Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) قاله لعبد الله بن العباس وقد جاءه برسالة من عثمان وهو محصور يسأله فيها الخروج إلى ماله بينبع ليقل هتف الناس باسمه للخلافة، بعد أن كان سأله مثل ذلك من قبل. فقال (عليه السلام):

When ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān was surrounded, ‘Abdullāh ibn al-‘Abbās brought a letter to Amīr al-mu’minīn from ‘Uthmān in which he expressed the desire that Amīr al-mu’minīn should leave for his estate Yanbu‘ so that the proposal that was being mooted out for him to become caliph should subside. ‘Uthmān had this request earlier also. Upon this Amīr al-mu’minīn said to Ibn al-‘Abbās:

يَابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، مَا يُرِيدُ عُثْـمَانُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَجَعَلَنِي جَمَلاً نَاضِحاً بِالْغَرْبِ أَقْبِلْ وَأَدْبِرْ! بَعَثَ إِلَيَّ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ، ثُمَّ بَعَثَ إِليَّ أَنْ أَقْدُمَ، ثُمَّ هُوَ الاْنَ يَبْعَثُ إِلَيَّ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ! وَاللهِ لَقَدْ دَفَعْتُ عَنْهُ حَتَّى خَشِيتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ آثِماً.

O ’ Ibn al-‘Abbās! ‘Uthmān just wants to treat me like the water-drawing camel so that I may go forward and backward with the bucket. Once he sent me word that I should go out then sent me word that I should come back.Now, again he sends me word that I should go out. By Allāh, I continued protecting him till I feared lest I become a sinner.