The Imam's (a.s.) Letter to the Nobles of Kufah
نامه نوشتن آن حضرت به سوي اشراف كوفه
پنجم: طلب ياري نمودن آن جناب بود به نوشتن خط به سوي اشراف كوفه، باين مضمون: «بعد از نام خدا، اين نامهاي است از حسين بن علي (عليهالسلام) به سوي سليمان صرد و مسيب بن نجبه، و رفاعة بن شداد، و عبدالله بن وال، و جماعت مؤمنين، اما بعد پس به تحقيق دانستهايد كه رسولخدا فرمود كه: هر كس ببيند سلطان جوركننده، كه حلال شمارد حرام خدا را و بشكند عهد خدا را، و مخالفت نمايد سنت رسول (صلي الله عليه و آله) خدا را، و عمل نمايد در خلق خدا با ستم و عدوان، پس كسي بر او انكار نكند به قول، و نه به فعل، البته خداوند بايد ايشان را با او شريك نمايد در افعالش، و شما ميدانيد كه اين جماعت، يعني بنياميه، چسبيدهاند به طاعت شيطان، و اعراض نمودهاند از طاعت خدا و علانيه كردهاند فساد را و معطل داشتهاند حدود خدا را، و مال مسلمين را به خود مخصوص كردهاند، و احكام خدا را از حلال و حرام تغيير دادهاند، و بتحقيق كه من احقم به امر خلافت، از همه كس، به جهت قرابتي كه با پيغمبر (صلي الله عليه و آله)خدا دارم.و خطوط و قاصدان از جانب شما بر من وارد شدند، به اينكه شما بيعت كردهايد، كه مرا، وانگذاريد، و ياري كنيد، پس اگر وفا كنيد به بيعت خود، البته به رشد خود رسيدهايد، و حال شما، و اهل و اولاد شما، حال من و عيال من خواهد بود، و اگر ثابت نمائيد، و بيعت خود را بشكنيد، از شما بعيد نباشد، چنانكه با پدر و برادر و پسرعمم (مسلم) كرديد، و مغرور كسي است كه به شما مغرور شود، و اگر چنين كنيد حظ خود را ضايع كردهايد، و از راه صواب كناره جستهايد، و به خود ضرر زدهايد، و خدا از شما بينياز خواهد بود، و السلام.پس كتاب را پيچيد و به قيس بن مسهر صيداوي داد، پس چون نزديك كوفه رسيد، حصين بن نمير كه موكل راه بود، متعرض او شد، كه او را تفتيش كند، پس خط حضرت را بيرون آورد، و پاره پاره كرد، حصين او را به نزد ابنزياد ملعون فرستاد، چون او را [ صفحه 311] بنزدش بداشتند، گفت: تو كيستي؟ گفت: مردي هستم از شيعيان اميرالمؤمنين علي بن ابيطالب (عليهالسلام)، و فرزندش حسين (عليهالسلام) گفت: چرا كاغذ را پاره كردي؟ گفت: تا اينكه مطلع نشوي بر مضمون آن، گفت: از كي بود، به سوي كي؟ گفت: از حسين بن علي (عليهالسلام)، به سوي جماعتي از اهل كوفه، كه اسامي ايشانرا نميدانم، پس آن لعين غضبناك شد، و گفت: و الله دست از تو برنميدارم، تا خبر دهي مرا به اسامي ايشان، يا اينكه بر منبر روي، و لعن كني حسين (عليهالسلام) و پدر و برادرش را، و الا ترا پاره پاره خواهم كرد، گفت: اما آن جماعت، پس اسامي ايشان را نخواهم گفت، و منبر را قبول دارم، پس بر منبر بالا رفت، و حمد و ستايش الهي، و درود بر حضرت رسالت پناهي، و اميرالمؤمنين (عليهالسلام) و اولادش فرستاد، و لعن نمود ابنزياد و پدرش، و طاغيان بنياميه را جميعا، پس گفت: اي مردم، من رسول حسينم به سوي شما، و او را در فلان منزل گذاشتم پس بشتابيد به سوي آن جناب، پس ابنزياد لعين حكم كرد، كه او را با دست بسته از بالاي قصر به زير انداختند، و استخوانهايش خرد گرديد، پس عبدالملك بن عمير او را ذبح نمود، بعضي او را ملامت كردند، گفت: خواستم راحت شود. [938] .
