Hadith 171

erated the falsehood from its injustices. And I-asws swear by Allah-azwj, Lord-azwj of the worlds! What makes me-asws happy is that what I-asws have taken from their wealth is, what is Permissible for me-asws, so I-asws can leave it as an inheritance for the ones after me-asws. You will be exposed slowly. It is as if you have reached the end, and you are presented to your Lord-azwj in the place of the one who wishes the return (to the world) the wastage of the repentance of that: so they called out for escape when it was too late? [38: 3]. And the greeting’’. [53]
I (Majlisi) am saying, ‘Abdul Hameed Bin Abu Al Hadeed said, ‘The people have differed regarding the one this letter has been written to. Most of them said it is Abdullah Bin Al Abbas, like what the phrases of the letter are pointing upon, and what the lords of this word have reported, ‘Abdullah Bin Al-Abbas wrote to Ali-asws in answer to this letter. They said, ‘And his answer was, ‘As for after, you-asws have made a big thing upon me of what I have attained from the public treasury of Al-Basra. And, by my life! My right in the public treasury is more than what I have taken. And the greeting’. They said, ‘So, Ali-asws wrote to him: ‘As for after, it is from the surprises that you are adorning yourself that for you, in the public treasury, from the right, is more that it is for a man from the Muslims, so you have succeeded. You have been wishing the falsehood and your claim is what cannot happen to rescue you from the sins, and Permit for you the Prohibited, for then you would be the guided, the fortunate, then. And it has reached me-asws that you have taken Makkah as a homeland, and you have struck a tannery at it, buying slave girls of Makkah and Al-Medina and Al-Taif. You choosing them upon your eyes and giving regarding them the wealth of others. So, return, may Allah-azwj Guide you to the rightful guidance, and repent to Allah-azwj, your Lord-azwj, and bring out to the Muslims, from their wealth. After a little while you will be separating from the ones you love and leave behind whatever you have amassed, and you will disappear in a crack of the earth, without any pillow nor cradle. You will separate from the loved ones and settle in the soil, and face the Reckoning, needless from what you have left behind, poor to what is in front of you. And the greeting’. They said, ‘Abdullah Bin Al-Abbas wrote to him-asws: ‘As for after, you-asws have frequented upon me, and by Allah-azwj! If I were to meet Allah-azwj containing upon the treasures of the earth, all of them, from its gold and its hoards, and its silver, it would be more beloved to me than if I were to meet Him-azwj with the blood of a Muslim person (like you-asws will). And the greeting’’. [54]