ومن كتاب له (عليه السلام)
إلى معاوية
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي عَلَى التَّرَدُّدِ فِي جَوَابِكَ، وَالاسْتَِماعِ إِلَى كِتَابِكَ، لَمُوَهِّنٌ رَأْيِي، وَمُخَطِّىءٌ فِرَاسَتي .
وَإِنَّكَ إِذْ تُحَاوِلُنِي الاُْمُورَ وَتُرَاجِعُنِي السُّطُورَ ، كَالْمُسْتَثْقِلِ النَّائِمِ
تَكْذِبُهُ أَحَلاَمُهُ ، وَالْمُتَحَيِّرِ الْقَائِمِ يَبْهَظُهُ مَقَامُهُ، لاَ يَدْرِي أَلَهُ مَا يَأَتِي أَمْ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَسْتَ بِهِ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ بِكَ شَبِيهٌ.
وَأُقْسِمُ بِاللهِ لَوْ لاَ بَعْضُ الاِْسْتِبْقَاءِ لَوَصَلَتْ إِلَيْكَ مِنِّي قَوَارِعُ ، تَقْرَعُ الْعَظْم ، وَتَهْلِسُ اللَّحْمَ !
وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدْ ثَبَّطَكَ عَنْ أَنْ تُرَاجِعَ أَحْسَنَ أُمُورِكَ، وَتَأْذَنَ لِمَقَالِ نَصِيحَتِكَ، وَالسَّلاَمُ [لاَِهْلِهِ].
I have become sick of reading your letters and of replying to them. I feel that I have made an error in giving them undue importance and taking them seriously.
You are always unreasonable and often irrational. Your sole desire is to make me accept your demand (for allowing your oppressive, tyrannical and apostatic sway over a big province) and for this you have carried on an unending series of correspondence. Your condition is like that of a man who wants to live in a land of happy dreams and does not want to face facts or like the one who is confused and who does not know what to do and where to go and who is unaware of what the future (life after death) has in store for him. I know that you are not a fool but you resemble foolish and unreasonable people.I swear by Allah that had I not been disinclined to bring harm to you I would have taken the initiative and would have punished you very severely. Beware that Satan has made you incorrigible, it has made you blind to good things as shown by the Holy Prophet (s) and deaf to his teachings.
May the Peace of Allah be upon those who deserve it.