1659 - ما يَنبغي لِلملوك‏

1659. WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR THE KINGS

5816.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : حَقٌّ علَى المَلِكِ أن يَسوسَ نفسَهُ قَبلَ جُندِهِ .¹

5816.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'A king is worthier of having mastery over himself before [disciplining] his soldiers.' ²

5817.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : مَن جَعَلَ مُلكَهُ خادِماً لدِينِهِ انقادَ لَهُ كلُّ سُلطانٍ ، مَن جَعَلَ دِينَهُ خادِماً لمُلكِهِ طَمِعَ فيهِ كلُّ إنسانٍ .³

5817.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Whoever makes his sovereignty subservient to his religion, all rulers will submit to him. And whoever makes his religion subservient to his sovereignty then all people will become greedy for it [i.e. his sovereignty].' ⁴

5818.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إذا بُني المُلك على‏ قَواعِدِ العَدلِ ودَعَمَ بدعائمِ العَقلِ ، نَصَرَ اللَّهُ مُوالِيَهُ وخَذَلَ مُعادِيَهُ .⁵

5818.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'When a king builds on the foundations of justice and bases [his rule] on the pillars of reason, then Allah will make his followers victorious and will desert his enemies.' ⁶

1658 - خَيرُ المُلوكِ‏

1658. THE BEST OF KINGS

5811.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : خَيرُ المُلوكِ مَن أماتَ الجَورَ وأحيا العَدلَ .¹

5811.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The greatest of kings is he who kills oppression and revives justice.' ²

5812.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أجَلُّ المُلوكِ مَن مَلَكَ نفسَهُ وبَسَطَ العَدلَ .³

5812.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The noblest of kings is he who rules his own self and spreads justice.' ⁴

5813.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أعقَلُ المُلوكِ مَن ساسَ نفسَهُ لِلرَّعيَّةِ بما يُسقِطُ عنهُ حُجَّتَها ، وساسَ الرَّعيَّةَ بما تَثبُتُ بهِ حُجَّتُهُ علَيها .⁵

5813.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The wisest of kings is he who rules his own self in favour of his subjects to the extent that they would have no argument against him and rules on the people in a manner that his arguments are established for them.' ⁶

5814.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أحسَنُ المُلوكِ حالاً مَن حَسُنَ عَيشُ النّاسِ في عَيشِهِ ، وعَمَّ رعِيَّتَهُ بعَدلِهِ .⁷

5814.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The king who has the best status is he who during his time people have a good life, and he encompasses his subjects with his justice.' ⁸

5815.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : أفضَلُ المُلوكِ مَن اُعطِيَ ثلاثَ خِصالٍ : الرّأفةَ ، والجُودَ ، والعَدلَ .⁹

5815.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The best of kings is he who has been given three features: affection, generosity, and justice.' ¹⁰