أ ـ مُنيتُ بِمَن لا يُطيعُ
Affliction with Disobedient Troops
492. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام
492. Imam Ali (AS) said,
ـ في خُطبَةٍ خَطَبَها عِندَ عِلمِهِ بِغَزوَةِ النُّعمانِ بنِ بَشيرٍ لِعَينِ التَّمرِ ـ:
in a sermon when he was informed of the invasion of al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir: in ‘Ayn al-Tamr:
مُنِيتُ بِمَن لا يُطيع إذا أمَرتُ ،
“I am afflicted by those who do not obey when I command
ولا يُجيبُ إذا دَعَوتُ ،
and do not respond when I call.
لا أبا لَكُم !
May you have no father! [Meaning: Woe unto you!]
ما تَنتَظِرونَ بِنَصرِكُم رَبَّكُم ؟
What are you waiting for to assist your Lord?
أ ما دينٌ يَجمَعُكُم ،
Does the religion not join you together
ولا حَمِيَّةٌ تُحمِشُكُم !
or a sense of shame rouse you!
أقومُ فيكُم مُستَصرِخا ،
I stand among you shouting,
واُناديكُم مُتَغَوِّثا ،
I am calling on you for help,
فَلا تَسمَعونَ لي قَولاً ،
but you do not listen to my word,
ولا تُطيعونَ لي أمرا ،
nor do you obey my command
حَتّى تَكَشَّفَ الاُمورُ عَن عَواقِبِ المَساءَةِ ؛
till circumstances show out their bad consequences.
فَما يُدرَكُ بِكُم ثارٌ ،
No blood can be avenged through you
ولا يُبلَغُ بِكُم مَرامٌ .
nor can any hope be achieved through you.
دَعَوتُكُم إلى نَصرِ إخوانِكُم فَجَرجَرتُم جَرجَرَةَ الجَمَلِ الأَسَرِّ ،
I called on you to assist your brethren, but you made noises like the sick camel,
وتَثاقَلتُم تَثاقُلَ النِّضوِ الأَدبَرِ ،
and you sunk like the thin and injured camel.
ثُمَّ خَرَجَ إلَيَّ مِنكُم جُنَيدٌ مُتَذائِبٌ ضَعيفٌ ،
Then some wavering weak troops came to me:
«كَأَنَّمَا يُسَاقُونَ إِلَى الْمَوْتِ وَهُمْ يَنظُرُونَ» الأنفال : 6 .
“as if they are being led to death and they are only watching.” Quran, 8:6.
نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 39 .
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 39.
ب ـ مُنيتُ بِشِرارِ خَلقِ اللّهِ
Affliction with The Worst Men
493. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام:
493. Imam Ali (AS) said:
أمّا بَعدُ يا أهلَ الكوفَةِ !
“O people of Kufah!
أكُلَّما أقبَلَ مَنسِرٌ مِن مَناسِرِ أهلِ الشّامِ أغلَقَ كُلُّ امرِئٍ بابَهُ ،
Is it that whenever a battalion of the army of Syria advances, every person closes his door,
وَانجَحَرَ في بَيتِهِ انجِحارَ الضَّبِّ ،
hides in his house like a lizard
وَالضَّبُعِ الذَّليلِ في وِجارِه ؟
and a humiliated hyena in his lair.
اُفٍّ لَكُم !
Woe unto you!
لَقَد لَقيتُ مِنكُم ،
I have endured [a lot] from you.
يَوما اُناجيكُم ،
One day I plead you
ويوما اُناديكُم ؛
and one day I call on you;
فَلا إخوانٌ عِندَ النَّجاءِ ،
but alas you are not brothers at the time of plea
وَلا أحرارٌ عِندَ النِّداءِ .
nor are you liberal at the time of the call.”
تاريخ اليعقوبي : ج2 ص195 .
Tarikh al-Yaqubi, vol. 2, p. 195.
ج ـ لَبِئسَ حُشّاشُ الحَربِ أنتُم
Men but not Warriors
494. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :
494. Imam Ali (AS) said:
لَعَمرُ اللّهِ ، لَبِئسَ حُشّاشُ الحَربِ أنتُم !
