ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Caliphate Its Conception and Consequences Temporal Government Having dealt with the qualities needed for spiritual government, we now turn to temporal government. I have listed at the start of this chapter the seven qualities necessary in a successor to the Prophet (P). I do not think that it has ever been asserted or even hinted that Imam Ali was inferior to anyone in any of these qualities.

In fact, he possessed them to their fullest extent, whereas his rivals were deficient in most of them. The political propaganda that has been disseminated against the children of the Prophet sums up the case against him in these words: "He was inferior to the first two caliphs in diplomacy and political acumen in as much as he failed to secure the caliphate, though well-knowing that the honor of the position was his by right, as the person indicated by Muhammad (P)".

Then the civil wars and his inability to extend the limits of the Empire are taken to point in the same direction. It is also said that he showed lack of tact and wisdom in dealing with TALHA, AZ-ZUBAIR, MU'AWIYA and the murderers of UTHMAN.

A historian passes judgment in these words: "His wisdom in counsel and his reputed sagacity in framing sententious proverbs were great, though he was not wise enough to escape the doom, that was the certain result of a policy so little characterizes by strength as was that which he followed". Gibbon accuses him of rashness and indiscretion as "He neglected to secure, either by gifts or fetters, the doubtful allegiance of TALHA and ZUBAIR, two of the most powerful of the Arabian chiefs".

These kinds of accusation indicate that the critics have not studied the character of Imam Ali as closely and carefully as they ought to have done before passing judgment on him. To mete out punishment on mere suspicion was not Imam Ali's way, as it was quite opposed to the spirit of Islam. Nor would Imam Ali stoop to bribe his enemies into submission. Bribery and intrigue, two powerful weapons of his adversaries, were foreign to his nature and contrary to the tenets of Islam.

The criticism resolves itself into the following: Inability to secure the caliphate. TALHA, AZ-ZUBAIR, and the battle of JAMAL. MU'AWIYA and the battle of SIFFIN. The murderers of UTHMAN. The foreign conquests. Inability to Secure the Caliphate: To judge a man and to pass judgment on his life as a success or failure is one of the most difficult tasks of the historian.