فبعثا إلى خالد فأتاهم . فقالا له : نريد أن نحملك على أمر عظيم ، فقال : احملوني على ما شئتم ولو على قتل علي بن أبي طالب ، قالا : فهو ذاك قال خالد : متى أقتله ؟

So the two of them sent for Khalid, and he came to them. And they said to him: We wish to charge you with a grave matter. He said: Charge me with what you will, even with the killing of 'Ali b. Abi Talib. They said: That is it. Khalid said: When shall I kill him?

قال أبو بكر : أحضر المسجد وقم بجنبه في الصلاة ، فإذا سلمت قم إليه واضرب عنقه ، قال : نعم .

Abu Bakr said: Be present in the mosque and stand at his side in the prayer; and when I give the greeting, rise to him and strike his neck. He said: Yes.

فسمعت أسماء بنت عميس وكانت تحت أبي بكر ، فقالت لجاريتها : اذهبي إلى منزل علي وفاطمة عليهما السلام واقرأيهما السلام وقولي لعلي عليه السلام : * ( إن الملاء يأتمرون بك ليقتلوك فأخرج إني لك من الناصحين ) * 6 ، فجائت الجارية إليهما ، فقالت لعلي عليه السلام : إن أسماء بنت عميس تقرء عليك السلام وتقول : إن الملاء يأتمرون ، " الآية " فقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام : قولي لها : " إن الله يحول بينهم وبين ما يريدون " .

And Asma' bint 'Umays heard — and she was the wife of Abu Bakr — and she said to her slave-girl: Go to the dwelling of 'Ali and Fatima, peace be upon them, and give them the greeting, and say to 'Ali, peace be upon him: “The assembly are taking counsel about you, to kill you; so go out — truly I am of the sincere advisers to you.” [6] So the slave-girl came to them and said to 'Ali, peace be upon him: Asma' bint 'Umays gives you the greeting and says: The assembly are taking counsel — “the verse”. And the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: Say to her: “God shall come between them and what they intend.”

ثم قام وتهيأ للصلاة وحضر المسجد وصلى لنفسه خلف أبي بكر وخالد بن الوليد [ يصلي ] بجنبه ومعه السيف ، فلما جلس أبو بكر للتشهد ، ندم على ما قال وخاف الفتنة ، وعرف شدة علي عليه السلام وبأسه ، فلم يزل متفكرا لا يجسر أن يسلم حتى ظن الناس أنه سهى ، ثم التفت إلى خالد ، وقال : يا خالد لا تفعلن ما أمرتك [ به ] السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته .

Then he rose and made himself ready for the prayer and came to the mosque, and prayed by himself behind Abu Bakr, with Khalid b. al-Walid [praying] at his side and the sword with him. And when Abu Bakr sat for the testimony of faith, he regretted what he had said and feared discord, and knew the severity of 'Ali, peace be upon him, and his might. So he did not cease pondering, not daring to give the greeting, until the people supposed he had forgotten. Then he turned to Khalid and said: O Khalid, do not do what I ordered you. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God and His blessings.

فقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام : يا خالد ما الذي أمرك به ؟

So the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: O Khalid, what was it that he ordered you to do?

قال : أمرني بضرب عنقك ، قال : أو كنت فاعلا ؟

He said: He ordered me to strike your neck. He said: And would you have done it?

قال : أي والله ، لولا أنه قال لي : لا تفعله قبل التسليم لقتلتك .

He said: Yes, by God; had he not said to me “Do not do it” before the greeting, I would have killed you.

قال : فأخذه علي عليه السلام فجلد به الأرض ، فاجتمع الناس عليه ، فقال عمر : يقتله ورب الكعبة ، فقال الناس : يا أبا الحسن الله الله بحق صاحب القبر فخلى عنه 7 .

He said: So 'Ali, peace be upon him, took hold of him and dashed him to the ground; and the people gathered upon him. And 'Umar said: He will kill him, by the Lord of the Ka'ba. And the people said: O Abu al-Hasan, God, God — by the right of the one in the grave! So he let him go. [7]