This script reads: "Ali Ibn Abi Talib, radiya' llah Ta'aala anhu
wa-Karrama wajhahu." (Ali Bin Abi Talib, may God Almighty be pleased
with him and honour him.) The script is Tawqi', structured into the shape
of a lion.
The Richest Treasure
Be
it known to you, O, Malik, that I am sending you as Governor to a
country which in the past has experienced both just and unjust rule. Men
will scrutinize your actions with a searching eye, even as you used to
scrutinize the actions of those before you, and speak of you even as you
did speak of them. The fact is that the public speak well of only those
who do good. It is they who furnish the proof of your actions. Hence
the richest treasure that you may covet would be the treasure of good
deeds. Keep your desires under control and deny yourself that which you
have been prohibited from, for, by such abstinence alone, you will be
able to distinguish between what is good to them and what is not.
Develop
in your heart the feeling of love for your people and let it be the
source of kindliness and blessing to them. Do not behave with them like a
barbarian, and do not appropriate to yourself that which belongs to
them. Remember that the citizens of the state are of two categories.
They are either your brethren in religion or your brethren in kind. They
are subject to infirmities and liable to commit mistakes. Some indeed
do commit mistakes. But forgive them even as you would like God to
forgive you. Bear in mind that you are placed over them, even as I am
placed over you. And then there is God even above him who has given you
the position of a Governor in order that you may look after those under
you and to be sufficient unto them. And you will be judged by what you
do for them.
Do not set yourself against God, for neither do you
possess the strength to shield yourself against His displeasure, nor can
you place yourself outside the pale of His mercy and forgiveness. Do
not feel sorry over any act of forgiveness, nor rejoice over any
punishment that you may mete out to any one. Do not rouse yourself to
anger, for no good will come out of it.
Do not say: " I am your
overlord and dictator, and that you should, therefore, bow to my
commands", as that will corrupt your heart, weaken your faith in
religion and create disorder in the state. Should you be elated by
power, ever feel in your mind the slightest symptoms of pride and
arrogance, then look at the power and majesty of the Divine governance
of the Universe over which you have absolutely no control. It will
restore the sense of balance to your wayward intelligence and give you
the sense of calmness and affability. Beware! Never put yourself against
the majesty and grandeur of God and never imitate His omnipotence; for
God has brought low every rebel of God and every tyrant of man.
Let
your mind respect through your actions the rights of God and the rights
of man, and likewise, persuade your companions and relations to do
likewise. For, otherwise, you will be doing injustice to yourself and
injustice to humanity. Thus both man and God will turn unto your
enemies. There is no hearing anywhere for one who makes an enemy of God
himself. He will be regarded as one at war with God until he feels
contrition and seeks forgiveness. Nothing deprives man of divine
blessings or excites divine wrath against him more easily than cruelty.
Hence it is, that God listens to the voice of the oppressed and waylays
the oppressor.
The Common Man
Maintain
justice in administration and impose it on your own self and seek the
consent of the people, for, the discontent of the masses sterilizes the
contentment of the privileged few and the discontent of the few looses
itself in the contentment of the many. Remember the privileged few will
not rally round you in moments of difficulty: they will try to
side-track justice, they will ask for more than what they deserve and
will show no gratitude for favors done to them. They will feel restive
in the face of trials and will offer no regret for their shortcomings.
It is the common man who is the strength of the State and Religion. It
is he who fights the enemy. So live in close contact with the masses and
be mindful of their welfare.
Keep at a distance him who peers
into the weaknesses of others. After all, the masses are not free from
weaknesses. It is the duty of the ruler to shield them. Do not bring to
light that which is hidden, but try to remove those weaknesses which
have been brought to light. God is watchful of everything that is hidden
from you, and He alone will deal with it. To the best of your ability
cover the weaknesses of the public, and God will cover the weaknesses in
you which you are anxious to keep away from their eye. Unloose the
tangle of mutual hatred between the public and the administration and
remove all those causes which may give rise to strained relations
between them. Protect yourself from every such act as may not be quite
correct for you. Do not make haste in seeking confirmation of
tale-telling, for, the tale-teller is a deceitful person appearing in
the garb of a friend.
The Counselors
Never
take counsel of a miser, for he will vitiate your magnanimity and
frighten you of poverty. Do not take counsel of a coward also, for, he
will cheat you of your resolves. Do not take counsel of the greedy too:
for he will instill greed in you and turn you into a tyrant.
Miserliness, cowardice and greed deprive man of his trust in God.
The
worst of counselors is he who has served as a counselor to unjust
rulers and shared their crimes. So, never let men who have been
companions of tyrants or shared their crimes be your counselors. You can
get better men than these, men gifted with intelligence and foresight,
but unpolluted by sin, men who have never aided a tyrant in his tyranny
or a criminal in his crime. Such men will never be a burden on you. On
the other hand, they will be a source of help and strength to you at all
times. They will be friends to you and strangers to your enemies.
Choose such men alone for companionship both in privacy and in the
public. Even among these, show preference to them who have a habitual
regard for truth however trying to you at times their truth may prove to
be, and who offer you no encouragement in the display of tendencies
which God does not like his friends to develop.
Keep close to you
the upright, and the God fearing, and make clear to them that they are
never to flatter you and never to give you credit for any good that you
may not have done: for, the tolerance of flattery and unhealthy praise
stimulates pride in man makes him arrogant.
Do not treat the good
and the bad alike. That will deter the good from doing good, and
encourage the bad in their bad pursuits. Recompense every one according
one's deserts. Remember that mutual trust and good will between the
ruler and the ruled are bred only through benevolence, justice and
service. So, cultivate good-will amongst the people; for their good-will
alone will save you from troubles. Your benevolence to them will be
repaid by their trust in you, and your ill-treatment by their ill-will.
Do
not disregard the noble traditions set by our forbearers which have
promoted harmony and progress among the people; and do not initiate
anything which might minimize their usefulness. The men who had
established these noble traditions have had their reward; but
responsibility will be yours if they are disturbed. Try always to learn
something from the experience of the learned and the wise, and
frequently consult them in state matters so that you might maintain the
peace and good-will which your predecessors had established in the land.
The Different Classes of People
Remember
that the people are composed of different classes. The progress of one
is dependent on the progress of every other; and none can afford to be
independent of the other. We have the Army formed of the soldiers of
God, we have our civil officers and their establishments, our judiciary,
our revenue collectors and our public relation officers. The general
public itself consists of Muslims and Zimmis and among them of merchants
and craftsmen, the unemployed and the indigent. God has prescribed for
them their several rights, duties and obligations. They are all defined
and preserved in the Book of God and in the traditions of his Prophet.
The
army, by the grace of God, is like a fortress to the people and lends
dignity to the state. It upholds the prestige of the Faith and maintains
the peace of the country. Without it the state cannot stand. In its
turn, it cannot stand without the support of the state. Our soldiers
have proved strong before the enemy because of the privilege God has
given them to fight for Him; but they have their material needs to
fulfil and have therefore to depend upon the income provided for them
from the state revenue. The military and civil population who pay
revenue, both need the co-operation of others -the judiciary, civil
officers and their establishment. The Qazi administers civil and
criminal law; the civil officers collect revenue and attend to civil
administration with the assistance of their establishment. And then
there are the tradesmen and the merchants who add to the revenue of the
state. It is they who run the markets and are in a better position than
others to discharge social obligations. And then there is the class of
the poor and the needy, whose maintenance is an obligation on the other
classes. God has given appropriate opportunity of service to one and
all; and then there are the rights of all these classes over the
administration which the administrator has to meet with an eye on the
good of the entire population, a duty which he cannot fulfill properly
unless he takes personal interest in its execution and seeks help from
God. Indeed it is obligatory on him to impose this duty on himself and
to bear with patience the inconveniences and difficulties incidental to
his task.
The Army
Be
particularly mindful of the welfare of those in the army who in your
opinion, are staunchly faithful to their God and Prophet and loyal to
their chief, and who in the hour of passion can restrain themselves and
listen coolly to sensible remonstrance, and who can succor the weak and
smite the strong, whom violent provocation will not throw into violent
temper and who will not falter at any stage.
