Chapter: The virtue of a just ruler and the punishment of a tyrant; Encouragement to treat those under ones authority with kindness and the prohibition against causing them hardship

Behold! the Dispensers of justice will be seated on the pulpits of light beside God, on the right side of the Merciful, Exalted and GlorioUS. Either side of the Being is the right side both being equally mrneritorious. (The Dispensers of justice are) those who do justice in their rules, in matters relating to their families and in all that they undertake to do.

I came to A'isha to inquire something from her. She said: From which people art thou? I said: I am from the people of Egypt. She said: What was the behaviour of your governor towards you in this war of yours? I said: We did not experience anything bad from him. If the camel of a man from us died, he would bestow on him a camel. If any one of us lost his slave, he would give him a slave. If anybody was in need of the basic necessities of life, he would provide them with provisions. She said: Behold! the treatment that was meted out to my brother, Muhammad b. Abu Bakr, does not prevent me from telling you what I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said in this house of mine: O God, who (happens to) acquire some kind of control over the affairs of my people and is hard upon them-be Thou hard upon him, and who (happens to) acquire some kind of control over the affairs of my people and is kind to them-be Thou kind to him.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abd al-Rahman b. Shumasa with another chain of transmitters.

Beware. every one of you is a shepherd and every one is answerable with regard to his flock. The Caliph is a shepherd over the people and shall be questioned about his subjects (as to how he conducted their affairs). A man is a guardian over the members of his family and shal be questioned about them (as to how he looked after their physical and moral well-being). A woman is a guardian over the household of her husband and his children and shall be questioned about them (as to how she managed the household and brought up the children). A slave is a guardian over the property of his master and shall be questioned about it (as to how he safeguarded his trust). Beware, every one of you is a guardian and every one of you shall be questioned with regard to his trust.

This tradition has been narrated through more ; than one chain of transmitters. This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ibn 'Umar , but there is (a slight change of wording) in the hadith transmitted through Zuhri that he said : " I think that he (the narrator) said : The man is a custodian of the wealth of his father , and he would be answerable for what is in his custody." A hadith having the same meaning has been transmitted on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Umar.

Ubaidullah b Ziyad visited Ma'qil b. Yasir al-Muzani in his last iliness. Ma'qil said (to him): I am narrating to you a tradition I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). If I knew that I am to survive this illness. I would, not narrate it to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If God appointed anyone ruler over a people and he died while he was still treacherous to his people, God would forbid his entry into Paradise.

Ibn, Ziyad paid a visit to Ma'qil b. Yasir who was seriously ill. Here follows the same tradition as has gone before with the addition that Ibn Ziyad asked: Why didn't you narrate this tradition to me before this day? Ma'qil reprimanded him and said: I did not narrate it to you or I was not going to narrate it to you.

I am narrating to you a tradition. If I were not at death's door, I would not narrate it to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) say: A ruler who, having obtained control over the affairs of the Muslims, does not strive for their betterment and does not serve them sincerely shall not enter Paradise with them.

My father related to me that Ma'qil b. Yasir fell ill. 'Ubaidullah b. Ziyad called on him to inquire after his health. Here follows the tradition as narrated by Hasan from Ma'qil.

O my son, I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The worst of guardians is the cruel ruler. Beware of being one of them. Ubaidullah said (to him out of arrogance): Sit you down. You are from the chaff of the Companions of Muhammad (ﷺ). A'idh said: Was there worthless chaff among them? Such worthless chaff appeared after them and among other people.