١١ - حدثنا أبي (رحمه الله)، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله وعبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، قالا: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن محمد بن خالد البرقي، عن أحمد بن يزيد النيسابوري، قال: حدثني عمر بن إبراهيم الهاشمي، عن عبد الملك بن عمير، عن أسيد بن صفوان صاحب رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)، قال: لما كان اليوم الذي قبض فيه أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) ارتج الموضع بالبكاء، ودهش الناس كيوم قبض فيه   النبي (صلى الله عليه وآله). وجاء رجل باك وهو متسرع مسترجع، وهو يقول: اليوم انقطعت خلافة النبوة، حتى وقف على باب البيت الذي فيه أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام)، فقال: رحمك الله أبا الحسن، كنت أول القوم إسلاما، وأخلصهم إيمانا، وأشدهم يقينا، وأخوفهم لله عز وجل، وأعظمهم عناء، وأحوطهم على رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)، وآمنهم على أصحابه، وأفضلهم مناقب، وأكرمهم سوابق، وأرفعهم درجة، وأقربهم من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله)، وأشبههم به هديا وخلقا وسمتا وفعلا وأشرفهم منزلة، وأكرمهم عليه، فجزاك الله عن الاسلام وعن رسوله وعن المسلمين خيرا. قويت حين ضعف أصحابه، وبرزت حين استكانوا، ونهضت حين وهنوا، ولزمت منهاج رسوله إذ هم أصحابه، كنت خليفته حقا لم تنازع ولم تضرع برغم المنافقين وغيظ الكافرين وكره الحاسدين وضغن الفاسقين، فقمت بالامر حين فشلوا، ونطقت حين تتعتعوا (١)، ومضيت بنور الله إذ وقفوا، فاتبعوك فهدوا. وكنت أخفضهم صوتا، وأعلاهم فوتا (٢)، وأقلهم كلاما، وأصوبهم منطقا، وأكثرهم رأيا، وأشجعهم قلبا، وأشدهم يقينا، وأحسنهم عملا، وأعرفهم بالامور. كنت والله للدين يعسوبا، أولا حين تفرق الناس، وآخرا حين فشلوا، كنت للمؤمنين أبا رحيما إذ صاروا عليك عيالا، فحملت أثقال ما عنه ضعفوا، وحفظت ما أضاعوا، ووعيت (٣) ما أهملوا، وشمرت إذ اجتمعوا، وعلوت إذ هلعوا، وصبرت إذ أسرعوا، وأدركت ما عنه (٤) تخلفوا، ونالوا بك ما لم يحتسبوا. كنت للكافرين عذابا صبا، وللمؤمنين غيثا وخصبا، فطرت والله بنعماها، وفزت بحبائها وأحرزت سوابقها، وذهبت بفضائلها، لم تفلل حجتك، ولم يزغ قلبك.   ولم تضعف بصيرتك، ولم تجبن نفسك ولم تخن، كنت كالجبل لا تحركه العواصف، ولا تزيله القواصف. وكنت كما قال (صلى الله عليه وآله): ضعيفا في بدنك، قويا في أمر الله، متواضعا في نفسك، عظيما عند الله عز وجل، كبيرا في الارض، جليلا عند المؤمنين، لم يكن لاحد فيك مهمز، ولا لقائل فيك مغمز، ولا لاحد فيك مطمع، ولا لاحد عندك هوادة. الضعيف الذليل عندك قوي عزيز حتى تأخذ له بحقه، والقوي العزيز عندك ضعيف ذليل حتى تأخذ منه الحق، والقريب والبعيد عندك في ذلك سواء، شأنك الحق والصدق والرفق، وقولك حكم وحتم، وأمرك حلم وحزم، ورأيك علم وعزم، فاقلعت وقد نهج السبيل، وسهل العسير، وأطفئت النيران، فاعتدل بك الدين، وقوي بك الاسلام والمؤمنون، وسبقت سبقا بعيدا، وأتعبت من بعدك تعبا شديدا، فجللت عن البكاء، وعظمت رزيتك في السماء، وهدت مصيبتك الانام، فإنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون، رضينا عن الله قضاءه، وسلمنا لله أمره، فوالله لن يصاب المسلمون بمثلك أبدا. كنت للمؤمنين كهفا حصينا، وعلى الكافرين غلظة وغيظا، فألحقك الله بنبيه، ولا حرمنا أجرك، ولا أضلنا بعدك. وسكت القوم حتى انقضى كلامه، وبكى وأبكى أصحاب رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله)، ثم طلبوه فلم يصادفوه (١).
