ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في معنى طلحة بن عبيد الله وقد قاله حين بلغه خروج طلحة والزبير إلى البصرة لقتاله

About Ṭalḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillāh. Delivered when he received the news that Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr had already left for Baṣrah to fight against him.

قَدْ كُنْتُ وَمَا أُهَدَّدُ بالْحَرْبِ، وَلاَ أُرَهَّبُ بِالضَّرْبِ، وَأَنَا عَلَى مَا قَدْ وَعَدَني رَبِّي مِنَ النَّصْرِ. وَاللهِ مَا اسْتَعْجَلَ مُتَجَرِّداً لِلطَّلَبِ بِدَمِ عُثْمانَ إِلاَّ خَوْفاً مِنْ أَنْ يُطَالَبَ بِدَمِهِ، لاَنَّهُ مَظِنَّتُهُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْقَومِ أَحْرَصُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْهُ، فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يُغَالِطَ بِمَا أَجْلَبَ فِيهِ لِيَلْتَبِسَ الاْمْرُ وَيَقَعَ الشَّكُّ.

As for me, I would never be frightened of fighting or be made to fear striking because I am satisfied with Allāh’s promise of support to me. By Allāh, Ṭalḥah has has hastened with drawn sworn to avenge ‘Uthmān’s blood for fear lest the demand for ‘Uthmān’s blood be made against himself, because the people’s idea in this matter is about him, and, in fact, he was the most anxious among them for his killing. Therefore, he has tried to create misunderstanding by collecting forces in order to confuse the matter and to create doubt.

وَوَاللهِ مَا صَنَعَ فِي أَمْرِ عُثْمانَ وَاحِدَةً مِنْ ثَلاَث: لَئِنْ كَانَ ابْنُ عَفَّانَ ظَالِماً ـ كَمَا كَانَ يَزْعُمُ ـ لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يُوَازِرَ قَاتِلِيهِ وَأَنْ يُنَابِذَ نَاصِرِيهِ، وَلَئِنْ كَانَ مَظْلُوماً لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنَ المُنَهْنِهِينَ عَنْهُ وَالْمُعَذِّرِينَ فِيهِ، وَلَئِنْ كَانَ فِي شَكّ مِنَ الْخَصْلَتَيْنِ، لَقَدْ كَانَ يَنْبَغِي لَهُ أَنْ يَعْتَزِلَهُ وَيَرْكُدَ جَانِباً وَيَدَعَ النَّاسَ مَعَهُ، فَمَا فَعَلَ وَاحِدَةً مِنَ الثَّلاَثِ، وَجَاءَ بِأَمْر لَمْ يُعْرَفْ بَابُهُ، وَلَمْ تَسْلَمْ مَعَاذِيرُهُ.

By Allāh, he did not act in either of three ways about ‘Uthmān. If the son of ‘Affān (‘Uthmān) was in the wrong, as Ṭalḥah believed, it is necessary for him to support those who killed [1] him or to keep away from his supporters. If ‘Uthmān was the victim of oppression, then Ṭalḥah should have been among those who were keeping (the assaulters) away from him or were advancing pleas on his behalf. If he was in doubt about these two alternatives, then it was incumbent upon him to leave him (‘Uthmān) and retire aside and leave the men with him (to deal with him as they wished). But he adopted none of these three ways, and came out with a thing in which there is no good, and his excuses are not acceptable.

Extrait de ses paroles à propos de Taliiat bin ‘Oubaïd Allah, prononcées lorsqu’on lui apprit que celui-ci et Zubaïr marchaient sur Basra pour le combattre

Je suis certes un homme que la guerre et tes attaques n'intimident pas et j’ai toujours confiance de vaincre d’après la promesse que mon Seigneur m’a faite. Par Dieu, il [Talhat] ne s’est précipité à venger le sang de ’Outhman que par crainte qu’on lui réclame le paiement de son forfait, étant le principal accusé, car il n’y avait personne qui tenait autant que lui à éliminer ‘Outhman. Il a alors cherché à tromper les gens et créer des doutes.

Pardi, Il n’a pris à l’égard de ‘Outhman aucune des trois attitudes qui s’imposaient: Si Ibn ‘Affan avait été, d’après lui, un tyran, il aurait dû soutenir ses assassins et s’opposer à ses partisans; si, par contre, ‘Outhman avait été victime d’une injusice, il aurait dû le soutenir et empêcher son assassinat; si, finalement, Talhat avait des doutes au sujet du comportement de ‘Outhman, il aurait dû se retirer sans prendre parti et appeler les gens à faire autant. Mais il n'a pris aucune de ces trois attitudes et le voilà qui déclenche une affaire [contre moi] injustifiable et dont on ignore les tenants et aboutissants.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #174