Imām (a.s.), as he stated in one of his early sermons, intended to eliminate this appalling class discrimination and disorder in enjoyment of the privileges.¹
It was evident that this policy would stimulate many people against Imām (a.s.) and they –mainly consisting of the elite and reputed figures– would in turn pull many of the common people behind them by various tricks in order to justify their opposition and to hide the secret of their parting from Ali (a.s.).
It was for this reason that many of Imām Ali’s (a.s.) advocates frequently asked him to give up this policy and forget about the chieftains, influential political figures and pompous persons who enjoyed special economic privileges for a time and temporarily and that he should not confront them and their indulgence. Nonetheless, he (a.s.) found the suggestions in conflict with the principles and fundamentals of his government and therefore rejected them. He regarded these suggestions as somehow abandoning the goals and ideals of an Islamic state and so he refused them.
Here are some examples of such suggestions and the Imām’s responses to them:
1. It is reported in the book al-Ghārāt that:
Ali (a.s.) was complaining to Mālik al-Ashtar of the people’s flight toward Mu`āwiya. Al-Ashtar said: “O Commander of the Faithful! We fought against the people of the Battle of Jamal in the company of Basrans and Kufans who were all unanimous in their opinions, but then they differed, bred enmity and their intentions slackened and justice failed. And you call them to justice, treat them righteously, and take back the rights of the weak from the wealthy who in your views have no superiority over the weak.
Many of them, who were with you when they were treated as such, began to grieve and became sad with this justice. As for Mu`āwiya, his gifts were with the opulent. People’s soul yearned towards the worldly gains. Those who are not infatuated with the world are very few; many of them are the

wrong and turning away from the [Islamic] values, Imām Ali (a.s.) goes on to say in the sermon of al-Qāsi`a that the Islamic community is facing this problem at the present time. Therefore, if it is not cured, people must be expecting the dominance of the villains and the wicked over them:
ألا وقَد قَطَعتُم قَیدَ الإسلامِ وعَطَّلتُم حُدودَهُ وأَمَتُّم أَحکامَهُ.Indeed! You have broken the ties of Islam, transgressed its limits and destroyed its rules.¹
Indeed, refraining from obeying the wise and a truth-seeking leader, breaking through the stronghold of religion by following pre-Islamic tendencies and behaviors and leaving meritocracy, solidarity, harmony and empathy by yielding to disunity and satanic pomposity, contenting oneself with grandiose titles, towing behind only the titles of truth, faith and Islam (neglecting their essence); abandoning the practice of enjoining good and forbidding wrong, not practicing Divine sanctions, annihilating religious ordinances and so forth are all causes of failure, defeat, falling into hardships, and consequently being ruined and witnessing the satanic dominance of the enemy, and so on.

3. Equality in Distribution

Human beings very often fall into the trap of material and worldly inclinations and attractions. If one gets accustomed to worldly indulgence and fills his life up with worldly provisions and concerns himself with its pleasure and comfort, then it will be difficult for him to part himself from them.
After the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) and during the reign of the [first] three caliphs, one of the wrong policies pursued was bribing and alluring the reputed figures and discrimination in favor of the related elites. In this way many who did not deserve such lofty positions were lifted high in rank and others were unrightfully degraded and tyrannized.