Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

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Sermon
180

SERMON 180

Amir al-mu'minin sent one of
his men to bring him news about a group of the army of Kufah who
had decided to join the Kharijites but were afraid of him. (1)
When the man came back Amir al-mu'minin said to him: "Are
they satisfied and staying or feeling weak and going astray?"
The man replied, "They have gone away, O' Amir
al-mu'minin." Then Amir al-mu'minin said:

May Allah's mercy
remain away from them as in the case of Thamud. Know that when the
spears are hurled towards them and the swords are struck at their
heads they will repent of their doings. Surely today Satan has
scattered them and tomorrow he will disclaim any connection with
them, and will leave them. Their departing from guidance,
returning to misguidance and blindness, turning away from truth
and falling into wrong is enough (for their chastisement).

(1).
A man of the tribe Banu Najiyah named al-Khirrit ibn Rashid
an-Naji was on Amir al-mu'minin's side in the battle of Siffin,
but after Arbitration he became rebellious, and, coming to Amir
al-mu'minin with thirty persons, said: "By Allah, I Will no
more obey your command, nor offer prayers behind you, and shall
leave you tomorrow." Whereupon Amir al-mu'minin said:
"You should first take into account the grounds underlying
this Arbitration and discuss it with me. If you are satisfied, you
do as you will." He said he would come the next day to
discuss the matter. Amir al-mu'minin then cautioned him,
"Look, on going from here do not get mislead by others and do
not adopt any other course. If you have the will to understand, I
will get you out of this wrong path and put you on the course of
guidance." After this conversation he went away, but his
countenance indicated he was bent on revolt, and would not see
reason by any means. And so it happened. He stuck to his point and
on reaching his place he said to his tribesmen, "When we are
determined to abandon Amir al-mu'minin there is no use going to
him. We should do what we have decided to do." On this
occasion Abdullah ibn Quayn al Azdi also went to them to
enquire, but when he came to know the position he asked Mudrik ibn
ar-Rayyan an-Naji to speak to him and to apprise him of the
ruinous consequence of this rebellion, whereupon Mudrik assured
him that this man would not be allowed to take any step.
Consequently, Abdullah came back satisfied and related the whole
matter before Amir al-mu'minin on returning the next day. Amir
al-mu'minin said, "Let us see what happens when he comes.
" But when the appointed hour passed and he did not turn up
Amir al-mu'minin asked Abdullah to go and see what the matter was
and what was the cause for the delay. On reaching there Abdullah
found that all of them had left. When he returned to Amir
al-mu'minin he spoke as in this sermon.

The fate that befell
al-Khirrit ibn Rashid an-Naji has been stated under Sermon 44.