Nahj al-Balagha (Peak of Eloquence)
نهج البلاغة
Letter #33
ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى قُثَمَ بن العبّاس، وهو عامله على مكّة
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ عَيْنِي ـ بِالْمَغْرِبِ ـ كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ يُعْلِمُنِي أَنَّهُ وُجِّهَ إِلَى المَوْسِمِ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ، الْعُمْيِ الْقُلُوبِ، الصُمِّ الْأَسْمَاعِ، الْكُمْهِ الْأَبْصَارِ، الَّذِينَ يَلْتَمِسُونَ [يَلْبِسُونَ] الْحَقَّ بِالبَاطِلِ، وَيُطِيعُونَ الْـمَخْلُوقَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ، وَيَحْتَلِبُونَ الدُّنْيَا دَرَّهَا بِالدِّينِ، وَيَشْتَرُونَ عَاجِلَهَا بِآجِلِ الْأَبْرَارِ الْمُتَّقِينَ، وَلَنْ يَفُوزَ بِالْخَيْرِ إِلَّا عَامِلُهُ، وَلَا يُجْزَى جَزَاءَ الشَّرِّ إِلَّا فَاعِلُهُ.
فَأَقِمْ عَلَى مَا فِي يَدَيْكَ قِيَامَ الْحَازِمِ الصَّلِيبِ، وَالنَّاصِحِ اللَّبِيبِ، التَّابِعِ لِسُلْطَانِهِ، الْمُطِيعِ لِإِمَامِهِ. وَإِيَّاكَ وَمَا يُعْتَذَرُ مِنْهُ، وَلَا تَكُنْ عِنْدَ النَّعْمَاءِ بَطِراً، وَلَا عِنْدَ الْبَأْسَاءِ فَشِلاً، وَالسَّلَامُ.
English Translation
To Qutham ibn al-‘Abbās, his Governor of Mecca
My spy in the West has written [1] to me telling me that some people of Syria have been sent for ḥajj who are blind of heart, deaf of ears and devoid of eyesight. They confound the truth with vanity, obey men in disobeying Allāh, claim the milk of the world in the name of religion, and trade in the pleasures of this world by forsaking the rewards of the virtuous and the Godfearing. No one achieves good except he who acts for it, and no one is awarded the recompense of evil except he who commits it.
Therefore, behave yourself in your duties like an intelligent, experienced, well-wishing and wise man who follows his superior and is obedient to his Imam. You should avoid what you may have to explain. Do not rise up in riches nor lose courage in distress; and that is an end to the matter.
اردو ترجمہ
امیر المؤمنین حضرت علی بن ابی طالبؑ کا مکتوبِ گرامی نمبر 33: مکتوب 33: To the governor of Mecca۔
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