Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 63
63 Thirdly, Islam lays down that in the case of a ruler who goes off the track of justice, his subordinates should try to reform him, by tendering good advice in time, for such counselling being in the interests of public peace is in no way less estimable than the highest form of Jihad. But, since some subordinates are prone to take a wrong step in this direction on account of consideration of personal prestige, or in haste on account of an improper sense of rivalry or sense of personal grievance, therefore, as in the case of Pharaoh, God the Excellent commanded Moses (May peace of Allah be on him) to address the Pharaoh in polite language. Islam forbids a disrespectful attitude or insubordinate language or a rebellious attitude. On the contrary, as has been explained in another Hadith, it considers it better to be patient even in the face of some tyrannies so that the peace of the country and its unity are not endangered, and this is the only middle course along which foundations of real peace can securely be laid in this world. It is, however, a matter of deep regret that these days instead of giving good counsel to officers and keeping them to the path of justice and equity, quite a few people would corrupt them by means of false flattery or by the still dirtier means of bribery and unmerited recommendations and thus persist in destroying their sense of justice. The Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) has cursed both, the one who gives a bribe and the one who accepts it and has observed in another Hadith, The one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it, both are the fuel of fire. If only Islamic countries could get rid of this curse.