ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) كتبه إلى أهل الأمصار يقتص فيه ما جرى بينه وبين أهل صفين

Written to the people of various localities describing what took place between him and the people of Ṣiffīn.

وَكَانَ بَدْءُ أَمْرِنَا أَنَّا الْتَقَيْنَا وَالْقَوْمُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ رَبَّنَا وَاحِدٌ، وَنَبِيَّنَا وَاحِدٌ، وَدَعْوَتَنَا فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَاحِدَةٌ، وَلَا نَسْتَزِيدُهُمْ فِي الْإِيمَانِ باللهِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ بِرَسُولِهِ، وَلَا يَسْتَزِيدُونَنَا، الْأَمْرُ وَاحِدٌ، إِلَّا مَا اخْتَلَفْنَا فِيهِ مِنْ دَمِ عُثْمَانَ، وَنَحْنُ مِنْهُ بَرَاءٌ.

The whole thing began thus that we and the Syrians met in an encounter although we believe in one and the same Allāh and the same Prophet, and our message in Islam is the same. We did not want them to add anything in the belief in Allāh or in acknowledging His Messenger (may Allāh bless him and his descendants) nor did they want us to add any such thing. In fact, there was complete unity except that we differed on the question of ‘Uthmān’s blood while we were uninvolved in it.

فَقُلْنَا: تَعَالَوْا نُدَاوِ مَا لَا يُدْرَكُ الْيَوْمَ بِإِطْفَاءِ النَّائِرَةِ، وَتَسْكِينِ الْعَامَّةِ، حَتَّى يَشْتَدَّ الْأَمْرُ وَيَسْتَجْمِعَ، فَنَقْوَى عَلَى وَضْعِ الْحَقِّ مَوَاضِعَهُ. فَقَالُوا: بَلْ نُدَاوِيهِ بِالْمُكَابَرَةِ.

We suggested to them to appease the situation by calming the temporary irritation and pacifying the people till matters settled down and stabilized when we would gain strength to put matters right. They however said that they would settle it by war.

فَأَبَوْا حَتَّى جَنَحَتِ الْحَرْبُ وَرَكَدَتْ، وَوَقَدَتْ نِيرَانُهَا وَحَمِشَتْ. فَلَمَّا ضَرَّسَتْنَا وَإِيَّاهُمْ، وَوَضَعَتْ مَخَالِبَهَا فِينَا وَفِيهِمْ، أَجَابُوا عِنْدَ ذلِكَ إِلَى الَّذِي دَعَوْنَاهُمْ إِلَيْهِ، فَأَجَبْنَاهُمْ إِلَى مَا دَعَوْا، وَسَارَعْنَاهُمْ إِلَى مَا طَلَبُوا، حَتَّى اسْتَبَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْحُجَّةُ، وَانْقَطَعَتْ مِنْهُمُ الْمَعْذِرَةُ.

Thus, they refused our offer and consequently war spread its wings and came to stay. Its flames rose and became strong. When the war had bitten us as well as them and pierced its talons into us as well as them, they accepted what we had proposed to them. So, we agreed to what they suggested and hastened to meet their request. In this way, the plea became clear to them and no excuse was left to them.

فَمَنْ تَمَّ عَلَى ذلِكَ مِنْهُمْ فَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنْقَذَهُ اللهُ مِنَ الْهَلَكَةِ، وَمَنْ لَجَّ وَتَمَادَى فَهُوَ الرَّاكِسُ الَّذِي رَانَ اللهُ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ، وَصَارَتْ دَائِرَةُ السَّوْءِ عَلَى رَأْسِهِ.

Now, whoever among them adheres to this will be saved by Allāh from ruin, and whoever shows obstinacy and insistence (on wrong) is the reverser whose heart has been blinded by Allāh and evils will encircle his head.

Extrait d'une lettre écrite aux gouverneurs de provinces et relatant ce qui s’était passé à Saffine

Tout a commencé par notre rencontre avec les gens de Cham, et tout poussait à croire que leurs gens et les nôtres avaient la même doctrine, la même vocation islamique; aucune partie ne saurait se prévaloir sur l’autre en ce qui concerne la foi de Dieu et la croyance en Son Messager. A l’encontre de ce consensus se dressait la responsabilité du meurtre de ‘Outhman, dont nous sommes innocents.

Alors nous dîmes: rémédions ce qui est inconnu jusqu’à ce jour en éteignant la sédition et en tranquillisant le peuple, jusqu’à ce que l’affaire soit éclairée; alors, nous serons en mesure d’éclaircir la vérité. Ils répondirent: Nous rémédions l’affaire par l’entêtement!

Ils ont refusé notre proposition tant et si bien que la guerre s’est éclatée et a continué de faire rage. Lorsqu’elle est devenue recrudescente et que la danse des morts des deux côtés est devenue macabre, ils revinrent à notre proposition antérieure. Nous acceptâmes leur demande de trêve pour leur enlever tout argument et couper toute excuse.

Celui qui, parmi eux, respecte cette trêve sera sauvé par Dieu de la perdition, mais celui qui persiste dans son entêtement en violant ce pacte aura le cœur endurci par Dieu et sera porté responsable des malheurs de la guerre.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #58