Hadith 147

for the departure to Egypt, the spies of Muawiya at Al-Iraq wrote to him raising his news. That was grievous upon Muawiya, and he had coveted regarding Egypt, and he knew that Al-Ashtar, if he proceeds and comes to it, would be more severe unto him than the son of Abu Bakr. So, he sent a message to Dihqan from the people of the tax collectors at Qulzum, ‘Ali-asws has sent Al-Ashtar to Egypt, and if you were to suffice him, you will be excused the taxation of your area for as long as you live, so undertake in killing him with whatever you are able upon’. Then Muawiya gathered the people of Syria and said to them, ‘Ali-asws has sent Al-Ashtar to Egypt, so come, let us supplicate to Allah-azwj against him for us to be suffice of his matter. Then he supplicated and they supplicated with him. And Al-Ashtar went out until he came to Al-Qulzum and that Al-Dihqan received him. He greeted unto him and said, ‘I am a man from the people of the taxation, and there is a right upon me for you and your companions in raising my honour, so descend unto me. Establish your command and command of your companions, and feed your animals, and account with that for me, from the taxes’. Al-Ashtar descended to him and he established to him and for his companions with whatever they were needy to, and carried some food over to him, and inserted poison in the honey drink. When Al-Ashtar drank it, it killed him, and he died, and his news reached Muawiya. He gathered the people of Syria and said to them, ‘Receive glad tidings, for Allah-azwj has Answered your supplications and Sufficed you all of Al-Ashtar and Killed him’. They were cheered by that and were joyful with it. And when (news of) expiry of Al-Ashtar reached Amir Al-Momineen-asws, he-asws went on to pity and regretted upon him, and he-asws said: ‘By Allah-azwj! How dear was Malik. If he had been from a mountain, he would have been its biggest cornerstone, and if he had been from stones, would have been its most solid. But, by Allah-azwj! Your death has defeated a scholar, so upon the like of you, let the wailing ones cry’. Then he-asws said: ‘We are for Allah-azwj are returning to Him-azwj, and the Praise is for Allah-azwj, Lord-azwj of the worlds. I-asws shall have his Reckoning with You-azwj for his death is from the calamities of the times. May Allah-azwj have Mercy on Malik, for he had been loyal with his pact, and fulfil his vow and met his Lord-azwj. We have settled ourselves that we shall be patient upon all difficulties after our calamity with (expiry of) Rasool-Allah-saww, for it is the mightiest of the calamities’’. [56]
We return to the report of Al Saqafi reported by his chain from Aasim Bin Kuleyb, from his father, ‘When it reached Muawiya the news of Al-Ashtar, he sent a messenger to follow it to Egypt and instructed him with assassinating him. He carried two provisions with him having drink in them. He quenched Al-Ashtar one day from one of them, and quenched him another day from the other one, and in it was poison. He drank it and his neck inclined. He sought the man but missed him’. And from Mugheira Al-Zaby that Muawiya conspired to Al-Ashar with a