Tahir bin al-Husayn's Letter (Part 4)

Taxation Policy

The land tax maintains the subjects.

Through it, God has:

• strengthened and exalted Islam
• helped and protected the Muslims
• confounded and annoyed the enemies of Islam
• humbled and humiliated the people of the enemy

Therefore, distribute the land tax among those to whom it belongs. Do it justly, fairly, equitably, and generally.

Do not make a noble man (sharif) pay less because of his nobility, or a rich man because of his wealth, or one of your secretaries, or one of your intimates and entourage.

Do not ask for more than is tolerable. Do not charge anyone too much. Treat all the people justly.

This makes it easier to gain their friendship and is more certain to achieve general satisfaction.

Your subjects are called (ra’iyah “flock”) because you are their shepherd and overseer.

Therefore, accept from them what they give you of their affluence. Use it to administer their affairs, welfare, and their needs.

Employ for them understanding, skilled, and experienced men, who have theoretical knowledge of, and are able to act with, political wisdom and moderation. Give them good salaries.

When you give preference to this matter and take charge of it properly:

• the Lord will give you more favors
• your subjects will love you more

This will enable you to:

• promote the general welfare
• expand the cultural activity in your region
• increase the fertility of your districts
  • This will increase your income from the land tax and your property

You will have the attachment of your soldiers and be able to satisfy everybody through generous gifts from you. Your political leadership will be praised.

Your justice will be approved by the enemy. In all your affairs, you will be just, capable in deed, powerful, and well equipped.

Therefore, strive for this (goal). Do not give anything else preference over it. Then, the results of your rule will find praise, if God wills.

Appoint a trusted (official) in every district under your jurisdiction, to inform you about your officials and to write you concerning their manner of life and activities.

Thus, you will have eventually something like personal contact with every official in his area of jurisdiction and personally observe all his affairs.

If you want to order (your official to do) something, consider what the result of the thing you want done will be. If you see that the result will be healthy and sound, and if you hope for a good return from it and good council and benefit, send (your order) out.

If not, refrain from (any immediate action) and consult people of insight and knowledge about (the matter). Then, prepare for action.

A man often looks at something he wants to do and finds it to be as he desires. This pleases and deceives him. Failure to consider what the result may be, could be his ruin and destruction.

Whatever you want to do, do it resolutely and address yourself to it forcefully after (having asked) God’s help.

Always ask your Lord whether you should do a particular thing. Finish the work you have to do today and do not postpone it until tomorrow.

Do much of it yourself. For every tomorrow has its own business and events that will keep you from doing the work you should have done today but postponed.

You should know that when a day is gone, it is gone with all there was in it. If you postponed the work that you should have done (yesterday), you will have to do two days’ work (today).

That will be difficult for you and will eventually make you ill. (On the other hand,) if you do each day the work that you should do, you will give rest to your body and soul and discharge your tasks as ruler well.

Consider the free (noble) people who are advanced in age and of whose sincere intentions you can be certain, and whose love for you, whose helpfulness as advisers, whose active interest in your affairs you have observed. Select them for your service and be benevolent toward them.

Have regard for the descendants of great houses who have become needy.

Provide for their requirements and improve their condition, so that indigence will no longer be able to touch them.

Devote yourself to looking after the affairs of the poor and indigent, those who are not able to bring before you complaints about injustices they have suffered, 786 and other lowly persons who do not know that they may ask for their rights.

Inquire about these people in all secrecy, and put good men from among your subjects in charge of them. Command them to report to you their needs and conditions, so that you will be able to look into the measures through which God might improve their affairs.

Have regard also for people who have suffered accidents, and for their widows and orphans. Give them stipends from the treasury, following the example of the Commander of the Faithful - God give him power! - in being kind to them and giving them presents, so that God may thereby improve their livelihood and give you a blessing and increased (favors).

Give the blind stipends from the treasury. Give to those of them who know the Qur’an and know most of it by heart a higher salary than to others.

Set up houses for Muslims who are ill, to shelter them. (Appoint) attendants in these houses who will handle them kindly, and (appoint) physicians who will treat their diseases. Comply with their desires so long as it does not lead to waste in the treasury.

You should know that when people are given their rights and when their dearest wishes are fulfilled, they are still not satisfied and are not quiet, but want to bring their needs to the attention of those in charge of them, because they desire to receive more and to get (additional) kindnesses from them.

Often, the person who looks after the affairs of the people is annoyed by the great number of matters referred to him, which occupy his thought and mind, and cause him embarrassment and difficulties.

The person who desires justice, knowing what is good for him in this world and how excellent the reward in the other world will be, is not like the person who advances 787 toward the things that bring him close to God and who seeks (God’s) mercy.

Let people frequently come to see you and show them your face.

Let not your guards hinder them. Be humble toward them. Show them your smiling countenance. Be lenient with them when (you put) questions and speak to them. Be benevolent to them in your generosity and bounty.

If you give, do it kindly and pleasantly.

Do it for the sake of doing a good deed and of receiving the reward (for it in the other world). Do it without causing trouble, and do not remind (the person to whom you give something) of your gift (in the expectation of a gift in return).

Such a gift will be a profitable transaction, if God wills.

Learn from the affairs of the world that you are able to observe personally, and from the persons in authority and in positions of leadership who lived before your time in past centuries and among nations that disappeared. Then, in all your conditions, seek God’s protection and love, act in accordance with His religious law and Sunnah, and establish His religion and Scripture.

Keep away from the things that are different from that, or in opposition to it, and that provoke the wrath of God.

Be acquainted with the property that your officials collect and use for their expenditures. Do not take any forbidden property, and do not be a wasteful spender.

Sit down often with scholars and seek their advice and company.

Let it be your desire to follow and establish the Sunnah (of the Prophet) and to prefer noble and lofty character qualities.

Consider those the most honorable of your proteges and intimates who, when they notice a fault (in you), are not deterred by their respect for you from informing you about it in secret or from calling your attention to the shortcoming that lies in that fault.

People of that sort are your most sincere friends and helpers. Look at those of your officials who are present at your residence, and at your secretaries.

Appoint for each one of them a time of the day in which he may come to you with his documents and orders and (also present to you) the needs of your officials and the affairs of your districts and subjects with which he is concerned.

Go over it again and think it over. If it is reasonable and appears effective, order it to be done and ask God about it. If not, have it checked and investigated.

Do not remind your subjects or anyone else to whom you show a favor, of it in the expectation of a gift.

Accept from no one anything except faithfulness, straightforwardness, and support for the affairs of the Muslims. Do not do any favors for anyone except under these (conditions).

The historians report that people liked the letter when it appeared, and it found wide circulation.

Al-Ma’mun heard about it.

When it had been read to him, he said:

“Abu t-Tayyib-that is, Tahir-did not omit any of the matters that concern this world, the religion, administration, (the formation of) opinion, politics, the improvement of the realm and the subjects, the preservation of the government, obedience to the caliphs, and maintenance of the caliphate.

He has dealt very well with all these matters, and has given directions (how to handle) them.”

Al-Ma’mun then ordered the letter to be sent to all officials in the various regions, so that they might use it as a model and act accordingly.

This is the best treatment of this type of politics that I have found.