6. Using a gentle approach so as to attract listeners and not put

them off.380 These are a few examples of the speeches and exhortations of Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T2ib (&) that became widely known among the people and played a role in educating them, teaching them good manners and purifying their hearts. Their impact was felt in his generation and the generations that came after him, until the present day. 3.3. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi TSlib (&) and poetry From the reports that have reached us, it seems that the poetry movement was active at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The sources for information on poetry and poets at the time of Amir d - Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) are the books of literary works, which are rich in this regard. ~ l & u g h it is well known that literary works did not rely on trnstworthy narration with regard to the way they were transmitted, they are the main sources for information on literature and literaq criticism having to do with the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Companions in general, and those who followed them in truth. The only exceptions are some lines of verse that were recited at the time of the Prophet (g) and mentioned in the books of hadith.381 'Ali's attitude towards poetry was no different from that of the Rightly Guided Caliphs who came before him. Their attitude was based on the Book of Allah 1%) and the Sumah of His Messenger R e oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life (g).

'Ali ibn Abi T2ib (&) would listen to poets and to what he was asked to listen to of sincere words and sublime meanings. He would give rewards for poetry if he liked it and was impressed with it, as we have seen above when the Bedouin said (in verse): You gave me a suit to wear, the beauty of which will wear out, but I shall clothe you with many suits of praise.382 'Ali's evaluation of poetry was fine and astute. His standards of criticismremain valid and are still referred to by critics today. He said: "Poetry is the standard of speech."383 This means that poetry has characteristics by means of which good wording can be distinguished from bad according to the standards of this verbal art, even though the values mentioned may differ from those of other people.384 With regard to Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) as a poet, there is a difference of opinion concerning most of the poetry that is attributed to him. However, this dispute does not undermine his position as a poet with regard to what is most likely to be his poetry, nor does it affect his linguistic and literary pre-eminence. But it seems to the researcher that poetry was not his main focus.

Moreover, his political career and the major events that accompanied it did not give him the opportunity to focus on the composition and narration of poetry, or to seek beautiful meanings and choose moving rhythms. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of poetry that is attributed to him, including a collection of poetry that includes a number of odes and shoa poems, as well as some statements that were made spontaneously and some sublime and wise opinions. The first one who shed doubt on the attribution of some odes to him was Ibn Hishh, who narrated that 'Ali used to say some lines of verse during the construction of the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah: There's one that labours night and day, to build us mosque of brick and clay, and one who turns porn dust away!385 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib Ibn H i s h h commented: "I asked more than one of those who have knowledge of poetry about these lines, and they said: 'We heard that 'Ali ibn Abi T2lib (&) recited them."' Then he said: "It is not known whether be was the composer or someone else."386 Elsewhere, Ibn H i s b h says: "Ibn Ish2q narrated three odes that are attributed to 'Ali (&), but this attribution is not sound; he thinks it most Wcely that they were composed during the Islamic battles by one of the Muslims. They examined the religious meanings, and the narrator thought that it was befitting to attribute it to 'Ali, so they did so." As for the collection of poems that is attributed to him, Dr. N2yif Ma'roof thinks that Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (4) is known for his eloquence, and his eloquence is of a higher standard than that which is found in this collection. It seems most likely that what is mentioned in the collection comes from different poets of varying standards of poetry, and that it was compiled by some of those who loved 'ALi (&) and found it hard to accept that he was not a poet, thinking that this would raise him in status with people.

However, it may be noted that 'Ali (&) was not one of the poets of the Messenger, whose role was to respond to the propaganda attacks launched by the polytheist poets against Islam and the ~ u s l i m s . ~ ~ ' There is no poetry that can be soundly attributed to 'Ali except two lines.388 There are many reports that are contrary to this suggestion, and the narrators confirmed many uses of verse which may soundly be attributed to him in their view.389 3.4. Wise sayings of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) which became widely circulated among the people Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T%b (&) had many qualities such as cleverness, eloquence, wisdom, purity of heart and soul, deep faith, profound understanding and closeness to the The oath of allegiance to Xli, his characteristics & his way of lifc Messenger of Allah (@). He learned the Revelation from him, which enabled him to speak eloquently and explain clearly. Still, his words were like pearls, and his statements became sayings that impressed people of wisdom. Thus they set standards for people of a literruy bent and seekers of guidance. In his words there was motivation for them to do righteous deeds and acquire sublime characteristics.

His beautiful words became a valuable means of calling people, teaching them, instilling good manners in them, enlightening their minds and reviving their hearts, because of what they contained of eloquent expressions, clarity of meaning and deep thought. Moreover, they stemmed from a pure heart.390 By way of example, we will list some of these sayings: 1. "Prayer at night brings radiance to the face during the day."391 AUah ($g) says: $And those who spend the night in worship of then Lord, prostrate and standing), (Quran 25: 64). He also said: "The light of the believer results from the optional prayer during the night."392 2. "The soundness of religious commitment comes from restraint, and corruption thereof results from greed."393 3. "Glad tidings to the one who acts upon what he knows."394 4.

"Opportunity passes as quickly as a cloud."39' 5. "Hardheartedness comes from a full stomach."396 6. "Prominence stems from virtue and good manners, not from origin or lineage."397 7. "A good attitude is more splendid than good looks."398 8. "A good attitude brings ample provision."399 9. "Kindness is one of the best of treasures."400 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib A group of people gathered in the presence of Amir alMu'mineen 'ALi ibn Abi T2ib and discussed kindness.

Amir al-Mu'mineen took this opportunity to encourage them and urge them to he kind, and he said: "Kindness is one of the best of treasures and one of the best of crops. You should not be discouraged from doing acts of kindness by the ingratitude of those who reject it and deny it. Kindness cannot be complete except with three things: thinking little of it, concealing it and hastening it. If you think little of it, you will make it great; if yon conceal it, you will perfect it; and if you hasten it, you will give people the chance to enjoy and appreciate it."401 10. "There is no nobility with had manners."402 11. "There is no rest for the envious."403 12.

"The envier is angry with someone who has done nothing wrong."404 13. "Woe to the wrongdoers from the most just of 14. "Whoever unsheathes the sword of transgression will be killed by it."406 15. "The wrongdoer who started the trouble will look at his hand tomorrow and learn a lesson from it."407 This warning is based on the verse, #And [remember] the Day when the Bilirn [wrongdoer, oppressor, polytheist] will bite at his hands.) (Quran 25: 27) 16. "Concealing hardship is a sign of chivalry."408 17. "Be kind to the one who wrongs you, and you will be safe from his wrongdoing."409 18.

"Kindness puts an end to ba~kbiting."~'~ The most important causes of the Crusader invasion 19. "Whoever has a sweet tongue will have a lot of friend^."^" 20. "Whoever is lacking in sincerity will have few friends."41z 21. "Your tongue will speak what yon accustom it to say."413 22. "Whoever asks about that which does not concern him will miss out on that which does concern him."414 23. "Keep company with righteous people, and you will be safe from the evildoers."415 24.

"Having a good companion is a treasure."416 25. "Accompanying a foolish man is a loss in this world and a regret in the hereafter."417 26. "If you think about what people dislike, it means you will have 27. "Do not examine the one who said it; rather think of what he said."419 28. "The best of people is someone who benefits people."4z0 29. "A person is hidden under his tongue."421 30.

"The tongue is an indication of either ignorance or 31. "Your brother is the one who supports you in times of hardship."423 32. "The value of every person is connected to what he is good at." 33. "Beware of the anger of the noble man if he gets hungry, and beware of the anger of the ignoble man when he is full." 34. "The ego is inclined to follow whims and desires and to take the easy option. It is inclined to idle pursuits, prone to 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib evil, and attracted to immorality.

It prefers to avoid challenges and is reluctant to strive hard. If you force it, you will lead it in the right way, but if you neglect it, you will cause its doom."424 35. "Feeling helpless is a sickness, patience is bravery, asceticism is wealth and piety is protection." 36. "Do not be a slave to anyone when Allah (g) has made you free." 37. "Beware of relying on wishful thinking, because this is the way of the foolish people." 38. "The people are sleeping, and when they die, they will wake up." 39.

"People are enemies of things they do not know." 40. "No man will be mined who knows what he is." 41. "One word could cause the loss of a blessing." 42. "Good manners are like a garment renewed, and pondering is like looking into a clear mirror." 43. "Poverty makes the smart man unable to establish his proof, and the one who has little money is a stranger in his own land." 44. "When one acquires worldly blessings, people attribute to him qualities that are not his, but when a l l of that departs from him, then people cannot see his good qualities."425 45.

"Exhort people, and he wise when doing so, for people's hearts and minds get tired just as their bodies do."426 46. "A cheerful countenance is another gift."427 The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteiistics & his way of life 47. "Forgiving when one has power is a kind of gratitude for having that power."428 48. "Repeating the apology is a reminder of the mistake."429 49. 'The best exhortation is to look at the dead."430 50. "Remembering death gives clarity to the mind."431 These are some of the wise sayings of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&) , . that became widely known among people and which sum up a great deal of his experience of life in brief phrases that cany deep meanings and reflect noble goals and aims.

They had an impact on the life of the society in which he lived and on the following generations until today. These sayings, speeches, poetry and exhortations are among the means that Amir alMu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi m b (&) used in guiding, directing and teaching the Muslim society. 3.5. Comments of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Tiilib (&) on the attributes of the best of people, the supererogatory worship of the Prophet (g), and his description of the noble Companions 3.5.1. The attributes of the best of people Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ihn Ahi Tglih (&) was asked about the best of people, and he said: 'Those who, if they do righteous deeds, they become cheerful and hopeful, and if they do wrong deeds, they ask for forgiveness; if they are faced with trials, they are patient, and if they get angry, they forgive."43Z He also said: "Allah ($g) has slaves, and it is as if they heady saw the people of paradise who will he in paradise forever and the people of hell who are being 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib punished there. People are safe from their evil, their hearts are filled with sorrow, their souls are pure and their wants are few. They were patient for a few days for the sake of a long rest.

When you see them at night, you see them standing on their feet (in prayer) with tears flowing down their cheeks, praying to Allah (%) to ransom their necks. As for their days, they are virtuous, forbearing, righteous and pious. One might look at them and think that they are sick, but there is nothing wrong with them. They mix with people, but they are preoccupied with a very serious matter."433 Another of his sayings is: "When the believer looks at something, it should be to learn a lesson; when he is silent, it should be because he is thinking about something; and when he speaks, he should speak words of He also said: "Glad tidings to every person who is not known or prominent; he knows people, but people do not know him; he knows Allah (&) and strives to please Him. Such people are beacons of guidance, and Allah (&) will save them from every dark trial and will admit them into mercy and grace from They do not disclose secrets or broadcast gossip, and they are not harsh natured or ~howoffs."~~%e words of Amii al-Mu'mineen (&) are clearly influenced by the words of the Messenger of Allah (&): "Allah loves the slave who is pious, independent of means and unknown to the people."437 3.5.2. 'Ali's (&) answer to the one who asked him about the supererogatory worship of the Prophet (&) It was narrated that '&im ibn Damurah said: "We asked 'Ali (&)about the supererogatory worship of the Prophet (&) during the day.

He said: 'You cannot do it.' We said: 'Tell us what you think we can do.' He said: 'When the Prophet (g) finished praying the dawn prayer, he would wait until the sun was here (meaning in the east) as The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of lqe high as it is here (meaning in the west) at the time of the afternoon prayer, then he would get up and pray two raka'ahs. Then he would wait until the sun was here (meaning in the east) as high as it is here (meaning in the west) at the time of the noon prayer, then he would get up and pray four raka'ahs. (And he would pray) four raka'ahs before the noon prayer when the sun passed the meridian and two afterwards, and four raka'ahs before the aftemoon prayer, separating each two raka'ahs with s a l h upon the angels who are close to Allah (s) and the Prophets and those who followed them of the believers and Muslims.' 'Ali (&) said: 'That is sixteen raka'ahs of optional prayer that the Prophet (g) did during the day, and very few people can persist in doing that."'438 Elsewhere, Amir al-Mu'mineen (&) explained the teachings of the Messenger of Allah (a) concerning ~ i t r . ~ ~ ~ He said: "The Messenger of AUah (@)prayed witr at the beginning of the night and at the end of it and in the middle, and as late as just before dawn."440 Explaining what the Prophet (B) did after his prayer, Amir d - Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&) said: "When the Prophet (g) said sdim at the end of his prayer, he would say: '0 AUah! Forgive me what I have done in the past, what I will do in the future, what I have concealed, what I have done openly, and what I have exceeded in, whatever You know about me more than I. You are the One Who brings forward, and You are the One Who puts hack. There is no god except 3.5.3.

Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali's description of the noble Companions When Amir d-Mu'rnineen 'Ali ibn Ahi T%h (4) noticed some negligence and laziness among his companions with regard to worship, he reminded them of the lives of their predecessors, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (g). Among the reports 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib narrated by Abn ArZkah are these words: "I prayed the dawn prayer with 'Ali. When he finished praying and turned to the right to face us, he stayed still, as if he were depressed, until the sun had risen the height of a spear above the wall of the mosque. He prayed two raka'ahs, then he gestured with his hand and said: 'By Allah, I have seen the Companions of Muhammad (g), and I did not see anything like them today. In the morning, they would look yellow, unkempt and dusty, with a mark between their eyes that looked like a goat's knee. They spent the night prostrating to Allah (B), standing and reciting the Book of Allah, alternating between prostration and standing.

Then in the morning when they mentioned the name of Allah (&), they would sway like trees on a windy day, and their eyes shed tears until their clothing got wet. By AUah (s), it is as if the people now are becoming negligent.' Then he got up, and he was never seen smiling after that until he was killed by Ibn Maljam, the evil enemy of ~ l l a h . " ~ ~ ' 3.5.4. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) pointed out to his companions the best deeds Among the speeches that are narrated from him are his words: "I urge you to fear Allah, for the best means by which a person may draw close to AUah are faith, jihad for the sake of Allah and a word of sincerity (the Islamic testimony of faith), for that is the natural inclination (of humans) instilled by Allah; and establishing prayer, for it is the foundation of religion; paying zak2h because it is obligatory; fasting the month of Ramadan because it is protection against His punishment; going on pilgrimage to His house because it is purification of sin; upholding ties of kinship because that extends one's life and increases love of family; hidden charity because it expiates sins and extinguishes the wrath of the Lord; doing kind deeds because they protect against a bad death, and remembering Allah (B) a great deal because that is the best of remembrance."443 The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life 3.5.5. Visiting the sick It was narrated from Thuwayr ibn Abi Fmtah that his father said: "Ali (&) took me by the hand and said: 'Let us go and visit alHasan because he is sick.' We found Abu Moosa with him, and 'Ali (4) said: 'Have you come to visit him because he is sick, 0 Abu Moosa, or is it just a (social) visit?' He said: 'No, I am visiting him because he is sick.' 'Ali (A) said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (g) say: "There is no MU.& who visits a Muslim (because he is sick) in the morning but seventy thousand angels will send blessings on him until evening comes, and if he visits him (because he is sick) in the evening, seventy thousand angels will send blessings upon him until morning comes." ' "444 3.5.6. Encouraging his son al-Hasan to give speeches Amir al-Mu'mineen said to his son al-Hasan one day: "0 my son, why don't yon give speeches so that I can hear you?" He said: "When I see you, 1 feel shy to give speeches." So 'Ali went where alHasan could not see him, then al-Hasan stood up and addressed the people while 'Ali was listening, and he gave an eloquent speech.

When he finished, 'Ali said: "Offspring one of the other, and Allah (g) hears and knows all things."445 3.5.7. "I am not as you think" 'Amr ibn M u d narrated that Abu al-Bukhtari said: "A man came to 'Ali and praised him, but 'Ali had heard that the man had said something bad about him, so he said: 'I am not as you think, and I am better than you think."'446 Xli ibn Abi Tilib 3.5.8. Warning against giving in to whims and desires Amir al-Mu'mineen 'ALi ibn Abi Tilib (4) said: "Beware of giving in to whims and desires because the immediate consequences are bad, and the long-term consequences are worse. If you cannot get control of your whims and desires by means of warning and punishment, then try to use the method of encouragement and thinking of reward, because if the deterrent and incentive come together, you will subject yourself to both, and you will be able to control your desires."447 3.5.9. Making a Muslim happy 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&) said: "One of the means of attaining forgiveness from Allah is making your Muslim brother happy."448 3.5.10. The most difficult of actions are three Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Ahi T%b said: "Among the most difficult of actions are three: allowing others to settle scores with yon, remembering Allah (&) in all situations and helping your brothers financial^^.""^ 3.6.

Warning against serious diseases 3.6.1. The consequences of sin Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T%b (&) said: 'The consequences of sin are having no energy for worship, a reduced livelihood and reduced physical pleasure." It was said: "What is reduced physical pleasure?' He said: "He will not indulge in any permissible pleasure hut something will come to spoil it."450 This was encouragement and a deterrent from sin. Amir al-Mu'mineen The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life 'Ali (&) did not neglect to point out the positive consequences of refraining from sin, as he said: "Whoever wants glory without the suppoa of a large family, offspring without having a lot of children and independent means without wealth, let him move from the humiliation of sin to the glory of obedience."451 He also said: "If you want to attain a position of prominence, avoid what is har21n."~~~ 3.6.2. Hoping for a long life and following whims and desires Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (4) delivered a sermon on the minbar of Kufah. He praised and glorified Allah (s), then he said: "0 people, what I fear most for you is hoping for a long l i e and following whims and desires. As for hoping to live a long life, it makes one forget the hereafter.

As for following whims and desires, it makes one abandon the truth. Indeed this world is coming to an end, and the hereafter is starting soon. Each one of them has children, so be among the children of the hereafter and do not be among the children of this world, because today is good deeds with no reckoning, and tomorrow is for reckoning with no deeds."453 In this speech, Amlr al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) pointed out two serious matters that have a great impact on people's lives. The first is hoping to live a long life, because that deceives man so he is distracted by worldly aims and ambitions, which make him postpone righteous deeds and forget the hereafter; thus his effort for this world becomes great, and his effort for the hereafter becomes small. If every person bore in mind the fact that he is wlnerable to death at any moment, his efforts in this world would become very little, only as much as is necessary, and his efforts for the hereafter would become great, because that is what will remain after death. The second matter is following whims and desires.

This diverts a person and makes the highest gains in his life the attainment of his own 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib whims and desires and the whims and desires of those under whom he works, so he forgets the supreme Islamic goal, which is seeking the pleasure of Allah (&) and His bounty in paradise. When the aims and goals are changed, the plan of action changes and becomes focused on worldly matters, the aims of which do not go beyond this life. It also changes relationships and ties, which become based on worldly interests instead of faith and piety, and there are other consequences of changing goals.454 3.6.3. Showing off Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) said: "Do not do any good deed to show off, and do not refrain from doing it out of shyness."455 He also said: "There are three signs of the show-off: he is lazy when he is alone and active when he is with other people; he does more if he is praised because of it; and he does less if he is criticised because of it.,,456 The texts of Shariah described showing off as a lesser form of polytheism. The Messenger of Allah (g) said: '"The thing I fear most for you is lesser polytheism." They said: "What is lesser polytheism, 0 Messenger of Allah (g)?" He said: "Showing off. Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection, when He will reward the people for their deeds: 'Go to those to whom you used to show off in the world, and see whether you find any reward with them."'457 It was also narrated that Shaddgd ihn Aws said: "At the time cf the Messenger of Allah (g), we used to regard showing off as lesser polytheism."458 Arnir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (4) warned against serious diseases of the heart that have to do with the desire to please another person and show off to people.

He encouraged people to focus their intention on Allah (s) alone, to devote their acts of obedience to Him alone and to adhere to the way of the Prophet's Sunnah. It is proven from h i that he said: "No words x e good unless accompanied by action, and no action is good unless accompanied by intention, and no The oath ofallegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life intention is good unless it is in accordance with the ~ u n u a h . " ~ ~ ~ It was narrated from al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyid that he recited the verse: cf... that He may test you which of you is best in deed ... Bi (Quran 67: 2) He said: 'The most sincere and most correct." They said: "0 Abu 'Ali, what is the most sincere and most correct?He said: "If the deed is sincere but not correct, it is not accepted, and if it is correct but not sincere, it is not accepted, unless it is both sincere and correct. It is sincere when it is done solely for the sake of Allah (&), and it is correct when it is in accordance with the ~unnah."~~' The forms of showing off are many, including those which involve actions, such as when a person prays and makes the standing, bowing and prostrating lengthy and makes a show of humility when people are looking at him. It may involve words, such as showing off by exhorting, reminding, memorising stories and reports for the purpose of debating and making a show of abundant knowledge, or moving one's lips in dhikr when in the presence of people but neglecting it at home.

Showing off may involve clothing and appearance, such as leaving the mark of prostration on the forehead; wearing rough and coarse clothing and making it very short (above the ankles, for men) so that it might be said that one is an ascetic and worshipper; or wearing a certain type of clothing that is usually wom by those who are regarded by people as scholars, so that it might be said that one is a scholar. Showing off may also involve one's friends and visitors, like the one who tries to ask a scholar or worshipper to visit him, so that it might be said that so-and-so visited him, or inviting people to visit him so that it might be said that good people often come to his house. It may involve keeping company with shaykhs, so that it might be said that so-and-so met many shaykhs and learned from them, so that he can boast about it. Showing off may be in worldly terms, such as the one who walks and struts in a proud manner, or turns his cheek from others or wraps himself in a 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib cloak or drives his car in a certain manner. It may be in physical terms, such as looking thin and wan so that people will think that he is serious in worship, fears Allah ( g ) a great deal and is filled with sorrow. There are many other forms that showing off may take, by means of which the show-offs seek to attain high status in people's hearts and minds.461 In general, adhering to righteous deeds, remembering and worshipping Allah a great deal, fearing Him alone and not fearing people when devoting oneself to Allah, loving the righteous people and so on - all of these are good and righteous deeds that are necessary.

But it is essential that they should all be for the sake of Allah (g), because showing off means doing the righteous deeds for someone other than Allah (g). It is imperative for the believer to correct his intention and make it for the sake of Allah ( g ) alone. He should not give up doing righteous deeds for fear of showing off. Let those people beware of the seriousness of the disease of showing off and remember the words of the Messenger of Allah (g): "Whoever seeks to acquire knowledge in order to debate with the jurists and to try to compete by means of it with the scholars or to divert people's attention to him, Allah ($$) will admit him to the Amir al-Mn'mineen 'Ali (&) warned against showing off and explained that deeds cannot be accepted unless they are sincerely for the sake of Allah (g) and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (g). On many occasions, he urged people to adhere to the Sunnah. He said: "Follow the guidance of your Prophet (g), for it is the best of guidance, and follow his Sunnah, for it is the best of ways."463 3.6.4.

Self-admiration Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Taib (&) said: "Selfadmiration is the most serious of problems."464 Self-admiration is 7 k oath of allegiance to Xli, his characteristics & his way oflge one of the problems that spoil deeds and lead people to doom. Selfadmiration is one of the obstacles faced by those who strive in their march towards Allah (g). It is a disease that is contrary to sincerity, and it keeps one away from humility and the sense of needing Allah (&). It represents a bad attitude towards Allah (&). Moreover, selfadmiration keeps a person from evaluating himself and turns him away from finding out about his problems and faults. Yet we rarely hear discussion of this problem, even though it is very serious, hannful and widespread.

