وَمِنۡ كَلَامٍ لَهُ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ
From one of his statements
فِي ذَمِّ أَصۡحَابِهِ
Admonishing his companions about careless behaviour, Amīr al-Muʾminīn said:
كَمۡ أُدَارِيكُمۡ كَمَا تُدَارَى الۡبِكَارُ الۡعَمِدَةُ وَالثِّيَابُ الۡمتَدَاعِيَةُ! كُلَّمَا حِيصَتۡ مِنۡ جَانِبٍ تَهَتَّكَتۡ مِنۡ آخَرَ، كُلَّما أَطَلَّ عَلَيۡكُمۡ مَنۡسِرٌ مِنۡ مَنَاسِرِ أَهۡلِ الشَّامِ أَغۡلَقَ كُلُّ رَجُلٍ مِنۡكُمۡ بَابَهُ، وَانۡجَحَرَ انۡجِحَارَ الضَّبَّةِ فِي جُحۡرِهَا، وَالضَّبُعِ فِي وِجَارِهَا.
How long shall I accord you consideration that is accorded to camels with hollow hump, or to worn clothes which when stitched on one side give way on the other. Whenever a vanguard force of Syria (ash-Shām) hovers over you, everyone of you shuts his door and hides himself like the lizard in its hole or a hyena in its den.
الذَّلِيلُ وَاللهِ! مَنۡ نَصَرۡتُمُوهُ! وَمَنۡ رُمِيَ بِكُمۡ فَقَدۡ رُمِيَ بِأَفۡوَقَ نَاصِلٍ. إِنَّكُمۡ ـ وَاللهِ ـ لَكَثِيرٌ فِي الۡبَاحَاتِ قَليِلٌ تَحۡتَ الرَّايَاتِ، وَإِنِّي لَعَالِمٌ بِمَا يُصۡلِحُكُمۡ، وَيُقِيمُ أَوَدَكُمۡ وَلَكِنِّي [في بعض النسخ: وَلَكِنِّي واللهِ] لَا أَرَى إِصۡلَاحَكُمۡ بَإِفۡسَادِ نَفۡسِي.
By Allāh, he whom people like you support must suffer disgrace, and he who throws arrows with your support is as if he throws arrows that are broken both at head and tail. By Allāh, within the courtyards you are quite numerous, but under the banner you are only a few. Certainly, I know what can improve you and how your crookedness can be straightened. But I shall not improve your condition by marring myself.
أَضۡرَعَ اللهُ خُدُودَكُمۡ، وَأَتۡعَسَ جُدُودَكُمۡ! لَا تَعۡرِفُونَ الۡحَقَّ كَمَعۡرِفَتِكُمُ الۡبَاطِلَ، وَلَا تُبۡطِلُونَ الۡبَاطِلَ كَإِبۡطَالِكُمُ الۡحَقَّ!
Allāh may disgrace your faces and destroy you! You do not understand the truth as you recognize falsehood, and do not crush the falsehood as you crush the truth.