Keep yourself in
close contact with the families of established reputation and integrity
with a glorious past, and draw to yourself men brave and upright in
character, generous and benevolent in disposition; for such are the salt
of society.
Care for them with the tenderness with which you care
for your children, and do not talk before them of any good that you
might have done to them, nor disregard any expression of affection which
they show in return; for, such conduct inspires loyalty, devotion and
goodwill. Attend to every little of their wants not resting content with
what general help that you might have given to them, for sometimes,
timely attention to a little want of theirs brings them immense relief.
Surely these people will not forget you in your own hour of need.
It
behooves you to select for your Commander-in-chief one who imposes on
himself as a duty, the task of rendering help to his men, and who can
excel in kindness every other officer who has to attend to the needs of
the men under him, and look after their families when they are away from
their homes; so much so, that the entire army should feel united in
their joys and in their sorrows. The unity of purpose will give them
added strength against the enemy. Continue to maintain a kindly attitude
towards them so that they might feel attached to you. The fact is that
the real happiness of the administrators and their most pleasant comfort
lies in establishing justice in the state and maintaining affectionate
relations with the people. Their sincerity of feeling is expressed in
the love and regard they show to you, on which alone depends the safety
of the administrators.
Your advices to the army will be of no
avail, unless and until you show affection to both men and officers, in
order that they might not regard the Government as an oppressive burden
or contribute to its downfall.
Continue to satisfy their needs and
praise them over and over again for what services they have rendered.
Such an attitude, God willing will inspire the brave to braver actions
and induce the timid to deeds of bravery.
Try to enter into the
feelings of others and do not foist the mistake of one over another and
do not grudge dispensing appropriate rewards. See to it you do not show
favors to one who has done nothing but merely counts on his family
position; and do not withhold proper rewards from one who has done great
deeds simply because he holds a low position in life.
The Real Guidance
Turn
to God and to His prophet for guidance whenever you feel uncertain as
to what you have to do. There is the commandment of God delivered to
those people who He wishes to guide aright: "O people of the Faith! Obey
God and obey His prophet and those from among you who hold authority
over you. And refer to God and His prophet whenever there is difference
of opinion among you. To turn to God is in reality to consult the Book
of God; and to turn to the prophet is t follow his universally accepted
traditions.
Chief Judge
Select
for your chief judge one from the people who is by far the best among
them -one who is not obsessed with domestic worries, one who cannot be
intimidated, one who does not err to often, one who does not turn back
from a right path once he finds it, one who is not self-centered or
avaricious, one who will not decide before knowing full facts, one who
will weigh wit care every attendant doubt and pronounce a clear verdict
after taking everything into full consideration, one who will not grow
restive over the arguments of advocates and who will examine with
patience every new disclosure of fact and who will be strictly impartial
in his decision, one who flattery cannot mislead or one who does not
exult over his position. But it is not easy to find such men.
Once
you have selected the right man for the office, pay him handsomely
enough, to let him live in comfort and in keeping with his position,
enough to keep him above temptations. Give him a position in your court
so high none can even dream of coveting it and so high that neither
back-biting nor intrigue can touch him.
Subordinate Judiciary
Beware!
The utmost carefulness is to be exercised in his selection: for it is
this high office which adventurous self-seekers aspire to secure and
exploit in their selfish interests. After the selection of your chief
judge, give careful consideration to the selection of other officers.
Confirm them in their appointments after approved apprenticeship and
probation. Never select men for responsible posts either out of any
regard for personal connections or under any influence, for, that might
lead to injustice and corruption.
Of these select for higher posts
men of experience, men firm in faith and belonging to good families.
Such men will not fall an easy prey to temptations and will discharge
their duties with an eye on the abiding good of others. Increase their
salaries to give them a contented life. A contented living is a help to
self-purification. They will not feel the urge to tax the earnings of
their subordinates for their own upkeep. They will then have no excuse
either to go against your instructions or misappropriate state funds.
Keep to watch over them without their knowledge, loyal and upright men.
Perchance they may develop true honesty and true concern for the public
welfare. But whenever any of them is accused of dishonesty and the guilt
is confirmed by the report of your secret service, then regard this as a
sufficient to convict him. Let the punishment be corporal and let that
be dealt in the public at an appointed place of degradation.
