حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَبُعٍ
قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا، رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ لَتُخْضَبَنَّ هَذِهِ مِنْ هَذَا فَمَا يَنْتَظِرُ بِي الْأَشْقَى قَالُوا: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَأَخْبِرْنَا بِهِ نُبِيرُ عِتْرَتَهُ قَالَ: إِذًا تَالَلَّهِ تَقْتُلُونَ بِي غَيْرَ قَاتِلِي قَالُوا فَاسْتَخْلِفْ عَلَيْنَا قَالَ: لَا وَلَكِنْ أَتْرُكُكُمْ إِلَى مَا تَرَكَكُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالُوا فَمَا تَقُولُ لِرَبِّكَ إِذَا أَتَيْتَهُ وَقَالَ وَكِيعٌ مَرَّةً إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ قَالَ أَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ تَرَكْتَنِي فِيهِمْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ ثُمَّ قَبَضْتَنِي إِلَيْكَ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَصْلَحْتَهُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَفْسَدْتَهُمْ
I heard Ali (رضي الله عنه) say: Verily this (his beard) will be soaked from this (his head, i.e., from blood flowing from a wound to the head). What is this wretch waiting for?
They said: O Ameer al-Mumineen, tell us who he is so that we can annihilate his family. He said: By Allah, then you would be killing because of me people who are not involved in my killing.
They said: Appoint a successor for us. He said: No, but I will leave you as the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) left you. They said: What will you say to your Lord when you come to Him?
– on one occasion, Wakee said: When you meet Him – He said: I will say: O Allah, You left me with them as long as You wanted, then You took me to Yourself and You are still with them; if You will You can cause their affairs to be sound and if You will You can cause their affairs to be corrupt.