HAZRAT ALI (A.S.) AND JUSTICE

By: Yasir Ali Mirza

Hazrat Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S.), usually styled as Murtaza Asadullah Al Ghalib, i.e. the Chosen, the Lion of God, the Victorious, who is the first Imam of Islam and the immediate successor of Holy Prophet, Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), posses the unique characteristics in the history of mankind’s civilization. The versatile personality of Ali is broader and multi-faceted in all its aspects and parts. He possessed both and far-reaching mind, and tender and overflowing affections. Brought up under the affectionate guidance and care of his cousin, Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), Ali had a keen vision and a passionate love for truth and justice. He was an embodiment of the noblest human combined with divine characteristics. He kept alive the revolutionary principles that Islam had ushered in and cherished the values which it had sought to establish. His piety, generosity, his love and fear of Allah, his sincerity and fortitude in following the Islamic Principles were unmatched. He was a perfect model and universal exemplar who guided and illuminated the entire gamut of human behaviour by his comprehensive examples o goodness and virtuous deeds. He had a personality in which opposite qualities had so gathered that it was difficult to believe that a human mind could manifest such a combinations. Thus he called as “Al Insan al Kamil” (The Perfect Man).
Allama Ibne Abil Hadeed-i-Motazali, who wrote an exegesis on Nahj’al Balaghah, comments in his preface:
“World cannot quote an example other than that of Ali of a first class, warrior and a marshal who is also a philosopher, a moralist and a great teacher of religious principles and theology. A study of his life shows that his sword was the only help that Islam received during its early days of struggle and its wars of self-defence. For Islam he was the first line of defence, the second line of defence and the last line of defence. Who was with him in the battles of Badr, Ohad, Khandaque, Khyber and Hunain? This is one aspect of his life. While the other phase of his character is portrayed by his sermons, orders, letters and sayings. What high Values of morality they teach, what ethics they preach what intricate problems of Unitarianism they elucidate, how rich they are rich in philosophy; How they try to train us to be kind, good, benevolent and God-fearing rulers and faithful, sincere and law abiding subjects; How They persuade us to be warriors who can fight only for god, truth and justice and not mercenaries murdering and plundering for wealth and riches; and how they instruct us to be teachers who can teach nothing injurious and harmful to mankind. Has history ever produced a more splendid personality incorporating such variegated characteristics of mind and heart?”
The era of Hazrat Imam Ali, the Warrior-Saint of Islam, witnessed the grandest episode in the history of world’s civilization. The lifetime mission of Ali was protection and preservation of the restive values of justice and human rights on which the Islamic faith is based upon and which the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) had infused in his followers. He led his life strictly in accordance with the teachings and tenets of Islam revealed to the world as a perfect code of life and a guide to the man’s submissions to the will of Allah. From his childhood right up to his martyrdom on 21st Ramazan, 40A.H, the entire life pattern of Ali is very prominent on account of his transcending and high qualities. While in worship at night, he cut himself off from everything else, and during the day he was active among the people with all his kindness and altruisms, advices, counsels and wise words. Amongst countless virtues that he possessed, he had a deep knowledge and insight of religious, moral, social and even scientifical matters. His words and deeds bore stamps of nobility, sagacity and courage of convictions. He indefatigably faced all adverse situations but didn’t gave up his mission. In several phase of his life he displayed exemplary strength of body and mind which was due to his firm belief in God and his abiding faith in truth and justice.

