The Richest
Treasure
The Common Man
The Counselors
The
Different Classes of People
The Army
The Real Guidance
Chief Judge
Subordinate
Judiciary
Revenue
Administration
Clerical
Establishment
Trade and
Industry
The Poor
Open Conferences
Communion with
God
Aloofness
not Desirable
Peace and
Treaties
Last Instructions
The Richest Treasure
Be
it known to you, O, Malik, that I am sending you as Governor to a
country which in the past has experienced both just and unjust rule.
Men will scrutinize your actions with a searching eye, even as you
used to scrutinize the actions of those before you, and speak of you
even as you did speak of them. The fact is that the public speak
well of only those who do good. It is they who furnish the proof of
your actions. Hence the richest treasure that you may covet would be
the treasure of good deeds. Keep your desires under control and deny
yourself that which you have been prohibited from, for, by such
abstinence alone, you will be able to distinguish between what is
good to them and what is not.
Develop in your heart the feeling of love for your people and let it
be the source of kindliness and blessing to them. Do not behave with
them like a barbarian, and do not appropriate to yourself that which
belongs to them. Remember that the citizens of the state are of two
categories. They are either your brethren in religion or your
brethren in kind. They are subject to infirmities and liable to
commit mistakes. Some indeed do commit mistakes. But forgive them
even as you would like God to forgive you. Bear in mind that you are
placed over them, even as I am placed over you. And then there is
God even above him who has given you the position of a Governor in
order that you may look after those under you and to be sufficient
unto them. And you will be judged by what you do for them.
Do
not set yourself against God, for neither do you possess the
strength to shield yourself against His displeasure, nor can you
place yourself outside the pale of His mercy and forgiveness. Do not
feel sorry over any act of forgiveness, nor rejoice over any
punishment that you may mete out to any one. Do not rouse yourself
to anger, for no good will come out of it.
Do
not say: " I am your overlord and dictator, and that you should,
therefore, bow to my commands", as that will corrupt your heart,
weaken your faith in religion and create disorder in the state.
Should you be elated by power, ever feel in your mind the slightest
symptoms of pride and arrogance, then look at the power and majesty
of the Divine governance of the Universe over which you have
absolutely no control. It will restore the sense of balance to your
wayward intelligence and give you the sense of calmness and
affability. Beware! Never put yourself against the majesty and
grandeur of God and never imitate His omnipotence; for God has
brought low every rebel of God and every tyrant of man.
Let
your mind respect through your actions the rights of God and the
rights of man, and likewise, persuade your companions and relations
to do likewise. For, otherwise, you will be doing injustice to
yourself and injustice to humanity. Thus both man and God will turn
unto your enemies. There is no hearing anywhere for one who makes an
enemy of God himself. He will be regarded as one at war with God
until he feels contrition and seeks forgiveness. Nothing deprives
man of divine blessings or excites divine wrath against him more
easily than cruelty. Hence it is, that God listens to the voice of
the oppressed and waylays the oppressor.
The Common Man
Maintain justice in administration and impose it on your own self
and seek the consent of the people, for, the discontent of the
masses sterilizes the contentment of the privileged few and the
discontent of the few looses itself in the contentment of the many.
Remember the privileged few will not rally round you in moments of
difficulty: they will try to side-track justice, they will ask for
more than what they deserve and will show no gratitude for favors
done to them. They will feel restive in the face of trials and will
offer no regret for their shortcomings. It is the common man who is
the strength of the State and Religion. It is he who fights the
enemy. So live in close contact with the masses and be mindful of
their welfare.
Keep at a distance him who peers into the weaknesses of others.
After all, the masses are not free from weaknesses. It is the duty
of the ruler to shield them. Do not bring to light that which is
hidden, but try to remove those weaknesses which have been brought
to light. God is watchful of everything that is hidden from you, and
He alone will deal with it. To the best of your ability cover the
weaknesses of the public, and God will cover the weaknesses in you
which you are anxious to keep away from their eye. Unloose the
tangle of mutual hatred between the public and the administration
and remove all those causes which may give rise to strained
relations between them. Protect yourself from every such act as may
not be quite correct for you. Do not make haste in seeking
confirmation of tale-telling, for, the tale-teller is a deceitful
person appearing in the garb of a friend.
The Counselors
Never take counsel of a miser, for he will vitiate your magnanimity
and frighten you of poverty. Do not take counsel of a coward also,
for, he will cheat you of your resolves. Do not take counsel of the
greedy too: for he will instill greed in you and turn you into a
tyrant. Miserliness, cowardice and greed deprive man of his trust in
God.
The
worst of counselors is he who has served as a counselor to unjust
rulers and shared their crimes. So, never let men who have been
companions of tyrants or shared their crimes be your counselors. You
can get better men than these, men gifted with intelligence and
foresight, but unpolluted by sin, men who have never aided a tyrant
in his tyranny or a criminal in his crime. Such men will never be a
burden on you. On the other hand, they will be a source of help and
strength to you at all times. They will be friends to you and
strangers to your enemies. Choose such men alone for companionship
both in privacy and in the public. Even among these, show preference
to them who have a habitual regard for truth however trying to you
at times their truth may prove to be, and who offer you no
encouragement in the display of tendencies which God does not like
his friends to develop.
Keep close to you the upright, and the God fearing, and make clear
to them that they are never to flatter you and never to give you
credit for any good that you may not have done: for, the tolerance
of flattery and unhealthy praise stimulates pride in man makes him
arrogant.
Do
not treat the good and the bad alike. That will deter the good from
doing good, and encourage the bad in their bad pursuits. Recompense
every one according one's deserts. Remember that mutual trust and
good will between the ruler and the ruled are bred only through
benevolence, justice and service. So, cultivate good-will amongst
the people; for their good-will alone will save you from troubles.
Your benevolence to them will be repaid by their trust in you, and
your ill-treatment by their ill-will.
Do
not disregard the noble traditions set by our forbearers which have
promoted harmony and progress among the people; and do not initiate
anything which might minimize their usefulness. The men who had
established these noble traditions have had their reward; but
responsibility will be yours if they are disturbed. Try always to
learn something from the experience of the learned and the wise, and
frequently consult them in state matters so that you might maintain
the peace and good-will which your predecessors had established in
the land.
The Different Classes of People
Remember that the people are composed of different classes. The
progress of one is dependent on the progress of every other; and
none can afford to be independent of the other. We have the Army
formed of the soldiers of God, we have our civil officers and their
establishments, our judiciary, our revenue collectors and our public
relation officers. The general public itself consists of Muslims and
Zimmis and among them of merchants and craftsmen, the unemployed and
the indigent. God has prescribed for them their several rights,
duties and obligations. They are all defined and preserved in the
Book of God and in the traditions of his Prophet.
The
army, by the grace of God, is like a fortress to the people and
lends dignity to the state. It upholds the prestige of the Faith and
maintains the peace of the country. Without it the state cannot
stand. In its turn, it cannot stand without the support of the
state. Our soldiers have proved strong before the enemy because of
the privilege God has given them to fight for Him; but they have
their material needs to fulfil and have therefore to depend upon the
income provided for them from the state revenue. The military and
civil population who pay revenue, both need the co-operation of
others -the judiciary, civil officers and their establishment. The
Qazi administers civil and criminal law; the civil officers collect
revenue and attend to civil administration with the assistance of
their establishment. And then there are the tradesmen and the
merchants who add to the revenue of the state. It is they who run
the markets and are in a better position than others to discharge
social obligations. And then there is the class of the poor and the
needy, whose maintenance is an obligation on the other classes. God
has given appropriate opportunity of service to one and all; and
then there are the rights of all these classes over the
administration which the administrator has to meet with an eye on
the good of the entire population, a duty which he cannot fulfill
properly unless he takes personal interest in its execution and
seeks help from God. Indeed it is obligatory on him to impose this
duty on himself and to bear with patience the inconveniences and
difficulties incidental to his task.
The Army
Be
particularly mindful of the welfare of those in the army who in your
opinion, are staunchly faithful to their God and Prophet and loyal
to their chief, and who in the hour of passion can restrain
themselves and listen coolly to sensible remonstrance, and who can
succor the weak and smite the strong, whom violent provocation will
not throw into violent temper and who will not falter at any stage.
