Dieu éprouvera les dépositaires des prophètes à sept reprises de leur vivant et sept fois après leur mort.

7-59 (The compiler of the book narrated) that his father and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan - may God be pleased with them - narrated that Sa’ed ibn Abdullah quoted Ahmad ibn al-Hussein ibn Sa’id, on the authority of Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Nowfali, on the authority of Yaqoob ibn Yazid, on the authority of Abu Abdullah Ja’far ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Ja’far ibn Abi Talib,on the authority of Yaqoob ibn Abdullah al-Kufy, on the authority of Musa ibn Ubaydah, on the authority of Amr ibn Abil Miqdam, on the authority of Abi Ishaq, on the authority of Al-Harith, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Hanifa –may God be pleased with him - and Umar ibn Abil Miqdam, on the authority of Jabir al-Jo’afy, on the authority of Abi Ja’far al-Baqir (MGB), “The head of the Jews came to Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB) when he (MGB) returned from the Nahravan Battle. Ali (MGB) was sitting in the Kufa Mosque. He said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! I wish to ask you several questions regarding things which only the Prophets or their Trustees would know.’ The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! Ask whatever you want to ask.’The Jew said, ‘We have seen in our religious books that whenever the Honorable the Exalted God appoints someone as a Prophet (MGB), He orders him to choose a member of His Household as his Trustee to be in charge of the affairs of his nation after him.God tests the Prophets’ (MGB) Trustees during their life, and also tests the Trustees (MGB) after the death of the Prophets (MGB). Tell me that how many times are the Trustees tested during the Prophets’ (MGB) lifetimes, and how many times are they tested after their death. If the Trustees do well in these testes, what will be their end?’Ali (MGB) said, ‘I swear by the right of God who split the sea for the Israelites and sent the Torah to Moses (MGB)! Will you confirm the truth if I say it?’ The Jew replied, ‘Yes; I will.’Again Ali (MGB) said, ‘I swear by the right of God who split the sea for the Israelites and sent the Torah to Moses (MGB)! Will you submit to Islam if I tell the truth?’ Again the Jew replied, ‘Yes; I will.’Then Ali (MGB) said, ‘Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God would test the Trustees of the Prophets on seven occasions during the lifetimes of the Prophets in order to see their obedience. Then if God is pleased with their obedience, God will advise the Prophets to establish their Trustees as their friends during their lifetimes, and as their Trustees after their demise. God will make it necessary for all the nations who follow the Prophet to obey his Trustee as they obeyed the Prophet. Then God would test the Trustees on seven occasions after the demise of the Prophet in order to test their perseverance and tolerance. Then when God is satisfied with them, they will have a prosperous ending and will join the Prophets. Indeed they will attain perfect prosperity.’The head of the Jews said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! You are right! Please tell me how many times did God test you during the lifetime of Muhammad (MGB) and how many times will God test you after his death? What will be your ending?’Ali (MGB) extended his hand; took the Jew’s hand and said, ‘O Jewish brother! Please let’s go so that I may inform you about this subject.’ A group of Ali (MGB)’s companions ran ahead and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Please let us be with him and hear the answer.’The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘I am afraid you cannot tolerate to hear this.’ They said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful (MGB)! Why?’ He (MGB) replied, ‘Since I have seen and heard a lot about you.’ Then Malik Ashtar stepped forward and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Please also inform us of the subject. I swear to God that we believe that there is no Trustee on the Earth for the Prophet (MGB) but you. We believe that God will not send a Prophet after our Prophet. It is incumbent upon us to obey you and obeying you is connected to obeying our Prophet (MGB).’ Ali (MGB) accepted Malik Ashtar’s request. Then Ali (MGB) sat down facing the Jew and said, ‘O Jewish brother! Indeed the Honorable the Exalted God tested me on seven occasions during the lifetime of the Prophet (MGB). I say this without praising myself. God found me obeying God’s blessing.’ The Jew said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! On what occasions did God test you?’The Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘The first occasion was when the Honorable the Exalted God sent down revelations to the Prophet (MGB) and appointed him as the Prophet. As the youngest man in the house, I was with him and served him by doing whatever he ordered me to do. He (MGB) proposed to all the small and old men of the Abdul Mutalib household to submit to Islam by bearing testimony that ‘There is no god but God’ and that ‘He (MGB) is the Prophet of God’. They all rejected this subject and confronted him. They cut off associating with him. They turned away from and abandoned him. Other people also abandoned him and argued with him. They considered what had been suggested to them too great, since they could not tolerate it and their minds could not understand it. I was the only man who rushed to accept him through my belief and let no doubt in my heart. We had this belief for three years. No one except the Prophet (MGB), me and Khadijah - the daughter of Khuwaylid existed on the Earth who prayed and testified to the Prophethood.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the second occasion I should say that the Quraysh always plotted and tried to find ways to kill the Prophet (MGB). Finally their decision was to take part in a consultation session in one of the homes with the presence of the damnedSatan who had participated there looking like a one-eyed man from the Al-Saqaf. They collectively voted that each sect of the Quraysh should dispatch one man as their representative. Each one should take a sword and collectively attack the Prophet (MGB) and kill him. They thought that this way each of the sects of the Quraysh would support its representative and not surrender him to be punished and thus Muhammad’s blood would be shed without any punishment for it. Then Gabriel (MGB) descended down to the Prophet (MGB) and informed him of the plot of the Quraysh and the night they plan to attack and the hour of their attack. Gabriel ordered the Prophet (MGB) to leave his house at that time and go and hide in a cave. God’s Prophet (MGB) called me in and told me the news. He (MGB) ordered me to sleep in his bed and risk my life for him. I immediately accepted this and was happy to be killed instead of him (MGB). The Prophet (MGB) went away and I slept in his bed and encountered the men of the Quraysh who thought they were going to kill the Prophet (MGB). They entered the house and I unsheathed my sword when I faced them in the house I was in, and fought them as God and the people know.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the third occasion I should say that the two sons of Rabia and the son of Ataba were from the strongest men of the Quraysh. They entered the battlefield during the Battle of Badr and challenged us, but no one from the Quraysh was able to face them. God’s Prophet (MGB) sent me and two of my friends - may God be pleased with them - to fight with them. I was the youngest of them and the least experienced one in fighting. However, the Honorable the Exalted God had Valid (Ibn Ataba) and Shayba (Ibn Rabia) killed by my hand. Moreover, I killed and captured many more of the strong men of the Quraysh. Many more than any of the other fighters were killed or captured on that day. However, my cousin Ubayda ibn Harith was martyred on that day.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then, the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the fourth occasion I should say that all the people of Mecca set out to attack us. They even used all the Arab and Quraysh tribes under their influence in this attack in order to avenge for their losses in the Battle of Badr. Gabriel descended upon the Prophet (MGB) and informed him aboutthis issue. The Prophet (MGB) set out and set up his army in the valley that is in front of the mountain of Uhud. The polytheists carried out a surprise attack against us. Many Muslims were martyred and the rest fled. I remained with the Prophet (MGB) while the Emigrants (Muhajerin) and their Helpers (Ansar) returned to their homes in Medina. They all said that the Prophet (MGB) and all his companions were killed. Then the Honorable the Exalted God did not let the polytheists to success. I suffered from more than seventy injuries several of which can be seen.’ Then he pushed his cloak aside, touched his injuries and said, ‘What I did on that day is to be rewarded by the Honorable the Exalted God - if He wills.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the fifth occasion I should say that the people of the Quraysh tribe and the Arabs gathered together and a covenant was established between them not to stop fighting us until they kill the Prophet (MGB) and all the Muslims of the household of Abdul Mutalib.Then they came with all their weapons and armaments and laid siege to Medina. They were sure they would win. Gabriel descended to the Prophet (MGB) and informed him (MGB). The Prophet (MGB) dug a trench around himself and those of the Emigrants (Muhajerin) and their Helpers (Ansar) who were with us. The Quraysh tribe moved forward, and settled down around the trench and surrounded us. They considered themselves to be strong and considered us to be weak. Thus, they were roaming all around. The Prophet (MGB) invited them to the Honorable the Exalted God’s religion and beseeched their ties of kinship, but they did not listen and refused his invitation. The Prophet’s invitation of them to Islam made them more vicious. On that day the strong man of the Arabs was Amr ibn ‘Abd Wudd who kept yelling like a drunk camel and challenging someone to fight with him. He showed off his spears and sword but no one dared go fight him. God’s Prophet (MGB) had me stand up, wrapped his turban around my head, and handed me this sword.’ (At this time Ali (MGB) touched his sword). ‘Then I set out to fight with him. All the women in Medina were crying since they were worried about me getting killed in fighting with Amr ibn ‘Abd Wudd. However, the Honorable the Exalted God had him killed by my hands. The Arabs who considered no one but him to be a strong man hit me on the head with this blow!’ (And Ali (MGB) pointed to his head). ‘God had all the Arabs and the Quraysh run away due to the blow delivered to me.’Then, Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then, the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the sixth occasion I should say that I accompanied God’s Prophet (MGB) in an attack against your brethren in the oasis of Khaybar and other strong men from the Quraysh tribe. There appeared a lot of men on horses and on foot with perfect armaments against us just like a mountain. They possessed strong forts and were superior to us both in terms of military power and their number. Each one of them attacked us and challenged someone to go fight him. All my companions who went to fight with them were killed. Gradually the war became heated; the eyes became like bowls filled up with blood and everyone thought for himself. Some of my companions looked at others and said, ‘O Abal-Hassan! O Abal-Hassan! Move!’ Then God’s Prophet (MGB) dispatched me to the front of their fort. I killed everyone who came out. I tore up all the strong men who showed up to demonstrate their physical strength. I attacked them just like a lion. Then they hid in the fort. I broke down the gate of the fort and entered the fort by myself. I killed every man who showed up, and captured every woman until I conquered the fort. There was no one but God there to assist me.’ Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the seventh occasion I should say that when God’s Prophet (MGB) decided to conquer Mecca, he (MGB) did not wish to leave any excuses for them. Therefore, he (MGB) wrote them a letter in which he (MGB) invited them towards God just as he (MGB) had done on the very first day. The Prophet (MGB) admonished them and frightened them about God’s torture. He (MGB) gave them the glad tiding of becoming forgiven and assured them of having hope for God’s forgiveness. He (MGB) wrote the Blessed Quranic Chapter of Bara’at (Declaration of Immunity) for them to be read for them at the end of the letter. He (MGB) suggested to his Companions to take the letter. Everybody refrained from doing so until someone accepted. The Prophet (MGB) sent the letter with him. Then Gabriel descended and said, ‘O Muhammad! Either you or one of the members of your household should deliver this letter.’ Then God’s Prophet (MGB) had me deliver the letter. Therefore, I went to Mecca. You all know the people of Mecca well. Each one of them was willing to spend all his wealth, family and life to tear me up into pieces and place each part of me on top of a different mountain. I delivered the letter of the Prophet (MGB)to them and read it for them. Everybody answered me by threatening me and giving me up in the air promises. All the men and the women were suspicious of me and expressed their hatred and animosity. However, I persisted as you all well know.’ Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! These were the seven occasions on which the Honorable the Exalted God tested me during the lifetime of His Prophet (MGB) and found me obedient on every occasion due to the honor which He had granted me. No one else is like me in this respect. I could praise myself for this but the Honorable the Exalted God has admonished the people against this.’Then the Jew said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! You are right! I swear by God that the Honorable the Exalted God has made you superior because you are a relative of the Prophet (MGB). God has made you prosperous because of being his brother and has credited you a position in relation to him just like that of Aaron to Moses (MGB). He has also honored you by examining you on these horrifying occasions which you mentioned on which you superseded all the other Muslims. None of the Muslims was like you on these frightening occasions in which you have participated, and you were the most virtuous one in those frightening occasions in which you participated. None of the Muslims is like you. Anyone who has seen you with the Prophet (MGB) during his lifetime or has looked at you after the death of the Prophet (MGB) has this same belief. O Commander of the Faithful! Now please tell me how you were tested after the demise of God’s Prophet and how you were patient and persevered. We more or less know the answer and can report it, but want to hear it from yourself as we heard those related to the lifetime of the Prophet (MGB).’ Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! Indeed God tested me on seven occasions after the demise of His Prophet (MGB) and found me obedient and persevering on every occasion due to the honor which He had granted me.O Jewish brother! About the first occasion I should say that in this world I had no one to associate with, be friends with, trust, rely upon or make any pledges with amongst the Muslims, but the Prophet (MGB). The Prophet (MGB) was my only shelter. He fostered me since my childhood and supported me in my adulthood. He (MGB) did not let me grow up like an orphan. He (MGB) alleviated my worries; made me needless of working to seek my share of daily bread; prevented me from engaging in business byproviding for my family and me. These were only his worldly aids to me. However, my spiritual gains and benefits from him through which I attained high ranks near the Honorable the Exalted God are much greater than this. When the Prophet (MGB) died I became so sad that I do not suppose all the mountains could withstand. All the members of my household became very impatient. They had lost their control. They could not tolerate this heavy burden of grief because it had made them impatient and put them out of their minds. They neither understood anything nor demanded anything. They could neither hear or speak. Other people were all influenced by this horrible situation. Some expressed condolences and sympathized with us, while others were impatient and mourned for us. I was the only one who did not lose my patience. I controlled myself and carried out the orders of the Prophet (MGB). I lifted his body; performed the ritual ablutions (wuzu) for the dead; performed the embalmment; shrouded the corpse; performed the prayer for the deceased; placed his body in the grave; and compiled the Quran and God’s decrees regarding the people. A lot of weeping, heart-aching mourning and the greatness of the calamity could not prevent me from performing my duty. I fulfilled my duties towards the Honorable the Exalted God and the Prophet (MGB) and completely performed whatever he (MGB) had ordered me to do. I was patient and I persevered.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the second occasion I should say that God’s Prophet (MGB) established me as his Trustee during his lifetime. He (MGB) had all the people who were present pledge allegiance to me so that they would listen to and obey my orders. He (MGB) instructed all who were present there to declare this to all who were absent. It was always me who informed all others of his commands while I was with the Prophet (MGB). It was always me who was the head of those who accompanied me when we traveled. I never considered anyone to be more deserving than me for anything during the lifetime of the Prophet (MGB) and after his demise.When God’s Prophet (MGB) became ill which finally resulted in his demise, he (MGB) ordered that an army be dispatched out of Medina under the command of Usamah ibn Zayd. He (MGB) dispatched anyone from the Quraysh; Aws and Khazraj etc. whom he thought might break their pledge of allegiance to me; anyone who might be hostile with me since I had killed their father, son, brother or a relative of theirs; the Emigrants (Muhajerin)and the Helpers (Ansar) and anyone with a weak belief along with Usamah Ibn Zayd. The Prophet (MGB) only kept a small group of sincere believers with him so that no one may say something out of hatred to me or hinder me from the Caliphate after the demise of the Prophet (MGB).The last thing which the Prophet (MGB) said regarding the management of his nation’s affairs was that the army of Usamah should be dispatched to war and no one under his