Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

Government And Sovereignty

Government and Sovereignty الحكومة والولاية

1. Obedience is the shield of the people and justice is the shield of governments.

1ـ اَلطّاعَةُ جُنَّـةُ الرَعِيَّةِ، والعَدْلُ جُنَّـةُ الدُّوَلِ.

2. The disgrace after being deposed is equal to the glory of sovereignty.

2ـ اَلذُّلُّ بَعْدَ العَزْلِ يُوازي عِزَّ الوِلايـَةِ.

3. The humiliation of the man being deposed is equivalent to his evil as a sovereign.

3ـ اِسْتِكانَةُ الرَّجُلِ فِي الْعَزْلِ، بِقَدْرِ شَـرِّهِ فِي

4. Be just in that which you have been given authority and thank Allah for that which has been granted to you.

4ـ إعْدِلْ فِيما وُلِّيتَ، أُشْكُرْ لِلّهِ فِيما أُولِيتَ.

5. Protect your status near your king and be cautious not to be belittled due to [your] negligence in protecting that which elevated you to it.

5ـ أُحْرُسْ مَنْزِلَتَكَ عِنْدَ سُلْطانِكَ، واحْذَرْ أنْ يَحُطَّكَ

6. Direct the people [based] on their practices and religions; let the innocent from among them be safe [from your wrath] and let the suspicious ones be afraid of you, and protect their frontiers and borders.

6ـ أقِمِ النّاسَ عَلى سُنَّتِهِمْ ودِينـِهِمْ، وَلْيَأْمَنْكَ

7. Make the religion your refuge and justice your sword, [then] you will be safe from every evil and will triumph over every foe.

7ـ إجْعَلِ الدّينَ كَهْفَكَ، والعَدْلَ سَيْفَكَ، تَنْجُ مِنْ كُلِّ

8. Be cautious of inequity and tyranny, for verily inequity invites the sword and tyranny leads to expulsion and hastens retribution and revenge.

8ـ إحْذَرِ الحَيْفَ والجَوْرَ، فَإنَّ الحَيْفَ يَدْعُو إلَى السَّيْفِ،

9. The most loathsome thing is the tyranny of rulers.

9ـ أقْبَحُ شَـيْء جَوْرُ الوُلاةِ.

10. Kingship is politics.

10ـ اَلمُلْكُ سِياسَةٌ.

11. Kingship spoils brotherhood.

11ـ اَلمُلْكُ (اَلمَلَلُ) يُفْسِدُ الإخْوَةَ.

12. Leadership is destruction.

12ـ اَلرِّياسَةُ عَطَبٌ.

13. Equity is the embellishment of leadership.

13ـ اَلإنْصافُ زَيْنُ الإمْرَةِ.

14. Haughtiness in sovereignty leads to disgrace in deposition.

14ـ اَلتَّكَبُّرُ فيِ الوِلايَةِ ذُلٌّ فِي العَزْلِ.

15. Sovereignties are the arenas of men.

15ـ اَلوِلاياتُ مَضامِيرُ الرِّجالِ.

16. The instrument of leadership is [patience and] large-heartedness.

16ـ آلَةُ الرِّياسَةِ سَعَةُ الصَّدْرِ.

17. The bane of leadership is arrogance.

17ـ آفَةُ الرِّياسَةِ اَلفَخْرُ.

18. When you are given a position of authority, [then] act justly.

18ـ إذا وُلِّيتَ فَاعْدِلْ.

19. When the vile become sovereigns, the dignified ones are ruined.

19ـ إذا مَلَكَ الأراذِلُ هَلَكَ الأفاضِلُ.

20. When the depraved gain authority, hope turns into disappointment.

20ـ إذا سادَ السِّفَلُ خابَ الأمـَلُ.

21. When the wicked become rulers, the honourable are persecuted.

21ـ إذَا اسْتَوْلَى اللِّئامُ أُضْطُهِدَ الكِرامُ.

22. The sovereignty of the vile and inexperienced over nations is the cause of their decline and regression.

22ـ تَوَلِّي الأراذِلِ والأحْداثِ الدُّوَلَ، دَليلُ إنْحِلالِها

23. Your haughtiness in sovereignty will be [the cause of your] disgrace in deposition.

23ـ تَكَبُّرُكَ فيِ الوِلايـَةِ ذُلٌّ فِي العَزْلِ.

24. The stability of nations is through the establishment of the practice of justice.

24ـ ثُباتُ الدُّوَلِ بِإقامَةِ سُنَنِ العَدْلِ.

25. Love for authority is the primary source of tribulations.

25ـ حُبُّ الرِّياسَةِ رَأْسُ المِحَنِ.

26. The embellishment of leadership is bestowing favours.

26ـ زَيْنُ الرِّياسَةِ الإفْضالُ.

27. The fall of nations results from the appointment of depraved leaders.

27ـ زَوالُ الدُّوَلِ بِاصْطِناعِ السِّفَلِ.

28. The excellence of leadership is [in] good governance.

28ـ فَضيلَةُ الرِّياسَةِ حُسْنُ السِّياسَةِ.

29. Lack of leaders is easier to bear than the leadership of the depraved.

29ـ فِقْدانُ الرُّؤَساءِ أهْوَنُ مِنْ رِياسَةِ السِّفَلِ.

30. Every nation has its moment.

30ـ لِكُلِّ دَوْلَة بُرْهَةٌ.

31. Nothing ever preserves nations like the exercising of justice in them.

31ـ لَنْ تُحَصَّنَ الدُّوَلُ بِمِثْلِ اسْتِعْمالِ العَدْلِ فِيها.

32. One who oppresses his people helps his enemies.

32ـ مَنْ ظَلَمَ رَعِيَّتـَهُ نَصَرَ أضْدادَهُ.

33. By the One who split the grain and created human being! If people had not come to me and supporters had not exhausted the argument, and if Allah had not commanded the learned that they should not acquiesce in the excesses of the oppressor and the hunger of the oppressed, I would have cast its rope (i.e. of Caliphate) on its own shoulders and would have given the last one to drink from the cup of the first (i.e. I would have let things remain in their previous state). Then you would have found that in my view, this world of yours is not better than the sneezing of a goat.

33ـ وَالَّذي فَلَقَ الحَبَّةَ وبـَرَءَ النَّسَمَةَ، لَوْلا حُضُورُ