Nahj al-Balāgha

فَأَنَا أَبُو حَسَنٍ قَاتِلُ جَدِّكَ وَخَالِكَ وَأَخِيكَ شَدْخاً يَوْمَ بَدْر، وَذَلِكَ السَّيْفُ مَعِي، وَبِذلِكَ الْقَلْبِ أَلْقَى عَدُوِّي، مَا اسْتَبْدَلْتُ دِيناً، وَلَا اسْتَحْدَثْتُ نَبِيّاً، وَإنِّي لَعَلَى الْمِنْهَاجِ الَّذِي تَرَكْتُمُوهُ طَائِعِينَ، وَدَخَلْتُمْ فِيهِ مُكْرَهِينَ.

I am Abu’l-Ḥasan who killed your grandfather [2], your brother [3] and your uncle [4] by cutting them to pieces on the day of Badr. The same sword is with me and I meet my adversary with the same heart. I have not altered the religion nor put up any new prophet. I am surely (treading) on that very highway which you had willingly foresaken (in the beginning) and then adopted per force.

وَزَعَمْتَ أَنَّكَ جِئْتَ ثَائراً بِدَمِ عُثْمانَ، وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ حَيْثُ وَقَعَ دَمُ عُثْمانَ فَاطْلُبْهُ مِنْ هُنَاكَ إِنْ كُنتَ طَالباً، فَكَأَنِّي قدْ رَأَيْتُكَ تَضِجُّ مِنَ الْحَرْبِ إِذَا عَضَّتْكَ ضَجِيجَ آلْجِمَالِ بِالْأَثْقَالِ، وَكَأَنِّي بِجَمَاعَتِكَ تَدْعُونِي جَزَعاً مِنَ الضَّرْبِ الْمُتَتَابِعِ، وَالْقَضَاءِ الْوَاقِعِ، وَمَصَارِعَ بَعْدَ مَصَارِعَ، إِلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ، وَهِيَ كَافِرةٌ جَاحِدَهٌ، أَوْ مُبَايِعَةٌ حَائِدَةٌ.

You think you have come out seeking to revenge ‘Uthmān’s blood. Certainly, you know how ‘Uthmān’s blood was shed. If you want to avenge it, avenge it there. It is as though I see that when war is cutting you with its teeth you cry like camels crying under a heavy load. And it is as though I see your party bewildered by the incessant striking of swords, occurrence of death and falling of bodies after bodies, calling me towards the Qur’ān [5] although they would themselves be either unbelievers, deniers of truth or breakers of allegiance after swearing it.

ومن وصية له (عليه السلام) وصى بها جيشاً بعثه إلى العدو

Instructions given to the contingent sent to confront the enemy [1]

فَإذَا نزَلتُمْ بِعَدُوٍّ أَوْ نَزَلَ بِكُمْ، فَلْيَكُنْ مُعَسْكَرُكُمْ فِي قُبُلِ الْأَشْرَافِ، أَوْ سِفَاحِ الْجِبَالِ، أَوْ أثْنَاءِ الْأَنْهَارِ، كَيْما يَكُونَ لَكُمْ رِدْءاً، وَدُونَكُمْ مَرَدّاً، وَلْتَكُنْ مُقَاتَلَتُكُمْ مِنْ وَجْهٍ وَاحِدٍ أَوِ اثْنيْنِ، واجْعَلُوا لَكُمْ رُقَبَاءَ فِي صَيَاصِي الْجِبَالِ، وَمَنَاكِبِ الْهِضَابِ، لِئَلاَّ يَأْتِيَكُمُ الْعَدُوُّ مِنْ مَكَانِ مَخَافَة أَوْ أَمْنٍ.

When you proceed towards the enemy or he proceeds towards you, the position of your force should be on the approaches high ground or on the edges of mountains or the bends of rivers, so that it may serve you as a help and a place to return to. Your encounter should be from one side or two sides. Place watchers on the peaks of mountains and the raised sides of the high ground so that the enemy may not approach you from any place, whether of danger or safety.

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ مُقَدِّمَةَ الْقَومِ عُيُونُهُمْ، وَعُيُونَ الْمُقَدِّمَةِ طَلاَئِعُهُمْ. وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّفَرُّقَ، فَإِذَا نَزَلْتُمْ فَانْزِلُوا جَمِيعاً، وَإذا ارْتحَلْتُمْ فَارْتَحِلُوا جَمِيعاً، وَإِذَا غشِيكُمُ اللَّيْلُ فَاجْعَلُوا الرِّمَاحَ كِفَّةً، وَلَا تَذُوقُوا النَّوْمَ إِلَّا غِرَاراً أَوْ مَضْمَضَةً.

