177. Imām Ali (a.s.) – from his letter to Qarza ibn K`ab al- Ansāri: “Indeed some men from among the protected people (Ahl al-Dhimma) in your area have reported that a river in their land has been destroyed and submerged. They have the rights over the Muslims to engender prosperity for them. See into this matter along with them, then repair and improve the river. By my life, bringing prosperity is more pleasant for us than their leaving or undergoing poverty or falling short of that which sets right the cities. Wassalām!”¹

178. Imām Ali (a.s.): “The virtue of a ruler (sultān) is in the development of the cities.”²

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Agricultural Development

179. Imām Ali (a.s.): “He who finds water and land and then becomes poor, God will send him far [from His Mercy].”³

180. Imām Ali (a.s.): “Verily, there are five ways of [earning] livelihood for people: rulership, developing, trading, leases and taxes…Concerning development, God Almighty says: “He brought you forth from the earth and made it your inhabitation [to develop it].”⁴ It is implied here that God the Exalted has commanded his servants to construct the earth so that it will be a means for their livelihood through what grows from it such as grain, fruits and other things which God has made as provision for people.”⁵

177. عنه علیه السلام ـ مِمّا كَتَبَهُ إلى قَرَظَةَ بنِ كَعب الأَنصارِيِّ ـ: أمّا بَعدُ، فَإِنَّ رِجالاً مِن أهلِ الذِّمَّةِ مِن عَمَلِكَ ذَكَروا نَهراً في أرضِهِم قَد عَفا وَادُّفِنَ، وفيهِ لَهُم عِمارَةٌ عَلَى المُسلِمينَ، فَانظُر أنتَ وهُم، ثُمَّ اعمُر وأصلِحِ النَّهرَ؛ فَلَعَمري لاََن يَعمُروا أحَبُّ إلَينا مِن أن يَخرُجوا وأن يَعجِزوا أو يُقَصِّروا في واجِبٍ مِن صَلاحِ البِلادِ. وَالسَّلامُ.¹

178. عنه علیه السلام: فَضيلَةُ السُّلطانِ عِمارَةُ البُلدانِ.²

راجع: موسوعة الإمام عليّ بن أبي طالب علیه السلام: ج 2 ص 439 (سياسة أخذ الخراج).

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التّنمیة الزّراعیّة

179. الإمام عليّ علیه السلام: مَن وَجَدَ ماءً وتُراباً ثُمَّ افتَقَرَ فَأَبعَدَهُ اللهُ.³

180. عنه علیه السلام: إنَّ مَعايِشَ الخَلقِ خَمسَةٌ: الإِمارَةُ، وَالعِمارَةُ، وَالتِّجارَةُ، وَالإِجارَةُ، وَالصَّدَقاتُ... وأمّا وَجهُ العِمارَةِ فَقَولُهُ تَعالى: (هُوَ أَنشَأَكُم مِّنَ الاَْرْضِ وَ اسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فِيهَا) ⁴، فَأَعلَمَنا سُبحانَهُ أنَّهُ قَد أمَرَهُم بِالعِمارَةِ؛ لَيَكونَ ذلِكَ سَبَباً لِمَعايِشِهِم بِما يَخرُجُ مِنَ الأَرضِ؛ مِنَ الحَبِّ، وَالثَّمَراتِ، وما شاكَلَ ذلِكَ، مِمّا جَعَلَهُ اللهُ مَعايِشَ لِلخَلقِ.⁵