Letter 47: Will to Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husayn (AS)

after he was wounded by Abd al-Rahman b. Muljam whilst offered the morning prayers in the mosque of Kufa.

أُوصِيكُمَا بِتَقْوَى اللهِ،

I advise you (both) to fear Allah

وَأنْ لاَ تَبْغِيَا الدُّنْيَا وَإِنْ بَغَتْكُمَا،

and that you should not hanker after the (pleasures of this) world even though it may run after you.

وَلاَ تَأْسَفَا عَلَى شَيْء مِنْهَا زُوِيَ عَنْكُمَا،

Do not be sorry for anything of this world that you have been denied.

وَقُولاَ بِالْحَقِّ،

Speak the truth

وَاعْمَلاَ لِلاْجْرِ،

and act (in expectation) for reward.

وَكُونَا لِلظَّالِمِ خَصْماً،

Be an enemy of the oppressor

وَلِلْمَظْلُومِ عَوْناً.

and helper of the oppressed.

أُوصِيكُمَا،

I advise you (both)

وَجَمِيعَ وَلَدِي وَأَهْلِي

and all my children and members of my family

وَمَنْ بَلَغَهُ كِتَابِي،

and everyone whom my writing reaches,

بِتَقْوَى اللهِ،

to fear Allah,

وَنَظْمِ أَمْرِكُمْ،

to keep your affairs in order,

وَصَلاَحِ ذَاتِ بَيْنِكُمْ،

and to maintain good relations among yourselves

فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ جَدَّكُمَا ـ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ـ يَقُولُ:

for I have heard your grand-father (the Holy Prophet - p.b.u.h.a.h.p.) saying,

"صَلاَحُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَامَّةِ الصَّلاَةِ الصِّيَامِ".

"Improvement of mutual differences is better than general prayers and fastings."

اللهَ اللهَ فِي الاْيْتَامِ،

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of orphaus.

فَلاَ تُغِبُّوا أَفْوَاهَهُمْ،

So do not allow them to starve

وَلاَ يَضِيعُوا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ.

and they should not be ruined in your presence.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي جِيرَانِكُمْ،

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of your neighbours,

فَإِنَّهُمْ وَصِيَّةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ،

because they were the subject of the Prophet's advice.

مَا زَالَ يُوصِي بِهِمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُمْ

He went on advising in their favour till we thought he would allow them a share in inheritance.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ،

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of the Qur'an.

لاَ يَسْبِقْكُمْ بِالْعَمَلِ بِهِ غَيْرُكُمْ.

No one should excel you in acting upon it.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الصَّلاَةِ،

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of prayer,

فَإِنَّهَا عَمُودُ دِينِكُمْ.

because it is the pillar of your religion.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي بَيْتِ رَبِّكُمْ،

(Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of your Lord's House (Ka'bah).

لاَ تُخْلُوهُ مَا بَقِيتُمْ،

Do not forsake it so long as you live,

فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ تُرِكَ لَمْ تُنَاظَرُوا.

because if it is abandoned you will not be spared.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْجِهَادِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

 (Fear) Allah (and) keep Allah in view in the matter of jihad with the help of your property, lives and tongues in the way of Allah.

وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالتَّوَاصُلِ وَالتَّبَاذُلِ،

You should keep to a respect for kinship and spending for others.

وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّدَابُرَ وَالتَّقَاطُعَ.

Avoid turning away from one another and severing mutual relations.

لاَ تَتْرُكُوا الاْمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ

Do not give up bidding for good and forbidding from evil

فَيُوَلَّى عَلَيْكُمْ أَشْرَارُكُمْ،

lest the mischievous gain positions over you,

ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَ فَلاَ يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ.

and then if you will pray, the prayers will not be granted.

ثمّ قال: يَا بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ،

Then he said: O sons of `Abd al-Muttalib,

لاَ أُلْفِيَنَّكُمْ تَخُوضُونَ دِمَاءَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ خَوْضاً،

certainly I do not wish to see you plunging harshly into the blood of Muslims

تَقُولُونَ:

shouting

قُتِلَ أَمِيرُالْمُؤْمِنِينَ.

"Amir al-mu'minin has been killed."

أَلاَ لاَ تَقْتُلُنَّ بِي إِلاَّ قَاتِلِي.

Beware, do not kill on account of me except my killer.

انْظُرُوا إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ مِنْ ضَرْبَتِهِ هذِهِ،

Wait till I die by his (Ibn Muljam's) existing stroke.

فَاضْرِبُوهُ ضَرْبَةً بِضَرْبَة،

Then strike him one stroke for his stroke

وَلاَ يُمَثَّلُ بِالرَّجُلِ،

and do not dismember the limbs of the man,

فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) يَقُولُ :

for I have heard the Messenger of Allah (S) saying,

"إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْمُثْلَةَ وَلَوْ بَالْكَلْبِ الْعَقُورِ".

"Avoid cutting limbs even though it may be a rabid dog."