ALI Logo ALI
Search Books Updates
Home / Books / Nahj al-Balāgha / Volume 1 / Instructions for Malik al-Ashtar upon his appointment as the governor of Egypt / Hadith 1530
Hadith 1530
Hadith #
1530
Book
Nahj al-Balāgha
Volume
1
Section
53
Part
Letters
Chapter
Instructions for Malik al-Ashtar upon his appointment as the governor of Egypt
Source
al-Sharīf al-Raḍī
۞
You should avoid shedding blood without justification, because nothing is more inviting of Divine retribution, greater in (evil) consequence, and more effective in the decline of prosperity and cutting short of life than the shedding of blood without justification. On the Day of Judgement Allāh the Glorified, would commence giving His judgement among the people with the cases of bloodshed committed by them. Therefore, do not strengthen your authority by shedding prohibited blood because this will weaken and lower the authority, moreover destroy it and shift it.
إِيَّاكَ وَالدَّمَاءَ وَسَفْكَهَا بِغَيْرِ حِلِّهَا، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ أَدْعَى لِنِقْمَةٍ، وَلَا أَعْظَمَ لِتَبِعَةٍ، وَلَا أَحْرَى بِزَوَالِ نِعْمَةٍ، وَانْقِطَاعِ مُدَّةٍ، مِنْ سَفْكِ الدِّمَاءِ بِغَيْرِ حَقِّهَا، وَاللهُ سُبْحَانَهُ مُبْتَدِئٌ بِالْحُكْمِ بَيْنَ الْعِبَادِ، فِيمَا تَسَافَكُوا مِنَ الدِّمَاءِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، فَلَا تُقَوِّيَنَّ سُلْطَانَكَ بِسَفْكِ دَمٍ حَرَامٍ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِمَّا يُضْعِفُهُ وَيُوهِنُهُ، بَلْ يُزيِلُهُ وَيَنْقُلُهُ.
Tags JusticeBlood Money (Diya)Legal PenaltiesGovernance

Similar narrations

  • Nahj al-Balāgha #1531 You cannot offer any excuse before Allāh or before me for wilful killing because there must be the question of revenge in it. If you are...
All narrations in Instructions for Malik al-Ashtar upon his appointment as the governor of Egypt Browse all books Search more hadith
Rewayaat

A project of the Academy for Learning Islam. Search, browse, and study Shi'i narrations in Arabic and English.

Explore
Updates Search Tips API Documentation
Contact
rewayaat.org@gmail.com GitHub Repository Academy of Islam
© 2026 Academy for Learning Islam (A.L.I.)
Content and translations remain the responsibility of their original sources.