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Imam Ali and Political Leadership

security. He never confronted people on the basis of suspicion and probability and never punished the accused or the suspects who were charged with actions against the security of the state.

5. Adherence to Law in Dealing with Criminals

Imām Ali’s (a.s.) system of government relied on law, and in all aspects it was the law and not the will of a person that ruled. He therefore, strongly emphasized adherence to the law and on law-centering in his doctrines. Thus, in his ruling system, torturing the accused and suspects was forbidden, and the criminals were never tortured or even offended. If anyone was proven guilty, they would be punished only according to the law. If the executor of the law deliberately or unintentionally violated the law in enforcing a verdict, he would be punished by way of retaliation (qisās). When Imām Ali (a.s.) found out that his servant Qanbar had given three extra lashes when whipping a criminal, he ordered that three lashes be given to him in return as a qisās [retaliation].1

6. Tolerance towards Political Dissidents

Imām (a.s.) also never treated political dissidents with harshness. Tolerance in the diplomacy of Imām Ali (a.s.) was an inviolable principle, and this tolerance was so great that the opponents would dare to conspire. Imām Ali (a.s.) believed that tolerance with opponents would cut down their vehemence and divert them from creating turmoil and disorder. Accordingly, Imām did not confront the Khārijites; he tolerated their invectives and did not even cut off their rights from the public treasury, until they committed murder and jeopardized the security of the society. His confrontation with the plotters against internal security was proportionate to the extent of their intrigue and their role in the plotting. Sometimes he would exile them, at other times he would incarcerate them, and finally when other alternatives did not work, he would resolve the problem by military intervention.

1.. See ۷/۱۰, h. ۳۹۴.


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2. Détente (Removal of Tension)

Trying to create changes in the thoughts and the positions of the enemies was among the valuable doctrines of Imām Ali (a.s.). The antagonism of many enemies, was rooted in their unawareness and lack of knowledge of Imām’s stances and the methods and the reasons behind them. Imām insisted that attempts had to be made on the correction of thoughts and then the change of positions of the opponents. In his own words the reform of the enemy (istislāh al-'a`dā') [into friends] must be carried out as a procedure and method in the policies of the government.
Imām views conciliation with the enemy, rectifying their thoughts and correcting their positions as the utmost form of deep and far-sightedness, and stresses that it is much easier to transform the enemy’s ideas and stances by means of good speech and nice treatment than by drawing the enemy to the battlefield, as the former approach will be effective in reforming the enemies [to friends] and compelling the evil doer enemies to do good. All this implies that Imām had pursued the policy of ‘détente’ (removal of tension), in order to transform the enemy into a friend, emphasizing the eradication of tension and an intelligent compromise with the enemy, as an effective means of establishing internal security.

3. Vigilance and Timeliness

Besides stressing the policy of “détente (removal of tension) and moving towards a peaceful life and compromising with the enemy, Imām Ali (a.s.) also emphasized watchfulness and prudence in the face of the enemy. He also insisted that the believers should not underestimate the enemy, and should be especially alert before those who do not openly express their enmity. They should be prepared to encounter any unprecedented event at the right time, knowing that if they ever sink into oblivion, the enemy will never remain ignorant.

4. Avoidance of Using Methods of Terrorizing and Spreading Fear

In his government, Imām Ali (a.s.) never resorted to the terrorization and spreading of horror against violators and opponents. He (a.s.) would not even employ the policy of terror, fear and the use of unlawful harsh actions against the violators of

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