وَمِنۡ كَلَامٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his statements
لِأَصۡحَابِهِ
To his companions about Muʿāwiyah
فِي صِفَةِ رَجُلٍ مَذۡمُومٍ ثُمَّ فِي فَضۡلِهِ هُوَ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
أَمَا [أَمَّا] إنِّهُ سِيَظۡهَرُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ بَعۡدِي رَجُلٌ رَحۡبُ الۡبُلۡعُومِ، مُنۡدَحِقُ الۡبَطۡنِ، يَأۡكُلُ مَا يَجِدُ، وَيَطۡلُبُ مَا لَا يَجِدُ، فَاقۡتُلُوهُ، وَلَنۡ تَقۡتُلُوهُ! أَلَا وَإِنَّهُ سَيَأۡمُرُكُمۡ بِسَبِّي وَالۡبَرَاءَةِ مِنِّي؛ فَأَمَّا السَّبُّ فَسُبُّونِي، فَإِنَّهُ لِي زَكَاةٌ، وَلَكُمۡ نَجَاةٌ؛ وَأَمَّا الۡبَرَاءَةُ فَلَا تَتَبَرَّأُوا [في بعض النسخ: تَتَبَرَّءُوا] مِنِّي، فَإِنِّي وُلِدۡتُ [وَلِدۡتُ] عَلَى الۡفِطۡرَةِ، وَسَبَقۡتُ إِلَى الۡإِيمَانِ وَالۡهِجۡرَةِ.
Soon after me, there would be put on you a man with a broad mouth and a big belly. He would swallow whatever he gets and would crave for what he does not get. You should kill him, but (I know) you would not kill him. He would command you to abuse me and to renounce me. As for abusing, you do abuse me, because that would mean purification for me and salvation for you. As regards renunciation, you should not renounce me, because I have been born on the natural religion (Islām) and was foremost in (accepting) it, as well as in Hijrah (migrating from Mecca to Madīnah). [1]
Notes:
[1] About the person to whom Amīr al-Muʾminīn has alluded in this sermon, some people hold that he is Ziyād ibn Abīhi; some hold that he is al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ath-Thaqafī; and some hold that he is al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah. But most of the commentators have held him to mean Muʿāwiyah, and this is correct because the qualities that Amīr al-Muʾminīn has described prove true fully on him alone.
Thus, Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd has written about the gluttonous quality of Muʿāwiyah that once the Prophet sent for him, and he was informed that Muʿāwiyah was busy eating. Then the second and the third time a man was sent to call him, but he brought the same news. Thereupon the Prophet said, “May Allāh never satisfy his belly.” The effect of this curse was that, when he felt tired of eating, he would say, “Take away, for, by Allāh, I am not satiated, but I am tired and disgusted.” (Sharḥ Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd, vol. 4, p. 55)
Similarly, his abusing Amīr al-Muʾminīn and ordering his officers for it are such accepted facts of history about which there is no scope of denying. In this connection, such words were used on the pulpit that even Allāh and the Prophet were hit by them. Thus, Umm al-Muʾminīn, Umm Salamah wrote to Muʿāwiyah, “Certainly you people abuse Allāh and the Prophet from your pulpits, and this is like this that you hurl abuses on ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and those who love him, while I do stand witness that Allāh and Prophet did love him.” (al-ʿIqd al-Farīd, vol. 3, p. 131)
Thanks to ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, who put a stop to it, and introduced the following verse in place of the abuse in the sermons: Verily, Allāh enjoineth justice and benevolence (to others) and giving unto the kindred, and forbidden lewdness, and evil, and rebellion; He exhorteth you that ye may take heed. (Qurʾān, 16:90)
In this sermon Amīr al-Muʾminīn has ordered his killing on the basis of the Prophet’s order that: “When you (O Muslims) see Muʿāwiyah on my pulpit kill him.” (Kitāb Ṣiffīn, pp. 243, 248; Sharḥ Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd, vol. l, p. 348; Tārīkh Baghdād, vol. 12, p. 181; Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, vol. 2, p. 128; Tahdhīb at-Tahdhīb, vol. 2, p. 428; vol. 5, p. 110; vol. 7, p. 324)
[1] About the person to whom Amīr al-Muʾminīn has alluded in this sermon, some people hold that he is Ziyād ibn Abīhi; some hold that he is al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf ath-Thaqafī; and some hold that he is al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah. But most of the commentators have held him to mean Muʿāwiyah, and this is correct because the qualities that Amīr al-Muʾminīn has described prove true fully on him alone.
Thus, Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd has written about the gluttonous quality of Muʿāwiyah that once the Prophet sent for him, and he was informed that Muʿāwiyah was busy eating. Then the second and the third time a man was sent to call him, but he brought the same news. Thereupon the Prophet said, “May Allāh never satisfy his belly.” The effect of this curse was that, when he felt tired of eating, he would say, “Take away, for, by Allāh, I am not satiated, but I am tired and disgusted.” (Sharḥ Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd, vol. 4, p. 55)
Similarly, his abusing Amīr al-Muʾminīn and ordering his officers for it are such accepted facts of history about which there is no scope of denying. In this connection, such words were used on the pulpit that even Allāh and the Prophet were hit by them. Thus, Umm al-Muʾminīn, Umm Salamah wrote to Muʿāwiyah, “Certainly you people abuse Allāh and the Prophet from your pulpits, and this is like this that you hurl abuses on ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and those who love him, while I do stand witness that Allāh and Prophet did love him.” (al-ʿIqd al-Farīd, vol. 3, p. 131)
Thanks to ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, who put a stop to it, and introduced the following verse in place of the abuse in the sermons: Verily, Allāh enjoineth justice and benevolence (to others) and giving unto the kindred, and forbidden lewdness, and evil, and rebellion; He exhorteth you that ye may take heed. (Qurʾān, 16:90)
In this sermon Amīr al-Muʾminīn has ordered his killing on the basis of the Prophet’s order that: “When you (O Muslims) see Muʿāwiyah on my pulpit kill him.” (Kitāb Ṣiffīn, pp. 243, 248; Sharḥ Ibn Abī al-Ḥadīd, vol. l, p. 348; Tārīkh Baghdād, vol. 12, p. 181; Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, vol. 2, p. 128; Tahdhīb at-Tahdhīb, vol. 2, p. 428; vol. 5, p. 110; vol. 7, p. 324)
