Sermon 77
About Umayyads (when Sa'id b. al-'As withheld Amir al-mu'minin's right from him, peace be upon him)
ومن كلام له (عليه السلام)
وذلك حين منعه سعيد بن العاص حقه
The Banu Umayyah (Umayyads) are allowing me the inheritance of Muhammad (S) bit (by bit). By Allah, if I live I would throw them away as the butcher removes the dust from the dust-covered piece of flesh.
إِنَّ بَنِي أُمَيَّةَ لَيُفَوِّقُونَني تُرَاثَ مُحَمَّد تَفْوِيقاً، وَاللهِ لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ لُهُمْ لاَنْفُضَنَّهُمْ نَفْضَ اللَّحَّام الْوِذَامَ التَّرِبَةَ!
as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: In one version for "al-widhamu't-taribah" (dust covered piece of flesh) the words "at-turabu'l-wadhimah" (the soil sticking on a piece of flesh) have been shown. That is, for the adjective the qualified noun and for the qualified noun the adjective has been placed. And by the word "layufawwiqunani" Amir al-mu'minin implies that they allow him bit by bit just as a she-camel may be milked a little and then its young one may be made to suck milk so that it may be ready to be milked. And "al-widham" is the plural of "wadhamah" which means the piece of stomach or of liver which falls on the ground and then the dust is removed from it.
قال الشريف: ويروى: «التراب الوَذَمَة»، وهو على القلب.
و قوله (عليه السلام): «لَيُفَوّقونَني» أي: يعطونني من المال قليلاً قليلاً كفُواق الناقة، وهو الحلبة الواحدة من لبنها. والوِذَامُ: جمع وَذَمة، وهي: الحُزّة من الكرش أوالكبد تقع في التراب فتنفض.
Alternative Sources for Sermon 77
(1) Abu al-Faraj, al-'Aghani, XI, 29, II, 29;
(2) al-'Azhari, Tahdhib, XV, 27;
(3) Ibn Salam, Gharib al-hadith;
(4) Ibn Durayd, al-Mu'talif;
(5) Al-'Isfahani, al-Jam' bayn al-Gharibayn;
(6) Ibn al-'Athir, al-Nihayah, I, 186;
(7) al-'Askari, Jamharat al-'amthal, I, 165.