قَدْ كُنْتُ وَمَا أُهَدَّدُ بالْحَرْبِ،
As for me, I would never be frightened of fighting
وَلاَ أُرَهَّبُ بِالضَّرْبِ،
or be made to fear striking
وَأَنَا عَلَى مَا قَدْ وَعَدَني رَبِّي مِنَ النَّصْرِ.
because I am satisfied with Allah's promise of support to me.
وَاللهِ
By Allah,
مَا اسْتَعْجَلَ مُتَجَرِّداً لِلطَّلَبِ بِدَمِ عُثْمانَ
Talhah has hastened with drawn sword to avenge ‘Uthman's blood
إِلاَّ خَوْفاً مِنْ أَنْ يُطَالَبَ بِدَمِهِ،
for fear lest the demand for ‘Uthman's blood be made against himself,
لاَنَّهُ مَظِنَّتُهُ،
because the people's idea in this matter is about him,
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْقَومِ أَحْرَصُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُ،
and, in fact, he was the most anxious among them for his killing.
فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُغَالِطَ بِمَا أَجْلَبَ فِيهِ لِيَلْتَبِسَ الاْمْرُ وَيَقَعَ الشَّكُّ.
Therefore, he has tried to create misunderstanding by collecting forces in order to confuse the matter and to create doubt.
وَوَاللهِ
By Allah,
مَا صَنَعَ فِي أَمْرِ عُثْمانَ وَاحِدَةً مِنْ ثَلاَث:
he did not act in either of three ways about ‘Uthman.
لَئِنْ كَانَ ابْنُ عَفَّانَ ظَالِماً ـ
If the son of ‘Affan (‘Uthman) was in the wrong,
كَمَا كَانَ يَزْعُمُ ـ
as Talhah believed,
لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يُوَازِرَ قَاتِلِيهِ
it is necessary for him to support those who killed (1) him
وَأَنْ يُنَابِذَ نَاصِرِيهِ،
or to keep away from his supporters.
وَلَئِنْ كَانَ مَظْلُوماً
If ‘Uthman was the victim of oppression.
لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنَ المُنَهْنِهِينَ عَنْهُ
then Talhah should have been among those who were keeping (the assaulters) away from him
وَالْمُعَذِّرِينَ فِيهِ،
or were advancing pleas on his behalf.
وَلَئِنْ كَانَ فِي شَكّ مِنَ الْخَصْلَتَيْنِ،
If he was in doubt about these two alternatives,
لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَعْتَزِلَهُ
then it was incumbent upon him to leave him (‘Uthman)
وَيَرْكُدَ جَانِباً
and retire aside
وَيَدَعَ النَّاسَ مَعَهُ،
and leave the men with him (to deal with him as they wished).
فَمَا فَعَلَ وَاحِدَةً مِنَ الثَّلاَثِ،
But he adopted none of these three ways,
وَجَاءَ بِأَمْر لَمْ يُعْرَفْ بَابُهُ،
and came out with a thing in which there is no good,
وَلَمْ تَسْلَمْ مَعَاذِيرُهُ.
and his excuses are not acceptable.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 174: Al-Tusi, al-'Amali, I, 172; al-Khwarazmi, al-Manaqib, 117; Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 171, 282, II, 167, V, 66, 240; al-Thaqafi, al-Gharat; al-Tabari, al-Mustarshid, 95; Ibn Tawus, Kashf, 173; Ibn Qutaybah, al-'Imamah, I, 154.
1. It means that if Talhah considered `Uthman an oppressor, then after his assassination, instead of getting ready to avenge his blood, he should have supported his killers and justified their action. It is not the intention that in the case of `Uthman being in the wrong Talhah should have supported the attackers because he was already supporting and encouraging them.
