When Mohammad ibn Abi Bakr, governor of Egypt, was overpowered and killed
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ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) لمّا قلد محمّد بن أبي بكر مصر فملكت عليه وقتل
When Amīr al-mu’minīn appointed Muḥammad ibn Abi Bakr [1] Governor of Egypt and he was overpowered and killed, Amīr al-mu’minīn said :
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وَقَدْ أَرَدْتُ تَوْلِيَةَ مِصْرَ هَاشِمَ بْنَ عُتْبَةَ، وَلَوْ وَلَّيْتُهُ إِيَّاهَا لَما خَلَّى لَهُمُ الْعَرْصَةَ، وَلاَ أَنْهَزَهُمُ الْفُرْصَةَ، بَلاَ ذَمٍّ لِمحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبي بَكْر، فَلَقَدْ كَانَ إِلَيَّ حَبِيباً، وَكَانَ لي رَبِيباً.
I had intended to send Hāshim ibn ‘Utbah to Egypt and had I done so he would have made way for the opponents nor given them time (to get hold of him). This is without reproach to Muḥammad ibn Abi Bakr as I loved him and had brought him up.