73 - إمَارَةُ الأشرارِ

73. The Rule of Wicked People

229.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إذَا كَانَ اُمَرَاؤكُمْ خِيَارَكُمْ، وَأغْنِيَاؤكُمْ سُمَحَاءَكُمْ، وأمْرُكُمْ شُورى‏ بَيْنَكُمْ؛ فَظَهْرُ الأرْضِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ بَطْنِهَا . وإذَا كَانَ اُمَراؤكُمْ شِرَارَكُمْ، وأغْنِيَاؤكُمْ بُخَلاءكُمْ ، ... فَبَطْنُ الأرْضِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ ظَهْرِهَا .¹

229.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'When your rulers are the best ones from among you, and the richest people from among you are the most generous, and your affairs are settled by counsel (shura) between yourselves, then being above the ground [i.e. life in this world] will be better for you than being under it [i.e. death]. But when your rulers are the wicked ones from among you, and the richest the most miserly, then being under the ground will be better for you than being above it....' ²

13 - الإمارة

13. GOVERNMENT

72 - ضَرورَةُ الإمارَةِ

72. The Necessity of Government

222.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - في قَضيّةِ التَّحْكِيم - : إنَّ هؤلاءِ يَقُولُونَ : لَا إمْرَةَ ! وَلَابُدَّ مِنْ أمِيرٍ يَعْمَلُ فِي إمْرَتِهِ المُؤْمِنُ ، وَيَسْتَمْتِعُ الفَاجِرُ .¹

222.Imam Ali (AS) said regarding the arbitration, 'These [people] say, 'There is no need for government!' Indeed there has to be a ruler under whose rule the believer toils and the wicked seeks to make merry.' ²

223.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لَايُصْلِحُ النَّاسَ إلَّا أمِيرٌ ؛ بَرٌّ أوْ فَاجِرٌ .³

223.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'No one can straighten people other than a ruler - be he pious or wicked.' ⁴

224.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إنَّ مُعاوِيَةَ سَيَظْهَرُ عَلَيْكُمْ ، قَالُوا : فَلِمَ نُقَاتِلُ إذاً ؟ قَالَ : لَابُدَّ لِلنّاسِ مِنْ أمِيرٍ بَرٍّ أوْ فَاجِرٍ⁵ .

224.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Muawiya will prevail over you.' They asked, 'Why do you fight [him] then?' He replied, 'People must have a ruler - be he pious or wicked.' ⁶

225.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - فِي الحَرُورِيَّةِ وَهُمْ يقولون : لا حُكْمَ إلّا للَّهِ‏ِ - : الحُكْمُ للَّهِ‏ِ ، وَفِي الأرْضِ حُكَّامٌ ، وَلكِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ : لَا إمَارةَ ، وَلَابُدَّ لِلنّاسِ مِنْ إمَارَةٍ؛ يَعْمَلُ فِيْها المُؤْمِنُ ، ويَسْتَمْتِعُ فِيَها الفَاجِرُ وَالكَافِرُ، وَيُبَلِّغُ اللَّهُ فِيهَا الأجَلَ .⁷

225.Imam Ali (AS) said regarding the Haruriyya and they say that there is no rule other than Allah's, 'The rule is Allah's, and there are also rulers on earth, but they [retort and] say, 'There is no government' - 'There must be a government for the people under which the believer toils and the wicked and the unbeliever seek to make merry, and in which Allah decrees the final outcome.' ⁸

226.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لَابُدّ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ أمِيرٍ بَرٍّ أوْ فَاجِرٍ ، يَعْمَلُ فِي إمْرَتِهِ المُؤْمِنُ وَيَسْتَمْتِعُ فِيهَا الكَافِرُ ، وَيُبَلِّغُ اللَّهُ فِيهَا الأجَلَ ، ويُجْمَعُ بِهِ الفَيْ‏ءُ ، وَيُقَاتَلُ بهِ‏العَدُوُّ ، وَتَأمَنُ بِهِ السُّبُلُ ، وَيُؤْخَذُ بِهِ لِلضّعِيفِ مِنَ‏القَوِيِّ، حَتّى يَسْتَرِيحَ بَرٌّ وَيُسْتَراحَ مِنْ‏فَاجِرٍ .⁹

226.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The people have to have a ruler over them, be he pious or wicked, under whose rule the believer toils and the wicked seeks to make merry, and in which Allah decrees the final outcome, and under which the booty is collected, the enemy is fought, the roads are made safe, and the weak is protected from the powerful, until the pious rests and the wicked is cast aside.' ¹⁰

227.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : أسَدٌ حَطُومٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ظَلُومٍ ، وَسُلْطانٌ ظَلُومٌ خَيرٌ مِنْ فِتَنٍ تَدُومُ .¹¹

227.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'A wild lion is better than an oppressive ruler, while an oppressive ruler is better than lasting schisms.' ¹²

228.كنز العمّال عن أبي البختريّ : دَخَل رَجُلٌ المَسْجِدَ فَقَالَ : لَا حُكْمَ إلّا للَّهِ‏ِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ آخَرُ : لَا حُكْمَ إلّا للَّهِ‏ِ،فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام: لَا حُكْمَ إلّا للَّهِ‏ِ (إنَّ وَعْدَ اللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَلَا يَسْتَخِفَنَّكَ الّذِينَ لا يُوقِنُونَ)¹³ ، فَمَا تَدْرُونَ مَا يَقُولُ هؤلَاءِ ، يَقُولُونَ : لَا إمَارَةَ . أيُّهَا النَّاسُ! إنَّهُ لَا يُصْلِحُكُمْ إلَّا أمِيرٌ؛ بَرٌّ أوْ فَاجِرٌ .
قَالُوا : هذَا البَرُّ فَقَدْ عَرَفْنَاهُ ، فَمَا بَالُ الفَاجِرِ ؟
فَقَالَ : يَعْمَلُ المُؤْمِنُ ، وَيُمْلَأُ لِلْفَاجِرِ ، ويُبَلِّغُ اللَّهُ الأجَلَ، وَتَأمَنُ سُبُلُكُمْ، وَتَقُومُ أسْواقُكُمْ، وَيُجْبى‏ فَيْئُكُمْ ، وَيُجَاهَدُ عَدُوُّكُمْ ، ويُؤخَذُ لِلضَّعِيفِ مِنَ الشَّدِيدِ مِنْكُمْ .¹⁴

228. Abu al-Bakhtari said, 'A man entered the mosque and said, 'There is no rule save Allah's.' Then another man said, 'There is no rule save Allah's.' So [Imam] Ali said, 'There is no rule save Allah's. "Allah's promise is indeed true. And do not let yourself be upset by those who have no conviction." ¹⁵ You do not know what these [men] are saying; they are saying, 'There [should] be no government'. O People! You are not set straight without a ruler, be he pious or wicked.' They replied, 'We understand about the pious, but what about the wicked?' He said, '[Under whom] the believer toils and the wicked thrives, and Allah decrees the final outcome, your roads become safe, your markets operate, your booty is collected, your enemy is fought, and your weak is protected from the powerful from among you.' ¹⁶