command should disobey his orders. He (MGB) stressed this. However, once the Prophet (MGB) passed away, the very same men under whom the Prophet (MGB) had dispatched with Usamah left their posts; abandoned him; opposed the orders given by God’s Prophet (MGB); and ignored all the recommendations of the Prophet (MGB) about accompanying and helping Usamah’s army. They abandoned him and retreated to Medina to break their pledge of allegiance to me which they had made with the Prophet (MGB); break their pledge with the Honorable the Exalted God and the Prophet (MGB); and yell out in order to choose a leader for themselves without the participation or involvement of any of the members of the household of Abdul Mutalib. Their main goal was to break their pledge of allegiance which they had made to me. They were doing this while I was busy with the burial rites and rituals for the Prophet of God (MGB) and could not do anything else since attending to the Prophet’s corpse was more important than anything else. O Jewish brother! This act of the people abandoning me at this hard time burnt my heart the most. I was patient although I was mourning and had suffered from the great calamity of the loss of God’s Prophet (MGB) who was the only one I could trust besides God. I persevered on this occasion which happened immediately after the previous one.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the third occasion I should say that the one who sat in the Prophet’s (MGB) place was a fair man who came to see me everyday and apologized saying that he was ashamed that he had broken his allegiance to me, and had usurped my right. He respected me and asked for forgiveness. Based on this, I thought to myself that my God-given rights would be returned to me after him in a pleasant way. I thought that I should not wage a war in the new Islamic society that is still suffering from the remains of the ignorance of the past. I thought I should not argue so as to have some side with me and others oppose me, since then the quarrel may turn into a battle. A group of the special companions of the Prophet whom I knew well andare sincere believers in God, the Quran and the religion associated with me, invited me to claim my right in public and private. They were ready to sacrifice their lives so as to help me and honor their pledge of allegiance to me. I advised them to be calm and patient and that God may give back my due rights without any fighting or blood-shed. Many people started to doubt the religion after the demise of the Prophet (MGB), and many worthless greedy individuals were after the power to rule as the Caliph. Each tribe vociferously announced that the Caliph should be someone chosen from amongst them. What they all implied was that the affairs of the state must be in the hands of someone other than me.When the first Caliph (who is Abu Bakr) was about to die, he entrusted the affairs to his friend to be in charge after him. This was another hardship that pursued the previous one and usurped my God-given right to the position of Caliphate for the second time. Again some of the companions of the Prophet which are either dead or alive now gathered around me and repeated their concerns about my Caliphate. Again I invited them to patience and calmness so that the Islamic society may be protected, and the society which the Prophet (MGB) had formed with a lot of hardship not become disunited. The Prophet (MGB) had established the Islamic society with a genuine policy. He (MGB) had been easy-going at some times, and stern at other times. He (MGB) forgave sometimes and unsheathed his sword at other times. The Prophet (MGB) was very sympathetic with the people. He (MGB) fed them and pleased them just as soon as they approached Islam and were about to run away from it. He gave them clothing, carpets and beds even though we ourselves as the members of the household lived in homes without roofs and doors. The walls of our homes were made of date palm branches and leaves. We neither had any carpets or any blankets. Several of us shared one dress and took turns to pray with it. We remained hungry around the clock. The Prophet (MGB) even gave away the one-fifth levy that was our God-ordained rightful share to others and assisted the wealthy and materialist Arabs with it. I had to maintain the society which had been formed with this much hardship and could not lead it into the verge of separation and dispute. If I uprose and invited the people to help me, they had only one of two choices. They would either obey me and fight the opponents on my behalf and get killed, or abandoned me and become unbelievers for committing the sin of disobeying me. They all knew that their position relative to me is like the position of the people of Moses as opponents of Aaron. They knew that they would suffer a similar catastrophe like that which the people of Moses suffered due to their disobedience of Aaron. I thought that just being sorry and patient would increase my reward near the Honorable God until God ordains what He wills ‘…And the command of Allah is a decree determined.’ This would also be easier for the Islamic society which I described for you.O Jewish brother! It would have been right for me not to have paid attention to these points and demanded my rights. All the companions of the Prophet (MGB) including those who have now passed away and those who are present here acknowledge that my power is more than others; my tribe is nobler than all the other tribes; my followers are loftier and more obedient than others; the motivation of my followers to support me is higher and their nobilities and background are more outstanding as others as me myself have a good background of association with the Prophet (MGB), closeness to the Prophet (MGB), and I am the Trustee of the Prophet (MGB). Moreover, I deserve to be in charge of the position of the Caliphate due to the explicit will of the Prophet (MGB) and the pledge of allegiance which they had made to me. When the Prophet (MGB) passed away, the rule of the affairs was in the hands of his family - not their hands or that of their families. The members of the household of the Prophet (MGB) which had been purified by God deserved more to run the affairs of the state than others. They possessed all the necessary characteristics for the position of the Caliphate.