Hazrat Ali |1

Biography
Name and Genealogy Amongst the descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S., Hazrat Ali A.S. belonged to the line of Quraish. He was the son of Abu Talib R.A., son of Abdul Muttalib of the distinguished tribe of Bani Hashim. Only one step above his lineage coincided with that of the Prophet S.A. of Islam. The latter being Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib and the former Ali bin Abi Talib bin Abdul Muttalib. It was his father Abu Talib who had nourished and brought up the Prophet (PBUH) His mother Fatima bint-e Asad was also a noble lady belonging to the tribe of Bani Hashim whom the Prophet (PBUH) regarded as his own mother. Birth Date & Place When the Prophet (PBUH) of God was thirty years old, Ali (A.S) was born on 13th of Rajab in the 30 year of Aamul Feel inside the sacred Kaaba. Family Background Amongst the descendants of Hazrat Ibrahim A.S., Hazrat Ali (A.S) belonged to the line of Quraish. He was the son of Abu Talib, son of Abdul Muttalib of the distinguished tribe of Bani Hashim. His mother Fatima bint-e Asad was also a noble lady belonging to the tribe of Bani Hashim whom the Prophet (SAW) regarded as his own mother. His Upbringing The responsibility for bringing him up devolved directly on Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) who devoted all his time and attention towards nurturing. It was owing to his inherent merit and capabilities coupled with the privilege of being brought up by the exalted personality of a guardian like the Prophet (SAW) that when the Prophet (PBUH) announced his Prophet hood Hazrat Ali (A.S)., though only ten years old, became his foremost follower and testifier of his claim. Marriage The first thing that the Prophet (PBUH) did on his arrival in Medina was to solemnize the marriage of his only daughter, Fatima Zahra with Ali A.S. The Prophet (PBUH) deeply loved his daughter and had so much respect for her that whenever she came to him he used to stand up in reverence. It was in the first year of Hijrah when the Prophet (PBUH) chose Ali A.S. for this honor. The wedding rites were performed with utmost simplicity. (a) He got three sons (Hasan, Husain and Muhsin), and two daughters (Zainab & Umm-iKulthum) from her. The youngest son, Muhsin died in childhood. After the death of Hazrat Fatimah he married a number of wives from time to time:

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(b) Umm al-Banin bin Hizam from whom he got 'Abbas, Ja'far, 'Abdullah and Uthman. All of these except Abbas were martyred at Karbala. (c) Saila bint Mas'ud who gave birth to 'Ubaidullah and Abu Bakr. They were martyred at Karbala. (d) Asma bint Umais who gave birth to Yahya and Muhammad Asghar. (e) Sahba bint Rabi'a who gave birth to Umar and Ruqayyah. (f) Amamah bint Abil 'As: She was daughter of Zainab (R.A.), daughter of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi we Salaam). Hadrat Ali got Muhammad Aswat from her. (g) Khaulah bint Jalfar who gave birth to Muhammad ibn (h) Umm-i-Sa'id who gave birth to Ummul Hasan and Ramlah Kubra. (i) Mahyah bint Ummul Qais, she gave birth to a daughter who died in childhood. Jihad In first battle of Islam, which is known as the battle of Badar Hazrat Ali had his first experience of fighting a battle? At that time he was He was only twenty-five years old. There were important battles of Uhud, Khandaq, Khaibar and lastly Hunain in which Ali A.S. accompanied the Prophet (SAW) and exhibited his incomparable valor as a warrior. Almost in all these battles Ali (A.S) held the office of standard-bearer also. In all these battles he exhibited indomitable valor and steadfastness. In these engagements, as in others, he showed utmost firmness, tolerance and nobility of character. Title Because of his bravely Hazrat Ali was popularly called "Asadullah"(The Lion of Allah). He was also known as Al-Murtaza, Al-Amir-ul-Mo'mineen. As Caliph Hazrat Ali (RA) was elected as Fourth Caliph after, the martyrdom of Hazrat Usman (RA), at a time when the world of Islam was in great turmoil In 35 A.H. the Muslims offered the office of Islamic Caliph to Ali (A.S). At first he refused, but when the insistence on part of the Muslims increased, he accepted it on the condition that he would rule strictly in accordance with the precepts laid down in the Quran and the Sunnah (practice) of the Prophet (SAW) without favor and partiality towards anybody. He was the greatest Mujtahid and jurist of his time and one of the greatest of all times. Justice was part of his soul and spirit and was attached to his heart.

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His administration steered clear of partisanship, favoritism or nepotism. He was particularly severe on his Governors and kept a regular watch on their actions. He reprimanded his own friends, governors and employees even if they accepted bread as bribe. To him wealth was for the use of other needy persons and not for himself and his family. He never hid his earnings because the purpose of his earning was to help the needy and the oppressed and to save them from the exploitation of the tyrants and to make their lives happier.

His Services Besides participating in Jihad he was never averse to do anything for the sake of the Prophet S.A. and Islam. The tasks that he had to perform were of diverse nature. He was responsible for writing down treaties and letters. He was also the custodian of the recorded portions of the Quran. Besides, he was deputed to Yemen by the Prophet (SAW) for the propagation of Islam. As a result of his successful preaching, the entire Yemen embraced Islam. Martyrdom Alas, this protagonist of peace, equality and Islamic values could not escape the malicious designs of the worldly people. In the morning of 19 of the month of Ramadan 40 A.H. while offering prayers in the mosque he was fatally wounded by a sword dipped in poison. Ali A.S. spent two restless days on his sick bed in extreme pain and distress. Eventually the poison spread all over the body and he breathed his last on 21 of Ramadan at the time of morning Prayer. Hasan A.S. and Husain A.S. performed the funeral rites and that prince of humanity was buried at Najaf at the back of the city of Kufa.

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Distinguishing Publications
NAHJAL BLAGHA AL- SAHIFAYE ALAVIYA The two mentioned books consist of sermons, letters, and sayings of Hazrat Ali (A.S). Nahj al-balaghah comprises various issues that cover major problems of metaphysics, theology, tafsir, hadith, prophetology, imamate, ethics, social philosophy, politics, administration, civics, science, literature, etc. Most of the discussions about various theological issues and philosophical notions in Islam have their origin in very book. The book not only reflects the spirit of early Islam and the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet (saw) in the proper perspective, but also serves as a guide to traverse the future in the light of these teachings. The importance of the Nahj-ul-Balagha lies in two dimensions. First, it speaks about the fundamental of Islam such as the matters concerning God, the human being, Islamic views of humanity, prophet hood and its position in human history a means of understanding Islam and thus necessary for us to study. Secondly, the Nahj-ul-Balagha refers to the social problems of a hypocritical society with which we deal today. Accordingly, this book can be a source of Inspiration for us as regards to the social and political problems of life and the possible solutions to them. It is a matter of regret that Nahj al-balaghah was not properly utilized by the Muslims as a source book of Islamic philosophy, kalam, fiqh, and ethics due to misconceptions about its attribution to Hazrat 'Ali (A.S) In the presence of strong and sufficient evidence in support of the contents of the book being authentic, it was sheer prejudice and lack of the spirit of inquiry that was responsible for neglecting such a reliable source of Islamic ideas.

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Thoughts on Principal Subject

Hazrat Alis letter to Malik-e-Ashter throws light on the importance of the principles of administration and justice as dictated by Islam. The following instructions in the form of a letter were written to him by Hazrat Ali, when he appointed him as Governor of Egypt. Highlights It (the letter) deals with the duties and obligations of rulers, their chief responsibilities, the question of rights and obligations, dispensation of justice, control over secretaries and subordinate staff. In it Hazrat Ali advises Malik: To fight corruption and oppression amongst the officers; to control markets, imports and exports; to curb evils of profiteering and hoarding and of cornering and black marketing. In it he has also explained stages of various classes of society, the duties of government towards the lowest class, how are they to be looked after and how are their conditions to be improved. He has also commented upon the rights of rulers over the ruled and of the ruled over the rulers. There is a main central idea running all through these instructions, it is that of the Creator. The government is of God, the governors and the governed are both the creatures of God, their respective duties are laid down by God. In short this letter is on the one hand the gospel of the principles of administration as taught by Holy Quran; a code to establish a kind and benevolent rule throwing light on various aspects of justice and mercy. On the other hand it is a thesis on the higher values of morality.

