1. We were told by
Muhammed bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq al-Talaqani, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by
Abdul-Aziz bin Yahya al-Jaloudi, that he said: We were told by Abu Abdillah, Ahmad bin Ammar bin Khalid, that he said: We were told by
Yahya bin Abdul-Hamid al-Humani, that he said: We were told by
Isa bin Rashid, from Ali bin Khuzaima, from
Ikrima, from
Ibn Abbas, and we were also told by
Muhammed bin Ali Majilawayh, from his paternal uncle, Muhammed bin Abi’l-Qasem, from
Ahmad bin Abi Abdillah al-Barqi, from
his father, from
Ibn Abi ‘Umayr, from
Aban bin Uthman, from
Aban bin Taghlib, from
Ikrima, from
Ibn Abbas, that he said
The caliphate was mentioned in the presence of the Commander of the Believers, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, and he said: By Allah, it was put on by the brother of Taim, and indeed, he was knowing that my place from it is (like) the place of the axis in relation to the hand mill, from which the flood declines and to which birds to not ascend. Hence, I hanged before it a cloth, and I folded away from it, with my wast. I then came to have the choice between to assault with an amputated hand or to remain patient upon a blind severe darkness, in which the small develops grey hair, and in which the big becomes old, and in which a believer is drudged until he meets Allah, his Lord. Hence, I saw that to remain patient was wiser, and so I remained patient, although there was speck in the eye and suffocation in the throat. I saw my inheritance being plundered, and until the first one went his way, he assembled it to the brother of ‘Adi after him. How strange is it that he was attempting to cast it off, during his lifetime, and then the other assembled it after his demise. He then placed it, by Allah, in a tough enclosure, whose touch was rough, whose cause of injury was harsh, and whose mistakes were plenty and so the excuses to them. Thus, the one who possessed it was like the rider of an unruly camel; if he would deal with it fiercely, he stops, and if he would deal with it loosely, he falls into darkness. Consequently, the people got afflicted by unsteadiness, deviation and tribulation along with such-a-belittled and such-a-belittled. So, I remained patient for the long period and severe ordeal until he went his way, and he made it among a group which he claimed I am one of. But by Allah, what is there to do with them and the congregation? Since when did doubt arise about me along with (their following of) the first of them, to the extent that I was made akin to these likes? A man of them then inclined his desire (to another) and another listened to his son-in-law. Then the third (leader) from the people arose, heaving his chest, between his penis and fodder spot, and the sons of Umayyah arose with him, chewing on the property of Allah like the chewing of camels for the spring’s vegetation, until his own deed delivered him the deathblow. I was then not surprised except by that people came to me like the mane of the hyena. They advanced to me from every side, to the extent Hasan and Hussain were stepped upon and the edge of my shoulder garment was torn. When I then arose with the matter, one group violated (their oath), another gravely disobeyed and others became renegades, as if they had not heard the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He: «That Home of the Hereafter, We make for those who do not seek elevation on earth, nor corruption. And the good outcome is for the godfearing.» (28:83) Sure, by Allah, they had certainly heard it. However, this world appeared as glittering in their eyes, and its ornament seduced them. By the One who split the seed and creation mankind, were it not for the attendance of the assistant, the establishment of the Proof and what Allah, Exalted is He, has taken upon the scholars that they do not acknowledge the gluttony of the oppressor, nor the famine of the oppressed, I would surely have cast its rope on its own shoulders, and I would have made its end drink by the cup of its beginning (by equal treatment). You would then have observed that this world of yours is of less value to me than the nose-fart of a goat. He said: A man from the mass handed him a book, and so he interrupted his speech and received the book. I then said: O Commander of the Believers, (it would be good) if you were to continue your saying until you are finished. He said: May such stay far, O Ibn Abbas. That is (like) a foam of a camel that gushed out, but then subsided. I have never grieved over any speech like my grievance over the speech of the Commander of the Believers, Allah’s blessings be upon him, as he did not reach what he intended.