ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى زياد بن أبيه وقد بلغه أن معاوية كتب إليه يريد خديعته باستلحاقه

To Ziyād ibn Abīh when Amīr al-mu’minīn had come to know that Mu‘āwiyah had written to Ziyād to deceive him and to attach him to himself in kinship.

وَقَدْ عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ مُعَاويَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَيْكَ يَسْتَزِلُّ لُبَّكَ، وَيَسْتَفِلُّ غَرْبَكَ، فاحْذَرْهُ، فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ الشَّيْطَانُ يَأْتِي الْمَرْءَ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ، وَعَنْ يَمينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ، لِيَقْتَحِمَ غَفْلَتَهُ، وَيَسْتَلِبَ غِرَّتَهُ.

I have learnt that Mu‘āwiyah has written to you to deceive your wit and blunt your sharpness. You should be on guard against him because he is the Satan who approaches a believer from the front and from the back, from the right and from the left, to catch him suddenly in the hour of his carelessness and overcome his intelligence.

وَقَدْ كَانَ مِنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ فِي زَمَنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فَلْتَهٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ النَّفْسِ، وَنَزْغَةٌ مِنْ نَزَغَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ، لَا يَثْبُتُ بِهَا نَسَبٌ، وَلَا يُسْتَحَقُّ بِهَا إِرْثٌ، وَالْمُتَعَلِّقُ بِهَا كَالْوَاغِلِ الْمُدَفَّعِ، وَالنَّوْطِ الْمُذَبْذَبِ.

In the days of ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, Abū Sufyān [1] happened to utter a thoughtless point which was an evil suggestion of Satan, from which neither kinship is established nor entitlement to succession occurs. He who relies on it is like the uninvited guest to a drink-party or like the dangling cup (tied to a saddle).

فَلَمَّا قَرَأَ زِيَادٌ الْكِتَابَ قَالَ: شَهِدَ بِهَا وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ، وَلَمْ تَزَلْ فِي نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى ادَّعَاهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ.

(as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says:) When Ziyād read this letter he said, “By Allāh he has testified to it.” This point remained in his mind till Mu‘āwiyah claimed him (as his brother by his father).

قال السيد الرضى: قوله (عليه السلام) الواغلُ: هو الذي يهجم على الشّرْب ليشرب معهم وَليس منهم، فلا يزال مُدفّعاً محاجزاً. و النّوْط المُذَبْذَب: هو ما يناط برحل الراكب من قعب أو قدح أو ما أشبه ذلك، فهو أبداً يتقلقل إذا حث ظهره واستعجل سيره.

as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Amīr al-mu’minīn’s word “al-wāghil” means the man who joins the drinking group so as to drink with them, but he is not one of them. He is therefore constantly turned out and pushed off. As for the words “an-nawṭu ’l-mudhabdhab”, it is a wooden cup or a bowl or the like attached to the saddle of the rider so that it dangles when the rider drives the beast or quickens its pace.

Extrait d'une lettre à Ziad bin Abih auquel Mou’awiyat a écrit une lettre pour se le rendre favorable

On m’a rapporté que Mou’awiyat t’a écrit pour semer l’erreur dans ton cœur et faire une brèche dans tes efforts. Prends garde! Il est Satan en personne, qui rôde autour de sa proie de tous les côtés pour s’y entrer dans un moment d’insouciance et lui enlever son bon jugement

Au temps du calife ‘Omar bin Al-Khattab, Abou Soufian [le père de Mou'awiyat] avait prétendu, dans un lapsus psychologique incité par Satan, qu’il est ton père: il s’agit d’une excitation au mal qui n’affermit pas une généalogie et ne donne pas droit à un héritage [Ziad bin Abih n’avait pas un père connu]. Celui qui s’y attache ressemble à un assoiffé entouré d’ennemi et à une charge non stable.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #44