Caliph Ali is one of the most famous sages of Islam. His turbulent era made it difficult for him to pay full attention to the affairs of State and administration. But his exceptionally discreet and scintillating mind dwelt on the subject of administration and his thoughts on it are as fresh today as ever. In particular, his epistle to Malik Ashtar, Governor of Egypt, has been regarded as an administrative classic. It contains a wealth of administrative wisdom and Mustafa Bek Najib calls it ‘a basic guide in Islamic administration’. A perusal of this missive shows how the ethical precepts of Islam can be used by administrators as guide-posts. The following paragraphs offer a brief summary of the important points made in the letter1.
1. Trust and Goodness: Benevolence, justice, and service breed trust and goodness between the ruler and the ruled. Your benevolence will earn you their trust and your ill-treatment, their ill-will.
2. Contact with the People: The source of strength for the State and religion are common people, so be mindful of their welfare. Give them personal hearings, without being accompanied by any of your officials so that they can present their case fearlessly before you.
3. Little Wants: Care for the people as you care for your children. Besides giving them general help, attend to their small wants, for timely attention paid to such needs sometimes affords them immense relief.
4. Praise and Reward: Give frequent praise for the services of the people and reward them adequately when they deserve it.
5. Selection and Probation: Righteous and honest people should be chosen for administrators and selection should be made (or the selected ones confirmed) after a probationary period has passed.
6. Department Heads: Those persons should be appointed heads of departments who have strong nerves and who have a tremendous capacity for working under any kind of pressure.
In the end, Caliph Ali again stresses the importance of maintaining a close contact with the people. His words are incisive: ‘The fact is that you must be either just or unjust. If you are just, then you will not keep away from the people...On the other hand, if you are unjust, the people themselves keep away from you.’
1.The letter has been translated in English by Allama Rasheed Turabi. Karachi, 1954)