Ashburn , US
19-03-2024 |10 Ramaḍān 1445 AH

Government

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) 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.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في قَضيّةِ التَّحْكِيم ـ : إنَّ هؤلاءِ يَقُولُونَ : لاَ إمْرَةَ ! وَلاَبُدَّ مِنْ أمِيرٍ يَعْمَلُ فِي إمْرَتِهِ المُؤْمِنُ ، وَيَسْتَمْتِعُ الفَاجِرُ.

Reference: [Nahj al-Sa’ada, v. 2, p. 333]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘No one can straighten people other than a ruler – be he pious or wicked.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لاَيُصْلِحُ النَّاسَ إلّا أمِيرٌ ؛ بَرٌّ أوْ فَاجِرٌ.

Reference: [Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 14286]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) 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.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : إنَّ مُعاوِيَةَ سَيَظْهَرُ عَلَيْكُمْ ، قَالُوا : فَلِمَ نُقَاتِلُ إذاً ؟ قَالَ : لاَبُدَّ لِلنّاسِ مِنْ أمِيرٍ بَرٍّ أوْ فَاجِرٍ.

Reference: [Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 14366]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said regarding the Haruriyya who say that there is no rule other than Allah’s, ‘The rule is Allah’s, and there are 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.’[Ibid.

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ فِي الحَرُورِيَّةِ وَهُمْ يقولون : لا حُكْمَ إلّا للّه‏ِِ ـ : الحُكْمُ للّه‏ِِ ، وَفِي الأرْضِ حُكَّامٌ ، وَلكِنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ : لاَ إمَارةَ ، وَلاَبُدَّ لِلنّاسِ مِنْ إمَارَةٍ؛ يَعْمَلُ فِيْها المُؤْمِنُ ، ويَسْتَمْتِعُ فِيَها الفَاجِرُ وَالكَافِرُ، وَيُبَلِّغُ اللّه‏ُ فِيهَا الأجَلَ.

Reference: [Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 31567]

Description: 5- Imam Ali (a.s.) 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.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لاَبُدّ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ أمِيرٍ بَرٍّ أوْ فَاجِرٍ ، يَعْمَلُ فِي إمْرَتِهِ المُؤْمِنُ وَيَسْتَمْتِعُ فِيهَا الكَافِرُ ، وَيُبَلِّغُ اللّه‏ُ فِيهَا الأجَلَ ، ويُجْمَعُ بِهِ الفَيْءُ ، وَيُقَاتَلُ بهِ العَدُوُّ ، وَتَأمَنُ بِهِ السُّبُلُ ، وَيُؤْخَذُ بِهِ لِلضّعِيفِ مِنَ القَوِيِّ، حَتّي يَسْتَرِيحَ بَرٌّ وَيُسْتَراحَ مِنْ فَاجِرٍ.

Reference: [Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 358, no. 72]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘A wild lion is better than an oppressive ruler, while an oppressive ruler is better than lasting schisms.

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : أسَدٌ حَطُومٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ظَلُومٍ ، وَسُلْطانٌ ظَلُومٌ خَيرٌ مِنْ فِتَنٍ تَدُومُ .

Reference: [Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 359, no. 74]

Description: The Prophet (S) 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, and your affairs are left for your women [to settle], then being under the ground will be better for you than being above it.’

رسولُ اللّٰهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : إذَا كَانَ اُمَرَاؤكُمْ خِيَارَكُمْ، وَأغْنِيَاؤكُمْ سُمَحَاءَكُمْ، وأمْرُكُمْ شُوري بَيْنَكُمْ؛ فَظَهْرُ الأرْضِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ بَطْنِهَا . وإذَا كَانَ اُمَراؤكُمْ شِرَارَكُمْ، وأغْنِيَاؤكُمْ بُخَلإكُمْ، وَاُمُورُكُمْ إلي نِسَائكُمْ؛ فَبَطْنُ الأرْضِ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ مِنْ ظَهْرِهَا.

Reference: [From Mizan al Hikmat,,Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 36]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said to [‘Abdullah] Ibn ‘Abbas, who entered his tent while he was mending his sandal, and told him, ‘The pilgrims have gathered to listen to you’ – ‘I swear by Allah, these [sandals] have more value to me than ruling over you, except for being able to do right and prevent injustice.’

الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لابنِ عَبّاسٍ إذْ دَخَـلَ عَلَيْهِ وَقَالَ: إنَّ الحَاجَّ قَدِ اجْتَمَعُوا لِيسْمَعُوا مِنْكَ ، وَهُوَ يَخْصِفُ نَعْلاً ـ : أمَا وَاللّه‏ِ لَهُما أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِنْ أمْرِكُمْ هذَا ، إلّا أنْ اُقِيمَ حَدّاً أوْ أدْفَعَ بَاطِلاً.

Reference: [al-Manaqib li Ibn Shahr ashub, v. 2, p. 101]

Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) asked Ibn ‘Abbas [according to another account], ‘What is the value of this sandal?’ Ibn ‘Abbas said, ‘It is worthless.’ He (a.s.) said, ‘I swear by Allah, it has more value to me than ruling over you, except for being able to do right and prevent injustice.’

نهج البلاغة عن ابنِ عبّاسٍ : دَخلتُ علي أميرِ المؤمِنينَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) بِذي قار وهوَ يَخصِفُ نَعلَه، فقالَ لِي: مَا قِيمَةُ هذَا النَّعْلِ؟ فَقُلْتُ : لاَ قِيمَةَ لَهَا! فَقَالَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : وَاللّه‏ِ لَهِيَ أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِنْ إمْرَتِكُمْ، إلّا أنْ اُقِيمَ حَقّاً، أوْ أدْفَعَ بَاطِلاً.

Reference: [Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 33]