Aban narrates from Sulaym, and Abu Haroon Al-Abdi thinks that he had heard from Umar ibn Abi Salmah.
“Muawiyah called Abu Darda and Abu Hurayrah. We were with Amirul Mumineen Ali (a s.) in Siffin. He told both of them (“Go to Ali and convey my greeting to him and you both tell him.
By God I know that you are the most deserving of all of caliphate and you have more rights to caliphate than myself because you are from those Muhajireen who migrated in the beginning and I am from Tulaqa (those whom the Holy prophet (S.A.W) did not kill and let them free out of mercy) and I do not have that status that you have of being first in accepting Islam, nor am I as near to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) as you are. I do not possess the knowledge of the Book of Allah and the Traditions of His Prophet that you have.
Muhajireen and Ansar paid their allegiance to you at a time when for three days they took advice about you. After that they came to you and without any pressure they very willingly paid their allegiance to you. The first ones to pay allegiance to you were Talhah and Zubayr. Then they withdrew their allegiance to you and oppressed you. They both wanted from you what they did not deserve. I am Uthman’s paternal cousin and want to avenge for his blood and I have been informed that you deny having killed Uthman and are keeping away from it and say that when he was killed you were sitting at home. No doubt, when he was killed you said ‘Innalillahi wa Inna llayhi Raje’oon’ and said [“O God I am not happy with this nor have I helped in this.”] On the day of Jamal when they announced vengeance of killing of Uthman and those who were around the camel demonstrated, you said: [“Today the killers of Uthman have gone to Hell with their faces down. Have I killed him? Surely they two killed and their companion (Ayeshah) killed him and they all ordered his killing. I was sitting at home”]
I am Uthman’s paternal cousin and am his trustee and want revenge for his killing. So if what you have said is how it is, then you hand over the killers of Uthman to me, give me the power over them so I can kill them in return for the killing of my paternal cousin and I pay allegiance to you and hand over the Amr (caliphate) to you.
This is one matter. The second one is that my spies have informed and I have letter from Uthman’s those friends who are fighting along with you and you think that they are united with you and are happy with you. Their thoughts are with me, their hearts are with me and their bodies are with you. You show love for Abu Bakr and Umar and pray for mercy for them but keep quiet about Uthman and do not mention him, do not pray for mercy for him nor do you curse him.
I have come to know about you that when you are with your bad people alone, and with your Shias and your very misguided people who are liars and changeable, you show enmity towards Abu Bakr and Umar and curse them. You claim to be the caliph of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) in his Ummah and are his trustee for people and Allah has made your obedience compulsory on all Mumineen, and He has ordered your Wilayat in His Book and in His Prophet’s Tradition. Allah ordered Muhammad (S.A.W) that he conveys this to his Ummah and He revealed on His Prophet: {‘O Apostle! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His Message and Allah will protect you from the people;’ } (Surah Maidah: 67)
So he gathered his Ummah in Gadhir Khum and whatever came from Allah for you, he conveyed it. He commanded those present to pass it on to those that were not present and the Messenger of Allah told everyone that you had more authority over them than they themselves had and you have the same status to the Messenger that Haroon had with Musa (a.s.).
I have also come to know about you that you do not give sermon to people but before getting down from pulpit you say: ‘By God. I have more authority over people than they themselves have and since the passing away of the Holy Prophet (SAW) I have constantly been oppressed.’
If what I have come to know about you is true and correct then the oppression of Abu Bakr and Umar over you is greater than the oppression of Uthman, because I have come to know that you say that since the passing away of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W), and you were present, Umar went and
paid allegiance to Abu Bakr. He neither asked you nor discussed with you. The two established authority over Ansar using your rights as an argument. If they had handed over to you and paid allegiance to you then Uthman, in comparison to people, would have rushed to pay his allegiance to you since he was a relative of yours and you had a right over him because he was your brother through your paternal uncle and also your paternal aunt. Then Abu Bakr, when he was dying, intentionally handed it over to Umar. He did not ask you or consult you when he made him (Umar) caliph and took allegiance for him. Then Umar included you in the six people of Shura and all Muhajireen and Ansar were dismissed from Shura. On the third day you appointed ibn Awf as head for making a decision. When you saw that people were united and had swords lifted and taken an oath on Allah that if the sun sets without you choosing any one person then they will kill you and act upon the wasiyat of Umar. On the third day you handed your task to ibn Awf who paid his allegiance to Uthman and you all also did the same.
After that Uthman was surrounded and he asked for your help but you refused and he called you people and you rejected him, when his allegiance was on your neck and on the group of Muhajireen and Ansar. You were present there. You gave an opportunity to Egyptions until they lulled him and your groups helped them to kill him and you all deserted him. So you are either a killer in the matter or are the one who ordered killing and are the one who did not help.
Then people paid allegiance to you and you are more deserving of it than myself. So give me power over Uthman’s killers so that I can kill them and give the caliphate to you and I and all the people of Shaam who are with me will pay allegiance to you.”