Revenue Administration
Great
care is to be exercised in revenue administration, to ensure the
prosperity of those who pay the revenue to the state; for it is on their
prosperity depends the prosperity of others, particularly the
prosperity of the masses. Indeed, the state exists on its revenue. You
should regard the proper upkeep of the land in cultivation as of greater
importance than the collection of revenue, for revenue cannot be
derived except by making the land productive. He who demands revenue
without helping the cultivator to improve his land, inflicts unmerited
hardship on the cultivator and ruins the State. The rule of such a
person does not last long. If the cultivators ask for reduction of their
land cess for having suffered from epidemics or drought or excess of
rains or the barrenness of the soil or floods damaging to their
barrenness of the soil or foods damaging to their crops, then, reduce
the cess accordingly, so that their condition might improve. Do not mind
the loss of revenue on that account for that will return to you one day
manifold in the hour of greater prosperity of the land and enable you
to improve the condition of your towns and to raise the prestige of your
state. You will be the object of universal praise. The people will
believe in your sense of justice. The confidence which they will place
in you in consequence will prove your strength, as they will be found
ready to share your burdens.
You may settle down on the land any
number of people, but discontent will overtake them if the land is not
improved. The cause of the cultivator's ruin is the rulers who are bent
feverishly on accumulating wealth at all costs, out of the fear that
their rule might not last long. Such are the people who do not learn
from examples or precedents.
Clerical Establishment
Keep
an eye on your establishment and your scribes; and select the best
among them for your confidential correspondence such among these as
possess high character and deserve your full confidence, men who may not
exploit their privileged position to go against you and who may not
grow neglectful of their duties and who in the drafting of treaties may
not succumb to external temptation and harm your interests, or fail to
render you proper assistance and to save you from trouble, and who in
carrying out their duties can realize their serious responsibilities,
for he who does not realize his own responsibilities can hardly appraise
the reprehensibilities of others. Do not select men for such work
merely on the strength of your first impressions of your affection or
good faith; for as a matter of fact; the pretensions of a good many who
are really devoid of honesty and good breeding may cheat even the
intelligence of rulers. Selection should be made after due probation
which should be the test of righteousness. In making direct appointments
from people, see to it that those selected possess influence with the
people and who enjoy the reputation of being honest; for such selection
is agreeable to God and the ruler. For every department of
administration, let there be a head, whom no trying task might cause
worry and no pressure of work annoy.
And remember that every
weakness of any one among your establishment and scribe which you may
overlook will be written down against you in your scroll of deeds.
Trade and Industry
Adopt
useful schemes placed before those engaged in trade and industry and
help them with wise counsels. Some of them live in towns, and some move
from place to place with their wares and tools and earn their living by
manual labor. Trade and Industry are sources of profit to the State.
While the general public is not inclined to bear the strain, those
engaged in these professions take the trouble to collect commodities
from far and near, from land and from across the sea, and from mountains
and forests and naturally derive benefits.
It is this class of
peace loving people from whom no disturbance need be feared. They love
peace and order; indeed they are incapable of creating disorder. Visit
every part of the country and establish personal contact with this
class, and inquire into their condition. But bear in mind that a good
many of them are intensely greedy and are inured to bad dealings. They
hoard grain and try to sell it at a high price; and this is most harmful
to the public. It is a blot on the name of the ruler not to fight this
evil. Prevent them from hoarding; for the Prophet of God -Peace be upon
him - had prohibited it. And see to it that trade is carried on with the
utmost ease, that the scales are evenly held and that prices are so
fixed that neither the seller nor the buyer is put to a loss. And if
inspite of your warning, should anyone go against your commands and
commit the crime of hoarding, then deal him appropriately with severe
punishment.
The Poor
Beware!