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the fourth occasion I should say that the one was put in charge after Abu Bakr consulted with me from the beginning to the end of everything he wanted to do and issued all decrees according to my opinion. He always sought my opinion regarding tough issues and acted accordingly. My companions and I do not know of anyone else whose counsel he seeks. No one but me was eager to become the Caliph after him. When he was attacked and about to die without any previous illnesses, I had no doubts that I was going to regain my right of Caliphate without any problems; that the future would be as I wished it to be; and that God would bring about a good future. However, he named six persons as candidates for the position of the Caliphate at the end, and I was named as the last one. He did not even consider me to be equal to them. He did not remember the fact that I was the Prophet’s relative and Trustee. He did not even remember that I was the Prophet’s groom. None of the candidates had the brilliant background and good service to Islam as I had. He let us consult amongst ourselves and chose one as the future Caliph with the majority vote. He ordered his son to cut off our necks if we disobeyed him or failed to choose one from amongst ourselves as the future Caliph.O Jewish brother! This was bitter enough for me! This group of candidates tried as hard as they could to deliver lectures and lobby on their own behalfwhile they could. I remained silent until they asked my opinion. I then presented my background and explained to them what they clearly knew. I proved my rightfulness and their unrightfulness for them. I reminded them of the Prophet’s will and their pledge of allegiance to me. However, their love for getting into office; ordering the people around; their attachment to this world; and following in the footsteps of the previous Caliphs led them to demand an undue right for themselves. Whenever I had a chance to be alone with any of them I reminded them of the Reckoning on the Resurrection Day, and frightened them of the result of their unjust demand. They would agree with me on the condition that I turn the Caliphate position over to them after myself. They knew well that I could not do so and act against the Quran and the decree of the Prophet (MGB), and turn over to them what God had withheld from them. Then one of the radical persons in the council made a radical move, took the affairs out of my hands, and turned the position of the Caliphate over to Uthman, although he never matched any of the members of the council since he was a wealthy and materialist person. He never paid any attention to the people’s noble character and religious beliefs. He ignored all spiritual noble characteristics for which God had honored the Prophet (MGB) and his Holy Household. I do not even think that the very same members of the council who appointed Uthman to the position of the Caliphate became sorry for their choice before the night of that very same day, and started to blame one another. No long time passed before they who had empowered the dictator denounced and abandoned him. Uthman got worried. He went to his supporters and his other companions and asked that they accept his resignation. He expressed his sorrow and repentance. O Jewish brother! This was even a harder calamity than the previous ones! I hoped it had never happened. I was under so much pressure for this event that it cannot be described in words. However, I had no choice but to be patient! On the very same day of pledging allegiance to Uthman, the members of the council came to me and apologized for having opposed me. They asked me to revolt against Uthman and put him out of office. They all pledged allegiance to me and promised that they would sacrifice their lives to achieve this end. However, I put things off whenever they came by and had them attend to something else. For example, once I asked them to go shave their heads before we revolt. At another time I asked them to arrange for a private meeting in such and such place. This way I kept them busy and divulged their secrets.’O Jewish brother! I swear to God that the very same considerations which had prevented me from doing anything in the past were again obstacles whichhindered me. I realized that isolation and patience is a more appropriate approach for me. It was better for me to maintain my supporters who agree with me than to revolt and have them get killed, although they were all ready to sacrifice their lives. I was even more ready to die since as those who are absent and those who are present all know that to me death is just like a sip of cold water in the mouth on a very hot day. My uncle Hamzih, my brother Ja’far, my cousin Ubaydah and I have made a pledge to God and His Prophet (MGB) and will honor it. Some of my companions went so far as to sacrifice their lives in this way. I was held back due to God’s will. The Honorable the Exalted God revealed the following verse about us, ‘Among the Believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah. of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait: but they have never changed (their determination) in the least:’ I swear by God that I am the one referred to in this verse as the one who still waits.O Jewish brother! I have not abandoned my pledge! The reason why I was silent in front of Uthman and did not do anything is that he is going to be punished by his own baseness and untrustworthiness which I found in him and this would draw the people from near and afar to want to dismiss and kill him. I just stayed on the side and waited until this happened. I neither said ‘yes’ nor did I say ‘no.’Then the nation rushed to the door of my house. God knows that I hated the Caliphate, since I knew that the very same people who insist in making me the Caliph are used to collecting worldly goods and having fun. Although they well knew that I would be hard on them and not fulfill their greediness, they had gotten used to rushing in doing things and could not be soothed. They hurriedly chose me by insisting a lot but when they realized that they could not gain anything from me they started to oppose and criticize me.