ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في ذمّ أصحابه

Admonishing his companions about careless behaviour Amīr al-mu’minīn said :

كَمْ أُدَارِيكُمْ كَمَا تُدَارَى الْبِكَارُ الْعَمِدَةُ وَالثِّيَابُ الْمتَدَاعِيَةُ! كُلَّما حِيصَتْا مِنْ جَانِبٍ تَهَتَّكَتْ مِنْ آخَرَ، كُلَّما أَطَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ مَنْسِرٌمِنْ مَنَاسِرِ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَغْلَقَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ بَابَهُ، وَانْجَحَرَانْجِحَارَ الضَّبَّةِ في جُحْرِهَا، وَالضَّبُعِ فِي وِجَارِهَا.

How long shall I accord you consideration that is accorded to camels with hollow hump, or to worn clothes which when stitched on one side give way on the other. Whenever a vanguard force of Syria (ash-Shām) hovers over you, everyone of you shuts his door and hides himself like the lizard in its hole or a badger in its den.

الذَّلِيلُ وَاللهِ مَنْ نَصَرْتُمُوهُ! وَمَنْ رُمِيَ بِكُمْ فَقَدْ رُمِيَ بِأَفْوَقَ نَاصِلٍ. إِنَّكُمْ ـ وَاللهِ ـ لَكَثِيرٌ فِي الْبَاحَاتِ قَليِلٌ تَحْتَ الرَّايَاتِ، وَإِنِّي لَعَالِمٌ بِمَا يُصْلِحُكُمْ، وَيُقِيمُ أَوَدَكُمْ وَلكِنِّي واللهِ لاَ أَرى إِصْلاَحَكُمْ بَإِفْسَادِ نَفْسِي. أَضْرَعَ اللهُ خُدُودَكُمْ وَأَتْعَسَ جُدُودَكُمْ لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ الْحَقَّ كَمَعْرِفَتِكُمُ الْبَاطِلَ، وَلاَ تُبْطِلُونَ الْبَاطِلَ كَإِبطَالِكُمُ الْحَقَّ!

By Allāh, he whom people like you support must suffer disgrace and he who throws arrows with your support is as if he throws arrows that are broken both at head and tail. By Allāh, within the. courtyard you are quite numerous but under the Banner you are only a few. Certainly, I know what can improve you and how your crookedness can be straightened. But I shall not improve your condition by marring myself. Allāh may disgrace your faces and destroy you. You do not understand the right as you understand the wrong and do not crush the wrong as you crush the right.

Extrait de ses paroles où U blâme quelques-uns de ses compagnons

J’usai de ménagements envers vous comme on ménage une bosse malade ou des vêtements déchirés qui, chaque ibis qu’on les coud d’un côté se décousent de l’autre. Chaque fois qu’une troupe chamite [damascène] apparaît devant vous, vous fermez vos portes et vous vous abritez dans vos logis comme font les lézards et les hyènes dans leurs fosses.

Celui que vous défendez est, certes, humilié; car vous êtes comme des flèches cassées, nombreux dans les places publiques mais rares sous les drapeaux. Je connais bien la façon de vous réformer, mais je ne la ferai pas au détriment de mon intégrité morale. Que Dieu avilît vos visages et abaisse vos chances, vous qui ne connaissez rien.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #69