انتقاد

اِلى مُعاوِيَةَ جَواباً عَنْ كِتاب مِنْهُ اِلَيْهِ

در جـواب نامه معـاویه

۱. فضح بني اميّة و فضائل اهل البيت (عليهم‌السلام)

«وَ أَمَّا طَلَبُکَ إِلَيَّ الشَّامَ»۱

اینکه حکومت شام را از من خواستی‌،

«فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَکُنْ لاُِعْطِیَکَ الْیَوْمَ مَا مَنَعْتُکَ أَمْسِ.»۲

من آنچه را دیروز در اختیارت قرار ندادم امروز هم به دستت نمی‌ دهم.

«وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُکَ:»۳

اما گفته ات:

«إِنَّ الْحَرْبَ قَدْ أَکَلَتِ الْعَرَبَ إِلاَّ حُشَاشَاتِ أَنْفُس بَقِیَتْ،»۴

که «جنگْ عرب را به کام خود فرو برده، و از او جز نیمه جانی‌ باقی‌ نمانده»،

«أَلاَ وَ مَنْ أَکَلَهُ الْحَقُّ فَإِلَى الْجَنَّةِ،»۵

آگاه باش آن که در راه حق بمیرد مسیرش به جانب بهشت،

«وَ مَنْ أَکَلَهُ الْبَاطِلُ فَإِلَى النَّارِ (فالنّار أولى به).»۶

و هر که در طریق باطل فنا شود راهش به سوی‌ آتش است.

«وَ أَمَّا اسْتِوَاؤُنَا فِي الْحَرْبِ وَ الرِّجالِ»۷

ما اینکه گفته بودی‌: «ما و تو در وضع جنگ و نفرات برابریم»

«فَلَسْتَ بِأَمْضَی عَلَى الشَّکِّ مِنِّي عَلَى الْیَقِینِ،»۸

تو در شک و تردید تیزروتر از من در عرصه یقین نیستی‌،

«وَ لَيْسَ أَهْلُ الشَّامِ بِأَحْرَصَ عَلَى الدُّنْیَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ عَلَى الاْخِرَةِ.»۹

و نه اهل شام به دنیا حریص تر از اهل عراق به آخرتند.

۲. خصائص اهل البيت (عليهم‌السلام)

«وَ أَمَّا قَوْلُکَ:»۱۰

و این که گفتی‌:

«إِنَّا بَنُو عَبْدِ مَنَاف،»۱۱

«ما از فرزندان عبدمنافیم»

«فَكَذلِكَ نَحْنُ،»۱۲

آری‌ ما هم چنین هستیم،

«وَ لكِنْ لَيْسَ أُمَیَّةُ کَهَاشِمِ،»۱۳

ولی‌ با این فرق که نه امیّه مثل هاشم است،

«وَ لاَ حَرْبٌ کَعَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ،»۱۴

نه حرب همچون عبدالمطّلب،

«وَ لاَ أَبُو سُفْیَانَ كَأَبِي طَالِب،»۱۵

و نه ابوسفیان مانند ابوطالب،

«وَ لاَ الْمُهَاجِرُ کَالطَّلِیقِ،»۱۶

و نه مهاجر الی‌ اللّه چون اسیر آزاد شده،

«وَ لاَ الصَّرِیحُ کَاللَّصِیقِ،»۱۷

و نه فرزند اصل و نسب دار چون فرزند منسوب به پدر،

«وَ لاَ الُْمحِقُّ کَالْمُبْطِلِ،»۱۸

و نه اهل حق مانند اهل باطل،

«وَ لاَ الْمُؤْمِنُ کَالْمُدْغِلِ.»۱۹

و نه مؤمن چون مفسد.

«وَ لَبِئْسَ الْخَلْفُ خَلْفٌ یَتْبَعُ سَلَفاً هَوَی فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ.»۲۰

و چه بازماندگان بدی‌ هستند آنان که تابع گذشتگان جهنّمی‌ خود می‌ باشند!

«وَ فِي أَیْدِینَا بَعْدُ فَضْلُ النُّبُوَّةِ»۲۱

از این گذشته فضیلت نبوت به دست ماست

«الَّتِي أَذْلَلْنَا بِهَا الْعَزِیزَ،»۲۲

که با آن عزیز را خوار،

«وَ نَعَشْنَا بِهَا الذَّلِیلَ.»۲۳

و ذلیل را بلندمقام ساختیم.

«وَ لَمَّا أَدْخَلَ اللهُ الْعَرَبَ فِي دِینِهِ أَفْوَاجاً،»۲۴

خداوند چون عرب را دسته دسته وارد دین خود کرد،

«وَ أَسْلَمَتْ لَهُ هذِهِ الاُْمَّةُ طَوْعاً وَ کَرَهاً،»۲۵

و این امت خواه و ناخواه تسلیم حق شدند،

«کُنْتُمْ مِمَّنْ دَخَلَ فِي الدِّینِ:»۲۶

شما به دو علت اسلام آوردید:

«إِمَّا رَغْبَةً وَ إِمَّا رَهْبَةً،»۲۷

محض دنیا، یا ترس از جان،

«عَلَى حِینَ فَازَ (فات) أَهْلُ السَّبْقِ بِسَبْقِهِمْ،»۲۸

آنهم در زمانی‌ که پیشی‌ گرفتگان به اسلام پیروزی‌ یافته بودند،

«وَ ذَهَبَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ الاَْوَّلُونَ بِفَضْلِهِمْ،»۲۹

و اولین مهاجران را فضل و برتری‌ بود.

«فَلاَ تَجْعَلَنَّ لِلشَّیْطَانِ فِيكَ نَصِیباً،»۳۰

پس برای‌ شیطان در وجودت بهره قرار مده،

«وَ لاَ عَلَى نَفْسِکَ سَبِیلا،»۳۱

و راهش را به روی‌ خود باز مگذار.

«وَ السَّلام.»۳۲

و السلام.

This is a powerful and assertive letter from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) to Muawiyah, responding to Muawiyah's demands and claims. The letter is highly political and ideological, directly refuting Muawiyah's arguments and highlighting the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Household of the Prophet) while exposing the shortcomings of the Umayyads.

Here's a breakdown of the key themes and responses in the letter:

Refusal to Grant Governorship and the Nature of War

Imam Ali begins by firmly rejecting Muawiyah's request for the governorship of Syria:

• "As for your demand for Syria from me, I was not going to give you today what I denied you yesterday." This shows Imam Ali's steadfastness and his refusal to compromise on principles, indicating that Muawiyah's previous attempts to gain power were also rejected.

He then addresses Muawiyah's lament about the toll of war on the Arabs:

• "As for your saying, 'War has consumed the Arabs, leaving only remnants of souls,' know that whoever is consumed by the truth goes to Paradise, and whoever is consumed by falsehood goes to the Fire." Here, Imam Ali elevates the conflict from a mere worldly struggle to a battle between truth and falsehood, emphasizing that death in the path of truth leads to salvation, while death in the path of falsehood leads to damnation. This is a clear ideological stance.

Regarding Muawiyah's claim of parity in war and manpower:

• "As for our equality in war and men, you are not more resolute in doubt than I am in certainty, and the people of Syria are not more eager for this world than the people of Iraq are for the Hereafter." Imam Ali asserts his moral and spiritual superiority. He contrasts Muawiyah's doubt with his own certainty (in the righteousness of his cause) and highlights the devotion of his Iraqi followers to the afterlife compared to the Syrians' worldly ambitions. This undermines Muawiyah's claim of equal standing.

Distinction Between the Hashemites and Umayyads, and the Virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt

This section is a sharp and direct refutation of Muawiyah's attempt to claim equality based on shared ancestry and a powerful assertion of the unique virtues of the Prophet's Household:

• "As for your saying, 'We are the sons of Abd Manaf,' yes, we are, but Umayya is not like Hashim, nor Harb like Abd al-Muttalib, nor Abu Sufyan like Abu Talib." Imam Ali acknowledges the shared ancestor (Abd Manaf) but immediately differentiates between the two branches of the family. He draws a stark contrast between the noble figures of the Hashemites (Hashim, Abd al-Muttalib, Abu Talib) who supported Islam, and the Umayyad figures (Umayya, Harb, Abu Sufyan) who were initially strong opponents of Islam. This highlights the historical and moral divergence between the two clans.

He continues to draw distinctions between different categories of people:

• "Nor is the Muhajir (emigrant for God's sake) like the Taliq (freed captive), nor the pure-born like the adherent, nor the one who is on the truth like the one who is on falsehood, nor the believer like the corrupt one."

  • "Muhajir (emigrant)" vs. "Taliq (freed captive)": This refers to those who embraced Islam early and migrated with the Prophet (like the companions of Imam Ali) versus those who accepted Islam only after the conquest of Mecca when they had no other choice (many of the Umayyads, including Muawiyah's father, Abu Sufyan, were among the "Taliq" who were "freed" by the Prophet after the conquest). This emphasizes the sincerity and sacrifice of the early Muslims against the opportunistic conversion of others.

  • "Pure-born" vs. "Adherent": This could refer to legitimate lineage versus adopted or less certain lineage, or more broadly to those with strong, clear principles versus those who merely attach themselves to a cause without deep conviction.

  • "One who is on the truth" vs. "One who is on falsehood": A fundamental moral distinction between his followers and Muawiyah's.

  • "Believer" vs. "Corrupt one": A clear moral and religious judgment on Muawiyah and his supporters.

Imam Ali then delivers a scathing condemnation of those who follow in the footsteps of their misguided ancestors:

• "And how evil are the successors who follow predecessors who fell into the Fire of Hell!" This is a direct jab at Muawiyah, implying that he is following the path of his ancestors who resisted Islam and are destined for hell.

He concludes this section by emphasizing the unparalleled virtue of the Ahl al-Bayt:

• "And in our hands, after this, is the virtue of Prophethood, by which we humbled the mighty and elevated the humble." This is a crucial point. Imam Ali asserts that the Prophethood itself, and the divine guidance associated with it, resides within the Ahl al-Bayt. This is the ultimate source of their authority and superiority. Through this virtue, they brought down the arrogant and uplifted the downtrodden, demonstrating their role as true leaders and reformers.

The Nature of Umayyad's Islam and a Final Admonition

Imam Ali further dissects the nature of the Umayyads' conversion to Islam:

• "And when Allah made the Arabs enter His religion in crowds, and this nation submitted to Him, willingly or unwillingly, you were among those who entered the religion either out of desire or out of fear." He points out that while others embraced Islam willingly and out of conviction, the Umayyads' conversion was motivated by worldly gain or fear of consequences, not genuine faith.

He contrasts this with the early pioneers of Islam:

• "At a time when the pioneers had achieved their precedence, and the first Muhajiroon had gained their virtue." This reinforces the idea that the Umayyads were latecomers, joining Islam after the initial struggles and sacrifices had already been made by others. They did not earn their status through early belief and hardship.

Finally, Imam Ali issues a powerful warning:

• "So do not give Satan a share in you, and do not open a path for him against yourself. And peace." He warns Muawiyah not to allow himself to be misled by Satan, urging him to reflect on his actions and choose the path of righteousness. The letter ends with a standard Islamic salutation, but its context is one of firm admonition.

Overall Significance

This letter is a testament to Imam Ali's clarity of vision, his unwavering commitment to truth and justice, and his sharp rhetorical skills. It serves as:

• A historical document: Providing insight into the political and ideological struggle between Imam Ali and Muawiyah.

• An ideological statement: Clearly defining the lines between truth and falsehood, genuine faith and opportunistic submission, and the superior virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt.

• A moral lesson: Emphasizing the importance of sincere faith, adherence to principles, and the dangers of worldly ambition and following misguided predecessors.

The letter powerfully dismantles Muawiyah's claims and reinforces Imam Ali's position as the rightful leader, grounded in divine guidance and moral authority.