Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

'Ali ibn Abi Trilib 601
'Uthmin and 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with them) were two
Rightly Guided Caliphs whose example is to be followed and whose
deeds are to be regarded as constitutional precedents for this Ummah.
Just as 'Umar set a precedent for those who came after him of being
reluctant to bring relatives to help in managing the affairs of state,
'Uthmiin and 'Ali set a precedent for those who came after them of
bringing relatives close if they are qualified.z67
2.2. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali's keeping an eye
on his workers, and some of his instructions
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (4) kept a close eye on his
governors, checked on how they were doing in their jobs and
enquired about them. He employed a number of means of doing that,
such as sending inspectors to the provinces to ask the people about
them; asking some governors about others and instructing them to
check on them. He wrote to Ka'b ihn Msik: "Appoint someone to be
in charge and go out with a group of your companions until you pass
through the land of Kawrah as-Sawiid, then ask about my workers
and see how they are conducting themselves."268 'Ali (4) also
relied on secret reports sent to him by his inspectors in those
provinces, whose mission was unknown to the governors.269 These
inspectors may have been employees of the governor or they may
have been others who were unknown; they may have been residents
of that province or they may have been moving from one province to
another. The existence of the secret reports is indicated by what was
written by 'Ali (&) to these governors, and perhaps the intervention
of some people between Amir al-Mu'rnineen 'Ali (&) and his
governors was the reason for some of his governors giving up their
posts and refusing to continue working, such as the intervention of al-
Ashtar between 'Ali and Jmr ibn Abdullah al-Bajali, and the
intervention of some people between 'Ali and Mqqalah ibn