Sermon_134

[134] ﻛﻼﻡ ﻟﻪ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻣ ﻭﻗﺪ ﺷﺎﻭﺭﻩ ﻋﻤﺮ ﺑﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﻄﺎﺏ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺨﺮﻭﺝ ﺍﻟﻰ ﻏﺰﻭ ﺍﻟﺮﻭﻡ ﻭﻗﺪ ﺗﻮﻛﻞ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻻﻫﻞ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﺪﻳﻦ ﺑﺎﻋﺰﺍﺯ ﺍﻟﺤﻮﺯﺓ ، ﻭﺳﺘﺮ ﺍﻟﻌﻮﺭﺓ، ﻭﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﻧﺼﺮﻫﻢ ﻭﻫﻢ ﻗﻠﻴﻞ ﻻ ﻳﻨﺘﺼﺮﻭﻥ ، ﻭﻣﻨﻌﻬﻢ ﻭﻫﻢ ﻗﻠﻴﻞ ﻻ ﻳﻤﺘﻨﻌﻮﻥ ، ﺣﻲ ﻻ ﻳﻤﻮﺕ. ﺍﻧﻚ ﻣﺘﻰ ﺗﺴﺮ ﺍﻟﻰ ﻫﺬﺍ ﺍﻟﻌﺪﻭ ﺑﻨﻔﺴﻚ ، ﻓﺘﻠﻘﻬﻢ ﺑﺸﺨﺼﻚ ﻓﺘﻨﻜﺐ ، ﻻ ﺗﻜﻦ ﻟﻠﻤﺴﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﻛﺎﻧﻔﺔ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺍﻗﺼﻰ ﺑﻼﺩﻫﻢ ، ﻭﻟﻴﺲ ﺑﻌﺪﻙ ﻣﺮﺟﻊ ﻳﺮﺟﻌﻮﻥ ﺍﻟﻴﻪ ، ﻓﺎﺑﻌﺚ ﺍﻟﻴﻬﻢ ﺭﺟﻼً ﻣﺤﺮﺑﺎً ، ﻭﺍﺣﻔﺰ ﻣﻌﻪ ﺍﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺒﻼﺀ ﻭﺍﻟﻨﺼﻴﺤﺔ ، ﻓﺎﻥ ﺍﻇﻬﺮ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻓﺬﺍﻟﻚ ﻣﺎ ﺗﺤﺐ ، ﻭﺍﻥ ﺗﻜﻦ ﺍﻻﺧﺮﻯ ، ﻛﻨﺖ ﺭﺩﺍﺀﺍً ﻟﻠﻨﺎﺱ ﻭﻣﺜﺎﺑﺔ ﻟﻠﻤﺴﻠﻤﻴﻦ. Delivered when Caliph `Umar ibn al-Khattab consulted (1) Amir al- mu'minin about himself, taking part in the march towards Rome ( Byzantine Empire ). Allah has taken upon Himself for the followers of this religion the strengthening of boundaries and hiding of the secret places. Allah helped them when they were few and could not protect themselves. He is living and will not die. If you will your self proceed towards the enemy and clash with them and fall into some trouble, there will be no place of refuge for the Muslims other than their remote cities, nor any place they would return to. Therefore, you should send there an experienced man and send with him people of good performance who are well-intentioned. If Allah grants you victory, then this is what you want. If it is otherwise, you would serve as a support for the people and a returning place for the Muslims. (1). About Amir al-mu'minin, the strange position is adopted that on the one hand, it is said that he was ignorant of practical politics and unacquainted with ways of administration from which it is intended that the revolts created by the Umayyad's lust for power should be shown to be the outcome of Amir al-mu'minin's weak administration. On the other hand, much is made of the various occasions when the then Caliphs consulted Amir al-mu'minin in important affairs of State in the matter of wars with unbelievers. The aim in this is not to exhibit his correctness of thinking and judgement or deep sagacity but to show that there was unity and concord between him and the Caliphs so that attention should not be paid to the fact that in some matters they also differed and that mutual clashes had also occurred. History shows that Amir al-mu'minin did have differences of principles with the Caliphs and did not approve every step of theirs. In the sermon of ash-Shiqshiqiyyah he has expressed in loud words his difference of opinion and anger about each regime. Nevertheless, this difference does not mean that correct guidance should be withheld in collective Islamic problems. Again, Amir al- mu'minin's character was so high that no one could imagine that he would ever evade giving counsel which concerned the common weal, or would give such counsel which would damage public interests. That is why, despite differences of principle, he was consulted. This throws light on the greatness of his character and the correctness of his thinking and judgement. Similarly, it is a prominent trait of the Holy Prophet's character that despite rejecting his claim to prophethood the unbelievers acknowledged him the best trustee and could never doubt his trustworthiness. Rather, even during clashes of mutual opposition they entrusted to him their property without fear and never suspected that their property would be misappropriated. Similarly, Amir al-mu'minin was held to occupy so high a position of trust and confidence that friend and foe both trusted in the correctness of his counsel. So, just as the Prophet's conduct shows his height of trustworthiness, and just as it cannot be inferred from it that there was mutual accord between him and the unbelievers, because trust has its own place while the clash of Islam and unbelief has another, in the same way, despite having differences with the Caliphs, Amir al- mu'minin was regarded as the protector of national and community interests and as the guardian of Islam's wellbeing and prosperity. Thus when national interests were involved he was consulted and he tendered his unbiased advice raising himself above personal ends and keeping in view the Prophet's tradition to the effect that "He who is consulted is a trustee" never allowed any dishonesty or duplicity to interfere. When on the occasion of the battle of Palestine, the Caliph `Umar consulted him about his taking part in it himself, then, irrespective of whether or not his opinion would accord with `Umar's feelings, he kept in view Islam's prestige and existence and counselled him to stay in his place and to send to the battlefront such a man who should be experienced and wellversed in the art of fighting, because the going of an inexperienced man would have damaged the