and fall into no disputes, lest you lose heart and your power depart .

and fall into no disputes, lest you lose heart and your power depart . . . If the agencies of the young government become embroiled in killing, confiscation and animosity, it would provoke its opponents The holy Qur'an: The Public Estate [^8]: 46. and encourage them to open old wounds and to engage in activities against the government.

This would lead the government into more and more troubles, at a time when the new government should be engaged in tackling the country's old problems and not creating new ones that prevent it from developing the country. The general amnesty is a fundamental principle and if there is to be an exception, it is imperative that measures are taken accordingly as and when absolutely necessary. Good Reputation Usually an individual wants to live in a society with a good reputation.

If an individual, whether a public figure such as a leader or an ordinary person such as a businessman, loses his good reputation, people would at least distance themselves from the individual, if not remove him from his position. Similarly, a group or an organisation has the same fate as an individual. If a government loses its reputation and people lose their confidence in it, the government would fall and be replaced by another one under a democratic system.

In an undemocratic system, however, the government would fall through a popular uprising and suchlike, as we have seen with despotic regimes throughout history. The use of arms, secret service and false propaganda would be of little help to save the government from falling.

Imam Ali (A) said: "The opinion-minded person is doomed." Reason ensures the continuity of life and if mankind - whether an individual or a group - replaces reason with dogmatic attitude, sooner or later this will lead to the destruction of the individual or the group concerned. It is incumbent, therefore, upon the new Islamic government to ensure that its good reputation remains untarnished.

This may not be possible unless the government relies on consultative system and remains popular, humble, of service to the people and adheres to Islamic jurisdiction. The Muslim masses - who are the overwhelming majority in Muslim countries - would not tolerate even a civil servant who does not adhere to Islamic law, let alone a head of state.