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Hazrat Ali (A.S.): His Poor Subjects and Pro-Poor Government
Prof. Dr. Sayed Afzal Peerzade, Bijapur, India
afzalpir@rediffmail.com
An attempt is made in this paper to study the care and concern which Hazrat Ali (A.S.) (656-661 C.E.) exhibited towards the poor subjects and his vision of a pro-poor government. A systematically dispassionate study of the economic ideas of Hazrat Ali (A.S.) makes it clear that he was a distinct precursor to several economic values, which even today continue to dominate the mainstream economic thinking worldwide. He excelled in both letter and spirit, whenever a new economic problem or issue came before him. The justification, which Hazrat Ali (A.S.) provided on several economic issues, was amazingly incredible and never heard before.
Not much is written on various aspects of Hazrat Ali’s accomplishments. Similarly not much light is shed on the political, administrative and economic policies he pursued and the moral and Islamic values he upheld even in the most trying circumstances. His vision of caliphate and mission of governance are also not studied thoroughly. It is in this context that the present work attempts to fill, to some extent, the gap as existing in the literature on Hazrat Ali (A.S.) with special reference to Hazrat Ali’s care and concern for the poor subjects and his vision of a pro-poor government.
The provision of economic security is associated with the welfare role of the state. The poor, marginalised and vulnerable sections of the society need economic and social security the most. On account of limited purchasing power, they do not have sufficient access to the market to procure their victuals. They are normally at the receiving end whenever there are upheavals in the market. They lose much when economy is depressed; gain less when economy surges ahead.
It was for the first time in the history of the religions of the world that Islam created a socio-economic space for the poor in the policy framework. Islam stood, from the very beginning, for true equality and a share of poor in the riches of wealthy. It developed an economic balance amongst the conflicting as well as competing interests of the society and confirmed the principle of dual ownership (i.e. private and public). It developed a principle of sharing resources, thus, establishing the right of society in general and that of poor in particular in the riches of wealthy. It favoured ‘state-intervention’ in the economy wherever and whenever required preferring public interest to private interest.
The major goal of the mission of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) (570-632 C.E.) was not only to reform the corrupt religious values but economic practices also. He achieved the goal after a hard and sustained effort spread over a period of twenty-three years. “We do not find any movement or ideology which has transformed the whole nature of man, his entire being from within and without and his individual as well as his community life.......The transformation was such that the human society from mosque to the market, from school to the court and from home to the public field...the entire course of human life was changed”. The prophetic mission changed class equilibrium in such a way that poor and downtrodden started receiving their due. In this context, we can understand the significance of the prophetic actions such as (1) abolition of interest; (2) regular transfer of funds in favour of poor and needy; (3) disapproval of unethical economic and trade practices.
Islam designed and implemented a well thought of delivery mechanism to improve the status of poor. It institutionalized the process of welfare promotion much before the modern welfare economists and the states could think of ‘the compensation principle’. The help and assistance to the poor through zakah and infaq were institutionalised. The whole process of the transfer of funds in favour of poor was accorded the place of a tenet.
Hazrat Ali’s father, Abu Talib bin Abdul Muttalib (549-619 C.E), who happened to be the uncle of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), often found it difficult to support a large family. Abu Talib was supporting the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), the people of Mecca in general and opponents of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.), created several socio-economic problems for the family of Abu Talib and there was a long boycott of them by pagans in Mecca. Even otherwise, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was of ascetic nature. When Hazrat Ali (A.S.) became the caliph, he preferred the life of poverty to affluence. He led a life characterized by real traits of poverty. According to Hazrat Ali (A.S.), these traits were “faces pinched with famine, dry with thirst and blear-eyed with tears”. It is, therefore, natural that the poor and destitute found their place in his heart.
