Chapter Three: The Plot to Assassinate the Imam (AS)

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.

534. الإرشاد عن أبي مخنف لوط بن يحيى وإسماعيل بن راشد وأبي هشام الرفاعي وأبي عمرو الثقفي وغيرهم:

534. Al-Irshad, reporting from Abu Mikhnaf, Lut ibn Yahya, Ismail ibn Rashid, Abu Hisham al-Rifai, Abu Amr al-Thaqafi and others who related:

 إنَّ نَفَرا مِن الخَوارِجِ اجتَمَعوا بِمَكَّةَ ،

“A group of the Kharijites gathered at Mecca,

فَتَذاكَرُوا الاُمَراءَ ،

and mentioned the leaders [of the people]

فَعابوهُم وعابوا أعمالَهُم عَلَيهِم ،

and censured them and their actions.

وذَكَروا أهلَ النَّهروانِ وتَرَحَّموا عَلَيهِم ،

They remembered the people of al-Nahrawan and asked [God] to have mercy upon them.

فَقالَ بَعضُهُم لِبَعضٍ :

Then they said to each other:

لَو أنّا شَرَينا أنفُسَنا للِّهِ ،

‘If only we devoted ourselves to God,

فَأَتَينا أئِمَّةَ الضَّلالِ ،

and then went to the leaders of misguidance

فَطَلَبنا غِرَّتَهُم ،

and sought a moment when they were inattentive

فَأَرَحنا مِنهُمُ العِبادَ وَالبِلادَ ،

and then rid the country and the worshippers of them

وثَأَرنا بِإِخوانِنا لِلشُّهَداءِ بِالنَّهرَوانِ .

and also avenged our brothers, the martyrs at al-Nahrawan.’

 فَتَعاهَدوا عِندَانقِضاءِ الحَجِّ عَلى ذلِكَ ،

They made a covenant to do that after the completion of the pilgrimage.

فَقالَ عَبدُ الرَّحمنِ بنُ مُلجَمٍ :

 ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam said:

أنَا أكفيكُم عَلِيّا ،

“I’ll take care of [killing] Ali for you.”

وقالَ البَرَكُ بنُ عَبدِ اللّهِ التَّميمِيُّ :

Al-Barak ibn ‘Abdullah al-Tamimi said:

أنَا أكفيكُم مُعاوِيَةَ ،

“I will take care of (killing) Muawiyah for you.”

وقالَ عَمرُو بنُ بَكرٍ التَّميمِيُّ :

‘Amr ibn Bakr al-Tamimi said:

أنَا أكفيكُم عَمرَو بنَ العاصِ ،

“I will take care of (killing) ‘Amr ibn al-As for you.”

وتَعاقَدوا عَلى ذلِكَ ،

They made a compact to do that

وتَوافَقوا عَلَيهِ وعَلَى الوَفاءِ ،

and bound themselves to its fulfillment.

وَاتَّعَدوا لِشَهرِ رَمَضانَ في لَيلَةِ تِسعَ عَشَرَةَ ،

They committed themselves [to execute it] on the night of the nineteenth [of the month] of Ramadan.

ثُمَّ تَفَرَّقوا .

On that they separated.

 فَأَقبَلَ ابنُ مُلجَمٍ ـ وكانَ عِدادُهُ في كِندَةَ ـ حَتّى قَدِمَ الكوفَةَ ،

Ibn Muljam, set out - he was numbered among Kinda - until he came to Kufah.

فَلَقِيَ بِها أصحابَهُ ،

There he met his colleagues,

فَكَتَمَهُم أمرَهُ مَخافَةَ أن يَنتَشِرَ مِنهُ شَيءٌ .

but he kept his task secret from them out of fear that something of it might spread around.

فَهُوَ في ذلِكَ إذ زارَ رَجُلاً مِن أصحابِهِ ذاتَ يَومٍ ـ مِن تَيمِ الرُّبابِ ـ

The situation was like that until one day he visited one of his colleagues from Taym al-Rubab.

فَصادَفَ عِندَهُ قُطامَ بِنتَ الأَخضَرِ التَّيمِيَّةَ ،

There he met by chance Qatam, daughter of al-Akhdar al-Taymiyya.

وكانَ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام قَتَلَ أباها وأخاها بِالنَّهروَانِ ،

The Commander of the believers (AS) had killed her father and brother at al-Nahrawan.

وكانَت مِن أجمَلِ نِساءِ زَمانِها ،

She was one of the most beautiful women of her time.

فَلَمّا رَآهَا ابنُ مُلجَمٍ شَغِفَ بِها وَاشتَدَّ إعجابُهُ بِها ،

When Ibn Muljam saw her, he fell in love with her,

فَسَأَلَ في نِكاحِها وخَطَبَها

and his admiration for her became very intense. He asked for her hand.

فَقالَت لَهُ : مَا الَّذي تُسَمّي لي مِنَ الصَّداقِ ؟

Then she said to him: “What marriage portion do you suggest for me?”

فَقالَ لَها : اِحتَكَمي ما بَدا لَكَ .

He said to her: “Decide on whatever you wish.”

فَقالَت لَهُ :

She said:

أنَا مُحتَكِمَةٌ عَلَيكَ ثَلاثَةَ آلافِ دِرهَمٍ ، ووَصيفا وخادِما ، وقَتلَ عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ .

 “I have decided [that you should give me] three thousand dirhams, a young slave, a servant and the murder of Ali ibn Abi Talib.”

فَقالَ لَها : لَكِ جَميعُ ما سَأَلتِ ،

He said: “You can have all that you have asked for;

وأمّا قَتلُ عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ فَأنّى لي بِذلِكَ ؟

but as for the murder of Ali ibn Abi Talib, how can I do that?”

فَقالَت : تَلتَمِسُ غِرَّتَهُ ،

She said: “You should look [for a time] when he is inattentive.

فَإِن أنتَ قَتَلتَهُ شَفَيتَ نَفسي وهَنَّأَكَ العَيشُ مَعي ،

If you kill him, I will cure myself [of my obsession against him] and life with me will be a pleasure for you.

وإن قُتِلتَ فَما عِندَ اللّهِ خَيرٌ لَكَ مِنَ الدُّنيا .

If you are killed, that which is with God is better for you than this world.”

فَقالَ : أما وَاللّهِ ما أقدَمَني هذَا المِصرَ ـ

He said: “By God I have not come to this town,

وقَد كُنتُ هارِبا مِنهُ لا آمَنُ مَعَ أهلِهِ ـ

when I was a fugitive from it and could find no protection with its inhabitants,

إلّا ما سَأَلتِني مِن قَتلِ عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ ،

except for that which you have asked me, the assassination of Ali ibn Abi Talib.

فَلَكِ ما سَأَلتِ .

So you will have what you have asked for.”

قالَت : فَأَنَا طالِبَةٌ لَكَ بَعضَ مَن يُساعِدُكَ عَلى ذلِكَ ويُقَوّيكَ .

She said: “I have been looking for someone to help you and strengthen you in that [undertaking].”

 ثُمَّ بَعَثَت إلى وَردانَ بنِ مُجالِدٍ ـ مِن تَيمِ الرُّبابِ ـ

Then she went to Wardan ibn Mujalid from Taym al-Rubab.

فَخَبَّرتهُ الخَبَرَ وسَأَلَتهُ مَعونَةَ ابنِ مُلجَمٍ ،

She gave him the information and asked help for Ibn Muljam.

فَتَحَمَّلَ ذلِكَ لَها ،

He undertook to share responsibility for that for her.

وخَرَجَ ابنُ مُلجَمٍ فَأَتى رَجُلاً مِن أشجَعَ يُقالُ لَهُ شَبيبُ بنُ بَجرَةَ ،

Then Ibn Muljam went out and came to a man from [the tribe of] Ashja‘ called Shabib ibn Bajura

فَقالَ : يا شَبيبُ ، هَل لَكَ في شَرَفِ الدُّنيا وَالآخِرَةِ ؟

and said to him: “Shabib, would you like the honour of this world and the Hereafter?”

قالَ : وما ذاكَ ؟

He said: “What is that?”

قالَ : تُساعِدُني عَلى قَتلِ عَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ ـ

He said: “You help me to kill Ali ibn Abi Talib.”

وكانَ شَبيبٌ عَلى رَأيِ الخَوارِجِ ـ .

Shabib was one of those who held the view of the Kharijites,

فَقالَ لَهُ :

so he said to him:

يَابنَ مُلجَمٍ ،

“O Ibn Muljam!

هَبَلَتكَ الهَبولُ ،

May a wailing woman wail for you [at your death],

لَقَد جِئتَ شَيئا إدّا ،

for you have come to something which is horrific.

وكَيفَ تَقدِرُ عَلى ذلِكَ ؟

How will you be able to do that?”

فَقالَ لَهُ ابنُ مُلجَمٍ :

He said to him:

نَكمُنُ لَهُ فِي المَسجِدِ الأَعظَمِ ،

“We will lie in wait for him in the great mosque.

فَإِذا خَرَجَ لِصَلاةِ الفَجرِ فَتَكنا بِهِ ،

Then when he comes out for the dawn prayer, we will attack him.

وإن نَحنُ قَتَلناهُ شَفَينا أنفُسَنا وأدرَكنا ثَأرَنا .

If we kill him, we will satisfy ourselves and attain our vengeance.”

 فَلَم يَزَل بِهِ حَتّى أجابَهُ ،

He insisted upon him until he agreed,

فَأَقبَلَ مَعَهُ حَتّى دَخَلَا المَسجِدَ عَلى قُطامَ

went with him and entered the mosque to go to Qutam,

ـ وهِيَ مُعتَكِفَةٌ فِي المَسجِدِ الأَعظَمِ ،

while she was undertaking spiritual retreat in the Great Mosque;

قَد ضَرَبَت عَلَيها قَبَّةً ـ

she had put up a tent for herself.

فَقالَ لَها : قَدِ اجتَمَعَ رَأيُنا عَلى قَتلِ هذَا الرَّجُلِ .

He said to her: “We have agreed to kill this man.”

قالَت لَهُما : فَإِذا أرَدتُما ذلِكَ فَالقَياني في هذَا المَوضِعِ .

She said to them: “When you want [to do] that, come to me in this place.”

فَانصَرَفا مِن عِندِها فَلَبِثا أيّاما ،

Then they left her and waited for several days.

ثُمَّ أتَياها ومَعَهُمَا الآخَرُ لَيلَةَ الأَربَعاءِ

They came to her with another person on the night of Wednesday,

لِتِسعَ عَشَرَةَ لَيلَةً خَلَت مِن شَهرِ رَمَضانَ سَنَةِ أربَعينَ مِنَ الهِجرَةِ ،

the nineteenth of the month [of the month] of Ramadan, 40 AH.

فَدَعَت لَهُم بِحَريرٍ فَعَصَبَت بِهِ صُدورَهُم ،

She appealed for some silk which she tied around their chests.

وتَقَلَّدوا أسيافَهُم ومَضَوا وجَلَسوا مُقابِلَ السُّدَّةِ

They put on their swords, and went out and sat opposite the door

الَّتي كانَ يَخرُجُ مِنها أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام إلَى الصَّلاةِ ،

from which the Commander of the Faithful (AS) would come out to prayer;

وقَد كانوا قَبلَ ذلِكَ ألقَوا إلَى الأَشعَثِ بنِ قَيسٍ

however, before that, they had informed al-Ashath ibn Qays

ما في نُفوسِهِم مِنَ العَزيمَةِ عَلى قَتلِ أميرِ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام

of what was in their hearts of the determination to kill the Commander of the Faithful (AS).

وواطَأَهُم عَلَيهِ وحَضَرَ الأَشعَثُ بنُ قَيسٍ في تِلكَ اللَّيلَةِ

Al-Ashath ibn Qays agreed with them and came that night

لِمَعونَتِهِم عَلى مَا اجتَمَعوا عَلَيهِ .

to assist them in that which they had agreed upon.”

الإرشاد : ج 1 ص 17 .

Al-Irshad, vol. 1, p. 17.