Section: On the Meaning of the Vizierate

yataʻallalu bihi min al-hazl muḥāfiẓan ʻalá dīnihi wa ṣiyānat murūʼatihi, wa yakhruju hādhā al-qadr ʻan ḥukm mā dhumma min al-hazl, li-annahu ʻawn ʻalá mā yuḥmadu min al-jidd. Ka-mā qāla al-shāʻir:

Afid ṭabʻaka al-makdūda bi-al-jiddi rāḥatan ٭ yajimma wa ʻallilhu bi-shayʼin min al-mazḥi wa lākin idhā aʻṭaytahu al-mazḥa fa-l-yakun ٭ bi-miqdāri mā yuʻṭá al-ṭaʻāmu min al-milḥi

Wa ka-mā tanāfara al-jidd wa al-hazl, ka-dhālika tanāfara al-ṣidq wa al-kadhib, ḍiddān mutanāfirān takhtalifu ʻilalhumā, wa taftariqu natāʼijuhumā. Fa-al-ṣidq min lawāzim al-ʻaql, wa-huwa uss al-dīn; wa qawām al-ḥaqq. Wa al-kadhib min gharāʼiz al-jahl, wa-huwa zūr yaqtarinu bi-ghurūr, in iltabasat awāʼiluhu inhatakat awākhiruhu, wa in jarra iltibāsuhu nafʻan, ʻāda intihākuhu ḍararan, fa-lam yaslam min maʻarrat zūr, wa maḍarrat ghurūr. Wa qad rawá ʻUqbah ibn ʻĀmir ʻan al-nabī ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa sallama annahu qāla: « aʻẓam al-khaṭāyā al-lisān al-kadhūb », wa qāla ʻUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb raḍiya Allāh ʻanhu: la-an yaḍaʻanī al-ṣidq — wa qallamā yafʻalu — aḥabb ilayya min an yarfaʻanī al-kadhib — wa qallamā yafʻalu —. Wa wajadtu li-Sulaymān ibn Dāwūd ʻalayhimā al-ṣalāh wa al-salām fī sifr ḥikmatihi annahu qāla: alladhī yaliju bi-al-kadhib yarʻá al-riyāḥ. Wa hādhā min awḍaḥ al-amthāl bayānan wa ʻiyānan.

Faṣl

( fī maʻná al-wizārah )

Wa idhā maḍat hādhihi al-fuṣūl fī muqaddimāt al-wizārah fa-ismuhā mushtaqq min maʻnāhā. Wa ikhtalafa fīhi ʻalá thalāthat awjuh, aḥaduhā: annahu min al-wizr wa-huwa al-thiql, li-annahu yaḥmilu ʻan al-malik athqālahu. Wa al-thānī: annahu mushtaqq min al-azr wa-huwa al-ẓahr, li-anna al-malik yaqwá bi-wazīrihi ka-qūwat al-badan bi-ẓahrihi. Wa al-thālith: annahu mushtaqq min al-wazar wa-huwa al-maljaʼ wa minhu qawluhu taʻālá: ( kallā lā wazara ) ay lā maljaʼ, li-anna al-malik yaljaʼu ilá raʼyihi wa maʻūnatihi, li-an ʻalayhi madār al-siyāsah wa ilayhi tufawwaḍu al-amwāl. Wa qad qāla baʻḍ mulūk al-Furs: al-wuzarāʼ sāsat al-aʻmāl, wa ḥāzat al-amwāl.

Wa-idhā kāna ka-dhālika fa-al-wizārah ḍarbān: wizārat tafwīḍ tajmaʻu bayna kifāyatay al-sayf wa-al-qalam. Wa-wizārat tanfīdh: takhtaṣṣu bi-al-raʼy wa-al-ḥazm. Wa-li-kull wāḥidah minhumā ḥuqūq wa-shurūṭ.

Fa-ammā wizārat al-tafwīḍ al-jāmiʻah bayna kifāyatay al-sayf wa-al-qalam, fa-hiya aʻamm naẓaran, wa-anfadh amran. Wa-qad ruwiya ʻan al-nabī ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla: « khalaqa Allāh al-dunyā lil-sayf wa-al-qalam, wa-jaʻala al-sayf taḥta al-qalam ». Wa-hādhihi al-wizārah hiya al-istīlāʼ ʻalá al-tadbīr, wa-al-ʻaqd, wa-al-ḥall, wa-al-taqlīd, wa-al-ʻazl, fa-ammā al-ʻaqd, fa-yashtamilu ʻalá sharṭayn: tanfīdh wa-iqdām, wa-ammā al-ḥall fa-yashtamilu ʻalá sharṭayn: difāʻ wa-ḥadhar, fa-ṣāra al-ḥall wa-al-ʻaqd hunā aḥad sharṭay hādhihi al-wizārah yashtamilāni ʻalá arbaʻat shurūṭ: tanfīdh, wa-difāʻ, wa-iqdām; wa-ḥadhar. Wa-li-kull sharṭ minhā faṣl yashtamilu ʻalá fuṣūl.

