- ʿAbd Allah related to us; my father related to me; and Ḥusayn ibn Muḥammad related to us; Sharik narrated from Abū al-Mughīra—who is ʿUthmān ibn Abī Zurʿa—from Zayd ibn Wahb, who said:
A delegation from Basra came to ʿAli—may Allah have mercy on him. Among them was one of the leading figures of the Khārijites named al-Jaʿd ibn Baʿjah. He addressed the people, praised Allah, and extolled Him, then said, “O ʿAli, fear Allah, for you are going to die, and you already know the way of the muḥsin”—by muḥsin he meant ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him. He repeated, “You are going to die.”
ʿAli, may Allah be pleased with him, replied, “No—by Him in Whose hand is my soul—rather I will be killed: one blow here that will stain this,” indicating that a strike to his head would dye his beard with blood. “It is a decree already ordained and a covenant already confirmed; ruined indeed is the one who fabricates lies.”
He then reproached the man about his dress and said, “What prevents you from wearing (better clothes)?” The man answered, “What concern is my clothing to you? This way of dressing keeps me further from arrogance and makes it likelier that Muslims will follow my example.”