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the fifth occasion I should say that when the ones who pledged allegiance to me realized that I would not fulfill their personal aims, they rebelled against me with the help of that woman (i.e. Ayesha). They placed her on the back of a camel and turned her around in the frightening deserts and wide valleys even though I was in charge of her as the Trustee of the Prophet (MGB). The dogs at Huab barked at her and she felt sorry Yet she followed a group of people who had pledged allegiance to me bothat the time of the Prophet (MGB) and later on, and continued opposing me until she entered upon the people of Basra whose hands were short, their beards were long, their intellectual capacity was low, and their thoughts were corrupt. These people were light-headed desert dwellers. This woman took control of these unwise people and they unsheathed their swords, threw their spears and arrows without any knowledge. I had two problems with them. If I did nothing in response to them, they would not follow the intellect and put their rebellion and corruption aside. If I fought with them, then there would be a lot of blood shedding which I never wanted. I was both apologetic to them and gave an ultimatum by threatening them. I suggested to that woman to go home. I also suggested to the group who had brought her to honor their pledge of allegiance to me and not to break their covenant with the Honorable the Exalted God.I offered them as much as I had the power to. I even talked to some of them . He returned. I talked with others in the same way but their ignorance, rebellion and deviation became even more than before. I fought with them since they insisted on that. I defeated them in the war and they became sorry. Many of them were killed on the battlefield. I fought them since I had no other choice. Had I postponed fighting, they would have done things which would have prevented me from forgiving them as I did after the war.If I had not blocked them I would have been disloyal to myself and the nation and would have become a partner in the sins which they had decided to commit as follows:1- They had planned to extend their rebellion in the surroundings of the Islamic country to whatever extent they could and do acts of corruption.2- They had planned to kill and shed the blood of the citizens.3- They had planned to subject the rules of Islam and the laws of justice according to the opinions of a low-minded and unintelligent women and follow the old Roman nation; Yemen and destroyed nations of the past in this respect. Had I hesitated to fight, I would have ultimately been forced to fight with them and would also be ashamed of the evil deeds and crimes which that woman and her troops would have committed. Still I did not start the battle without hesitation. First, I gave them an ultimatum and postponed the war as much as possible. I was calm. I negotiated with them several times. I even sent several mediators to them. I made them several offers which were to their benefit. However, they turned me down on every occasion. They made me helpless, forced me to start a war, and end the issue as God willed. Given all that was done before the war they had been given enough ultimatum.’Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful Ali (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the sixth occasion I should say that it was the arbitration council and the Battle with the son of the liver-eater Hind (Muaviayh). This man had been an enemy of God, His Prophet (MGB), and the believers from the day on which God appointed Muhammad (MGB) to Prophethood until the city of Mecca was conquered by the force of the Muslims’ swords.Muaviayh and his father Abu Sufyan had pledged allegiance to me on that very same day and on three other occasions. His father was the first person who greeted me using the title of ‘the Commander of the Faithful.’ He was the one who constantly encouraged me to fight for my due rights and renewed his pledge of allegiance to me every time he met me.The strangest of all is that when Muawiyah realized that the Blessed the Sublime God had returned my right to me and had strengthened my position, he lost all hopes of becoming the fourth Caliph and ruling in our government. He turned to the disobedient Amr al-As and was generous with him so that he accepted his invitation. Amr became his fan when Muawiyah entrusted the governorship of Egypt to him, although it is forbidden for him to use even one Dirham of the taxes collected from Egypt as it was so for Muawiyah to give him any more than his own share. Then he rebelled and acted oppressively in the Islamic country. He was kind to anyone who swore allegiance to him and fended away anyone who opposed him.He joined the perfidious party (Nakiseen) in an attack against Islamic territories and looted the east, the west, the north and the south. I received the news and the reports of their deeds until the one-eyed Saqafy (Al-Muqayrih) proposed that I make peace with Muawiyah and appoint him to the governorship of the territories that were under his control. This opinion was a good one in terms of politics, but I could not bring any excuses for doing this in God’s presence and could not take responsibility for Muawiyah’s acts of oppression. I thought about this proposal and consulted with reliable people who were God-fearing and followed the Prophet (MGB). They had the same opinion as I did regarding the son of the liver-eater lady. May God not bring the day on which I use any of the oppressors as my aids.I once dispatched Jarir al-Bajaly and dispatched Abu Musa al-Ash’ari to him on another occasion. They both followed their worldly desires, theirtemptations, pleased him and were disloyal to me. I realized that they were not act according to God’s command and they were becoming more and more deviated and corrupt as time passed. I consulted with a group of the chosen companions of the Prophet from the Badriyeen who were honored by God and had participated in the pledge of allegiance at Rezvan and other noble Muslims. They unanimously agreed that we go to war with him and not let him take charge of the affairs of the Muslims.My companions and I set out to fight with him. We wrote him letters from every way-station. I sent him many representatives and invited him to put aside his corruption and join me and the other Muslims. He