In response to a letter from Muawiya
Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 17
وَأَمَّا طَلَبُكَ إِلَيَّ الشَّامَ، فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَكُنْ لِأُعْطِيَكَ الْيَوْمَ مَا مَنَعْتُكَ أَمْسِ.
As for your demand to me to (hand over) Syria, I cannot give you today what I denied you yesterday.