٦- أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْعَلَوِيِّ وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْكُوفِيُّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ جَمِيعاً عَنْ أَبِي رَوْحٍ فَرَجِ بْنِ قُرَّةَ عَنْ مَسْعَدَةَ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ الْجِهَادَ بَابٌ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَتَحَهُ اللهُ لِخَاصَّةِ أَوْلِيَائِهِ وَسَوَّغَهُمْ كَرَامَةً مِنْهُ لَهُمْ وَنِعْمَةٌ ذَخَرَهَا وَالْجِهَادُ هُوَ لِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى وَدِرْعُ اللهِ الْحَصِينَةُ وَجُنَّتُهُ الْوَثِيقَةُ فَمَنْ تَرَكَهُ رَغْبَةً عَنْهُ أَلْبَسَهُ اللهُ ثَوْبَ الذُّلِّ وَشَمِلَهُ الْبَلاءُ وَفَارَقَ الرِّضَا وَدُيِّثَ بِالصَّغَارِ وَالْقَمَاءَةِ وَضُرِبَ عَلَى قَلْبِهِ بِالأسْدَادِ وَأُدِيلَ الْحَقُّ مِنْهُ بِتَضْيِيعِ الْجِهَادِ وَسِيمَ الْخَسْفَ وَمُنِعَ النَّصَفَ أَلا وَإِنِّي قَدْ دَعَوْتُكُمْ إِلَى قِتَالِ هَؤُلاءِ الْقَوْمِ لَيْلا وَنَهَاراً وَسِرّاً وَإِعْلاناً وَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ اغْزُوهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَغْزُوكُمْ فَوَ اللهِ مَا غُزِيَ قَوْمٌ قَطُّ فِي عُقْرِ دَارِهِمْ إِلا ذَلُّوا فَتَوَاكَلْتُمْ وَتَخَاذَلْتُمْ حَتَّى شُنَّتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْغَارَاتُ وَمُلِكَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الأوْطَانُ هَذَا أَخُو غَامِدٍ قَدْ وَرَدَتْ خَيْلُهُ الأنْبَارَ وَقَتَلَ حَسَّانَ بْنَ حَسَّانَ الْبَكْرِيَّ وَأَزَالَ خَيْلَكُمْ عَنْ مَسَالِحِهَا وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ كَانَ يَدْخُلُ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ الْمُسْلِمَةِ وَالأخْرَى الْمُعَاهَدَةِ فَيَنْتَزِعُ حِجْلَهَا وَقُلْبَهَا وَقَلائِدَهَا وَرِعَاثَهَا مَا تُمْنَعُ مِنْهُ إِلا بِالاسْتِرْجَاعِ وَالاسْتِرْحَامِ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفُوا وَافِرِينَ مَا نَالَ رَجُلا مِنْهُمْ كَلْمٌ وَلا أُرِيقَ لَهُ دَمٌ فَلَوْ أَنَّ امْرَأً مُسْلِماً مَاتَ مِنْ بَعْدِ هَذَا أَسَفاً مَا كَانَ بِهِ مَلُوماً بَلْ كَانَ عِنْدِي بِهِ جَدِيراً فَيَا عَجَباً عَجَباً وَاللهِ يَمِيثُ الْقَلْبَ وَيَجْلِبُ الْهَمَّ مِنِ اجْتِمَاعِ هَؤُلاءِ عَلَى بَاطِلِهِمْ وَتَفَرُّقِكُمْ عَنْ حَقِّكُمْ فَقُبْحاً لَكُمْ وَتَرَحاً حِينَ صِرْتُمْ غَرَضاً يُرْمَى يُغَارُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلا تُغِيرُونَ وَتُغْزَوْنَ وَلا تَغْزُونَ وَيُعْصَى اللهُ وَتَرْضَوْنَ فَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِالسَّيْرِ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي أَيَّامِ الْحَرِّ قُلْتُمْ هَذِهِ حَمَارَّةُ الْقَيْظِ أَمْهِلْنَا حَتَّى يُسَبَّخَ عَنَّا الْحَرُّ وَإِذَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِالسَّيْرِ إِلَيْهِمْ فِي الشِّتَاءِ قُلْتُمْ هَذِهِ صَبَارَّةُ الْقُرِّ أَمْهِلْنَا حَتَّى يَنْسَلِخَ عَنَّا الْبَرْدُ كُلُّ هَذَا فِرَاراً مِنَ الْحَرِّ وَالْقُرِّ فَإِذَا كُنْتُمْ مِنَ الْحَرِّ وَالْقُرِّ تَفِرُّونَ فَأَنْتُمْ وَاللهِ مِنَ السَّيْفِ أَفَرُّ يَا أَشْبَاهَ الرِّجَالِ وَلا رِجَالَ حُلُومُ الأطْفَالِ وَعُقُولُ رَبَّاتِ الْحِجَالِ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أَرَكُمْ وَلَمْ أَعْرِفْكُمْ مَعْرِفَةً وَاللهِ جَرَّتْ نَدَماً وَأَعْقَبَتْ ذَمّاً قَاتَلَكُمُ اللهُ لَقَدْ مَلأتُمْ قَلْبِي قَيْحاً وَشَحَنْتُمْ صَدْرِي غَيْظاً وَجَرَّعْتُمُونِي نُغَبَ التَّهْمَامِ أَنْفَاساً وَأَفْسَدْتُمْ عَلَيَّ رَأْيِي بِالْعِصْيَانِ وَالْخِذْلانِ حَتَّى لَقَدْ قَالَتْ قُرَيْشٌ إِنَّ ابْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَجُلٌ شُجَاعٌ وَلَكِنْ لا عِلْمَ لَهُ بِالْحَرْبِ للهِ أَبُوهُمْ وَهَلْ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ أَشَدُّ لَهَا مِرَاساً وَأَقْدَمُ فِيهَا مَقَاماً مِنِّي لَقَدْ نَهَضْتُ فِيهَا وَمَا بَلَغْتُ الْعِشْرِينَ وَهَا أَنَا قَدْ ذَرَّفْتُ عَلَى السِّتِّينَ وَلَكِنْ لا رَأْيَ لِمَنْ لا يُطَاعُ.
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 , has said who has said the following: “Thereafter, (my praising Allah) 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 Muslimah 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, Tt 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 one who is not obeyed has no opinion.” 