When Ali bin Abi Talib was criticized for being incompetent to be a leader

 

 When Ali bin Abi Talib was criticized for being incompetent to be a leader

Ali bin Abi Talib was the fourth caliph after Uthman bin Affan . This nephew and son-in-law of the Prophet is one of the best friends known for his intelligence and depth of knowledge. Intelligence and depth of knowledge that makes the Prophet dubbed it as the 'gateway of knowledge'.

The intelligence and depth of knowledge possessed by Ali bin Abi Talib also appeared when he served as caliph . As a leader, of course not all the people he leads are satisfied and happy with his performance. There are times when he gets harsh criticism from his people. However, armed with intelligence and knowledge, he can easily dismiss the harsh criticism directed at him.

In Sir aj al-Mulk, Abu Bakr at-Thurthusyi relates that once upon a time there was a person named 'Ubaidah al-Sulaimani, who asked Ali, who was serving as caliph at that time:

"O Commander of the Faithful , why are Abu Bakar and Umar obeyed by their people, even though their territory was no more than a span which then continued to expand? Then when Uthman and you continued the caliphate, the people no longer obeyed, so that this vast territory of power felt narrower than a span for you? "

Hearing Ubaidah 's question, which seemed mocking, Ali did not get angry, instead he answered it with a very striking witty satire:

"The people of Abu Bakr and Umar are people like me and Uthman, while today, my people are people like you"

The story above, in addition to showing Ali bin Abi Talib's intelligence as a leader in responding to criticism, can also be a reminder as well as advice for us as people not to blame time and circumstances. An era becomes bad not because of itself or because of leaders who are in power, the damage of an era is caused by the corruption of our own behavior and actions.

'Abdul Malik bin Marwan, the Umayyad caliph who ruled from 685 to 705 once said:

What you have described, O ten -year -old, you want from us the path of Abu Bakr and Umar, nor do you walk in us, nor in your soul, for your soul,

"How unfair you are to us, people. You want us to act like Abu Bakr and 'Umar while you yourself don't act like the two of them in dealing with us, including yourself. May Allah help us all in all things."

We often use our leaders or government as the cause of the moral decay of society, even though nothing can damage an individual or society more than the individual or society itself. Even though it is true that our leader or government is bad, we must always remember, as quoted by at-Thurthusyi:

Your deeds are your workers, as you are to be taken care of.

“Your deeds determine your rulers. As is your condition, so is your ruler's condition."

Leaders are a reflection of their people. If the people are good, good leaders will be born from there, and vice versa. So, the first thing we have to fix, is ourselves.