“By God, you are the worst inciters of war!
إنَّكُم تُكادونَ ولا تَكيدونَ ،
You are devised but fail to devise.
ويُتَنَقَّصُ أطرافُكُم ولا تَتَحاشونَ ،
Your sides are attacked, but you do not prevent.
ولا يُنامُ عَنكُم وأنتُم في غَفلةٍ ساهونَ ،
They are not heedless of you, but you are inadvertently negligent.
إنَّ أخَا الحَربِ اليَقظانَ ذو عَقلٍ ،
The warrior is awake and intelligent.
وباتَ لِذُلٍّ مَن وادَعَ ،
He who reconciles is humiliated;
وغُلِبَ المُتَجادِلونَ ،
those who quarrel are overpowered,
وَالمَغلوبُ مَقهورٌ ومَسلوبٌ .
and those who are overpowered are subjugated and plundered.”
تاريخ الطبري : ج5 ص90 .
Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 5, p. 90.
د ـ لا غَناءَ في كَثرَةِ عَدَدِكُم
Countless but Useless Troops
495. نهج البلاغة :مِن كَلامٍ لَهُ عليه السلام
495. Imam Ali (AS) said, from a sermon when people gathered,
وقَد جَمَعَ النّاسُ وحَضَّهُم عَلَى الجِهادِ فَسَكَتوا مَلِيّا ،
and he exhorted them to jihad but they were silent:
فَقالَ : ما بالُكُم أمُخرَسونَ أنتُم ؟
“What is the matter with you? Are you dumb?
فَقالَ قَومٌ مِنهُم :
A group of them said:
يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ ،
‘O Commander of the Faithful!
إن سِرتَ سِرنا مَعَكَ .
If you go forth, we shall march with you.’
فَقالَ عليه السلام :
Whereupon he (AS) said:
ما بالُكُم !
“What is wrong with you?
لا سُدِّدتُم لِرُشدٍ ،
You have not been directed to the truth
ولا هُديتُم لِقَصدٍ !
nor have you been guided to the right path.
أفي مِثلِ هذا يَنبَغي لي أن أخرُجَ ؟ !
Should I in these circumstances go forth?
وإنّما يَخرُجُ في مِثلِ هذا رَجُلٌ مِمَّن أرضاهُ مِن شُجعانِكُم وذَوي بَأسِكُم ،
Only the brave and gallant among you go forth.
ولا يَنبَغي لي أن
It is not appropriate for me to leave
أدَعَ الجُندَ ،
the army,
وَالمِصرَ ،
the city,
وبَيتَ المالِ ،
the public treasury,
وجِبايَةَ الأَرضِ ،
the land revenue,
وَالقَضاءَ بَينَ المُسلِمينَ ،
the dispensation of justice among Muslims,
وَالنَّظَرَ في حُقوقِ المُطالِبينَ ،
looking after the demands of the claimants.
ثُمَّ أخرُجُ في كَتيبَةٍ أتبَعُ اُخرى ،
Should I go forth in a contingent following another,
أتَقَلقَلُ تَقَلقُلَ القِدحِ فِي الجَفيرِ الفارِغِ ،
worried like a quivering arrow in an empty arrow shaft?
وإنَّما أنَا قُطبُ الرَّحا ؛
Indeed, I am the axis of the mill.
تَدورُ عَلَيَّ وأنا بِمَكاني ،
It rotates around me while I remain in my position.
فَإِذا فارَقتُهُ استَحارَ مَدارُها ،
If I were to leave it, the centre of its rotation would be disturbed
وَاضطَرَبَ ثِفالُها .
and the hide (spread) beneath its lower stone would also be disturbed.
هذا لَعَمرُ اللّهِ الرَّأيُ السّوءُ .
By God, that is a bad opinion.
وَاللّهِ لَولا رَجائِيَ الشَّهادَةَ عِندَ لِقائِيَ العَدُوَّ
By God, if it had not been for my longing for martyrdom when I confront the enemy
ـ ولَو قَد حُمَّ لي لِقاؤُهُ ـ
- while my meeting with him has been ordained –
لَقَرَّبتُ رِكابي ثُمَّ شَخَصتُ عَنكُم ،
I would have brought my carrier closer and departed from you.
