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:
After resuming the land grants made by Uthman
Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 15
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.