| In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.
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بِسْمِ الله الرَّحمٰن الرَّحِیم
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| To proceed: Had it not been for certain lapses that have occurred on your part, you would have been given precedence in this matter over others. Yet it may be that one part of your conduct will set right another, if you are mindful of God.
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أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَلَوْ لَا هَنَاتٌ كُنَّ فِيكَ كُنْتَ الْمُقَدَّمَ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ قَبْلَ النَّاسِ وَ لَعَلَّ أَمْرَكَ يَحْمِلُ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضاً إِنِ اتَّقَيْتَ اللَّهَ
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| What has taken place regarding the people’s pledge of allegiance to me has already reached you.
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ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مِنْ بَيْعَةِ النَّاسِ إِيَّايَ مَا قَدْ بَلَغَكَ
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| Talha and al-Zubayr were among those who pledged allegiance to me; then, without any new circumstance arising, they broke their pledge.
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وَ كَانَ طَلْحَةُ وَ الزُّبَيْرُ مِمَّنْ بَايَعَانِي ثُمَّ نَقَضَا بَيْعَتِي عَلَى غَيْرِ حَدَثٍ
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| They took the Mother of the Believers with them and set out for Basra. I therefore marched toward them, met them, and called upon them to return from the course they had taken;
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وَ أَخْرَجَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ سَارَا إِلَى الْبَصْرَةِ فَسِرْتُ إِلَيْهِمَا فَالْتَقَيْنَا فَدَعَوْتُهُمْ إِلَى أَنْ يَرْجِعُوا فِيمَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهُ
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| but they refused. I exerted the utmost effort in admonition, and in what followed I acted with forbearance and goodness.
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فَأَبَوْا فَأَبْلَغْتُ فِي الدُّعَاءِ وَ أَحْسَنْتُ فِي الْبَقِيَّةِ
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| Know that the office entrusted to you is not a morsel to be consumed, but a trust. In your hands is property belonging to God, and you are one of God’s treasurers over it,
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وَ إِنَّ عَمَلَكَ لَيْسَ لَكَ بِطُعْمَةٍ وَ لَكِنَّهُ أَمَانَةٌ وَ فِي يَدَيْكَ مَالٌ مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ وَ أَنْتَ مِنْ خُزَّانِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ
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| until you deliver it to me. And perhaps I shall not be the worst of governors for you, if you remain upright. There is no power except through God.
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حَتَّى تُسَلِّمَهُ إِلَيَّ وَ لَعَلِّي أَلَّا أَكُونَ شَرَّ وُلَاتِكَ لَكَ إِنِ اسْتَقَمْتَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ
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