Sermon 31

Do not meet Talhah (ibn 'Ubaydillah). If you meet him you will find him like an unruly bull whose horns are turned towards its ears. He rides a ferocious riding beast and says it has been tamed. But you meet az-Zubayr because he is soft-tempered. Tell him that your maternal cousin says that, "(It looks as if) in the Hijaz you knew me (accepted me), but (on coming here to) Iraq you do not know me (do not accept me). So, what has dissuaded (you) from what was shown (by you previously)?!"

As-Sayyid ar-Radi says: The last sentence of this sermon "fama 'ada mimma bada" has been heard only from Amir al-mu'minin.

Arabic Text

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لمّا أنفذ عبدالله بن العباس(رحمه الله) إلى الزبير قبل وقوع الحرب يوم الجمل ليستفيئه إلى طاعته لاتَلْقَيَنَّ طَلْحَةَ، فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَلْقَهُ تَجِدْهُ كَالثَّوْرِ عَاقِصاً قَرْنَهُ يَرْكَبُ الصَّعْبَئِ وَيَقُولُ: هُوَ الذَّلُولُ، وَلكِنِ القَ الزُّبَيْرَ، فَإِنَّهُ أَليَنُ عَرِيكَةً فَقُلْ لَهُ: يَقُولُ لَكَ ابْنُ خَالِكَ: عَرَفْتَني بَالحِجَازِ وَأَنْكَرْتَنِي بِالعِرَاقِ، فَمَا عَدَا مِمَّابَدَا قال السيد الشريف: وهو (عليه السلام) أوّل من سمعت منه هذه الكلمة، أعني: «فَمَا عَدَا مِمَّا بَدَا«.

Alternative Sources

(1) Al-Jahiz, al-Bayan, II, 115; (2) Ibn Qutaybah, 'Uyun, I, 115; (3) Ibn 'Abd Rabbih, al-'Iqd, IV, 314; (4) al-Zubayr ibn Bakkar, al-Muwaffaqiyyat, see Ibn Abi al-Hadid, I, 171; (5) Ibn Khallikan, Wafayat al-'a'yan, biographical account of Ibn al-Mu'allim, see 'Abd al-Zahra', I, 412.