وَمِنۡ خُطۡبَةٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his sermons
عِنۡدَ الۡمَسِيرِ إِلَى الشَّامِ
Delivered at the time of marching towards Syria
قِيلَ إِنَّهُ خَطَبَ بِهَا وَهُوَ بِالنَّخِيلَةِ خَارِجًا مِنَ الۡكُوفَةِ إِلَى صِفِّينَ
أَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ كُلَّمَا وَقَبَ لَيۡلٌ وَغَسَقَ، وَالۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ كُلَّمَا لَاحَ نَجۡمٌ وَخَفَقَ، والۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ غَيۡرَ مَفۡقُودِ الۡإِنۡعَامِ، وَلَا مُكَافَإِ الۡإِفۡضَالِ.
Praise is due to Allāh when night spreads and darkens, and praise be to Allāh whenever the star shines and sets. And praise be to Allāh, whose bounty never misses and whose favours cannot be repaid.
أَمّا بَعۡدُ، فَقَدۡ بَعَثۡتُ مُقَدِّمَتِي، وَأَمَرۡتُهُمۡ بِلُزُومِ هَذَا الۡمِلۡطَاطِ، حَتَّى يَأۡتِيَهُمۡ أَمۡرِي، وَقَدۡ رَأَيۡتُ أَنۡ أَقۡطَعَ هَذِهِ الۡنُّطۡفَةَ إِلَى شِرۡذِمَةٍ مِنۡكُمۡ، مُوَطِّنِينَ أَكۡنَافَ دَجۡلَةَ، فَأُنۡهِضَهُمۡ مَعَكُمۡ إِلَى عَدُوِّكُمۡ، وَأَجۡعَلَهُمۡ مِنۡ أَمۡدَادِ الۡقُوَّةِ لَكُمۡ.
Well, I have sent forward my vanguard [1], and have ordered them to remain in camp on this bank of the River till my order reaches them. My intention is that I should cross this water over to the small habitation of people residing on the sides of the Tigris, and rouse them to march with you towards the enemy, and keep them as an auxiliary force for you.
[قال السيد الشريف:] أَقُولُ: يَعۡنِي عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ بِـالۡمِلۡطَاطِ هَاهُنَا السَّمۡتَ الَّذِي أَمَرَهُمۡ بِلُزُومِهِ؛ وَهُوَ شَاطِئُ الۡفُرَاتِ، وَيُقَالُ ذٰلِكَ أَيۡضًا لِشَاطِئِ الۡبَحۡرِ، وَأَصۡلُهُ مَا اسۡتَوَىٰ مِنَ الۡأَرۡضِ. وَيَعۡنِي بِـالنُّطۡفَةِ مَاءَ الۡفُرَاتِ، وَهُوَ مِنۡ غَرِيبِ الۡعِبَارَاتِ وَعَجِيبِهَا.
as-Sayyid ar-Raḍī says: Here, by “milṭāṭ,” Amīr al-Muʾminīn has meant the direction where he had ordered the men to camp, and that was the bank of the Euphrates; and “milṭāṭ” is used for the bank of a river, although its literal meaning is level ground, whereas by “nuṭfah” he means the water of the Euphrates, and these are amazing expressions.
Notes:
[1] Amīr al-Muʾminīn delivered this sermon when he camped at the Valley of an-Nukhaylah on Wednesday the 5th Shawwāl 37 A.H., on his way to Ṣiffīn. The Vanguard mentioned herein means the twelve thousand persons whom he had sent towards Ṣiffīn under the command of Ziyād ibn al-Naḍr and Shurayḥ ibn Hānī, while the small force of al-Madāʾin mentioned by him was a contingent of twelve hundred men who had come up in response to Amīr al-Muʾminīn’s call.
[1] Amīr al-Muʾminīn delivered this sermon when he camped at the Valley of an-Nukhaylah on Wednesday the 5th Shawwāl 37 A.H., on his way to Ṣiffīn. The Vanguard mentioned herein means the twelve thousand persons whom he had sent towards Ṣiffīn under the command of Ziyād ibn al-Naḍr and Shurayḥ ibn Hānī, while the small force of al-Madāʾin mentioned by him was a contingent of twelve hundred men who had come up in response to Amīr al-Muʾminīn’s call.
