Chapter Six: Social Policies

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

243. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ـ:

243. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar:

وَليَكُن أحَبُّ الاُمورِ إلَيكَ أوسَطَها فِي الحَقِّ ،

“Let the dearest of your affairs be those which are the nearest of them to rightfulness,

وأعَمَّها فِي العَدلِ ،

most inclusive in justice

وأجمَعَها لِرِضَى الرَّعِيَّةِ . . .

and most comprehensive in (establishing) the pleasure of the subjects. …

إنَّ أفضَلَ قُرَّةِ عَينِ الوُلاةِ استِقامَةُ العَدلِ فِي البِلادِ ،

Verily the foremost delight of the eye for rulers is the establishment of justice in the land

وظُهورُ مَوَدَّةِ الرَّعِيَّةِ .

and the appearance of friendship among the subjects.”

نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 53 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.

244. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :

244. Imam Ali (AS) said:

جَعَلَ اللّهُ سُبحانَهُ حُقوقَ عِبادِهِ مُقَدَّمَةً لِحُقوقِهِ ؛

“God the Glorified has put the rights of His servants ahead of His own rights (giving priority to their rights).

فَمَن قامَ بِحُقوقِ عِبادِ اللّهِ كانَ ذلِكَ مُؤَدِّيا إلَى القِيامِ بِحُقوقِ اللّهِ .

Therefore, whoever fulfils the rights of the servants of God will fulfill the rights of God.”

غرر الحكم : ح4780 .

Ghurar al-Hikam, h. 4780.

245. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :

245. Imam Ali (AS) said:

أيُّهَا النّاسُ !

“O people!

إنَّ آدَمَ لَم يَلِد عَبدا ولا أمَةً ،

[Prophet] Adam did not beget slave men and women;

وإنَّ النّاسَ كُلَّهُم أحرارٌ .

indeed, all people are free.”

الكافي : ج8 ص69 ح26 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 8, p. 69, h. 26.

246. عنه عليه السلام :

246. Imam Ali (AS) said:

لا تَكُن عَبدَ غَيرِكَ

“Do not be a slave to someone else.

وقَد جَعَلَكَ اللّهُ حُرّا .

Allah has created you free.”

نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 31 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 31.

247. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ـ:

247. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar:

فَاعمَل فيما وُلّيتَ عَمَلَ مَن يُحِبُّ أن يَدَّخِرَ حُسنَ الثَّناءِ مِنَ الرَّعِيَّةِ ،

“Therefore, you should act in your rule like him who desires to secure the praise of the subjects,

وَالمَثوبَةِ مِنَ اللّهِ ،

the reward of God

وَالرِّضا مِنَ الإِمامِ .

and the good pleasure of the Imam.

ولا قُوَّةَ إلّا بِاللّهِ .

There is no power save in God.”

تحف العقول : ص138 .

Tuhaf al-`Uqul, p. 138.

248. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ـ:

248. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar:

وأشعِر قَلبَكَ الرَّحمَةَ لِلرَّعِيَّةِ ، وَالمَحَبَّةَ لَهُم ، وَاللُّطفَ بِهِم ،

“Infuse your heart with mercy, love and kindness for your subjects.

ولا تَكونَنَّ عَلَيهِم سَبُعا ضارِيا تَغتَنِمُ أكلَهُم ؛

Be not in face of them a voracious animal, counting them as easy prey,

فَإِنَّهُم صِنفانِ : إمّا أخٌ لَكَ فِي الدّينِ ،

for they are either your brothers in religion

وإمّا نَظيرٌ لَكَ فِي الخَلقِ ،

or your like in creation.

يَفرُطُ مِنهُمُ الزَّلَلُ ،

They are subject to mistakes,

وتَعرِضُ لَهُمُ العِلَلُ ،

deficiencies overcome them

ويُؤتى عَلى أيديهِم فِي العَمدِ وَالخَطَأَ ،

and evil deeds are committed by them intentionally and by mistake.

فَأَعطِهِم مِن عَفوِكَ وصَفحِكَ

So grant them your pardon and your forgiveness

مِثلَ الَّذي تُحِبُّ وتَرضى أن يُعطِيَكَ اللّهُ مِن عَفوِهِ وصَفحِهِ ؛

to the same extent that you hope God will grant you His pardon and His forgiveness,

فَإنَّكَ فَوقَهُم ،

for you are above them

ووالِي الأَمرِ عَلَيكَ فَوقَكَ ،

and he who appointed you is above you

واللّهُ فَوقَ مَن وَلّاكَ .

and God is above him who appointed you.

وقَدِ استَكفَاكَ أمرَهُم

God has sought from you the fulfillment of their requirements,

وَابتَلاكَ بِهِم .

and He is trying you with them.

ولا تَنصِبَنَّ نَفسَكَ لِحَربِ اللّهِ ؛

Set not yourself to war against God,

فَإِنهُ لا يَدَ لَكَ بِنِقمَتِهِ ،

for you have no power against His vengeance,

ولا غِنىً بِكَ عَن عَفوِهِ ورَحمَتِهِ ...

nor are you able to dispense with His pardon and His mercy.

