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Refraining from Employing the Treacherous and the Feeble
105. Imām Ali (a.s.): “Mughayra ibn Shu`ba suggested to me that I should appoint Mu`āwiya as the governor of Shām and that I should stay in Madina, but I rejected his suggestion and God will never see me take those who mislead as my assistants.”12
106. Imām Ali (a.s.) –in his instructions to Mālik al-Ashtar: “Truly the worst of your viziers are those who were the viziers of the evil (rulers) before you and shared with them in their sins. Let them not be among your retinue, for they are aides of the sinners and brothers of wrongdoers. You will find the best of substitutes for them from among those who possess the like of their ideas and effectiveness but are not encumbered by the like of their burdens, sins and offences; those who have not aided a wrongdoer in his wrongs nor an offender in his offences. They will be a lighter burden upon you, a better aid and more inclined towards you in sympathy and less intimate with others. So choose them as your special companions in your private and public assemblies.”3
107. Imām Ali (a.s.) –from his letter to Rifā`a who was his judge in the city of Ahwāz: “Know, O Rifā`a that this position of governance is a trust, so whoever betrays it, on him will be the curse of God until the Day of Judgment; and whoever employs a traitor, truly Muhammad (s.a.w.) will despise him both in this world and the world to come.”4
108. Imām Ali (a.s.) –describing a true leader: “You indeed know that he who is in charge of the people’s honor, life, war gains, the laws and the leadership of the Muslims should not be a miser, as with his greed he may have expectations in their
wealth, nor should he be ignorant as he would then mislead them with his ignorance, nor should he be of harsh and indifferent as he will estrange them with his behavior, nor should he be unjust in the distribution of wealth, that he gives to a group and denies another, nor should he be one who accepts bribes when taking decisions, as he would forfeit the rights of others and hold them up not letting them reach the owners, nor should he stop the practice of the tradition (sunna) as he would ruin the nation.”5
1.. Cf., Qur'ān, ۱۸:۵۱.
2.. Waq`at Siffin, p. ۵۲, al-Imāma wa al-Siyāsa, vol. ۱, p. ۱۱۶, Tārikh Dimashq, vol. ۵۹, p. ۱۳۱.
3.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Letter ۵۳, al-Imāma wa al-Siyāsa, vol. ۱, p. ۱۱۶, Tārikh Dimashq, vol. ۵۹, p. ۱۳۱.
4.. Da`ā'im al-Islām, vol. ۲, p. ۵۳۱, h. ۱۸۹۰, Nahj al-Sa`āda, vol. ۵, p. ۳۳.
5.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon ۱۳۱, also cf, Da`ā'im al-Islām, vol. ۲, p. ۵۳۱, h. ۱۸۸۶.
