Lessons from Nahjul Balagha [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Sermons
Sermon
92

(l)

About the annihilation of the
Kharijites, the mischief mongering of Umayyads and the vastness of
his own knowledge

So now, praise and
eulogy be to Allah, O' people, I have put out the eye of revolt.
No one except me advanced towards it when its gloom was swelling
and its madness was intense. Ask me before you miss me,(2)
because, by Allah, who has my life in His hands, if you ask me
anything between now and the Day of Judgement or about the group
who would guide a hundred people and also misguide a hundred
people I would tell you who is announcing its march, who is
driving it in the front and who is driving it at the rear, the
stages where its riding animals would stop for rest and the final
place of stay, and who among them would be killed and who would
die a natural death.

When I am dead, hard
circumstances and distressing events would befall you, many
persons in the position of asking questions would remain silent
with cast down eye, while those in the position of replying would
lose courage. This would be at a time when wars would descend upon
you with all hardship and days would be so hard on you that you
would feel them prolonged because of hardship till Allah would
give victory to those remaining virtuous among you.

When mischief come
they confuse (right with wrong) and when they clear away they
leave a warning. They cannot be known at the time of approach but
are recognised at the time of return. They blow like the blowing
of winds, striking some cities and missing others.

Beware that the worst
mischief for you in my view is the mischief of Banu Umayyah,
because it is blind and also creates darkness. Its sway is general
but its ill effects are for particular people. He who remains
clear-sighted in it would be affected by distress, and he who
remains blind in it would avoid the distress. By Allah. you will
find Banu Umayyah after me worst people for yourselves, like the
old unruly she-camel who bites with its mouth, beats with its
fore-legs, kicks with its hind legs and refuses to be milked. They
would remain over you till they would leave among you only those
who benefit them or those who do not harm them. Their calamity
would continue till your seeking help from them would become like
the seeking of help by the slave from his master or of the
follower from the leader.

Their mischief would
come to you like evil eyed fear and pre-Islamic fragments, wherein
there would be no minaret of guidance nor any sign (of salvation)
to be seen. We Ahlu'l-bayt (the Household of the Prophet) are free
from this mischief and we are not among those who would engender
it. Thereafter, Allah would dispel it from you like the removal of
the skin (from flesh) through him who would humble them, drag them
by necks, make them drink full cups (of hardships), not extend
them anything but sword and not clothe them save with fear. At
that time Quraysh would wish at the cost of the world and all its
contents to find me even only once and just for the duration of
the slaughter of a camel in order that I may accept from them (the
whole of) that of which at present I am asking them only a part
but they are not giving me.

(1).
Amir al-mu'minin delivered this sermon after the battle of
Nahrawan. In it, mischief imply the battles fought in Basrah,
Siffin and Nahrawan because their nature was different from the
battles of the Prophet. There the opposite party were the
unbelievers while here the confrontation was with those who had
veils of Islam on their faces. So people were hesitant to fight
against Muslims, and asked why they should fight with those who
recited the call to the prayers and offered the prayers. Thus,
Khuzaymah ibn Thabit al-Ansari did not take part in the Battle of
Siffin till the falling of Ammar ibn Yasir as martyr did not
prove that the opposite party was rebellious. Similarly the
presence of companions like Talhah and az-Zubayr who were included
in the "Foretold Ten" on the side of A'ishah in Basrah,
and the prayer signs on foreheads of the Kharijites in Nahrawan
and their prayers and worships were creating confusion in the
minds. In these circumstances only those could have the courage to
rise against them were aware of the secrets of their hearts and
the reality of their faith. It was the peculiar perception of Amir
al-mu'minin and his spiritual courage that he rose to oppose them,
and testified the saying of the Holy Prophet:

You will fight after me
with the breakers of allegiance (people of Jamal), oppressors
(people of Syria) and deviators (the Kharijites). (al-Mustadrak
ala as-Sahihayn, al-Hakim, vol.3, p.l39,140; ad-Durr
al-manthur, vol.6, p.l8; al-Istab, vol.3, p.1117; Usd
al-ghabah, vol.4 pp.32,33; Tarikh Baghdad, vol.8, p.340; vol.13,
pp.186,187; at-Tarikh, Ibn Asakir, vol. 5, p. 41; at-Tarikh,
Ibn Kathir, vol.7, pp.304,305,306; Majma az-zawa'id, vol.7,
p.238; vol.9, p.235; Sharh al-mawahib, vol.3, pp.316-317; Kanz
al-ummal, vol. 6, pp.72,82,88,155,319,391,392; vol. 8, p.215)

(2).
After the Holy Prophet no one save Amir al-mu'minin could utter
the challenge "Ask whatever you want to." Ibn Abd
al-Barr in Jami bayan al-ilm wa fadlihi, vol.1 p.58 and in
al-Istiab, vol.3, p.l103; Ibn al-Athir in Usd al-ghabah, vol.4,
p.22; Ibn Abi'l-Hadid in Sharh Nahj al-balaghah, vol.7, p.46;
as-Suyuti in Tarikh al-Khulafa', p.171 and Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in
as-Sawaiq al-muhriqah, p.76 have written that "None among
the companions of the Holy Prophet ever said 'Ask me whatever you
want to' except Ali ibn Abi Talib." However, among other
than the companions a few names do appear in history who did utter
such a challenge, such as Ibrahim ibn Hisham al-Makhzumi, Muqatil
ibn Sulayman, Qatadah ibn Diamah, Abd ar-Rahman (Ibn al-Jawzi)
and Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafii etc. but everyone of them had
to face disgrace and was forced to take back his challenge. This
challenge can be urged only by him who knows the realities of the
Universe and is aware of the happenings of the future. Amir
al-mu'minin, the opener of the door of the Prophet's knowledge, as
he was, was the only person who was never seen being unable to
answer any question on any occasion, so much so that even Caliph
Umar had to say that "I seek Allah's protection from the
difficulty for the solution of which Ali would not be
available." Similarly, the prophecies of Amir al-mu'minin
made about the future proved true word by word and served as an
index to his vast knowledge, whether they be about the devastation
of Banu Ummayyah or the rising of the Kharijites, the wars and
destruction by the Tartars or the attacks of the English, the
floods of Basrah of the ruination of Kufah. In short, when these
events are historical realities there is no reason why this
challenge of Amir al-mu'minin should be wondered at.