فَلا أطلُبُكُم ما اختَلَفَ جُنوبٌ وشَمالٌ ، طَعّانينَ عَيّابينَ حَيّادينَ رَوّاغينَ .
I would not have sought you as long as the north and the south differs.
إنَّهُ لا غَناءَ في كَثرَةِ عَدَدِكُم مَعَ قِلَّةِ اجتِماعِ قلُوبِكُم ،
There is no benefit in the multiplicity of your numbers despite the lack of unity of your hearts.
لَقَد حَمَلتُكُم عَلَى الطَّريقِ الواضِحِ الَّتي لا يَهلِكُ عَلَيها إلّا هالِكٌ ؛
I have put you on the clear path whereon no one will perish except the one who is bound to perish.
مَنِ استَقامَ فَإِلَى الجَنَّةِ ،
Whoever is steadfast will go to Paradise
ومَن زَلَّ فَإِلَى النّارِ !
and whoever stumbles will go to Hell!”
نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 119 .
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 119.
ه ـ ما بالُكُم؟ ما دَواؤكُم؟
What is Wrong with You? What Is Your Cure?
496. أنساب الأشراف:
496. Imam Ali (AS) said,
لَمَّا استَنفَرَ عَلِيٌّ أهلَ الكوفَةِ
when he commanded the people of Kufah to march forth in battle
فَتَثاقَلوا وتَباطَؤوا ،
and they tarried and procrastinated,
عاتَبَهُم ووَبَّخَهُم ،
he admonished and rebuked them.
فَلَمّا تَبَيَّنَ مِنهُمُ العَجزُ ،
When their inability became clear to him
وخَشِيَ مِنهُمُ التِمامَ عَلَى الخِذلانِ ،
and he feared their collective betrayal,
جَمَعَ أشرافَ أهلِ الكوفَةِ ودَعا شيعَتَهُ
he gathered the nobles of Kufah and called on his Shia,
الَّذينَ يَثِقُ بِمُناصَحَتِهِم وَطاعَتِهِم فَقالَ :
those that he trusted their advice and obedience.
الحَمدُ للِّهِ ، وأشهَدُ أن لا إلهَ إلّا اللّهُ ،
“All praise belongs to God, I bear witness that there is no god except Him
وأنَّ مُحَمَّدا عَبدُهُ ورَسولُهُ ،
and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.
أمّا بَعدُ ؛ أيُّهَا النّاسُ !
Now then O’ People,
فَإِنَّكُم دَعَوتُموني إلى هذِهِ البَيعَةِ فَلَم أرُدَّكُم عَنها ،
for indeed, you have called me to this allegiance and I did not refuse you;
ثُمَّ بايَعتُموني عَلَى الإِمارَةِ ولَم أسأَلُكُم إيّاها ،
thereafter you paid allegiance to me to rule and I did not ask you for it.
فَتَوَثَّبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَوَثِّبونَ ،
So the pouncers pounced upon it‚
كَفَى اللّهُ مَؤونَتَهُم ،
and God spared (the community) of their trouble‚
وصَرَعَهُم لِخُدودِهِم ،
brought their faces to the ground‚
وأتعَسَ جُدودَهُم ،
made their good fortune miserable‚
وجَعَلَ دائِرَةَ السَّوءِ عَلَيهِم .
and ordained for them the adverse turn of fortune.
وبَقِيَت طائِفَةٌ تُحدِثُ فِي الإِسلامِ أحداثا ؛
A group remained who bring about (un-Islamic) things in Islam‚
تَعمَلُ بِالهَوى ،
take action according to passion‚
وتَحكُمُ بِغَيرِ الحَقِّ ،
judge unduly
لَيسَت بِأهلٍ لِمَا ادَّعَت،
and are not fit for what claim.
وهُم إذا قيلَ لَهُم:
They are such that if it is said to them:
تُقَدِّموا قَدَما، تَقَدَّموا،
Advance a step forward, they would advance.
وإذا قيلَ لَهُم: أقبِلوا أقبَلوا ،
If it is said to them: Retreat, they would retreat.