During the caliphate of Hazrat Ali (A.S.) (656-661 C.E.), the poor always found a prime position, be it in his religious sermons, official instructions, letters, and public pronouncements. Notwithstanding the numerous civil wars, the poorest and downtrodden from amongst Muslims in general and “protected people” in particular, felt greatly safe and secured. They had not an iota of doubt about the distributive justice practiced by Hazrat Ali (A.S.). Justice, in its different forms, was not denied to anyone but it was quickly delivered.
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) followed the conduct of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) (570-632 C.E.) and sympathised with poor and downtrodden for the reason that, except a few, almost every prophet was raised from amongst the poor. Almost every prophet identified himself with the poor. Helping and supporting the poor was, thus, a part of the prophetic mission. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) quite often prayed: “O Allah, keep me alive as a destitute (miskin) and put me to death as a destitute and resurrect me in the group of the destitute”. What is meant here is that the destitution is a state of life where resources do not exceed the limits of self-sufficiency or that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) desired to become humble before Allah, the Exalted, that he be raised, on the Day of Judgement, with poor. He also gave a glad tiding that poor will outnumber rich in the heaven.
Certain heart-touching and soul-stirring episodes, sayings and sermons are cited here that make clear Hazrat Ali’s concern for the poor. Once a man came to Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and said: “O Commander of Faithfull, I am in need. I have already submitted it before the Almighty and now I am putting the same before you. If you attend to it, I will thank Allah and shower my praises on you. If not, I will still thank Allah and will excuse you”. Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied: “Write it down on the ground for I do not like to see your face entreatingly”. Thereafter, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) gave him more than what he wanted, one hundred dinars and a pair of high quality dress.
No one knew that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) had provided a shelter to a leper in an advanced stage of that disease. The shelter was outside town, he used to go there daily, dress his wounds and feed him with his own hands because the leper had lost his fingers. He used to wash leper put his bed in order and carry him out of the shelter for little time so that he may get fresh air. After the martyrdom of Hazrat Ali (A.S.), his relatives and friends came across this shelter and found a leper in it, learnt his history and told him that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was martyred and they had just buried him. Hearing the news and being unable to bear shock and grief, the poor leper died on the spot.
Ibn Abee Rafey reports that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) used to have very simple food. He asked Hazrat Ali (A.S.) whether God has prohibited him from eating good food? Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied: “No but I want to eat the kind of food which poor of my realm can afford at least once a day. I shall improve it after I have improved their standard of life. I want to live, feel and suffer like them”. Abu Ubaid also reports that a few of his colleagues impressed upon Hazrat Ali (A.S.) that he and his family members have their right over bayt al maal. Hazrat Ali (A.S.) refused their advice maintaining that he did not want to put pressure upon bayt al maal.
Al-Harisi requested Hazrat Ali (A.S.) to advise his brother, Aasim, who wearing coarse clothes had started leading a life of recluse. He spoke to Aasim: “O enemy of yourself, the devil has misled you. Do you not feel pity on your wife and children and other members of your family? What do you think that God will get angry with you if you eat, consume and use all those things which have been allowed by Islam and which you have earned with honest and pious means? Why renounce all that? After gathering necessary courage, Aasim replied: “Oh Ameerul Mumineen! I am following your example. Look at your dress how coarse, rough and cheap it is! Even our poorest will not care to wear it. Look at your food, it is dry and stale, bread not obliged to a pinch of salt even”. Upon this comment, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied: “Alas friend you are mistaken. You are not like me. God has made incumbent upon honest and just rulers to keep themselves on the level of poorest and humblest of men so that those people may not feel shame and humiliation on account of their condition, may not lose heart, may not give way to frustration and grief and may maintain their self-respect”.
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) never missed any chance to impress upon people to help poor and needy. This, according to Hazrat Ali (A.S.), was the best use of wealth, which he regarded as the trust from Almighty Allah. He remarks: “If God grants wealth and prosperity to any person, he should show kindness to his deserving kith and kin, should provide for the poor, should come the assistance of those are oppressed with calamities, misfortunes and reverses, should help the poor and have-nots and should assist honest people to liquidate their loans...” . This sermon also sheds light on the expenditure priorities set out by Hazrat Ali (A.S.) during his period of caliphate.
