١٠ - حدثنا أحمد بن الحسن القطان، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن يحيى بن زكريا القطان، قال: حدثنا بكر بن عبد الله بن حبيب، قال: حدثنا علي بن زياد، قال: حدثنا الهيثم بن عدي، عن الاعمش، عن يونس بن أبي إسحاق، قال: حدثنا أبو الصقر، عن عدي بن أرطاة، قال: قال معاوية يوما لعمرو بن العاص: يا أبا عبد الله، أينا أدهى؟ قال عمرو: أنا للبديهة، وأنت للروية. قال معاوية: قضيت لي على نفسك، وأنا أدهى منك في البديهة. قال عمرو: فأين كان دهاؤك يوم رفعت المصاحف؟ قال: بها غلبتني يا أبا عبد الله، أفلا أسألك عن شئ تصدقني فيه؟ قال: والله إن الكذب لقبيح، فسل عما بدا لك أصدقك. فقال: هل غششتني منذ نصحتني؟ قال: لا. قال: بلى والله، لقد غششتني، أما إني لا أقول في كل المواطن، ولكن في موطن واحد، قال: وأي موطن هذا؟ قال: يوم دعاني علي بن أبي طالب للمبارزة فاستشرتك، فقلت: ما ترى يا أبا عبد الله؟ فقلت: كفؤ كريم، فأشرت علي بمبارزته وأنت تعلم من هو، فعلمت أنك غششتني. قال: يا أمير المومنين، دعاك رجل إلى مبارزته عظيم الشرف جليل الخطر، فكنت من مبارزته على إحدى الحسنيين، إما أن تقتله فتكون قد قتلت قتال الاقران، وتزداد به شرفا إلى شرفك وتخلو بملكك، وإما أن تعجل إلى مرافقة الشهداء والصالحين وحسن أولئك رفيقا. قال معاوية: هذه شر من الاول، والله إني لاعلم أني لو قتلته دخلت النار، ولو قتلني دخلت النار. قال له عمرو: فما حملك على قتاله؟! قال: الملك عقيم، ولن يسمعها مني  أحد بعدك (١).
Ahmad b. al-Hasan al-Qattan narrated to us. He said: Ahmad b. Yahya b. Zakariyya al-Qattan. He said: Bakr b. `Abdullah b. Habib narrated to us. He said: `Ali b. Ziyad narrated to us. He said: Al-Haytham b. `Adi narrated to us from al-A`mash from Yunus b. Abi Ishaq. He said: Abu al-Asqar narrated to us from `Adi b. Arta. He said: Mu`awiya said one day to `Amr b. al-`As: O Aba `Abdillah! Which of us is worse? `Amr said: I am [worse] in [my] impulsiveness, and you are [worse] in [your] scheming. Mu`awiya said: You have put me over yourself when I am worse than you in impulsiveness. `Amr said: Where was your slyness on the day you raised the codices (al-masahif)? He said: With this you have overcome me, O Aba `Abdillah. Shall I not ask you about something regarding which you will agree with me? He said: By Allah, lying would be repugnant, so ask what you wish me to agree with. So, he said: Did you cheat me when you advised me? He said: No. He said: Rather, by Allah, you did cheat me – I am not saying in all instances, but in one particular instance. He said: In what instance was this? He said: The day `Ali b. Abi Talib challenged me to a duel, and I sought your advice; I said: “What do you think, O Aba `Abdillah?” So, you said: “It would be honourable.” So, you advised me to duel him whilst you knew who he was; so, then I knew that you had cheated me. He said: O commander of the faithful! A man challenged you to duel him with great honour and great danger. Had you dueled him you would have achieved any of two good outcomes. Either you would have killed him, which would have been the killing of the ages, by which you would have increased in honour and have been free to rule, or you would have accompanied the martyrs and the righteous, which would have been the best of company. Mu`awiya said: This [second outcome] is worse than the first. By Allah, I surely know that, had I killed him, I would have gone to the Fire; and had he killed me, I would have gone to the Fire. `Amr said to him: So, what caused you to go and fight against him? He said: Rulership has no blood bonds; and no one will hear this from me after you.