Justice and the Just Ruler in the Islamic Mirror of Princes
Main Article Content
Keywords
al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, Islamic advice literature, justice, balance, absolute rule, parables
Abstract
This article aims to understand the main characteristics of the concept of justice in the works of al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah (Islamic advice literature). First, the article explores the modernist critique of the classical understanding of justice, which claims a preponderance of tyranny in pre-modern Muslim political thought. Modernist critics argue that pre-modern Muslim political thought lacked a proper definition of justice, and simply aimed to legitimize the authoritarian status-quo. Second, the article will analyze the primary sources in al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah literature to understand of how it conceptualized good governance and justice. The article aims to liberate the study of classical Islamic sources from the modernist lens of analysis so it can be understood on its own terms. This article argues
that the al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah literature is misunderstood and many political and ethical principles are missed due to unsound approaches. The article seeks to show that al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah not only gave a clear definition of justice, but also integrated it into a broader conceptual system of political definitions that was meant to be a practical guide to good governance.
References
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5 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah [Discourse of Justice in the Sultanic Books of Governance]. Doha, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, 15.
6 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah,18
7 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah,26.
8 The Umayyads were the first dynasty to rule over the Muslim world after the first phase of the conquests. They ruled from 661 C.E until they were overthrown by the Abbasids in 750 C.E
9 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 28
10 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 40, 47.
11 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 68.
12 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 69.
52 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAM AND SOCIETYty 41:3-4
13 Such criticisms can be found in claims that authors of al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah fully supported unrestricted rule. This assumption takes different forms but is an underlying one in almost all criticisms. For an example of this, see Aljumaiaan, M. Monarchism in al-Ṭurṭūshī’s Sirāj al-Mulūk (The Lamp of Kings). Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter.
14 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah [On Tyranny, a study on Islamic Heritage]. Beirut, al-Maaref Forum, 174.
15 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 179, 180.
16 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 251.
17 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 253.
18 Al-ʻAllām, ʻIzz al-Dīn. Al-Ādāb al-sulṭānīyah dirāsah fī Binyat wa thawābit al-khiṭāb al-siyāsī [The Mirror of Sulṭāns: a Study in the Structure and Principles of Political Writing]. Kuwait, ʻĀlam al-Maʻrifah,188.
19 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 116.
20 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 118.
21 For more works on Islamic political thought and ethics, see Yılmaz, Hüseyin. “Books on Ethics and Politics: The Art of Governing the Self and Others at the Ottoman Court.” In Treasures of Knowledge: An Inventory of the Ottoman Palace Library (1502/3-1503/4), (2 vols), pp. 509-526. Leiden: Brill, 2019.
22 Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʻālibī, Adāb al-mulūk [The Ethics of Kings], edit. Jalīl al-ʻAṭīyah. Beirut, Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2005, 89.
23 al-Ḥaddād, al-Jawhar al-Nafīs fī Siyāsat al-Raʼīs [The Precious Gem on The Governance of the Leader], ed. Raḍwān al-Sayyid. Beirut, Dār al-Ṭalīʻah, 1983, 61-62.
24 For a discussion on the circle of Justice, see London, Jennifer. “Circle of Justice.” History of Political Thought 32, no. 3 (2011): 425-447. And for a study on its practical effects, see Darling, Linda T. “Do Justice, Do Justice, For That is Paradise”: Middle Eastern Advice for Indian Muslim Rulers.” Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 22, no. 1 (2002): 3-19.
25 Ibn al-Azraq, Abū ʻAbd Allāh. Badāʼiʻ al-silk fī Ṭabāʼiʻ al-mulk [Marvel of State conduct, and the nature of authority]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2008, 202. On the illustration of the role of justice regarding balancing different social classes, see Black, Antony. History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011, 116.
ZATARI & FILI: Justice and the Just Rule r in the Islami c Mirror of Princes 53
26 Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Naṣīḥat al-Mulūk [The Spilled Gold
Dust in the Advice of Kings], Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmīyah, 1988, 46.
27 Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʻālibī, Adāb al-mulūk [The Ethics of Kings], edit. Jalīl al-ʻAṭīyah.
Beirut, Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2005, 90.
28 Ibn al-Azraq, Abū ʻAbd Allāh. Badāʼiʻ al-silk fī Ṭabāʼiʻ al-mulk [Marvel of State conduct,
and the nature of authority]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām,
2008, 204.
29 Ibn Radwan. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah [The Glittering Stars in
Beneficial Politics]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2007, 83.
