Surat Amirul Mukminin ‘Ali bin Abi Thalib kpd Gubernur Mesir, Malik Al-Ashtar

“… ketahuilah , wahai Malik, bahwa aku mengirimkanmu ke suatu daerah dimana pemerintahannya, adil dan tidak adil, telah hadir sebelum kamu. Masyarakat akan melihat permasalahanmu dengan cara pandang yang sama seperti kamu melihat permasalahan penguasa sebelum kamu…. Jadi biarkanlah kekayaan yang paling kamu sayangi menjadi kekayaan dalam tindak kebenaran. Jaga hasratmu, kendalikan jiwamu dari sesuatu yang tidak diizinkan hukum untukmu…. Penuhilah hatimu dengan kasih sayang, cinta dan kebaikan untuk rakyatmu. Janganlah kamu seperti hewan yang rakus, menghitung mereka seperti umpan yang mudah dimangsa, karena pada dasarnya mereka itu ada dua macam; mereka adalah saudaramu seagama atau, paling tidak sesama makhluk Tuhan. Kesalahan bisa menjerumuskan ke arah kelalaian, kekurangan-kekurangan memperdayai mereka, dan perbuatan jahat yang dilakukan mereka oleh secara sengaja ataupun tidak sengaja. Jadi, ulurkanlah ampunan dan maaf kepada mereka, persis sebagaimana yang kamu harapkan Tuhan akan melimpahkan ampunan dan maaf kepadamu. Ketika kamu berada di atas mereka, dia yang memilih kamu berada di atas mu, dan Tuhan ada di atas mereka yang memilih kamu… Jangan pernah mengatakan, “Aku dibekali kewenangan, aku memberikan perintah, dan aku dipatuhi” sesungguhnya itu merupakan korupsi dalam hati, serta melemahkan agama…”

Biography Ali Shariati, Books & Lectures

Dr. Ali Shariati was born in Mazinan, a suburb of Mashhad, Iran. He completed his elementary and high school in Mashhad. In his years at the Teacher’s Training College, he came into contact with youth who were from the lower economic strata of the society and tasted the poverty and hardship that existed.

At the age of eighteen, he started as a teacher and ever since had been a student as well as a teacher. After graduating from college in 1960, on a scholarship he pursued graduate studies in France. Dr. Shariati, an honor student, received his doctorate in sociology in 1964 from Sorbonne University.

When he returned to Iran he was arrested at the border and imprisoned on the pretext that he had participated in political activities while studying in France. Released in 1965, he began teaching again at Mashhad University. As a Muslim sociologist, he sought to explain the problems of Muslim societies in the light of Islamic principles-explaining them and discussing them with his students. Very soon he gained popularity with the students and different social classes in Iran. For this reason, the regime felt obliged to discontinue his courses at the university.

Then he was transferred to Teheran. There, Dr. Shariati continued his very active and brilliant career. His lectures at Houssein-e-Ershad Religious Institute attracted not only six thousand students who registered in his summer classes, but also many thousands of people from different backgrounds who were fascinated by his teachings.