فَإِذَا فَعَلْتُ ذلِكَ وَجَبَتْ لِلَّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمُ النِّعْمَةُ، وَلِي عَلَيْكُمُ الطَّاعَةُ، وَأَلَّا تَنْكُصُوا عَنْ دَعْوَةٍ، وَلَا تُفَرِّطُوا فِي صَلَاحٍ، وَأَنْ تَخُوضوا الْغَمَرَاتِ إِلَى الْحَقِّ، فَإِنْ أَنْتُمْ لَمْ تَسْتَقِيمُوا لِي عَلَى ذلِكَ لَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ أَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِمَّنْ اعْوَجَّ مِنْكُمْ، ثُمَّ أُعْظِمُ لَهُ الْعُقُوبَةَ، وَلَا يَجِدُ عِنْدِي فِيهَا رُخْصَةً، فَخُذُوا هذَا مِنْ أُمَرَائِكُمْ، وَأَعْطُوهُمْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ مَا يُصْلِحُ اللهُ بِهِ أَمْرَكُمْ. وَالسَّلَامُ.
When I have done all this, it becomes obligatory on you to thank Allāh for this bounty and to obey me, and you should not hold back when called, nor shirk good acts, and you should face hardships for the sake of right. If you do not remain steadfast in this, there will be no one more humiliated in my view than the one among you who has deviated, and then I will increase the punishment for him, wherein no one will get any concession from me. Take this (pledge) from your (subordinate) officers and accord to them such behaviour from your side by which Allāh may improve your matters; and that is an end to the matter.
