Hadith 378

nd His-azwj Command to appear. So, the Arabs entered into the religion in droves, and this community became Muslims willingly as well as unwillingly. You were among the ones who had entered into this religion, either desiring or fearing for a while. Successful were the ones who preceded to their precedence, and successful were the Emigrants and the Helpers due to their merits, and it is no befitting for one who haven’t got for them the like of their precedence in the religion, nor their merits in, that they be snatched of the command which they are its rightful and foremost with it, for then he would be tyrannical and unjust. And it is not befitting for the one who has intellect for him that he ignores his worth, and does not fulfil his development, and makes his own self to be wretched by seeking what he isn’t rightful of it, for the foremost of the people with the command of this community, old and new, is their closest one from the Rasool-saww, and their most learned with the Book, and their most understanding in the religion, the first of them of Islam and their most superior in Jihad, and their most intense with what he feels the citizens can tolerate from the Commands of Allah-azwj. So, fear Allah-azwj, the One-azwj you will be returning to, And do not be mixing the Truth with the falsehood and you are concealing the Truth and you are knowing [2: 42], and know that the best servants of Allah-azwj are those working with what they are knowing, and their evilest ones are the ignoramuses, those who are disputing with the ignorance against the people of knowledge. For the learned there is a merit due to his knowledge, and the ignorant one, his disputing against the learned will not increase him except in ignorance. Indeed! And I-asws hereby call you to the Book of Allah-azwj and Sunnah of His-azwj Prophet-saww, and saving the blood of this community. If you were to accept, you would have attained your guidance and would be guided to your protection, and if you were to refuse except the sectarianism, and splitting the stick of this community, you will never be increased from Allah-azwj except remoteness, and the Lord-azwj will never increase upon you all except Wrath. And the greetings’. Muawiya wrote to him-asws an answer to this letter with one line, and it is, ‘As for after, (couplet) surely there is no blame between me and Qays apart from stabling the kidneys and striking the necks’. Ali-asws said: ‘When this answer came to him-asws: Surely, you cannot guide the one you love, but Allah will Guide the one He so Desires to, and He is more Knowing with the recipients of Guidance [28: 56]’’. [63]