Relation between Social Corruption and Justice
When there is poverty in society, one should expect to see social corruption as well.
The principles governing the life of Imam Ali (AS) were based on the Quran and the Holy Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah in all aspects.
In terms of social action and interaction with the society, his conduct was in accordance with the divine and prophetic teachings and can be a model for everyone to follow.
Bakhshali Ghanbari, a Nahj al-Balagha researcher, has discussed this in a series of lectures. Here are excerpts from the tenth session:
The late Sayyid Radhi writes the title at the beginning of Sermon 129 of Nahj al-Balagha: “His (Imam Ali’s) sermon about measurements and scales”. Imam (AS) in this sermon talks about people doing business and weighing things and possible defrauding (being fraudulent in weighing and measuring).
Actually, this sermon is about social ethics and Imam Ali (AS) is someone who is very sensitive about justice everywhere. He emphasized that all affairs of Muslim must be based on Islam and all aspects of a Muslim society must be Islamic. We should not attach importance to minor issues and forget major issues.
Imam Ali (AS) says that all things in the Islamic society should be balanced. What Imam (AS) says in this sermon is that everyone, including a businessman, a manufacturer, a government employee, etc, and in general the government and the nation must move on the path of justice.
In Sermon 129, Imam (AS) mentions a profound point: “Cast your glance over people wherever you like, you will see either a poor man suffering from poverty, or a rich man ignoring Allah despite His bounty over him, or a miser increasing his wealth by trampling on Allah's obligations, or an unruly person closing his ears to all counsel.”
Given this point, uprooting poverty is among the responsibilities of governments, particularly an Islamic government.
When there is poverty in society, one should expect to see social corruption as well.
