الإمارَة

GOVERNMENT

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2- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘No one can straighten people other than a ruler – be he pious or wicked.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 14286]

3- 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.’
[Ibid. no. 14366]

4- Imam Ali (AS) said regarding the Hyriyya 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. no. 31567]

5- 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.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 75, p. 358, no. 72]

6- Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘A wild lion is better than an oppressive ruler, while an oppressive ruler is better than lasting schisms.’
[Ibid. p. 359, no. 74]

7- 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
[ImÁm] Ali said, ‘There is no rule save Allah’s. “Allah’s promise is indeed true. And do not let yourself be upset

8- by those who have no conviction.”
[ Qur’an 30:60] For 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.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 31618]

9- 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, and your affairs are left for your women
[to settle], then being under the ground will be better for you than being above it.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, p. 36]

10- Imam Ali (AS) said to
[‘AbdullÁh] Ibn ‘AbbÁs, 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.’
[al-ManÁqib li Ibn Shahr ÀshÙb, v. 2, p. 101]

11- Imam Ali (AS) asked Ibn ‘AbbÁs
[according to another account], ‘What is the value of this sandal?’ Ibn ‘AbbÁs said, ‘It is worthless.’ He (AS) 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.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 33]

12- Imam Ali (AS) wrote to Ibn ‘AbbÁs: ‘Do not let your share as a result of your rule be wealth that you derive
[personal] gain from, nor rage that you satisfy
[by revenge], but
[let it be] the killing of injustice and the revival of equity.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 40, p. 328, no. 10]