Hadith 147

Al Mufeed said, ‘The scribe informed me from Al Zafrany, from Al Saqafy, from Muhammad Bin Zakariya, from Abdullah Bin Al Zahhak, from Hisham Bin Muhammad who said, ‘When the news arrived to Amir Al-Momineen-asws of the killing of Muhammad Bin Abu Bakr, may Allah-azwj be Pleased with him, he-asws wrote to Malik Bin Al-Haris Al-Ashtar, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him, and he was staying at Nasibeyn: ‘As for after, you are from the ones I-asws can prevail with upon establishing the religion, and suppress by him the iniquity of the sinners, and fill by him the gap of the dreaded. And I-asws had placed Muhammad Bin Abu Bakr, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him, as ruler of Egypt, but the Kharijites came out against him, and he was young, there was no knowledge for him of the wars, so he was martyred, may Allah-azwj have Mercy on him. Come to me-asws, we shall look into the matter of Egypt and make the replacement to be upon your office, from the trustworthy people and the advisers from your companions’. Malik placed Shabeeb Bin Aamir Al-Azdy upon his office and he came back until he arrived to Amir Al-Momineen-asws. He-asws narrated to him the events of Egypt and informed him about its inhabitants and said to him: ‘There is no direction to this apart from you, so go out. If I-asws do not advise you, I-asws shall suffice with your view, and seek Assistance of Allah-azwj upon what worries you, and mingle the severity with the leniency, and be kind as much as the kindness can reach, and be determined upon the severity when nothing would avail you except for the severity’. He (the narrator) said, ‘Malik Al-Ashtar went out and came to his luggage and prepared for the going out to Egypt, and Amir Al-Momineen-asws sent ahead a letter in front of him, to the people of Egypt: ‘In the Name of Allah-azwj the Beneficent, the Merciful, Greetings be unto you all! I-asws praise Allah-azwj to you, Who, there is no god except He-azwj, and I-asws ask Him-azwj of the Salawaat upon His-azwj Prophet-saww Muhammad-saww and his-saww Progeny-asws. And I-asws sending to you a servant from the servants of Allah-azwj. He will not flinch from the enemies, vigilant of the circles of the servants of Allah-azwj of severe prowess, and their most honourable of affiliations, more harmful upon the transgression than burying of the fire, and the remotest of the people from the filth or share, and he is Malik Bin Al-Haris Al-Ashtar, neither levying the tax, nor blunt of the edge, forbearing during the danger, composed during ward, with original view, and beautiful patience. Listen to him and obey his orders. If he orders you with the mobilisation, the mobilise, and if he orders you to stay put, then stay put for he will neither go ahead nor prohibit except by my-asws orders. I-asws have preferred you all with him over myself-asws as an advisor to you all, and severe upon your enemies. May Allah-azwj Protect you with the guidance and Affirm you with the piety and harmonise us and you to what He-azwj Loves and is Pleased with. And the greetings be unto you, and Mercy of Allah-azwj and His-azwj Blessings’. And when Malik Al-Ashtar prepared