ثُمَّ كَلَّمَهُمْ (عليه السلام) بِكَلاَم طَوِيل، مِنْ جُمْلَتِهِ أَنْ قَالَ: أَلَمْ تَقُولُوا عِنْدَ رَفْعِهِمُ الْمَصَاحِفَ ـ حِيلَةً وَغِيلَةً وَمَكْراً وَخَدِيعَةً ـ : إِخْوانُنَا وَأَهْلُ دَعْوَتِنَا، اسْتَقَالُونَا وَاسْتَرَاحُوا إِلى كِتَابِ اللهِ سُبْحَانَهُ، فَالرَّأْيُ الْقَبُولُ مِنْهُمْ وَالتَّنْفِيسُ عَنْهُمْ؟ فَقُلْتُ لَكُمْ: هذَا أَمْرٌ ظَاهِرُهُ إِيمَانٌ، وَبَاطِنُهُ عُدْوَانٌ، وَأَوَّلُهُ رَحْمَةٌ، وَآخِرُهُ نَدَامَةٌ، فَأَقِيمُوا عَلى شَأْنِكُمْ، وَالْزمُوا طَرِيقَتَكُمْ، وَعَضُّوا عَلَى الْجِهَادِ بِنَوَاجِذِكُمْ، وَلاَ تَلْتَفِتُوا إِلى نَاعِق نَعَقَ: إِنْ أُجِيبَ أَضَلَّ، وَإِنْ تُرِكَ ذَلَّ. وَقَدْ كَانَتْ هذِهِ الْفَعْلَةُ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُكُمْ أَعْطَيْتُمُوهَا.
Then he had a long conversation with them during which he said : When they had raised the Qur’ān by way of deceit, craft, artifice and cheat, did you not say “They are our brothers and our comrades in accepting Islam. They want us to cease fighting, and ask for protection through the Book of Allāh, the Glorified. Our opinion is, to agree with them and to end their troubles.” Then I said to you, “In this affair the outer side is Faith but the inner side is enmity. Its beginning is pity and the end is repentance. Consequently you should stick to your position, and remain steadfast on your path. You should press your teeth (to put all your might) in jihād and should not pay heed to the shouts of the shouter. [2] If he is answered he would mislead, but if he is left (unanswered) he would be disgraced.” But when this thing (Arbitration) was done I found that you agree to it.