In response to Muawiya
Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 28
أَ لَا تَرَى ـ غَيْرَ مُخْبِر لَكَ، وَلَكِنْ بِنِعْمَةِ اللهِ أُحَدِّثُ ـ أَنَّ قَوْماً اسْتُشْهِدُوا في سَبِيلِ اللهِ تَعَالَى مِنَ الْمُهاجِرينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ، وَلِكُلٍّ فَضْلٌ، حَتَّى إِذَا اسْتُشْهِدَ شَهِيدُنَا قِيلَ: سَيِّدُ الشُّهَدَاءِ، وَخَصَّهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ (صلى الله عليه وآله) بِسَبْعِينَ تَكْبِيرَةً عِنْدَ صَلاَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ!
Do you not realize it? I am not giving you any news: I am just recounting Allāh’s bounty, namely that a number of people from among the muhājirūn (immigrants from Mecca) and anṣār (helpers) fell as martyrs in the way of Allāh the Sublime, and that each of them is distinguished (on that account), but when one of us secured martyrdom he was named the Chief of all martyrs, and the Messenger of Allāh صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم gave him the peculiar honour of saying seventy takbīr (Allāhu akbar) during his funeral prayer.