Tahir bin al-Husayn's Letter (Part 2)

Have Good Opinion of Others [Stay Positive]

Have a good opinion of God, and your subjects will cause you no trouble.

In all your affairs, try to get in touch with Him, and you will always enjoy His favor.

Do not suspect anyone who works for you before you have discovered what is the matter with him.

It is a crime to:

• suspect innocent persons
• have a bad opinion of them.

Therefore, make it your duty to have a good opinion of the men around you.

Drive away bad opinions of them, and do not harbor any such opinions.

That will help you gain their following and train them.

Do not let Satan gain entry to your affairs.

Just a little weakness on your part is sufficient for him. He will cause you so much grief through your having a bad opinion of the men around you, that it will disturb the pleasure of your life.

Having a good opinion (of others) gives you strength and rest. You will be competent to handle your affairs to your satisfaction.

It will enable you to cause people to love you and to be straightforward in everything.

Do not let your good opinion of the men around you and your kindness prevent you from:

• making inquiries
• investigating your affairs
• taking personal charge of the business of your officials
• protecting your subjects, or from looking after the things that sustain and benefit them.

On the contrary, consider it your most important task to take personal charge of theaffairs of (your) officials and to protect your subjects by looking after their needs and providing for their requirements.

This, more than anything else, helps to preserve the religion (of Islam) and gives life to the Sunnah (of the Prophet).

In all these things, have pure intentions.

Pay special attention to improving yourself as someone who will be held responsible for his deeds.

God made the religion a refuge and a power. He lifts up those who follow it and honor it.

Therefore, lead those whom you govern and rule along the path of religion and the way of right guidance. 758

Apply the punishments that God has ordained for criminals, according to their station and according to what they deserve. Do not disregard it and do not make light of it.

Do not postpone the punishment of those who must be punished. If you fall short in this respect, it will help spoil the good opinion (people have) of you.

In this regard, let your actions be guided by the well-known traditions (sunan). Keep away from innovations and doubts. Your religion will then be healthy and your manliness unimpaired.

If you enter into an agreement, fulfill it.

If you have promised to do a certain good deed, keep your (promise). Accept favors and repay them. Close your eyes to the defects of those of your subjects who may have them. Refrain from lies and falsehoods.

Despise liars and keep away calumniators.

Your affairs will begin to fail, so far as their effects both in this world and the other world are concerned, as soon as you give access to a liar or boldly use lies yourself. Lying is the beginning of crimes and falsehood, and calumny their end.

The calumniator is not safe himself.

No friend of a man who listens to (calumny) is safe. Nothing works out well for a person who is governed by (calumny).

Love good and righteous people. Be honestly helpful to noble men. Be friendly to the weak. Keep in touch with your blood relatives.

Desire thus to see the face of God and to strengthen His cause, and wish (thus) for His reward and the other world.

Keep away from evil desires and injustice. Pay them no notice and show your subjects that you are free of (them). Be just in governing your subjects.

Treat them honestly and with the kindness through which you will reach the path of right guidance.

Control yourself and do not get angry. Prefer dignity and mildness. Beware of sharpness, levity, and deceitfulness in any (enterprise) you engage in.

Beware of saying:

This soon reveals a lack of sense on your part and little certainty of the one and only God.

Royal authority belongs to God. He gives it to whomever He wants to give it and takes it away from whomever He wants to take it away.

The change from (divine) favor to (divine) vengeance occurs fastest with:

• men in authority who do not acknowledge (divine) favors,
• people enjoying good positions in the government, ungrateful for the favors of God and consider themselves superior beings because of the bounty that God has given them.

[Continued on next page..]