Introduction
The Holy Qur’an provides the philosophical theory of governance. Imam Ali applied the theory to best practice. Imam Khamenei developed them into the primary Blueprint for Progress.
The Quranic verses are, inter alia, on government, command, and guardianship with trust obligations between government and citizens – with limits on their respective powers.
Imam Ali’s altruistic ‘Document of Instruction 53’
The trustworthy Imam Ali appointed Malik al-Ashtar al-Nakha’i as the governor of Egypt in 658 CE in painful times. He had written his lengthiest document to him giving guidance on many aspects of governance: the qualifications and responsibilities of a governor; ruling in favour of the people; choice of counsellors; the army; the chief judge; executive officers; administration of revenues; secretarial workers; traders and industrialists; the lowest classes; communion with God; and the behaviour and conduct of a ruler.
Ruling with a merciful heart
He urged him to rule with a dispassionate, merciful, affectionate, and kind heart for the people. Allow for them to make mistakes and extend to them forgiveness and pardon. Be merciful in punishing. Not to act hastily during anger. Avoid pride and vanity. Avoid oppression. Rule with wisdom and justice.
Rule in favour of the people
In the rule of universal justice the dissent of the common people transcends the consent of state chiefs (bureaucrats). Imam Ali urged the Malik, ‘Your leanings should therefore be towards them (people) and your inclination with them.’ Stop hatred, enmity, and backbiting.
Choice of counsellors
Avoid choosing counsellors who are misers, cowards, greedy, mischievous, and oppressors. Choose those who are least troublesome, considerate, truthful, educatable, and give best support. Treat them with kindness. He counselled, ‘Keep on increasing your conversations with scholars and discussions with the wise.’
Interdependence of classes
A society prospers in peace on the harmonious interdependence of all classes of people from government functionaries to the army to traders to industrialists to workers to the poor and needy. He stated, ‘Everyone of them has a right on the ruler according to what is needed for his prosperity.’
The army
Imam Ali enumerated the qualities of an army chief: slow to anger; kind to the weak; strict with the strong; ‘violence should not raise his temper’; singlemindedness in fighting the enemy; courage, valour, generosity, honour, and virtue.
Choice of Chief Justice
Be objective and not subjective. Be averse to vexation, enragement, grudge, greed, disgust, vanity, and superficiality. Be ponderous on doubt, patient in probing, and fearless in judgment.
Choice of executive officers
Select them after tests. Avoid partiality and favouritism because they constitute injustice. Choose people of experience, modesty, virtue, good manners, trustworthy, truthful, and untarnished honour.
Administration of revenues
When applying land tax (kharaj) allow landowners to prosper. The cultivation of productive land is more important than collection of tax because productivity ensures the prosperity and progress of all. Compensate destructive acts of nature as just and kind relief from distress.
The secretarial workers
Select those who enjoy the support of the people to be in charge of state affairs. Entrust policies and secrets to those of trustworthy character. They should not make agreements that are beyond their powers.
Traders and industrialists
Counsel traders, industrialists, shopkeepers, and workers because they are the sources of profit and the providers of goods. They make available useable goods that they bring from afar across land, sea, and mountains but some of them hoard goods only to profiteer from high prices. He states, ‘Stop people from hoarding because the Messenger of Allah prohibited it.’
The lowest class
It is the duty of the state to take charge of the rights of the poor, the disabled, the aged, orphans, beggars and others to shares from the public funds and crops.
Communion with God
He encouraged self-purification through fulfilment of obligations to God as daily duty.
The behaviour and action of a Ruler
He advises against the ruler secluding himself from the people for prolonged time lest it cause mutual ignorance of one another and loss of hope in the generous treatment from the ruler. He should destroy the root of evil in the people. Avoid making land grants to his favourite supporters. Protect the irrigation rights of the surrounding areas. Incline towards peace because it brings rest to the army and relief from worries and safety for the country. He urged the fulfilment of treaty obligations otherwise it leads to dangers. He states, ‘You should avoid shedding blood without justification’.
(‘Document of Instruction 53’: pp 423-470 vol.2: Ansariyan Publications: Nahj al-Balaghah: Imam Ali)
Imam Khamenei’s 50-year Blueprint
The Imam developed the Blueprint for Progress (2015-2065), consolidated on 14 October 2018 after three years of consultation.
The foundations
Its foundations entail Islamic, philosophical, and scientific prerequisites for progress. Its ideals are guiding values for progress that transcend spacetime. Its mission is the pact for progress. Its horizon is the projection of ideas. Its strategies are long-term decisions and actions.
Its seven foundations are theistic, ideological, anthropological, sociological, meritocratic, theological, and idealistic.
Mission
Its mission is movement with wisdom, faith, and commitment towards creating a new Islamic civilization with consideration for people and the natural environment.
Horizon
Its horizon is a 50-year vision on how to achieve the mission. It states boldly, ‘By 2065, Iran is going to be an international pioneer in producing Islamic-human sciences and elevated culture; it is going to be among the top five countries of the world in producing ideas, science, and technology; and will enjoy a knowledge-based, self-sufficient economy that relies on rationality and Islamic spirituality and among the top ten economies of the world.’
Security
It includes the maximization of water, energy, and food security and the minimization of social inequality. It aims to achieve intergenerational justice and the eradication of poverty, corruption, and discrimination.
Public vote
It will continue to rely on the ‘public vote through free participation of the people in elections’. It states, ‘Iran will maintain full authority for a deterrent defence of dignity, national sovereignty, and independence’.
Aims
It aims to be placed among the top four Asian countries and the top seven countries of the world. It has a 56-fold strategy to realise the Blueprint. The 49-fold states, ‘Full implementation of the guarantees foreseen in the Constitution – in the areas of social and individual liberties, education, and extension of civil rights and responsibilities – enhancing the sense of freedom in individuals.’
Women and motherhood
The 41-fold states, ‘Improving women’s space and rights, while upgrading their social realms and fair opportunities, and insistence on the sacred role of motherhood.’
Economic and infrastructure development
It aims to enhance decentralised economic and infrastructure development with the export of value-added domestic products. It aims to reduce energy consumption and to adjust the share of energy production and energy consumption from clean energy sources.
Public property rights
The 28-fold states, ‘Maintaining public property rights over natural resources and national wealth, while observing protection, environmental and intergenerational considerations in exploiting them.’
Conclusion
The implementation of the 56-fold strategy requires the ongoing development of a team of skilful tacticians, the key to which is the professional development of teachers and professors.
The Blueprint for Progress is an achievable mission.
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Note:
China was the first country in modern history to create a 50-year strategy (1950-2000) to become a major world power. It was created by Mao Zedong, the philosopher-soldier, who led the historic Long March of 12500km (1934-36). It began with 206000 people and ended with 57000 survivors. But the War of Liberation continued until final victory in 1949. Two years after Mao’s death it fell upon Premier Deng Xiaoping (1978-1989), as a skilful tactician, to continue the strategy that was realised in less than fifty years. This included lifting 850-million people out of extreme poverty.
By Haroon Aziz, South Africa
