 As-Salaamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh Welcome to another episode of Life From Karbala with Meir host Ahmad Ali. Tonight, inshallah, we are going to continue our discussion from the previous nights where we have been comparing between the justice, equity, and genuine respect of Alibne to his citizens during his ruling and the declaration of the rights of men and the citizens of 1789. Over the past few nights, we examined up to the 12th article of the declaration and we came to the conclusion that Ali ibn Abi Talib, when examining these 12 articles, we came to the conclusion that Ali ibn Abi Talib mentioned exactly the same segments, if you will, 1200 years prior to this declaration. However, before we commence further into the show and the episode, let's welcome our very special guest who has joined us over the past few nights, Sayyid Mullah Al-Qazweeni. As-Salaamu Alaikum Sayyidina, how are you? Alhamdulillah. How are you finding the nights of Eid? Alhamdulillah. Alhamdulillah. That's my sleep. Definitely. It's one of the things to fix after Eid. Sayyidina, as I mentioned, and as we've been discussing over the past nights, equity and justice play a very significant role in the government of Ali ibn Abi Talib. And we've seen that when discussing up to the 12th segment and when discussing and examining the letter to Malik Al-Ashtar, the ruler of Egypt back then. However tonight, inshallah, we are going to discuss the rest of the articles up to 17, from 13 to 17, inshallah. The 13th article states that a common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public force and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed amongst all the citizens in portion of their means. Ali ibn Abi Talib implemented this. And as we've been repeating this in every episode, implemented this 1,200 years prior to this declaration. We see Ali ibn Abi Talib distributing the wealth from the public treasury to every citizen overlooking his race, his religion, his faith, whether they followed him or not. He still distributed the money to everybody. Even his close relatives. Even to his brother, when Aqeel asked for a portion, an extra portion from the public treasury, Ali ibn Abi Talib heated up a medal and bought it close to his hand. And he said, Aqeel asked, why did you do that? He said, aren't you ashamed of a man heating up a medal because of fun and not ashamed because Allah will heat a medal because of his anger. So we see the irony there. But Sayyidina, if you can elaborate more on the similarities between this article and Ali ibn Abi Talib's ruling. Inshallah. First, if you remember, we mentioned how Amir al-Mu'mineen addressed his tax collectors and what he told them. He told them basically how to address the citizens, how to collect the taxes from the citizens. If you remember, we stated that Amir al-Mu'mineen taught them how to go to the different communities and ask or acquire the taxes for the government. Amir al-Mu'mineen tells them if you go to a city, walk humbly towards the people of your nation. So they're not in fear so that they have to pay taxes or money which they don't have. He tells them, walk towards them and ask them, is there anyone that has any depth with Allah SWT? If anyone responds, cooperate with them. And those who do not respond, don't ask them or repeat the question over and over again for them to pay out of fear. For those who do respond, then cooperate with them. Stand at their doorstep. Do not go into their homes. Whatever they give you, don't ask for more. Amir al-Mu'mineen teaches them how to be humble, how to be gentle with the people that live in his nation. Amir al-Mu'mineen tells Malik al-Ashtar and Amir al-Mu'mineen tells Malik al-Ashtar that the people who pay taxes and pay their dues to the government always ask about them. Go and see how they're doing. When you do so, there is a benefit, not just to the people who pay tax to the government and give funding to the government, but it's a benefit for the whole nation seeking the help of Allah SWT. The people who pay taxes to the government and give funding to the government but it's a benefit for the whole nation seeking the happiness of those who do pay taxes, do pay zakat, do pay khoms, do pay their jizyah to the government seeking their happiness as the happiness of the whole empire, as the happiness of the whole nation because the government needs its funding to feed the orphans, to feed the widows, to feed the soldiers, to feed the military commanders and basically every single occupation, every single employee of the government needs to be paid and all equal and all equality, and when people are not being paid, their salaries, this drives a nation towards destruction. Now there is news that Iraq, because of the lack of funding, that employees, government employees will only be paid every three months. Do you think these people will sit patiently and not speak out or revolt? For three months, how will they feed their children? How will they pay their rent? How will they pump gas? How will they buy food? I don't understand the logic. Ameer al-Mu'mineen says that when you seek the happiness of those who pay taxes, your taxpayers, you're seeking the happiness of the whole nation because when it comes to the happiness of the taxpayers, you have found the happiness of everyone. Whether it's the lower class, whether it's those who are employed in your government, whether it's your military, whether it's your bookkeepers, it doesn't matter. As long as everyone has, you know, bread to eat, they will be happy. Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Ameer al-Mu'mineen also tells him that people are all one family. When it's concerned to tax, or when it comes to tax, if one family member is not paying, then this will cause stress upon other family members. If you have a family of five brothers who, you know, help one another, then the burden will be much less. But if there's one brother that has to feed four stomachs or four of his brothers that are just sitting at home and not doing anything, then his burden will be much heavier. Correct? And Ameer al-Mu'mineen, Ameer al-Mu'mineen says that it's a major concern and a very crucial issue, how tax is paid and how tax is spent. Just like you pay tax, the same tax is set back to you for, you know, your relaxation and your benefit. Your tax money should, you know, rebuild your roads, redo your electricity, build your schools, give you insurance and funding. So just, just like you pay and people benefit, you will also be benefited by your own tax payings and the paying of taxes of other people in the nation. Definitely, this is very similar to the 14th article where it says all the citizens have the right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution to grant his freely, to grant his freely, to know what is used for. So same to what Ameer al-Mu'mineen did during his ruling. You know, he went for supporting the military and everyone back then, it's different from now. Everybody back then was, when Ameer al-Mu'mineen said that it was a time for war, everybody went to war. He had illness, as Muslims know, it's mandatory, when an imam is in authority and calls for jihad, they have to rise up with him. So it was for, it went for supporting everyone. And they knew where it was going. It wasn't hidden during the time of al-Mu'mineen. A country on the country of what we see with the rest of the of the rulers. And to continue you know, article 13 and 14 because they are very similar and what I advise all our viewers to read the the message the Ameer al-Mu'mineen Ameer al-Mu'mineen sent to Malik al-Ashtar to read it, to understand the words of Ameer al-Mu'mineen Ameer al-Mu'mineen and to see the horizons that this man had 1400 years ago the understanding this man had 1400 years ago and the knowledge that he had you see from his words that they are directly from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for a man to illustrate such an illustration to rule in such just manner normal humans cannot reach such intellect Definitely Ameer al-Mu'mineen alaihi salatu wa salam says wa liekun natharuka fi'umaratil arz ablaqa min natharuka fi istijla bil gharaj Ameer al-Mu'mineen alaihi salatu wa salam also says to Malik al-Ashtar Ya Malik also be aware of the main concern should it be collecting taxes but it should be re-establishing the infrastructure of society at that time farming was the main way that a government earned its money so if the soil was destroyed that means that the government had no money or funding the infrastructure is destroyed how will the government fund itself if Iraq does not strive to make more refineries how will they accumulate wealth to pay off their debts or to leave their situation of being an alone or in a state that they cannot even pay their citizens or their employees which we see right now Ameer al-Mu'mineen alaihi salatu wa salam tells Malik al-Ashtar if people tell you that you know this year we have been hit with a famine or this year we have been hit with a drought or this year we have been hit with a decrease of rainfall and precipitation then your main concern should it be collecting tax from them your main concern is helping them build back the infrastructure and the farming because without that then the country collapses the government collapses he says building your infrastructure and Ameer al-Ard rebuilding the plantation should be your main concern the land and its development rather than its revenues because when you do rebuild the land and infrastructure your revenues will come back again but when you when you're not concerned about the land and its infrastructure then it will majorly decrease and decline and collapse to a point that it's not fixable you lost both ends so Ameer al-Mu'mineen says you know keep them happy when they tell you we have a shortage of water then you need to help them with water or ask less last year every farmer gave you 100 tons of wheat now because of the lackage of water he has only 50 don't ask him of what he asked him last year don't tax him of 100 tons help him so your farmers can go back and climb back to 100 tons per year it's amazing to see such a leader inshallah we can walk in his footsteps and who wants to go out without a job to destroy the land and destroy the servants and Ameer al-Mu'mineen says for a leader if a leader asks for taxation without rebuilding the infrastructure of his government he has destroyed his government and his nation you have destroyed your own nation with your own hands that's what we see now and he has killed his people and his citizens that's why you see in countries with major poverty the increase of drug use the increase of divorce the increase of prostitution the increase of every single crime the increase of depression the increase of suicide the increase of everything that's negative that could be placed in society and Ameer al-Mu'mineen states this you have destroyed your country and you have killed your citizens if you want to tax people when they don't have and if you do tax people and you don't build their country you have also destroyed destroyed your nation and killed its people 1200 years before you know what's even more funny than what we mentioned about governments today here actually they come and charge you for the electricity that you use we have no electricity we don't have electricity for the two hours that they give you you still have to pay a bill for the contaminated water that you use here I have one of those filters in my house the aurora filters I changed the filters