Hadith 149

sws made him ruler of its Emirate: ‘As for after, Allah-azwj the Glorious Sent Muhammad-saww as a warner to the worlds and dominant upon the (other) Messengers-as. When he-saww passed away, the Muslims disputed the command from after him-saww. By Allah-azwj! It had not occurred in my-asws heart nor imagined in my-asws mind that the Arabs would snatch this command away from the People-asws of the Household from after him-saww, nor that they would keep it away from me-asws from after him-saww. Nothing shocked me-asws except the swarming of the people to so and so (Abu Bakr) pledging allegiance to him. I withheld my-asws hand until I-asws saw reversion of the people having had returned from calling for the obliteration of the religion of Muhammad-saww. I-asws feared that I-asws do not help and its people, and I-asws might see breaches or demolition, it would be a greater difficulty upon me with it than the loss of your governance which rather it is an enjoyment for a few days, declining whatever was from it like the declining of the mirage, or like dissipation of the clouds. So, I-asws got up during those events until the falsehood was displaced and vanished, and the religion was reassured and kept away from it. And from it, by Allah-azwj, if I-asws had to meet them (in battle) alone and they had filled the earth, I-asws would not have cared nor been scared, and I-asws from their straying which they are in and the guidance which I-asws am upon, are upon an insight from myself-asws and certainty from my-asws Lord-azwj, and I-asws am desirous to meet Allah-azwj and awaiting to His-azwj excellent Rewards, hopeful. But I-asws was in sorrow that the community would be ruled by its foolish ones and its immoral ones, so they would take the wealth of Allah-azwj as personal earnings, and His-azwj servants as their own slaves, and the righteous would be battled against, and the mischief-makers would be allied with. Surely from them is the one who had drunk the prohibited (wine) among you and was whipped the legal punishment in, and that from them is one who did not become a Muslim until gifts were given to him upon. Had it not been that, I-asws would not frequent your incitement, and gathered you, and I-asws shall leave you to be if you refuse and show weakness. Are you not looking at your outskirts to have been revolted against, and to your cities to have been conquered, and to your possessions snatched away, and to your country to have been raided? Mobilise, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on you, to fighting your enemy and do not be heavy to the ground (sluggish) for you will have to accept the effacement and pursued by the disgrace, and your share would become the loss incurring. A brother of the war is the alert, and the one who sleeps (remains inactive), it (war) would not sleep from him. And the greetings’’. [90]
(The book) ‘Nahj Al Balagah’ –
‘From a pact of his-asws he-asws had written for Al-Ashtar Al-Nakhaie, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him when he-asws made him-asws ruler of Egypt and its office bearers, when the matter of Muhammad Bin Abu Bakr, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him, became precarious, and it is the longest of pacts he-asws had written and it is a collection of the goodness: –
‘This is what a servant of Allah-azwj Ali-asws, Amir Al-Momineen instructs Malik Bin Al-Haris Al-Ashtar with, in his-asws pact to him where he-asws is making him a ruler of Egypt, collector of its taxes, and fighting against its en