Keep yourself in close contact with the families of established
reputation and integrity with a glorious past, and draw to yourself
men brave and upright in character, generous and benevolent in
disposition; for such are the salt of society.
Care for them with the tenderness with which you care for your
children, and do not talk before them of any good that you might
have done to them, nor disregard any expression of affection which
they show in return; for, such conduct inspires loyalty, devotion
and goodwill. Attend to every little of their wants not resting
content with what general help that you might have given to them,
for sometimes, timely attention to a little want of theirs brings
them immense relief. Surely these people will not forget you in your
own hour of need.
It
behooves you to select for your Commander-in-chief one who imposes
on himself as a duty, the task of rendering help to his men, and who
can excel in kindness every other officer who has to attend to the
needs of the men under him, and look after their families when they
are away from their homes; so much so, that the entire army should
feel united in their joys and in their sorrows. The unity of purpose
will give them added strength against the enemy. Continue to
maintain a kindly attitude towards them so that they might feel
attached to you. The fact is that the real happiness of the
administrators and their most pleasant comfort lies in establishing
justice in the state and maintaining affectionate relations with the
people. Their sincerity of feeling is expressed in the love and
regard they show to you, on which alone depends the safety of the
administrators.
Your advices to the army will be of no avail, unless and until you
show affection to both men and officers, in order that they might
not regard the Government as an oppressive burden or contribute to
its downfall.
Continue to satisfy their needs and praise them over and over again
for what services they have rendered. Such an attitude, God willing
will inspire the brave to braver actions and induce the timid to
deeds of bravery.
Try
to enter into the feelings of others and do not foist the mistake of
one over another and do not grudge dispensing appropriate rewards.
See to it you do not show favors to one who has done nothing but
merely counts on his family position; and do not withhold proper
rewards from one who has done great deeds simply because he holds a
low position in life.
The Real Guidance
Turn to God and to His prophet for guidance whenever you feel
uncertain as to what you have to do. There is the commandment of God
delivered to those people who He wishes to guide aright: "O people
of the Faith! Obey God and obey His prophet and those from among you
who hold authority over you. And refer to God and His prophet
whenever there is difference of opinion among you. To turn to God is
in reality to consult the Book of God; and to turn to the prophet is
t follow his universally accepted traditions.
Chief Judge
Select for your chief judge one from the people who is by far the
best among them -one who is not obsessed with domestic worries, one
who cannot be intimidated, one who does not err to often, one who
does not turn back from a right path once he finds it, one who is
not self-centered or avaricious, one who will not decide before
knowing full facts, one who will weigh wit care every attendant
doubt and pronounce a clear verdict after taking everything into
full consideration, one who will not grow restive over the arguments
of advocates and who will examine with patience every new disclosure
of fact and who will be strictly impartial in his decision, one who
flattery cannot mislead or one who does not exult over his position.
But it is not easy to find such men.
Once you have selected the right man for the office, pay him
handsomely enough, to let him live in comfort and in keeping with
his position, enough to keep him above temptations. Give him a
position in your court so high none can even dream of coveting it
and so high that neither back-biting nor intrigue can touch him.
Subordinate Judiciary
Beware! The utmost carefulness is to be exercised in his selection:
for it is this high office which adventurous self-seekers aspire to
secure and exploit in their selfish interests. After the selection
of your chief judge, give careful consideration to the selection of
other officers. Confirm them in their appointments after approved
apprenticeship and probation. Never select men for responsible posts
either out of any regard for personal connections or under any
influence, for, that might lead to injustice and corruption.
Of
these select for higher posts men of experience, men firm in faith
and belonging to good families. Such men will not fall an easy prey
to temptations and will discharge their duties with an eye on the
abiding good of others. Increase their salaries to give them a
contented life. A contented living is a help to self-purification.
They will not feel the urge to tax the earnings of their
subordinates for their own upkeep. They will then have no excuse
either to go against your instructions or misappropriate state
funds. Keep to watch over them without their knowledge, loyal and
upright men. Perchance they may develop true honesty and true
concern for the public welfare. But whenever any of them is accused
of dishonesty and the guilt is confirmed by the report of your
secret service, then regard this as a sufficient to convict him. Let
the punishment be corporal and let that be dealt in the public at an
appointed place of degradation.
Revenue Administration
Great care is to be exercised in revenue administration, to ensure
the prosperity of those who pay the revenue to the state; for it is
on their prosperity depends the prosperity of others, particularly
the prosperity of the masses. Indeed, the state exists on its
revenue. You should regard the proper upkeep of the land in
cultivation as of greater importance than the collection of revenue,
for revenue cannot be derived except by making the land productive.
He who demands revenue without helping the cultivator to improve his
land, inflicts unmerited hardship on the cultivator and ruins the
State. The rule of such a person does not last long. If the
cultivators ask for reduction of their land cess for having suffered
from epidemics or drought or excess of rains or the barrenness of
the soil or floods damaging to their barrenness of the soil or foods
damaging to their crops, then, reduce the cess accordingly, so that
their condition might improve. Do not mind the loss of revenue on
that account for that will return to you one day manifold in the
hour of greater prosperity of the land and enable you to improve the
condition of your towns and to raise the prestige of your state. You
will be the object of universal praise. The people will believe in
your sense of justice. The confidence which they will place in you
in consequence will prove your strength, as they will be found ready
to share your burdens.
You
may settle down on the land any number of people, but discontent
will overtake them if the land is not improved. The cause of the
cultivator's ruin is the rulers who are bent feverishly on
accumulating wealth at all costs, out of the fear that their rule
might not last long. Such are the people who do not learn from
examples or precedents.
Clerical Establishment
Keep an eye on your establishment and your scribes; and select the
best among them for your confidential correspondence such among
these as possess high character and deserve your full confidence,
men who may not exploit their privileged position to go against you
and who may not grow neglectful of their duties and who in the
drafting of treaties may not succumb to external temptation and harm
your interests, or fail to render you proper assistance and to save
you from trouble, and who in carrying out their duties can realize
their serious responsibilities, for he who does not realize his own
responsibilities can hardly appraise the reprehensibilities of
others. Do not select men for such work merely on the strength of
your first impressions of your affection or good faith; for as a
matter of fact; the pretensions of a good many who are really devoid
of honesty and good breeding may cheat even the intelligence of
rulers. Selection should be made after due probation which should be
the test of righteousness. In making direct appointments from
people, see to it that those selected possess influence with the
people and who enjoy the reputation of being honest; for such
selection is agreeable to God and the ruler. For every department of
administration, let there be a head, whom no trying task might cause
worry and no pressure of work annoy.
And
remember that every weakness of any one among your establishment and
scribe which you may overlook will be written down against you in
your scroll of deeds.
Trade and Industry
Adopt useful schemes placed before those engaged in trade and
industry and help them with wise counsels. Some of them live in
towns, and some move from place to place with their wares and tools
and earn their living by manual labor. Trade and Industry are
sources of profit to the State. While the general public is not
inclined to bear the strain, those engaged in these professions take
the trouble to collect commodities from far and near, from land and
from across the sea, and from mountains and forests and naturally
derive benefits.
It
is this class of peace loving people from whom no disturbance need
be feared. They love peace and order; indeed they are incapable of
creating disorder. Visit every part of the country and establish
personal contact with this class, and inquire into their condition.
But bear in mind that a good many of them are intensely greedy and
are inured to bad dealings. They hoard grain and try to sell it at a
high price; and this is most harmful to the public. It is a blot on
the name of the ruler not to fight this evil. Prevent them from
hoarding; for the Prophet of God -Peace be upon him - had prohibited
it. And see to it that trade is carried on with the utmost ease,
that the scales are evenly held and that prices are so fixed that
neither the seller nor the buyer is put to a loss. And if inspite of
your warning, should anyone go against your commands and commit the
crime of hoarding, then deal him appropriately with severe
punishment.
