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

وَإِيَّاكَ وَالْمَنَّ عَلَى رَعِيَّتِكَ بِإِحْسَانِكَ، أَوِ التَّزَيُّدَ فِيمَا كَانَ مِنْ فِعْلِكَ، أَوْ أَنْ تَعِدَهُمْ فَتُتْبِعَ مَوْعِدَكَ بِخُلْفِكَ، فَإِنَّ الْمَنَّ يُبْطِلُ الْإِحْسَانَ، وَالتَّزَيُّدَ يَذْهَبُ بِنُورِ الْحَقِّ، وَالخُلْفَ يُوجِبُ الْمَقْتَ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَالنَّاسِ، قَالَ اللهُ سبحانه: ﴿كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ﴾.

Original English translation

Avoid showing (the existence of) obligation on your subjects for having done good to them or praising your own actions or making promises and then breaking them, because showing (the existence of) obligation destroys good, self-praise takes away the light of truth, and breaking promises earns the hatred of Allāh and of the people. Allāh the Glorified, says: “Most hateful is it unto Allāh that you say what you (yourselves) do (it) not.” (Qur’ān, 61:3)

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