Hadith record

6. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa‘id has narrated from Ja’far ibn ‘Abd Allah al-‘Alawiy and Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Kufiy from Ali ibn al-‘Abbas, from Isma’il ibn Ishaq, all from abu Faraj ibn Qurrah, who has narrated from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah. He has said that narrated to him ibn abu Layla’ from abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sullamiy who has said that Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.), has said who has said the following: “Thereafter, you must take notice that Jihad (serving in the army) is one of the doors to paradise. Allah has opened it for His special friends whom He has made to deserve it through His generosity toward them and a bounty, which He has stored. Jihad is the garment of piety and it is Allah’s invincible gown and strong shield. If one ignores it in disregard Allah dresses him up in humiliation. Misfortune engulfs him, small and worthless issues humiliate him and barriers block his heart. Truth moves away from him due to his disregard of Jihad. Hardship disturbs him and he is denied justice. I certainly have been asking you days and nights, privately and in public to fight those people (supporters of Mu‘awiyah), saying, ‘Attack them before they do so. By Allah, a people attacked in their own territory are always humiliated.’ You kept postponing my calls in betrayal until attacks were launched upon you and territories were captured. It is the brother of Ghamid (Sufyan ibn ‘Awf, Mu‘awiyah’s hit-man) whose troops have entered al-Anbar and have murdered Hassan ibn Hassan al-Bakriy (the governor appointed by Amir al-Mu’minin). Your troops were dislodged from their fortifications. I am informed that their men violate Muslim women as well as tax-payers’ women, took away their bracelets, earrings and their other ornaments and they had no means of defense against them except begging for mercy and saying ‘to Allah we return.’ They then left with plenty of wealth and none of them suffered any injuries or lost a single drop of blood. If a Muslim would die in sorrow and anguish due to this tragedy he should not be blamed and in my opinion it is worthwhile of him. It indeed is shocking, by Allah, it is shocking. It causes the heart to melt and fills it up with sorrow to see how those people are united around their falsehood and your suffering discord despite your having the truth with you. It is a shame and a disgrace that despite your being their target of attack, you do not counter-attack them. They fight you but you do not fight. Allah is disobeyed and you condone such disobedience. When I command you to march against the enemy during summer you say, ‘It is very hot. Give us time until the heat is reduced.’ When I command you to march against them during winter, you say, ‘It is very cold. Give us time until the cold season is over.’ All of such excuses are just to run away from hot and cold elements. If you run away from hot and cold seasons, from swords, by Allah, you will run away much faster. O you, who look like a man, you are not a man of courage. You in wish-fullness are like children and your power of reason is like that of the house- maidens. I wish I had not seen you and had not know you at all. It, by Allah, has brought only regret and sorrow. I wish Allah fights against you for filling up my heart with sadness as if it is filled with puss and my chest with anguish as if you have made me breathe blows of sorrow with every breath. You have turned my decision to no effect due to your disobedience and betrayal, so much so that Quraysh says, ‘The son of abu Talib is a brave man but he does not know how to fight a war.’ One should for the sake of Allah, judge what they say. Has anyone among them dealt with wars with greater intensity than the way I have dealt with them, or has anyone among them been involved with wars for such a long time as I have been facing wars? I stood firm in wars when I was not yet in my twenties, and now I am in my sixties but there is no opinion for the one who is not obeyed.”

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