Jihad is one of the gates of Paradise that Allah has opened for His special friends. It is the garment of piety, Allah's strong armour and firm shield. Whoever abandons it, turning away from it, Allah clothes him in the garment of humiliation and covers him with the cloak of affliction. He is struck down with ignominies and rejected. The veil of heedlessness covers his heart, and truth is taken from his hands because he abandoned jihad. Humiliation becomes his lot and justice is withheld from him. I called and summoned you to fight this people by night and day, openly and secretly, and I told you to attack them before they advanced for war. By Allah, when a people are attacked within the boundaries of their homes, they are humiliated. But you passed jihad to others and began to avoid helping each other, until your cities were ravaged and your towns were forcibly seized. Look at this man from Banu Ghamid (Sufyan ibn 'Awf)—his horsemen reached inside (the city of) Anbar and killed Hassan ibn Hassan al-Bakri and removed your guard horsemen from the borders. I have even been informed that a man from this group would enter the homes of Muslim and protected women and take anklets, bracelets, necklaces and earrings from their feet, and they had no means of protection except to say 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' and endure patiently or beg him for mercy with flattery. They returned loaded with booty. No one was wounded, no blood was shed. If any Muslim dies of grief and sorrow after these calamities, he cannot be blamed; rather, in my view, he should do so. Wonder upon wonder! By Allah, their unity on falsehood and your scattering from the truth deadens the heart and increases grief and sorrow. Woe to you! Remain in grief and sorrow. You are targets for arrows; you are being destroyed and plundered, yet your feet do not move for attack. They are fighting you, yet you shun war. Disobedience to Allah is occurring, and you are content. If I tell you to advance toward them in summer, you say it is the season of extreme heat—give us time until the heat subsides. And if I tell you to march in winter, you say it is severe cold—let us wait until the cold season passes. These are all excuses to avoid cold and heat. When you flee from cold and heat like this, then by Allah, you will flee from swords even more. O men with the appearance of men but the hearts of women! Your minds are like those of children, and you are like veiled women. I wish I had never seen you or known you. What an acquaintance that has become a cause of shame and a source of grief! May Allah destroy you! You have filled my heart with pus and my chest with rage. You have made me drink draughts of grief one after another, and by your disobedience you have destroyed my planning and counsel, until the Quraysh said: 'Ali is indeed a brave man, but he is not familiar with the ways of war.' May Allah be good to them! Is there anyone among them who has more experience in war than I, or who has accomplished more in the field of battle before me? I was not yet twenty years old when I rose for combat, and now I am over sixty, but what is the value of counsel that is not heeded?