ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام) إلى أهل البصرة

وَقَدْ كَانَ مِنِ انْتِشَارِ حَبْلِكُمْ وَشِقَاقِكُمْ مَا لَوْ تَغْبَوْا عَنْهُ، فَعَفَوْتُ عَنْ مُجْرِمِكُمْ، وَرَفَعْتُ السَّيْفَ عَنْ مُدْبِرِكُمْ، وَقَبِلْتُ مِنْ مُقْبِلِكُمْ.

فَإِنْ خَطَتْ بِكُمُ الاُْمُورُ الْمُرْدِيَةُ، وَسَفَهُ الاْرَاءِ الْجَائِرَةِ،

إِلَىُ مُنَابَذَتِي وَخِلاَفِي، فَهَا أَنَاذَا قَدْ قَرَّبْتُ جِيَادِي، وَرَحَلْتُ رِكَابِي.

وَلَئِنْ أَلْجَأْتُمُونِي إِلَى الْمَسِيرِ إِلَيْكُمْ، لاَُوقِعَنَّ بِكُمْ وَقْعَةً لاَ يَكُونُ يَوْمُ الْجَمَلِ إِلَيْهَا إِلاَّ كَلَعْقَةِ لاَعِق، مَعَ أَنِّي عَارِفٌ لِذِي الطَّاعَةِ مِنْكُمْ فَضْلَهُ، وَلِذِي النَّصِيحَةِ حَقَّهُ، غَيْرُ مُتَجَاوِز مُتَّهَماً إِلَى بَرِيّ، وَلاَ ناكِثاً إِلَى وَفيّ.

[ The following is a letter to the people of Basra. ]

Your activities revealed your disloyalty to Islam, your enmity towards me and the intense malice you nurse against me, the things which you wanted to conceal and which you knew so well. I have forgiven the offenders and I do not want to punish those whose once faced me in the battlefield and then fled. I have accepted the excuses of those who came back to me repenting.

If you again do what you have done once before, if you readopt schism and if once again advice of unwise and wicked people drives you towards animosity against Islam, then remember, I shall chastise you. I shall invade you at the head of my army.

If you compel me to that then remember that this invasion will be such that the Battle of Jamal will look like a child's play when compared to it.

I know you all and appreciate the sincerity of those who are faithful to me and the excellence of those who come to me with their sincere advice and good wishes.

I am willing to forgive and to forget those who have wronged me and to requite those who have exhibited fidelity towards me.