Fa-ammā al-faṣl al-awwal, wa-huwa al-tanfīdh. Fa-huwa uss al-wizārah, wa-qāʻidat al-niyābah, wa-huwa al-akhaṣṣ bi-kifāyat al-qalam fī maṣāliḥ al-malik wa-istiqāmat al-aʻmāl, wa-yashtamilu ʻalá arbaʻat aqsām: aḥaduhā tanfīdh mā ṣadarat bihi awāmir al-malik, fa-ʻalá al-wazīr fīhā ḥaqqān: aḥaduhumā an yataṣaffaḥahā min zalal fī ibtidāʼihā, wa-yaḥrusahā min khalal fī athnāʼihā, li-yaruddahu ʻan zalalihā bi-al-luṭf, wa-yuqawwī ʻazmahu ʻalá ṣawābihā bi-al-iḥmād. Wa-qad qāla Aflāṭūn: awwal riyāḍat al-wazīr an yataʼammala akhlāq al-malik wa-muʻāmalatahu, fa-in kānat shadīdah faẓẓah, ʻāmala al-nās bi-dūnihā, wa-in kānat layyinah muṭlaqah ʻāmalahum bi-aqwá minhā, li-yaqruba min al-ʻadl fī saʻyihi, wa-al-thānī taʻjīl imḍāʼihā lil-waqt al-muqaddar lahā, ḥattá lā yaqifa fa-yūḥish, li-anna wuqūf awāmirihi yūḥish, wa-huwa mandūb lil-tanfīdh dūna al-wuqūf. Wa-qad qāla ḥakīm al-Hind: al-ʻajalah fī al-amr khurq, wa-akhraq min dhālika al-tafrīṭ fī al-amr baʻda al-qudrah ʻalayhi. Wa-qāla baʻḍ ḥukamāʼ al-ʻArab: kam min ʻazīz adhallahu khurquhu! Wa-min dhalīl aʻazzahu khulquhu, wa-dark hādhā al-taqlīd ʻāʼid ʻalá al-malik dūna al-wazīr.

Wa-al-qism al-thānī tanfīdh mā iqtaḍāhu raʼy al-wazīr min tadbīr al-mamlakah fa-ʻalayhi fī imḍāʼihi ḥaqqān: aḥaduhumā an yurāʻī awlá al-umūr fī ijtihādihi wa-aṣwabihā fī raʼyihi, li-annahu mandūb li-aṣlaḥihā wa-maʼkhūdh bi-aṣwabihā. Wa-al-thānī an yuṭāliʻa al-malik bihi in jalla, wa-yajūzu an yaṭwīhi ʻanhu in qalla, li-yakhruja ʻan al-istibdād al-munaffir, wa-yaslama min al-ḥiqd al-muʼaththir. Wa-qad qāla ḥakīm al-Hind: al-aḥqād muʼaththirah, ḥaythu kānat, wa-akhwafuhā mā-kāna fī anfus al-mulūk, li-annahum yadīnūna bi-al-intiqām, wa-yarawna al-ṭalab bi-al-witr makrumah wa-fakhran, fa-in ʻāraḍahu al-malik fī raʼyihi baʻda al-muṭālaʻah bihi lam yastawḥish min muʻāraḍatihi li-annahu malik mustanīb, wa-ẓānn mustarīb, wa-qābala bayna raʼyihi wa-muʻāraḍatihi fīhi, wa-istawḍaḥa minhu asbāb al-muʻāraḍah bi-luṭf, in khafiyat. Fa-qad qīla: al-kalām al-layyin maṣāʼid al-qulūb, fa-in waḍaḥa ṣawābuhā, tawaqqafa ʻan raʼyihi wa-shakarahu ʻalá istidrāk zalalihi, wa-talāfī khalalihi, wa-qad manna ʻalayhi idh ṣafaḥa wa-lam yuʼannib, wa-in kāna al-ṣawāb maʻa al-wazīr talaṭṭafa fī īḍāḥ ṣawābihi, wa-kashafa ʻilalahu wa-asbābahu, fa-in sāʻadahu ʻalá imḍāʼihi amḍāhu, wa-kāna dark tanfīdhihi ʻāʼidan ʻalá al-wazīr dūna al-malik, wa-in lam yusāʻidʹhu ʻalayhi tawaqqafa ʻanhu inqiyādan li-ṭāʻatihi. Fa-qad qāla baʻḍ al-salaf: man ḍanna bi-ʻirḍihi fa-l-yadaʻ al-mirāʼ. Wa-qāla: khalli al-ṭarīq li-man lā yafīq, wa-yakūnu dark wuqūfihi ʻāʼidan ʻalá al-malik dūna al-wazīr.

