MOA’WIAH SENDS A LETTER TO THE SHÂH OF MEN AND LION OF GOD, A’LI B. ABU TTÂLEB—P. O. H.—AND RECEIVES AN ANSWER BY THE AID OF ALLAH—WHO BE SANCTIFIED AND EXALTED.

‘But after [the usual preliminary, I say that,] having done thy utmost in riding the horse of aberration, thou art running on the plain of extremes, but shunning the field of battle and contest. In menaces and threats thou art like a roaring lion, but art a runaway fox in hostilities; in writing letters thou art full of boasting, but remiss and dilatory in time of war. If thou wilt leave off these tricks and venture into the lines of battle, thou wilt see men of sincere aspirations and true intentions, able to prostrate elephants, to contend with roaring lions, and skilled enough with the lance to pick off the mole from the countenance of the moon. If the mercy of God is withheld from thee, and thou persistest to such an extent in darkness and injustice that the vicissitudes of time drive thee into the battlefield, and thou beholdest my just-mentioned champions drawn out in battle-array, thou wilt be over­taken by the chastisement due to thy acts, so that thy life will come to an end, and the denizens of the world will be delivered of thy arrogance.’ When A’li the Commander of the Faithful—p. o. h.—had perused this distasteful letter of Moa’wiah, he sent him the following reply: ‘From the servant of Allah, the Commander of the Faithful, to Moa’wiah, the son of Ssakhrâ! But after [this preliminary, I say that] I am astonished at the futile, vain, and ridicu­lous allegations thou hast written in detail and sent. I have taken the measure of thy intellect, am acquainted with thy capacity, and know how disastrous thy end will be. In conformity with the saying that “affairs depend upon their times,” the fight between me and thee will take place at a season for which I look, but thou abhorrest. Now I expect with the eye of certainty the time when I shall see the champions enter the battlefield, and I shall so work with my Dhu-l-fiqâr that thou wilt groan like a camel under a heavy load. O son of her who was eating livers,* I mean to say that when thou standest in the battle thy voice of lamentation will strike my ear, thou wilt implore me and say to me: “How long will these straight arrows, curved swords, flying javelins, and cutting scimitars be wounding and slaying us?” Confused by the dreadful onslaughts of the warriors, thou wilt take hold of the skirt of supplication and run to and fro in thy distress. This fate will befall you, it having been predestined in the Preserved Table and established according to the Divine volume; but you disbelieve it, and place no faith therein. Peace be unto him who follows the true guidance.’ When this letter arrived in Syria, and Moa’wiah with A’mru B. A´ass had perused it, the latter said: ‘How long wilt thou write hard and bitter words to A’li, who will reply to thee even in more angry terms? By God! if all the writers of Syria were to combine, they would be unable to vie with his eloquence and oratory. Advance if thou desirest war, but negotiate if thou art inclined for peace, because A’li himself means nothing more than this. It is at any rate certain that this correspondence and exchange of messages will only result in vexations, and not in the settlement of difficulties.’ These opinions of A’mru B. A´ass having been approved of by Moa’wiah, he ceased writing letters, and ordered his troops to be in readiness.