قال عبدالله بن عباس (رحمه الله): دخلت على أَميرالمؤمنين صلوات الله عليه بذي قار وهو يخصِف نعله، فقال لي: ما قيمة هذا النعل؟ فقلت: لا قيمةَ لها! قال: والله لَهِيَ أَحَبُّ إِليَّ من إِمرتكم، إِلاّ أَن أُقيم حقّاً، أَوأَدفع باطلاً، ثمّ خرج (عليه السلام) فخطب الناس فقال:
‘Abdullāh ibn al-‘Abbās says that when Amīr al-mu’minīn set out for war with the people of Baṣrah he came to his audience at Dhiqār and saw that he was stitching his shoe. Then Amīr al-mu’minīn said to me, “What is the price of this shoe?” I said: “It has no value now.” He then said, “By Allāh, it should have been more dear to me than ruling over you but for the fact that I have establish right and ward off wrong.” Then he came out and spoke :