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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Nahjul Balagha Part 2, Letters and Sayings Letter 9: To Mu`awiyah ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى معاوية 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.

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

The way with the Prophet (may Allah 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-Harith was killed on the day of Badr, Hamzah (ibn `Abd al-Muttalib) on the day of Uhud and Ja'far (ibn Abi Talib) 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. فَعَزَمَ اللهُ لَنَا عَلَى الدَّبِّ عَنْ حَوْزَتِهِ، وَالرَّمْيِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حُرْمَتِهِ. مُؤْمِنُنَا يَبْغِي بِذلِكَ الاْجْرَ، وَكَافِرُنَا يُحَامِي عَنِ الاْصْلِ، وَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ مِنْ قُرَيش خِلْوٌ مِمَّا نَحْنُ فِيهِ بِحِلْف يَمْنَعُهُ، أَوْ عَشِيرَة تَقُومُ دُونَهُ، فَهُوَ مِنَ الْقَتْلِ بِمَكَانِ أَمْن.

وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ(صلى الله عليه وآله) إذَا احْمَرَّ الْبَأْسُ، وَأَحْجَمَ النَّاسُ، قَدَّمَ أَهْلَ بَيْتِهِ فَوَقَى بِهِمْ أَصَحَابَهُ حَرَّ السُّيُوفِ وَالاْسِنَّةِ، 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.

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