O Kufah! It is as if I see you ...

About calamities befalling Kufah O Kufah, as though I see you being drawn like the tanned leather of ‘Ukazi1in the market, you are being scraped by calamities and being ridden by severe troubles. I certainly2know that if any tyrant intends evil for you Allah will afflict him with worry and fling him with a killer (set someone on him to kill him).

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في ذكر الكوفة كَأَنَّي بِكِ يَاكُوفَةُ تُمَدِّينَ مَدَّ الاْدَيمِ الْعُكَاظِيِّ، تُعْرَكِينَ بِالنَّوَازِلِ، وَتُرْكَبِينَ بِالزَّلاَزِلِ، وَإِنَّي لاَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ مَاأَرَادَ بِكِ جَبَّارٌ سُوءاً إِلاَّ ابْتَلاَهُ اللهُ بِشَاغِل، وَرَمَاهُ بِقَاتِل!