Even during the battle of Safween...

Even during the battle of Safween, Imam Ali -asws said to his -asws son, (Imam Hassan ‑asws ): وَ قَالَ ع‏ لِابْنِهِ الْحَسَنِ ع لَا تَدْعُوَنَّ إِلَى مُبَارَزَةٍ وَ إِنْ [فَإِنْ‏] دُعِيتَ إِلَيْهَا فَأَجِبْ فَإِنَّ الدَّاعِيَ إِلَيْهَا بَاغٍ وَ الْبَاغِيَ مَصْرُوعٌ‏ Imam Ali -asws Ibn Abu Talib -asws said: ‘Do not challenge anyone to a duel (fight), but if you are called upon to duel, (only then) respond, because one who calls to a fight is an oppressor, and the oppressor is always defeated.’ [19] Continue on your way when someone is Insulting: فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا سَيِّدِي لَمْ أَعْلَمْ مَا فِي رِجْلِ الْبَابِ فَقَالَ وَ لِمَ احْتَجْتَ أَنْ تَعْمَلَ عَمَلًا تَحْتَاجُ أَنْ تَعْتَذِرَ مِنْهُ إِيَّاكَ بَعْدَهَا أَنْ تَعُودَ إِلَى مِثْلِهَا وَ إِذَا سَمِعْتَ لَنَا شَاتِماً فَامْضِ لِسَبِيلِكَ الَّتِي أُمِرْتَ بِهَا وَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تُجَاوِبَ مَنْ يَشْتِمُنَا أَوْ تُعَرِّفَهُ مَنْ أَنْتَ فَإِنَّا بِبَلَدِ سَوْءٍ وَ مِصْرَ سَوْءٍ وَ امْضِ فِي طَرِيقِكَ فَإِنَّ أَخْبَارَكَ وَ أَحْوَالَكَ تُرَدُّ إِلَيْنَا فَاعْلَمْ ذَلِكَ‏ ‘I said to him asws (the Imam -asws ), ‘O my Master asws !

And continue in your road, for your news and your situations are being referred to us asws , so know that!’’ (See the complete Hadith in Appendix II). [20] Extending the Fight from Verbal to Physical: وَ قَالَ ع‏ مَنْ بَالَغَ فِي الْخُصُومَةِ أَثِمَ وَ مَنْ قَصَّرَ فِيهَا ظُلِمَ وَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَتَّقِيَ اللَّهَ مَنْ خَاصَمَ‏ Imam Ali -asws ibn Abu Talib -asws said: ‘Whoever goes too far in quarrelling is a sinner, but if one falls short in it (quarrel), one is oppressed.