APOSTLE OF JUSTICE
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and justice, these two names are as similar as the two sides of a coin. They can never be fall apart. He was a great standard-bearer of a peace and human rights. We can see justice in all actions of his life whether he is the battlefield or in the farmland or a pulpit. He accomplished the cause of justice with indomitable spirit. Ali’s idea of justice was all based on the laws which had been revealed in the Holy Quran and of Prophet Muhammad. Thus he says:
“By God! If the whole world under the sky and whatever is in it is given to me on condition that I may carry out oppression against an ant and snatch the barley shell (its food) from it, I would not do it”.
Actually Ali wants to say that oppression is that a bad a thing that oppression cannot be carried out against the smallest thing including an ant, even for a rule all over the world. Islam looks at society with honour and respect and thus stresses the need of restoration of justice and fair play and rooting out tyranny and brutality.
He knew that Islam has made it clear that if there is justice, fair-play and balance prevails in society it can remains intact even the people who follows any religion, but no society can prosper or remain intact with oppressions, injustice and social disorder no matter its people are Muslims. He realized that personal traits of character in individuals could exercise an influence over the life of the community. For this reason Ali urged upon the economically strong sections not to transgress the rights of the weaker section and he passed many decrees and established ethical norms to safeguard the interests of dispossessed. He further held that a good government should not only be regulative but also reformative in its implementation. He defined the state as “a community in action” and considered the government as instrumental in achieving “that end”. A righteous government meant a righteous ruler, for the ruler was the head of the community, charged to fulfill the responsibilities imposed on him by its moral laws.
He stresses that only by rightfully carrying out the Huqooq-ul-Aybaad (duties of individuals towards their fellow men) could a man perform Huqooqullah (duties and obligations to God). If men were found wanting in their duties towards God, in his mercy he may forgive them; but the violation of the rights of individuals involved infringements of the laws of society and guilty party could only be forgiven by those whom they had wronged.
In running the state affairs he believed in the administration of justice equality and fairness. He set an unprecedented example of good governance in his historic letter to Malik al Ashtar, his ardent companions and governor to Egypt. That letter is one of the jewels of all letters compiled in Nahj’al Balaghah (Peak of Eloquence) which can be adjudged as best code for the administrators, even in contemporary world too. After reading this letter one can realizes that what type of an impeccable man he was. In his letter he highlighted the duties and obligations of rulers, their major responsibilities, the question of priorities of rights, dispensation of justice, distribution of work and duties among the various branches of administration. He advised Malik al Ashtar to fight corruption and oppression amongst the officers; to control market; to curb evils of profiteering and hoarding and marketing. In it he has also explained stages of various classes of society, the duties of government towards the poor and destitute how are they to be worked after and how are their conditions to be improved; the principles of equal distribution of wealth and opportunities; orphans and their upbringing, crippled and physically handicapped persons and their maintenance, substitutes in lieu of homes for the aged and disabled.
In short this commandments of Ali, in a form of letter, is on one hand the gospel of the principles of administration as taught by Islam; a code to establish a benevolent and welfare state, throwing light on various aspects of justice, mercy and liberalism, where justice is delivering to human being irrespective of class, creed or colour, where poverty is neither an stigma nor a disqualifications and where justice is not tarred with nepotism favouritism, regionalism or religious fanaticism; and on the other hand it is a thesis on the higher values of morality.
The famous Arab Christian, jurist, poet and philosopher Abdul Masih-i-Antakhi, who died sometimes in the beginning of the 20th century while discussing this letter in his book on Ali, writes that it is a far superior and better code than the once handed down by Moses and Hammurabi, it explains what a human administration should be like and how it is to be carried on and it justifies the claims of Muslims that Islam wants to introduce a Godly administration of the people, for the people and by the people, and it wants a ruler should rule not to please himself but to bring happiness to the ruled and no religion before Islam tried to achieve this end; Ali should be congratulated for having introduced these principle in his government and for having writers them down for posterity.
United Nations Legal Committee, member states voted that this particular order of Hazrat Ali to Malik Al Ashtar (Nahj‘al Balaghah, Letter No. 53) should be considered as one of the sources of International Law. The UN urged the Arab nations to use that letter as a model. The UNDP in its 2002 Arab Human Development Report listed six sayings of Imam Ali about the importance of knowledge and establishment of ideal governance. The governments of Islamic Republic of Iran and Pakistan have accepted that letter as a model code of governance and distributed it to their respective provincial governors.
(Vide: Arab Human Development Report, 2002 pp.82 & 107)
Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (A.S.) writes, some excerpts are:
“Malik! You must create in your mind kindness, compassion and love of your subjects. Do not behave with them as you are voracious and ravenous beast and your success lies in tearing them up and devouring them.
Remember Malik that among your subjects there are two kinds of people: those who having the same religion as yours and they are brothers unto you and those who have other religions than yours are human beings like you. Let your mercy and compassion come to their rescue and help in the same way and to the same extent that you expect God to show mercy and forgiveness to you ………………… Do not hurry over punishments and do not be pleased and proud of your power to punish. Do not get angry and lose temperament quickly over the mistakes and failure of those over whom you rule.
Never say to yourself “I’m their lord, their ruler, all in all over them and that I must be obeyed submissively and humbly”. Because such as thought will unbalance your mind, will make you vain and arrogant, will weaken your faith in religion and will make you seek support of any power other than that of God.
So far as your own affairs or those of your relatives and friends are concerned take care that you do not violate the duties laid down upon you by God and usurp the rights of mankind, be impartial and do justice. Because if you give up equity and justice then you will certainly be a tyrant and an oppressor. And whoever tyrannizes and oppresses creatures will earn enmity of God along with the hatred of those whom he has oppressed; and whoever earns wrath of the Lord loses all chances of salvation; he had no excuse to offer on the day of judgement.
……………….. Remember, Malik, that usually these elite classes are mentally the scum of human society, they are the people who will be the worst drag upon you during your moments of peace and tranquility, and the least useful to you during your hours of need and adversity, they hate equity and justice the most …………… While the common men, the poor and apparently the less important section of your subject are the pillars of Islam, they are the real assemblage of Muslims and the central power and defensive force against the enemies of Islam, keep an open mind for them, be more friendly with them and secure their confidence and sympathy.
So far as dispensing of justice is concerned, be fair, be impartial and be transparent. Punish those who deserve punishment through he may be your near relation or a close friend. ………………… You have to be very careful in selecting officers for the same. ………………. They (Judges) must exhibit patience and perseverance in scanning the details, in testing the points presented as true and shifting facts from fictions and when the truth presents itself to them they must pass their judgement without fear, favour or prejudices…………… Let the judiciary be above every kind of executive pressure or influence, above fear or favour, intrigue or corruptions”.
(Vide: Nahj’al Balaghah, letter No.: 53, page No. 246)