لا يَعرِفونَ الحَقَّ كَمَعرِفَتِهِمُ الباطِلَ ،
They do not know truth like their awareness of falsehood,
وَلا يُبطِلونَ كَإِبطالِهِمُ الحَقَّ .
nor do they negate falsehood like they negate truth.
أما إنّي قَد سَئِمتُ مِن عِتابِكُم وخِطابِكُم ،
I however, am weary of admonishing and addressing you.
فَبَيِّنوا لي ما أنتُم فاعِلونَ ؛
Explain to me what you are going to do.
فَإِن كُنتُم شاخِصينَ مَعي إلى عَدُوّي
If you are departing with me to my enemy;
فَهُوَ ما أطلُبُ وأُحِبُّ ،
that is what I request and love;
وإن كُنتُم غَيرَ فاعِلينَ فَاكشِفوا لي عَن أمرِكُم أرى رَأيي .
if however, you are not‚ then clarify your affair for me so that I may consider it.
فَوَاللّهِ لَئِن لَم تَخرُجوا مَعي بأَجمَعِكُم إلى عَدُوِّكُم فَتُقاتِلوهُم
By God, if all of you do not march forth with me to your enemy and fight them
حَتّى يَحكُمَ اللّهُ بَيننَا وبَينَهُم وهُوَ خَيرُ الحاكِمينَ
until God Who is the best of all judges, decides between us and them,
لَأَدعُوَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَيكُم ،
I would beseech God against you
ثُمَّ لَأَسيرَنَّ إلى عَدُوِّكُم ولَو لَم يَكُن مَعي إلّا عَشَرَةٌ .
and then I would advance to your enemy even if there were with me only ten [of you].
أ أَجلافُ أهلِ الشّامِ وأعرابُها أصبَرُ عَلى نُصرَةِ الضَّلالِ ،
Are the louts and the Bedouins from among the people of Syria more perseverant in supporting deviation
وأشَدُّ اجتِماعا عَلَى الباطِلِ مِنكُم عَلى هُداكُم وحَقِّكُم ؟
and more united on falsehood than you on your guidance and truth?
ما بالُكُم ؟
What is wrong with you?
ما دَواؤُكُم ؟
What is your cure?
إنَّ القَومَ أمثالُكُم لا يُنشَرونَ إن قُتِلوا إلى يَومِ القِيامَةِ .
Indeed, people like you will not be resurrected if they are killed until the Day of Judgment.”
أنساب الأشراف : ج 3 ص 235 .
Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 3, p. 235.
و ـ لَو كانَ لي بِعَدَدِ أهلِ بَدرٍ
If I Had the Equivalent of the People of Badr
497. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :
497. Imam Ali (AS) said:
اِتَّقُوا اللّهَ عِبادَ اللّهِ وتَحاثّوا عَلَى الجِهادِ مَعَ إمامِكُم ؛
“Fear God, O’ Servants of God, and rise to fight on behalf of your Imam.
فَلَو كانَ لي مِنكُم عِصابَةٌ بِعَدَدِ أهلِ بَدرٍ ؛
If I had a contingent of you similar to the number of the people [who fought] at Badr,
إذا أمَرتُهُم أطاعوني ،
that when I commanded them, they obeyed me‚
وإذَا استَنهَضتُهُم نَهَضوا مَعي ،
and when I urged them to rise, they would rise with me,
لَاستَغنَيتُ بِهِم عَن كَثيرٍ مِنكُم ،
then I would have sufficed with them in place of many of you‚
وأسرَعتُ النُّهوضَ إلى حَربِ مُعاوِيَةَ وأصحابِهِ ؛
I would have hastened to advance in battle against Muawiyah and his companions,
فَإِنَّهُ الجِهادُ المَفروضُ .
for indeed it is an obligatory battle.”
الإرشاد : ج1 ص263 .
Al-Irshad, vol. 1, 263.
ز ـ وَدِدتُ أنَّ لي بِكُلِّ عَشَرَةٍ مِنكُم رَجُلاً مِن أهلِ الشّامِ
I Wish I Had for Every Ten of You One Man Like the People of Syria
498. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :
498. Imam Ali (AS) said:
وَدِدتُ وَاللّهِ أنَّ لي بِكُلِّ عَشَرَةٍ مِنكُم رَجُلاً مِن أهلِ الشّامِ
“I wished by God, that I had for every ten of you one man from the people of Syria
وأنّي صَرَفتُكُم كَما يُصرَفُ الذَّهَبُ ،
and that indeed I exchanged you like gold is exchanged.