Fear God when dealing with the problem of the poor who have non to
patronize, who are forlorn, indigent and helpless and are greatly torn
in mind -victims of the vicissitudes of Time. Among them there are some
who do not question their lot in life not withstanding their misery, do
not go about abegging. For God's sake, safeguard their rights; for on
you rests the responsibility of protection. Assign for their uplift a
portion of the state exchequer (Baitul-mal), wherever they may be,
whether close at hand or far away from you. The rights of the two should
be equal in your eye. Do not let any preoccupation slip them from your
mind; for no excuse whatsoever for the disregard of their rights will be
acceptable to God. Do not treat their interests as of less importance
than your own, and never keep them outside the purview of your important
considerations, and mark the persons who look down upon them and of
whose conditions they keep you in ignorance.
Select from among
your officers such men as are meek and God fearing who can keep you
properly informed of the condition of the poor. Make such provision for
these poor people as shall not oblige you to offer an excuse before God
on the Day of Judgment; for, it is this section of the people more than
any other which deserves benevolent treatment. Seek your reward from God
by giving to each of them what is due to him and enjoin on yourself as a
sacred duty the task of meting the needs of such aged among them as
have no independent means of livelihood and are averse to seek alms. And
it is the discharge of this duty that usually proves very trying for
ruler, but is very welcome to societies which are gifted with foresight.
It is only such societies or nations who truly carry out with
equanimity their covenant with God to discharge their duty to the poor.
Open Conferences
Meet
the oppressed and the lowly periodically in an open conference and,
conscious of the divine presence there, have a heart-to-heart talk with
them, and let none from your armed guard or civil officers or members of
the police or the Intelligence Department be by your side, so that the
representatives of the poor might state their grievances fearlessly and
without reserve. For I have the Prophet of God saying that no nation or
society will occupy a high position in which the strong do not discharge
their duty to the weak. Bear with composure any strong language which
they may use, and do not get annoyed if they cannot state their case
lucidly, even so, God will open you his door of blessings and rewards.
Whatever you can give to them, give it ungrudgingly, and whatever you
cannot afford to give, make that clear to them in utmost sincerity.
There
are certain things which call for prompt action. Accept the
recommendations made by your officers for the redress of the grievances
of the clerical staff. See to it that petitions or applications that are
submitted for your consideration are brought to your notice the very
day they are submitted, however much your officers might try to
intercede them. Dispose off the day's work that very day, for the coming
day will bring with it its own tasks.
Communion with God
And
do not forget to set apart the best of your time for communion with
God, although every moment of yours is for Him only, provided it is
spend sincerely in the service of your people. The special time that you
give to prayer in the strict religious sense is to be devoted to the
performances of the prescribed daily prayers. Keep yourself engaged in
these prayers both in the day and in the night, and to gain perfect
communion, do not as far as possible, let your prayers grow tiresome.
And when you lead in congregational prayer, do not let your prayer be so
lengthy as to cause discomfort to the congregation or raise in them the
feeling of dislike for it or liquidate its effect: for in the
congregation there may be invalids and also those who have to attend
pressing affairs of their own.
When I had asked of the Prophet of
God on receiving an order to proceed to Yaman, how I should lead the
people there in prayer, he said -perform your prayers even as the
weakest among you would do; and set an example of consideration to the
faithful.
Aloofness not desirable
Alongside
of the observance of all that I have said above bear one thing in mind.
Never for any length of time keep yourself aloof from the people, for
to do so is to keep oneself ignorant of their affairs. It develops in
the ruler a wrong perspective and renders him unable to distinguish
between what is important and what is not, between right and wrong, and
between truth and falsehood. The ruler is after all human; and he cannot
form a correct view of anything which is out of sight. There is no
distinctive sign attached to truth which may enable one to distinguish
between the different varieties of truth and falsehood. The fact is that
you must be one of two things. Either you are just or unjust. If you
are just, then you will not keep yourself away from the people, but will
listen to them and meet their requirements. On the other hand, it you
are unjust, the people themselves will keep way from you. What virtue is
there in your keeping aloof? At all events aloofness is not desirable
especially when it is your duty to attend to the needs of the people.
Complaints of oppression by your officers or petitions for justice
should not prove irksome to you.
Make this clear to yourself that
those immediately about and around you will like to exploit their
position to covet what belongs to others and commit acts of injustice.
Suppress such a tendency in them. Make a rule of your conduct never to
give even a small piece of land to any of your relations. That will
prevent them from causing harm to the interests of others and save you
from courting the disapprobation of God andMan.
