Chapter Twelve: A Number of Important Delegations

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

38. الإرشادـ في ذِكرِ وقايع ما بَعدَ غَزوَةِ حُنَينٍ ـ:

38. Al-Irshad –in respect to the incidents following the Battle of Hunayn-:

ثُمَّ سارَ ـ [النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله ]بِنَفسِهِ إلَى الطّائِفِ فَحاصَرَهُم أيّاما ،

“Then he [the Prophet] (SA) marched towards al-Ta’if and laid a siege on them for days.

وأنفَذَ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام في خَيلٍ ،

He sent out the Commander of the Faithful (AS), leading a troop of horsemen,

وأمَرَهُ أن يَطَأَ ما وَجَدَ ،

and ordered him to trample on everything he found

ويَكسِرَ كُلَّ صَنَمٍ وَجَدَهُ .

and smash every idol he found.

فَخَرَجَ حَتّى لَقِيَتهُ خَيلُ خَثعَمٍ في جَمعٍ كَثيرٍ ،

He went forward until he was met by a large troop of horsemen from the Khath`am tribe.

فَبَرَزَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ القَومِ يُقالُ لَهُ : شِهابٌ ،

One of their men, called Shihab, came forward

في غَبَشِ الصُّبحِ ،

in the darkness just before dawn.

فَقالَ : هَل مِن مُبارِزٍ ؟

He called: “Is there anyone to fight me in single combat?”

فَقالَ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام :

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) asked them:

مَن لَهُ ؟

“Any one for him?”

فَلَم يَقُم أحَدٌ ،

No one responded.

فَقامَ إلَيهِ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام ،

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) rose to go against him.

فَوَثَبَ أبُو العاصِ بنُ الرَّبيعِ زَوجُ بِنتِ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله

Then Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi`, the husband of the Prophet’s (SA) daughter (Zaynab),

فَقالَ : تُكفاهُ أيُّهَا الأَميرُ .

stood up and said: “You will be too much for him, O Commander.”

فَقالَ : لا ، ولكِن إن قُتِلتُ فَأَنتَ عَلَى النّاسِ ،

He said: “Indeed. But if I am killed, then you are to lead the people.”

فَبَرَزَ إلَيهِ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام وهُوَ يَقولُ :

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) went forward against him reciting:

 إنَّ عَلى كُلِّ رَئيسٍ حَقّا                  

‘Duty is required of every leader,

أن يُروِيَ الصَّعدَةَ أو تُدَقَّا

That he waters the straight lance [with blood] or it is broken.’

ثُمَّ ضَرَبَهُ فَقَتَلَهُ .

Then he struck him down and killed him.

ومَضى في تِلكَ الخَيلِ حَتّى كَسَرَ الأَصنامَ ،

He went on with his horsemen and smashed the idols.

وعادَ إلى رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله وهُوَ مُحاصِرٌ لِأهلِ الطّائِفِ ،

Then he returned to the Messenger of Allah (SA) who was still laying siege on the people of al-Ta’if.

فَلَمّا رَآهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله كَبَّرَ لِلفَتحِ ،

When the Prophet (SA) saw him, he magnified God saying: ‘God is greater’ for his victory.

وأخَذَ بِيَدِهِ فَخَلا بِهِ ،

He then took him by the hand, went aside with him

وناجاهُ طَويلاً .

and spent a long time in confidential talk with him.”

الإرشاد : ج1 ص152 .

Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 152.

39. الإرشاد :جاءَ في قِصَّةِ البَراءَةِ :

39. Al-Irshad: It was narrated in respect to the Chapter of Repudiation [Qur’an, 9]:

وقَد دَفَعَهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله إلى أبي بَكرٍ لِيَنبِذَ بِها عَهدَ المُشرِكينَ ،

 “The Prophet (SA) gave it to Abu Bakr to annul the alliance with the polytheists.

فَلَمّا سارَ غَيرَ بَعيدٍ نَزَلَ جَبرَئيلُ عليه السلام عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله فَقالَ لَهُ :

Before he went too far, Gabriel (AS) descended to the Prophet (SA) and said to him:

إنَّ اللّهَ يُقرِئُكَ السّلامَ ويَقولُ لَكَ :

“Allah sends his greetings to you and says:

لا يُؤَدّي عَنكَ إلّا أنتُ أو رَجُلٌ مِنكَ .

 “No one can convey it for you, except you or a man of yourself.”

فَاستَدعى رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله عَلِيّا عليه السلام وقالَ لَهُ :

The Messenger of Allah (SA) called Ali (AS) and said to him:

اِركَب ناقَتِي العَضباءَ وَالحَق أبا بَكرٍ ،

“Mount my she-camel al-‘Azba’ and catch up with Abu Bakr.

فَخُذ بَراءَةَ مِن يَدِهِ وَامضِ بِها إلى مَكَّةَ ،

Take [the declaration] of repudiation from him and go with it to Mecca

فَانبِذ عَهدَ المُشرِكينَ إلَيهِم ،

to annul the agreement with the polytheists through it.

وخَيِّر أبا بَكرٍ بَينَ أن يَسيَر مَعَ رِكابِكَ أو يَرجِعَ إلَيَّ .

Tell Abu Bakr either to go with you or to return to me.”

 فَرَكِبَ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام ناقَةَ رَسولِ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله العَضباءَ ،

The Commander of the Faithful mounted the she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (SA)

وسارَ حَتّى لَحِقَ أبا بَكرٍ ،

and caught up with Abu Bakr.

فَلَمّا رَآهُ فَزِعَ مِن لُحوقِهِ بِهِ ،

When he saw Ali (AS), he got scared of the reason for catching up with him.

