وَمِنۡ كَلَامٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his statements
لَمَّا أُشِيرَ عَلَيۡهِ بِأَنۡ لَّا [في بعض النسخ: بِأَلَّا] يَتۡبَعَ طَلۡحَةَ وَالزُّبَيۡرَ وَلَا يَرۡصُدَ لَهُمَا الۡقِتَالَ
Delivered on being advised not to pursue Ṭalḥah ibn ʿUbayd Allāh and az-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām for fighting. [1]
وَفِيهِ يُبَيِّنُ عَنۡ صِفَتِهِ بِأَنَّهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ لَا يُخۡدَعُ
وَاللّٰهِ! لَا أَكُونُ كَالضَّبُعِ: تَنَامُ عَلَى طُولِ اللَّدۡمِ، حَتَّى يَصِلَ إِلَيۡهَا طَالِبُهَا، وَيَخۡتِلَهَا رَاصِدُها، وَلَكِنِّي أَضۡرِبُ بِالۡمُقۡبِلِ إِلَى الۡحَقِّ الۡمُدۡبِرَ عَنۡهُ، وَبِالسَّامِعِ الۡمُطِيعِ الۡعَاصِيَ الۡمُرِيبَ أَبَداً، حَتَّى يَأۡتِيَ عَلَيَّ يَوۡمِي.
By Allāh I shall not be like the hyena, which feigns sleep on continuous (sound of) stone-throwing till he who is in search of it find it or he who is on the look out for it overpowers it. Rather, I shall ever strike the deviators from truth with the help of those who advance towards it, and the sinners and doubters with the help of those who listen to me and obey, till my day (of death) comes.
فَوَاللّٰهِ! مَا زِلۡتُ مَدۡفُوعاً عَنۡ حَقِّي، مُسۡتَأۡثَراً عَلَيَّ، مُنۡذُ قَبَضَ اللّٰهُ تعالى نَبِيَّهُ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَآلِهِ حَتَّى يَوۡمِ النَّاسِ هَذَا.
By Allāh I have been continually deprived of my right from the day the Prophet (ṣ) died till today.
Notes:
[1] When Amīr al-Muʾminīn showed intention to pursue Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr, he was advised to leave them on their own, lest he received some harm from them. Amīr al-Muʾminīn uttered these words in reply, the sum total whereof is: “How long can I be a mere spectator to my right being snatched and keep quiet? Now, so long as I have breath of life, I shall fight them and make them suffer the consequences of their conduct. They should not think that I can be easily overpowered like the hyena.”
“Ḍabuʿ” means a hyena. Its kunyahs are “Umm ʿĀmir” and “Umm Ṭarīq”. And it is also called “Ḥaḍājir”. “Ḥaḍājir” is the plural of “Ḥaḍjar”, meaning “glutton”; but when used in the plural form it refers to the hyena, because it swallows everything and devours whatever it finds, as if several bellies were contained in one, and they do not have their fill. It is also called “Naʿthal”. It is a very simple-minded and foolish animal. Thus, when it is intended to show the extreme foolishness of someone, it is said: “So-and-so is more foolish than a hyena.” Its foolishness is apparent from the way it is easily caught. It is said that the hunter surrounds its den, then taps the ground with his foot or a stick, and calls out softly: “Bow your head Umm Ṭarīq, conceal yourself Umm ʿĀmir.” On repeating this sentence and tapping the ground, it conceals itself in a corner of the den. Then the hunter says: “Umm ʿĀmir is not in her den; Umm ʿĀmir must be asleep somewhere.” On hearing this it stretches its limbs and feigns sleep. The hunter then puts the knot in its feet and drags it out, and it falls like a coward into his hand without resistance.
[1] When Amīr al-Muʾminīn showed intention to pursue Ṭalḥah and az-Zubayr, he was advised to leave them on their own, lest he received some harm from them. Amīr al-Muʾminīn uttered these words in reply, the sum total whereof is: “How long can I be a mere spectator to my right being snatched and keep quiet? Now, so long as I have breath of life, I shall fight them and make them suffer the consequences of their conduct. They should not think that I can be easily overpowered like the hyena.”
“Ḍabuʿ” means a hyena. Its kunyahs are “Umm ʿĀmir” and “Umm Ṭarīq”. And it is also called “Ḥaḍājir”. “Ḥaḍājir” is the plural of “Ḥaḍjar”, meaning “glutton”; but when used in the plural form it refers to the hyena, because it swallows everything and devours whatever it finds, as if several bellies were contained in one, and they do not have their fill. It is also called “Naʿthal”. It is a very simple-minded and foolish animal. Thus, when it is intended to show the extreme foolishness of someone, it is said: “So-and-so is more foolish than a hyena.” Its foolishness is apparent from the way it is easily caught. It is said that the hunter surrounds its den, then taps the ground with his foot or a stick, and calls out softly: “Bow your head Umm Ṭarīq, conceal yourself Umm ʿĀmir.” On repeating this sentence and tapping the ground, it conceals itself in a corner of the den. Then the hunter says: “Umm ʿĀmir is not in her den; Umm ʿĀmir must be asleep somewhere.” On hearing this it stretches its limbs and feigns sleep. The hunter then puts the knot in its feet and drags it out, and it falls like a coward into his hand without resistance.