My father (rh) narrated to us. He said: Sa`d b. `Abdullah and `Abdullah b. Ja`far al-Himyari narrated to us. They said: Ahmad b. Muhammad b. `Isa narrated to us from Muhammad b. Khalid al-Barqi from Ahmad b. Yazid al-Nishapuri. He said: `Umar b. Ibrahim al-Hashimi narrated to me from `Abd al-Malik b. `Umayr from Usayd b. Safwan the companion of the Messenger of Allah (s).  He said: On the day that Amir al-Mu’minin  passed away, the place was jolted in weeping. The people were frightened, just like in the day that the Prophet (s) passed away.  A weeping man came hurriedly. He was saying: Today, the vicegerency of prophethood has been cut off.   Then, he stood at the door of the house that Amir al-Mu’minin  was in. So, he said: May Allah have mercy on you, Aba’l Hasan. You were the first of the people to enter Islam, the sincerest of them in faith, the most intense of them in certainty, the most Godfearing of them, the greatest of them in effort, the most prudent of them over the Messenger of Allah (s), the most protective over his companions, the best of them in virtues, the most honourable of them in precedent, the highest of them in rank; the nearest of them to the Messenger of Allah (s), the most similar to him in guidance, character, resemblance, and actions, the most noble of them in status, and the most favoured of them to him. So, may Allah reward you with goodness on behalf of Islam, its Messenger, and the Muslims. You were strengthened when his companions became weakened, you emerged forth when they settled down, you rose when they languished, and you stuck to the way of His Messenger when they were his companions. You were truly his vicegerent. You did not quarrel nor plead despite the presence of the hypocrites, the anger of disbelievers, the hatred of enviers, and the malevolence of transgressors. You established the order when they failed, you spoke when they stuttered, you forged ahead with the light of Allah when they halted – so they followed you and were guided. Your voice was the quietest of them, you were the best of them in forthrightness, you spoke the least of them; you were the most correct of them in speech, the best of them in opinion, the boldest of them in heart, the most intense of them in certainty, the best of them in actions, and the most knowledgeable of them in matters. You were, by Allah, a leader of the religion – the first when the people would disperse, and the last when they would fail. When the believers would come to you like children, you were a merciful father to them. You carried the burdens that they were too weak to carry. You preserved what they had lost. You were aware of what they had neglected. You strove when they gathered, you rose when they were terrified, you were patient when they hurried, you comprehended whatever they differed about, and they sought you in that which they did not understand. For the disbelievers, you were an outpouring punishment. For the believers, you were [like] rain and arability. By Allah, you were formed for its blessing, you succeeded for its love, you became its precedent, and you went in its virtues. Your argument never failed, your heart never went astray, your insight was never weakened, and you were never cowardly or traitorous. You were like a mountain: storms cannot shake it, and sieges cannot wipe it out. You were as he (s) said: Weak in your constitution, strong in the order of Allah, humble in your self, great with Allah, grand in the Earth, and majestic with the believers. None can find faults in you, nor can one claim to find corruption in you. For you, the weak and servile are great and glorious (important), until they are given their rights; and the great and glorious are weak and servile (unimportant), until their rights are taken away from them. The distant and the near equal to you. Your way is truth, honesty, and affability. Your words are judgment and decisive. Your affair is forbearance and determination. Your opinion is knowledge and integrity. Because of you, the path has been established, hardships have been eased, fires have been extinguished, the religion has been balanced, and Islam and Muslims have been strengthened. You have gone ahead, and you have caused great weariness for those behind you. You are too great for our tears. Your mourning is great is heaven, and your tragedy has threatened the people. So: to Allah we belong, and to Him will we return. We are pleased with what Allah has destined, and we have submitted to His order. By Allah, the Muslims will never be afflicted with something like this again after you. For the believers, you were a fortified cave, and for the disbelievers, you were a toughening rage. May Allah reunite you with His Prophet, and not deprive us of your reward, and not misguide us after you.  The people were silent until he completed his words. He wept, and he made the companions of the Messenger of Allah (s) weep. Then, they sought after him, but they did not find him.