‘Ali ؓ addressed us and said: By the One Who split the seed and created the soul, this (his beard) will be soaked from this (his head, i.e., his beard would be soaked with blood from a wound in his head). He said: Tell us who he is. By Allah, we will eliminate him - or we will eliminate his family. He said: I adjure you by Allah not to kill anyone except the one who kills me. They said: If you know that, then appoint a successor. He said: No, rather I shall leave you as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ left you.  

وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ لَتُخْضَبَنَّ هَذِهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ قَالَ قَالَ النَّاسُ فَأَعْلِمْنَا مَنْ هُوَ؟ وَاللهِ لَنُبِيرَنَّ عِتْرَتَهُ قَالَ أَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللهِ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ غَيْرُ قَاتِلِي قَالُوا إِنْ كُنْتَ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ ذَلِكَ اسْتَخْلِفِ اذًا قَالَ لَا وَلَكِنِ اكِلُكُمِ الَى مَا وَكَلَكُمِ الَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ  

I heard ʿAli ؓ 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-Muʿmineen, 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 ﷺ left you. They said: What will you say to your Lord when you come to Him? - on one occasion, Wakeeʿ 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.  

سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا 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 وَلَكِنِ أَتْرُكُكُمْ إِلَى مَا تَرَكَكُمِ إلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَالُوا فَمَا تَقُولُ لِرَبِّكَ إِذَا أَتَيْتَهُ؟ وَقَالَ وَكِيعٌ مَرَّةً إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ؟ قَالَ أَقُولُ اللهُمَّ تَرَكْتَنِي فِيهِمْ مَا بَدَا لَكَ ثُمَّ قَبَضْتَنِي إِلَيْكَ وَأَنْتَ فِيهِمْ فَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَصْلَحْتَهُمْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَفْسَدْتَهُمْ