In worldly terms...

In worldly terms, leadership might be seen merely as a social trust, but from the divine perspective, it is threefold: The trust of God The trust of the people The trust of rulers within administrative hierarchies These trusts are hierarchical, the root being the divine trust, followed by social trust, and then the trust among those in authority.

In a letter to his governor in Azerbaijan, Ash‘ath ibn Qays, Imam Ali (AS) writes: “Governorship is not a prey for you, but it is a trust upon your neck. The one above you has demanded that you guard it. You have no right to act according to your personal desires in the affairs of the people, nor to undertake any major task without a legitimate reason or…