٢ - حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل (رضي الله عنه)، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين بن أبي الخطاب، قال: حدثنا محمد بن سنان، عن المفضل بن عمر، عن يونس بن ظبيان، عن سعد بن طريف، عن الاصبغ ابن نباتة، قال: دخل ضرار بن ضمرة النهشلي على معاوية بن أبي سفيان، فقال له: صف لي عليا. قال: أو تعفيني. فقال: لا، بل صفه لي. فقال له ضرار: رحم الله عليا، كان والله فينا كأحدنا، يدنينا إذا أتيناه، ويجيبنا إذا سألناه، ويقربنا إذا زرناه، لا يغلق له دوننا باب، ولا يحجبنا عنه حاجب، ونحن والله مع تقريبه لنا وقربه منا، لا نكلمه لهيبته، ولا نبتديه لعظمته، فإذا تبسم فعن مثل اللؤلؤ المنظوم. فقال المعاوية: زدني من صفته. فقال ضرار: رحم الله عليا، كان والله طويل السهاد، قليل الرقاد، يتلو كتاب الله آناء الليل وأطراف النهار، ويجود لله بمهجته، ويبوء إليه بعبرته، لا تغلق له الستور، ولا يدخر عنا البدور، ولا يستلين الاتكاء، ولا يستخشن الجفاء، ولو رأيته إذ مثل في محرابه، وقد أرخى الليل سدوله، وغارت نجومه، وهو قابض على لحيته، يتململ تململ السليم (١)، ويبكي بكاء الحزين، وهو يقول: يا دنيا، إلي تعرضت، أم إلي تشوقت، هيهات هيهات لا حاجة لي فيك، أبنتك ثلاثا لا رجعة لي عليك. ثم يقول: واه واه لبعد السفر، وقلة الزاد، وخشونة الطريق. قال: فبكى معاوية، وقال: حسبك يا ضرار، كذلك كان والله علي، رحم الله أبا الحسن (٢).
Muhammad b. Musa b. al-Mutawakkil  narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. Yahya al-`Attar narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. al-Husayn b. Abi’l Khattab narrated to us. He said: Muhammad b. Sinan narrated to us from al-Mufaddal b. `Umar from Yunus b. Thibyan from Sa`d b. Turayf from al-Asbagh b. Nubata. He said: Darrar b. Damra al-Nahshali visited Mu`awiya b. Abi Sufyan. He said to him: Describe `Ali to me. He said: Rather, excuse me. So, he said: No, rather, describe him to me. So, Darrar said to him: May Allah have mercy on `Ali. By Allah, when he was with us, he was like one of us. He would come close to us when we came to him. He would answer us when we would ask him. He would bring us near when we visited him. He never locked his door from us, nor did he place a barrier between us and him. By Allah, when he was close to us and near us, we could not speak to him because of his aura, nor could we precede him [in discussion] due to his greatness. When he smiled, it was like a [glistening] row of pearls. So, Mu`awiya said: Tell me more about his description. So, Darrar said: May Allah have mercy on `Ali. By Allah, he prolonged his sleeplessness and he relaxed little. He would recite the Book of Allah throughout the night and at the peripheries of the day. He was gracious for Allah and would seek His proximity through His lessons. He would not shut his curtains, and he would not hide full moons from us. He would not recline in our presence, and he would not make coarseness rougher. When you would see him, he would be in his prayer-niche. Even when the night would loosen its slumber and when the stars would set, he would be clutching his beard restlessly and weeping grievously, saying: “O world! You have presented yourself to me. Is it me that you desire? Go far, far away! I have no need for you. I have divorced you thrice, so you cannot return to me.” Then, he would say: “Oh, how distant is the journey, how few are our supplies, and how harsh is the path!” He said: So, Mu`awiya wept, and said: That is enough for you, Darrar. By Allah, that is how `Ali was. May Allah have mercy on Aba’l Hasan.