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Impact of His Ideas in Understanding of Human Behavior on Society

Manifested the behavior of a ruler and has explained what human administration should be like and how it should be carried on. Personality & Behavior of a Ruler Dealings with the Different Classes of Society PERSONALITY & BEHAVIOR OF A RULER Obedience of God A ruler must always keep fear of God in mind. He must give priority to His worship and to give preference to obey His Order over and every other thing in life He must faithfully follow the commandments and interdictions as are given out by Holy Book and traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAW).

Ruler in the eyes of people A ruler must create in his mind kindness, compassion and love for his subjects. People judge his government and they will criticize him in the same as he has censured or approved other rulers. So a ruler should not behave as if he is a voracious and ravenous beast and whose success lies in tearing them up.

Accountability A ruler must never forget that if he is a ruler over people then the Caliph is the ruler over him and God is the supreme Lord over the Caliph. He should never think of bringing himself in level of God, never think of matching his power with Him. Such a thought will unbalance the mind of the ruler and will make him vain, arrogant and will weaken his faith in religion.

Moderate and Humane Policies A ruler must always appreciate and adopt a policy which is neither too severe, harsh nor too lenient.

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A policy should be based upon equity and justice and which will be largely appreciated and liked. A ruler must be careful in forming his contacts and developing friendships. He should keep people away from him and think them to be the enemy of the state who are scandal mongers and who try to find faults of others and carry on propaganda about them.

Selection of Ministers and Advisors The ruler must collect and gather honest, trustful and pious people around him as his companions and friends. He should not accept advices of misers, cowards, and greedy persons. Instead he can comfortably find persons who are equally wise and learned but who have not developed sinful and criminal mentalities, who have not helped tyrants and nor assisted sinners to carry on sinful deeds. He should train them not to flatter and not to seek his favor by false praises.

Prayers The ruler must diligently perform his daily prayers. His observance of prayers should be sincere and faultless and should neither be so long as to tire out those who follow him in these prayers nor so short as to be faulty and defective.

Remaining in touch with people A ruler must take care not to cut himself off from the public. He should not place a prestige curtain between him and those over whom he rules. Otherwise the result of such an attitude is that the ruler remains ignorant of the conditions of his subjects and actual causes of incidence happening in the state. If accounts of his strict measures make people get suspicious of his behaving like an oppressor, then he should come out openly before them, explain to them the reasons of his actions and let them see facts and realize the truth.

Inviolability of Promises and treaties If the enemy invites the ruler for such a treaty that it will agreeable to the Lord then the ruler never refuse to accept such an offer because it will bring comfort to his armies. There should be no mental reservations, no fraud, no deception and no meanings in between the lines when he make a promise or conclude a treaty. He must be careful never to break his promise. He must risk even his life to fulfill the promises given and terms settled.

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Against shedding innocent blood The ruler should beware of the sin of shedding blood without religious justification and sanction. He should never try to strengthen his power, position and prestige by shedding innocent blood. If he has intentionally murdered a man then no excuse shall be acceptable to God, because punishment of such a crime is necessary. If he commits a mans slaughter by mistake without any intention of killing, then he should not on account of his prestige and position refuse paying the compensation to the heirs.

DEALINGS WITH THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF SOCIETY The people who are to be ruled are divided into classes and grades The prosperity or welfare of each class of the society individually or collectively is so interdependent upon the well-being of the other classes One class cannot exist peacefully, cannot live happily and cannot work without the support and good wishes of the other.
ARMY JUDGES STATE OFFICIALS COMMEN MEN SECRETARIES TRADERS & BUSINESSMEN POOR PEOPLE

Amongst these are the soldiers of the army of God; the next class is of the judges; the third group is that of officers who maintain law and order; then there are common men, Muslims who pay taxes levied by government; the fifth are secretaries of the state to whom duties of writing out and issuing special orders are assigned; then comes the class of men who carry on various professions and trades; and the last but not the least are poor and have-nots who are considered as the lowest class of society.

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Army Its chief and commander should be a person Who is most sincere and faithful to God, Who is famous for his forbearance and gentleness, who is neither short tempered nor gets angry quickly, Who is kind and compassionate towards the weak but haughty and domineering against strong and powerful. To find and select such persons the ruler should form contacts with pious and noble families. The ruler should keep an eye over them and watch them, so that he may find out if there appears any deterioration in their characters. A ruler should not grudge highest considerations to them and should not refuse small mercies. This kind of treatment will create reciprocal tendencies in them; they will trust the ruler and will be faithful to him.

The Judges The ruler must select people of excellent character, superior caliber and meritorious record.
Qualifications

Abundance of litigations and complexity of cases should not make them lose their temper. When they realize they have committed a mistake in judgment they should not justify it. When truth is open made clear to them or when right path opens up before them, they should not consider it below their dignity to correct the mistake made They must exhibit patience and perseverance in scanning the details. They should not develop vanity and conceit when compliments and praises are showered upon them. The ruler should make a point to go through some of their judgments and to check their proceedings. Ruler should pay them handsomely so that their needs are fully satisfied and they are not required to beg or borrow or resort to corruption. He should give them such a prestige and position in his state that none of his courtiers officers can overload them or bring harm to them.

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State Officials Their appointments must be made originally on probation without any kind of favoritism being shown While selecting officers, a ruler must take care to select experienced and honorable persons, members of respectable families who had served Islam during its early days. The Ruler must also keep them well paid, so that they may not be tempted to lower their standards of morality. A ruler may also appoint trustworthy and honest men to keep a watch over the activities of these officers. This will keep them away from dishonesty, misrule, malpractices and tyrannizing the subjects. If they are found dishonest then they must be punished.

Common Men (Tax-Payers) A ruler must always keep in view the welfare of the tax-payers, which is of more importance than the taxes themselves. More importance should be attached to the fertility of land than to the collection of taxes. If the tax-payers complain to the ruler about heavy incidence of taxation, of any accidental calamity, of scarcity, of floods or destruction of their crops on account of excessive rainfall and if their complaints are true, then their taxes should be reduced. This reduction should be such that it provides them opportunities to improve their conditions and eases their circumstances.

Secretaries The ruler should entrust his work only to those who are the best among them. Affairs which are of confidential nature and which deal with secrets and safety should be entrusted only to men of exemplary character and honesty. The ruler should take particular care when the officers make contracts on behalf of the government or sign agreements so that these contracts and agreements are not defective or injurious to the state. The ruler must remember not to select them for very important posts and not to trust them completely because there are some people who, when it suits them, pretend honest, diligence and find their ways in the hearts of rulers. Therefore, the ruler must always look to the record or reputation of such men during previous regimes.

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Traders and Businessmen They should be treated well as they are source of wealth to the country. They provide consumers good and convey goods from across deserts, seas and over open lands which are not easy to approach and where usually people do not care or dare to go. The ruler must look after their interest. While treating them most sympathetically, the ruler must keep an eye on their activities as well. If traders and industrialists carry on hoarding and black market, then the ruler must punish them according to their intensity of crime.

Poor People The ruler must fear God about the conditions of poor people and his attitude towards them. He must fix a share for them from the government treasury. He must also reserve a share in kind of crops etc., from government grain go downs of cities, in which such grains are collected as are cultivated on state owned lands. The ruler has to take particular care of those who cannot reach him. He must be source of comfort, love and respect to them. He should pay more attention to young orphans and old cripples.

Concluding Words He (Hazrat Ali) has tried to teach Malik e Ashter all that can be taught about a good government. I have done my duty with you, so that you may not go astray and your mind may not crave after base desires. If it does then you will have no excuse before God.

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Relevance of Hazrat Alis (A.S) Studies with Respect to the Issues of Governance in Pakistan
Pakistan is going through a severe crisis of governance with no signs of any abatement whatsoever. Pakistan is facing constant dilemma of poor governance that has generated mistrust and has undermined the proficient and transparent delivery of public services and the implementation of programs in an efficient manner. Thrust, intolerance and corruption have plagued the politics of Pakistan. In Pakistan, corruption has assumed the status of fitness, a standard of intelligence, a norm of social worthiness. The poverty has been growing in the country at alarming level and in just last three years of democratic regime it has reached 40 percent from 17.13 per cent in 2008. With the poor governance in three sectors, economic, political and institutional, the country, despite having huge natural resources, has now entered into stagflation, which is the worst-ever scenario.

Pakistans political parties and leaders do not have much time to seek solutions of Pakistans socio-economic and internal security problems because they are very busy in trading charges and counter-charges with one another.