Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Telib 399
missing from them. He told the traders to estimate how much was
missing from them, and it was three dirhams' worth. So he sent word
to her and took it from her, then he shared out the total amount."304
It was narrated from Ahu RS', the storekeeper for 'Ali (&)
who was in charge of the public treasury, that he said: "He came in
one day, and his daughter had adorned herself. He saw her wearing
pearls that he recognised from the public treasury. He said: 'Where
did she get this from? By Allah, I shall cut off her hand.' When I saw
that he was serious, I said: 'By Allah, 0 Amir al-Mu'mineen, I
adorned my niece with them. How could she obtain them if I did not
give them to her?' And he fell ~ilent."~''
2.13. Freedom
Freedom was one of the basic principles of government at the
time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. This principle dictates that all
freedoms should be guaranteed and protected, within the limits of
Sharia and in a way that does not contradict it. Islam calls for the
freedom of all people, in a comprehensive call the like of which is
rarely found in history.
The first call, found in a number of Qur'anic verses, is for the
people to affirm the unity of AUah (B) and to direct worship to Him
alone, to the exclusion of all other beings and creatures. This call to
tawheed brings freedom and independence for all people. Moreover,
Islam recognises freedom in all senses and all aspects. Sometimes the
call is positive, such as enjoining what is good and forbidding what is
evil, and sometimes it is negative, such as refraining from forcing
anyone to enter Islam. In many cases, the concept of freedom is
merged with concepts of mercy, justice, consultation and equality,
because each of these principles that Islam promotes cannot be sound
and cannot be achieved except in the presence of freedom. During the
rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, the principle of freedom