maybe six days ago I was looking at the filter today it's almost black and I have to pay for that you know if we do pay for that why don't you fix the water you need a water pump you need a water filter and still electricity shortage and you're still paying for electricity bills so where are the teachings of Ali Ibn Abi Talib if we claim that we are followers of Ali and those who ask for money without money destroy the country and your people you have destroyed the nation and killed its citizens that's exactly what we are seeing exactly what we are seeing why are there people begging on the streets why are there people dying out of hunger I've been to homes which a piece of chicken was like a piece of diamond they've never seen something that you find so simple in your homes like chicken you eat a piece and the rest is left over to some people in this country it's like a piece of diamond not even in Iraq I mean one time I seen a video a documentary of a citizen I'm not going to mention the country I'll mention it in Asia and after at night after sunset he goes run to restaurants he goes to the garbage can and collects all the waste foods and takes it back home and his children are so happy with it why so much poverty I don't understand we speak of human rights we don't just speak it we scream it we laugh if not only the majority 90% of the world are living under poverty and you know subhanallah send everybody their sustenance then if they came to you with exactly if they came to you with exhaustion sickness insufficient rain inadequate irrigation lack of funding then what do you do omalik give them all your attention in order to remove all complaints any complaints don't burden them if they can't pay if they tell you were exhausted this year was too hot we couldn't really work in the farms don't ask them for more if they said we were hit with a sickness for example the swine flu or the mad cow disease or the chicken flu don't burden them more they've been burdened sometimes there's sickness even in the wheat or the grains and we saw this in our time where there was sickness and grains it was killing it was burning it so if there was insufficient amount of rain like california california is seeing severe droughts even water usage is allowed only once a day once a week if you want a water more than once or twice a week to the plants in your house you have to pay extra tax so such instances don't ask them for more because they couldn't give more they couldn't give more give them all your attention see what they need see how you could help them and better and empower their farming and their ways to empower the governments don't burden them more than they're already burdened and this is tells malekil ash-tar when it came to collecting tax and how to deal with his taxpayers he says any shortage of revenue as a loss as a result of relief as a result of relief is not a real loss so for example the government because the farmers were fallen into loans and the government gave them pensions or reimbursed them with their money so the government it might be for example a 20 billion dollar 30 billion dollar spending don't see it as a loss see it as fruitful even though you didn't see revenues this year but hopefully next year you will have your money back in years to come you will have revenues but if you don't fix the problem then you will go in a major decline you will go in a major decline that will cause in what the destroying of the country and the killing of man it's rather an investment that will have good that will have good returns in terms of more productive lands and a more prosperous country when for example I've heard in the united emirates right now when you go to the bay you see trees and greenery everywhere they have the largest flower vineyard in the whole world correct when the bay or emirates is all sand it's barren desert how do they change the atmosphere of their country they used to buy I've heard that they used to buy soil from England and bring it back to their country by soil so in return there's productivity in return it becomes a prosperous country so emir al mu'mineen says sometimes you have to spend your main concern shouldn't be paying collecting tax your main concern is prosperity of your country so sometimes because of the lack of funding you have to pay back so the people of your nation are happy and when the people of your nation are happy you will be rewarded you as a ruler will be rewarded in various forms their praise of you they will praise you as a king they will fight for you to the last breath your gratification at maintaining justice they will love you right now how many people of this nation love their leaders or our neighboring countries how many of the people of the nation love the rulers today you find very small percentage of people love with their leaders emir al mu'mineen tells me that your reward will be in various forms their praise of you your gratification at maintaining justice your confidence of their support you need to know that your nation is willing to support you if you have not supported them how can you guarantee they will support you if you haven't supported them and stood by their side then why should they stand by your side since they know you stood by their side when they needed it they will stand by your side when you need it maybe you will be faced with a situation where you need to depend on the endurance of your nation for example what happened to Iran when sanctions were placed upon the Iranian nation the endurance of the nation built up their country or China or Japan or Russia but when they stood by their country the endurance of the country came back to support the government they will give it to you willingly since prosperity can withstand endurance prosperity comes through tax collections and draining your nation no it does not it comes when there is mutual support when it's time to tax you tax them accordingly and when the government and your nation as in mishap you give them accordingly the nation will come to stand with its government 100% when the government respects the citizens and we see what that means the citizens are happily they are fulfilled their desires are fulfilled with the government therefore when they go to help and support their government they don't feel like they're forced they're not feeling as if they're losing something they look at it as if they're gaining something they're getting something in return but if you have anything to add on before we move to the 15th article the last thing poverty on the other hand poverty on the other hand will cause the destruction of the land for example we saw how the fatemi empire collapsed it was all based on poverty that's why they became weak and weak and weak until a forest came and destroyed them and that caused their end their annihilation poverty will destroy any country any country that's doing better off could come and take over you yeah definitely could come and destroy you and take over or your own people will revolt and destroy their own country their own homes they don't have anything to lose I mean they've lost everything look at countries like Somalia look at countries like Afghanistan look at countries like Pakistan or groups like Boka Haram or Taliban you know gaining power in such countries because of poverty because of poverty they came in brainwashed so whoever they give $100 he's willing to to do everything to blow himself up I mean we see that I mean similar to what's happening right now in Iraq what led to what led to the fall of Mosul and Ambar you know they gave a bit money to the people that were running the area and they just left I mean where did the dignity go you know subhanallah now you want to read article 15 yes article 15 states that society has the right to require of every public agent and account of his administration all the believers tell them he says if they question you have to sit down and respond because you're the representative you're nothing more you're nothing more than a representative so if they ask you about tax collection you have to respond if they ask you about a certain amount of money you have to respond and we see in this government sometimes you know because of rivalry between groups scandal pops out in the news is that this person you know went off with $50 million for two days and then there is talks of putting him into court then it's Nesyan Mansiya he goes away why because the people the nation aren't in a place of questioning yeah he's not a representative of the people he's by himself you know if there is someone questioning it's another power by another group by another militia it's not by the citizens of the government and if they question to you you say I'm all ears if they ask you something you say I'm all response you know whatever you ask I'm here to respond whatever your concerns are I'm here willing to hear them whatever you ask I'm here to respond whatever your concerns are I'm here willing to hear them and this is the government of Ali Ibn Abi Talib then Amir al-Mu'mineen alaihi wa sallam tells him he tells him we'll go through a list there are things that you have to do as a ruler and we'll go through a list there are things that you have to do as a ruler and one of them is questioning your employees every single employee has to be questioned all your employees when it comes to your soldiers comes to your generals when it comes to your bookkeepers when it comes to your tax collectors every single employee in your government should know and should be questioned whether he is walking on a straight path or not even if he is not committing a mistake you still have to question him there has to be bookkeepers there has to be questioning you go and sit down with every single one of them so none of your employees think that there isn't a moment of interrogation or questioning in which will lead him into thinking that I can do whatever I want because I won't be questioned so every single person in your government as a representative of the government is under questioning and interrogation at all times it's significant to see that because I don't need to be a student he even placed himself with the citizens when he placed himself in a position of questioning and interrogation you people I am one of you for what you have and for what you have if you are questioned I am also in a position of questioning any citizen any normal citizen can come question Ali Ibn Abi Talib welcome come question me and I am in a position of answering and this is absolute justice and equality definitely when even the president even the ruler places himself in a position of interrogation equal with the citizens equal with the citizens right now as an American citizen I also ask Obama about the drone attacks that have been occurring in the Middle East in Pakistan and in Yemen and even in Iraq can I go question him as an American citizen or can any you know random Joe go question the president or the minister of defense or any military general what's classified information for them that's classified information when the government of Ali Ibn Abi Talib nothing is classified when it comes to the people because without the people there would not be a government there would not be a nation and this are the exact same words that they live by because of the people the government of the people by the people for the people I mean it explicitly says right here that the general public has a right to ask anything from the government and the government has obliged to to answer yet when we ask for our rights I mean we're not asking for something out of even not just that just regular rights when we ask for it it's not granted as if they answer you with a very intelligent answer and yet we don't see anything implemented but inshallah we can improve society even though you know we need a whole reformation of governments but moving on to article 16 it's very similar to what we have stated before in the previous episodes it states that a society in which the observance of the law is not assured nor the separation of powers defined has no constitution at all of a laws that are enforced then you can't really hold so much accountable and we spoke about this in the nights of the holy month of Ramallah definitely so elaborating number 17 inshallah we will come to a conclusion there's a very a very nice story of Habibi Talib he's been upon him when he was enrolling he went to the prayer very quickly so he told someone to watch over his horse when Habibi Talib went in the mosque and came out he saw the carriage that went over the horse was taken so he asked, they told him that the person that you asked to watch your horse took it sorry the saddle the carriage for camel sorry the saddle he took it so Habibi Talib was very surprised subhanallah he required Haram I was going to give it to him by halal we see Habibi Talib even not he was supposed to give it to him but he stole it as a gift subhanallah it's hard to see that but moving to number 16 sorry 17 since property is an is an inviolable and sacred right no one shall be deprived except where public necessity legal determined shall clearly demand it and then only on conditions that the owner shall have been previously or adequately demnified inshallah sayedna if you can elaborate on that inshallah first what happened after Imam Ali salatu was-salam took ruling or took power and what he mentioned as surah zamiro al-mu'mineen alayhi salatu was-salam came into power he redistributed or retook all the homes that were distributed unjustly in the time of the government of othman othman came and handed you know what belonged to Allah and the servants of Allah as if it was his own he gave his cousin he gave his brother in law he gave his mother in law he didn't leave anyone that he didn't know or thought he knew a piece of land just so they can be satisfied with him amir al-mu'mineen came back took the wealth of the nation back where it belonged and redistributed it based on equality and based on a person's you know financial being whether they were poor or not if you're a rich person you don't deserve free land there are people who are sleeping on the street there are people who are homeless they deserve to be home thus he says if there is a person who doesn't have a house he doesn't have a piece of land doesn't have any assets doesn't have any wealth or money you still want to question him who is he going to bring what are you going to question him about the government has no say so over such a person has no say so over such a person because it's the government's duty to give him a home and to support him it's significant to see that welfare system was placed in the government I was about to mention that social welfare was established in the government of Ali ibn Abi Talib you read my mind Sayed what you see today refugees, my refugees welfare, Obamacare this was all in place and in drain by Imam Ali ibn Ali he even yeah by Ali ibn Abi Talib he actually lived by it he lived with the people he even sat to feed the orphans and feed the children of the widows I mean subhan Allah yet we still see governments you know exploiting their citizens even when they don't even have anything so Ameer al-Mu'mineen says if a person does not own anything then the government can't really question him once you've given him a home a roof to live under and money to support himself with and his family as every government should do by the money of taxpayers then you can question him and Islam illustrates this if a person is in a situation of poverty then most Islamic sharia Allah is of punishment are not in place if a person is in poverty if he steals he's not punished if he does anything else because of the situation of poverty to feed himself he's not punished once the government gives him then it could hold him accountable under certain restrictions I believe insha Allah and in the past several nights we illustrated the 17 laws 17 commandments and the words and the livelihood of Ameer al-Mu'mineen and for that reason Ali bin Abi Talib was killed and murdered during his life even before he became Khalifa and during the time of Prophet Muhammad he was the one to to walk with justice he was justice when he became the ruler there's famous stories of two women one Arab and one non-Arab they came to get their share and they received equal the Arab was like why did you give me equal to the non-Arab he said everyone's equal in the eyes of Ali bin Abi Talib there's no differentiation what did they do to that just person they murdered him in the holy place of Allah in the mosque insha Allah we can learn from the teachings and we can ponder upon the words of Ali bin Abi Talib so thank you very much Zaynah for joining us over the past few nights it was a blessing to have you on the show blessing forever thank you very much thank you very much respected viewers for joining us over the past few nights of Ramadan hopefully insha Allah we can learn from this blessed month because this month as we mentioned from beginning episodes it's a month of mercy, forgiveness and blessings insha Allah during the days of aid we can ask Allah to help us to guide us on the right path so we can go into heaven and bless our sites with prophet Muhammad so thank you very much for watching stay tuned for the next show assalamu alaikum assalamu alaikum Zaynah insha Allah