Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ - Shams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi - (3/294)

Siyar Aʿlām al-NubalāʾShams al‑Din al‑Dhahabi

and said, “The people want to profit from us and to shed our blood.”

Al-Ḥusayn therefore remained where he was, his resolve still unsettled. Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī then came to him and said, “O Abā ʿAbd Allāh, I am a sincere well-wisher who cares for you. Word has reached me that some of your partisans have written inviting you; do not go out to them. I heard your father say in Kūfah: ‘By Allah, I have grown weary of them and they of me; I have come to hate them and they to hate me. I have never found them loyal—no steadfastness, no determination, and no patience when the sword is drawn.’ (1)

Al-Musayyab ibn Najabah and a number of others came to al-Ḥusayn after the death of al-Ḥasan. They invited him to depose Muʿāwiyah, saying, “We already know your view and that of your brother.” He replied, “I hope Allah will reward my brother according to his intention, and will reward me according to my intention—for I love striving against the wrongdoers.” (2)

Marwān wrote to Muʿāwiyah: “I am not at ease, for I fear that al-Ḥusayn may be lying in wait as a source of civil strife, and I think the day you face with him will be a long one.” (3)

Muʿāwiyah wrote to al-Ḥusayn: “Whoever gives his right-hand pledge and covenant to Allah must surely fulfill it. I have been informed that a group from Kūfah have called you to rebellion. They are the very people you have already tried; they corrupted matters for your father and your brother. So fear Allah and remember the pact, for if you plot against me, I shall plot against you.” (4)

Al-Ḥusayn replied: “Your letter has reached me. I am not as you have been told. I have no wish to fight you or to oppose you, yet I see no excuse before Allah for abandoning the struggle against you, and I know of no trial greater than your rule.”

Muʿāwiyah commented, “In rousing Abū ʿAbd Allāh we have stirred nothing less than a lion.” (5)

(1) Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, vol. 4, pp. 329–330. (2) Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, vol. 4, p. 330. (3) Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, vol. 4, p. 330. (4) Tahdhib Ibn Asakir, vol. 4, p. 330. (5) Tarikh al-Islam, vol. 2, p. 341.

وَقَالَ: إِنَّ القَوْمَ يُرِيْدُوْنَ أَنْ يَأكُلُوا بِنَا، وَيَشِيْطُوا دِمَاءنَا. فَأَقَامَ حُسَيْنٌ عَلَى مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ مُتَرَدِّدُ العَزْمِ، فَجَاءهُ أَبُو سَعِيْدٍ الخُدْرِيُّ، فَقَالَ: يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ، إِنِّيْ لَكَ نَاصِحٌ وَمُشْفِقٌ، وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ كَاتَبَكَ قَوْمٌ مِنْ شِيْعتِكَ، فَلاَ تَخْرُجْ إِلَيْهِم، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ أَبَاكَ يَقُوْلُ بِالكُوْفَةِ: وَاللهِ لَقَدْ مَلِلْتُهُم وَمَلُّونِي، وَأَبْغَضْتُهُم وَأَبْغَضُونِي، وَمَا بَلَوْتُ مِنْهُم وَفَاءً، وَلاَ لَهُم ثَبَاتٌ وَلاَ عَزْمٌ وَلاَ صَبرٌ عَلَى السَّيْفِ (١) . قَالَ: وَقَدِمَ المُسَيَّبُ بنُ نَجَبَةَ وَعِدَّةٌ إِلَى الحُسَيْنِ بَعْدَ وَفَاةِ الحَسَنِ، فَدَعَوْهُ إِلَى خَلْعِ مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَقَالُوا: قَدْ عَلِمْنَا رَأْيَكَ وَرَأْيَ أَخِيْكَ. فَقَالَ: أَرْجُو أَنْ يُعطِيَ اللهُ أَخِي عَلَى نِيَّتِهِ، وَأَنْ يُعطِيَنِي عَلَى نِيَّتِي فِي حُبِّي جِهَادَ الظَّالِمِيْنَ (٢) . وَكَتَبَ مَرْوَانُ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ: إِنِّيْ لَسْتُ آمَنُ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ الحُسَيْنُ مَرصَداً لِلْفِتْنَةِ، وَأَظُنُّ يَوْمَكُم مِنْهُ طَوِيْلاً (٣) . فَكَتَبَ مُعَاوِيَةُ إِلَى الحُسَيْنِ: إِنَّ مَنْ أَعْطَى اللهَ صَفْقَةَ يَمِينِهِ وَعَهْدَهُ، لَجَدِيرٌ أَنْ يَفِي، وَقَدْ أُنْبِئتُ بِأَنَّ قَوْماً مِنَ الكُوْفَةِ دَعَوْكَ إِلَى الشِّقَاقِ، وَهُمْ مَنْ قَدْ جَرَّبتَ، قَدْ أَفْسَدُوا عَلَى أَبِيْكَ وَأَخِيْكَ، فَاتَّقِ اللهَ، وَاذْكُرِ المِيْثَاقَ، فَإِنَّكَ مَتَى تَكِدْنِي، أَكِدْكَ (٤) . فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ الحُسَيْنُ: أَتَانِي كِتَابُكَ، وَأَنَا بِغَيْرِ الَّذِي بَلَغَكَ جَدِيرٌ، وَمَا أَرَدْتُ لَكَ مُحَارَبَةً وَلاَ خِلاَفاً، وَمَا أَظُنُّ لِي عُذْراً عِنْدَ اللهِ فِي تَرْكِ جِهَادِكِ، وَمَا أَعْلَمُ فِتْنَةً أَعْظَمَ مِنْ وَلاَيَتِكَ. فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: إِنْ أَثَرْنَا بِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ إِلاَّ أَسَداً (٥) .

(١) " تهذيب ابن عساكر " ٤ / ٣٢٩، ٣٣٠. (٢) " تهذيب ابن عساكر " ٤ / ٣٣٠ (٣) " تهذيب ابن عساكر " ٤ / ٣٣٠. (٤) تهذيب ابن عساكر " ٤ / ٣٣٠. (٥) " تاريخ الإسلام " ٢ / ٣٤١.