Sermon 25 of Nahj al-Balaghah
In this sermon, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) speaks of the disunity and insubordination of his followers in the face of truth, contrasted with the obedience and cohesion of the enemy upon falsehood. He implores God to bring destruction upon those who betrayed their duty and to grant him better supporters in their place.
When repeated reports reached Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) that the followers of Muawiyah had gained control over parts of the Muslim lands, and when Ubayd Allah ibn Abbas and Said ibn Numran—the Imam’s governors in Yemen—returned to him after being defeated by Busr ibn Abi Artat, the Imam ascended the pulpit to censure his companions for their slowness in jihad and their defiance of his commands. He declared:
“In truth, with the course you have chosen, nothing remains under my authority except Kufa—over which I can open or close the gates as I wish.
O Kufa! If you alone are my support against the enemy—then may your face be disfigured by these storms, and would that you did not exist.
I have been informed that Busr has gained control over Yemen. By God, I knew that they would soon overpower you, for they are united in support of their falsehood, while you are divided upon the truth. You disobey your leader on the path of truth, while they obey their leader on the path of falsehood. They uphold trust toward their ruler, while you betray it. They work for reform in their cities, while you engage in corruption. Were I to entrust a simple drinking cup to one of you, I would fear that he would steal its strap.
O God! I have exhausted them with counsel, and they have exhausted me; I have wearied them, and they have wearied me. Grant me, in their place, companions better than they, and appoint over them, in my place, one worse than I.
O God! Dissolve their hearts, just as salt dissolves in water. By God, I truly wished that instead of you I had a thousand horsemen from the tribe of Banu Firas ibn Ghanam—men who, as the poet described, are like swift-moving clouds, scant in water yet impatient and relentless in the pursuit of the enemy.”
After uttering these words, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) descended from the pulpit.
This sermon vividly reflects the profound anguish of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) over the betrayal, fragmentation, and moral decline of his supporters, and it stands as a powerful indictment of complacency in the face of injustice and aggression.