Tarikh (al-Tabari) 2082
The caliphate of ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib
ذِكْرُ مَقْتَلِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ، ؓ وَمَا وَرَدَ فِي ذَلِكَ تنبؤ علي ؓ بمصيره كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، ؓ، قَدِ انْتَقَضَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأُمُورُ، وَاضْطَرَبَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأَحْوَالُ، وَخَالَفَهُ جَيْشُهُ مَنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ وَغَيْرِهِمْ، وَنَكَلُوا عَنِ الْقِيَامِ مَعَهُ، وَاسْتَفْحَلَ أَمْرُ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَصَالُوا وَجَالُوا يَمِينًا وَشِمَالًا زَاعِمِينَ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ لِمُعَاوِيَةَ ; بِمُقْتَضَى حُكْمِ الْحَكَمَيْنِ فِي خَلْعِهِمَا عَلِيًّا وَتَوْلِيَةِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عِنْدَ خُلُوِّ الْإِمْرَةِ عَنْ أَحَدٍ، وَقَدْ كَانَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ بَعْدَ التَّحْكِيمِ يُسَمُّونَ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْأَمِيرَ، وَكُلَّمَا ازْدَادَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ قُوَّةً ضَعُفَ جَأْشُ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ وَوَهَنُوا، هَذَا وَأَمِيرُهُمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ خَيْرُ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ فِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَانِ، فَهُوَ أَعْبَدُهُمْ وَأَزْهَدُهُمْ، وَأَعْلَمُهُمْ وَأَخْشَاهُمْ لِلَّهِ، عَزَّ وَجَلَّ، وَمَعَ هَذَا كُلِّهِ خَذَلُوهُ وَتَخَلَّوْا عَنْهُ، وَقَدْ كَانَ يُعْطِيهِمُ الْعَطَاءَ الْكَثِيرَ وَالْمَالَ الْجَزِيلَ، فَلَا زَالَ هَذَا دَأْبَهُمْ مَعَهُ حَتَّى كَرِهَ الْحَيَاةَ وَتَمَنَّى الْمَوْتَ ; وَذَلِكَ لِكَثْرَةِ الْفِتَنِ وَظُهُورِ الْمِحَنِ، فَكَانَ يُكْثِرُ أَنْ يَقُولَ: مَاذَا يَحْبِسُ أَشْقَاهَا - أَيْ مَا يَنْتَظِرُ - مَا لَهُ لَا يَقْتُلُ ؟ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ لَتُخَضَّبَنَّ هَذِهِ - وَيُشِيرُ إِلَى لِحْيَتِهِ - مِنْ هَذِهِ. وَيُشِيرُ إِلَى هَامَتِهِ. عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ قَالَ: قَالَ عَلِيٌّ: وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ لَتُخَضَّبَنَّ هَذِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ - لِلِحْيَتِهِ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ - فَمَا يَحْبِسُ أَشْقَاهَا ؟ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَبُعٍ: وَاللَّهِ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلَا فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لَأَبَرْنَا عِتْرَتَهُ. فَقَالَ: أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ بِي غَيْرُ قَاتِلِي. فَقَالُوا: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَلَا تَسْتَخْلِفُ ؟ فَقَالَ: لَا وَلَكِنِّي أَتْرُكُكُمْ كَمَا تَرَكَكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ. قَالُوا: فَمَا تَقُولُ لِرَبِّكَ إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ وَقَدْ تَرَكْتَنَا هَمَلًا ؟ قَالَ: أَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ اسْتَخْلَفْتَنِي فِيهِمْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ، ثُمَّ قَبَضْتَنِي وَتَرَكْتُكَ فِيهِمْ، فَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَصْلَحْتَهُمْ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَفْسَدْتَهُمْ. فِيهِ ضَعْفٌ فِي بَعْضِ أَلْفَاظِهِ.
Translation
✧ Mention of the killing of the Commander of the Faithful ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib ؓ and what has been reported concerning that ʿAlī's ؓ foretelling of his fate The affairs had turned against the Commander of the Faithful ؓ, and circumstances had become disordered for him, and his army from the people of Iraq and others had opposed him and had held back from rising with him, and the affair of the people of Syria had grown formidable, and they had gone about right and left, claiming that the matter belonged to Muʿāwiyah, by virtue of the judgment of the two arbitrators in their deposing ʿAlī and ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ's appointing Muʿāwiyah when the imamate was vacant of anyone. After the arbitration, the people of Syria used to call Muʿāwiyah 'the commander,' and whenever the people of Syria grew in strength, the courage of the people of Iraq weakened and they became feeble, while their commander, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, was the best of the people of the earth in that time: he was the most worshipful of them and the most ascetic, the most learned of them and the most fearful of God, mighty and majestic, yet despite all that they forsook him and abandoned him. He used to give them abundant gifts and ample wealth, but this remained their habit with him until he came to dislike life and wish for death, because of the many trials and the appearance of tribulations. He would often say: 'What keeps the most wretched one of it—that is, what is he waiting for—what is the matter with him that he does not kill?' Then he would say: 'By God, this shall surely be dyed'—and he would point to his beard—'from this'—and he would point to his head. From Thaʿlabah b. Yazīd, who said: ʿAlī said: 'By the One who split the grain and created the soul, this shall surely be dyed from this'—for his beard from his head—'so what keeps the most wretched one of it?' ʿAbd Allāh b. Sabuʿ said: 'By God, O Commander of the Faithful, if a man did that, we would exterminate his kindred.' He said: 'I adjure you by God that none be killed because of me except my killer.' They said: 'O Commander of the Faithful, will you not appoint a successor?' He said: 'No, but I shall leave you as the Messenger of God ﷺ left you.' They said: 'What will you say to your Lord when you meet Him, having left us without a shepherd?' He said: 'I shall say: O God, You made me a successor over them for as long as You willed, then You took me and left You among them; if You will, You set them aright, and if You will, You corrupt them.' In it there is weakness in some of its wording.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.