Chapter Three:Administrative Policies
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Honesty in Policy
75. Imām Ali (a.s.): “Far be it! Had it not been for God-wariness, I would have been the craftiest of Arabs.”1
76. Imām Ali (a.s.): “O People! If perjury were not repulsive, I would be the craftiest of people. Verily every perjury is an offence and within every offence there is disbelief and unthankfulness. Verily perjury, offences and betrayal all lead to Hellfire.”2
77. Imām Ali (a.s.): “By God, Mu`āwiya is not craftier than I am, but he practices deception and commits debauchery and were it not for the hideousness of deception, I would have been the craftiest of all people. But every kind of deception is a sin and every sin is disbelief [in God]. There will be a banner for every deceiver by which he will be known on the Day of Resurrection. By God, neither artifice can catch me by surprise nor shall I be overpowered by hardship.”3
78. Imām Ali (a.s.) –in his instructions to Mālik al-Ashtar: “If you bind an agreement between yourself and your enemy or give him quarter in a protective covenant (dhimma), guard your agreement in good faith and tend to your covenant with fidelity. Make yourself a shield for what you have granted; for men, do not unite more firmly in any of the obligation (imposed upon them) by God than attaching importance to fidelity in agreements despite the division among their sects and the diversity of their opinions. The idolaters
also adhered to that (honoring agreement) among themselves by reason of evil consequences of treachery that they had seen. So never betray your covenant, never break your agreement and never deceive your enemy.”4
1.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۸, p. ۲۴, h. ۴, Ghurar al-Hikam, h. ۱۰۰۴۱, `Uyun al-Hikam wa al-Mawā`iz, p. ۵۱۲, h. ۹۳۲۲.
2.. al-Kāfi, vol. ۲, p. ۳۳۸, h. ۶, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۳۳, p. ۴۵۴, h. ۶۷۱.
3.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon ۲۰۰, Yanābi` al-Mawadda, vol. ۱, p. ۴۵۴, al-Mi`yār wa al-Mawāzin, p. ۱۶۶.
4.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Letter ۵۳, Khasā'is al-A'imma, p. ۱۲۳, Tuhaf al-`Uqul, p. ۱۴۵.
