164. Imām Ali (a.s.) –one of his companions had told him: “You are our commander and we are your subordinates. Through you God the Great and Almighty brought us forth from disgrace and for your glory He freed His servants from chains. You choose for us and carry them out and command as you wish and enforce it, because you are a speaker whose words are believed, a successful ruler and entrusted sovereign. We do not see lawful disobedience to you in any matter and we do not measure any knowledge with yours, as your status is so lofty to us and your superiority so great.” To which Imām responded:
“If a man considers God’s glory as being high in his self and believes in his heart that God’s position is sublime, then it is his right that --on account of the greatness of these things-- he should regard all other things as small. The person who most deserves to be as such is he who receives Gods bounty and favor most, because the bounty of God over any person does not increase without an increase in God’s right over him.
In the view of virtuous people, the worst position of rulers is that it may be thought about them that they love glory and their affairs may be taken to be based on pride. I would really hate that it may occur to your mind that I love high praises or to hear eulogies. By the grace of Allah I am not like this. Even If I had loved to be mentioned like this, I would have given it up in submissiveness before Allah, the Glorified, rather than accept greatness and sublimity to which He is more entitled. Generally people feel pleased at praise after good performances.”
“Do not mention for me glowing praise so that I can discharge my responsibilities towards God and towards you I have not yet carried out and injunctions that have to be performed. So do not address me in the manner despots are
addressed. Do not evade me as the irascible people are (to be) evaded; do not meet me with flattery and do not think that I shall take it ill if a true thing is said to me; and do not entitle me with undue greatness. Certainly the person who feels disgusted and burdensome when truth is said to him or a just matter is placed before him would find it more difficult to act upon them.
Therefore do not abstain from saying the truth or pointing out a matter of justice because I do not regard myself above erring.¹ I am not immune from erring in my actions unless that God helps me (in avoiding errors) in matters in which He is more powerful than I. Certainly I and you are slaves owned by a Lord, other than Whom there is no Lord. He owns from ourselves that which we do not own. He brought us forth from where we were towards what brings prosperity to us. He altered our straying into guidance and gave us insight after blindness.”²

164. عنه علیه السلام ـ في جَوابِ مَن قالَ: أنتَ أميرُنا ونَحنُ رَعِيَّتُكَ، بِكَ أخرَجَنَا اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِنَ الذُّلِّ، وبِإِعزازِكَ أطلَقَ عِبادَهُ مِنَ الغُلِّ، فَاختَر عَلَينا وأمضِ اختِيارَكَ، وَائتَمِر فَأَمضِ ائتِمارَكَ؛ فَإِنَّكَ القائِلُ المُصَدَّقُ، وَالحاكِمُ المُوَفَّقُ والمَلِكُ المُخَوَّلُ، لا نَستَحِلُّ في شَيءٍ مَعصِيَتَكَ، ولا نَقيسُ عِلماً بِعِلمِكَ، يَعظُمُ عِندَنا في ذلِكَ خَطَرُكَ ويَجِلُّ عَنهُ في أنفُسِنا فَضلُكَ ـ: إنَّ مِن حَقِّ مَن عَظُمَ جَلالُ اللهِ في نَفسِهِ، وَجَلَّ مَوضِعُهُ مِن قَلبِهِ أن يَصغُرَ عِندَهُ ـ لِعِظَمِ ذلِكَ ـ كُلُّ ما سِواهُ، وإنَّ أحَقَّ مَن كانَ كَذلِكَ لَمَن عَظُمَت نِعمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيهِ، ولَطُفَ إحسانُهُ إلَيهِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَم تَعظُم نِعمَةُ اللهِ عَلى أحَدٍ إلّا زادَ حَقُّ اللهِ عَلَيهِ عِظَماً.
وإنَّ مِن أسخَفِ حالاتِ الوُلاةِ عِندَ صالِحِ النّاسِ أن يُظَنَّ بِهِم حُبُّ الفَخرِ، ويوضَعَ أمرُهُم عَلَى الكِبرِ، وقَد كَرِهتُ أن يَكونَ جالَ في ظَنَّكُم أنّي اُحِبُّ الإِطراءَ، وَاستِماعَ الثَّناءِ، ولَستُ ـ بِحَمدِ اللهِ ـ كَذلِكَ، ولَو كُنتُ اُحِبُّ أن يُقالَ ذلِكَ لَتَرَكتُهُ انحِطاطاً للهِ سُبحانَهُ عَن تَناوُلِ ما هُوَ أحَقُّ بِهِ مِنَ العَظَمَةِ وَالكِبرِياءِ. ورُبَّمَا استَحلَى النّاسُ الثَّناءَ بَعدَ البَلاءِ.
فَلا تُثنوا عَلَيَّ بِجَميلِ ثَناءٍ، لاِِخراجي نَفسي إلَى اللهِ وإلَيكُم مِنَ البَقِيَّةِ في حُقوقٍ لَم أفرُغ مِن أدائِها، وفَرائِضَ لابُدَّ مِن إمضائِها؛ فَلا تُكَلِّموني بِما تُكَلَّمُ بِهِ الجَبابِرَةُ، ولا تَتَحَفَّظوا مِنّي بِما يُتَحَفَّظُ بِهِ عِندَ أهلِ البادِرَةِ،¹ ولا تُخالِطوني بِالمُصانَعَةِ، ولا تَظُنّوا بِي استِثقالاً في حَقٍّ قيلَ لي، ولاَ التِماسَ إعظامٍ لِنَفسي لِما لا يَصلُحُ لي؛ فَإِنَّهُ مَنِ استَثقَلَ الحَقَّ أن يُقالَ لَهُ، أو العَدلَ أن يُعرَضَ عَلَيهِ، كانَ العَمَلُ بِهِما أثقَلَ عَلَيهِ.
فَلا تَكُفّوا عَنّي مَقالَة بِحَقٍّ، أو مَشورَةٍ بِعَدلٍ؛ فَإِنّي لَستُ في نَفسي بِفَوقِ ما أن اُخطِئَ، ولا آمَنُ ذلِكَ مِن فِعلي، إلّا أن يَكفِيَ اللهُ مِن نَفسي ما هُوَ أملَكُ بِهِ مِنّي، فَإِنَّما أنَا وأنتُم عَبيدٌ مَملوكونَ لِرَبٍّ لا رَبَّ غَيرُهُ، يَملِكُ مِنّا ما لا نَملِكُ مِن أنفُسِنا، وأخرَجَنا مِمّا كُنّا فيهِ إلى ما صَلَحنا عَلَيهِ، فَأَبدَلَنا بَعدَ الضَّلالَةِ بِالهُدى، وأعطانَا البَصيرَةَ بَعدَ العَمى.²