In another letter to his collector of taxes and revenues he instructs them: “Treat the tax payers with equity and justice and think over their wishes with patience and kindness, because you are a treasurer of the subjects, representative of the people and the offices on behalf of higher authority. Do not force any body to forsake his requirements and to do without his necessities (so that he may pay the taxes), be they Muslims or Non-Muslims”.
(Vide: Nahj’al Balaghah, Letter No.: 51, Page No. 246)
Ali believed that people and governor have rights over each other and God created these rights so as to equate one another. If the ruled the rights of the ruler and ruler fulfills their rights, then rights attains the position of honour among them, the ways of religion became established, sign of justice become fixed and the Sunnah (Traditions of Holy Prophet) gains currency. He wrote direction for his officials which clearly show what form of regime he wanted to introduce. It was not to be a regime whose officers had an upper hand and were fattened on public money. It was a welfare state working solely for the welfare of the people living under its rule, a dispensation where the rich cannot get richer while the poor are made poorer, a government where religion hold the balance between the governed and the ruler.

“ALI IS THE BEST JUDGE AMONG YOU”.
Whenever such a need arose, the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) used to refer cases to him. At the time of conquest of Yemen, Ali was appointed as the chief justice. He said to the Prophet, “O Prophet! There might crop some new questions, and I don’t have much experience, how I’ll take them?”. The Prophet replied, “God will strength them your heart and provide you the power of sustenance”. Ali stated that after it he never hesitated in awarding his decisions.
(Vide: Masnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Vol.I, Pg.83 & Al Mustadrak al Hakim, vol III, pg 135)

The Prophet, who himself the best judge, the apostle of truth and righteousness, who had the unique ability to recognize the mettle of a person, had already realized Ali’s supreme calibre regarding this matter. He said about Ali:
(Ali is the best judge among you)
(Vide: Al Musatadrak al Hakim, Vol. III, Pg. 134)
This is the best certificate about Ali’s justice that has given to him.
Hazrat Omar used to say:
(Ali is the best judge amongst us)
(Vide: Tabaqat Ibne Sa’ad, Vol. II, Pg.102)
During his tenure as the Chief Justice of Yemen, a decision on a case considered very famous. Once a case came to his court that some persons dig a well to capture a lion. When the lion fell in it some other people were jokingly teasing each other near the well. By chance, one person was about to fell. To save his own life, he held the third person and consequently the third one held the fourth. The lion killed all the four persons. The heir of all the four persons started quarreling with each other.
When the case tabled before Hazrat Ali, he decided it like this: He ordered to collect the blood-money (khoon-baha) of these people from the four tribes who were involved in digging well, because they were real culprit who dug the well near a dwelling of the people to capture the lion. The person who fell and killed first be given one fourth of blood-money, heir of the second one get one-fourth, the third one get half and the last one be given full compensation because he didn’t pulled any person either by chance or intentionally. But, the people generally did not like this strange judgement. They, however, approached to the Prophet. The Prophet however, sustained his decision.
(Vide: Masnad Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, Vol.I, Pg.77)
In another incident when Ali assumed the worldly rulership as Caliph in 36A.H. He resumed the land which had been granted by his predecessor and sweared to resume whatever some elites had taken before him. He opposed the centralization of capital control over provincial revenues and favoured an equal distribution of taxes and booty among the Muslims; in contrast to the Second Caliph he distributed the entire revenue of the treasury among Muslims without keeping anything in reserves. When asked to pay more money to elite class he said, “Do you command me that I should seek support by oppressing those over whom I have been placed? By Allah, I won’t do so as long as the world goes on, and as long as one star leads another in the sky. Even if it were my property, I would have distributed it equally among them, then why not when the property is that of Allah.”
(Vide: Nahj’al Balaghah, Sermon No.129, Pg.96)
Once during Ali’s caliphate, he heard that faithful follower and governor of Basra, Osman Ibne Haneef, invited to a function at dinner by a wealthy person of the place and no other people of economically weaker section were invited. When Ali heard of this he wrote him a very severe letter, criticising his action saying that “you went to a dinner where only rich people were invited and poor were scornfully excluded?”
(Vide: Nahj’al Balaghah, letter no.45, Pg. 241)
On embezzlement of the public exchequer, he said angrily:
“By God, if I had found that public money had been squandered even in celebrating marriage and in purchasing slave-girls I would have taken them back and would have handed them over to the country, because functions and responsibilities of justice and equity are far reaching and far extending. One who does not boldly act according to the dictates of justice and fairness, will feel very nervous in facing tyranny and oppression”.
(Vide: Nahj’al Balaghah, Sermon No.19: pg.15)
Ali’s idea of social justice was all based on Quranic laws. However, soon the tide of events began to turn against Ali. One of the problems that beset him was his own forthright nature and straightforwardness. He refused to allow political expediency to dictate him where he felt a matter of principle was at stake. He set about immediately trying to put right every aspect of the life of the community that he felt had deviated from the intention of the Prophet. He pressed ahead with this regardless of the fact he was making powerful and influential enemies among many who had benefited under the previous caliphs. Certainly, he was the only ruler who was killed for his justice.
George Jourdac, the famous Christian scholar from Lebanon, and the author of multi-volume “The Voice of Human Justice, which is considered as one of the best scholarly work depicting the character of Ali, after being a Christian writes:
“Ali possessed the perfect feature and his every act displayed the high quality of morality. It is Ali, upon whom the water was denied (in the Battle of Siffien) by his enemies, but when Ali captured the river he invited his opponents to collect water and quench their thirst.”
(Vide: Voice of Human Justice, Vol.V, pg-369, Translated from Persian text)
Here Ali is following that particular Sunnah (Traditions of Holy Prophet) when Muslims forces laid down the siege, now they were trying to prevent the entry of food materials into the fort of combatant Jews in the battle of Khandaque (Moat). When the Prophet informed about that event he gave order to his followers to let them go. Now, Ali along with the Prophet is trying to teach us that no one should debarred from their fundamental rights and no one have the monopoly on the natural resources created by God, but it is for everyone.
He further writes:
“Ali never abused the rights of his enemies and never indulged him in illegal and immoral activities for his friends and allies”.
(Vide: Voice of Human Justice, Vol.V, Pg. no. 390, Translated from Persian Text)
This statement is proved by two events. First, when he was on the deathbed and his assassin Abdur’ Rehman Ibne Muljim was brought before Ali. His hands were tightly tied behind his back. When he saw hat the ropes were cutting into the flesh of his murderer, he forgot his own fatal wound, all that he saw was a human being subjected to inhuman torture. He quickly ordered his companions to loosen the hands of Ibne Muljim and offer him a cup of milk and said, “Was I a bad imam of you? And the second one is, when his brother Aqeel Ibne Abi Talib was financially in a vulnerable condition, he asked for something more than his share and before the time was due. Ali refused it saying that he could not resort to dishonesty because he fear Allah the most and said he must bear the sufferings patiently.
The entire life of Hazrat Ali stands out as a beacon; radiating its light into the darkness of this world. A world torn asunder by strife, struggle and wan, a world in which the value of human life is regarded as next to nothing. In the world of today his multi-dimensional spiritual precepts might help to solve some of the problems with which the world is facing today; be it political hegemony, imperialism, globalization in the name of economic liberalization, poverty, starvation, corruption, injustice, exploitation, extremism and terrorism. The dirty game being played in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and war mongering and threats being hurled on numerous countries for teaching them a lesson they deserve only one reply and this all will have to learn the lesson from Ali Ibne Abi Talib (A.S.) whose saying written with golden words even today: “By God! This mended shoe of mine is dearer to me than ruling over you people but that through this rule, I may restore the right of the people and root out any evil rule, objective of Ali is none other than that”.
His ideas were conciliatory and his message was always one of peace He lived for justice and killed for justice. He was very firm in his belief that everyone should have a right to live in security, that there should be food, shelter and clothing for all. Humanity he considered as one family where there should be tolerance for all irrespective of race, creed and colour or wealth. His ideal encourages us to move forward on the path of “dialogue among civilization” not on the path of clash. The difference in Ali’s pious life is that it gives a reflection of struggle in restoring righteousness and justice. Expressing that similar view, Former Chief Secretary of Bihar, Lakshmeshwar Dayal, in his article, “Modern Voice in Medieval Times” published in Hindustan Times dated November 27th, 2000, that he was an indefatigable leader of oppressed and dispossessed. But the biggest irony is that the apostle of peace and justice himself denied from justice and his legitimate rights.
But it is not a cause to worry because the Awaited Saviour, son of Ali ------- Imam al Mahdi (A.S.) will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and fill the world with truth and justice as it was filled with oppression, evil and injustice.

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