Selected letter of Imam Ali to Malik Ashtar – Part IV
(Mohammed Fazli)
The letter of Imam Ali (AS) to Malik Ashtar Nakhai is one of the most thoughtful and beautiful texts that if we are concerned about Iran today, it is necessary to read and act on it – of course for the officials and rulers. The translation of the letter written by the late Seyyed Jaafar Shahidi is about 5700 words, and I have extracted a text of 2400 words from it by selecting, classifying and arranging the text according to my taste, which is arranged in four parts, hoping that it will be useful. The letter begins like this: “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent, this is a command from Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, to Malik Ashtar son of Harith, in the covenant he made with him, when he appointed him to the government of Egypt to provide its tribute, and to fight with enemies and organizing the work of the people of Egypt and settling its cities.”
About social classes
By God’s command, the soldiers make the subjects strong fortresses, and the governors are ornaments and dignity. The religion is honorable to them, and the ways are harmless, and the work of the subjects should not be assigned except to the soldiers, and the work of the soldiers should not be accepted except with the tribute that God has determined for them. so that they will be strong in Jihad with their enemy and organize their work with it. And they should be paid enough tribute to meet their needs.
The subjects and the soldiers did not stand except with the third category of people who are judges and court officials and writers, who establish the work of marriages and provide what is beneficial to Muslims, and are trusted in private and public affairs.
The work of this sentence should not be based except with the merchants and artisans who are provided and with the profit they get, they set up the markets. And they make people’s work sufficient, in what others cannot do like that.
Then there is a lower class of the needy and dervishes who deserve to be forgiven and helped. And for each one of them there is an opening from God’s booty, and each of them is a true governor, so that he can organize their work, and a governor who should not take responsibility for what God has made obligatory on him, except by his efforts and with the help of God. It is easy or difficult for him to search and prepare himself for the execution of the right, and patience in doing the work.
Etiquette of soldiers and judges
Appoint one of your soldiers whose goodwill towards God, His Messenger, and your Imam is more known, whose skirt is purer, and whose tolerance is superior, who is slow to anger and quick to accept apologies, and who shows mercy to the weak, and who comes to Quidestan. , and the one who doesn’t make him arrogant, and doesn’t replace his weakness, and from those who have a good gem, are from a pious family, and have a good past.
To judge between people, choose the one who is the best among your subjects. That things do not become difficult for him, and that the fight of his enemies does not lead him to stubbornness, and that he does not persist in error, and when he knows the truth, he does not return to it. And his soul should not be greedy, and he should not be satisfied with a little knowledge until he reaches the truth, and he should be more procrastinating in doubts, and he should use evidence more than others, and he would be less fed up with the claimants and in the open. Looking for things was more patient and when the verdict was clear, more decisive in judging. The one who does not make his praise to be selfish and does not provoke his welcome, and these are few. In this regard, Nik, see that this religion was caught in the hands of evildoers, in it, they were driven by lust and devoured the world in the name of religion.
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This post is written by monese_ghamgosar