Islam Guidance

SERMON 164 - When people went to Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, Peace be Upon Him in a deputation and complained to him about `Othman, requesting him to speak to him on their behalf and to admonish him for their sake, he went to see `Othman to whom he said the

The people are behind me and they have made me an ambassador between you and themselves; but by Allah, I do not know what to say to you. I know nothing (in this matter) which you do not know, nor can I lead you to any matter of which you are not aware. You certainly know what we know. We have not come to know anything before you which we could tell you, nor did we learn any secret which we should reveal to you. You have seen as we have seen and you have heard as we have heard. You sat in the company of the Prophet of Allah (p.b.u.h.) as we did. (Abu Bakr) the son of Abi Quhafah as well as (`Umar) ibn al-Khattab were no more responsible for acting righteously than you, since you are nearer than both of them to the Prophet of Allah (p.b.u.h.) through kinship and you also hold relationship to him by marriage which they do not have.
Then (fear) Allah, with regard to your own self for, by Allah, you are not being shown anything as if you are blind or being apprised of anything as if you are ignorant. Everything is clear while the banners of faith are fixed. You should know that among the servants of Allah, the most distinguished person before Allah is the just imam who has been guided (by Allah) and who guides others. So, he stands by the recognized ways of the Prophet’s behavior and destroys unrecognized innovations. The (Prophet’s) ways are clear and they have signs, while innovations are also clear and they, too, have signs. Certainly, the worst man before Allah is the oppressive imam who has gone astray and through whom others go astray. He destroys the accepted Sunnah and revives abandoned innovations. I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: “On the Day of Judgment, the oppressive imam will be brought with none to support him or to advance excuses on his behalf. Then he will be thrown into Hell where he will rotate as the hand-mill rotates, then (eventually) he will be confined to its hollow.
I swear to you by Allah that you should not be such an imam of the people who will be killed because it has been said that an imam of this people will be killed after which killing and fighting will be made open for them till the Day of Judgment and he will confuse their matters and spread troubles over them. As a result, they will not distinguish right from wrong. They will oscillate like waves and will be utterly misled. You should not behave as the beast of burden for Marwan [ibn al-Hakam, your cousin] so that he may drag you wherever he likes, despite (your) seniority of age and length of life.
It was then that `Othman said the following to Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.): “Ask the people to give me time till I redress their grievances.” Imam Ali ibn Aba Talib (p.b.u.h.) said, “As far as Medina is concerned, time is out of the question. As for more remote areas, you can have the time needed for your order to reach your objectives.”

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