Nahj al-Balāgha

Discerning right from wrong in leadership

Volume 1 Section 262 4 narrations
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Governance 4

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Hadith 1837
262. It is said that al-Ḥārith ibn Ḥawṭ came to Amīr al-mu’minīn, and said: Do you believe I can ever imagine that the people of Jamal were in the wrong?
٢٦٢. وَقِيلَ: إِنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ حَوْطٍ أَتَاهُ (عليه السلام) فَقَالَ: أَ تُرَانِی أَظُنُّ أَصْحَابَ الْجَمَلِ كَانُوا عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ؟
Tags Governance
Hadith 1838
Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: O’ al-Ḥārith! You have seen below yourself but not above yourself, and so you have been confused. Certainly, you have not known right, so that you can recognize the righteous. And you have not known wrong, so that you can recognize the people of wrong!
فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) : يَا حَارِثُ، إِنَّكَ نَظَرْتَ تَحْتَكَ وَلَمْ تَنْظُرْ فَوْقَكَ فَحِرْتَ إِنَّكَ لَمْ تَعْرِفِ الْحَقَّ فَتَعْرِفَ مَنْ أَتاهُ، وَلَمْ تَعْرِفِ الْبَاطِلَ فَتَعْرِفَ مَنْ أَتَاهُ.
Tags Governance
Hadith 1839
Then al-Ḥārith said: In that case, I shall withdraw along with Sa‘d ibn Mālik and ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar;
فَقَالَ الْحَارِثُ: فَإِنِّي أَعْتَزِلُ مَعَ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ.
Tags Governance
Hadith 1840
whereupon Amīr al-mu’minīn, peace be upon him, said: Verily, Sa‘d and ‘Umar have neither sided with Right nor forsaken Wrong. [1]
فَقَالَ (عليه السلام) : إِنَّ سَعِيداً وَعَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عُمَرَ لَمْ يَنْصُرَا الْحَقَّ، وَلَمْ يَخْذُلَا الْبَاطِلَ.
Tags Governance