ولَوَدِدتُ أنّي لَقيتُهُم عَلى بَصيرَتي
I would have wished that I met them with my own eyes
فَأراحَنِيَ اللّهُ مِن مُقاساتِكُم ومُداراتِكُم
and that God relieved me of your suffering and flattering you
كَما يُدارَى البِكارُ العَمِدةُ وَالثِّيابُ المُنهَرِئَةُ
like young injured camels and worn-out garments
كُلَّما خِيطَت مِن جانِبٍ تَهَتَّكَت مِن جانِبٍ .
that every time it is sewn from one side it is tears from another.”
أنساب الأشراف : ج3 ص198 .
Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 3, p. 198.
ح ـ بَلَغَني أنَّكُم تَقولونَ : «عَلِيٌّ يَكذِبُ»
I Have Been Informed that You Say ‘Ali Lies’
499. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :
499. Imam Ali (AS) said:
أمّا بُعدُ يا أهلَ العِراقِ ،
“Now then, O people of Iraq!
فَإِنَّما أنتُم كَالمَرأَةِ الحامِلِ ؛ حَمَلَت ،
You are like the pregnant woman who on completion of the period of pregnancy
فَلَمّا أتَمَّت أملَصَت وماتَ قَيِّمُها ،
delivered a dead child, her husband also died,
وطالَ تَأَيُّمُها ، ووَرِثَها أبعَدُها ،
her period of widowhood is lengthened and she is inherited by a distant relative.
أما وَاللّهِ ما أتَيتُكُمُ اختِيارا ،
By God, I did not come to you of my own accord
ولكِن جِئتُ إلَيكُم سَوقا .
but I was steered towards you.
ولَقَد بَلَغَني أنَّكُم تَقولونَ :
Indeed, it has reached me that you say
عَلِيٌّ يَكذِبُ !
“Ali lies!”
قاتَلَكُمُ اللّهُ تَعالى !
May God fight you!
فَعَلى مَن أكذِبُ ؟
Against whom do I lie?
أ عَلَى اللّهِ ؟
Is it against God?
فَأَنَا أوَّلُ مَن آمَنَ بِهِ ،
I was the first to believe in Him.
أم عَلى نَبِيِّهِ ؟
Or is it against His Prophet?
فَأَنَا أوَّلُ مَن صَدَّقَهُ ،
I was the first who attested to him,
كَلّا وَاللّهِ ،
certainly not by God.
لكِنَّها لَهجَةٌ غِبتُم عَنها ،
Indeed, it is a speech that you are oblivious of,
ولَم تَكونوا مِن أهلِها ، وَيلُمِّهِ
nor are you capable of it. Woe to you.
كَيلاً بِغَيرِ ثَمَنٍ !
I am giving these measures (of nice expression) free of any cost.
لَو كانَ لَهُ وِعاءٌ ،
I wish there were vessels good enough to hold them.
«ولَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُ بَعْدَ حِينِ» . ص : 88 .
Certainly, you will understand it after some time.” Quran, 38:88.
نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 71 .
Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 71.
ط ـ لا أرى إصلاحَكُم بِإِفسادِ نَفسي
I shall not improve your condition by marring myself
500. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :
500. Imam Ali (AS) said:
ولَقَد عَلِمتُ أنَّ الَّذي يُصلِحُكُم هُوَ السَّيفُ ،
“ Indeed, I knew the thing that can improve you is the sword
وما كُنتُ مُتَحَرِّيا صَلاحَكُم بِفَسادِ نَفسي ،
but I will not improve your condition at the cost of destruction of my own soul (and spoiling myself).
ولكِن سَيُسَلَّطُ عَلَيكُم مِن بَعدي سُلطانٌ صَعبٌ .
After me however, a difficult ruler will have domination over you.”
الإرشاد : ج1 ص281 .
Al-Irshad, vol. 1, 281.
