229. al-Kāfi – narrating from Abu Mikhnaf: “A group of the Shi`ites came to Ali (a.s.) and said: ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Why don’t you distribute these assets among the dignitaries and chiefs and give them priority to us so that things can settle down. Then, later you can return to the best of your character that God has bestowed on you, which is making equal distributions and practicing justice among citizens.”
The Commander of the Faithful said: “Woe onto you! You are commanding me to seek support by doing injustice and inequity to the Muslims over whom I have been chosen as a guardian. By God, I will not do that as long as the world remains and as long as I see stars in the skies. By God, even if it were my wealth, I would distribute it equally among them; how could it be when the wealth is theirs?”¹

230. Imām Ali (a.s.) – in his sermon given when he was reprimanded for equal distribution of assets: “Regarding this booty, no one should enjoy precedence in the shares of the booty. God the Great and Almighty has completed its distribution. It is God’s possession and you Muslim are the servants of God. This is the Book of God; we recognize it, declare it and submit to it. Our prophet’s Sunnah (ways of conduct and teachings) is with us. Hence submit to the matter. May God’s Mercy be upon you! Whoever does not yield to this matter may leave us in any way he chooses.”²

231. Imām Ali (a.s.) – from his letter to Masqala ibn Hubayra al-Shaybāni, his administrator in Ardashir Khurrah:³ “Know that the right of those Muslims who are around you and those who are around me in this wealth is equal. For that reason they come to me to take it and return.”⁴

229. الكافي عن أبي مِخنَف: أتىٰ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ صَلَواتُ اللهِ عَلَيهِ رَهطٌ مِنَ الشَّيعَةِ، فَقالوا: يا أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ، لَو أخرَجتَ هذِهِ الأَموالَ فَفَرَّقتَها في هؤُلاءِ الرُّؤَساءِ وَالأَشرافِ، وفَضَّلتَهُم عَلَينا، حَتّى إذَا استَوسَقَتِ الاُمورُ عُدتَ إلى أفضَلِ ما عَوَّدَكَ اللهُ مِنَ القَسمِ بِالسَّوِيَّةِ، وَالعَدلِ فِي الرَّعِيَّةِ!! فَقالَ أميرُ المُؤمِنينَ علیه السلام: أ تَأمُرونّي ـ وَيحَكُم ـ أن أطلُبَ النَّصرَ بِالظُّلمِ وَالجَورِ فيمَن وُلّيتُ عَلَيهِ مِن أهل الإِسلامِ! لا وَاللهِ، لا يَكونُ ذلِكَ ما سَمَرَ السَّميرُ، وما رَأَيتُ فِي السَّماءِ نَجماً، وَاللهِ لَو كانَت أموالُهُم مالي لَساوَيتُ بَينَهُم، فَكَيفَ وإنَّما هِيَ أموالُهُم!¹

230. الإمام عليّ علیه السلام ـ مِن خُطبَة لَهُ عِندما عوتِبَ عَلَى التَّسوِيَةِ فِي الفَيءِ ـ: فَأَمّا هذَا الفَيءُ فَلَيسَ لاَِحَدٍ فيهِ عَلى أحَد اُثرَةٌ²، قَد فَرَغَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مِن قَسمِهِ، فَهُوَ مالُ اللهِ، وأنتُم عِبادُ اللهِ المُسلِمونَ، وهذا كِتابُ اللهِ، بِهِ أقرَرنا، وعَلَيهِ شَهِدنا، ولَهُ أسلَمنا، وعَهدُ نَبِيِّنا بَينَ أظهُرِنا، فَسَلِّموا رَحِمَكُم اللهُ، فَمَن لَم يَرضَ بِهذا فَليَتَوَلَّ كَيفَ شاءَ³.

231. عنه علیه السلام ـ مِن كِتابِهِ إلى مُصقَلَةَ بنَ هُبَيرةَ الشَّيبانِيِّ عامِلِهِ عَلى أردَشير خُرَّة⁴ ـ: ألا وإنَّ حَقَّ مَن قِبَلَكَ وقِبَلَنا مِن المُسلِمينَ في قِسمَةِ هذَا الفَيءِ سَواءٌ، يَرِدونَ عِندي عَلَيهِ ويَصدُرونَ عَنهُ.⁵