cost of sacrificing social justice. Imām does not tolerate such reforms. On one hand, he knew well, how to deceive the influential political opponents and outlaws and keep them silent, by promising to fulfill their avarices and then, gradually eliminate them; and on the other hand, to promise people to restore their rights and stress on developing Divine and human values; and as soon as he would have established the foundations of his rule, he would do whatever he wished and break all promises, as politicians have always done. If he did so, he would no longer be Ali ibn Abi Tālib, but rather a politician like any other politician.
Indeed, so much love and devotion from the people towards Ali (a.s.) throughout history is because of his own righteousness and truth-centeredness and his emphasis on right. We should carefully study and ask ourselves where the power-centered hypocrites and imposters are now? On the other hand, we ought to see what were the reasons for the continuous remembrance of Ali (a.s.) in History and throughout time. Why do the hearts carry so much love for Ali (a.s.)? We reiterate here and repeat again and again that Ali (a.s.) regards politics as a means of establishing the truth and restoring people’s rights, and not a means of domination over them.
Imām Ali’s (a.s.) reformations were solely intended to revitalize the sira and sunna of the Prophet (s.a.w.) and his method of government. Imām Ali (a.s.) could not have followed immoral, antireligious and antihuman policies. This was why he (a.s.) faced the same difficulties that the holy Prophet (s.a.w.) did.¹
Through tolerating hardships and practicing patience towards difficulties, Imām Ali (a.s.) attempted to replicate once again the illuminant outlook of the Prophetic rule and the government policies of the Messenger of Allah in the history of Islam, presenting an efficient, just, and perfect way of conduct to the generations and nations to come.

not for the hideousness of deception, I would have been the shrewdest of all people! However, every kind of deception is sin, and every sin darkens (the heart) and for any deceiver, there will be a banner raised on the Day of Resurrection, by which he will be identified.”¹
Accordingly, Imām knew well how to suppress voices; how to bring down loud cries to silence; how to deceive people with tricks; how to cast fear in their hearts by force; how to subdue the unruly greedy misers by allurement and consequently, and by violating the people’s rights, massacres suppress internal oppositions and rebellions. However, he was Ali, the axis of truth, conscious of God and a believer in Resurrection Day, whose commitment to the truth and ethical values, and whose stressing on Divine teachings prevented him from perpetrating illegitimate policies. Imām frequently referred to these facts, by saying:
إنّي لَعالِمٌ بِما يُصلِحُكُم و یُقيمُ أوَدَكُم ولكِنّي لا أرى إصلاحَكُم بِإِفسادِ نَفسي.I certainly know what can reform you and straighten your crookedness. But I shall not improve you by way of corrupting myself.²
He clearly states that he knows how to reform people and is familiar with the oppressive policies that suppress them for a short period of time, but he does not apply them since he views them as corrupting to the reformer.
Furthermore, Imām Ali (a.s.) viewed that above all, such actions lead the statesman to the dreadful domain of harassing, domination and, in his own words, corruption. This is why he calls out: “There will never be reformation at the cost of the corruption of the reformer!”
The Imām’s lofty words indicate that superficial reformation will inevitably lead to corruption.
By this Imām obviously meant unlawful reformation, such as the undergoing economic reformation in contemporary world, at the