Umar's (RA) Letter to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (On Judgeship)

• A foundational charter of Islamic judicial ethics:
  • Equal treatment of all litigants, "so that the powerful do not expect favouritism and the weak do not despair of justice."
  • Thorough examination of evidence before ruling.
  • Encourages reconciliation (Sulh) between disputing parties as praiseworthy.
  • Permits — indeed encourages — revising a mistaken judgment upon realising the truth: "returning to truth is better than persisting in falsehood."
  • Patience/reflection before ruling on ambiguous matters.

Ali's (RA) Letter to Malik al-Ashtar (Governor of Egypt) — Nahj al-Balaghah

• A comprehensive manual of ethical statecraft:
  • The ruler must love for the people what he loves for himself.
  • "Your subjects are of two kinds: either your brothers in religion or your equals in creation."
  • Merit-based appointments free of nepotism and bribery.
  • Special care for the poor, orphans and the voiceless disadvantaged.
  • Direct, unobstructed public access to the ruler.
  • Avoidance of anger and haste in judgement; continuous oversight of subordinate officials against corruption.

Common Themes Across Both Letters

• Rulers and judges are trustees answerable to Allah first.
• Justice and equality are non-negotiable.
• Accountability must be institutionalised, not left to goodwill alone.
• Administration must be humane and welfare-oriented.

Hadith/Source Evidence

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النَّاسُ عَندَكَ فِي الْحَقَّ سَوَاءٌ

اردو: تمہارے سامنے لوگ حق میں برابر ہونے چاہئیں۔

English: "Treat the people equally in your presence, your court, and your judgement, so that the noble does not aspire to your partiality, and the weak does not despair of your justice."

— Ibn Qayyim's I'lam al-Muwaqqi'in

وَأَشْعِرْ قَلْبَكَ الرَّحْمَةَ لِلرَّعِيَّةِ

اردو: اپنے دل میں رعایا کے لئے رحم پیدا کرو۔

English: "Your subjects are of two kinds: either they are your brothers in religion, or they are your equals in creation."

— Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter 53

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CSS Exam Tips

• Discuss the guidance given by Hazrat Umar (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA) in their letters to public authorities regarding good governance and accountability.
• Cross-reference: Bravery and Judicial Wisdom of Hazrat Ali (RA), Responsibilities of Civil Servants.

20-Mark Enrichment — Analytical Material

Core Argument

The administrative letters of ʿUmar (RA) and ʿAlī (RA) are the earliest civil-service manuals in Islamic history — and arguably in world history. They are not exhortations but operational instructions: how to appoint, how to pay, how to adjudicate, how to supervise, how to treat merchants, soldiers and the poor, and how the officer must conduct his own person. The 20-mark thesis: read together, ʿUmar's letter to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī gives the judicial code, and ʿAlī's letter to Mālik al-Ashtar gives the executive code — and between them they anticipate almost every principle of modern public administration.

1. ʿUmar's (RA) Letter to Abū Mūsā al-Ashʿarī — the Judicial Code

Transmitted by al-Dāraquṭnī and al-Bayhaqī and treated by jurists as a foundational text of Islamic procedure. Its substance: