Hadith record

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah who has narrated the following: “A Shaykh of the children of ’Adi ibn Hatim narrated from his father from his grandfather who was with ’ Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), in his campaign against his adversaries. He has said that on the day ’Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali (a.s.), met Mu‘awiyah in Siffin, raised his voice to reach his companions and said, ’By Allah I will fight and kill Mu’awiyah and his people’, then said in the end of his words slowly, ‘if Allah wills.’ I was close nearby and I asked, ‘O ’Amir al-Mu’minin, you swore about what you said, then why did you make an exception to what you said?’ He (the Imam) said to me, ‘War is tricky and I am not an untruthful person before the believing people. I wanted to encourage my companions against them so they will not fail and keep an interest in their (enemy’s) defeat. The ones of most understanding among them will benefit thereby after this day, if Allah so wills. You must take notice that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, once said to Musa (a.s.), when He sent him to pharaoh, “The two of you speak to him softly so that perhaps he may learn or become afraid.” (20:44) He knew that he will not learn or become afraid but He wanted to encourage Musa ‘Alayhi al-Salam, to go.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.