Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

(v) ”Bait-ul-Maal” was not considered as personal property of the ”Khalifah”.
For the first time in the history, the treasury or the ”Bait-ulMaal” was considered as public property and not the persona! property of the rul^r. They considered it as a great trust of the Muslims and never spent even a single dirham accorjing to their own, choice. Hazrat Abu Bakr (Rad.A) and Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) and Hazrat Ali (Rad.A) took only that amount of salary from the Bait-ulMaal which was sufficient for a common man. Hazrat Usman (R.ad.A”* ”ever took anything from the Bait-ul-Maal. Once Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) asked Hazrat Salman Farsi (Rad.A), ”Tel! me whether I am a king or Khalifah.” He replied, ”If you impose tax of even a single Dirham as a Muslim wrongly and spend it wrongly, you are a King, otherwise you are a Khalifah”.
Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) clarified on various occasions what a ”Khalifah” was entitled to take from the Bait-ul-Maal ” for his use. He said, ”Nothing is Halal” for me and for my family from Allah’s money (i.e. the Bait-ul-Maal), except a dress for the summer and a dress for the winter, and a salary equal to the income of an average Qurayshi. I am no more than an ordinary Muslim amongst you”. Hazrat Abu Bakr (Rad.A) took a small salary from the ”Bait-ulMaal” which was barely enough for his family. At the time of his

* death he asked his wife to sell his property and pay back the money he took from the ”Bait-ul-Maal” as his salary. Hazrat Ali (Rad.A) followed the example of Hazrat Abu Bakr (Rad.A) and Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) and took a salary equal to an ordinary Muslim’s income. He used to wear a Tai’mad having a number of patches on it, and there were a number of patches in his shirt as well. They all treated the ”Bait-ul-Maal” as a trust. (vi) Supremacy of Law

In those days the Islamic Law was supreme. The ”Qazis” and the Courts were never interfered in their proceedings. They were totally free from any kind of pressure. The ”Khalifah” did not think of himself as an extraordinary person, independent of the law. In the eyes of law he was just an ordinary Muslim. A Qazi was free to give decision against the ”Khalifah” as he was free to give it against a common man. The example of Hazrat Umar’s time has already mentioned. Here is cited an example of Hazrat Ali’s time. Once Hazrat Ali (Rad.A) saw a Christian selling his lost armour during his Caliphate. He did not take it by force but put him in the Court.

336 Political and Cultural History of Islam

Hazrat Ali (Rad.A) had no evidence to prove that it was his armour and the Qazi gave his decision in favour of the Christian. Whenever ”Khalifah” appeared before a ”Qazi” he did not allow the ”Qazi” to pay to him undue respect and asked him to treat him (the Khalifah) like a common Muslim. (vii) The Government (Khilafat) was treated as a ”Trust”
They did not treat the Government (Khalifat) as their inherited right but as a great ”Trust” and as such they declared themselves as ”Trustees”. The first address of Hazrat Abu Bakr (Rad.A), after he was made the ”Khalifah” has already been mentioned in which he said, ”1 have been appointed as a ruler over you, although I am not the best amongst you. 1 swear by Allah who holds my life in His hands that I never wanted it (i.e. the ”Khilafat)
and I never prayed to get it Obey me till 1 obey Allah and his
Prophet.” Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) declared, ”Don’t obey me when I am disobeying Allah. 1 explain to you the rights you have over me and you are free to demand them anytime....”. Whenever Hazrat Umar (Rad.A) appointed a Governor or an officer he advised him, ”I am not appointing you to be the master of the public. You have been appointed so that you may establish Salat, and observe justice and pay the rights of the people to them”. Hazrat Usman (Rad.A) said in his first address. ”I am to follow my predecessors and not to create a new thing in the Government. 1 promise you to obey the Book of Allah, to follow the Sunnah of His Prophet and to be observant in three matters:
(a) The principles formed on the basis of the conscious opinion of the Muslims will be obeyed, (b) in case I do not find any principle set by my predecessors 1 will decide a case after due consultation, (c) I will not punish you until it is due in law”. When Hazrat Ali (Rad.A) appointed Hazrat Qais Ibn Sa’d (Rad.A) as the Governor of Egypt he sent a communication to the Muslims of Egypt which read: ”You have the right to see if we are following the Book of Allah and Sunnah of His Holy Prophet, and are ruling over you according to the right path; and that we may order you even at your
back”.
The above examples clearly show that they treated the government as a great trust entrusted by Allah and not an inherited institution like kingship.3
3 Levy. Social Structure of Islam, P.278.
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