When his men were prevented from taking water from the River Euphrates

When in Ṣiffīn the men of Mu‘āwiyah overpowered the men of Amīr al-mu’minīn and occupied the bank of River Euphrates and prevented them from taking its water, Amīr al-mu’minīn said :

They [1] are asking you morsels of battle. So either you remain in ignominy and the lowest position or drench your swords with blood and quench your thirst with water. Real death is in the life of subjugation while real life is in dying as subjugators. Beware, Mu‘āwiyah is leading a small group of insurgents and has kept them in dark about the true facts with the result that they have made their bosoms the targets of death.