answered me with haughty letters; wished unsuitable wishes; and set conditions which were not acceptable by God, the Prophet and the Muslims.In one of his letters he made it a condition that we should surrender a group of the Prophet’s best companions to him including Ammar Yasir so that he could hang them in retaliation for the blood of Uthman. Where can you find someone like Ammar? I swear by God that he was always the sixth person present whenever five of us gathered around the Prophet (MGB). He was also the fourth person present whenever four of us gathered around the Prophet (MGB).He wanted to retaliate for the blood of Uthman even though he, his colleagues and his damned family who were branches of the Cursed Tree as mentioned in the Holy Quran made the people rebel against Uthman and caused him to be killed. He attacked me since I did not accept his unreasonable conditions and he was proud of his rebellion. He gathered a group of the Homayr tribes who had neither any intellect nor any insight in religion around himself and led them astray so as to follow him. He fooled them with worldly possessions and attracted them to himself.We set the Honorable the Exalted God as the judge and set out to fight him in order to stop him. We fought with him after giving him an ultimatum, so that he may have no excuses left. God made us victorious over His enemies and ours as usual.We were holding the flag of God’s Prophet (MGB) under which God had always killed the followers of Satan, but Muawiyah was holding the flag of his father under which his father had fought with God’s Prophet (MGB).He was about to die with no way out. He rode his horse, saw that his flag had fallen down and felt hopeless. He sought the help of Amr al-As. Amr al-As advised him to bring out many copies of the Quran, place them on top of their spears and to ask for the arbitration of the Quran. He told Muawiyah that since the son of Abu Talib, his followers and the rest of theHousehold of the Prophet (MGB) are religious and had invited you to arbitration of the Quran in the beginning, they would accept its arbitration from you at the end.Muawiyah accepted the idea proposed by Amr al-As since he was helpless and had no way out of war and getting killed. He placed many copies of the Quran on the spears and had them held up thinking that he was inviting the people to abide by the Quran. I had lost many of my good friends and sincere companions. The rest of the people were inclined to accept the Quran’s arbitration and stop the war. They thought that since the son of the liver-eater Hind (Muawiyah) is adhering to the rules of the Quran, he would honor them. They welcomed his call and all accepted his suggestion.I announced to them that this was a deception which Muawiyah had plotted using Amr al-As and that they would not adhere to it. However, they did not believe me and did not obey my orders. They insisted on accepting his suggestion. Whether I liked it or not, things became so bad that some of them said that we should kill Ali just like Uthman or turn him and his family over to Muawiyah if he doesn’t accept Muawiyah’s suggestion.God knows best that I did my best and tried as hard as I could to convince them to follow me, but they would not obey me. I even asked them to give me a little time - as much as milking a camel or running a horse so that I may complete the work. However, they did not accept it except for this man (while Ali (MGB) was pointing to Malik al-Ashtar), his followers, and a group of my own household. I swear by God that what hindered me from following my own idea was my fear of these two being killed (while Ali (MGB) was pointing to Al-Hassan (MGB) and Al-Hussein (MGB) with his hand), and the cessation of the lineage of God’s Prophet (MGB). It was also due to my fear of these two being killed (while Ali (MGB) was pointing to Abdullah ibn Ja’far and Muhammad ibn Hanifeh - may God be pleased with them - with his hand), since I knew that they were only endangered because of me. Therefore, I was forced to accept God’s destiny and accept the demands of the people. Once the battle was stopped and the swords were no long pointed at them, they demanded that they themselves be the arbiters instead of the Quran. They took over the rules of the Quran and put its decrees aside. I never considered anyone to be able to arbitrate on behalf of God’s religion since man’s arbitration in God’s religion is undoubtedly wrong. However, the people did not accept anything but arbitration.I wanted to have a knowledgeable person from my household or some of the other tribes who was wise, reliable and religious to arbitrate on my behalf. The son of Hind disagreed with whomever I named. He did not accept anyof my rightful proposals. He oppressed us through my own companions. When they insisted and wanted to force me to accept the arbitration, I sought refuge in the Honorable the Exalted God and left this up to themselves. Then they chose a man who was deceived by Amr As, and the world got filled with the shame of this act. They themselves became sorry about it.’ Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the seventh I should tell you that in his will to me, God’s Prophet (MGB) had informed me that I would fight with a tribe of my own companions near the end of my life, although they fast during the days, worship God at night and read the Quran but have put aside the religion by arguing and fighting with me just like an arrow which flies from a bow. Zul-Sadiyyeh is going to be amongst them. I will have a prosperous end after killing them. When I returned after the arbitration, some of the people started to blame each other as to why the Battle of Siffin ended by arbitration.They found themselves no solution but to except to criticize the leader and said, ‘Our leader should not have obeyed our wrong opinion. Since he was certain about our fault, he must kill either himself or those who were faulty. Since he obeyed us, he has become an unbeliever. Therefore, it is lawful for us to kill him and shed his blood now.’ They united concerning this issue, left my army rapidly and yelled ‘There is no arbiter but God!’Then they divided up. One group of them stayed in Nakhileh while a second group went to Hurura. Yet a third group of them went to the east beyond the Dijla river. They tired every Muslim they ran into by forcing him to deny me. If he argued with them, they would let him go. Otherwise they killed him. I went to see the first and the second groups and invited them to obey the Honorable the Exalted God, accept the truth and to return towards God. They did not accept anything but fighting with swords and they were not content with anything else. Since I found no other solution, I surrendered the first two groups to God’s decree. Therefore, I killed them. O Jewish Brother! I am so sorry about them. Had they not chosen this destructive route they would have not been killed. Then imagine how strong a castle could have been formed for Islam. However, God willed no other end but this unpleasant one for them. Then I wrote a letter to the third group and sent several delegates. The delegates were chosen ones. They were all God-fearing and ascetic. However, it was of no use. They did nothing but follow what the other two groups did. They hurriedlykilled the Muslims who did not agree with them and continuously killed good people. I attacked them myself and blocked off the Euphrates river from their access. Again I sent trustworthy delegates and advisors to them and made all attempts to accept their apologies by means of those men (while Ali (MGB) was pointing at Malik Ashtar; Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays; Sa’id ibn Qays al-Arhabi; and Al-Ash’as ibn Qays al-Kindi). O Jewish Brother! Since they accepted no solution except fighting, I fought with them until all of them were killed. O Jewish brother! They were all killed - all being more than forty-thousand of them. Not even one of them could flee. Then I pulled out the man who had breasts just like women have from amongst the dead corpses in front of these very same men that you see. He had breasts just like women do. Then Ali (MGB) turned towards his companions and asked, ‘Was it not so?’ They replied, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Yes, it was so.’Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘O Jewish brother! And about the seventh. I was faithful to all seven and just one rank remains which is undoubtedly near.’ Then the companions of Ali (MGB) cried. The head of the Jews also cried and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Tell us another one!’ Then the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) said, ‘And the last is that this (while referring to his head) shall become filled with the blood of this (while he was pointing to his crown)’. All of a sudden all the people in the Jamea Mosque started to cry and mourned so loudly that the people from all the houses in Kufa left their homes crying. Then the head of the Jews accepted Islam right then by the hand of the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) and lived in Medina until the Commander of the Faithful (MGB) was murdered by Ibn Muljam’s sword - may God damn Ibn Muljam.When the head of the Jews heard the news, he went to Ali’s (MGB) house and stood in front of Al-Hassan (MGB), while the people had gathered around him (MGB). They brought Ibn Muljam with his hands tied there. The head of the Jews said, ‘O Abu Muhammad! Kill him! May God kill him. I have seen in the books which were revealed to Moses (MGB) that in the sight of the Honorable the Exalted God this crime is much greater than the crime committed by Adam’s son when he killed his brother, and the crime of those who treated the she-camel of Thamud clan wrongfully.’

Le chef des Juifs vint à Ali ibn Abi Talib, que la paix soit sur lui, après la bataille de Nahrawan alors qu'il était assis dans la mosquée de Kufa, et dit : "Ô Commandeur des Croyants, je souhaite te poser des questions que seul un Prophète ou le successeur d'un Prophète peut connaître." Ali répondit : "Demande ce que tu veux, ô frère des Juifs." Le Juif dit : "Nous trouvons dans le Livre que lorsque Dieu, le Tout-Puissant, envoie un Prophète, Il lui révèle de choisir parmi sa famille quelqu'un qui prendra en charge les affaires de sa communauté après lui, et qu'Il leur confie un pacte à suivre. Dieu, le Tout-Puissant, éprouve les successeurs durant la vie des Prophètes et après leur mort. Informe-moi combien de fois Dieu éprouve-t-Il les successeurs durant la vie des Prophètes et combien de fois après leur mort ? Et quelle est la fin des successeurs si leur épreuve est agréée ?" Ali, que la paix soit sur lui, répondit : "Par Allah, qui n'est d'autre divinité que Lui, qui a fendu la mer pour les Enfants d'Israël et révélé la Torah à Moïse, que si je te réponds avec vérité, tu reconnaîtras cela ?" Le Juif dit : "Oui." Ali répondit : "Par Celui qui a fendu la mer pour les Enfants d'Israël et révélé la Torah à Moïse, que si je te réponds, tu embrasseras l'Islam ?" Le Juif dit : "Oui." Ali, que la paix soit sur lui, dit : "Dieu, le Tout-Puissant, éprouve les successeurs durant la vie des Prophètes en sept occasions pour tester leur obéissance. Si leur obéissance et leur épreuve sont agréées, les Prophètes les prennent comme alliés durant leur vie et successeurs après leur mort. L'obéissance aux successeurs devient alors une obligation pour les nations qui prétendent obéir aux Prophètes. Puis, Dieu éprouve les successeurs après la mort des Prophètes en sept occasions pour tester leur patience. Si leur épreuve est agréée, Il leur accorde le bonheur pour les rejoindre aux Prophètes, et leur bonheur est complété." Le chef des Juifs dit : "Tu as dit vrai, ô Commandeur des Croyants. Informe-moi combien de fois Dieu t'a éprouvé durant la vie de Muhammad et combien de fois après sa mort, et quelle sera ta fin ?" Ali prit sa main et dit : "Lève-toi, je te le dirai." Un groupe de ses compagnons se leva avec lui et dit : "Ô Commandeur des Croyants, informe-nous en sa présence." Ali dit : "Je crains que vos cœurs ne le supportent pas." Ils demandèrent pourquoi, et il répondit : "À cause de choses que j'ai observées chez beaucoup d'entre vous." Al-Ashtar se leva et dit : "Ô Commandeur des Croyants, informe-nous, car nous savons qu'il n'y a pas de successeur de Prophète sur la terre autre que toi, et nous savons que Dieu n'enverra pas de Prophète après notre Prophète, que la paix et les bénédictions soient sur lui, et que ton obéissance est liée à l'obéissance à notre Prophète." Ali, que la paix soit sur lui, s'assit et se tourna