985 - النَّهيُ عَن نَقضِ السُّنَّةِ الصّالِحَةِ
985. Prohibition of Discontinuing A GOOD PRACTICE
3134.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - في كتابٍ لَهُ إلى الأشتَرِ لَمّا وَلّاهُ مِصرَ - : لا تَنقُضْ سُنَّةً صالِحَةً عَمِلَ بها صُدورُ هذهِ الاُمَّةِ ، واجتَمَعَت بها الاُلفَةُ ، وصَلَحَت علَيها الرَّعِيَّةُ ، ولا تُحدِثَنَّ سُنَّةً تُضِرُّ بِشَيءٍ مِن ماضِي تِلكَ السُّنَنِ ، فيكونَ الأجرُ لِمَن سَنَّها ، والوِزرُ علَيكَ بما نَقَضتَ مِنها .1
3134. Imam Ali (AS) wrote in one of his letters to al-Ashtar, when he appointed him governor of Egypt, 'Do not discontinue a good practice that the pioneers of this community acted upon, by virtue of which there was general unity and through which the subjects prospered. Do not innovate a practice that will infringe on these earlier practices in any way, for then the reward of those who had laid them down will continue, whereas you will be the one to bear the burden of breaching them.' 2
