Abstract:
It was a common practice on the part of rightly guided caliphs of Islam to write letters to the different functionaries of the government, which contained timely and valuable instructions covering a wide spectrum. Such letters were treated as public documents and were preserved for posterity. In this note, an attempt is made to study economic ideas of Ali (600-661 C.E.) with special reference to his letter to Malik al-Ashtar (d.658 C.E.). After going through the contents of Ali's letter to al-Ashtar, we discover certain principles on which Ali wanted to govern his people with a difference. Much more can be learnt from Nahjul Balagha but the present attempt is limited to the study of only one letter. Among all the seventy-eight letters of Ali, this particular letter occupies a unique significance for the reasons of its length and clarity of purpose, notwithstanding the beauty of language and style. Caliph Ali's ideas relating to matters of governance and the administration of justice do not just reflect his personal opinions but represent core Islamic principles as enshrined in the Quran and the precepts of the Prophet.
Introduction
Ali, according to the Sunni doctrine, was a pious and austere person, a close companion of the Prophet and the fourth righteous caliph. The Shias all over the world hold him as the first imam in a chain of twelve imams. To an equally large number of Muslims across the world, he is a peerless mystic master who publicly and privately practiced highest level of abstinence and detachment from material comforts. He is regarded as one of the earliest spiritual masters and held as the first link after the Prophet in Sufi slaasil (mystic chains/orders).
Ali, according to the Sunni doctrine, was a pious and austere person, a close companion of the Prophet and the fourth righteous caliph. The Shias all over the world hold him as the first imam in a chain of twelve imams. To an equally large number of Muslims across the world, he is a peerless mystic master who publicly and privately practiced highest level of abstinence and detachment from material comforts. He is regarded as one of the earliest spiritual masters and held as the first link after the Prophet in Sufi slaasil (mystic chains/orders).
Not much is written on the various aspects of Ali's accomplishments including his social, economic and political ideas. So also, not much literature is available to highlight the sincere cooperation Ali extended to his predecessors as well as the critical or rather highly complex situation prevailing during his caliphate; the precarious state of affairs he had to face; the economic, political and administrative policies he pursued and the moral and Islamic values he upheld even in the most trying circumstances. In recent years, however, scholars have started identifying these gaps. There are innumerable guides of humanity, flag bearers of reform……builders of nations and countries and teachers of wisdom and learning whose real accomplishments have remained unknown to the world for hundreds of years….One of these victimized personalities whose real worth was never appreciated was Ali b. Abu Talib…..The demands of the age in which he had lived and difficulties which he had to face were never dispassionately analyzed. Similarly, socio-economic values which Ali cherished have not received sufficient attention. This paper, to a little extent, intends to fill-in this gap. For this particular purpose, his seminal letter to Malik al-Ashtar is studied which is included in Nahjul Balagha.
Dr. Sayed Afzal Peerzade.
Chairperson, Department of Economics, Karnataka State Women's University,
Bijapur, India.
Bijapur, India.
(adopted from the IUB Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Vol.8 No2, 2010)