Nahjul Balagha Part 2, Letters and Sayings
Letter 79: To the army officers when Amir al-mu'minin became Caliph
ومن كتاب كتبه (عليه السلام)
لما استُخْلِف
إلى أمراء الاجناد
Now, what ruined those before you was that they denied people their rights and then they had to purchase them (by bribes), and they led the people to wrong and they followed it.
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فإِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ أَنَّهُمْ مَنَعُوا النَّاسَ الْحَقَّ فَاشْتَرَوْهُ، وَأَخَذُوهُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ فَاقْتَدَوْهُ.
تمّ الباب بحمدالله.