إلى أبي موسى الأشعري والي الكوفة حين علم علي أنه يثبّط عن الجهاد

[1] When Amīr al-mu’minīn had the idea of suppressing the revolt of the people of Baṣrah he sent this letter through Imām al-Ḥasan to Abū Mūsā (‘Abdullāh ibn Qays) al-Ash‘arī, who had been appointed Governor of Kūfah by ‘Uthmān, wherein he has ascolded him for his duplicit and contradictory behaviour and attempted to persuade him to jihād, because on one side he used to say that Amīr al-mu’minīn was the true Imām and allegiance to him was right and on the other he said that to support him in fighting against the Muslims was not right; but it was a mischief and it was necessary to keep off this mischief. Thus, Amīr al-mu’minīn has referred to this contradictory view by the words “huwa laka wa ‘alayka” (which go in your favour as well as against you). The intention is that when Amīr al-mu’minīn is the rightful Imām how can fighting his enemy with him be wrong? And if fighting on his side is wrong then what is the meaning of his being the rightful Imām. In any case, in spite of his dissuading from fighting, the people of Kūfah came out in large numbers to join Amīr al-mu’minīn’s army and took full part in the battle, giving such a defeat to the people of Baṣrah that they never again dared to revolt.