70. Sharh Nahj al-Balāghah – narrating from al-Madā'ini reporting on the meeting in which Ibn `Abbās and Mu`āwiya were present: “al-Mughayra ibn Shu`ba said: “Indeed, by God, I gave advice to Ali (a.s.) and he preferred his own view and went on with his excessiveness which ended up to his loss rather than to his benefit and I suppose his people will follow his manner.”
Ibn `Abbās said: “By God, the Commander of the Faithful was more informed and aware of the various opinions, places of prudence and handling of situations than to accept your council in what God has forbidden and disapproved of. “You will not find a people believing in Allah and the Last Day endearing those who oppose Allah and His Apostle…”1, and he informed you of the Clear Reminder [The Qur'ān] and a recited verse, which is the saying of His Almighty: “…Nor do I take those who mislead as assistants.” 2
Was it permissible for him to assign people who were not trustworthy and confidential to him, to the public treasury and life of the Muslims? Far from it! Far from it! He is too aware of divine obligations and the traditions of His Messenger to harbor in his heart contrary to what he expresses, unless for the sake of dissimulation (taqiyya) and there is no room for dissimulation here, with the clearness of the truth, stability of the hearts and large amount of companions! He moves on like an unsheathed sword towards implementing God’s commands, preferring obedience to his Lord and being God-fearing over the views of the worldly-minded.”3
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Refunding Public Assets
71. Imām Ali (a.s.) –delivered when taking back the land grants made by `Uthmān: “By God, even if I had found that women were married by such money or slave-maids have been obtained by it, I would have returned it back because there is an expansiveness in justice and he who finds justice hard and
constricting should find it harder to deal with injustice.”4
1.. Qur'ān, ۵۸: ۲۲.
2.. Qur'ān, ۱۸: ۵۱.
3.. Sharh Nahj al-Balāghah, vol. ۶, p. ۳۰۱, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۴۲, p. ۱۷۰.
4.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon ۱۵, Manāqib Ali ibn Abi Tālib, vol. ۲, p. ۱۱۰, Da`ā'im al-Islām, vol. ۱, p. ۳۹۶.