Hadith 454

n revealed to Ali-asws from your page and it had been revealed to him from my page, then your slander would have been painful to you, and your dependants would have been orphaned, and your wealth plundered’. Muawiya said, ‘If you would tolerate a joke, I was joking to you’. Amro said, ‘And what would carry me to the joking? But, when the man meets a man, and he bleed from him and he does not kill him, would the sky drop blood? ’ Muawiya said, ‘No, but the consequence of a slander last forever, now and then. But, by Allah-azwj! Had you recognised him-asws you would not have gone ahead to him-asws’. And there was a horseman among the companions of Muawiya, famous with the bravery, his name is Busr Bin Artah. When Busr heard Ali-asws calling Muawiya to the duel and Muawiya refusing, he said, ‘I am determined upon duelling Ali-asws, so upon me is to kill him-asws’. He went with his reputation among the Arabs and consulted a slave called Lahiq. He said, ‘Either you trust yourself or else do not go to him-asws, for by Allah-azwj, he-asws is the wrought brave’. And he prosed, ‘So you are for him, O Busr, if you were like him-asws, or else, the lion would devour the hyena. When you meet him-asws, then the death is in the head of his-asws spear, and in his-asws sword is a pre-occupation pre-occupying yourself’. He said, ‘Woe be unto you! Is it except the death? And there is no escape from meeting Allah-azwj upon every situation, either one dies or is killed’. Then Busr came out to Ali-asws and he was silent where he did not know Ali-asws of a state which had transpired from him-asws. When Ali-asws looked at him, attacked upon him. Bust fell down from his horse upon his palms, and he raised his legs and uncovered his nakedness. Ali-asws turned his-asws face away from him, and Busr leapt up standing, and the helmet fell off from his head. The companions of Ali-asws shouted, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! It is Busr Bin Artah! ’ Ali-asws said: ‘Leave him! Upon him is the Curse of Allah-azwj’. Muawiya laughed from Busr and said, ‘Not (only) upon you, for it has befallen with Amro the like of it’. And a youth from the people of Al-Kufa shouted, ‘Woe be unto you all, O people of Syria! Are you not ashamed? Ibn Aas has taught you uncovering of the nakedness in the wars’. And he prosed, ‘Is it during every day that a horseman with abhorrence would be revealing his nakedness in the middle of the battleground? Ali-asws restrained his-asws blade from him, and Muawiya laughed at him in private. He said to Amro and Ibn Artah, ‘See your way, do not meet the lion for a second time. So, do not praise except the shame and your specialisations. By