Deal justice
squarely regardless of the fact whether one is a relation or not. If any
of your relations or companions violates the law, mete out the
punishment prescribed by law however painful it might be to you
personally; for it will be all to the good of the State. If at any time
people suspect, that you have been unjust to them in any respect
disclose your mind to them and remove their suspicions. In this way,
your mind will get attuned to the sense of justice and people will begin
to love you. It will also fulfill your wish that you should enjoy their
confidence.
Peace and Treaties
Bear
in mind that you do not throw away the offer of peace which your enemy
may himself make. Accept it, for, that will please God. Peace is a
source of comfort to the army; it reduces your worries and promotes
order in the State. But Beware! Be on your guard when the peace is
signed; for, certain types of enemies propose terms of peace just to
lull you into a sense of security only to attack you again when you are
off your guard. So you should exercise the utmost vigilance on your
part, and place no undue faith in their protestations. But, if under the
peace treaty you have accepted any obligations, discharge those
obligations scrupulously. It is a trust and must be faithfully upheld
and whenever you have promised anything, keep it with all the strength
that you command, for whatever differences of opinion might exist on
other matters, there is nothing so noble as the fulfillment of a
promise. This is recognized even among non-Muslims, for they know the
dire consequences which follow from the breaking of covenants. So never
make excuses in discharging your responsibilities and never break a
promise, nor cheat your enemy. For, breach of promise is an act against
God, and none except the positively wicked acts against God
Indeed
divine promises are a blessing spread over all mankind. The promise of
God is a refuge sought after even by the most powerful on earth; for
there is no risk of being cheated. So, do not make any promise from
which you may afterwards offer excuses to retract; nor do you go back
upon what you have confirmed to abide by; nor do you break it, however
galling it may at first prove to be. For, it is far better to wait in
patience for wholesome results to follow than to break it out of any
apprehensions.
Beware! Abstain from shedding blood without a valid
cause. There is nothing more harmful than this which brings about one's
ruin. The blood that is willfully shed shortens the life of a state. On
the Day of Judgment it is this crime for which one will have to answer
first. So, beware! Do not wish to build the strength of your state on
blood; for, it is this blood which ultimately weakens the state and
passes it on to other hands. Before me and my God no excuse for willful
killing can be entertained.
Murder is a crime which is punishable
by death. If on any accord the corporal punishment dealt by the state
for any lesser crime results in the death of the guilty, let not the
prestige of the stage stand in any way of the deceased relations
claiming blood money.
Last Instructions
Do
not make haste to do a thing before its time, nor put it off when the
right moment arrives. Do not insist on doing a wrong thing, nor show
slackness in rectifying a wrong thing. Perform everything in its proper
time, and let everything occupy its proper place. When the people as a
whole agree upon a thing, do not impose your own view on them and do not
neglect to discharge the responsibility that rests on you in
consequence. For, the eyes of the people will be on you and you are
answerable for whatever you do to them. The slightest dereliction of
duty will bring its own retribution. Keep your anger under control and
keep your hands and tongue in check whenever you fall into anger, try to
restrain yourself or else you will simply increase your worries.
It
is imperative on you to study carefully the principles which have
inspired just and good rulers who have gone before you. Give close
thought to the example of our prophet (peace be upon him), his
traditions, and the commandments of the Book of God and whatever you
might have assimilated from my own way of dealing with things. Endeavour
to the best of your ability to carry out the instructions which I have
given you here and which you have solemnly undertaken to follow. By
means of this order, I enjoin on you not to succumb to the prompting of
your own heart or to turn away from the discharge of duties entrusted to
you.
I seek the refuge of the might of the Almighty and of His
limitless sphere of blessings, and invite you to pray with me that He
may give us together the grace willingly to surrender our will to His
will, and to enable us to acquit ourselves before Him and His creation;
so that mankind might cherish our memory and our work survive. I seek of
God the culmination of his blessings and pray that He may grant you and
me His grace and the honor of martyrdom in His cause. Verily, we have
to return to Him. I invoke His blessings on the Prophet of God and his
pure progeny.