 وَاعلَم أنَّهُ لَيسَ شَيءٌ بِأَدعى إلى حُسنِ ظَنِّ راعٍ بِرَعِيَّتِهِ مِن إحسانِهِ إلَيهِم ،

Know that there is nothing that brings about the trust of the ruler in the subject more than to be kind to them,

وتَخفيفِهِ المَؤوناتِ عَلَيهِم ،

to lighten their burdens

وتَركِ استِكراهِهِ إيّاهُم

and abandon coercing them in that

عَلى ما لَيسَ لَهُ قِبَلَهُم ،

in which he possesses not any right over them.

فَليَكُن مِنكَ في ذلِكَ أمرٌ يَجتَمِعُ لَكَ بِهِ حُسنُ الظَّنِّ بِرَعِيَّتِكَ ؛

So, you should attain a situation in which you can have trust in your subjects,

فَإِنَّ حُسنَ الظَّنِّ يَقطَعُ عَنكَ نَصَباً طَويلاً ،

as trusting them will sever from you a lasting strain.

وإنَّ أحَقَّ مَن حَسُنَ ظَنُّكَ بِهِ لَمَن حَسُنَ بَلاؤُكَ عِندَهُ .

Surely he who most deserves your trust is he who has succeeded when you have tested him

وإنَّ أحَقَّ مَن ساءَ ظَنُّكَ بِهِ لَمَن ساءَ بَلاؤُكَ عِندَهُ .

and he who most deserves your mistrust is he who has failed when you have tested him.’’

 نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 53 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.

وزاد في تحف العقول :

According to Tuhaf al-'Uqul the Imam added,

فَاعرِف هذِهِ المَنزِلَةَ لَكَ وعَلَيكَ

"If you realize this state for and against you,

لِتَزِدكَ بَصيرَةً في حُسنِ الصُّنعِ ،

you will be more cognizant in doing good

وَاستِكثارِ حُسنِ البَلاءِ عِندَ العامَّةِ ،

and having good impression with people

مَعَ ما يوجِبُ اللّهُ بِها لَكَ فِي المَعادِ .

in addition to what God will reward you in the world to come.”

تحف العقول : ص126 ـ 130 .

Tuhaf al-`Uqul, pp. 126-130.

249. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في عَهدِهِ إلى مالِكٍ الأَشتَرِ ـ:

249. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar:

اِجعَل لِذَوِي الحاجاتِ مِنكَ قِسما

“Set aside for those who have requests from you a portion (of your time)

تُفَرِّغُ لَهُم فيهِ شَخصَكَ ،

in which you yourself are free (to attend) to them.

وتَجلِسُ لَهُم مَجلِسا عامّا ،

Hold an open audience for them

فَتَتَواضَعُ فيهِ للِّهِ الَّذي خَلَقَكَ ،

and therein be humble before God who created you.

وتُقعِدَ عَنهُم جُندَكَ وأعوانَكَ مِن أحراسِكَ وشُرَطِكَ ،

Keep the soldiers and aids that are your bodyguards and police away from them

حَتّى يُكَلِّمَكَ مُتَكَلِّمُهُم غَيرَ مُتَتَعتِعٍ ؛

so that their spokesman may address you without stammering (in fear).

فَإِنّي سَمِعتُ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله يَقولُ في غَيرِ مَوطِنٍ :

I heard the Messenger of God (SA) say on more than one occasion:

«لَن تُقَدَّسَ اُمّةٌ لا يُؤخَذُ لِلضَّعيفِ فيها حَقُّهُ مِنَ القَوِيِّ غَيرَ مُتَتَعتِعٍ» . . .

 “A nation in which the rights of the weak are not taken from the strong without stammering shall never be sanctified.”

 ثُمَّ اُمورٌ مِن اُمورِكَ لابُدَّ لَكَ مِن مُباشَرَتِها ، مِنها :

Then there are certain matters of your affairs in which you must carry out personally.

إجابَةُ عُمّالِكَ بِما يَعيا عَنهُ كُتّابُكَ . ومِنها :

Among them are: responding to your administrators when your secretaries are unable to do,

إصدارُ حاجاتِ النّاسِ يَومَ وُرودِها عَليكَ بِما تَحرَجُ بِهِ صُدورُ أعوانِكَ . . .

and meeting people’s need the same day presented to you.

فَلا تُطَوِّلَنَّ احتجِابَكَ عَن رَعِيَّتِكَ ؛

Do not prolong your seclusion from your subjects,

فَإِنَّ احتِجابَ الوُلاةِ عَنِ الرَّعِيَّةِ شُعبَةٌ مِنَ الضِّيقِ ،

for the rulers’ seclusion from their subjects is a kind of constraint

وقِلَّةُ عِلمٍ بِالاُمورِ ،

and will result in a lack of knowledge of the affairs.

