If you are not going to refrain from the thought that I made a mistake and went astray, then why do you consider the general members of Muhammad's ummah as misguided because of my misguidance, and why do you give them the punishment of my mistake, and why do you call them disbelievers because of my sins, raising swords on shoulders and striking at every appropriate and inappropriate place? And you mix the innocent with the guilty, although you know that when the Messenger stoned the adulterer, he also prayed his funeral prayer, and gave his inheritance to his heirs, and when he took retribution from the killer, he gave his inheritance to his household, and when he cut the thief's hand, and when he lashed the one who committed unlawful intercourse, he also gave them a share from the financial booty, and they also married (as Muslims) Muslim women. Thus the Messenger of Allah gave them the punishment of their sins and applied Allah's right (prescribed punishment) regarding them, but did not deprive them of the right of Islam, nor removed their names from the people of Islam. After this (the meaning of these evils is that) you are the evil-doers and those whom Satan has placed on the path of achieving his purpose and thrown into the desolate wilderness of misguidance. (Remember that) regarding me, two types of people will be destroyed: one, those who love excessively, whom (the excess of love) will lead to the wrong path, and one, those who reduce my status and have enmity, whom this animosity will lead away from truth. Those who take the middle path regarding me will be in the best state. You should remain firm on this path and join this large group. For Allah's hand is on those who maintain unity and agreement, and refrain from division and dispersion, for the one who separates from the community goes to Satan's share, like a sheep that is cut from the flock joins the wolf. Beware! Whoever raises such slogans and calls to himself, kill him, even if he is under this turban (i.e., even if it is I myself). And those two arbitrators (Abu Musa and Amr ibn al-As) were only appointed as arbitrators so that they would revive those things that the Quran has revived, and destroy those things that the Quran has destroyed. The meaning of reviving something is that unity is achieved on it, and the meaning of destroying it is that separation is taken from it. Now if the Quran takes us toward those people (their obedience), we would become their followers, and if it brings them toward us, then they should follow us. Woe to you! I did not create any trouble, nor did I deceive you in anything, nor did I practice fraud in it. It was the opinion of your own group that two men should be chosen, from whom we had taken this agreement that they would not exceed the Quran. But they deviated from the Quran despite seeing and understanding well, and left truth, and their emotions became inclined toward misguidance. So they followed that method (although) we had already made a condition with them that they would not allow bad intention and misguidance in judging with justice and keeping the purpose of truth in view. (If that happened, then that judgment would not be acceptable to us).