Wa-al-qism al-thālith tanfīdh mā ṣadara ʻan khulafāʼihi ʻalá al-aʻmāl allatī fawwaḍahā ilá ārāʼihim, wa-wakkalahā ilá ijtihādihim, fa-in tafarradū bi-tanfīdhihā amḍāhā lahum, wa-lam yataʻaqqabhā mā lam yataḥaqqaq zalaluhum fīhā. Wa-kāna dark tanfīdhihā ʻāʼidan ʻalá al-ʻummāl dūna al-wazīr, wa-in waqafūhā ʻalá tanfīdh al-wazīr, fa-ʻalayhi fī tanfīdhihā ḥaqqān: aḥaduhumā an yastakshifa ʻan asbābihā li-yaʻlama khaṭaʼahā min ṣawābihā: wa-al-thānī taqwiyat aydīhim wa-nafy al-irtiyāb ʻanhum, fa-in ẓuhūr al-irtiyāb yukhnīhim. Wa-qad qāla ḥakīm al-Furs: laysa aḥad abʻad min al-khayr min ithnayn manzilatuhumā wāḥidah, wa-ʻilaluhumā mukhtalifah, aḥaduhumā man lā yathiqu bi-aḥad, wa-al-thānī man lā yathiqu bihi aḥad, fa-in naffadhahā lahum ḥīna lam yataḥaqqaq zalaluhum fīhā, kāna dark tanfīdhihā ʻāʼidan ʻalá al-ʻummāl dūna al-wazīr, wa-in waqafahā kāna dark wuqūfihā ʻāʼidan ʻalá al-wazīr dūna al-ʻummāl.

Wa-al-qism al-rābiʻ tanfīdh umūr al-raʻāyā ʻalá mā alifūhu min ʻādāt wa-muʻāmalāt, wa-ikhtalafū fīhā ḥattá iʼtalafū bihā; li-anna al-nās majbūlūna ʻalá al-ḥājah ilá anwāʻ lā yaqdiru al-wāḥid an yaqūma bi-jamīʻihā, fa-khūlifa bayna himamihim li-yanfarida kull qawm bi-nawʻ minhā; fa-yaʼtalifū bihā fa-yaqūma al-zurrāʻ bi-mazāriʻihim; wa-yatashāghala al-ṣunnāʻ bi-ṣanāʼiʻihim. Wa-yatawaffaru al-tujjār ʻalá matājirihim. Wa-qad qāla Ḥimyar al-malik li-wazīrihi: al-nās arbaʻ ṭabaqāt ṭabaqah lil-furūsīyah alḥaqahum bi-al-sharaf, wa-ṭabaqah li-iqāmat al-diyānah alḥaqahum bi-al-kifāyah, wa-ṭabaqah lil-zirāʻah wa-al-ʻimārah ajarahum ʻalá al-inṣāf, wa-ṭabaqah lil-mihan lā tukhlihim min al-iḥsān. Wa-ʻalayhi fī tanfīdhihā lahum ḥaqqān: aḥaduhumā an lā yuʻāriḍa ṣinfan minhum fī maṭlabihi; wa-al-thānī an lā yushārikahu fī maksabihi. Wa-rubbamā kāna lil-sulṭān raʼy fī al-istiʼthār min aḥad al-aṣnāf fa-yanqula ilayhi man lā yaʼlafuhu fa-yakhtalla al-niẓām bihim fī-mā naqalū ʻanhu wa-fī-mā naqalū ilayhi, li-anna tamayyuzahum bi-ilhām al-ṭibāʻ aʻdal fī iʼtilāfihim min al-taṣannuʻ lahā, wa-rubbamā ḍanna al-sulṭān ʻalayhim bi-makāsibihim fa-taʻarraḍa lahā aw shārakahum fīhā, fa-ittajara maʻa al-tujjār, wa-zaraʻa maʻa al-zurrāʻ, wa-hādhā wahn fī ḥuqūq al-siyāsah, wa-qadḥ fī shurūṭ al-riyāsah min wajhayn: aḥaduhumā annahu idhā taʻarraḍa li-amr qaṣarat fīhi yad man ʻadāhu, fa-in tawarraka ʻalayhi lam yanhaḍ bihi, wa-in shūrika fīhi ḍāqa ʻalá ahlihi. Wa-qad ruwiya ʻan al-nabī ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla: « mā ʻadala wāl ittajara fī raʻīyatihi ». Wa-al-thānī anna al-mulūk ashraf al-nās manṣiban, fa-khuṣṣū bi-mawādd al-salṭanah li-annahā ashraf al-mawādd maksaban, fa-in zāḥamū al-ʻāmmah fī dark makāsibihim aw hanū al-raʻāyā bi-sūʼ al-mamālik, wa-ʻāda wahnuhum ʻalayhā fa-ikhtalla niẓāmuhā, wa-iʻtalla marāmuhā. Wa-qad ruwiya ʻan al-nabī ṣallá Allāh ʻalayhi wa-sallama annahu qāla: « idhā ittajara al-rāʻī uhmilat al-raʻīyah ». Wa-qāla baʻḍ al-ḥukamāʼ: idhā lam yakun fī sulṭān al-malik surūr al-raʻīyah, kāna mulkuhu ẓulman. Wa-kataba ḥakīm al-Rūm ilá al-Iskandar: ay malik taṭallaʻat nafsuhu ilá al-muḥaqqarāt fa-al-mawt akram lahu.