ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Nahjul Balagha Part 2, Letters and Sayings Letter 36: To his brother 'Aqil ibn Abi Talib To his brother 'Aqil ibn Abi Talib, [^1] in reply to his letter which contained a reference to the army Amir al-mu'minin had sent to some enemy. ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) في ذكر جيش أنفذه إلى بعض الاعداء، وهو جواب كتاب كتبه إليه أخوه عقيل بن أبي طالب I had sent towards him a large army of Muslims. When he came to know of it he fled away and retreated repenting.

They met him on the way when the sun was about to set. They grappled for a while like nothing. It was about an hour and then he rescued himself half-dead as he had almost been taken by the neck and only the last breath had remained in him. In this way, he escaped in a panic.

فَسَرَّحْتُ إِلَيْهِ جَيْشاً كَثِيفاً مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَلَمَّا بَلَغَهُ ذلِكَ شَمَّرَ هَارباً، وَنَكَصَ نَادِماً، فَلَحِقُوهُ بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ، وَقَدْ طَفَّلَتِ الشَّمْسُ لِلاْيَابِ، فَاقْتَتَلُوا شَيْئاً كَلاَ وَلاَ، فَمَا كَانَ إِلاَّ كَمَوْقِفِ سَاعَة حَتَّى نَجَا جَرِيضاً بَعْدَمَا أُخِذَ مِنْهُ بِالْـمُخَنَّقِ، وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْهُ غَيْرُ الرَّمَقِ، فَلَاْياً بِلَاْيٍ مَا نَجَا .

Leave the Quraysh in their rushing into misguidance, their galloping in disunity and their leaping over destruction. They have joined together to fight me as they had joined to fight the Messenger of Allah (S) before me. I wish the Quraysh will get the reward of their treatment of me. For they disregarded my kinship and deprived me of the power due to me from the son of my mother (i.e. the Holy Prophet).

فَدَعْ عَنْكَ قُرَيشاً وَتَرْكَاضَهُمْ فِي الضَّلاَلِ، وَتَجْوَالَهُمْ فِي الشِّقَاقِ، وَجِمَاحَهُمْ فِي التِّيهِ، فَإِنَّهُمْ قَدْ أَجْمَعُوا عَلَى حَرْبِي كَإِجمَاعِهِمْ عَلَى حَرْبِ رَسوُلِ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) قَبْلِي، فَجَزَتْ قُرَيْشاً عَنِّي الْجَوَازِي! فَقَدْ قَطَعُوا رَحِمِي، وَسَلَبُونِي سُلْطَانَ ابْنِ أُمِّي. As for your enquiry about my opinion on fighting, I am in favour of fighting those who regard fighting as lawful until I die.

The abundance of men around me does not increase me in strength nor does their dispersal from me cause any loneliness. Surely, do not consider the son of your father as being weak or afraid, even though all people have forsaken him, or bowing down submissively before injustice or handing over his reins into the hand of the puller, or allowing his back to be used by the rider to sit upon.

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