Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن وصية له (عليه السلام) للحسن والحسين (عليهما السلام) لما ضربه ابن ملجم لعنه الله

For Imām al-Ḥasan and Imām al-Ḥusayn (peace be upon them) when (‘Abd ar-Raḥmān) Ibn Muljam (the curse of Allāh be upon him) struck him (fatally with a sword).

أُوصِيكُمَا بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَأَلَّا تَبْغِيَا الدُّنْيَا وَإِنْ بَغَتْكُمَا، وَلَا تَأْسَفَا عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْهَا زُوِيَ عَنْكُمَا، وَقُولَا بِالْحَقِّ، وَاعْمَلَا لِلْأَجْرِ، وَكُونَا لِلظَّالِمِ خَصْماً، وَلِلْمَظْلُومِ عَوْناً.

I advise you (both) to fear Allāh and that you should not hanker after the (pleasures of this) world even though it may run after you. Do not be sorry for anything of this world that you have been denied. Speak the truth and act (in expectation) for reward. Be an enemy of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed.

أُوصِيكُمَا، وَجَمِيعَ وَلَدِي وَأَهْلِي وَمَنْ بَلَغَهُ كِتَابِي، بِتَقْوَى اللهِ، وَنَظْمِ أَمْرِكُمْ، وَصَلَاحِ ذَاتِ بَيْنِكُمْ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ جَدَّكُمَا (صلى الله عليه وآله) يَقُولُ: «صَلَاحُ ذَاتِ الْبَيْنِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ عَامَّةِ الصَّلَاةِ وَالصِّيَامِ».

I advise you (both) and all my children and members of my family and everyone whom my writing reaches, to fear Allāh, to keep your affairs in order, and to maintain good relations among yourselves for I have heard your Grandfather (the Holy Prophet – S) saying, “Improvement of mutual differences is better than general prayers and fastings.”

اللهَ اللهَ فِي الْأَيْتَامِ، فَلَا تُغِبُّوا أَفْوَاهَهُمْ، وَلَا يَضِيعُوا بِحَضْرَتِكُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of orphans. So do not allow them to starve and they should not be ruined in your presence.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي جِيرَانِكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ وَصِيَّةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ، مَا زَالَ يُوصِي بِهِمْ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ سَيُوَرِّثُهُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of your neighbours, because they were the subject of the Prophet’s advice. He went on advising in their favour till we thought he would allow them a share in inheritance.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، لَا يَسْبِقْكُمْ بِالْعَمَلِ بِهِ غَيْرُكُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of the Qur’ān. No one should excel you in acting upon it.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَإِنَّهَا عَمُودُ دِينِكُمْ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of prayer, because it is the pillar of your religion.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي بَيْتِ رَبِّكُمْ، لَا تُخْلُوهُ مَا بَقِيتُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ تُرِكَ لَمْ تُنَاظَرُوا.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of your Lord’s House (Ka‘bah). Do not forsake it so long as you live, because if it is abandoned you will not be spared.

وَاللهَ اللهَ فِي الْجِهَادِ بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ.

(Fear) Allāh (and) keep Allāh in view in the matter of jihād with the help of your property, lives and tongues in the way of Allāh.

وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالتَّوَاصُلِ وَالتَّبَاذُلِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّدَابُرَ وَالتَّقَاطُعَ. لَا تَتْرُكُوا الْأَمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ فَيُوَلَّى عَلَيْكُمْ أَشْرَارُكُمْ، ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ.

You should keep to a respect for kinship and spending for others. Avoid turning away from one another and severing mutual relations. Do not give up bidding for good and forbidding from evil lest the mischievous gain positions over you, and then if you will pray, the prayers will not be granted.

ثمّ قال: يَا بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، لَا أُلْفِيَنَّكُمْ تَخُوضُونَ دِمَاءَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ خَوْضاً، تَقُولُونَ: قُتِلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ. أَلَا لَا تَقْتُلُنَّ بِي إِلَّا قَاتِلِي.

Then he said: O’ sons of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib, certainly I do not wish to see you plunging harshly into the blood of Muslims shouting “Amīr al-mu’minīn has been killed.” Beware, do not kill on account of me except my killer.

انْظُرُوا إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ مِنْ ضَرْبَتِهِ هَذِهِ، فَاضْرِبُوهُ ضَرْبَةً بِضَرْبَةٍ، وَلَا يُمَثَّلُ [تُمَثِّلُوا] بِالرَّجُلِ، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) يَقُولُ : «إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْمُثْلَةَ وَلَوْ بَالْكَلْبِ الْعَقُورِ».

Wait till I die by his (Ibn Muljam’s) existing stroke. Then strike him one stroke for his stroke and do not dismember the limbs of the man, for I have heard the Messenger of Allah (s) saying, “Avoid cutting limbs even though it may be a rabid dog.”