing us.
أمَا وَاللّهِ لَئِن قَتَلتُموني بِها إنّي لَأَوَّلُ فارِسٍ مِنَ المُسلِمين هَلَكَ في واديها ،
By God, if you kill me here, I will be the first Muslim warrior to be killed in its valley
وأوَّلُ رَجُلٍ مِنَ المُسلِمينَ نَبَحَتهُ كِلابُها .
and the first of the Muslims whose dogs (Mu‘awiyah and his men) have (ever) barked at’.
فَمَشى إلَيهِ الأَعوَرُ هُدبَةُ بنُ فَيّاضٍ بِالسَّيفِ ، فَاُرعِدَت خَصائِلُهُ ،
The one eyed, Hudba ibn Fayyad walked to him with a sword when his body began to shiver.
فَقالَ : كَلّا ، زَعَمتَ أنَّكَ لا تَجزَعُ مِنَ المَوتِ ،
Hudba said: ‘Nay, you claimed that you do not fear death.
فَأنَا أدَعُكَ فَابرَأ مِن صاحِبِكَ .
I will leave you if you disassociate from your master.’
فَقالَ : ما لي لا أجزَعُ وأنا أرى قَبرا مَحفورا ،
He said: How is it that I do not fear when I see a grave dug,
وكَفَنا مَنشورا ،
a shroud spread
وسَيفا مَشهورا ،
and a sword unsheathed.
وإنّي وَاللّهِ إن جَزِعتُ مِنَ القَتلِ لا أقولُ ما يُسخِطُ الرَّبَّ .
By God, if I fear death, I will not say what angers my Lord’.
فَقَتَلَهُ ، وأقبَلوا يَقتُلونَهُم واحِدا واحِدا حَتّى قَتَلوا سِتَّةً .
He thus killed him, and thereafter they set out to kill them one, by one until they killed six of them.”
تاريخ الطبري : ج5 ص275 .
Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 5, p. 275.
ه ـ رَفعُ السُّبِّ عَنهُ
The Lift of Revilement
931. الكامل في التاريخ :
931. Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh relates:
كانَ بَنو اُمَيَّةَ يَسُبّونَ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ عليه السلام ،
The Umayyads would revile the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS)
إلى أن وَلِيَ عُمَرُ بنُ عَبدِ العَزيزِ الخِلافَةَ ،
until Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz became the Caliph.
فَتَرَكَ ذلِكَ وكَتَبَ إلَى العُمّالِ فِي الآفاقِ بِتَركِهِ .
He abandoned that and wrote to his governors on the outskirts to abandon it.
وكانَ سَبَبُ مَحَبَّتِهِ عَلِيّا أنَّهُ قالَ :
The reason for his love of Ali was what he recounted as follows:
كُنتُ بِالمَدينَةِ أ تَعَلَّمُ العِلمَ ،
“I was in Madinah acquiring knowledge.
وكُنتُ ألزَمُ عُبَيدَ اللّهِ بنَ عَبدِ اللّهِ بنِ عُتبَةَ بنِ مَسعودٍ ،
I was attached to Ubaidullah ibn Abdullah ibn Utba ibn Masud.
فَبَلَغَهُ عَنّي شَيءٌ مِن ذلِكَ ،
He was informed about something like that from me.
فَأَتَيتُهُ يَوما وهُوَ يُصَلّي ،
One day I came to him while he was praying;
فَأَطالَ الصَّلاةَ ،
he extended his prayer,
فَقَعَدتُ أنتَظِرُ فَراغَهُ ،
but I sat waiting for him to finish.
فَلَمّا فَرَغَ مِن صَلاتِهِ التَفَتَ إلَيَّ
When he finished his prayer, he turned towards me
فَقالَ لي :
and said:
مَتى عَلِمتَ أنَّ اللّهَ غَضِبَ عَلى أهلِ بَدرٍ وبَيعَةِ الرِّضوانِ بَعدَ أن رَضِيَ عَنهُم ؟
‘When did you know that God was angry with the people of Badr and the allegiance of al-Ridwan after having been well pleased with them?’
قُلتُ : لَم أسمَع ذلِكَ .
I said: ‘I did not hear that.’
قالَ :
He said:
فَمَا الَّذي بَلَغَني عَنكَ في عَلِيٍّ ؟
‘What is that which has reached me from you about Ali?’
فَقُلتُ : مَعذِرَةً إلَى اللّهِ وإلَيكَ ! وتَرَكتُ ما كُنتُ عَلَيهِ .
I said: ‘I apologise to God and to you!’ I then abandoned that which I used to do.
وكانَ أبي إذا خَطَبَ فَنالَ مِن عَلِيٍّ رضى الله عنه تَلَجلَجَ ،
When my father used to preach and revile ‘Ali, he would stutter.
فَقُلتُ : يا أبَه ، إنَّكَ تَمضي في خُطبَتِكَ ،
I then said: ‘O father! You proceed well in your [Friday] sermons,
فَإِذا أتَيتَ عَلى ذِكرِ عَلِيّ عَرَفتُ مِنكَ تَقصيرا !
but when you reach the mention of Ali, I see you fall short of it.’
قالَ : أ وَفطِنَت لِذلِكَ ؟
He said: ‘Have you realised that?’
قُلتُ : نَعَم .
I said: ‘Yes’.
فَقالَ : يا بُنَيَّ ، إنَّ الَّذينَ حَولَنا لَو يَعلَمونَ مِن عَلِيٍّ ما نَعلَمُ تَفَرَّقوا عَنّا إلى أولادِهِ .
He then said: O my son! If those around us had known about Ali what we know, they would have dispersed from around us to his sons.’”
فَلَمّا وَلِيَ الخِلافَةَ لَم يَكُن عِندَهُ مِنَ الرَّغبَةِ فِي الدُّنيا ما يَرتَكِبُ هذَا الأَمرَ العَظيمَ لاِجلِها ، فَتَرَكَ ذلِكَ وكَتَبَ بِتَركِهِ ، وقَرَأَ عِوَضَهُ :
When he became the Caliph, he had no liking for this world such that he would rush to commit such a grave thing; he thus abandoned it and wrote to his governors to do so. He would recite in place of it:
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَ الْاءِحْسَـنِ وَ إِيتَآىءِ ذِى الْقُرْبى» الآيةَ النحل : 90 . ،
“ Indeed, God enjoins justice and kindness and generosity towards relatives” Quran, 16:90.
فَحَلَّ هذَا الفِعلَ عِندَ النّاسِ مَحَلّاً حَسَنا ،
This action left a favourable impression on people,
وأكثَروا مَدحَهُ بِسَبَبِهِ .
which increased their praise of him.”
الكامل في التاريخ : ج3 ص255 .
Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh: vol. 3, p. 255.
