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. (1)
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 as in the case of Thamud. 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).
(1).
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.
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