390. Imām Ali (a.s.) – Criticizing the scholars’ differences in divine rulings: “When a problem is put before anyone of them he passes judgment on it from his imagination. When exactly the same problem is placed before another of them he passes an opposite verdict. Then these judges go to the leader who had appointed them and he confirms all the verdicts, although their God is One, their Prophet is one, and their Book (the Qur'ān) is one.”
“Is it God who ordered them to differ and they obeyed Him? Or He prohibited them from it but they disobeyed Him? Or (is it that) God sent an incomplete Faith and sought their help to complete it? Or they were His partners in the affairs, thus they have the right to say and He has to agree? Or is it that God the Glorified sent a perfect faith but the Prophet fell short of conveying it and handing it over (to the people)? The fact is that God the Glorified says: “We have not omitted anything from the Book…”1 and in it there is an explanation for everything, and He the almighty, says that one part of the Qur'ān verifies another part and that there is no divergence in it, as He says: “Had it been from [someone] other than God, they would have surely found much discrepancy in it.”2 Indeed the outward (manifest) aspect of the Qur`ān is wonderful and its inward (nonmanifest) aspect is deep (in meaning). Its wonders will never disappear, its marvels will never pass away and darkness cannot be cleared except through it.”3
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Execution of Legal Punishment on Near of Kin and Strangers
391. Imām Ali (a.s.) – in his sermon: “The most important responsibility of a ruler towards his subjects is to make certain that they performed their religious duties and what God has imposed on them. Certainly, it is upon us to command you with what God has
commanded you [to do] and prohibit you from what God has prohibited you from [doing]. It is also upon us to carry out God’s commands on both the people who are near and those who are far [in kinship] and not to heed, that on whom justice is being administered.”4
1.. Qur'ān, ۶: ۳۸.
2.. Qur'ān, ۴:۸۲.
3.. Nahj al-Balāghah, Sermon ۱۸, al-Ihtijāj, vol. ۱, p. ۶۲۰, h. ۱۴۲, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۲, p. ۲۸۴, h. ۱.
4.. al-Ghārāt, vol. ۲, p. ۵۰۱, Bihār al-Anwār, vol. ۲۷, p. ۲۵۴, h. ۱۵.