When Ali (a s.) read the letter of Muawiyah and Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah had conveyed Muawiyah’s message to him, Ali (a.s.) said to Abu Darda: [“You two have conveyed the message that Muawiyah asked you to so now you both listen to me and then convey it to him like you conveyed his message to me and you both tell him:
“Uthman ibn Affan can be definitely one of the two people. He either was the Imam of Guidance and to kill him was forbidden and help was compulsory, his disobedience was not permissible and to leave him helpless was not appropriate for the Ummah, OR he was the imam of misguidance, his blood was halal and his help and Wilayat was not halal. So from these two, he must be one.
It is compulsory by command of Allah and it is the command in Islam for Muslims that when their Imam either dies or is killed, be he guided or misguided, oppressed or oppressor, his blood be permissible or forbidden, they (Muslims) should not do anything i.e. not confer, not move their hands and feet, nor disclose anything (not take any action) until they elect for themselves an Imam who is sinless, ‘Aalim, God fearing and knows decisions and Sunnah, and one who establishes unity and makes decision within them, gives the rights of the oppressed from oppressor, and protects them from all angels, brings their wealth, establishes their argument, establishes Friday prayers, collects Sadqa, and the Muslims get the decision from the current Imam concerning their imam who was unjustly killed, and bring their case against the killer to the current Imam so that he can make a just decision. If their Imam has been killed unjustly, then he (the current imam) will give his decision for the trustee to be compensated for the blood and if the killed imam was an oppressor, then the current Imam will see what command should be given.
This is the first thing that the Muslims should do – they select such an Imam who establishes unity among them – that is if they have a right to select an Imam, and they should listen and obey him and follow his footsteps. If the selection of an Imam is in the hands of Allah and His Prophet, then Allah has from the beginning done this and selected an Imam and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has already chosen an Imam and has commanded all Muslims to obey him and follow his footsteps. People have, after the killing of Uthman, paid allegiance to me. And Ansar and Muhajireen, after consultation for three days, have paid their allegiance to me and these are the very people who had paid their allegiance to Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman and had accepted their Imamah. People of Badr and those who were first ones in Muhajireen and Ansar have acted upon it. The only difference is that before me, they paid allegiance without consulting the general public and they paid allegiance to me after consulting the general public.
If Allah, Jall Ismuhu, had given the selection of an Imam to Ummah and these very people selected their Imam whom they saw for themselves and if for them to see and select and Imam was better for themselves than an Imam selected by Allah and His Prophet and the one whom they selected and paid allegiance to was allegiance of guidance, and if that Imam was such that it was compulsory for people to help him and obey him, then these people had consultations concerning me and they selected me unanimously. If Allah, Azz wa Jall, is the One Who selects and he has the right to select then He chose me for the Ummah and made me a caliph over them and commanded them to obey me and help me in the Book that He has revealed and in His Prophet’s Sunnah. So this is a strong argument for my authority and my right is compulsory.
If Uthman had been killed during the times of Abu Bakr and Umar would Muawiyah fight against them or stand against them for compensation for blood?”]
Abu Hurrayfah and Abu Darda replied {“No.”}
Ali (a.s) said: [“So I am also like that. If Muawiyah says YES then you two say in such circumstances it is permissible for everyone who has been oppressed or whose relative has been killed that he creates disunity among Muslims separates the communities and calls them towards him although the children of Uthman are more deserving than Muawiyah to seek the revenge for the killing of their father.”]
He said that Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah kept quiet and then said: (“You have from your view done justice.”}
Ali (a.s) said: [“By my life, Muawiyah will also do justice to me if he carries out what he says. Whatever he has said, he should remain on Truth. The children of Uthman are all men baligh (reached the age of puberty) and not children or are not such that they have a guardian over them. So come, I will gather them and also the killers of their father. If they all are helpless and have no argument then they all witness that Muawiyah is the guardian of them all and wakil (authorised) and it would be appropriate to fight against all of them.
They all and their defendant sit in a manner that they sit in front of an Imam and Hakim, whose command they agree and accept his judgement as appropriate and I will hear their argument and the argument of the defendant. If their father has been killed as an oppressor and his blood was lawful then his blood is worthless. If he was oppressed and his blood was forbidden, then I will take revenge from the killers of their father. If they (the children) want they will kill to avenge, if they like they will forgive or if they wish they will accept compensation.
These are the killers of Uthman in my army who agree that they killed him. They are happy that I give a judgement this against them. Let the children of Uthman come to me, and also Muawiyah, if he is their guardian or wakil and they all present the case against the killer of Uthman and seek judgement from me against them so that I can pass a judgement. They have in front of them the Book of Allah and the Tradition of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). If Muawiyah is merely talking, which is baseless and false, then he can do what he likes. Allah will help against him.”]
Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah said: {“By God, you have from your side done justice, more than justice and have eliminated his untrue reasons and cut up his false argument. You have presented a strong and true argument in which there is nothing wrong.”}
After that Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah stopped conversing with Ali (a.s.). At that time 20000 men came fully armed and said: (“We are the killers of Uthman and we agree and are happy about whatever judgement Ali (a.s.) passes against us. Let the trustee of Uthman come to us and present us to Amirul Mumineen concerning the killing of Uthman. If it is compulsory for us to be killed or to pay compensation then we will be patient with the judgement of Ali (a.s.) and will accept it.”)
They both said: [“You have done justice and it is not permissible for Ali (a.s.) to hand you all over and kill you until they do not present the case to Ali (a.s.) so that he can pass a judgement according to the Book of Allah and the Tradition of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W).”}
Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah left and reached Muawiyah and reported to him what Ali (a.s.) had told them, what the killers of Uthman had said and what Abu Numan ibn Zaman had said.
Muawiyah asked both of them: {“What did Ali reply to you concerning his praying for mercy on Abu Bakr and Umar but not Praying for Uthman and privately staying away from him, and also concerning his claim that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had made him a caliph and since the passing away of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) he constantly remained oppressed?”}
The two replied: {“Yes, he prayed for Abu Bakr and Umar and we were listening. Among other things he also said to us [“If Allah had given the choice of election to Ummah and they were to see for themselves and elect, and if it was better for them to see and elect for themselves and it was according to understanding in comparison to the selection by Allah and His
Prophet (S.A.W) then people elected me and paid allegiance to me. My allegiance is allegiance of guidance and I am an Imam and it is compulsory for Ummah to obey me and help me because they had consultation about me and elected me. If the selection by Allah and the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was better for him and according to understanding (intelligence) in comparison to people electing and seeing, then Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W) have selected me for the Ummah and has made me a caliph over it and has commanded the Ummah to help me and obey me and this is in His Book that He has revealed and on His Prophet’s tongue whom He has sent as a Messenger. This is the strength of my argument and makes my rights very compulsory.”]}
After that he (pbuh) climbed up the pulpit in his army, gathered people and those people who were living in the surrounding areas and Muhajireen and Ansar. He then thanked and praised Allah and then said: “[O groups of people, my merits are more than collectable and countable. From all collectable and countable merits, I am only mentioning those that Allah has mentioned in His Book and those that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has said about me.”]
Do you know that in many verses of His talking Book Allah has given more merits to the one who accepted Islam first than those who accepted it later? Surely from the Ummah nobody went towards Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W) before me.”]
Everyone replied: {“Bearing Allah as witness, yes”}
He said: [“Bearing Allah as witness, I am telling you that the Holy prophet (S.A.W) was asked concerning this {‘And the foremost are the foremost, These are drawn nigh (to Allah)’ } (Surah Waqia: 0- ).
The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) was asked about WASSABIQUN (foremost). The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) replied: {“Allah has revealed this verse concerning Prophets and their successors and I am more meritorious than all Prophets of Allah, and my brother and my successor is more meritorious than all successors.”]
At that time 70 people of Badr stood up. Most of them were from Ansar and the remaining from Muhajireen and Abu Haytham ibn Tayhhan, Khalid ibn Zayd and Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari and from Muhajireen were Ammar ibn Yasser and others. They all said: {“No doubt we bear witness that we heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) say that.”}
He said: “I am asking you, bearing Allah as witness, concerning what Allah has said: {‘O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you;’} (Surah Nisa: 59)
And His verse {‘Only Allah is your Wali (Protector) and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay poor-rate while they bow down’ } (Surah Maidah: 55)
And then He said: {‘.. and have not taken any one as an adherent besides Allah and His Apostle and the believers, and Allah is aware of what you do’ } (Surah Tawbah: 6)
Everyone asked: (“O Messenger of Allah, is this particularly for some Mumineen or is it generally for all Mumineen?”). So Allah Azz wa Jall commanded His Prophet to inform people as to who were the people in the verses revealed and explain to them the meaning of Wilayat in the same manner that the meaning prayer, fasting, zakat and Hajj has been explained. So he appointed me on the day of Gadhir Khum and informed people {“I have been sent with such a Message from Allah that my chest is tightening and I thought people will attribute a lie towards me. He gave me an ultimatum that I pass the Message or I will be punished. O Ali, stand up”}. Then the call for prayer was recited and he prayed Zohr with everyone and said: {“O people, Allah is Mawlah (Master). I am Mawlah of Mumineen and have more authority over them than they themselves have. Beware whose ever Mawlah I am, Ali is his Mawlah too. O Allah, keep him a friend who befriends Ali and You keep him an enemy who bears enmity towards Ali, and help him who helps Ali and desert him who deserts Ali”}.
