Letters · Instructions for Malik al-Ashtar upon his appointment as the governor of Egypt

al-Sharif al-Radi (d. 406 AH) · Thaqalayn library edition, reproduced verbatim

2

Arabic text

وَقَدْ جَعَلَ اللهُ عَهْدَهُ وَذِمَّتَهُ أَمْناً أَفْضَاهُ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ بِرَحْمَتِهِ، وَحَرِيماً يَسْكُنُونَ إِلَى مَنَعَتِهِ، يَسْتَفِيضُونَ إِلَى جِوَارِهِ، فَلَا إِدْغَالَ وَلَا مُدَالَسَةَ، وَلَا خِدَاعَ فِيهِ، وَلَا تَعْقِدْ عَقْداً تَجُوزُ فِيهِ الْعِلَلُ، وَلَا تُعَوِّلَنَّ عَلَى لَحْنِ قَوْلٍ بَعْدَ التَّأْكِيدِ وَالتَّوْثِقَةِ، وَلَا يَدْعُوَنَّكَ ضِيقُ أَمْر لَزِمَكَ فِيهِ عَهْدُ اللهِ، إِلَى طَلَبِ انْفِسَاخِهِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ، فَإنَّ صَبْرَكَ عَلَى ضِيقِ أَمْرٍ تَرْجُو انْفِرَاجَهُ وَفَضْلَ عَاقِبَتِهِ، خَيْرٌ مِنْ غَدْرٍ تَخَافُ تَبِعَتَهُ، وَأَنْ تُحِيطَ بِكَ مِنَ اللهِ فِيهِ طَلِبَةٌ، لَا تَسْتَقْبِلُ فِيهَا دُنْيَاكَ وَلَا آخِرَتَكَ.

Original English translation

Allāh made His agreement and pledged the sign of security which He has spread over His creatures through His mercy and an asylum in which they stay in His protection and seek the benefit of nearness to Him. Therefore, there should be no deceit, cunning or duplicity in it. Do not enter into an agreement which may admit of different interpretations and do not change the interpretation of vague words after the conclusion and confirmation (of the agreement). If an agreement of Allāh involves you in hardship do not seek its repudiation without justification, because the bearing of hardships through which you expect relief and a handsome result is better than a violation whose consequence you fear, and that you fear that you will be called upon by Allāh to account for it and you will not be able to seek forgiveness for it in this world or the next.

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