نامه 35: به عبدالله بن عباس · Letter 35

و من كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلي عبد الله بن العباس بعد مقتل محمد بن أبي بكر

أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ مِصْرَ قَدِ افْتُتِحَتْ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَدِ اسْتُشْهِدَ فَعِنْدَ اللَّهِ نَحْتَسِبُهُ وَلَداً نَاصِحاً وَ عَامِلًا كَادِحاً وَ سَيْفاً قَاطِعاً وَ رُكْناً دَافِعاً وَ قَدْ كُنْتُ حَثَثْتُ النَّاسَ عَلَي لَحَاقِهِ وَ أَمَرْتُهُمْ بِغِيَاثِهِ قَبْلَ الْوَقْعَةِ وَ دَعَوْتُهُمْ سِرّاً وَ جَهْراً وَ عَوْداً وَ بَدْءاً فَمِنْهُمُ الْآتِي كَارِهاً وَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُعْتَلُّ كَاذِباً وَ مِنْهُمُ الْقَاعِدُ خَاذِلًا أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ تَعَالَي أَنْ يَجْعَلَ لِي مِنْهُمْ فَرَجاً عَاجِلًا فَوَاللَّهِ لَوْ لَا طَمَعِي عِنْدَ لِقَائِي عَدُوِّي فِي الشَّهَادَةِ وَ تَوْطِينِي نَفْسِي عَلَي الْمَنِيَّةِ لَأَحْبَبْتُ أَلَّا أَلْقَي مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَوْماً وَاحِداً وَ لَا أَلْتَقِيَ بِهِمْ أَبَداً.

Now then, Egypt has been conquered and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (may Allah have mercy on him) has been martyred. We seek his reward from Allah. He was a young man who was a well-wisher, a hard worker, a sharp sword and a bastion of defence. I had roused the people to join him and ordered them to reach him to help before this incident. I called to them secretly as well as openly, repeatedly. Some of them came half-heartedly, some put up false excuses and some sat away leaving me. I ask Allah the Sublime, to give me early relief from them, for by Allah, had I not been yearning to meet the enemy for matyrdom and not prepared myself for death, I would not have liked to be with these people for a single day nor ever to face the enemy with them.