To his governor in Basra
Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 18
فَارْبَعْ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ، رَحِمَكَ اللهُ، فِيَما جَرَى عَلَى لِسَانِكَ وَيَدِكَ مِنْ خَيْر وَشَرّ! فَإِنَّا شَرِيكَانِ فِي ذلِكَ، وَكُنْ عِنْدَ صَالِحِ ظَنِّي بِكَ، وَلَا يَفِيلَنَّ رَأَيِي فِيكَ، وَالسَّلَامُ.
O’ Abu’l-‘Abbās, may Allāh have mercy on you, keep yourself restrained in whatever you say or do, good or bad about your people, as we are both partners in this (responsibility). Prove yourself according to my good impressions about you, and do not prove my opinion (about you) wrong; and that is an end to the matter.