O people of Iraq ...

In condemnation of the people of Iraq Now then, O people1of Iraq! You are like the pregnant woman who, on completion of the period of pregnancy delivers a dead child and her husband is also dead and her period of widowhood is long while only remote relation inherits her. By Allah, I did not come to you of my own accord. I came to you by force of circumstances. I have come to know that you say ‘Ali speaks lie. May Allah fight you! Against whom do I speak lie? Whether against Allah? But I am the first to have believed in him. Whether against His Prophet? But I am the first who testified to him. Certainly not. By Allah it was a way of expression which you failed to appreciate, and you were not capable of it. Woe to you. I am giving out these measures of nice expression free of any cost. I wish there were vessels good enough to hold them. Certainly, you will understand it after some time. (Qur'an,38:88)

ومن كلام له (عليه السلام) في ذم أَهل العراق [وفيها يوبّخهم على ترك القتال، والنصر يكاد يتمّ، ثم تكذيبهم له] أَمَّا بَعْدُ يَا أَهْلَ الْعِرَاقِ، فَإِنَّمَا أَنْتُمْ كَالْمَرْأَةِ الْحَامِلِ، حَمَلَتْ فَلَمَّا أَتَمَّتْ أَمْلَصَتْ، وَمَاتَ قَيِّمُهَا، وَطَالَ تَأَيُّمُهَا، وَوَرِثَهَا أَبْعَدُهَا. أَمَا وَاللهِ مَا أَتَيْتُكُمُ اخْتِيَاراً، وَلكِنْ جَئْتُ إِلَيْكُمْ سَوْقاً، وَلَقَدْ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكُمْ تَقُولُونَ: [عَليٌّ ] يَكْذِبُ، قَاتَلَكُمُ اللهُ! فَعَلَى مَنْ أَكْذِبُ؟ أَعَلَى اللهِ؟ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ آمَنَ بِهِ! أَمْ عَلَى نَبِيِّهِ؟ فَأَنَا أَوَّلُ مَنْ صَدَّقَهُ! كَلاَّ وَاللهِ، ولكِنَّهَا لَهْجَةٌ غِبْتُمْ عَنْهَا، وَلَمْ تَكُونُوا مِنْ أَهْلِهَا، وَيْلُ امِّهِ، كَيْلاً بِغَيْرِ ثَمَن! لَوْ كَانَ لَهُ وِعَاءٌ، ) وَلَتَعْلَمُنَّ نَبَأَهُ بَعْدَ حِين(