Letter 74: A treaty which Imam Ali (AS) has worded for the Bani Rabi'a tribe and the Yemenites to agree upon

Written by Amir al-muminin as a protocol between the tribes of Rabiah and the people of Yemen. Taken from the writing of Hisham ibn (Muhammad) al-Kalbi

هذَا مَا اجْتَمَعَ عَلَيْهِ أَهْل الْـيَمَنِ حَاضِرُهَا وَبَادِيهَا،

This indenture contains what the people of Yemen, including the townsmen and nomads,

وَرَبِيعَةُ حَاضِرُهَا وَبَادِيهَا:

and the tribes of Rabi`ah, including the townsmen and nomads, have agreed upon:

أَنَّهُمْ عَلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ يَدْعُونَ إِلَيْهِ،

that they will adhere to the Book of Allah, will call to it

وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِهِ،

and order according to it and will respond to whoever calls to it

وَيُجِيبُونَ مَنْ دَعَا إِلَيْهِ وَأَمَرَ بِهِ،

and orders according to it.

لاَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِهِ ثَمَناً،

They will not sell it for any price

وَلاَ يَرْضَوْنَ بِهِ بَدَلاً،

nor accept any alternative for it.

وَأَنَّهُمْ يَدٌ وَاحِدَةٌ عَلَى مَنْ خَالَفَ ذَلِكَ وَتَرَكَهُ،

They will join hands against anyone who opposes it and abandons it.

أَنْصَارٌ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْض،

They will help one another.

دَعْوَتُهُمْ وَاحِدَةٌ،

Their voice will be one.

لاَيَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَهُمْ لِمَعْتَبَةِ عَاتِب،

They will not break their pledge on account of the rebuke of a rebuker,

وَلاَ لِغَضَبِ غَاضِب،

the wrath of an angry person,

وَلاَ لاِسْتِذْلاَلِ قَوْم قَوْماً،

the humiliating treatment of one group to the other,

وَلاَ لِمَسَبَّة ِ قَوْم قَوْماً!

or the use of abusive terms by one party against the other.

عَلَى ذلِكَ شَاهِدُهُمْ وَغَائِبُهُمْ،

This pledge is binding on those of them who are present and those of them who are absent;

وَسَفِيهُهُمْ وَعَالِمُهُمْ،

those of them who are learned and those of them who are ignorant.

وَحَلِيمُهُمْ وَجَاهِلُهُمْ.

those of them who are forbearing and those of them who are foolish;

ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ بِذلِكَ عَهْدَ اللهِ وَمِيثَاقَهُ،

Along with this the pledge of Allah is also binding on them,

إنَّ عَهْدَ اللهِ كَانَ مسْؤولاً.

and the pledge of Allah is to be accounted for.

و كتب: علي بن أبي طالب

Written by: `Ali ibn Abi Talib.