The Poor
Beware! Fear God when dealing with the problem of the poor who have
non to patronize, who are forlorn, indigent and helpless and are
greatly torn in mind -victims of the vicissitudes of Time. Among
them there are some who do not question their lot in life not
withstanding their misery, do not go about abegging. For God's sake,
safeguard their rights; for on you rests the responsibility of
protection. Assign for their uplift a portion of the state exchequer
(Baitul-mal), wherever they may be, whether close at hand or far
away from you. The rights of the two should be equal in your eye. Do
not let any preoccupation slip them from your mind; for no excuse
whatsoever for the disregard of their rights will be acceptable to
God. Do not treat their interests as of less importance than your
own, and never keep them outside the purview of your important
considerations, and mark the persons who look down upon them and of
whose conditions they keep you in ignorance.
Select from among your officers such men as are meek and God fearing
who can keep you properly informed of the condition of the poor.
Make such provision for these poor people as shall not oblige you to
offer an excuse before God on the Day of Judgment; for, it is this
section of the people more than any other which deserves benevolent
treatment. Seek your reward from God by giving to each of them what
is due to him and enjoin on yourself as a sacred duty the task of
meting the needs of such aged among them as have no independent
means of livelihood and are averse to seek alms. And it is the
discharge of this duty that usually proves very trying for ruler,
but is very welcome to societies which are gifted with foresight. It
is only such societies or nations who truly carry out with
equanimity their covenant with God to discharge their duty to the
poor.
Open Conferences
Meet the oppressed and the lowly periodically in an open conference
and, conscious of the divine presence there, have a heart-to-heart
talk with them, and let none from your armed guard or civil officers
or members of the police or the Intelligence Department be by your
side, so that the representatives of the poor might state their
grievances fearlessly and without reserve. For I have the Prophet of
God saying that no nation or society will occupy a high position in
which the strong do not discharge their duty to the weak. Bear with
composure any strong language which they may use, and do not get
annoyed if they cannot state their case lucidly, even so, God will
open you his door of blessings and rewards. Whatever you can give to
them, give it ungrudgingly, and whatever you cannot afford to give,
make that clear to them in utmost sincerity.
There are certain things which call for prompt action. Accept the
recommendations made by your officers for the redress of the
grievances of the clerical staff. See to it that petitions or
applications that are submitted for your consideration are brought
to your notice the very day they are submitted, however much your
officers might try to intercede them. Dispose off the day's work
that very day, for the coming day will bring with it its own tasks.
Communion with God
And
do not forget to set apart the best of your time for communion with
God, although every moment of yours is for Him only, provided it is
spend sincerely in the service of your people. The special time that
you give to prayer in the strict religious sense is to be devoted to
the performances of the prescribed daily prayers. Keep yourself
engaged in these prayers both in the day and in the night, and to
gain perfect communion, do not as far as possible, let your prayers
grow tiresome. And when you lead in congregational prayer, do not
let your prayer be so lengthy as to cause discomfort to the
congregation or raise in them the feeling of dislike for it or
liquidate its effect: for in the congregation there may be invalids
and also those who have to attend pressing affairs of their own.
When I had asked of the Prophet of God on receiving an order to
proceed to Yaman, how I should lead the people there in prayer, he
said -perform your prayers even as the weakest among you would do;
and set an example of consideration to the faithful.
Aloofness not desirable
Alongside of the observance of all that I have said above bear one
thing in mind. Never for any length of time keep yourself aloof from
the people, for to do so is to keep oneself ignorant of their
affairs. It develops in the ruler a wrong perspective and renders
him unable to distinguish between what is important and what is not,
between right and wrong, and between truth and falsehood. The ruler
is after all human; and he cannot form a correct view of anything
which is out of sight. There is no distinctive sign attached to
truth which may enable one to distinguish between the different
varieties of truth and falsehood. The fact is that you must be one
of two things. Either you are just or unjust. If you are just, then
you will not keep yourself away from the people, but will listen to
them and meet their requirements. On the other hand, it you are
unjust, the people themselves will keep way from you. What virtue is
there in your keeping aloof? At all events aloofness is not
desirable especially when it is your duty to attend to the needs of
the people. Complaints of oppression by your officers or petitions
for justice should not prove irksome to you.
Make this clear to yourself that those immediately about and around
you will like to exploit their position to covet what belongs to
others and commit acts of injustice. Suppress such a tendency in
them. Make a rule of your conduct never to give even a small piece
of land to any of your relations. That will prevent them from
causing harm to the interests of others and save you from courting
the disapprobation of God and Man.
Deal justice squarely regardless of the fact whether one is a
relation or not. If any of your relations or companions violates the
law, mete out the punishment prescribed by law however painful it
might be to you personally; for it will be all to the good of the
State. If at any time people suspect, that you have been unjust to
them in any respect disclose your mind to them and remove their
suspicions. In this way, your mind will get attuned to the sense of
justice and people will begin to love you. It will also fulfill your
wish that you should enjoy their confidence.
Peace and Treaties
Bear in mind that you do not throw away the offer of peace which
your enemy may himself make. Accept it, for, that will please God.
Peace is a source of comfort to the army; it reduces your worries
and promotes order in the State. But Beware! Be on your guard when
the peace is signed; for, certain types of enemies propose terms of
peace just to lull you into a sense of security only to attack you
again when you are off your guard. So you should exercise the utmost
vigilance on your part, and place no undue faith in their
protestations. But, if under the peace treaty you have accepted any
obligations, discharge those obligations scrupulously. It is a trust
and must be faithfully upheld and whenever you have promised
anything, keep it with all the strength that you command, for
whatever differences of opinion might exist on other matters, there
is nothing so noble as the fulfillment of a promise. This is
recognized even among non-Muslims, for they know the dire
consequences which follow from the breaking of covenants. So never
make excuses in discharging your responsibilities and never break a
promise, nor cheat your enemy. For, breach of promise is an act
against God, and none except the positively wicked acts against God
Indeed divine promises are a blessing spread over all mankind. The
promise of God is a refuge sought after even by the most powerful on
earth; for there is no risk of being cheated. So, do not make any
promise from which you may afterwards offer excuses to retract; nor
do you go back upon what you have confirmed to abide by; nor do you
break it, however galling it may at first prove to be. For, it is
far better to wait in patience for wholesome results to follow than
to break it out of any apprehensions.
Beware! Abstain from shedding blood without a valid cause. There is
nothing more harmful than this which brings about one's ruin. The
blood that is willfully shed shortens the life of a state. On the
Day of Judgment it is this crime for which one will have to answer
first. So, beware! Do not wish to build the strength of your state
on blood; for, it is this blood which ultimately weakens the state
and passes it on to other hands. Before me and my God no excuse for
willful killing can be entertained.
Murder is a crime which is punishable by death. If on any accord the
corporal punishment dealt by the state for any lesser crime results
in the death of the guilty, let not the prestige of the stage stand
in any way of the deceased relations claiming blood money.
Last Instructions
Do
not make haste to do a thing before its time, nor put it off when
the right moment arrives. Do not insist on doing a wrong thing, nor
show slackness in rectifying a wrong thing. Perform everything in
its proper time, and let everything occupy its proper place. When
the people as a whole agree upon a thing, do not impose your own
view on them and do not neglect to discharge the responsibility that
rests on you in consequence. For, the eyes of the people will be on
you and you are answerable for whatever you do to them. The
slightest dereliction of duty will bring its own retribution. Keep
your anger under control and keep your hands and tongue in check
whenever you fall into anger, try to restrain yourself or else you
will simply increase your worries.
It
is imperative on you to study carefully the principles which have
inspired just and good rulers who have gone before you. Give close
thought to the example of our prophet (peace be upon him), his
traditions, and the commandments of the Book of God and whatever you
might have assimilated from my own way of dealing with things.
Endeavor to the best of your ability to carry out the instructions
which I have given you here and which you have solemnly undertaken
to follow. By means of this order, I enjoin on you not to succumb to
the prompting of your own heart or to turn away from the discharge
of duties entrusted to you.
I
seek the refuge of the might of the Almighty and of His limitless
sphere of blessings, and invite you to pray with me that He may give
us together the grace willingly to surrender our will to His will,
and to enable us to acquit ourselves before Him and His creation; so
that mankind might cherish our memory and our work survive. I seek
of God the culmination of his blessings and pray that He may grant
you and me His grace and the honor of martyrdom in His cause.
Verily, we have to return to Him. I invoke His blessings on the
Prophet of God and his pure progeny.
Source:
Tebyan
