EDIN URJAN KUKAVICA Seeks a Wise Person and Associates with Them

By Edin Urjan Kukavica

I have a friend who, even outside of the blessed month of Ramadan, and especially during Ramadan, often enriches me with wisdom from treasuries that are almost inaccessible to ordinary people, not because they are hidden, but because of human disinterest. A few days ago, he sent me an SMS with the following content: “Let’s sweeten the beauty of iftar with the beauty of the advice of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) given to Hazrat Ali: ‘O lion of truth, when everyone seeks to draw closer to God, the Exalted, through some act of worship, you seek a wise person and associate with them.’”

A wise person is called one who knows the reality of things as much as is possible for a human being, and who makes the need to act according to what they know the master of their soul. They say that no caliph ever appointed a governor without accompanying the appointment with a letter in which he would point out the fundamental obligations of performing the duty. Thus, Hazrat Ali, when appointing Malik al-Ashtar as governor of Egypt, gave him instructions that even after thirteen centuries have not lost any of their value: "O Malik, know that all your gubernatorial affairs will be subject to the criticism of the people. You have the opportunity to do many good deeds, so keep your passions under control. Your relationship with the subjects must be just and fair, and be cordial in your dealings with them. You will have two types of subjects: the first are your Muslim brothers, and the second, the few, are those to whom we guarantee protection. People are prone to making mistakes, consciously or unconsciously. It is necessary for you to forgive them as much as you expect
Allah, the Exalted, to forgive your sins. Do not think that you will be disgraced if you forgive them, and do not seek pleasure in punishing people. Do not be quick-tempered and never emphasize that you are their governor, as this will develop a sense of inferiority in them. If you feel pride in performing this high duty, then remember the Power and Exaltation of Allah, and your arrogance will quickly subside. Remember that Allah does not love cruelty and arrogance.

Be just and fair, because if you are not, then you are an oppressor, and oppressors are enemies of Allah. Remember that Allah hears the weak and the afflicted. Keep to the middle path and strive to please your subjects. The broad masses are the strength of Islam. Feel free to mingle with the masses, but beware of the company of gossips and immoral people. Be broad-minded and overlook the mistakes of others. Do not be malicious towards anyone and do not do anything that is beneath your dignity. Slanderers and immoral people are cunning, so never listen to what they say. Do not listen to the advice of cowards, for they will discourage you. Do not take greedy people as advisors, for they will make you cruel. Above all, keep in mind that stinginess, cowardice, and greed destroy a person. When appointing officials, strive to appoint those who always speak the truth, even if it is bitter. Do not listen to the words of flatterers, for their flattery will make you arrogant. Do not treat good and bad people equally: be considerate towards good people, and decisive towards bad people. Remember that it is better to rule people with love than with fear, and always strive to please your subjects.

Try to follow the path of the early Muslims who insisted on attention and love. Under no circumstances should you deviate from that path. If you introduce innovations, you will suffer failure. If you wish to introduce reforms, then consult well with the learned and the wise. Your subjects are in various classes: some of them are soldiers, some are judges, some are non-Muslims who pay jizya, some are businessmen or artisans, and some of them are beggars. Remember that Allah has assigned a share to each of them in everything. Soldiers are responsible for the security of the subjects. They are the adornment of rulers, protectors of faith, and maintainers of peace. Take care of them as you take care of your children. Always be kind to them. When appointing judges, ensure that they are pious people. They cannot be greedy and must not make mistakes in passing judgments. Under no circumstances should they deviate from establishing the truth, and they must never be arrogant or flatterers. However, alas, such people are rare.

Strive to appoint people to positions who care more about the Hereafter than this world. Give them a good salary so they do not have to worry about money. If any of them accept a bribe, embezzle state property, or commit something similar, punish them without hesitation. When determining the tax amount, consider the people's ability to pay. Strive to settle sparsely populated areas. In case of shortages, poor harvests, and other unfavorable circumstances, abolish taxes, as this will alleviate the suffering of the people. This will be a humane gesture that will endear you to the people, and they will follow you through thick and thin. Strictly supervise the work of your scribes, whom you will appoint from among the virtuous and honest. They must not be negligent in their duties under any circumstances and must strictly adhere to your commands. Command businessmen to be virtuous and compassionate. Such people increase the wealth of the nation, so provide them with protection and encourage them in business ventures. The prices of goods must be reasonable, and merchants must not overcharge.

They must weigh accurately, and their accounts must be clean. Those who do not adhere to all of this must be punished. Be merciful to the poor and the needy; help them. They need your attention, so do not neglect them due to preoccupation with other duties. Show your mercy to the elderly and orphans, as they cannot earn a living. Show them your generosity. When giving to them, be in a good mood and smile at them. Address them kindly and do not tell them to come tomorrow if you can give to them today. Do not distance yourself from your subjects except for a short time, because if you do, your officials will oppress them. Sometimes officials act cruelly to make themselves seem greater in the eyes of the subjects. Avoid such people and do not show favoritism towards them. As a governor, do not show favoritism towards your relatives and do not give them state property. If any of your relatives break the law, punish them as Allah commands.

Under no circumstances should you show them undue favoritism. If your subjects rebel against you due to the special discipline you impose, then try to explain the reasons for such measures to them and strive to convince them. Try to establish peace with enemies, as peace brings happiness and progress. If you conclude peace, always be cautious, as enemies are prone to breaking agreements. Under no circumstances should you violate the provisions of peace treaties and other agreements.

Avoid bloodshed. Do not kill anyone without sufficient reason. Indeed, Allah will punish anyone who sheds blood unnecessarily. Do not consolidate your positions with the sword and illegality, as this leads to the ruin of the state. Never let pride overcome you. Be kind to your subjects and always fulfill your promises. Do the right things at the right time and in the right way. Strive so that your subordinates never know all your intentions and do not always know what you are thinking. Never lose control of yourself. Always remember Allah, the Exalted, and follow the path of His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family). Adhere to my instructions completely and sincerely.”

Where is Nasruddin Hodja in all of this, you might ask. Here he is: on one occasion, the villagers brought one of Tamerlane’s elephants, which caused great damage in the village. The villagers, with Hodja, went to complain to Tamerlane, but along the way, fearing the powerful ruler, they one by one slipped away and fled, so that in the end, Hodja was left alone. This angered Hodja, so when he reached Tamerlane, he said to him: “My Lord, I have come to express the deep gratitude of my villagers for the kindness you have shown us and for sending an elephant to our village. But the poor elephant is sad because it is alone, so I beg you to send it a female.” Tamerlane agreed to this and immediately ordered a female to be sent. And when Hodja returned to the village and the villagers rushed from all sides to ask what had happened, Hodja said: “Good news, a female is coming too!”