ثُمَّ ذَكَرْتَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي وَأَمْرِ عُثْمانَ، فَلَكَ أَنْ تُجَابَ عَنْ هذِهِ لِرَحِمِكَ منْهُ، فَأَيُّنَا كَانَ أَعْدَى لَهُ، وَأَهْدَى إِلَى مَقَاتِلِهِ! أَ مَنْ بَذَلَ لَهُ نُصْرَتَهُ فَاسْتَقْعَدَهُ وَاسْتَكَفَّهُ، أَمْ مَنِ اسْتَنْصَرَهُ فَتَرَاَخى عَنْهُ وَبَثَّ الْـمَنُونَ إِلَيْهِ، حَتَّى أَتَى قَدَرُهُ عَلَيْهِ، كَلاَّ وَاللهِ لَ ﴿قَدْ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ الْمُعَوِّقِينَ مِنكُمْ وَالْقَائِلِينَ لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ هَلُمَّ إِلَيْنَا ۖ وَلَا يَأْتُونَ الْبَأْسَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾.
Then you have recalled my position vis-à-vis ‘Uthmān, and in this matter an answer is due to you because of your kinship with him. So (now tell me), which of us was more inimical towards ‘Uthmān and who did more to bring about his killing; or who offered him his support but he made him sit down and stopped him; or who was he whom he called for help but who turned his face from him and drew his death near him till his fate overtook him? No, no; by Allāh: “Indeed knoweth Allāh those who hinder others among you and those who say unto their brethren ‘Come hither unto us’, and they come not to fight but a little.” (Qur’ān, 33:18)