Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
22

SERMON 22

About those who accused him of
Uthman's killing

Beware! Satan has
certainly started instigating his forces and has collected his
army in order that oppression may reach its extreme ends and wrong
may come back to its position. By Allah they have not put a
correct blame on me, nor have they done justice between me and
themselves.

They are demanding of
me a right which they have abandoned, and a blood that they have
themselves shed.(1) If I were a
partner with them in it then they too have their share of it. But
if they did it without me they alone have to face the
consequences. Their biggest argument (against me) is (really)
against themselves. They are suckling from a mother who is already
dry, and bringing into life innovation that is already dead. How
disappointing is this challenger (to battle)? Who is this
challenger and for what is he being responded to? I am happy that
the reasoning of Allah has been exhausted before them and He knows
(all) about them.

The threat to Wage War
against them

If they refuse (to
obey) I will offer them the edge of the sword which is enough a
curer of wrong and supporter of Right.

It is strange they
send me word to proceed to them for spear-fighting and to keep
ready for fighting with swords. May the mourning women mourn over
them. I have ever been so that I was never frightened by fighting
nor threatened by clashing. I enjoy full certainty of belief from
my Allah and have no doubt in my faith.

(1).
When Amir al-mu'minin was accused of Uthman's assassination he
delivered this sermon to refute that allegation, wherein he says
about those who blamed him that: "These seekers of vengeance
cannot say that I alone am the assassin and that no one else took
part in it. Nor can they falsify witnessed events by saying that
they were unconcerned with it. Why then have they put me foremost
for this avenging? With me they should include themselves also. If
I am free of this blame they cannot establish their freedom from
it. How can they detach themselves from this punishment? The truth
of the matter is that by accusing me of this charge their aim is
that I should behave with them in the same manner to which they
are accustomed. But they should not expect from me that I would
revive the innovations of the previous regimes. As for fighting,
neither was I ever afraid of it nor am I so now. Allah knows my
intention and He also knows that those standing on the excuse of
taking revenge are themselves his assassins." Thus, history
corroborates that the people who managed his (Uthman's)
assassination by agitation and had even prevented his burial in
Muslims' graveyard by hurling stones at his coffin were the same
who rose for avenging his blood. In this connection, the names of
Talhah ibn Ubaydillah, az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam and A'ishah are
at the top of the list since on both occasions their efforts come
to sight with conspicuity. Thus Ibn Abi'l-Hadid writes that:

Those who have written
the account of assassination of Uthman state that on the day of
his killing Talhah's condition was that in order to obscure
himself from the eyes of the people he had a veil on his face
and was shooting arrows at Uthman's house.
And in this connection,
about az-Zubayr's ideas he writes:
Historians have also
state that az-Zubayr used to say "Kill Uthman. He has
altered your faith." People said, "Your son is
standing at his door and guarding him," and he replied,
"Even my son may be lost, but Uthman must be killed.
Uthman will be lying like a carcass on Sirat tomorrow."
(Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol.9, pp. 35-36)
About A'ishah, Ibn
Abd Rabbih writes:
al-Mughirah ibn Shubah
came to A'ishah when she said, "O' Abu Abdillah, I wish
you had been with me on the day of Jamal; how arrows were
piercing through my hawdaj (camel litter) till some of them
stuck my body." al- Mughirah said, "I wish one of them
should have killed you." She said, "Allah may have
pity you; why so?" He replied, "So that it would have
been some atonement for what you had done against Uthman."
(al-Iqd al-farid, vol. 4, p. 294)