( 484 )

LETTER 59

To al-Aswad ibn Qutbah the Governor of Hulwan

Now if the actions of a governor follow the passions he will be greatly hampered in justice. All the people should be equal in right before you because injustice cannot be a substitute for justice.  Avoid that thing the like of which you would not like for yourself. Exert yourself in what Allah has made obligatory on you hoping for His reward and fearing His chastisement.

Know that this world is the place of trial. Whoever here wastes any hour of his time will repent it on the Day of Judgement   and nothing can ever make you too satisfied as not to need right. One of the rights on you is that you should protect yourself  (from sins) and look after the subjects to your best. The benefit that will come to you from this will be greater than that which will accrue (to people) through you; and that is an to the matter.

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LETTER 60

To the officers through whose jurisdiction the army passed

From the servant of Allah `Ali Amir al-mu'minin to all the collectors of revenue and officers of the realm through whose area the army passes.

Now I have sent an army that will pass by you if Allah wills. I have instructed them about what Allah has made obligatory on them namely that they should avoid molestation and evade

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[ 59 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى الاسود بن قُطْبَةَ صاحب جند حُلوان (1)

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فإِنَّ الْوَالِيَ إِذَا اخْتَلَفَ هَوَاهُ (2) مَنَعَهُ ذلِكَ كَثِيراً مِنَ الْعَدْلِ، فَلْيَكُنْ أَمْرُ النَّاسِ عِنْدَكَ فِي الْحَقِّ سَوَاءً، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْجَوْرِ عِوَضٌ مِنَ الْعَدْلِ، فَاجْتَنِبْ مَا تُنْكِرُ أَمْثَالَهُ، وَابْتَذِلْ نَفْسَكَ فِيَما افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْكَ، رَاجِياً ثوَابَهُ، وَمُتَخَوِّفاً عِقَابَهُ.

وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الدُّنْيَا دَارُ بَلِيَّةٍ لَمْ يَفْرُغْ صَاحِبُهَا قَطُّ فِيهَا سَاعَةً إِلاَّ كَانَتْ فَرْغَتُهُ (3) عَلَيْهِ حَسْرَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، أَنَّهُ لَنْ يُغْنِيَكَ عَنِ الْحَقِّ شَيْءٌ أَبَداً، وَمِنَ الْحَقِّ عَلَيْكَ حِفْظُ نَفْسِكَ، وَالْإِحْتسَابُ (4) عَلَى الرَّعِيَّةِ بِجُهْدِكَ، فَإِنَّ الَّذِي يَصِلُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ ذلِكَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الَّذِي يَصِلُ بِكَ، وَالسَّلاَمُ.

[ 60 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى العمال الذين يطأ الجيش عمَلَهُمْ (1)

مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ عَلِيٍّ أَمِيرِالْمُؤمِنِينَ إِلَى مَنْ مَرَّ بِهِ الْجَيْشُ مِنْ جُبَاةِ الْخَرَاجِ وَعُمَّالِ الْبِلاَدِ.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنِّي قَدْ سَيَّرْتُ جُنُوداً هِيَ مَارَّةٌ بِكُمْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ، وَقَدْ أَوْصَيْتُهُمْ بِمَا يَجِبُ لِلَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ كَفِّ الْأَذَىٍ، وَصَرْفِ الشَّذَىٍ (2) ، وَأَنَا أَبْرَأُ


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harm. I hold myself clear before you and those (unbelievers) who are under your protection from any annoyance committed by the army axcept when one is compelled by hunger and there is no other way of satisfying it. If anyone of them takes anything through force you should punish him. None of you should be silly enough to obstruct them or intervene in matters which we have allowed them by way of exception. I am myself within the army. So refer to me their high-handedness and any hardship which is caused by them and which you cannot avert except through Allah and through me. I shall then avert it with the help of Allah if He so wills.

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LETTER 61

To Kumayl ibn Ziyad an-Nakha`i the Governor of Hit expressing displeasure on his inability to prevent the enemy forces that passed through his area from marauding.

Now the neglecting by a man of what he has been made responsible for and doing what is to be done by others is a manifest  weakness and a ruinous sight. Certainly your advance on the people of Qarqisiya and your leaving the arsenals over which we had set you without anyone to protect them or to repulse the enemy force savoured of shattered thinking. In this way you served like a bridge for the enemy who came marauding on your allies while your arms were weak you had no awe around you; you could not prevent the enemy from advancing; you could not break his might; you could not defend the people of your area and you could not discharge functions on behalf of your Imam.

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( 487 )

إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَى ذِمَّتِكُمْ مِنْ مَعَرَّةِ (3) الْجَيْش،ِ إِلاَّ مِنْ جَوْعَةِ الْمُضْطَرِّ (4) ، لاَ يَجِدُ عَنْهَا مَذْهَباً إلَى شِبَعِهِ. فَنَكِّلُوا (5) مَنْ تَنَاوَلَ مِنْهُمْ شَيْئاً ظُلْماً عَنْ ظُلْمِهِمْ، وَكُفُّوا أَيْدِيَ سُفَهَائِكُمْ عَنْ مُضَادَّتِهِمْ، وَالتَّعَرُّضِ لَهُمْ فِيما اسْتَثْنَيْنَاهُ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَنَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِ الْجَيْشِ، فَارْفَعُوا إِلَيَّ مَظَالِمَكُمْ، وَمَا عَرَاكُمْ مِمَّا يَغْلِبُكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ، وَلاَ تُطِيقُونَ دَفْعَهُ إِلاَّ بِاللهِ وَبِي، فَأَنا أُغَيِّرْهُ بِمَعُونَةِ اللهِ، إِنْ شَاءَ اللهُ.

[ 61 ] ومن كتاب له عليه السلام

إلى كميل بن زياد النخعي، وهو عامله على هيت، يُنكر عليه تركه دفع من يجتاز به من جيش العدو طالباً الغارة.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ تَضْيِيعَ الْمَرْءِ مَا وُلِّيَ، وَتَكَلُّفَهُ مَا كُفِيَ، لَعَجْزٌ حَاضِرٌ، وَرَأْيٌ مُتَبَّرٌ (1) ، وَإِنَّ تَعَاطِيَكَ الْغَارَةَ عَلَى أَهْلِ قِرْقِيسِيَا (2) ، وَتَعْطِيلَكَ مَسَالِحَكَ (3) الَّتي وَلَّيْنَاكَ ـ لَيْسَ بِهَا مَنْ يَمْنعُهَا، وَلاَ يَرُدُّ الْجَيْشَ عَنْهَا ـ لَرَأْيٌ شَعَاعٌ (4) . فَقَدْ صِرْتَ جِسرْاً لِمَنْ أَرَادَ الْغَارَةَ مِنْ أَعْدَائِكَ عَلَى أَوْلِيَائِكَ، غَيْرَ شَدِيدِ الْمَنْكِبِ (5) ، وَلاَ مَهِيبِ الْجَانِبِ، وَلاَ سَادٍّ ثُغْرَةً (6) ، وَلاَ كَاسرٍ لِعَدُوٍّ شَوْكَةً، وَلاَ مُغْنٍ عَنْ (7) أَهْلِ مِصْرِهِ، وَلاَ مُجْزٍ عَنْ أَميِرِهِ.