In another heart touching Sermon, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) pleads: “Beware! That if anybody finds poverty, destitution and starvation among his people and refuses to extend a helping hand, he will not add to his wealth by such means while expenditure on charity will neither decrease his wealth nor reduce him to poverty. He, who refrains from helping his people, must remember that he has withheld one hand of help and at the time of his need thousands of hands will abstain from his help”.
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) wanted that his government should be pro-poor and it should sensitize issues relating to poverty and sufferings of masses. In a large number of Muslim countries where poverty is rampant, people silently suffer from hunger, disease, malnutrition and deprivation of different types. These phenomena may be attributed to several reasons, the major being lack of committed public action on one hand and devoted public authorities on the other.
Under the present circumstances, Muslim countries and governments should set the goal of realizing Hazrat Ali’s extraordinary vision. He had instructed his governor Malik al-Ahstar: “When poor cannot reach you, you must reach the poor. That nation or government cannot achieve salvation where the rights of depressed, destitute and suppressed are not guarded and where mighty and powerful persons are not forced to accede these rights”.
This pro-poor role of the government was advocated and practiced at a time when poor and deprived were left to the mercy of nature to fend for themselves. They never found any place in public agenda. In the present day secular economies, it is a very recent phenomenon that the governments have started responding to the needs of poor and vulnerable sections. Till the first half of 20th century, governments across the world were apathetic toward poor for the reason that they were still under the hangover of the policy of laissez faire and efficiency of market forces. They had a firm belief in the effectiveness of invisible hand, an idea propounded by Adam Smith. A few developments in the beginning of twentieth century, however, paralyzed invisible hand, if not fully at least partly. These developments made governments pro-active and pro-poor. This shift in the policy was out of compulsion and not because of their real concern of poor and needy.
Governments lose their welfare character when these remain apathetic to the sufferings of poor. Normally, even now, poor are afraid of approaching to the governments fearing force and torture. The administrative formalities and procedural delays also depress the poor. They hesitate, fearing repression, to raise voices against public authorities. Sensing this particular disability of poor, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) instructed Malik al-Ashtar to “reach to the poor”. This advice contains a strong pro-poor message.
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was very much concerned about the perception of poor. It is again evident from his letter to Malik Ashtar: “Remember that displeasure and disapproval of common men, have-nots and depressed persons more than overbalances the approval of important persons and displeasure of a few big will be excused by the Lord if the general public and masses of your subjects are happy with you. The common men, the poor, apparently less important sections of your subjects are the pillars of Islam….be more friendly with them and secure their confidence and sympathy”.
In respect of poor, deprived and disabled persons, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) writes to Malik Ashtar “it is absolutely necessary that they should be looked after, helped and well provided for”. In the same letter at a different place, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) writes: “Then I want to caution you about the poor. Fear God about their conditions and your attitude toward them. They have no support, no resources, and no opportunities. They are poor, they are destitute, many of them are cripples, and unable to work. You should be a source of comfort, love and respect to them. Appoint a respectable, honest and pious person, a person who fears God, and can treat them respectfully, order him to find out everything about them and to bring the report to you”.
There is another long and classic letter from Hazrat Ali (A.S.) to Uthman bin Hunaif, his trusted governor of Basra province. It appears from the letter that poverty was rampant and Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was aware of the sufferings of poor. There were people who were unable to have a piece of bread. When Uthman bin Hunaif requested Hazrat Ali (A.S.) to take better food than he used to take, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) wrote: “If I had so wanted I could have very easily found ways and means to provide for myself the purest and clearest honey, the best variety of wheat and finest silk clothes that could be woven. But is it not possible for inordinate cravings to overcome me, and it is not possible that greediness persuades me to acquire the choicest of victuals when in Hejaz and Yemen, there may be people who have no hope of obtaining a piece of bread and who have never satisfied their hunger fully. It is not possible for me to satiate myself when there are people around me whom hunger and thirst keeps restless and writhing. Do you want me to be like a person about whom somebody has very aptly said: ‘Is this disease not enough for you that you keep on sleeping on a very heavy stomach and around you there are such starving mouths that they will greedily eat even dried goat-skin’.
