ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى مصقلة بن هبيرة الشيباني وهو عامله على أردشير خُرة

To Masqalah ibn Hubayrah ash-Shaybānī, the Governor of Ardashīr Khurrah (Iran).

بَلَغَنِي عَنْكَ أَمْرٌ إِنْ كُنْتَ فَعَلْتَهُ فَقَدْ أَسْخَطْتَ إِلهَكَ، وَأَغْضَبْتَ [وَعَصَيْتَ] إِمَامَكَ: أَنَّكَ تَقْسِمُ فَيْءَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الَّذِي حَازَتْهُ رِمَاحُهُمْ وَخُيُولُهُمْ، وَأُرِيقَتْ عَلَيْهِ دِمَاؤُهُمْ، فِيمَنِ اعْتَامَكَ مِنْ أَعْرَابِ قَوْمِكَ،

I have come to know concerning you a matter which if you have done it you have displeased your Allāh and disobeyed your Imam. You are distributing among the Arabs (Bedouins) of your kin who tend towards you the property of the Muslims which they collected by dint of their spears and horses and on which their blood was shed.

فَوَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ، وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ، لَئِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ حَقّاً لَتَجِدَنَّ بِكَ [لَكَ] عَلَيَّ هَوَاناً، وَلَتَخِفَّنَّ عِنْدِي مِيزَاناً، فَلَا تَسْتَهِنْ بِحَقِّ رَبِّكَ، وَلَا تُصْلِحْ دُنْيَاكَ بِمَحْقِ دِينِكَ، فَتَكُونَ مِنَ الْأَخْسَرِينَ أَعْمَالًا.

By Allāh Who germinated the seed and created living beings, if this is true you will be humbled in my view and you will become light in weight. Therefore, do not treat lightly the obligations of your Lord and do not reform your world by ruining your religion, since then you will be among losers by the way of (your) actions.

أَلَا وَإِنَّ حَقَّ مَنْ قِبَلَكَ وَقِبَلَنَا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي قِسْمَةِ هذَا الْفَيْءِ سَوَاءٌ، يَرِدُونَ عِنْدِي عَلَيْهِ، وَيَصْدُرُونَ عَنْهُ.

Know that the right of those Muslims who are around you and those who are around me in this property is equal. For that reason they come to me and take from it.

Extrait d’une lettre à Masqaiat bin Houbaïrat Ash-Shaïbani, son gouverneur à Ardashir Khourra (Perse)

Il m’est parvenu à ton sujet que tu as commis un forfait qui suscite la colère de Dieu et constitue une désobéissance à ton imam: en effet, le butin que les épées et les chevaux des musulmans avaient acquis et pour lequel ils ont versé leur sang, ce butin tu l’as distribué entre les bédouins de ta parentèle.

Par celui qui a fendu la graine et créé l’esprit des hommes, si ce qu’on m’a raconté est juste tu trouveras chez moi du mépris et de la dépréciation. Ne dédaigne pas le droit de ton Seigneur et n’améliore pas ta vie terrestre en effaçant ta religion, car tu perdras les deux vies par ton action.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #43