Recipe for Success

Excerpts from a lengthy letter on leadership, which Caliph Ali sends to his loyal follower, Maalik al-Ashtar, appointing him as the new Muslim governor of Egypt:

Let it be known to you, Maalik, that I am sending you as a governor to a country, which has seen many regimes before this. Some of them were benign, sympathetic and good, while others were tyrannical oppressive and cruel. People will judge your regime as critically as you have studied the activities of other regimes and they will criticize you in the same way as you have censured or approved other rulers. …

Remember, Maalik, that amongst your subjects there are two kinds of people: those who have the same religion as you have, they are brothers to you; and those who have religions other than that of yours, they are human beings like you ....
Let your mercy and compassion come to their rescue and help in the same way and to the same extent that you expect Allah to show mercy and forgiveness to you. ....

Never say to yourself, 1 am their Lord, their ruler and all in all over them and that I must be obeyed submissively and humbly, , because such a thought will unbalance your mind, will make you vain and arrogant, will weaken your faith in religion and will make you seek support of any power other than that of Allah ....

You must always appreciate and adopt a policy, which is neither too severe nor too lenient; a policy, which is based upon equity, will be largely appreciated. Remember that the displeasure of common men, the have-nots and the depressed persons more overbalances than the approval of important persons, while the displeasure of a few big people will be excused by the Lord if the general public and the masses of your subjects are happy with you. ...

You must know, Maalik, that the people over whom you rule are divided into classes and grades, and the prosperity and welfare of each class of the society individually and collectively are so interdependent upon the well-being of the other classes that the whole set-up represents a closely woven net and reciprocal aspect. One class cannot exist peacefully, cannot live happily and cannot work without the support and good wishes of the other. ...

Remember, Maalik.... The thing which should most gladden the heart of a ruler is the fact that his State is being ruled on the principles of equity and justice and that his subjects love him. And your subjects will only love you when they have no grievance against you. Their sincerity and loyalty will be proved if they gather around you to support your government, when they accept your authority without considering it an unbearable burden on their heads and when they do not secretly wish your rule to come to an end. So let them have as many justifiable hopes in you as they can and fulfill as many as you reasonably can. Speak well of those who deserve your praise. Appreciate the good deeds done by them and let these good actions be known publicly.

From Michael Hamilton Morgan's Lost History.

So did Maalik, Ali's devoted supporter, follow his instructions to the letter? And did Egyptians actually enjoy a utopia under his rule? Unfortunately NO. Maalik Ibn Al-Harith, AKA al Ashtar, did not live to rule Egypt.

Mu'awiyah who wanted to control Egypt, sent a big army to occupy it. When Mu'awiyah heard that Ali has appointed Maalik as Egypt's new ruler, he was worried, for he knew that Malik would save it. So Mu'awiyah decided to kill Maalik when he is most venerable, that is while traveling from Kufa to Egypt. At al-Qilzim City on the borders of Egypt, Maalik was greeted by innkeepers who were actually supporters of Muˤāwiyya. They poisoned Maalik's honey, killing him before he ever set foot in al Fustat.

Mish maktobalna!!