Salman Farsi stood up and asked (“O Messenger of Allah, what is the meaning of his Wilayat?”). He replied: {“His Wilayat is the same as my Wilayat. On whomever I have more authority than he himself, Ali also has more authority on the person than the person himself does. So Allah Tabarak Wa T’Ala revealed {‘This day have I perfected your religion and completed my favour on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion’ } (Surah: Maidah 3)
Salman asked: (“O Messenger of AlIah, did these verses get revealed particularly for Ali?”) He (SAW) replied: (“O Salman, you and all these who are present remain witness in this matter, and those that are present should convey it to those who are absent.’} Salman requested: (“O Messenger of Allah, please explain it to us”). He (S.A.W): replied (“Ali is my brother, my vizier, my successor, and my inheritor and in my Ummah is my Caliph, and after me he is the guardian of all Mumineen and from his children there are eleven Imams The first of them is my son Hasan, then Husayn, then nine from the children of Husayn, one after another. Quran is with them and they are with Quran, they will never separate from Quran until they reach me at the Fountain.”}]
Twelve people from Badr stood up and said: (“We bear witness that we have heard what you said from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) exactly like what you said. You have not added an alphabet nor have you taken it away. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had made us witness over this”). The remaining ones of the seventy said (“We have heard it but do not remember it completely and these twelve are our best and virtuous ones.”} So he (pbuh) said: [“You have said truth. Not everyone can remember – some people can remember more than others.”]
Four out of the twelve stood up – Abul Haytham ibn Tayhhan, Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, Ammar ibn Yasser and Khuzayma ibn Thabit Zoosh- shahadatayn* (May Allah bless them all). They all said: (“We bear witness that we heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) say that, and we remembered it. He said when he was standing and Ali was standing next to him.”) Then the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: (“O people, Allah has commanded me that I appoint an Imam and a guardian for you, who will be your Prophet’s successor for you and will be my Caliph in my Ummah and my ahlulbayt after me. He will be that person whose obedience Allah has made compulsory for Mumineen in His Book and you have been commanded in His Book about his Wilayat. So I asked Allah again, because of fear of Ahle Nifaq (hypocrites) taunting and attributing a lie to it. So Allah gave me an ultimatum that I either convey this or He will punish me.”}
Then the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: {“O people Allah Jall Ismuhu has commanded you in His Book about prayer and I showed it to you practically, and about Zakat. Fasting and Hajj, which I informed you and explained to you. He has in His Book has commanded you concerning Wilayat, and O people, I make you witness that this Wilayat is particularily for Ali ibn Abi Talib and for those successors who are from my children and from my brother, my successor children. Ali is the first one of them, then Hasan, then Husayn and then nine from my son Husayn who will not separate from the Book and the Book will not separate from them until they come to me at the Fountain. O people, I have informed you to whom you should turn to and after me who is your Imam, your leader, your guide. He is my brother Ali ibn Abi Talib. His status among you is the same as my status among you. So accept what he says in your Deen and obey him in all your matters because he has all that knowledge that Allah has given me. Allah has commanded me that I pass that knowledge to him and inform you that he has that knowledge. You people ask him and acquire the knowledge from him and after him from his successors. Do not teach him, do not overtake him, and do not lag behind, because they are all with Truth and Truth is with them.”}]
After that Ali (a.s) said to Abu Hurrayrah and Abu Darda and those around him: [“O people do you know that Allah Tabarak wa T’Ala has revealed in His Book {‘Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorugh) purifying.’ } (Surah Ahzab: 33).
At that time the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) gathered me, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn under his Cloak and said {“O Allah, these are my Itrat, my special ones, my ahlulbayt. You keep uncleanness away from them and keep them pure as they deserve to be”}. So Ummi Salmah asked : (“And I, O Messenger of Allah?”). He (S.A.W) replied: {“No doubt, you are righteous but surely this verse has been revealed only for me, my brother Ali, my daughter Fatimah and my sons Hasan and Husayn and the nine Imams who will be from Husayn who is my son (S.A). This is particularly for us and there is not one else included with us.”)]
At that time all stood up and said: (“We bear witness that Ummi Salmah narrated this hadith to us, so we asked the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and he narrated it to us in the same manner that Ummi Salmah narrated to us.”)
Then Ali (a.s) said: [“I am telling you bearing Allah as Witness, do you know that Allah Jall Ismuhu in His Book has revealed {‘O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and be with the true ones’ } (Surah Tawbah: 9).
Salman asked the Holy prophet (“O Messenger of Allah, is this general or particular?”) So he (S.A.W) replied: “Those who have been commanded are general because the community of Mumineen has been commanded about this, but Sadeqeen (true ones) are those are those particular people my brother Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) and my successors until the Day of Judgement”)]
Ali (a.s) said: (“I asked the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) on the occasion of Tabuk “O Messenger of Allah, why did you leave me?” He replied {“O Ali, Medina cannot remain maintained except by myself or you, and you have the same status to me as Haroon had to Musa except Prophethood because there will not be a Prophet after me’}]
A lot of people from Muhajireen and Ansar who were standing around him said: (‘We have heard this from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) on the occasion of Tabuk“)
He said: “l am asking you bearing Allah as Witness do you know that Allah Jall wa ‘Azz revealed in Surah Hajj {‘O you who believe! bow down and prostrate yourselves and serve your Lord, and do good that you may succeed. And strive hard in (the way of) Allah (such) a striving is due to Him; He has chosen you and has not laid upon you any hardship in religion; the faith of your father Ibrahim; He named you Muslims before and in this, that the Apostle may be a bearer of witness to you, and you may be bearers of witness to the people; therefore keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and hold fast by Allah; He is your Guardian; how excellent the Guardian and how excellent the Helper!’ } (Surah Hajj: 77 – 78)
Salman stood up and said: {“O Messenger of Allah, who are these people over whom you are witness and they witness over people, whom Allah has chosen and there is no excuse for them in Deen – that Deen which is the Deen of their father Ibrahim?”) So the Holy Prophet (SAW) replied: {“No doubt, it is for only thirteen people – myself, my brother Ali ibn Abi Talib, and eleven from my children who will be one after another, all are Imam, Quran is with them and they are all with Quran and they will not separate until they reach me at the Fountain.”}]
So everyone said: {“Bearing Allah as witness, Yes”)
Ali (a.s.) said: [“I am asking you, bearing Allah as witness, do you know that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) stood up for a sermon and after that he did not give any other sermon, and said: {“O people, I leave among you two things. Until you stay close to them you will not deviate – Allah’s Book and my Itrat, (ahlulbayt.) Latif and Kabir has promised me that these two will not separate from each other until they both reach me at the Fountain.”}]. So everyone replied: (“Bearing Allah as witness, yes, we were present on the occasion when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said all these.”) So he (pbuh) said: [“Allah is sufficient for me.”]
Twelve people from the group who were of Badr stood up and said: (“We bear witness that when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) gave this sermon on the day that he passed away, Umar ibn Khattab stood up with anger on his face and asked. (“O Messenger of Allah, all your ahlulbayt?”) He (S.A.W) replied: {“No. But all my successors in which there is my brother, my vizier, my inheritor, my Caliph in my Ummah and after me is the guardian of every Mumin, and eleven from his children. He is the first one of them and the best of all and after him, my these two sons (he pointed his hand towards Hasan and Husayn) then my son’s successor whose name will be on my brother Ali. He is the son of Husayn, then Ali’s successor and his that son, named Muhammad, then Ja’afer ibn Muhammad, then Musa ibn Ja’afer, then Ali ibn Musa, then Muhammad ibn Ali, then Ali ibn Muhammad, then Hasan ibn Ali, then Muhammad ibn Hasan, -the Guide of this Ummah. His name will be like my name, his habit will be like my habit, will give command of my command and will forbid my forbidance, will fill the earth with fairness and justice just as much as it will be full of oppression and despotism. Each will be behind another, one after the other, until they all reach me at the Fountain. These are Allah’s witnesses on His Earth and are His authority on His creation. Whoever obeys all of them will have obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys them will have disobeyed Allah.”}
The remaining from 70 people of Badr stood up and similar number of those not from Badr also stood up and said: (“You have reminded us what we had forgotten. We bear witness that we have heard this from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W)”.)
Then he (pbuh) returned to question, and he did not leave anything that he was asked in the mosque of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) during the caliphate of Uthman, but he made everyone witness what he had said until he reached his last merit, and whatever the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had said about him. Everyone confirmed what he said and witnessed that that was truth.
When Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah mentioned all these to Muawiyah and told him what people had said, he became very angry about it and said: (“O Abu Darda and Abu Hurrayrah, if what you are telling me about Ali is true then except Ali, his ahlulbayt and his Shias, all Muhajireen and Ansar have been doomed.”)
Then Muawiyah wrote a letter to Amirul Mumineen (a.s.). (“If what you said, claimed and made your companions witness it, is true then Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and all Muhajireen and Ansar have been doomed, except you, your ahlulbayt and your Shias.
It has come to my knowledge that you pray for mercy on them and seek forgiveness for them. There can be two reasons for this – there is no third one except these two. Either it is Taqayah if you have borne enmity towards them, then you fear that your army with whom you are fighting against me does not leave you, or it is that whatever you have said and claimed is untrue and a lie. It has also come to my knowledge from a person whom you trust and is one of your special ones, that you tell your misguided Shias and those people who are very close to you but are bad people, that “I have named my three sons Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman – when you hear from me that I am praying for anyone of the misguided imams, then I mean my sons by that”.
The argument that I have for whatever has been brought to me and been made to reach me to be true is that I have myself seen you with my own eyes so there is no need for me to ask anyone else. I saw you that you made your wife Fatimah ride on a mule and held hands of your two sons Hasan and Husayn when allegiance had been paid to Abu Bakr. You did not leave anyone from people of Badr and those who accepted Islam first but you called them and asked for their help. Except four, you did not get anyone else – Salman, Abu Dhar, Miqdad and Zubayr.
By my life, if you were on truth then all would have accepted your invitation amd would have sympathised and helped you. My two ears have heard you saying false and they did not accept. My two ears have heard you saying to Abu Sufyan, when he told you (“O ibn Abi Talib, people have taken over the kingdom of tour paternal cousin. The people who have taken it over against you are from Taym and Addi, who are from corrupt families of Quraysh”) and he called you to help you. You said: “If I could get only 40 people to help me from Muhajireen and Ansar who accepted Islam first, then I would stand against this man”. But when you did not get anyone except four, then you had no choice and paid allegiance.”)
He (narrator) says that Amirul Mumineen wrote to him (Muawiyah)
“Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
After this, I read your letter which your hand has written. I was very surprised and you have made your matter very lengthy. The biggest trouble and problem for this Ummah is that a person like you talks and he keeps an eye on its general and particular tasks. When you know who you are and also know whose son you are and also know who I am and whose son I am, I am replying your letter. I do not think you will understand nor do I think your vizier ibn Naabega Amr, who thinks like you do (wafqa sahnnun tabaqa) because he is the same person who advised you to write this letter and has made himself very good in front of you by advising you to write this letter. You had lblis present with you and his unwanted companions were also with him.
By God, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has informed me and has told me that he saw on his pulpit that twelve misguiding imams from Quraysh climbed up and down his pulpit, whose faces were like monkeys who are taking his Ummah from Siratul Mustaqeem (the Right Path) back to whom they were, and he told me each man’s name and how many days will each one of them rule from them. From the ten will be from Bani Ummayah and two will be from two different families of Quraysh, and the sins of the entire Ummah until the Day of Judgement for these two will be equivalent to the punishment of the entire Ummah and no blood will be shed unjustifiably, and no woman will be raped and no unfair command will be passed but the sin of that will be on these two.
l have also heard him say that when the children of Abul Aas reach to 30 men they will start interfering with the Book of Allah and will make Servants of Allah their slaves and will pass on between them the properly of Allah.
And the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) said: {“O my brother, you are not like me. Allah has commanded me that I show truth and He has informed me that He will save me from people, and commanded me to fight even if I am alone. He said {‘Fight then in Allah’s way; this is not imposed on you except in relation to yourself.’ } (Surah Nisa: 84)
And He said: {‘Urge the believers to war’ } (Surah Anfal: 65)
So I and you were two who were fighting. I stayed in Makkah until I did. At that time there was no command to fight, then Allah gave me the command to fight because the Deen was not being recognised without me, neither Sharia’ nor traditions, nor rules or Iimit or halal or haram. And people, after me, will leave what Alllah has commanded and will leave what I have commanded them about your Wilayat and the authority that I have said you have. They will do this intentionally, not because of ignorance or because they could not understand, particularly those matters that they presented in front of you before they opposed the matters that Allah has revealed concerning you. So if you find helper to oppose them then fight against them. If you do not get helpers then restrain your hands and save your blood because if you oppose them they will kill you. If they obey you and follow you, then make them walk on the Right Path, otherwise leave them. If they accept what you say and some people oppose you, then you also oppose them and fight against them.
If you do not find helpers then restrain your hand and save your blood and know that if you call them towards you they will not agree but you establish authority over them, do not leave. No doubt, my brother, you are not like me. I have established your authority and have made known what Allah has revealed concerning you. People did not realise that I am the Messenger of Allah, and my rights, and obedience to me are both compulsory until I have made it known for you. Surely I have made your authority known and have established your Amr so if you keep quiet then you will not be a sinner, and if you call them, even then you will not be a sinner but I like that you call them even if they do not answer your call. The oppressors of Quraysh will over power you, and I fear for you that if you stand to confront the community, oppose them and fight against them without having a group of helpers through whom you get strength they will kill you. At that time the Light of Allah will diminish, and there will not be worship of Allah on the earth. Taqayah is the Deen of Allah, and he who does not practice Taqayah has no Deen.
This has been passed in the fate and destiny with Allah that there is separation in this Ummah. If He wished, He would have gathered everyone on guidance and there would be no disagreement between two people and there would be no disunity among creation and would not quarrel in any matters of Allah, and the less worthy would not deny the more worthy ones. If He wanted, He would punish him soon and would change it until the oppressor would be proved wrong, and it would be known where truth was going Allah has created the world for actions (Amal) and has made Aakhirah (hereafter) a place of Reward and Punishment – {‘that He may reward those who do evil according to what they do. and (that) He may reward those who do good with goodness’ } (Surah Najm: 3).” }
So I said: “Thanks be to Allah for His blessings and patience over calamities and the head is bowed down before Him and I am happy with His decisions.”
Then he (S.A.W.A.S) said: {“O my brother, there is good tiding for you that your death and life is with me, and you are my brother, you are my successor and you are my vizier, and you are my inheritor and you will fight on my tradition. You have the same status to me as Haroon had to Musa and for you the best footsteps of Haroon are present. When his people made him weak and over powered him it was not far that they kill him. So be patient with oppression of Quraysh and their over powering you because the chests of community is filled with malice and the enmity of Badr and Ohad. Musa had ordered Haroon when he was made caliph in his community that if they become misguided and he gets helpers then he could fight against the community. If he does not find helpers then restrain and save blood and do not create disunity among them. So you also do the same. If you get helpers then fight against them, if you do not get helpers then restrain your hand and save your blood because if you oppose them they will kill you. If they listen to you and obey you then guide them on Truth and you should know that if you do not control your hand, and save blood when you do not get helpers then I am afraid for you that people will return to worshipping idols and deny that I am Messenger of Allah. You make your authority known and call them so that your enemies and those who oppose you get destroyed and general and particular people remain safe. If any day you get helpers so that you can establish the Book and Tradition, then you fight on the hidden meaning of Quran like I have fought on its visible meaning. In this, those from Ummah who presented themselves for enmity towards you or enmity towards any one your successors will get destroyed. They have shown enmity towards you, have denied and have chosen a Deen which is against your Deen.”}
By my life, O Muawiyah, if I pray for mercy on you, or on Talhah and Zubayr, then my praying for mercy and forgiveness will not be so that falsehood becomes truth, but Allah will turn my prayer for mercy and forgiveness for you into curse and punishment. You, Talhah and Zubayr are not any less oppressive and your sins are not small, bidat (innovations) and misguidance is not valueless in comparison to those who made a way for you for it, and your companion whose blood you want to avenge, and the person who made it easy for you to oppress us ahlulbayt and the two people who made you ride on our backs. Indeed Allah says: {‘Have you not seen those to whom a portion of the Book has been given? They believe in idols and false deities and say of those who disbelieve. These are better guided in the path than those who believe those are they whom Allah has curse, and whomever Allah curses you shall not find any helper for him. Or have they a share in the kingdom? But then they would not give to people even the speck in the date stone. Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His grace? .. } (Surah Nisa: 5 – 54)
In these verses nass (people) means us and we are those with whom people are jealous of, Allah Jall wa ‘Azz says: {..‘But indeed We have given to Ibrahim’s children the Book and the wisdom and We have Given them a grand Kingdom. So of them is he who believes in him, and of them is he who turns away from him, and hell is sufficient to burn.’ } (Surah Nisa: 54 – 55)
The big country is that, that Allah appointed an Imam from these (Ale- Ibrahim), whoever obeys them will have obeyed Allah and whoever disobeys them will have disobeyed Allah. And the Book and wisdom (Prophethood) – why do you accept it in Ale-Ibrahim and deny it in Ale- Muhammad?
O Muawiyah, if you and your companion and those people of Shaam who are with you, who deny, and those of Yemen villagers and villagers of Rabia and Mudhir and the oppressors of Ummah, do not accept (then it does not matter) then Allah has created such a community who is not going to deny it.
O Muawiyah, Quran is Truth, Light. Guidance and Blessing, and for Mumineen it is a relief and those who do not believe – their ears are deaf and Quran is going to make them blind.
O Muawiyah, Allah Jall Jalalahu has not left any group from groups of misguided and those who call towards Hell but they have been ignored and in Quran He has established authority over them and in Quran has stopped their obedience and concerning them the Quran has been surely revealed and made known what they say. Learned people know it and those who do not know, do not know. I have heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) say: {“There is no verse Quran in which does not have visible and hidden meaning and there is no alphabet but it has hidden meaning, {‘but none knows interpretation except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted knowledge..’ } (Surah Ale Imran: 7).
Raasikhoon (firmly rooted) means us Ale-Muhammad and the whole Ummah has been commanded by Allah to say: {‘..We believe in it, it is all from our Lord; and none do mind except those having understanding’ } (Surah Ale Imran: 7)
{‘And bow their heads in front of us, and return the knowledge in which there is disagreement to us. Allah has said: and it they had referred it to the Apostle and to those in authority among them, those among them who can search out the Knowledge of it would have known it’ } (Surah Nisa: 83)
These are the very people who should be asked and should see for them.
By my life, if people when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) passed away, had accepted us, listened to us and had handed over their tasks to us, then they would be eating from over and below their feet. And you, O Muawiyah, would not have any craving in this (caliphate) and what they did not get from us is more than what we did not get from them.
Allah has revealed verses, particularly for myself and you, in Quran that you and people like you recite only knowing the visible meaning and do not know the inner meaning. This is in Surah Al Haqqah: {‘Then as for him who is given his book in his right hand, he will say: Lo! Read my book: Surely I knew that I shall meet my account. So he shall be in a life of pleasure, in a lofty garden. The fruits of which are near at hand; Eat and drink pleasantly for what you did beforehand in the days gone by. And as for him who is given his book in his left hand’ } (Surah Al Haqqah: 9 -25)
And this is that every misguiding imam and guiding imam will be called and from both, each one will have his companion with him who paid allegiance to him, so I will be called and you also will be called. H
O Muawiyah, you are of that chain who will say {‘O would the that my book had never been given to me; And I had not known what my account was; O would that it had made an end (of me); My wealth has availed me nothing; My authority is gone away from me’ } (Surah Haqqah: 25 – 29)
By God, I have heard this concerning you, and in the same manner every misguiding imam before you, and after you, from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W), that there will be humiliation and punishment from Allah.