In the same letter, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) in clear words indentifies himself with the poor and weak. “Shall I be content and satisfied simply because people call me Amir-ul-Momineen (commander of faithful)? Shall I not sympathise with the faithful Muslims in their calamities? Shall I not be their partner in their adversities? Shall I not be their fellow in suffering? Shall I not set an example for them to patiently, courageously, bravely and virtuously bear up hardships and bereavements?.
Reminding him about unfailing duties toward the poor and weak, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) warns Uthman bin Hunaif: “You have seen sheep and goats, after having their full they retire to their den and sleep their lives away, do you want Ali ibn Abu Talib to be like them to eat, drink and enjoy? O Ibn Hunaif! Fear God and be content with the bread that you get with lawful means so that you may be exempted and freed from the fire of the hell?
Someone invited Uthman bin Hunaif, the governor of Basra province, for dinner. When Hazrat Ali (A.S.) came to know of this, he immediately wrote a letter expressing his displeasure in clear words. “I am sorry to hear the news. I never expected that you would accept invitation of persons who invites high officers and rich people and from whose door poor persons and hungry paupers are turned away rudely.... Look at your imam (how he conducts himself). In this world, he has satisfied himself and is content with two old torn coarse garments and two pieces of bread (one in the morning and one in the evening). I know that to adopt such a hard way of life is beyond you but at least try to be pious. Try to follow me and be my companion in virtue, piety and simple living. Oh ibn Hunaif! Fear God and be content with the bread that you get with lawful means so that you may be exempted and freed from the fire of hell”.
In his classical work Kitab al Amwal, Abu Ubaid, while discussing the payment of zakah beyond the prescribed rates, quotes Hazrat Ali (A.S.) who remarked, “Allah has made it obligatory on wealthy people to pay so much of the zakah that suffices the needs of poor and destitute. The rich are mainly responsible if poor and needy happen to remain hungry and scarcely clad. They withhold poor’s due. Now, it is Allah’s turn to take them to task and punish them”. From this narration, we can deduce that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was in favour of excess zakah payment than the prescribed in the event of rampant poverty and sufferings of common people.
According to Hazrat Ali (A.S.), the mission of caliphate is accomplished only when the poor are served. Hazrat Ali (A.S.) is reported to have remarked: “I am thankful to Allah for having selected me (as the caliph) for this service (to the poor). Further, attending to the needs of poor and destitute is more valuable to me than the entire deposits of gold and silver on this earth”. On an occasion when Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was marching toward Basra, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) along with Abdullah ibn Abbas stopped at Ziquar. Abdullah ibn Abbas found Hazrat Ali (A.S.) putting stitches to and repairing his very old worn out shoes. Hazrat Ali (A.S.) asked ibn Abbas: “What do you think would be the cost of this pair of shoes? He replied: “Nothing Sir! Not even the cost of stitches put on them. They are worthless”. Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied: “Ibn Abbas if I cannot establish a regime of justice and truth and if cannot eradicate tyranny and impiety, then the value of this caliphate is less to me than the cost of this pair of shoes”.
Once Uthman bin Hunaif complained that rich and tribal leaders were deserting Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and joining the ranks of his opponents. They did not like Hazrat Ali’s policy of equal treatment of persons and equal distribution of resources. He said: “Look my Lord! These are the reasons why influential and rich Arabs are deserting you and are gathering around Muawiyah. Of what use these poor persons, disabled people, aged widows and Negro slaves are to you? After listening to Uthman bin Hunaif carefully, with deep anguish Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied: “I cannot allow rich and influential persons to exploit the society of this Muslim state and to run an inequitable and unjust system of distribution of wealth and opportunities. I cannot for a moment tolerate this. This is a public wealth; it comes from the masses it must go back to them. The rich and powerful persons have not created any wealth, they have merely sucked it from masses and after paying the taxes what is left to them is many times more than what they pay to the state and they are welcome to retain it. Had all this been my private property, I would have gladly distributed it in the same manner. As far as their desertion is concerned, I am glad that they have deserted me. As far as the usefulness of services of these disabled persons and have-nots is concerned, remember that I am not helping them to secure their services; I fully know they are unable to serve me. I help them because they cannot help themselves and they are as much human beings as you and I. May God help me to do my duty as He wishes me to do”.
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) greatly sensitised the issue of helping poor in official letters, instructions to governors and tax officers. The following instructions issued to an officer are characterized by a very heavy dose of religiosity. The fear of God and accountability on the Day of Judgment dominate the contents of his instructions. He writes: “I order to keep fear of God in your mind in all such affairs and on all such occasions where there is no one to witness your actions. I order you not to meet Muslims as a tyrant and slanderer, not to ill-treat them, not to calumniate them, because they are your brothers in religion, (they) will help in collecting dues and find means and ways to help poor. Otherwise, there will be many who will complain and protest against you on the Day of Judgment. Woe be to the person against whom poor destitute, beggars and those who have been debarred from their rights of receiving zakah complain before the God… (One) who misappropriates zakah funds will be punished and disgraced in this world as well as in the next”.
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) firmly held the view that public money belonged only to the poor who are its rightful owners. In this context, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) wrote to one of his governors: “I advise you to fear God and return the money to those to whom it rightly belongs. If you do not do this, and if God gives me a chance to punish you, then I shall act in such a way that God will be pleased with me.”
Hazrat Ali (A.S.) has had an extra-ordinary concern for the management of public funds. He held that the public funds were reserved for poor, old, destitute, widows, orphans and paupers. He never allowed any officer to play with those funds. Once, one of his governors plundered public funds. He reprimanded him: “You have invaded the public treasury and you looted as much as was possible for you, the money which was reserved for old widows, orphans and poor. Your action resembled the way wolf attacking and snatching away a wounded and helpless goat…money was earmarked for the use of orphans, paupers and destitute and it was reserved for the defense of Muslim state”. Once, his own brother, Aqeel requested for an out of turn allotment. Aqeel, was suffering from extreme poverty. He requested Hazrat Ali (A.S.) to spare (about five kilograms of) wheat from public granary. Starvation had turned his children into living skeletons and had changed their colour to blue. Aqeel was relentless in his demand to procure something out of turn from the public granary. Thereupon, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) asked someone to take Aqeel to the market and asked Aqeel to break open a few shops and take away whatever he wanted. Amused, Aqeel asked Ali: “Do you want that I should steal from the shops and then get arrested? Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied: “Do you want that I should steal from the bayt al maal to favour you? There is another narration to the effect that Aqeel was indebted. He sought some money from bayt al maal to clear his debts. Hazrat Ali (A.S.) refused to oblige him. Upon this, Aqeel deserted Hazrat Ali (A.S.) and went to Damascus to seek monetary help from Muawiya.
It is, thus, clear from the above that Hazrat Ali (A.S.) demonstrated an extraordinary care for the poor. His vision of a pro-poor government was really amazing. Poor received prominence in his policy pronouncements and public actions. He sensitized the issues of poverty on one hand and effective management of public funds on the other. There is a lot to learn from the approach of Hazrat Ali (A.S.). This, and not exclusively the Western growth models, should be a source of inspiration to the planners and policy makers in Muslim countries in particular and other countries in general.
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