[^1] ‘Abd al-Rahman bin Shurayk al-Nakha‘i al-Kufi narrated...

[^1] ‘Abd al-Rahman bin Shurayk al-Nakha‘i al-Kufi narrated on the authority of his father, and al-Bukhari narrated on his authority in his Kitab al-Adabin Ibn Habban regarded him as among the trustworthy. He said: “Perhaps, he made a mistake.” He (‘Abd al-Rahman bin Shurayk) died in the year 227 A. H. This has been mentioned in (the book) Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p.194. creatures in giving advice to them.

I have not become one who bears malice to any Muslim, nor one who wishes evil or misfortune to others. Indeed what you dislike in unity is better for you than what you like in division. I see what is better for you than you see for yourselves. Therefore do not oppose my commands and do not reject my judgement.

May Allah forgive both me and you and may He guide me and you to that in which there is love and satisfaction.”[^1] Then he turned to the people and said to them: “O people, surely the pious is the cleverest of the clever, and the sinful is the most foolish of the foolish. By Allah, if you search for a man whose grandfather is Allah’s Apostle, may Allah bless him and his family, between Jabliq[^2] and Jabris[^3] , you would not find him other than me and other than my brother al-Husayn.

You have come to know that Allah has guided you through my grandfather Muhammad, may Allah bless him and his family. So He has saved you from misguidance through him, raised you from ignorance through him, strengthened you after the abasement through him, and made you many after the fewness through him. Mu’awiya has disputed with me about a right that belongs to me, with the exclusion of him. So I have considered that which sets right the community and puts an end to the discord.

You had pledged allegiance to me provided that you should make peace with whom I make peace with and fight him whom I fight. So I think I have to make peace with Mu’awiya and to put an end to the war between him and me. I have pledged allegiance to him. I think that sparing blood is better than shedding it. Through that I do not want anything except setting you right and your survival. I know that that may be a trial for you and a provision for a time.”[^4] [^1] Al-Mufid, al-Irshad, p. 169.

[^2] It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas that Jabliq was (a place) in the Far West, and that its inhabitants belonged to ‘Ad’s children. This has been mentioned in the book Mu‘jam al-Buldan, vol. 3, p. 32. [^3] Jabris was a city in the Far East.