Concerning you all, Allah Jall wa ‘Azz has said: {‘And We did not make the vision which We showed you but a trial for men and the cursed tree in the Quran as well;’ } (Surah Bani Israel: 60)
This is when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) saw the twelve misguiding imams on his pulpit, who were returning people in reverse – there are two men from two different families of Quraysh and ten from Bani Umayyah. The first one of the ten is your that companion whose blood you are seeking to avenge, and you and your son and seven from the children of Hakam ibn Abi Aas, from whom the first one is Marwan. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has cursed him and he and his children were thrown out of Medina when he wanted to overhear the women of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W). O Muawiyah, we are those ahlulbayt for whom Allah has chosen Aakhirah (hereafter) instead of Duniya (worldy life/earth) and He has not chosen the Duniya for our Reward.
You, your vizier and your worthless companions have heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) say that when Bani Abil Aas reaches upto thirty men, then they will interfere in Allah’s Book and will enslave Allah’s people and will distribute and circulate the wealth of Allah among themselves.
O Muawiyah, Allah’s Prophet Zakriyya was killed by a saw and Yahya was slaughtered. His community killed him – he was calling them towards Allah. This is because in the eyes of Allah Dunya has no importance. No doubt, the friends of Shaytan have always fought against the friends of RAHMAN. Allah says: {‘Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the communications of Allah and slay the prophets unjustly and slay those among men who enjoin justice announce to them a painful chastisement.’ } (Surah Ale Imran: 2)
O Muawiyah, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) has informed me that his Ummah will soon dye my beard with the blood from my head and I will be martyred, and after me you will be the ruler of the Ummah. You will cheat my son Hasan and kill him with poison, and your son Yazid, May Allah curse him, will kill my son Husayn, and the son of a prostitute will do this job. After you there will be seven rulers from the children of Abul Aas, and from children of Marwan there will be five. This is how there will be twelve imams whom the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) had seen climbing and stepping down from the pulpit in a manner that monkeys go up and down. These people will return the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (S.AW) from the Deen of Allah in reverse.
No doubt these people on the Day of Judgement will be punished most, surely, Allah will take caliphate out from this through those black standards that will be coming from the East. Allah will, through them, humiliate them and will kill them under every stone. And a person from your children who is unfortunate, cursed, rude, unpleasant, whose heart will be on the wrong side, hot-tempered and cruel – Allah has taken away softness and kindness from his heart, and his maternal uncle will be from the family of Kalb – I can see him and if I wished I could tell his name as well as his qualities, and how old he will be. He will send an army towards Medina and the army will enter Medina, will kill wastefully and commit bad deeds. A person from my children will run away from him, who will be intelligent and pure and will fill the earth with fairness and justice in the same manner that it will be filled with injustice and oppression. I know his name and what his age will be at the time and what will be his signs, and he will from my son Husayn- that Husayn whom your son Yazid will kill. He is the one who will avenge the killing of his father. He will go Makkah and from that army (Muawiyah’s children) will kill such a person from my children who will be pure and innocent near Ahjare Zayt (a place in Makkah). After that this army will go to Makkah and surely I know the name of the Amir of that army, their number, their names and the signs of their horses. When they enter Bayda (ground between Makkah and Medina) and they will all enter in that ground, so Allah will make them fall into ground (like being buried). Allah Jall wa Azz says: {‘And could you see when they shall become terrified, but (then) there shall be no escape and they shall be seized from a near place’ } (Surah Saba: 5)
He said “from under your feet”. Nobody, except one, from that army will remain whose face Allah will not turn towards his back. For Mahdi, Allah will gather a community from all over the earth, which will be like clouds – clouds of springtime (kharif). By God, I know their names, the name of their leader, where their carriers will stop. Mahdi will enter Ka’abah and will weep. Allah Azz wa Jall says: {‘Oh Who answers the distressed one when he calls upon Him and removes the evil, and He will make you successors in the earth.’ } (Surah Naml: 62)
This is especially for us ahlulbayt.
O Muawiyah, beware. By God, truly I have written this letter to you but I know that you will not take advantage of this and very soon you will be happy when I tell you that you will be the holder of this Amr (caliphate) and after you your son because Aakhirah is not in your heart and you are kafir (denier) of Aakhirah. Very soon you will regret like he who founded this Amr for you regretted. He made you ride over our necks. This will be when his regret will not give him any benefits.
The reason for which I am writing this letter to you – surely I have ordered the one who writes my letters that he writes this letter for my Shias and my important companions. It is possible that through it Allah gives them benefits and if anyone from you reads this letter, through it and us Allah takes them out of misguidance and leads them to Guidance and save them from your and your companions’ oppression and fitnah and I liked that I establish authority against you.”
Muawiyah wrote a letter to him (Ali (a.s)): “O Abul Hasan, congratulations for getting Aakhirah and congratulations to us for the kingdom in the world”.