Bear in mind that you do not throw away the offer of peace which your enemy may himself make. Accept it, for, that will please God. Peace is a source of comfort to the army; it reduces your worries and promotes order in the State. But Beware! Be on your guard when the peace is signed; for, certain types of enemies propose terms of peace just to lull you into a sense of security only to attack you again when you are off your guard. So you should exercise the utmost vigilance on your part, and place no undue faith in their protestations. But, if under the peace treaty you have accepted any obligations, discharge those obligations scrupulously.
It is a trust and must be faithfully upheld and whenever you have promised any thing, keep it with all the strength that you command, for whatever differences of opinion might exit on other matters, there is nothing so noble as the fulfillment of a promise. This is recognized even among the nonMuslims, for they know the dire consequences which follow from the breaking of covenants. So never make excuses in discharging your responsibilities and never break a promise; nor cheat your enemy.
For breach of promise is an act against God, and none except the positively wicked acts against God. Indeed divine promises are a blessing spread over all mankind. The promise of God is a refuge sought after even by the most powerful on earth; for there is no risk of being cheated. So, do not make any promise from which you may afterwards offer excuses to retract; nor do you go back upon what you have confirmed to abide by; nor do you break it, however, galling it may at first prove to be. For, it is far better to wait in patience for wholesome results to follow than to break it out of any apprehensions.
Beware! Abstain from shedding blood without a valid cause. There in nothing more harmful than this which brings about one’s ruin. The blood that is willfully shed shortens the life of a state. On the day of judgement, it is the crime for which one will have to answer first. So, beware! Do not wish to build the strength of your state on blood; for, it is this blood which ultimately weakens the state and passes it on to other hands. Before me and my God, no excuse for willful killing can be entertained. Murder is a crime which is punishable by death. If on any account the corporal punishment dealt by the state for any lesser crime results in the death of the guilty, let not the prestige of the state stand in any way of the deceased’s relations claiming blood money. (1)
(1) In Nahj al-Balaghah, the following statements come next:
“You should avoid self-admiration, having reliance in what appears good in yourself and love of exaggerated praise, because this is one of the most reliable opportunities for Shaytan to obliterate the good deeds of the virtuous.
Avoid showing (the existence of) obligation on your subjects for having done good to them or praising your own actions or making promises and then breaking them, because showing (the existence of) obligation destroys good, self-praise takes away the light of truth, and breaking promises earns the hatred of Allah and of the people. Allah the Glorified, says: Most hateful is it unto Allah that you say what you (yourselves) do (it) nor. (They Holy Quran 61:3).” 1
- The Epistle Imam Ali’s Famous Epistle To Malik Ashtar, Mairaj Khalid[↩]