وَالِاحتِجابُ مِنهُم يَقطَعُ عَنهُم عِلمَ مَا احتَجَبوا دونَهُ ،

Seclusion from people deprives the rulers from acquiring the knowledge of what they are unaware of and then as a result they begin to regard great matters small and bad matters good.

فَيَصغُرُ عِندَهُمُ الكَبيرُ ،

The great appears to them as small

ويَعظُمُ الصَّغيرُ ،

and the small as great

ويَقبُحُ الحَسَنُ ،

and the beautiful will appear as ugly

ويَحسُنُ القَبيحُ .

and the ugly as beautiful.”

نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 53 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.

250. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ مِن وَصِيَّتِهِ لِابنِ عَبّاسٍ عِندَ استِخلافِهِ إيّاهُ عَلَى البَصرَةِ ـ:

250. Imam Ali (AS) said, in his instructions to Ibn `Abbas when appointing him as his representative in Basra:

سَعِ النّاسَ بِوَجهِكَ ومَجلِسِكَ وحُكمِكَ ،

“Treat people kindly, when you meet them and when issue orders;

وإيّاكَ وَالغَضَبَ ؛

and beware of anger,

فَإِنَّهُ طَيرَةٌ مِنَ الشَّيطانِ .

because it is an augury of Satan.”

نهج البلاغة : الكتاب 76 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 76.

251. الإمام عليّ عليه السلام :

251. Imam Ali (AS) said:

أيُّهَا النّاسُ ! أعينوني عَلى أنفُسِكُم ،

“O people! Assist me against your heart’s desires.

وايمُ اللّهِ لَاُنصِفَنَّ المَظلومَ مِن ظالِمِهِ ،

By Allah, I will take revenge the oppressor on behalf of the oppressed

ولَأَقودَنَّ الظّالِمَ بِخِزامَتِهِ ،

and I will put a string in the nose of the oppressor

حَتّى اُورِدَهُ مَنهَلَ الحَقِّ

and drag him to the spring of truthfulness,

وإن كانَ كارِها .

even though he may grudge it.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 136 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 136.

252. عنه عليه السلام :

252. Imam Ali (AS) said:

الذَّليلُ عِندي عَزيزٌ حَتّى آخُذَ الحَقَّ لَهُ ،

“In my view the humiliated is worthy of honour till I secure [his] right for him,

وَالقَوِيُّ عِندي ضَعيفٌ حَتّى آخُذَ الحَقَّ مِنهُ .

while the strong in my view is weak till I take the rights [of other’s] from him.”

 نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 37 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 37.

253. صبح الأعشى :

253. Subh al-A`sha:

أوَّلُ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ بَيتا تُرمى فيهِ قِصَصُ أهلِ الظُّلاماتِ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ عَليُّ بنُ أبي طالِبٍ رضى الله عنه .

 “The first one to set up a place for people to lodge their complaints was the Commander of the faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS).”

صبح الأعشى : ج1 ص414 .

Subh al-A`sha, vol. 1, p. 414.

254. شرح نهج البلاغة :

254. Sharh Nahj al-Balagha:

كانَ لِأَميرِ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام بَيتٌ سَمّاهُ :

“The Commander of the Faithful (AS) had a place which he called

بَيتَ القِصَصِ ،

the House of Complaints (bayt al-qasas)

يُلقِي النّاسُ فيهِ رِقاعَهُم .

where people would drop their letters of complaint in it.”779

شرح نهج البلاغة : ج17 ص87 .

779. Sharh Nahj al-Balagha, vol. 17, p. 87.

255. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ مِن كَلامِهِ مَعَ الخَوارِجِ ـ:

255. Imam Ali (AS) said, when addressing the Khawarij:

اِلزَموا السَّوادَ الأَعظَمَ ؛

“Be with the great majority (of Muslims)

فَإِنَّ يَدَ اللّهُ مَعَ الجَماعَةِ ،

because God’s hand (of protection) is with the united community.

وإيّاكُم والفُرقَةَ !

Beware of division

فَإِنَّ الشّاذَّ مِنَ النّاسِ لِلشَّيطانِ ،

because the one isolated from the group is a prey to Satan just

كَما أنَّ الشّاذَّ مِنَ الغَنَمِ لِلذِّئبِ .

as the one isolated from the flock of sheep is a prey to the wolf.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 127 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 127.

256. عنه عليه السلام :

256. Imam Ali (AS) said:

وإنّي ، وَاللّهِ ، لَأَظُنُّ أنَّ هؤلاءِ القَومَ

“By Allah, I have begun thinking about these people

سَيُدالونَ مِنكُم بِاجتِماعِهِم عَلى باطِلِهِم ،

that they would shortly snatch away the whole country through their unity on their wrong

وتَفَرُّقِكُم عَن حَقِّكُم .

and your disunity from your own right.”

نهج البلاغة : الخطبة 25 .

Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 25.