Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إليه أيضاً

To Mu‘āwiyah

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَقَدْ أَتَتْني مِنْكَ مَوْعِظَةٌ مُوَصَّلَةٌ، وَرِسَالَةٌ مُحَبَّرَةٌ، نَمَّقْتَهَا بِضَلاَلِكَ، وَأَمْضَيْتَهَا بِسُوءِ رَأْيِكَ، وَكِتَابُ امْرِئٍ لَيْسَ لَهُ بَصَرٌ يَهْدِيهِ، وَلَا قَائِدٌ يُرْشِدُهُ، قَدْ دَعَاهُ الْهَوَى فَأَجَابَهُ، وَقَادَهُ الضَّلاَلُ فَاتَّبَعَهُ، فَهَجَرَ لَاغِطاً، وَضَلَّ خَابِطاً.

I have received from you the packet of unconnected advices and the embellished letter. You have written it because of your misguidance, and despatched it because of lack of wisdom. This is the letter of a man who has neither light to show him the way nor a leader to guide him on the right path. Passion prompted him and he responded to it. Misguidance led him and he followed it. Consequently, he began to speak nonsense and became recklessly astray.

(وَ مِنْ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ) لِأَنَّهَا بَيْعَهٌ وَاحِدَةٌ لَا يُثَنَّى فِيهَا النَّظَرُ، وَلَا يُسْتَأْنَفُ فِيهَا الْخِيَارُ، الْخَارِجُ مِنْهَا طَاعِنٌ، وَالْمُرَوِّي فِيهَا مُدَاهِنٌ.

[A part of the same letter :] Because allegiance is once and for all; it is not open to reconsideration nor is there any scope for fresh proceedings of election. He who remains out of it is deemed to be critical of Islam while he who prevaricates upon it is a hypocrite.