ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) فيما ردّه على المسلمين من قطائع عثمان

After returning to the Muslims the land grants made by ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, he said:

وَاللهِ لَوْ وَجَدْتُهُ قَدْ تُزُوِّجَ بِهِ النِّسَاءُ، وَمُلِكَ بِهِ الاْمَاءُ، لَرَدَدْتُهُ; فَإِنَّ في العَدْلِ سَعَةً، وَمَنْ ضَاقَ عَلَيْهِ العَدْلُ، فَالجَوْرُ عَلَيْهِ أَضيَقُ!

By Allāh, even if I had found that by such money women have been married or slave-maids have been purchased I would have returned it (to its owners) because there is wide scope in dispensation of justice, and he who finds it hard to act justly should find it harder to deal with injustice.

Extrait de ses paroles au sujet des fiefs donnés par ‘Outhman à des particuliers, contrairement à la Shari’a (loi).

[Ces fiefs et tout bien donné par ‘Outhman du trésor public doivent être légalement rendu], même si leur receveurs ont contracté mariage et possédé des servantes, car la justice est ample, et celui qui trouve la justice rétrécie, l’injustice lui est plus rétrécie encore.

Nahj al-Balāgha

Chapter #15