Administrative policies of Ali
He was acclaimed as the caliph in 656 CE after the assassination of his predecessor Uthman, who was killed by Egyptian rebels amidst widespread accusations of nepotism, injustice, and corruption.
For some, the brief caliphate of Ali was characterized by his honesty, his unbending devotion to Islam, his equal treatment of the supporters, and his magnanimity towards his defeated enemies, while others criticize his policies for idealism and lack of political expediency.
[2][3] The brief caliphate of Ali was thus characterized by his strict justice, as suggested by some authors, including Reza Shah-Kazemi,[4] Wilferd Madelung,[3] Moojan Momen,[2] Mahmoud M. Ayoub (d. 2021),[5] John Esposito,[6] and Hassan Abbas,[7] among others.
[8] In his inaugural speech, Ali rebuked Muslims for straying from the straight path after Muhammad,[9] and stressed the need to bring forth the virtuous and send back the unworthy.
[11] Intent on restoring his vision of the prophetic governance,[12][13] Ali thus undertook radical policies during his caliphate,[10] which the Shia scholar Muhammad H. Tabatabai (d. 1981) describes as "revolutionary.
[27] In this vein, Shah-Kazemi writes that Muhammad indeed appointed some of his erstwhile enemies to leadership positions, but only to give them an opportunity to redeem themselves after accepting Islam, without compromising his principles.
[31] This is echoed by Shah-Kazemi, who adds that the equal distribution of the state wealth by Ali was a necessary change to address the inevitable societal impacts of the gross inequalities created under Umar and Uthman.
[33][34] This is evident in his inaugural speech as the caliph, writes Madelung,[9] while the historian Hugh N. Kennedy adds that Ali saw the ruler as a charismatic figure who guides the Islamic community.
[43] These supporters may have justified their absolute loyalty to Ali on the basis of his merits, precedent in Islam,[44] his kinship with Muhammad,[45] and also the announcement by the latter at the Ghadir Khumm shortly before his death in 632.
[63] More generally, the egalitarian policies of Ali earned him the support of nearly all underprivileged groups, including the Ansar, who were sidelined after Muhammad by the Qurayshite leadership, and the qurra (lit.
[74] Ali was concerned with agriculture, suggests Ann Lambton,[75] and instructed Malik al-Ashtar in a letter to pay more attention to land development than short-term taxation.
[80][2] Shah-Kazemi suggests that the public sermons attributed to Ali in Nahj al-balagha go beyond addressing the basic ethical and religious needs of the Muslim community, for they are replete with higher esoteric teachings.
[89] Ali also pardoned them in victory,[86][88] and these practices were soon enshrined in the Islamic law,[86] for instance in the rulings of the prominent Sunni jurist Muhammad al-Shaybani (d. 805) about rebellions.
[1] He advised al-Ashtar not to reject any call to peace and not to violate any agreements,[91] warned him against unlawful shedding of blood,[92] urged him to resort to war only when negotiations failed,[93] and to avoid commencing hostilities,[93] which Ali himself observed.
[94][95] He forbade his commanders from disturbing the civilians except when lost or in dire need of food,[96] and barred his troops from killing the wounded and those who flee, mutilating the dead, entering homes without permission, looting, and harming the women.
[98][99] In the opinion of Kelsay, the texts attributed to Ali and his practices indicate that he saw reconciliation as the final aim of intra-Muslim warfare, in line with verses 49:9-10 of the Quran.
[102] In a letter to Uthman ibn Hunayf attributed to Ali, the governor of Basra is admonished for accepting an invitation to a banquet, asking how he could go to bed with his belly full, while there were people around him who are hungry.
[103] Also ascribed to Ali is the saying, "God has made it incumbent on true leaders to make themselves commensurable with the weakest people over whom they rule, so that the poverty of the poor will not engender covetousness.
"[101] When he relocated to Kufa,[104] as the new de-facto capital,[105][106] Ali refused to reside in the governor's castle, says Madelung, calling it qasr al-khabal (lit.
[108] According to al-Ya'qubi (d. 897-8), "Ali never wore a new garment, never acquired a state, never set his heart on wealth, and used his assets for giving alms to the needy people.
[114] There are indications that Ali considered the religious minorities (ahl al-dhimma) legally equal to Muslims, reputedly setting the same blood money for all citizens, regardless of their faith.
[6] Madelung writes that the caliphate of Ali was characterized by his honesty, his unbending devotion to Islam, his equal treatment of the supporters, and his magnanimity towards his defeated enemies.
