Nahj al-Balāgha

ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى معاوية

To Mu‘āwiyah

فَسُبْحَانَ الله! مَا أَشَدَّ لُزُومَكَ لِلْأَهْوَاءَ الْمُبْتَدَعَةِ، وَالْحَيْرَةِ الْمُتَّبَعَةِ، مَعَ تَضْيِيعِ الْحَقَائِقِ وَاطِّرَاحِ الْوَثَائِقِ، الَّتِي هِيَ لِلهِ طِلْبَةٌ، وَعَلَى عِبَادِهِ حُجَّةٌ. فَأَمَّا إِكْثَارُكَ الْحِجَاجَ فِي عُثْمانَ وَقَتَلَتِهِ، فَإِنَّكَ إِنَّمَا نَصَرْتَ عُثْمانَ حَيْثُ كَانَ النَّصْرُ لَكَ، وَخَذَلْتَهُ حَيْثُ كَانَ النَّصْرُ لَهُ، وَالسَّلَامُ.

Glory be to Allāh! How staunchly you cling to innovated passions and painful bewilderment along with ignoring the facts and rejecting strong reasons which are liked by Allāh and serve as pleas for the people. As regards your prolonging the question of ‘Uthmān’s [1] murder the position is that you helped ‘Uthmān when it was really your own help while you forsook him when he was in need of help; and that is an end to the matter.