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The Imām’s Direct Judgments
386. ‘Awāli al-Li'āli: “Ali (a.s.) is reported to have been sitting in the mosque of Kufa to judge and there was a special platform for this purpose called the platform of judgment (dakkatu’l qadā).”1
387. Irshād al-Qulub: “It is reported that when Ali (a.s.) would come back from a battle, he would dedicate some time to educating people and judging between them.”2
388. Imām Ali (a.s.) – from his sermon when he assembled the people and exhorted them to jihād and they remained silent: “What is the matter with you? Are you dumb?”
A group of them replied: “O Commander of the Faithful! If you go forth we shall be with you.”
Whereupon the Commander of the Faithful said: “What has happened to you? You may not be guided aright or shown the right path! Should I in these circumstances go forth? In fact, at this time one of the brave and the valorous among you whom I select should go out. It does not behoove me to leave the army, the city, the public treasury, the land revenue and the dispensation of justice among Muslims and looking after the demands of the claimants; and then follow one contingent after the other moving here and there like a featherless arrow moving in the quiver. I am the axis of the mill. It rotates around me while I remain in my position. As soon as I leave it the center of its rotation would be disturbed and its lower stone would also be disturbed. By God, this is a very bad opinion.”3
1.. ‘Awāli al-Li'āli, vol. ۲, p. ۳۴۴, h. ۸.
2.. Irshād al-Qulub, p. ۲۱۸, `Uddat al-Dā`i, p. ۱۰۱, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۱۰۳, p. ۱۶, h.۷۰.
3.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon ۱۱۹.
