To one of his officers
Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 41
فَاتَّقِ اللهَ، وَارْدُدْ إِلَى هَؤُلَاءِ الْقَوْمِ أمَوَالَهُمْ، فإِنَّكَ إِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ ثُمَّ أَمْكَنَنِي اللهُ مِنْكَ لَأُعْذِرَنَّ إِلَى اللهِ فِيكَ، وَلَأَضْرِبَنَّكَ بِسَيْفِي الَّذِي مَا ضَرَبْتُ بِهِ أَحَداً إِلَّا دَخَلَ النَّارَ!
Fear Allāh and return to these people their properties. If you do not do so and Allāh grants me power over you I shall excuse myself before Allāh about you and strike you with my sword with which I did not strike anyone but that he went to Hell.