Nahj Albalagha Sermons 2

in English

About 'Amr ibn al-'As

I am surprised at the son of an-Nabighah that he says about me among the people of Syria (ash-Sham) that I am a jester and that I am engaged in frolics and fun. He said wrong and spoke sinfully. Beware the worst speech is what is untrue. He speaks and lies. He promises and breaks the promise. He begs and sticks but when someone begs from him he withholds miserly. He betrays the pledge and ignores kinship.

When in a battle he commands and admonishes but only uptil the swords do not come into action. When such a moment arrives his great trick is to turn naked (1) before his adversary. By Allah surely the remembrance of death has kept me away from fun and play while obliviousness about the next world has prevented him from speaking truth. He has not sworn allegiance to Mu'awiyah without purpose; but has beforehand got him to agree that he will have to pay its price and gave him an award for forsaking religion.

in Arabic

[ 84 ] ومن کلام له علیه السلام

فی ذکر عمروبن العاص

عَجَباً لاِبْنِ النَّابِغَهِ (1) ! یَزْعُمُ لاَِهْلِ الشَّامِ أَنَّ فِیَّ دُعَابَهً (2) ، وَأَنِّی امْرُؤٌ تِلْعَابَهٌ (3) : أُعَافِسُ وَأُمَارِسُ (4) ! لَقَدْ قَالَ بَاطِلاً، وَنَطَقَ آثِماً. أَمَا _ وَشَرُّ الْقَوْلِ الْکَذِبُ _ إِنَّهُ لَیَقُولُ فَیَکْذِبُ، وَیَعِدُ فَیُخْلِفُ، وَیُسْأَلُ فَیَبْخَلُ، وَیَسْأَلُ فَیُلْحِفُ (5) ، وَیَخُونُ الْعَهْدَ، وَیَقْطَعُ الْإِلَّ (6) ; فَإِذَا کَانَ عِنْدَ الْحَرْبِ فَأَیُّ زَاجِرٍ وَآمِرٍ هُوَ! مَا لَمْ تَأْخُذِ السُّیُوفُ مَآخِذَهَا، فَإِذَا کَانَ ذلِکَ کَانَ أَکْبَرُ مَکیدَتِهِ أَنْ یَمْنَحَ الْقِرْمَ سُبَّتَهُ (7) . أَمَا واللهِ إِنِّی لَیَمْنَعُنِی مِنَ اللَّعِبِ ذِکْرُ الْموْتِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَْیمَنَعُهُ مِنْ قَوْلِ الْحَقِّ نِسْیَانُ الْآخِرَهِ، إِنَّهُ لَمْ یُبَایعْ مُعَاوِیَهَ حَتَّی شَرَطَ لَهُ أَنْ یُؤْتِیَهُ أَتِیَّهً (8) ، وَیَرْضَخَ لَهُ عَلَی تَرْکِ الدِّینِ رَضِیخَهً (9) .

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