Abdullah ibn al-Mubkak said: "Self-admiration means thinking that you have something that others do not have."465 Ibn Taymiyah differentiated between showing off and self-admiration, and said: "Self-admiration is akin to showing off, but showing off is a kind of including people as a motive for one's efforts, whereas selfadmiration is including oneself with Allah (%) (in the sense that one remembers one's talents but forgets that they all come from Allah and by His help). So the show-off is not fulfilling the words 'You (Alone) we worship', and the one who admires himself is not fulfilling the words #and You [Alone] we ask for help,) (Quran 1: 5) because the one who fulfils the words 'You (Alone) we worship' will avoid showing off, and the one who fulfils the words 'and You (Alone) we ask for helpp' will avoid self-admiration."466 Al-Ghazili said: "It should be noted that the problems resulting from self-admiration are many. Self-admiration leads to arrogance. So what is generated by self-admiration is arrogance, and arrogance leads to many problems that are not hidden. Selfadmiration leads to forgetting and overlooking one's sins. As for acts of worship, (the one who admires himself) thinks that his acts of worship are great, and he uses them as evidence of his righteousness; he thinks that he is doing Allah (g) a favour by doing them, and he forgets the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him by enabling 'Ali ibn Abi Tdlib and helping him to do them.

The one who admires himselE is too confident in himself and his opinion, so he feels safe from the plan and punishment of Allah, and he thinks that he has some status before Allah. His self-admiration makes him praise himself a great deal."467 Al-Qurz said: "The reason why self-admiration is h a r h is that it is a bad attitude towards Allah, may He be exalted, because a slave should never think of as great the acts of worship by means of which he seeks to draw close to his Master; rather he should think of them as little in comparison to the greatness of his Master, especially the greatness of Allah (&). Hence AUah (%) says: he^ made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Himb (Quran 39: 67). This means that they did not venerate Him as He deserves to be venerated. Whoever develops self-admiration and admires his worship is doomed before his Lord, Who is aware of him. He has exposed himself to the wrath and anger of Allah (&)."468 It may be said that self-admiration results from two things: (a) Ignorance of the rights of Allah (s), not making a just estimate of Allah (&) such as is due to Him, lack of knowledge of the names and attributes of Allah and not worshipping Allah on the basis of proper understanding of His name and attributes.

(b) Not understanding the nature of the ego (lower self), ignorance of its faults and problems, and negligence in checking and watching oneself.469 Hence the remedy is to learn about Allah (&), realise His greatness, make a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him, base servitude to Him on knowledge of His beautiful names and sublime attributes, and worship Him on that basis, for all goodness is in His hands, and His mercy encompasses all things. (And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah.) (Quran 16: 53) The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life Imam ash-Shsa'i said: "If you fear that self-admiration will affect your deeds, remember the One Whom you are trying to please, what blessings you are trying to seek and what kind of punishment you are seeking to escape. The one who thinks of that will see his deeds as insigr~ificant."~~~ Al-Nawawi said: "The way to rid oneself of self-admiration is to know that knowledge is a blessing from Allah (s) and a complete favour. That belongs to Allah (&) which He takes away, and that belongs to Him which He gives, and everything has an appointed time with Him, so a person should not develop self-admiration for something that he had nothing to do with and has no control over, and it is not certain that it will last."471 Ibn al-Qayyim said: "It should be noted that when a person says or does something, seeking the pleasure of AUah (B), realising the blessings that Allah (s) has bestowed by enabling him to do or say it and knowing that Allah (&) helped him with regard to that, and he is doing it by the help of Allah ($1 and not by his own power, knowledge, thought and strength - rather it is Allah (&) Who created for bim his tongue, heart, eyes and ears -therefore He is the one who blessed bim with what be said or did. When that becomes well entrenched in his mind, then self-admiration will not develop in him, because self-admiration results from focusing on one's own self and not realising the blessing and help of one's As for the other remedy for self-admiration, it is to know oneself and to keep taking stock of oneself. Ibn al-Jawzi said: "Whoever thinks of the inclinations of his own self and the sins that his self is committing will realise his sins and shortcomings for certain and will be uncertain with regard to other people.

What he must beware of is self-admiration and exaggerating about the righteous deeds that he is doing for the hereafter. The believer in that regard is always thinking little of himself. It was said to 'Umar ibn 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 'Abdul-'Azeez (&): 'If YOU die, we will bury you in the chamber of the Messenger of Allah (g).' He said: 'If I meet Allah with all kinds of sin except for polytheism, that is dearer to me than thinking of myself as qualified for that."'473 Ihn Hazm said: "Whoever is tested with self-admiration, let him think of his faults; if he admires his virtues, let him think of his bad manners and attitude. If he cannot find any, to the point that he thinks that he has no faults, then he should realise that his problem is chronic and that he is the most imperfect of men, and has the most faults and least discernment. That is because he is feeble-minded and ignorant, and there is no fault worse than these two, because the wise man is the one who can see faults in himself and tries to overcome them, whereas the foolish man is the one who is ignorant of his own faults. If you admire your opinions, then think of the number of times when yon got it wrong; remember them and do not forget them.

Think of every time you expressed your opinion and it turned out to be wrong, and someone else got it right and you were mistaken. If you admire your knowledge, then remember that it is not from yourself; rather it is a pure gift from Allah (&) that was given to you by your Lord, so do not respond to it in a way that angers Him, for He may cause you to forget it by means of a problem with which He may test you, which may result in you forgetting what you have learned and memorised. If you are impressed by your brothers' praise for you, then think of the criticism of your enemies; then your selfadmiration will disperse. If you have no enemies, there is nothing good in you; there is no one whose status is lower than the one who has no enemy. It is no more than the status of the one who has no blessing from Allah (%) for which to he envied, may Allah keep us safe and sound. If you think little of your faults, then think of them if people found out about them.

Imagine people finding out about them, then you will be embarrassed and will recognise your shortcomings. "474 The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of lqe Ibn al-Qayyim said, speaking about the wisdom behind the divine decree allowing evil deeds and sins, that one of the reasons for this is that: "When Allah (g) wills good for His slave, He causes him to forget his acts of obedience and erases them from his mind and from his lips (so that he does not speak about them). But if he commits a sin, He makes him think about his sin all the time and forget his good deeds, so that he focuses constantly on his sin, when he stands up and sits down, when he comes and goes. This is the essence of mercy concerning him, as one of the early generation said: 'A person may commit a sin and enter paradise because of it, and he may do a good deed and enter hell because of it.' They said: 'How is that?' He said: 'He does one wrong thing and keeps thinking of it, and whenever he remembers it he weeps, feels regret and repents and asks for forgiveness. He turns to Allah ($) and beseeches Him, and he humiliates himself before Him and does righteous deeds, so this becomes a cause of mercy for him. Another person may do a good deed and keep thinking about it, so he feels proud of it before his Lord and before people, and he becomes arrogant because of it and wonders why people do not show respect to him and honour him because of it, and this continues until it takes its toll on h i and causes him to enter hell."'475 This is a brief explanation of the words of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&): "Self-admiration is a disease of the mind and heart."476 3.7.

Ali's concern about setting guidelines for the marketplace, and various incidents in which he took a stand in order to correct peopIe Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T%b (4) was keen to check on people's dealings in the marketplace and to force them to do business in accordance with the laws of Islam. It is proven that 'Ali Xli ibn Abi Tilib (&) gave a great deal of attention to checking on and inspecting the marketplace. It was narrated from al-Hum ihn Jarmooz al-Muridi that his father said: "I saw 'Ali ihn Abi T2ih (&) , ., come out of the palace wearing two striped garments; his lower garment came to mid-calf and his upper garment was wrapped tightly around him. He was carrying his stick and walking about in the marketplace, enjoining them to fear Allah (&) and he honest in dealing. He said: 'Give just measure, and do not take out the marrow from hones when selling meat."'477 It was narrated that Abu Marar said: "I came out of the mosque and heard a man calling out from behind me: 'Lift up your lower garment, for that is cleaner for your garment and more pleasing to your Lord, and cut your hair if you are a Muslim.' I walked behind him, he was wearing the waist wrapper and an upper gamient on his shoulders, and he was carrying a stick, as if he were a Bedouin of the desert. I said: 'Who is this?' A man said to me: 'You must be a stranger in this city.' I said: 'Yes, I am from Basra.' He said: 'This is 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib, Amir al-Mu'mineen.' When he reached the place of Ibn Ahi Ma'eet, he saw him driving his camels and said: 'Sell, and do not swear an oath, for an oath may cause an item to be sold, but it erases the blessing.' Then he went to the date sellers and saw a female servant weeping.

He said: 'Why are you weeping?' She said: 'This man sold me some dates for a dirham, hut my master refused to accept them.' 'Ali (4) said to him: 'Take your dates and give her a dirham, for she has nothing to do with it.' And he gave her the dirham. I said: 'Do you know who this is?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'This is 'Ali ibn Ahi Tilib, Amir al-Mu'mineen.' So she gave back the dates, and he gave her a dirham. Then the man said: 'I would like you to he pleased with me, 0 Amir al-Mu'mineen.' He said: 'Why should I be pleased with you if you give people their dues (because there should he nothing special about that)?' Then he passed by the date sellers and said: '0 date sellers, feed the poor, and your earnings The oath ofallegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of l$e will increase.' Then he went - with the Muslims with him - until he came to the fish sellers and said: 'No fish that was found floating dead should be sold in our marketplace.' Then he went to Dar Fnrit, which is the market of the cotton ~10th."~~' It was narrated that Zad2n said: " 'Ali used to walk in the marketplace on his own, guiding those who had gone astray and helping the weak. He would pass by the sellers and grocers and would start with them, reciting Quran, and he would recite: (That home of the hereafter [i.e. paradise], We shall assign to those who rebel not against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes.) (Quran 28: 83) Then he said: 'This verse was revealed concerning just and humble people among the governors and people in power, to the exclusion of other people."'479~l-~hal121 narrated with his chain of narration that Abu Sa'eed said: " 'ALi used to go to the marketplace and say: '0 people of the marketplace, fear Allah (&) and beware of swearing oaths, for an oath may help to sell the item, but it erases the blessing. Traders are evil, except the one who takes his dues and pays his dues. Peace be upon you.' Then he left, then he came back to them and said something similar to them."480 It was narrated that Abn asSahba' said: "I saw 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&) in Shatj a l - ~ a l a ' ~ ~ ' , asking about This direct supervision on the part of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T a b (&) may indicate a number of things, including the following: (a) That his tour of the market was not limited to supervising and giving guidelines only; rather it went further than that and involved serving the people in their affairs, such as guiding one who had gone astray and helping the weak.

If a person is like that, his words and exhortations will be more effective and will have a greater impact on people's hearts. 'Ali ibn Abi Ttlib (b) Sincere advice to fear Allah (&) and be honest in dealing. Sometimes he quoted Quran to remind them, because the one who fears Allah will treat people with kindness and be sincere towards them and will keep away from deceiving and cheating them. (c) Forbidding wrongdoing in transactions and restoring people's rights, because the master of the slave woman who bought the dates did not approve of this purchase, and she herself had no say in the matter. (d) Forbidding all kinds of deceit that happens in marketplaces, such as removing the marrow from the bone that is covered with meat. (e) Explaining some rulings and etiquette that have to do with transactions among people, including the following: - Prohibition on swearing oaths when selling.

The reason given for this is that an oath may help to sell the item, but it wipes out the blessing, as was narrated from the Messenger of Allah (g): "An oath may help to sell the item, hut it erases the blessing."483 - Encouraging and urging people to feed the poor, because this increases earnings. Prohibition on selling fish that was found floating dead in the water. Perhaps this was so that it would not be mixed with the fresh catch. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (4) used to check on traders' affairs himself, and he instructed his governors in the provinces to do likewise. He would praise those who did well; as for those who committed transgressions after being told not to, he would punish them, without going to extremes.484 He had some beneficial instructions and prohibitions which encouraged people to adopt the The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life best of characteristics and adhere to the Islamic rulings. The following are some examples: 3.7.1.

Denunciation of mixing between men and women in the marketplaces Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (4) , , would denounce people who did not prevent their womenfolk from going out to the marketplaces and mixing with the disbelievers. He said to them: "Do you not feel any shame or protective jealousy? For I have heard that your womenfolk go out in the marketplaces and mix with the di~believers."~~~ 3.7.2. Do not refuse a little profit lest you be deprived of a lot 'Ali (&) used to enter the market with his stick in his hand and wearing a cloak, and he would say: "0 merchants, take what is due and give what is due, and you will be safe and sound. Do not refuse a little profit, lest you be deprived of a lot." He looked at a man who was cutting fabric and said to him, "Are you cutting when we are still close to the time of the Messenger of Allah (@J? I shall ask you a question and if you respond, d l well and good; otherwise I shall beat you to the ground with this stick.

What reinforces religious commitment and what undermines it?" He said: "As for what reinforces it, it is piety, and what undermines it is greed." He said: "You have done well. Cany on cutting, because a man like you is one who should 3.7.3. The danger of getting involved in trading before properly understanding its Shariah rulings Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Ahi T%b (&) said: "The one who gets involved in trading before fully understanding the religion 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib will get involved in usury, then he will get involved in usury, then he will get involved in usury. 'Umar (&) used to hit with his stick anyone who sat in the marketplace and did not know the rulings, and he would say: 'No one should sit in our marketplace who does not know about 'Ali (4) also used to say: "No one should sell in our marketplace except one who has acquired deep understanding of the religion; otherwise he will consume usury, whether he wants to or not."488 The Rightly Guided Caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them) paid attention to aJl matters of ruling, and no one matter took up their attention at the expense of another. Thus the situation did not go beyond the control of the ruler. They established guidelines for trade, which kept the market in good shape, regulated business transactions and guaranteed stability and steadiness.

There were no unfair deals, cheating, hoarding, black market or ignorance of what was and was not permitted in the world of trade. It is possible today to teach traders by means of study circles in the mosques, especially those that are located in marketplaces. It is essential to address them by means of pamphlets and brief audiotapes that explain the dings on business and simplify issues that have to do with it, highlighting the following issues: - Presenting selected examples of Muslim business owners who are sincere to their religion and who support the cause of Allah (fg) and His Messenger with their wealth. - Explaining the importance of the hereafter for them so that they may combine the good things of this world and the hereafter. The scholars and seekers of knowledge have an important duty to educate this large sector of society. The Islamic movements should not forget their duty to teach their members who are involved in business and others about this important issue. The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life 3.7.4.

"The one who gets to a place first has more right to it" There was an issue concerning trading spots in the market, and 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&) gave a verdict in the marketplace of Kufah stating that the one who gets to a place first has more right to it, as long as he is still there during that same day. If he moves from that spot, then it is permissible for someone else to take it. Al-Ashagh ibn Nabitah said: "I went out with 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib to the marketplace, and he saw that the people of the marketplace had reserved spots for themselves. 'Ali (&) said: 'What is this?' They said: 'The people of the marketplace have reserved their spots.' He said: 'They do not have the right to do that. The marketplace of the Muslims is like the prayer place of the Muslims; whoever gets there first, it is his for the rest of the day unless he leaves it."' This principle was followed until the governorship of al-Mugheerah ibn Shu'bah. When Ziy2d ibn Abeehi became governor in 49 AH, he ruled that the one who sat in the place was more entitled to it as long as he remained there.489 3.7.5.

"The hoarder is an accursed sinner" Amir al-Mu'rnineen 'Ali ibn Abi T%b (&) said concerning the hoarding of food: "The one who brings food to the market is granted provision, and the hoarder is an accursed sinner."490 Amir alMu'mineen ordered that hoarded food be burned. Al-H%i& ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that al-Hakam said: "Ali was told about a man who hoarded food, one hundred thousand, and he ordered that it be burned."491 Ibn Qudhah was of the view that the hoarding that is prohibited is that which meets the following conditions: (a) That it is bought from the marketplace. If he brings something from elsewhere or keeps something that he 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib already had, he is not a hoarder. This is clear from the words of 'Ali (&). (b) That what is bought is a staple food.492 (c) That hardship is caused to the people by someone's buying it in order to hoard it. 'Ali's waming against hoarding was based on the words of the Messenger (g): "No one hoards except a wrongdoer."493 3.7.6.

"Loss is to be taken horn the capital, and profit is to be shared out as agreed Arnir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T a b (&) explained some of the mlings on rnudiirabah, which is a kind of business dealing among people. It involves giving a known amount of wealth to someone to trade with it, in return for some of the profit. 'Ali (&) said: "Loss is to be a e n from the capital and profit is to be shared out as agreed."494 Loss is to be borne by the pamership and is to he taken from the wealth. In other words, it is to be borne by each partner according to how much he has put in. If each p m e r put in an equal part,495 then the loss is shared equally between them. If it is thirds. then the loss is divided on this basis. 3.7.7.

Burning of a village in which alcohol was sold 'Ali (&) strongly denounced those who sold alcohol, and he ordered the burning of a village in which alcohol was sold. Imam Abu 'Ubaydah alQ2sirn ibn S a l h narrated that 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&) looked at ~ u r i r a h ~ ~ ~ and said: "What is this village?" They said: "It is a village called Zur2rah. Meat is slaughtered there, and alcohol is sold there." He got up and went there and said: "Bring the fire and set fire to it, and let evil consume itself." The narrator said: The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life "It was burned from the west as far as the Garden of Khawgsta ibn ~ u b r o o n a . " ~ ~ ~ 3.7.8. Checking on matters to do with clothing and appearance It was narrated that Abu Matar said: "I went out of the mosque and there was a man calling out behind me: 'Lift up your lower garment, for that is cleaner for your garment and more pleasing to your Lord, and cut your hair if you are a ~ u s l i m . " ' ~ ~ ~ 3.7.9.

Detaining evildoers and mischief makers 'Ali (&) would pursue evildoers and mischief makers, and if he caught one of them he would detain him. Al-Qii& Abu Yoosuf narrated that 'Abdul-Miilik ibn 'Umayr said: "If there was among the tribe or people a promiscuous or immoral man, 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&) would detain him. If he had wealth, he would spend on his maintenance from his wealth; if he did not have any wealth, he would spend on him from the public treasury of the Muslims." He also said: "Protect the people from his evil, and spend on him from their t r e a s u ~ ~ . " ~ ~ ~ 3.7.10. Warning against not spending Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib (&) said: 'The miser is the one who seeks to hasten poverty and Lives in this world like the poor; he will be brought to account in the hereafter on the basis that he was rich."500 3.7.11. 'Ali's call to prayer Amir al-Mu'mineeu 'Ali ibn Abi T S b (&) , . paid a great deal of attention to the matter of prayer.

He would walk through the 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib streets, calling "Prayer, prayer," and he would wake the people for the dawn prayer in this way. Al-Hasan (&)told us that on the day he was stabbed, he went out from his house. When he came out of the door, he called out: "0 people! Prayer, prayer." He did that every day, carrying a stick. Two men intercepted him, and Ibn Maljam struck him on the head.501 3.7.12. Paying attention to public works Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ordered the building of waterways in the wadis and sewers, lest the road of the Muslims be blocked.50z 3.7.13.

The innovation of the storytellers, and 'Ali's efforts to fight it The innovation of the storytellers appeared during the time of 'Ali (&), and it was denounced by the Companions and the T2bi'oon. Muhammad ibn Waddih nmated that Moosa ihn Mu'2wiyah said: "Ibn Mahdi narrated to us from Sufyzn from 'Ubaydullah ihn NZ' that he said: 'Stories were not told at the time of the Prophet (g) or the time of Ahu Bak~, 'Umar and 'Uthmk. The first time stories were told was during the turmoil (the murder of 'Uthmh)."'503 The storytellers were preachers who held gatherings for preaching in competition with the gatherings of knowledge. They exhorted the people by telling stories, tales narrated from Jewish sources, and so on which had no basis or were fabricated, or were beyond the comprehension of the masses. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ihn Ahi T%h (&+) banned them because they started telling the people about weird things and ambiguous matters, and things that were beyond their comprehension and of which they had no knowledge.504 Amir al-Mu'mineen permitted those who had strong Shariah knowledge to tell stories in order to exhort the people. The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way of life 'Ali's life in society was a call to tawhid and striving against polytheism.

He was keen to teach people the names and amibutes of Allah (s), connect their hearts to Him alone, remind them of the blessings of Allah (g) and urge them to be grateful for them. He (&) was also persistent in his efforts to eliminate any traces of preIslamic ignorance, using all kinds of means such as speeches, exhortations, poetry and proverbs. He did not live a life that was remote and removed from the people; rather he lived among them on the basis of his good attitude, manners and knowledge (&). 3.8. The Police force at the time of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T2lib When 'Ali (&) was appointed as the new caliph, the police force was one of the important departments in the state. There are many stories and reports that speak of the role of the police at the time of 'Ali (4). For example, Ashagh ibn Nabitah narrated that a young man complained to 'Ali ibn Ahi T%h (&) about a group of people.

He said: "These people went out with my father on a journey; they returned, but my father did not return. I asked them about him, and they said that he died. I asked them about his wealth, and they said that he did not leave anything, although he had a great deal of wealth with him. We referred the matter to Shurayh, and he asked them to swear an oath and let them go." 'Ali (&) called the police. He appointed two policemen for each one of them and instructed them not to let any of them get close to another and not to let anyone speak to them. He called his scribe, then he called one of the men and said: "Tell me about the father of this young man.

On what day did he go out? Where did you halt? How was your journey? How did he die? How did he lose his wealth?" He also asked him about those who washed him and buried him, who led the funeral prayer for him, where he was buried and so on, and the scribe wrote it all down. Then 'Ali ibn Abi Tilib 'Ali (a) said takbeer, and everyone present said takbeer.

The other accused person had no knowledge about what was going on, but he thought that their companion had confessed about them. After the first one had been taken away, 'Ali (&) summoned another and asked him the same questions. He carried on lihe that until he had heard what they all had to say, and he found that each one of them said something different than his companions. Then he ordered that the first one be brought back, and he said: "0 enemy of Allah, I am aware of your stubbornness and lies because of what I heard from your companions. Nothing can save you from punishment except telling the truth." Then he ordered that he be imprisoned, and he said takbeer, and everyone present said takbeer. When the other people realised what was happening, they did not doubt that their companion had testified against them.

Then he called another one of them and threatened him, and he said: "0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, by Allah, I was not happy with what they did." Then he called all of them, and they admitted what had happened. He summoned the one who was in prison, and it was said to him: "Your companions have confessed, and nothing will save you except telling the truth." So he admitted everything that the others had admitted. He forced them to give back the money, and he took blood money from them for the one who had been slain.505 This story contains many implications which are useful for those involved in investigations. At the same time, it proves that there were prisons and policemen?06 Amir d-Mu'mineen 'Ali (a) built a prison in Kufah which he called Nifi', but it was not well prepared for prisoners, and they were able to get out of it. He demolished it and built a replacement, which he called ~ u k h e e s . ~ ~ ' He provided the inmates with what they needed of food, condiments and clothing in the winter and summer?08 Amir d-Muvlu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi T2ib had a police force whose members included Abu al-Hayij al-Asadi, The oath of allegiance to 'Ali, his characteristics & his way oflife Qays ibn Sa'd ibn 'Ubiidah, Ma'qil ibn Qays ar-Rayy%i, Maik ibn Khubayb al-Yarhoo'i, al-Asbagb ibn Nabiitah al-Mushiija'i and Sa'eed ibn SGyah ibn Murrah al-Khuzi'i. One of the roles played by the police in society was helping the needy and those in trouble by guiding the lost, feeding the poor, offering help, showing kindness and other humane acts of help by means of which the countenance of Allah (&) may be sought.

Hence we can see clearly that the security forces during the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs played a civic role in offering general services to the public. Their role was not limited only to security matters, even though that was their main focus. * * * CHAPTER FOUR Financial and judiciary Institutions at the time of Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali ibn Abi Tslib, and some of his views on Islamic jurisprudence