Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
58

SERMON 58

When Amir al-mu'minin showed
his intention to fight the Kharijites he was told that they had
crossed the bridge of Nahrawan and gone over to the other side.
Amir al-mu'minin said:

Their falling place is
on this side of the river. By Allah, not even ten of them will
survive while from your side not even ten will be killed. (1)

As-Sayyid ar-Radi
says: In this sermon "nutfah" implies the River
Euphrates, and for water this is the nicest expression, even
though water may be much.

(1).
This prophecy cannot be attributed to wit and farsightedness,
because farsighted eyes may forecast victory or defeat and
preconceive the outcome of war but to tell about the correct
figures of the killed on either side is beyond their capacity.
This can be done only by one who can unveil the unknown future and
see the coming scene with his eyes and who sees the sketches yet
to appear on the page of the future with the help of the light of
knowledge possessed by him as Imam.

Consequently, events
occurred just according to what this inheritor of the Prophet's
knowledge had said, and from among the Kharijites all except nine
persons were killed. Two of them fled away to Uman, two to
Sijistan, two to Kirman and two to al-Jazirah while one escaped to
Tall Mawzan. Of Amir al-mu'minin's party only eight men fell as
martyrs.