b) Good Management Imam Ali (a.

b) Good Management Imam Ali (a.s.): “Statecraft is [indeed] politics.”[^42] Imam Ali (a.s.): “He who follows a good politics would perpetuate his chairmanship.”[^43] Imam Ali (a.s.): “Good politics immortalizes chairmanship.”[^44] Imam Ali (a.s.): “Good politics is [the source of] steadfastness of the subjects.”[^45] Imam Ali (a.s.): “It is obligatory to follow the one who practices good politics.”[^46] Imam Ali (a.s.): “In the light of good politics good breeding will ensue.”[^47] c) Good Behavior Imam Ali (a.s.): “Good behavior is the beauty of power and a haven for the rulership.”[^48] Imam Ali (a.s.): “He whose good behavior increases, people agree on his superiority.”[^49] Imam Ali (a.s.): “He who treats people nicely, will be treated likewise.”[^50] d) Vigilance in Taking Care of Affairs Imam Ali (a.s.): “Vigilance in taking care of the affairs is a sign of [the endurance of] sovereignty.”[^51] Imam Ali (a.s.): “It is sagacious to be vigilant in securing the rights of the subjects and to feign negligence of their offences against you.”[^52] Imam Ali (a.s.): “Little negligence is a sign of the [endurance of the] states.”[^53] 10.2 Causes for the Decline of States a) Tyranny Imam Ali (a.s.): “The worst of the rulers are those who oppress their subjects.”[^54] Imam Ali (a.s.): “He who does injustice to his subjects assists his adversaries.”[^55] Imam Ali (a.s.): “Injustice ruins the subjects.”[^56] Imam Ali (a.s.): “Injustice devastates the cities.”[^57] Imam Ali (a.s.): “He who treats his subjects unjustly, Allah would destroy his sovereignty and expedite his overthrow.”[^58] Imam Ali (a.s.) – in his instructions to Malik al-Ashtar: “See that justice is done towards God and justice is done towards the people by yourself, your own family, and those whom you favor among your subjects.

For if you do not do so, you have worked wrong. And as for him who wrongs the servants of Allah, Allah is his adversary, not to speak of His servants. Allah renders null and void the argument of whosoever contends with Him. Such a one will be Allah’s enemy until he desists or repents.

Nothing is more conducive to the removal of Allah’s blessing and the hastening of His vengeance than to continue in wrongdoing, for Allah listens to the call of the oppressed and He is ever on the watch against the wrongdoers.”[^59] Imam Ali (a.s.) – to Ziyad b.