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LETTER 49

To Mu`awiyah

So now this world turns away from the next one. He who is devoted to it achieves nothing from it except that it increases his greed and coveting for it. He who is devoted to it is not satisfied with what he gets from it because of what he has not got. Eventually there is separation from what has been amassed and a breaking of what has been strengthened. If you take a lesson from the past you can be safe in the future; and that is an end to the matter.

* * * * *

LETTER 50

To the officers of his army

From the servant of Allah `Ali Amir al-mu'minin to the Officer-in-charge of garrisons:

Now it is obligatory on an officer that the distinction he achieves or the wealth with which he has been exclusively endowed should not make him change his behaviour towards those under him and that the riches Allah has bestowed on him should increase him in nearness to his people and kindness over his brethren.

Beware that it is obligatory for you on me that I should not keep anything secret from you except during war nor should I decide any matter without consulting you except the commands of religion nor should I ignore the fulfilment of any of your rights


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[ 49 ] æãä ßÊÇÈ áå Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã

Åáí ãÚÇæíå ÅíÖÇð

ÃóãøóÇ ÈóÚúÏõ¡ ÝóÅöäøó ÇáÏøõäúíóÇ ãóÔúÛóáóÉñ Úóäú ÛóíúÑöåóÇ¡ æóáóãú íõÕöÈú ÕóÇÍöÈõåóÇ ãöäúåóÇ ÔóíúÆÇð ÅöáÇøó ÝóÊóÍóÊú áóåõ ÍöÑúÕÇð ÚóáóíúåóÇ¡ æóáóåóÌÇð ÈöåóÇ (1) ¡ æóáóäú íóÓúÊóÛúäöíó ÕóÇÍöÈõåóÇ ÈöãóÇ äóÇáó ÝöíåóÇ ÚóãøóÇ áóãú íóÈúáõÛúåõ ãöäúåóÇ¡ æóãöäú æóÑóÇÁö Ðáößó ÝöÑóÇÞõ ãóÇ ÌóãóÚó¡ æóäóÞúÖõ ãóÇ ÃóÈúÑóãó! áóæö ÇÚúÊóÈóÑúÊó ÈöãóÇ ãóÖóì ÍóÝöÙúÊó ãóÇ ÈóÞöíó¡ æóÇáÓøóáÇóãõ.

[ 50 ] æãä ßÊÇÈ áå Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã

Åöáì ÃãÑÇÆå Úáì ÇáÌíæÔ

ãöäú ÚóÈúÏöÇááåö Úóáöíøö Èúä ÃÈöí ØóÇáöÈò ÃóãöíÑöÇáúãõÄúãöäöíäó Åöáóì ÃóÕúÍóÇÈö ÇáúãóÓóÇáöÍö (1) :

ÃóãøóÇ ÈóÚúÏõ¡ ÝóÅöäøó ÍóÞøÇð Úóáóì ÇáúæóÇáöí ÃóáÇøó íõÛóíøöÑóåõ Úóáóì ÑóÚöíøóÊöåö ÝóÖúáñ äóÇáóåõ¡ æóáÇó Øóæúáñ (2) ÎõÕøó Èöåö¡ æóÃóäú íóÒöíÏóåõ ãóÇ ÞóÓóãó Çááåõ áóåõ ãöäú äöÚóãöåö ÏõäõæøÇð ãöäú ÚöÈóÇÏöåö¡ æóÚóØúÝÇð Úóáóì ÅöÎúæóÇäöåö.

ÃóáÇó æóÅöäøó áóßõãú ÚöäúÏöí ÃóáÇøó ÃóÍúÊóÌöÒó (3) Ïõæäóßõãú ÓöÑøÇð ÅöáÇøó Ýöí ÍóÑúÈò¡ æóáÇó ÃóØúæöíó (4) Ïõæäóßõãú ÃóãúÑÇð ÅöáÇøó Ýöí Íõßúãò¡ æóáÇó ÃõÄóÎøöÑó áóßõãú ÍóÞøÇð Úóäú


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nor desist till I discharge it fully and that for me all of you should be equal in rights. When I have done all this it becomes obligatory on you to thank Allah for this bounty and to obey me and you should not hold back when called nor shirk good acts and you should face harships for the sake of right. If you do not remain steadfast in this there will be no one more humiliated in my view than the one among you who has deviated and then I will increase the punishment for him wherein no one will get any concession from me. Take this (pledge) from your (subordinate) officers and accord to them such behaviour from your side by which Allah may improve your matters; and that is an end to the matter.


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ãóÍóáøöåö¡ æóáÇó ÃóÞöÝó Èöåö Ïõæäó ãóÞúØóÚöåö (5) ¡ æóÃóäú ÊõßõæäõæÇ ÚöäÏöí Ýöí ÇáúÍóÞøö ÓóæóÇÁð¡ ÝóÅöÐóÇ ÝóÚóáúÊõ Ðáößó æóÌóÈóÊú ááå Úóáóíúßõãõ ÇáäøöÚúãóÉõ¡ æóáöí Úóáóíúßõãõ ÇáØøóÇÚóÉõ¡ æóÃóáÇøó ÊóäúßõÕõæÇ (6) Úóäú ÏóÚúæóÉ¡ æóáÇó ÊõÝóÑøöØõæÇ Ýöí ÕóáÇóÍò¡ æóÃóäú ÊóÎõæÖæÇ ÇáúÛóãóÑóÇÊö (7) Åöáóì ÇáúÍóÞøö¡ ÝóÅöäú ÃóäúÊõãú áóãú ÊóÓúÊóÞöíãõæÇ áöí Úóáóì Ðáößó áóãú íóßõäú ÃóÍóÏñ Ãóåúæóäó Úóáóíøó ãöãøóäú ÇÚúæóÌøó ãöäúßõãú¡ Ëõãøó ÃõÚúÙöãõ áóåõ ÇáúÚõÞõæÈóÉó¡ æóáÇó íóÌöÏõ ÚöäúÏöí ÝöíåÇ ÑõÎúÕóÉð¡ ÝóÎõÐõæÇ åÐóÇ ãöäú ÃõãóÑóÇÆößõãú¡ æóÃóÚúØõæåõãú ãöäú ÃóäúÝõÓößõãú ãóÇ íõÕúáöÍõ Çááåõ Èöåö à óãúÑóßõãú. æóÇáÓøóáÇãõ .