واستَقبَلَهُ وقالَ :

He met him and said:

فيمَ جِئتَ يا أبَا الحَسَنِ ،

 “O Abu al-Hasan, why did you come?

أسائِرٌ مَعِي أنتَ أم لِغَيرِ ذلِكَ ؟ !

Are you to accompany me, or for some other matter?”

فَقالَ لَهُ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام :

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said to him:

إنَّ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أمَرَني أن ألحَقَكَ

“The Messenger of Allah (SA) ordered me to catch up with you,

فَأَقبِضَ مَنكَ الآياتِ مِن بَراءَةَ

to take from you the verses from the Chapter of Repudiation,

وأنبِذَ بِها عَهدَ المُشرِكينَ إلَيهِم ،

and to annul by these verses the agreement with the polytheists.

وأمَرَني أن اُخَيِّرَكَ بَينَ أن تَسيرَ مَعِي أو تَرجِعَ إلَيهِ .

He also ordered me to give you the choice of coming along with me or going back to him.”

فَقالَ : بَل أرجِعُ إلَيهِ .

He said: “I shall go back to him.”

 وعادَ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و آله ،

He went back to the Messenger of Allah (SA).

فَلَمّا دَخَلَ عَلَيهِ قالَ : يا رَسولَ اللّهِ ،

When he entered, he said: “O Messenger of Allah,

إنَّكَ أهَّلتَني لِأَمرٍ طالَتِ الأَعناقُ فيهِ إلَيَّ ،

you regarded me as worthy to undertake a mission on account of which men craned their necks towards me,

فَلَمّا تَوَجَّهتُ لَهُ

and when I went on with it,

رَدَدتَني عَنهُ ،

you dismissed me from it.

ما لي ،

What was wrong with me?

أنَزَلَ فِيَّ قُرآنٌ ؟ !

Was any verse from the Qur’an revealed concerning me?”

فَقالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه و آله :

The Prophet (SA) said:

لا ، ولكِنَّ الأَمينَ هَبَطَ إلَيَّ عَنِ اللّهِ جَلَّ جَلالُهُ بِأَنَّهُ

“No, but the Trusty one, Gabriel (AS), came to me from Allah, exalted be He, [with the command] that:

لا يُؤَدّي عَنكَ إلّا أنتَ أو رَجُلٌ مِنكَ ،

“No one can convey it for you, except by yourself or a man of yourself.

وعَلِيٌّ مِنّي ،

Ali is of myself,

ولا يُؤَدّي عَنّي إلّا عَلِيٌّ .

and no one can convey for me except’Ali.”

الإرشاد : ج1 ص65 .

Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 65.

40. تاريخ دمشق عن ابن عبّاس :

40. Tarikh Dimashq narrating from ‘Abbas who said,

بَينا أنَا مَعَ عُمَرَ بنِ الخَطّابِ في بَعضِ طُرُقِ المَدينَةِ ـ يَدُهُ في يَدي ـ إذ قالَ لي :

‘‘While I was with ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab on a way to Medina - while his hand was in my hand - he told me,

يَابنَ عَبّاسٍ ، ما أحسِبُ صاحِبَكَ إلّا مَظلوما !

‘O Ibn ‘Abbas, I do not consider your companion (i. e. ‘Ali) but an oppressed man!’

فَقُلتُ : فَرُدَّ إلَيهِ ظُلامَتَهُ يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ! !

I said to him, ‘Then give him back his due, O Commander of the Faithful!’

قالَ : فَانتَزَعَ يَدَهُ مِن يَدي ،

He drew his hand out of my hand

ونَفَرَ مِنّي يُهَمهِمُ ،

and turned away from me mumbling,

ثُمَّ وَقَفَ حَتّى لَحِقتُهُ ،

then stopped until I joined him.

فَقالَ لي : يَابنَ عَبّاسٍ ،

He said to me, ‘O Ibn ‘Abbas,

ما أحسِبُ القَومَ إلَا استَصغَروا صاحِبَكَ .

I think the people just made light of your companion,’

قُلتُ : وَاللّهِ مَا استَصغَرَهُ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله

I said, ‘By God the Messenger of Allah (SA) did not make light of him

حينَ أرسَلَهُ وأمَرَهُ أن يَأخُذَ بَراءَةَ مِن أبي بَكرٍ فَيَقرَأَها عَلَى النّاسِ ! !

when commanded him to take (back) the Declaration of Repudiation from Abu Bakr to read it out for the people!’

فَسَكَتَ .

Then he (i. e. ‘Umar) kept silent.’’

تاريخ دمشق : ج 42 ص 349 .

Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 1, p. 65.

41. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام:

41. Imam Ali (AS) said:

 بَعَثَني رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله إلَى اليَمَنِ وقالَ لي :

“The Messenger of Allah (SA) sent me to Yemen and said to me:

يا عَلِيُّ ، لا تُقاتِلَنَّ أحَدا حَتّى تَدعوَهُ ،

“O Ali, do not fight anybody, until you invite him [to Islam].

وَايمُ اللّهِ لَأَن يَهدِيَ اللّهُ عَلى يَدَيكَ رَجُلاً

By Allah, if Allah guides a man through your hands,

خَيرٌ لَكَ مِمّا طَلَعَت عَلَيهِ الشَّمسُ وغَرَبَت !

it will be better for you than whatever exist under the sun. [Editor’s note: A nearly word for word translation of this sentence is as follows: ‘‘It will be better for you than whatever on which the rays of the sun shine when it rises, and stop shining when it sets.”” This sentence is used to emphasize that you are talking about whatever (precious things) exist in the world.]

ولَكَ وَلاؤُهُ يا عَلِيُّ .

For you O Ali, will also be his loyalty.”

الكافي : ج 5 ص 28 ح 4 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 5, p. 28, h. 4.