And know that the vanguard of an army serves as their eyes, and the eyes of the vanguard are their informers. Beware of dispersal. When you halt do so together and when you move you should move together. When night comes fix your spears in a circle and do not sleep except for dozing or napping.

ومن وصية له (عليه السلام) لمعقل بن قيس الرياحي حين أنفذه إلى الشام في ثلاثة آلاف مقدّمةً له

Instructions given to Ma‘qil ibn Qays ar-Riyāḥī when he was dispatched to Syria at the head of a vanguard contingent three thousand strong.

اتَّقِ اللهَ الَّذِي لَا بُدَّ لَكَ مِنْ لِقَائِهِ، وَلَا مُنْتَهَى لَكَ دُونَهُ، وَلَا تُقَاتِلَنَّ إِلَّا مَنْ قَاتَلَكَ، وَسِرِ الْبَرْدَيْنِ، وَغَوِّرْ بِالنَّاسِ، وَرَفِّهْ فِي السَّيْرِ، وَلَا تَسِرْ أَوَّلَ اللَّيْلِ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ جَعَلَهُ سَكَناً، وَقَدَّرَهُ مُقَاماً لَا ظَعْناً، فَأَرِحْ فِيهِ بَدَنَكَ، وَرَوِّحْ ظَهْرَكَ، فَإِذَا وَقَفْتَ حِينَ يَنْبَطِحُ السَّحَرُ، أَوْ حِينَ يَنْفَجِرُ الْفَجْرُ، فَسِرْ عَلَى بَرَكَةِ اللهِ،

Fear Allāh before Whom attendance is inevitable, and with other than Whom there is no meeting. Do not fight except with those who fight you. Travel in the two cool periods (i.e., morning and evening). Let the men have a midday sleep. March easily and do not travel during the early night for Allāh has made it for resting and has ordained it for staying, not for journeying. Therefore, give rest to your body in the night and let your carrier-beasts also rest. When you are sure that morning has appeared and when dawn has dawned, commence your journey with Allāh’s blessings.

فَإِذَا لَقِيتَ الْعَدُوَّ فَقِفْ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ وَسَطاً، وَلَا تَدْنُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ دُنُوَّ مَنْ يُريدُ أَنْ يُنْشِبَ الْحَرْبَ، وَلَا تَبَاعَدْ عَنْهُمْ تَبَاعُدَ مَنْ يَهَابُ الْبَأْسَ، حَتَّى يَأْتِيَكَ أَمْرِي، وَلَا يَحْمِلَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُهُمْ عَلَى قِتَالِهِمْ، قَبْلَ دُعَائِهِمْ وَالْإِعْذَارِ إِلَيْهِمْ.

If and when you face the enemy stand in the midst of your comrades. Do not get too near the foe like one who wants to commence the fighting, nor remain too distant like one who is afraid of action, till you receive my orders. Hatred for them should not lead you to fight before inviting them (to guidance) and exhausting your pleas before them.

ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى أميرين من أمراء جيشه

To two of the officers in his army

وَقَدْ أَمَّرْتُ عَلَيْكُمَا وَعَلى مَنْ فِي حَيِّزِكُمَا مَالِكَ بْنَ الْحَارثِ الْأَشْتَرَ، فَاسْمَعَا لَهُ وَأَطِيعَا، وَاجْعَلَاهُ دِرْعاً وَمِجَنّاً، فَإِنّهُ مِمَّنْ لَا يُخَافُ وَهْنُهُ، وَلَا سَقْطَتُهُ، وَلَا بُطْؤُهُ عَمَّا الْإِسْرَاعُ إِلَيْهِ أَحْزَمُ، وَلَا إِسْرَاعُهُ إِلَى مَا الْبُطءُ عَنْهُ أَمْثَلُ.

I have placed Mālik [1] ibn al-Ḥārith al-Ashtar in command over you and over all those under you. Therefore, follow his commands and take him as the armour and shield for yourselves, because he is one of those from whom I have no fear of weakness nor any mistake, nor laziness where haste is more appropriate, nor haste where slackness is expected of him.