وَلَعَمْرِي، يَا مُعَاوِيَةُ، لَئِنْ نَظَرْتَ بِعَقْلِكَ دُونَ هَوَاكَ لَتَجِدَنِّي أَبْرَأَ النَّاسِ مِنْ دَمِ عُثْمانَ، وَلَتَعْلَمَنَّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ فِي عُزْلَة عَنْهُ، إِلَّا أَنْ تَتَجَنَّى فَتَجَنَّ مَا بَدَا لَكَ! وَالسَّلَامُ.
By my life, O Mu‘āwiyah, if you see with your intellect without any passion you will find me the most innocent of all in respect of ‘Uthmān’s blood and you will surely know that I was in seclusion from him, unless you conceal what is quite open to you (and accuse me of a crime I have not committed). Then you may commit any outrage (on me) as you wish and that is an end to the matter.