أَرَأَيْتَ لَوْ أَنَّ الَّذِينَ وَرَاءَكَ بَعَثُوكَ رَائِداً تَبْتَغِي لَهُمْ مَسَاقِطَ الْغَيْثِ،
If those at your back send you as a forerunner to search out a rain-fed area for them,
فَرَجَعْتَ إلَيْهِمْ وَأَخْبَرْتَهُمْ عَنِ الْكَلاَ وَالْمَاءِ،
and you return to them and apprise them of greenery and water
فَخَالَفُوا إلى الْمَعَاطِشِ وَالْـمَجَادِبِ،
but they disagree with you and go towards dry and barren land,
مَا كُنْتَ صَانِعاً؟
what would you do then?
قال:
He said:
كُنْتُ تَارِكَهُمْ وَمُخَالِفَهُمْ إلى الْكَلاَءِ وَالْمَاءِ.
I would leave them and go towards greenery and water.
فَقَالَ لَهُ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ :
Amir al-mu'minin then said:
فَامْدُدْ إذاً يَدَكَ.
So then extend your hand.
فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ:
This man related that:
فَوَاللهِ مَااسْتَطَعْتُ أَنْ أَمْتَنِعَ عِنْدَ قِيَامِ الْحُجَّةِ عَلَيَّ، فَبَايَعْتُهُ عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلاَمُ.
By Allah, by such a clear argument I could not refrain from swearing allegiance to Amir al-mu'minin.
وَالرّجلُ يُعْرَفُ بِكُلَيْب الجَرْمِيّ.
This man was know as Kulayb al-Jarmi.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 170: Al-Waqidi, al-Jamal, in al-Mufid, al-Jamal, 156; al-Tabari, Ta'rikh, V, 192, events of 36 H.; al-Zamakhshari, Rabi’, bab al-jawabat al-muskitah wa rashaqat al-kalam.
