ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى معاوية

فَأَرَادَ قَوْمُنَا قَتْلَ نَبِيِّنَا، وَاجْتِيَاحَ أَصْلِنَا، وَهَمُّوا بِنَا الْهُمُومَ، وَفَعَلُوا بِنَا الْأَفَاعِيلَ، وَمَنَعُونَا الْعَذْبَ، وَأَحْلَسُونَا الْخَوْفَ، وَاضْطَرُّونَا إِلَى جَبَل وَعْر، وَأَوْقَدُوا لَنَا نَارَ الْحَرْبِ،

Our people [1] (the Quraysh) decided to kill our Prophet and to annihilate our root. They created worries for us, behaved with us harshly, denied us ease of life, exposed us to fear, forced us to take refuge in a rugged mountain and ignited for us the flames of war.

فَعَزَمَ اللهُ لَنَا عَلَى الدَّبِّ عَنْ حَوْزَتِهِ، وَالرَّمْيِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حُرْمَتِهِ. مُؤْمِنُنَا يَبْغِي بِذلِكَ الْأَجْرَ، وَكَافِرُنَا يُحَامِي عَنِ الْأَصْلِ، وَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ مِنْ قُرَيش خِلْوٌ مِمَّا نَحْنُ فِيهِ بِحِلْف يَمْنَعُهُ، أَوْ عَشِيرَة تَقُومُ دُونَهُ، فَهُوَ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ بِمَكَانِ أَمْن.

Allāh then gave us determination to protect His religion and defend His honour. The believers among us expected (heavenly) reward from it, and the unbelievers among us gave their support because of kinship. Those who accepted Islam from among the Quraysh were away from the distresses in which we were involved either because of a pledge that protected them or because of the tribe that would rise to support them. They were therefore safe from killing.

وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) إذَا احْمَرَّ الْبَأْسُ، وَأَحْجَمَ النَّاسُ، قَدَّمَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِهِ فَوَقَى بِهِمْ أَصَحَابَهُ حَرَّ السُّيُوفِ وَالْأَسِنَّةِ، فَقُتِلَ عُبَيْدَةُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ يَوْمَ بَدْر، وَقُتِلَ حَمْزَةُ يَوْمَ أُحُد، وَقُتِلَ جعفر يَوْمَ مُؤْتَةَ، وَأَرَادَ مَنْ لَوْ شِئْتُ ذَكَرْتُ اسْمَهُ مِثْلَ الَّذِي أَرَادُوا مِنَ الشَّهَادَةِ، وَلكِنَّ آجَالَهُمْ عُجِّلَتْ، مَنِيَّتَهُ أُجِّلَتْ.

The way with the Prophet (may Allāh bless him and his descendants) was that when fighting became fierce and people began to loose ground he would send forward members of his family and through them protect his companions from the attacks of swords and spears. In this way ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Ḥārith was killed on the day of Badr, Ḥamzah (ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib) on the day of Uḥud and Ja‘far (ibn Abī Ṭālib) on the day of Mu’tah. One more person, whom I can name if I wish, desired to seek martyrdom as they did; but their deaths approached, while his death had not yet approached.

فَيَاعَجَباً لِلدَّهْرِ! إِذْ صِرْتُ يُقْرَنُ بِي مَنْ لَمْ يَسْعَ بِقَدَمِي، وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ كَسَابِقَتِي الَّتِي لَا يُدْلِي أحَدٌ بِمِثْلِهَا، إِلَّا أَنْ يَدَّعِيَ مُدَّع مَا لَا أَعْرِفُهُ، وَلَا أَظُنُّ اللهَ يَعْرِفُهُ، وَالْحَمْدُ لله عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ.

How strange it is that I am being grouped with him who never evinced briskness of pace like me nor had he to his credit any achievement like mine unless he claims something of which I do not know and which I think Allāh too does not know. In any case, all praise belongs to Allāh.

وَأَمَّا مَا سَأَلْتَ مِنْ دَفْعِ قَتَلَةِ عُثْمانَ إِلَيْكَ، فَإِنِّي نَظَرْتُ فِي هذَا الْأَمْرِ، فَلَمْ أَرَهُ يَسَعُنِي دَفْعُهُمْ إِلَيْكَ وَلَا إِلَى غَيْرِكَ، وَلَعَمْرِي لَئِنْ لَمْ تَنْزِعْ عَنْ غَيِّكَ وَشِقَاقِكَ لَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ عَنْ قَلِيل يَطلُبُونَكَ، لَا يُكَلِّفُونَكَ طَلَبَهُمْ فِي بَرّ وَلَا بَحْر، وَلَا جَبَلٍ وَلَا سَهْل، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ طَلَبٌ يَسُوءُكَ وِجْدَانُهُ، وَزَوْرٌ لَا يَسُرُّكَ لُقْيَانُهُ، وَالسَّلَامُ لِأَهْلِهِ.

As regards your request to hand over to you the murderers of ‘Uthmān, I have thought over this matter and I do not find their handing over to you or to someone else possible for me. By my life, if you do not give up your wrong ways and disruptive acts you will surely know them. They will shortly be seeking you and will not give you the trouble of seeking them in land, sea, mountains or plain. But this search will be painful for you and their visit will not give you happiness. Peace be on those who deserve it.

Extrait d’une de ses lettres à Mou’awiyat

Nos gens [Qouraïche] voulurent tuer notre Prophète, extraire notre racine, nous accabler de peines, nous faire voir de toutes les couleurs, nous priver d’une vie heureuse, nous faire vivre dans la peur. Ils nous obligèrent à nous réfugier en des montagnes inaccessibles et allumèrent contre nous les feux de la guerre.

Dieu décida que nous serions les défenseurs de Sa Loi pour la protéger contre ses détracteurs, Ceux qui croyaient au Message combattirent en vue d’une rétribution et ceux qui n’y croyaient pas en vue de défendre leur tribu. Mais les Qouraïchites qui s’étaient soumis à l’Islam furent à l’abri de la guerre et des tueries, protégés qu’ils étaient par un pacte entre tribus.

Durant Pachamement des batailles, lorsque les gens reculaient de frayeur, l’Envoyé de Dieu plaça les membres de sa famille au front pour protéger ses compagnons contre l’impact des épées et des lances. C’est ainsi que furent tués ‘Oubaïdat bin Al Hareth lors de la bataille de Badr, Hamza dans celle de ‘Ouhoud et Ja’afar dans celle de Mou’tat. Si je le voulais, je pourrais citer d’autres noms de ceux qui voulurent être des martyrs dans ces batailles mais auxquels le trépas a donné un délai.

C’est une ironie du sort qu’on me compare à celui [il s’agit de Mou’awiyat] qui n’a jamais mis le pied dans un champ de bataille et n’a pas eu comme moi un passé de guerrier inégalable, à moins qu’on ne prétende ce que j’ignore et que peut-être Dieu même - Qu’il soit loué en toutes circonstances- ignore.

Quant à ta demande de te livrer les meurtriers de ‘Outhman, je me trouve, après un profond examen, incapable de les livrer ni à toi, ni à tout autre. Par Dieu, si tu n’arrêtes pas ton égarement et ta sédition, tu verras mes armées qui viendront te demander des comptes...

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #9