أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَقَدْ آنَ لَكَ أَنْ تَنْتَفِعَ بِالَّلمْحِ الْبَاصِرِ مِنْ عِيَانِ الاْمُورِ،
Now, this is the time (1) that you should derive benefit by observing a clear view of the main matters,
فَقَدْ سَلَكْتَ مَدَارِجَ أَسْلاَفِكَ بِادِّعَائِكَ الاْباطِيلَ،
because you have been treading in the path of your forefathers in making wrong claims,
وَإقْحَامِكَ غُرُورَ الْمَيْنِ وَالاْكَاذِيبِ،
spreading false and untrue notions,
وَبِانْتِحَالِكَ مَا قَدْ عَلاَ عَنْكَ،
claiming for yourself what is far above you
وَابْتِزَازِكَ لِمَا قَدِ اخْتُزِنَ دُونَكَ،
and demanding what is not meant for you,
فِرَاراً مِنَ الْحَقِّ،
because you want to run away from right
وَجُحُوداً لِمَا هُوَ أَلْزَمُ لَكَ مِنْ لَحْمِكَ وَدَمِكَ،
and to revolt against what is more fastened to your flesh and blood
مِمَّا قَدْ وَعَاهُ سَمْعُكَ،
namely what has been heard by the depth of your ears
وَمُلِىءَ بِهِ صَدْرُكَ،
and has filled your chest.
فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلاَّ الضَّلاَلُ،
And after forsaking right there remains nothing except clear misguidance,
وَبَعْدَ الْبَيَانِ إِلاَّ الَّلبْسُ؟
and after disregarding a (clear) statement there is nothing except confusion.
فَاحْذَرِ الشُّبْهَةَ وَاشْتِمالَهَا عَلَى لَبْسَتِهَا،
You should therefore guard (yourself) against doubts and its ill-effects of confusion,
فَإِنَّ الْفِتْنَةَ طَالَمَا أَغْدَفَتْ جَلاَبِيبَهَا،
because for a long time mischief has spread its veils
وَأَغْشَتِ الاْبْصَارَ ظُلْمَتُهَا.
and its gloom has blinded your eyes.
وَقدْ أَتَانِي كِتَابٌ مِنْكَ ذُو أَفانِينَ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ ضَعُفَتْ قُوَاهَا عَنِ السِّلْمِ،
I have received your letter which is full of uncouth utterances which weaken the cause of peace
وَأَسَاطِيرَ لَمْ يَحُكْهَا مِنْكَ عِلْمٌ وَلاَ حِلْمٌ،
and nonsensical expressions which have not been prepared with knowledge and forbearance.
أَصْبَحْتَ مِنْهَا كَالْخَائِضِ فِي الدَّهَاسِ،
By reason of these things you have become like one who is sinking in a marsh
وَالخَابِطِ فِي الدِّيمَاسِ،
or groping in a dark place.
وَتَرَقَّيْتَ إِلَى مَرْقَبَة بَعِيدَةِ الْمَرَامِ،
You have raised yourself to a position which is difficult to approach
نَازِحَةِ الاْعْلاَمِ،
and devoid of any signs (to guide).
تَقْصُرُ دوُنَهَا الاْنُوقُ،
Even the royal kite cannot reach it.
وَيُحَاذَى بَهَا الْعَيُّوقُ.
It is parallel to the `Ayyuq (the star Capella), in height.
وَحَاشَ لله أَنْ تَلِيَ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ بَعْدِي صَدْراً أَوْ وِرْداً،
May Allah forbid that you be in charge of people's affairs after my assuming authority as Caliph,
أَوْ أُجْرِيَ لَكَ عَلَى أَحَد مِنْهُمْ عَقْداً أَوْ عَهْداً!!
or that I issue an edict or document granting you authority over any one of them.
فَمِنَ الاْنَ فَتَدَارَكْ نَفْسَكَ،
Therefore, from now onwards guard yourself
وَانْظُرْ لَهَا،
and be watchful,
فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ فَرَّطْتَ حَتَّى يَنْهَدَ إِلَيْكَ عِبَادُ اللهِ
because if you recalcitrate till the people of Allah (are forced to) rush upon you,
أُرْتِجَتْ عَلَيْكَ الاْمُورُ،
then matters will be closed for you
مُنِعْتَ أَمْراً هُوَ مِنْكَ الْيَوْمَ مَقْبُولٌ.
and whatever can be accepted from you today will not be accepted then;
وَالسَّلاَمُ.
and that is an end to the matter.
1. At the end of the battle of the Kharijites, Mu`awiyah wrote a letter to Amir al-mu'minin wherein, as usual, he indulged in mud-throwing. In reply, Amir al-mu'minin wrote this letter in which he has tried to draw Mu`awiyah's attention to the clear facts about this very battle of the Kharijites, because this battle took place in accordance with the prophecy of the Prophet while Amir al-mu'minin himself too had said before the battle that besides the people of Jamal and Siffin he had to fight against one more group and they were the "deviators" from the religion, namely the Kharijites. The occurrence of this battle and the killing of the man with breasts (Dhu'th- thudayyah) was a clear proof of Amir al-mu'minin being in the right. If Mu'awiyah had not been obsessed with self-advertisement and lust for conquests, and had not shut his eyes against the right like his forefathers Abu Sufyan and his brother `Utbah he would have seen right and come on its path. But compelled by his natural inclination he always evaded right and truth and kept himself blind to those sayings of the Prophet which threw light on Amir al-mu'minin's Imamate and vicegerency. Because of being with the Prophet in the farewell pilgrimage the Prophet's saying: "Of whomsoever I am the master, `Ali is his master" was not hidden from him, and neither was the Prophet's saying that: "O' `Ali you are to me as Harun was to Musa", because of his presence on the occasion of the battle of Tabuk. In spite of all this, he passed his life in concealing right and encouraging wrong. This was not due to any misunderstanding but it was his lust for power that kept prompting him to suppress and trample truth and justice.