The Imam's (a.s.) Letter to the Nobles of Kufah
The fifth instance of that noble one's (a.s.) seeking support was by writing a letter to the nobles of Kufah with the following contents:
«بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم»
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”
“This is a letter from Imam Husain (a.s.) ibn Ali (a.s.) to Sulayman ibn Surad, al-Musayyab ibn Najabah, Rifaʿah ibn Shaddad, Abdullah ibn Wal, and the community of believers.
أما بعد
As for what follows:
You certainly know that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said:
‘Whoever sees a tyrannical ruler who declares lawful what Allah has made unlawful, violates the covenant of Allah, opposes the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), and acts among the servants of Allah with oppression and transgression, and yet does not oppose him by word or deed, then Allah will surely place such a person with him in his actions.’
And you know that this group, meaning Banu Umayyah, have attached themselves to the obedience of Shaytan and turned away from the obedience of Allah.
They have openly spread corruption.
They have suspended the limits set by Allah.
They have appropriated the wealth of the Muslims for themselves.
They have altered the rulings of Allah concerning the lawful and the unlawful.
And indeed, I have a greater right to the matter of the Caliphate than anyone else because of my close relationship with the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).
Your letters and messengers have come to me, informing me that you have pledged allegiance to me, that you will not abandon me and that you will support me.
Therefore, if you remain faithful to your pledge, you will certainly attain your right guidance.
My condition, and the condition of my family and children, shall be your condition and the condition of your families and children.
But if you fail to remain steadfast and break your pledge, then such conduct would not be strange from you, for this is what you did with my father, my brother, and my cousin Muslim (a.s.).
The truly deceived person is the one who allows himself to be deceived by you.
If you do this, then you have wasted your share, turned away from the path of correctness, and harmed none but yourselves.
And Allah is independent of you.
والسلام
And peace be upon you.”
Then the Imam (a.s.) rolled up the letter and entrusted it to Qays ibn Mushir al-Saydawi.
When he approached Kufah, Imam Husain (a.s.) ibn Numayr, who had been assigned to guard the roads, intercepted him and sought to search him.
Qays took out the Imam's letter and tore it into pieces.
Imam Husain (a.s.) sent him to the accursed Ibn Ziyad.
When he was brought before him,
[ صفحه 311]
Ibn Ziyad said:
“Who are you?”
He replied:
“I am a man from the Shias of Amir al-Muʾminin Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s.) and of his son Imam Husain (a.s.).”
He asked:
“Why did you tear up the letter?”
He replied:
“So that you would not become aware of its contents.”
He asked:
“From whom was it, and to whom was it addressed?”
He replied:
“It was from Imam Husain (a.s.) ibn Ali (a.s.) to a group of people in Kufah whose names I do not know.”
The accursed man became enraged and said:
“By Allah! I shall not leave you alone until you tell me their names, or ascend the pulpit and curse Imam Husain (a.s.), his father, and his brother. Otherwise I will cut you to pieces.”
Qays replied:
“As for those people, I shall never reveal their names.
As for ascending the pulpit, I accept.”
He then ascended the pulpit.
He praised and glorified Allah, sent blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), Amir al-Muʾminin (a.s.), and his descendants (a.s.), and cursed Ibn Ziyad, his father, and all the tyrants of Banu Umayyah.
Then he proclaimed:
“O people! I am the messenger of Imam Husain (a.s.) to you.
I left him at such-and-such a place.
So hasten to him!”
The accursed Ibn Ziyad then ordered that he be thrown from the top of the palace while his hands were bound.
He was cast down, and his bones were shattered.
Thereupon ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr slaughtered him.
Some people reproached him for doing so.
He replied:
“I wished to relieve him of his suffering.” [938]