Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

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Sermon
204

SERMON 204

After swearing allegiance to
Amir al-mu'minin, Talhah and az-Zubayr complained to him that he
had not consulted them or sought their assistance in the
affairs (of state).

Amir al-mu'minin replied:

Both of you frown over
a small matter and leave aside big ones. Can you tell me of
anything wherein you have a right of which I have deprived you or
a share which was due to you and which I have held away from you,
or any Muslim who has laid any claim before me and I have been
unable to decide it or been ignorant of it, or committed a mistake
about it?

By Allah, I had no
liking for the caliphate nor any interest in government, but you
yourselves invited me to it and prepared me for it. When the
caliphate came to me, I kept the Book of Allah in my view and all
that Allah had put therein for us, and all that according to which
He has commanded us to take decisions; and I followed it, and also
acted on whatever the Prophet - may Allah bless him and his
descendants - had laid down as his sunnah. In this matter I did
not need your advice or the advice of anyone else, nor has there
been any order of which I was ignorant so that I ought to have
consulted you or my Muslim brethren. If it were so I would not
have turned away from you or from others.

As regards your
reference to the question of equality (in distribution of shares
from the Muslim common fund), this is a matter in which I have not
taken a decision by my own opinion, nor have I done it by my
caprice. But I found, and you too (must have) found, that whatever
the Prophet - may Allah bless him and his descendants - brought
had been finalised. Therefore, I felt no need to turn towards you
about a share which had been determined by Allah and in which His
verdict has been passed. By Allah, in this matter, therefore, you
two or anyone else can have no favour from me. May Allah keep our
hearts and your hearts in righteousness, and may He grant us and
you endurance.

Then Amir al-mu'minin
added: May Allah have mercy on the person who, when he sees the
truth, supports it, when he sees the wrong, rejects it, and who
helps the truth against him who is on the wrong.