Sermon 181

Amir al-mu'minin sent one of his men to bring him news about a group of the army of Kufah who had decided to join the Kharijites but were afraid of him. When the man came back Amir al-mu'minin said to him: "Are they satisfied and staying or feeling weak and going astray?" The man replied, "They have gone away, O' Amir al-mu'minin." Then Amir al-mu'minin said:

May Allah's mercy remain away from them

"..just as Thamud was distanced (from His mercy)" (11:95).

Know that when the spears are hurled towards them and the swords are struck at their heads they will repent of their doings. Surely today Satan has scattered them and tomorrow he will disclaim any connection with them, and will leave them. Their departing from guidance, returning to misguidance and blindness, turning away from truth and falling into wrong is enough (for their chastisement).

Arabic Text

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) وقد أَرسل رجلاً من أصحابه، يَعْلَمُ له عِلمَ [أحوال] قوم من جند الكوفة، همّوا باللحاق بالخوارج، وكانوا على خوف منه (عليه السلام)، فلمّا عاد إليه الرجل قال له: أأمِنُوا فَقَطَنُوا، أم جبنوا فَظَعَنُوا؟ ): . فقال (عليه السلام فقال الرجل: بل ظَعَنُوا يا أَميرالمؤمنين. بُعْداً لَهُمْ (كَمَا بَعِدَتْ ثَمُودُ)! أَمَا لَوْ أُشْرِعَتِ الاْسِنَّةُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَصُبَّتِ السُّيُوفُ عَلَى هَامَاتِهمْ، لَقَدْ نَدِمُوا عَلَى مَا كَانَ مِنْهُمْ، إنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ الْيَوْمَ قَدِ اسْتَقَلَّهُمْ، وَهُوَ غَداً مُتَبَرِّىءٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَمُخلٍّ عَنْهُمْ، فَحَسْبُهُمْ بِخُرُوجِهمْ مِنَ الْهُدَى، وَارْتِكَاسِهِمْ فِي الضَّلاَل وَالْعَمَى، وَصَدِّهِمْ عَنِ الْحَقّ، وَجِمَاحِهمْ فِي التِيهِ.

Alternative Sources

(1) Al-Thaqafi, al-Gharat, see Ibn Abi al-Hadid, I, 265; (2) al-Tabari, *Ta'rikh,*VI, 65, events of 38 H.

• A man of the tribe Banu Najiyah named al-Khirrit ibn Rashid an-Naji was on Amir al-mu'minin's side in the battle of Siffin, but after Arbitration he became rebellious, and, coming to Amir al-mu'minin with thirty persons, said: "By Allah, I Will no more obey your command, nor offer prayers behind you, and shall leave you tomorrow." Whereupon Amir al-mu'minin said: "You should first take into account the grounds underlying this Arbitration and discuss it with me. If you are satisfied, you do as you will." He said he would come the next day to discuss the matter. Amir al-mu'minin then cautioned him, "Look, on going from here do not get mislead by others and do not adopt any other course. If you have the will to understand, I will get you out of this wrong path and put you on the course of guidance." After this conversation he went away, but his countenance indicated he was bent on revolt, and would not see reason by any means. And so it happened. He stuck to his point and on reaching his place he said to his tribesmen, "When we are determined to abandon Amir al-mu'minin there is no use going to him. We should do what we have decided to do." On this occasion `Abdullah ibn Qu`ayn al Azdi also went to them to enquire, but when he came to know the position he asked Mudrik ibn ar-Rayyan an-Naji to speak to him and to apprise him of the ruinous consequence of this rebellion, whereupon Mudrik assured him that this man would not be allowed to take any step. Consequently, `Abdullah came back satisfied and related the whole matter before Amir al-mu'minin on returning the next day. Amir al-mu'minin said, "Let us see what happens when he comes. " But when the appointed hour passed and he did not turn up Amir al-mu'minin asked `Abdullah to go and see what the matter was and what was the cause for the delay. On reaching there `Abdullah found that all of them had left. When he returned to Amir al-mu'minin he spoke as in this sermon.
  The fate that befell al-Khirrit ibn Rashid an-Naji has been stated under Sermon 44.]