30 The ruler bears a great deal of responsibility for the political failure of the state. For
more on this, see Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “Governance As a Delicate Balance:
On the Concept of Luṭf in Islamic Mirrors for Princes.” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1,
no. aop (2024): 9.
31 Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Naṣīḥat al-Mulūk [The Spilled Gold
Dust in the Advice of Kings], Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmīyah, 1988, 47.
32 Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʻālibī, Adāb al-mulūk [The Ethics of Kings], edit. Jalīl al-ʻAṭīyah.
Beirut, Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2005, 91.
33 Ibn Raḍwān. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah, 95.
34 Ibn Raḍwān. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah, 95.
35 For more on competent governance, balance and the role of political ethics, see
Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “Governance As a Delicate Balance: On the Concept of
Luṭf in Islamic Mirrors for Princes.” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1, no. aop (2024): 1-19.
36 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk [Lamp of Kings] Beirut: Dar al-Minhaj, 2016,
399.
37 Leder, Stefan. “Sultanic rule in the mirror of medieval political literature.” In Global
Medieval: Mirrors for princes reconsidered, eds. Regula Forster, Neguin Yavari (2015):
94-108. Ilex Foundation Series 15
38 Niẓām al-Mulk. Siyar al-Mulūk aw Siyāsat Nāmah [The Book of Kings], ed. Yusuf
Bakkar. Beirut, Dar al-Manhal, 2007, 54. For an English translation for the book,
see Darke, Hubert. The Book of Government or Rules for Kings: The Siyar al Muluk
or Siyasat-nama of Nizam al-Mulk. London: Routledge, 2002. For more on Niẓām
al-Mulk himself, see Rizvi, S. R. A. Nizam Al-Mulk Al-Tusi His Contribution to
Statecraft, Political Theory and the Art of Government. Ashraf Printing Press, 1978.
39 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 400.
40 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 401.
41 Al-Murādī, Abū Bakr. al-Ishārah fī tadbīr al-Imārah [The Directing in the
Management of the State], ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2009, 124.
54 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAM AND SOCIETY 41:3-4
42 Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “The Image of Sulṭān in Islamic Mirror of Princes.”
darulfunun ilahiyat 33, no. 2, (2020), 8.
43 Al-Murādī, Abū Bakr. al-Ishārah fī tadbīr al-Imārah [The Directing in the
Management of the State], ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2009,
137-138.
44 For more on the emphasis on the interdependence of the duties of the ruler and
the ruled, see Toral-Niehof, I. ‘The “Book of the Pearl on the Ruler” in The Unique
Necklace by Ibn ʻAbd Rabbih: Preliminary Remarks’. In Introduction to Global
Medieval: Mirrors for Princes Reconsidered, eds. by Regula Forster and Neguin Yavari,
145-146. Ilex Foundation Series 15
45 It is apparent as well that justice is an important religious value and not simply a
tool of competent governance. Indeed, competent government is a top priority in
the Adab literature but it is not considered in isolation from an ever present moral
framework that is driven by Islamic teaching. An illustration of this is al-ʻIzz ibn
ʻAbd al-Salām’s comment on justice as one of the names of Allah. He describes it as a
name that shows Allah’s fairness with his creation, in his giving of taking, harming
or benefiting. It is an ever-present aspect of divine action that causes fear in the
heart of the unjust man and a hope for the victims of injustice. An example for one
who seeks to avoid injustice in his behavior in an attempt to manage the affairs
of others by being impartial with the various sorts of people under his care. See
Al-‘Izz Ibn ‘Abd al-Salām (1996), Shajarat al-ma‘ārif wa-al-aḥwāl wa-ṣāliḥ al-aqwāl
wa-al-a‘māl, ed. Iyād Khālid al-Ṭabbāʿ, Beirut and Damascus: Dār al-Fikr al-Muʿāṣir,
and Dār al-Fikr.
46 Al-Māwardī, Abū al-Ḥasan. Tashīl al-Naẓar wa-Taʻjīl al-Zafar: fī akhlāq al‑Malik
wa-siyāsat al-Mulk [Facilitation Consideration and Acceleration the Victory in the
Ethics of the King and Kingdom’s policy], ed. Ridwan al-Sayyid. Beirut: Ibn Al Azraq
Center for Political Heritage Studies, 2012, 276.
47 Al-Ma’mūn, the seventh Abbasid Caliph known for his patronage of sciences and
studies.
