ومن خطبة له (عليه السلام) وفيها ينبِّه أَمير المؤمنين على فضله وعلمه ويبيّن فتنة بني أُميّة

About the annihilation of the Khārijites, the mischief mongering of Umayyads and the vastness of his own knowledge [1]

أَمَّا بَعْد، أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَإِنِّي فَقَأْتُ عَيْنَ الْفِتْنَةِ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِيَجْتَرِىءَ عَلَيْهَا أَحَدٌ غَيْرِي بَعْدَ أَنْ مَاجَ غَيْهَبُهَا، وَاشْتَدَّ كَلَبُهَا فَاسْأَلُوني قَبْلَ أَنْ تَفْقِدُونِي، فَوَ الَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لاَ تَسْأَلُوني عَنْ شَيْء فِيَما بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ السَّاعَةِ، وَلاَ عَنْ فِئَة تَهْدِي مائةً وَتُضِلُّ مائةً إِلاَّ نَبَّأْتُكُمْ بِنَاعِقِهَا وَقَائِدِهَا وَسَائِقِهَا، وَمنَاخِ رِكَابِهَا، وَمَحَطِّ رِحَالِهَا، وَمَنْ يُقْتَلُ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا قَتْلاً، وَمَنْ يَمُوتُ مِنْهُمْ مَوْتاً.

So now, praise and eulogy be to Allah, O people, I have put out the eye of revolt. No one except me advanced towards it when its gloom was swelling and its madness was intense. Ask me before you miss me, [2] because, by Allah, who has my life in His hands, if you ask me anything between now and the Day of Judgement or about the group who would guide a hundred people and also misguide a hundred people I would tell you who is announcing its march, who is driving it in the front and who is driving it at the rear, the stages where its riding animals would stop for rest and the final place of stay, and who among them would be killed and who would die a natural death.

وَلَوْ قَدْ فَقَدْتُمُونِي وَنَزَلَتْ كَرَائِهُ الاْمُورِ، وَحَوَازِبُ الْخُطُوبِ، لاَطْرَقَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ السَّائِلِينَ، وَفَشِلَ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ المَسْؤُولِينَ، وَذلِكَ إِذَا قَلَّصَتْ حَرْبُكُمْ، وَشَمَّرَتْ عَنْ سَاق، وَضَاقَتِ الدُّنْيَا عَلَيْكُمْ ضِيقاً، تَسْتَطِيلُونَ أَيَّامَ الْبَلاَءِ عَلَيْكُمْ، حَتَّى يَفْتَحَ اللهُ لِبَقِيَّةِ الاْبْرَارِ مِنْكُمْ.

When I am dead hard circumstances and distressing events would befall you, many persons in the position of asking question would remain silent with cast down eye, while those in the position of replying would lose courage. This would be at a time when wars would descend upon you with all hardship, and days would be so hard on you that you would feel them prolonged because of hardship till Allāh would give victory to those remaining virtuous among you.

إِنّ الْفِتَنَ إِذَا أَقْبَلَتْ شَبَّهِتْ، وَإِذَا أَدْبَرَتْ نَبَّهَتْ، يُنْكَرْنَ مُقْبِلاَت، وَيُعْرَفْنَ مُدْبِرَات، يَحُمْنَ حَوْمَ الرِّيَاحِ، يُصِبْنَ بَلَداً وَيُخْطِئْنَ بَلَداً.

When mischiefs come they confuse (right with wrong) and when they clear away they leave a warning. They cannot be known at the time of approach but are recognized at the time of return. They blow like the blowing of winds, striking some cities and missing others.

أَلاَ وَإِنَّ أَخْوَفَ الْفِتَنِ عِنْدِي عَلَيْكُمْ فَتْنَةُ بَنِي اُمَيَّةَ، فإِنَّهَا فِتْنَةٌ عَمْيَاءُ مُظْلِمَةٌ: عَمَّتْ خُطَّتُهَا، وَخَصَّتْ بَلِيَّتُهَا، وَأَصَابَ الْبَلاَءُ مَنْ أَبْصَرَ فِيهَا، وَأَخْطَأَ الْبَلاَءُ مَنْ عَمِيَ عَنْهَا. وَايْمُ اللهِ لَتَجِدُنَّ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ لَكُمْ أَرْبَابَ سُوْء بَعْدِي، كَالنَّابِ الضَّرُوسِ: تَعْذِمُ بِفِيهَا، وَتَخْبِطُ بِيَدِهَا، وتَزْبِنُ بِرِجْلِهَا، وَتَمْنَعُ دَرَّهَا، لاَ يَزَالُونَ بِكُمْ حَتَّى لاَ يَتْرُكُوا مَنْكُمْ إِلاَّ نَافِعاً لَهُمْ، أَوْ غَيْرَ ضَائِر بِهِمْ، وَلاَ يَزَالُ بَلاَؤُهُمْ حَتَّى لاَ يَكُونَ انْتِصَارُ أَحَدِكُمْ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ مثل انْتِصَارِ الْعَبْدِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ، وَالصَّاحِبِ مِنْ مُسْتَصْحِبِهِ، تَرِدُ عَلَيْكُمْ فِتْنَتُهُمْ شَوْهَاءَ مَخْشَيَّةً، وَقِطَعاً جَاهِلِيَّةً، لَيْسَ فِيهَا مَنَارُ هُدىً، وَلاَ عَلَمٌ يُرَى.

Beware that the worst mischief for you in my view is the mischief of Banu Umayyah, because it is blind and also creates darkness. Its sway is general but its ill effects are for particular people. He who remains clear-sighted in it would be affected by distress, and he who remains blind in it would avoid the distress. By Allāh, you will find Banu Umayyah after me worst people for yourselves, like the old unruly she-camel who bites with its mouth, beats with its fore-legs, kicks with its hind legs and refuses to be milked. They would remain over you till they would leave among you only those who benefit them or those who do not harm them. Their calamity would continue till your seeking help from them would become like the seeking of help by the slave from his master or of the follower from the leader. Their mischief would come to you like evil eyed fear and pre-Islamic fragments, wherein there would be no minaret of guidance or any sign (of salvation) to be seen.

نَحْنُ أَهْلَ الْبِيْتِ مِنْهَا بنجاة، وَلَسْنَا فِيهَا بِدُعَاة، ثُمَّ يُفَرِّجُهَا اللهُ عَنْكُمْ كَتَفْرِيجِ الاْدِيمِ: بِمَنْ يَسُومُهُمْ خَسْفاً، وَيَسُوقُهُمْ عُنْفاً، وَيَسْقِيهِمْ بِكَأْس مُصَبَّرَة، لاَ يُعْطِيهِمْ إِلاَّ السَّيْفَ، وَلاَ يُحْلِسُهُمْ إِلاَّ الْخَوْفَ، فَعِنْدَ ذلِكَ تَوَدُّ قُرَيْشٌ ـ بِالدُّنْيَا وَمَا فِيهَا ـ لَوْ يَرَوْنَنِي مَقَاماً وَاحِداً، وَلَوْ قَدْرَ جَزْرِ جَزْور، لاِقْبَلَ مِنْهُمْ مَا أَطْلُبُ الْيَوْمَ بَعْضَهُ فَلاَ يُعْطُونِيهِ!

We Ahlu’l-bayt (the Household of the Prophet) are free from this mischief and we are not among those who would engender it. Thereafter, Allāh would dispel it from you like the removal of the skin (from flesh) through him who would humble them, drag them by necks, make them drink full cups (of hardships), not extend them anything but sword and not clothe them save with fear. At that time Quraysh would wish at the cost of the world and all its contents to find me even only once and just for the duration of the slaughter of a camel in order that I may accept from them (the whole of) that of which at present I am asking them only a part but they are not giving me.

Extrait d’un discours où il explicite sa valeur et sa science et montre la sédition des Ümeyyades

Après avoir rendu hommage et louange à Dieu, Ô gens, j’ai crevé l’œil de la sédition -ce que personne autre que moi n’avait osé le faire-après son expansion parmi le peuple et sa rage mortelle. Posez-moi la question avant que je ne vous quitte. Je jure par Celui qui tient mon âme entre Ses mains: si vous me demandiez de vous dire ce qui arrivera entre vous et l’Heure et de vous indiquer un groupe qui guide cent et un autre qui égare cent [personnes], je vous dirais qui a incité à cette sédition, qui est son chef et son guide, comment va-t-elle se développer, qui parmi les participants sera tué et qui mourra de mort naturelle.

Si par contre, vous me perdiez et souffriez les pires des choses et des affaires graves, plusieurs poseurs de questions baisseraient la tête et plusieurs responsables échoueraient, et ce dans le cas où votre guerre dure longtemps et où vous sentez que votre vie devient difficile à soutenir, avec ses épreuves et ses afflictions, jusqu’à ce que Dieu soulage les justes restant parmi vous.

Lorsque les séditions prospèrent, elles mêlent le faux au vrai; si elles s’en vont, elles appellent l'attention des hommes. Elles sont désavouées lorsqu’elles viennent et connues lorsqu’elles s’éloignent et, comme les vents, elles frappent un pays et épargnent un autre.

Cependant, l'impact sur vous me donne la plus grande peur; c'est celle des Omeyyades; elle est aveugle et ténébreuse: Elle se répand dans toute la nation et son malheur frappe spécialement les parents du Prophète et tous ceux qui suivent la vérité. Par Dieu, vous trouverez certes les Omeyyades devenus après moi des mauvais seigneurs, comme une vieille et méchante chamelle qui mord, tape ses pattes par terre et refuse de donner son lait. Ils vous maltraiteront à l’exception de ceux qui parmi vous leur seront utiles ou inoffensifs. Leur injustice sévira parmi vous, vous empêchant de remporter une victoire, à moins qu’elle ne soit celle des humiliés. Elle vous envahit avec un laid visage qui répand la frayeur, comme c’était le cas avant l’Islam, dépourvue qu’elle est de toute guidance et de toute science.

Nous, les parents du Prophète, sommes délivrés de celte sédition dont nous ne sommes point des partisans, puis Dieu vous délivrera d’elle à la manière dont la peau est écorchée. Lorsque les gens de Qouraïche auront subi l’humiliation, seront conduits par la force, auront bu la coupe pleine, n’auront reçu que l'épée, n’auront revêtu que la peur, en ce moment là ils désireront-je jure par le monde et ce qu’il contient- me voir au moins une fois pour que j’accepte d’eux ce que je demande partiellement aujourd’hui et ce qu'ils refusent de me dotuier!

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #93