Ali Ibn Abi Talib - Volume 1 of 2

612 Governors at the time of Xli ibn Abi Trilib
people are dependent on the land tax and those who pay it." What is
meant by people here is employees and soldiers in general, of whom
Amir al-Mu'mineen 'Ali (&) said: "The affairs of the troops cannot
be sound without what Allah has granted of the land tax."
Amir al-Mu'mineen instructed the people to invest in the land
by developing and cultivating it. He said: "You should focus more on
developing and cultivating the land than on collecting the land tax,
because it cannot be gotten except by developing and cultivating the
land. Whoever seeks the land tax without developing and cultivating
the land will cause ruin to the land and the people."300 That is
because farming the land will provide additional financial resources
that may be useful for paying salaries and other expenses. Covering
this expenditure is done independently from the central government,
which has a share in these resources after the province takes what it
needs and sends the rest to the capital. Amir al-Mu'mineen (&)
said: "What is left over from that, send it to us so that we may spend it
on those who are with
Another important expenditure of the province was the
development of rivers. Amir al-Mu'mineen 'ALi (&) wrote to
Qaraaah ibn Ka'b al-Anski: "Some of the dhirnmis and manual
workers mentioned a river in their land that disappeared and was
buried. They have the right that the Muslims should develop it, so get
together and see what you can do, then develop it and restore the
river, for by Allah, developing the lands around the river is dearer to
me than if they were to leave and fall short in their duties that could
serve the best interests of the land."30z
2.3.8. Workers who work for the governors,
and checking on them
Amir al-Mn'mineen 'Ali (&) said: "Then look at the affairs
of your workers, and employ them on a probationary basis. Do not