Does it regard them as lifeless tools - which are also...

Does it regard them as lifeless tools - which are also incidentally to be maintained; or as beasts of burden and milk-giving animals - that require medical care too, or as human beings having equal rights and privileges?

In short, are the people for the leader or the leader for the people?" (Article - 5 on Nahjul Balaghah) In the above mentioned article we have said that the recognition of the rights of the people and abstinence from anything that is detrimental to their authority is the first essential condition of a sound and normal leadership that wants to satisfy the people and gain their confidence.

We have said in the above mentioned article that the artificial link that the Church maintains between a belief in God and the rejection of the sovereignty of the people and as a corollary of that, between the sovereignty of the people and the rejection of God, has been an important factor in turning the people away from religion and faith. The Roman Emperor Kaligola (the first century A.C.

or the first century B.C.) used to say that rulers had the same kind of superiority over the people as the shepherd over the sheep. The rulers were like gods and the subjects like the cattle. Some Western philosophers also believe that the rulers do not hold power for the benefit of their subjects. They think that the rulers have a divine right that is to say that the subjects have been created for the convenience of the rulers.

In the above mentioned article we have said that although the word Ra'iyyat which has been used by Imam Ali, has in Persian lately acquired a disgusting sense, it actually implies the conception that the ruler is for the people, not that the people are for the ruler. We have also said that it is gathered from the verse: "Allah commands you that you restore trusts to their owners, and if you judge between people, judge justly." (Surah an-Nisa, 4:58) The rulers are the custodians of the people.

In other words it enunciates the principle: the ruler for the people, not the people for the ruler. The book, Majma' quotes Imam Muhammad Baqir and Imam Ja'far Sadiq to have said that this verse is addressed to the Imams and the next verse: "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger" This is addressed to the people.

Imam Muhammad Baqir has said: "One of these two verses belongs to us (our rights) and the other belongs to you (your rights)." Imam Ali has said: "It is essential for the Imam to judge according to what Allah has revealed and to restore the trust.