48 Another report attributed to Ṭāhir ibn al-Ḥusayn narrates that he was asked by
his son on how long authority will remain in their hands. To which he responded,
“as long as justice remains in this court.” See, Al-Menawi, Zain al-din. Al-Jawāhir
Al-muḍīyah fī Bayān al-Ādāb Al-sulṭānīyah [The Glittering Gems on the Mirror of
Princes]. ed. Abdullah al-Nassir. Riyadh: King Saud University, 2013, 131.
49 Ibn al-Azraq, Abū ʻAbd Allāh. Badāʼiʻ al-silk fī Ṭabāʼiʻ al-mulk [Marvel of State conduct,
and the nature of authority]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām,
2008, 628.
50 Shayzarī, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān. al-Manhaj al-maslūk fī Siyāsat al-Mulūk [The Taken Path
for the Governance of Kings], edit, Ali Abullah Moussa. Amman: Dar al-Manar, 245.
ZATARI & FILI: Justice an d the Just RulerULEr in the IsLAMIc Mirror of Prin ces 55
51 Al-Māwardī, Abū al-Ḥasan. Naṣīḥat al-Mulūk [the Advice for Kings], ed. Khidr Muhammad. Kuwait City: Maktabat Al-Falah, 189.
52 Al-Miṣrī Ibn Nubātah, Al-Mukhtār min Kitāb tadbīr al-Duwal [Excerpts from the book of governing states]. ed. Salwa Qandīl. Beirut: Ibn al-Azraq Center for Political Heritage Studies, 2012, 207-208.
53 Ibn al-Rabi’. Sulūk al-Mālik fī Tadbīr al-Mamālik [The Behavior of the Ruler in the Administration of Dominions]. ed. Hamid Rabi’. Cairo, Dar al-Sha’b, 451.
54 Cited in Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 514. For the translation, see Pickthall, M.M. n.d. Islamawakened. https://www.islamawakened.com./quran/17/16/default.htm
55 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 515.
56 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 515.
57 Ibn Radwan. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah [The Glittering Stars in Beneficial Politics]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo: Dār al-Salām, 2007, 83.
58 Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “The Image of Sulṭān in Islamic Mirror of Princes.” darulfunun ilahiyat 33, no. 2, (2020), 14.
5 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah [Discourse of Justice in the Sultanic Books of Governance]. Doha, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, 15.
6 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah,18
7 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah,26.
8 The Umayyads were the first dynasty to rule over the Muslim world after the first phase of the conquests. They ruled from 661 C.E until they were overthrown by the Abbasids in 750 C.E
9 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 28
10 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 40, 47.
11 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 68.
12 Boutchich, I. Khaṭṭāb al-ʻadālah fī al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 69.
52 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAM AND SOCIETYty 41:3-4
13 Such criticisms can be found in claims that authors of al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah fully supported unrestricted rule. This assumption takes different forms but is an underlying one in almost all criticisms. For an example of this, see Aljumaiaan, M. Monarchism in al-Ṭurṭūshī’s Sirāj al-Mulūk (The Lamp of Kings). Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter.
14 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah [On Tyranny, a study on Islamic Heritage]. Beirut, al-Maaref Forum, 174.
15 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 179, 180.
16 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 251.
17 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 253.
18 Al-ʻAllām, ʻIzz al-Dīn. Al-Ādāb al-sulṭānīyah dirāsah fī Binyat wa thawābit al-khiṭāb al-siyāsī [The Mirror of Sulṭāns: a Study in the Structure and Principles of Political Writing]. Kuwait, ʻĀlam al-Maʻrifah,188.
19 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 116.
20 Abdullatif, Kamal. Fī Tashrīḥ uṣūl al-istibdād: qirāʼah fī Niẓām al-Ādāb al-Sulṭānīyah, 118.
21 For more works on Islamic political thought and ethics, see Yılmaz, Hüseyin. “Books on Ethics and Politics: The Art of Governing the Self and Others at the Ottoman Court.” In Treasures of Knowledge: An Inventory of the Ottoman Palace Library (1502/3-1503/4), (2 vols), pp. 509-526. Leiden: Brill, 2019.
22 Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʻālibī, Adāb al-mulūk [The Ethics of Kings], edit. Jalīl al-ʻAṭīyah. Beirut, Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2005, 89.
23 al-Ḥaddād, al-Jawhar al-Nafīs fī Siyāsat al-Raʼīs [The Precious Gem on The Governance of the Leader], ed. Raḍwān al-Sayyid. Beirut, Dār al-Ṭalīʻah, 1983, 61-62.
24 For a discussion on the circle of Justice, see London, Jennifer. “Circle of Justice.” History of Political Thought 32, no. 3 (2011): 425-447. And for a study on its practical effects, see Darling, Linda T. “Do Justice, Do Justice, For That is Paradise”: Middle Eastern Advice for Indian Muslim Rulers.” Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East 22, no. 1 (2002): 3-19.
25 Ibn al-Azraq, Abū ʻAbd Allāh. Badāʼiʻ al-silk fī Ṭabāʼiʻ al-mulk [Marvel of State conduct, and the nature of authority]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2008, 202. On the illustration of the role of justice regarding balancing different social classes, see Black, Antony. History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011, 116.
ZATARI & FILI: Justice and the Just Rule r in the Islami c Mirror of Princes 53
26 Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Naṣīḥat al-Mulūk [The Spilled Gold
Dust in the Advice of Kings], Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmīyah, 1988, 46.
27 Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʻālibī, Adāb al-mulūk [The Ethics of Kings], edit. Jalīl al-ʻAṭīyah.
Beirut, Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2005, 90.
28 Ibn al-Azraq, Abū ʻAbd Allāh. Badāʼiʻ al-silk fī Ṭabāʼiʻ al-mulk [Marvel of State conduct,
and the nature of authority]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām,
2008, 204.
29 Ibn Radwan. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah [The Glittering Stars in
Beneficial Politics]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2007, 83.
30 The ruler bears a great deal of responsibility for the political failure of the state. For
more on this, see Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “Governance As a Delicate Balance:
On the Concept of Luṭf in Islamic Mirrors for Princes.” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1,
no. aop (2024): 9.
31 Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, al-Tibr al-Masbūk fī Naṣīḥat al-Mulūk [The Spilled Gold
Dust in the Advice of Kings], Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʻIlmīyah, 1988, 47.
32 Abū Manṣūr Al-Thaʻālibī, Adāb al-mulūk [The Ethics of Kings], edit. Jalīl al-ʻAṭīyah.
Beirut, Dār al-Gharb al-Islāmī, 2005, 91.
33 Ibn Raḍwān. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah, 95.
34 Ibn Raḍwān. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah, 95.
35 For more on competent governance, balance and the role of political ethics, see
Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “Governance As a Delicate Balance: On the Concept of
Luṭf in Islamic Mirrors for Princes.” Journal of Islamic Ethics 1, no. aop (2024): 1-19.
36 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk [Lamp of Kings] Beirut: Dar al-Minhaj, 2016,
399.
37 Leder, Stefan. “Sultanic rule in the mirror of medieval political literature.” In Global
Medieval: Mirrors for princes reconsidered, eds. Regula Forster, Neguin Yavari (2015):
94-108. Ilex Foundation Series 15
38 Niẓām al-Mulk. Siyar al-Mulūk aw Siyāsat Nāmah [The Book of Kings], ed. Yusuf
Bakkar. Beirut, Dar al-Manhal, 2007, 54. For an English translation for the book,
see Darke, Hubert. The Book of Government or Rules for Kings: The Siyar al Muluk
or Siyasat-nama of Nizam al-Mulk. London: Routledge, 2002. For more on Niẓām
al-Mulk himself, see Rizvi, S. R. A. Nizam Al-Mulk Al-Tusi His Contribution to
Statecraft, Political Theory and the Art of Government. Ashraf Printing Press, 1978.
39 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 400.
40 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 401.
41 Al-Murādī, Abū Bakr. al-Ishārah fī tadbīr al-Imārah [The Directing in the
Management of the State], ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2009, 124.
54 AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAM AND SOCIETY 41:3-4
42 Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “The Image of Sulṭān in Islamic Mirror of Princes.”
darulfunun ilahiyat 33, no. 2, (2020), 8.
43 Al-Murādī, Abū Bakr. al-Ishārah fī tadbīr al-Imārah [The Directing in the
Management of the State], ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām, 2009,
137-138.
44 For more on the emphasis on the interdependence of the duties of the ruler and
the ruled, see Toral-Niehof, I. ‘The “Book of the Pearl on the Ruler” in The Unique
Necklace by Ibn ʻAbd Rabbih: Preliminary Remarks’. In Introduction to Global
Medieval: Mirrors for Princes Reconsidered, eds. by Regula Forster and Neguin Yavari,
145-146. Ilex Foundation Series 15
45 It is apparent as well that justice is an important religious value and not simply a
tool of competent governance. Indeed, competent government is a top priority in
the Adab literature but it is not considered in isolation from an ever present moral
framework that is driven by Islamic teaching. An illustration of this is al-ʻIzz ibn
ʻAbd al-Salām’s comment on justice as one of the names of Allah. He describes it as a
name that shows Allah’s fairness with his creation, in his giving of taking, harming
or benefiting. It is an ever-present aspect of divine action that causes fear in the
heart of the unjust man and a hope for the victims of injustice. An example for one
who seeks to avoid injustice in his behavior in an attempt to manage the affairs
of others by being impartial with the various sorts of people under his care. See
Al-‘Izz Ibn ‘Abd al-Salām (1996), Shajarat al-ma‘ārif wa-al-aḥwāl wa-ṣāliḥ al-aqwāl
wa-al-a‘māl, ed. Iyād Khālid al-Ṭabbāʿ, Beirut and Damascus: Dār al-Fikr al-Muʿāṣir,
and Dār al-Fikr.
46 Al-Māwardī, Abū al-Ḥasan. Tashīl al-Naẓar wa-Taʻjīl al-Zafar: fī akhlāq al‑Malik
wa-siyāsat al-Mulk [Facilitation Consideration and Acceleration the Victory in the
Ethics of the King and Kingdom’s policy], ed. Ridwan al-Sayyid. Beirut: Ibn Al Azraq
Center for Political Heritage Studies, 2012, 276.
47 Al-Ma’mūn, the seventh Abbasid Caliph known for his patronage of sciences and
studies.
48 Another report attributed to Ṭāhir ibn al-Ḥusayn narrates that he was asked by
his son on how long authority will remain in their hands. To which he responded,
“as long as justice remains in this court.” See, Al-Menawi, Zain al-din. Al-Jawāhir
Al-muḍīyah fī Bayān al-Ādāb Al-sulṭānīyah [The Glittering Gems on the Mirror of
Princes]. ed. Abdullah al-Nassir. Riyadh: King Saud University, 2013, 131.
49 Ibn al-Azraq, Abū ʻAbd Allāh. Badāʼiʻ al-silk fī Ṭabāʼiʻ al-mulk [Marvel of State conduct,
and the nature of authority]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo, Dār al-Salām,
2008, 628.
50 Shayzarī, ʻAbd al-Raḥmān. al-Manhaj al-maslūk fī Siyāsat al-Mulūk [The Taken Path
for the Governance of Kings], edit, Ali Abullah Moussa. Amman: Dar al-Manar, 245.
ZATARI & FILI: Justice an d the Just RulerULEr in the IsLAMIc Mirror of Prin ces 55
51 Al-Māwardī, Abū al-Ḥasan. Naṣīḥat al-Mulūk [the Advice for Kings], ed. Khidr Muhammad. Kuwait City: Maktabat Al-Falah, 189.
52 Al-Miṣrī Ibn Nubātah, Al-Mukhtār min Kitāb tadbīr al-Duwal [Excerpts from the book of governing states]. ed. Salwa Qandīl. Beirut: Ibn al-Azraq Center for Political Heritage Studies, 2012, 207-208.
53 Ibn al-Rabi’. Sulūk al-Mālik fī Tadbīr al-Mamālik [The Behavior of the Ruler in the Administration of Dominions]. ed. Hamid Rabi’. Cairo, Dar al-Sha’b, 451.
54 Cited in Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 514. For the translation, see Pickthall, M.M. n.d. Islamawakened. https://www.islamawakened.com./quran/17/16/default.htm
55 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 515.
56 Abū Bakr al-Ṭurṭūshī, Sirāj al-Mulūk, 515.
57 Ibn Radwan. al-Shuhub al-lāmiʻah fī al-siyāsah al-nāfiʻah [The Glittering Stars in Beneficial Politics]. ed. ʻAlī Sāmī al-Nashshār. Cairo: Dār al-Salām, 2007, 83.
58 Zatari, Fadi, and Fili, Omar. “The Image of Sulṭān in Islamic Mirror of Princes.” darulfunun ilahiyat 33, no. 2, (2020), 14.
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Dec 23, 2024
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Zatari, F., & Fili, O. (2024). Justice and the Just Ruler in the Islamic Mirror of Princes. American Journal of Islam and Society, 41(3-4), 34–55. https://doi.org/10.35632/ajis.v41i3-4.3291
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