Justice – The Abrogated Code

English Translation

We now stand at the heart of the book and the pinnacle of Khwaja Ubayd Zakani’s political philosophy; for justice is the synthesis of the four virtues and the pillar of the realm. In this opening passage, the poet lays out the towering tenets of the “abrogated doctrine” of justice. He cites the famous Prophetic saying, “By justice, the heavens and the earth endure,” and the noble verse, “Indeed, Allah commands justice and benevolence,” to illustrate how—in times past—both rulers and commoners regarded justice as the foundation for the state’s survival and a pathway to the rectitude of hearts.

The eminent figures among the early generations considered justice to be the cornerstone of the four cardinal virtues (alongside wisdom, courage, and chastity), and they built upon it the very pillars of affairs concerning both this life and the Hereafter.

They held an unwavering conviction that

by justice, the heavens and the earth endure,

and that they were commanded and duty-bound by the words of the Almighty:

“Indeed, Allah commands justice and benevolence.”

For this reason, sultans, emirs, high-ranking officials, and viziers consistently devoted their efforts to upholding justice and attending to the affairs of both the citizenry and the military, regarding this as the primary source of glory—for the state—and of a good reputation; indeed, their conviction in this principle was so profound that even the common people adopted the path of justice in their buying, selling, and business partnerships.

In this regard, they used to say:

“Be just; for the one who acts justly within the realm of the heart—that inner dominion of the soul—knocks at the very door of prophet-hood.”

The Underlying Meaning and Satirical Symbolism of This Passage

In this passage, the poet Ubayd Zakani perfects the ideal structure of the book’s most significant chapter:

Justice as a Prerequisite for the State and the Cosmos: The poet elevates the established doctrine of justice to a universal and divine principle. Justice is not merely a political choice; rather, it is the fundamental law upon which the heavens and the earth are founded, and the pillar that upholds the order of both worldly livelihood and the Hereafter.

The Interconnection Between the Ruler’s Conduct and the People’s Morality: The poet illustrates how the practice of justice by sultans and viziers—or the lack thereof—directly impacts the common people. Thus, they conduct their trade and partnerships with integrity, for justice becomes the governing ethos within the realm of the heart.

Paving the way for the major trap in “The Chosen Doctrine“: This impassioned exaltation of justice sets the stage for the massive political shock in the coming passage. It reveals how the “nobles” and sultans of his era (such as the Muzaffarids in Kerman and Shiraz) viewed justice as “the most detestable course of action and the one most destructive to the kingdom,” believing that if a sultan did not practice oppression, confiscate people’s wealth, and shed blood, his authority would vanish and his state would collapse.

Vocabulary for Learning

• Four Virtues (Faḍā’il-i Arba‘ah): The four cardinal virtues in classical moral philosophy (wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice).
• Spreading Justice (Ishā‘at-i Ma‘dalat): Disseminating justice and ensuring fairness among the people.
• Caring for Subjects and Soldiers (Ri‘āyat-i Umūr-i Ra‘iyyat va Sipāhī): Safeguarding the interests of the general populace and the army, in accordance with the principles of royal conduct.
• The Realm of the Heart (Vilāyat-i Dil): The domain of the heart and the inner sovereignty of the spirit.
• Knocking at the Door of Prophethood (Dar-i Payghambarī Zadan): Knocking at the door of prophethood; a metaphor for attaining spiritual heights and drawing near to the noble moral station of the prophets.

Arabic Translation

نَحْنُ الآنَ في قَلْبَ الكِتَابِ وَذِرْوَةَ الْفَلْسَفَةِ السِّيَاسِيَّةِ لِلخَوَاجَه عُبَيْدِ الزَّاكَانِيِّ؛ فَالْعَدَالَةُ هِيَ جَامِعَةُ الْفَضَائِلِ الأَرْبَعِ وَعِمَادُ الْمُلْكِ، و فِي هَذَا المَقْطِعِ الأَوَّلِ، يَضَعُ الشاعر الْمَعَالِمَ الشَّامِخَةَ لِـ «الْمَذْهَبِ الْمَنْسُوخِ» فِي الْعَدْلِ؛ إِذْ يَسْتَشْهِدُ بِالأَثَرِ النَّبَوِيِّ الشَّهِيرِ («بالعدل قامت السموات والأرض») وَالآيَةِ الْكَرِيمَةِ ﴿إن الله يأمر بالعدل والإحسان﴾، لِيُبَيِّنَ كَيْفَ كَانَ الْمُلُوكُ وَالْعَوَامُّ فِي الزَّمَانِ الْخَالِي يَعْتَبِرُونَ الْعَدْلَ سَبَبَ بَقَاءِ الدَّوْلَةِ وَطَرِيقاً لِصَلاَحِ الْقُلُوبِ

عَدَّ أَكَابِرُ السَّلَفِ الْعَدَالَةَ قِوِامَ الْفَضَائِلِ الأَرْبَعِ (الْحِكْمَةِ، الشَّجَاعَةِ، وَالْعَفَافِ) ، وَأَقَامُوا عَلَيْهَا عِمَادَ أُمُورِ الْمَعَاشِ وَالْمَعَادِ

وَكَانَ إعْتِقَادُهُمْ كَامِلاً فِي أَنَّهُ

بِالْعَدْلِ قَامَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ

وَأَنَّهُمْ مَأْمُورُونَ مُكَلَّفُونَ بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ

وَلِذَلِكَ كَانَ السَّلاَطِينُ وَالأُمَرَاءُ وَالأَكَابِرُ وَالْوُزَرَاءُ يَصْرِفُونَ هِمَمَهُمْ دَائِمًا إِلَى إِشَاعَةِ الْعَدْلِ، وَرِعَايَةِ أُمُورِ الرَّعِيَّةِ وَالْجُنْدِ، وَيَعُدُّونَ ذَلِكَ السَّبَبَ الأَكْبَرَ لِلْمَجْدِ (الدَّوْلَةِ) وَالسُّمْعَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ؛ وَبَلَغَ إِيمَانُهُمْ بِهَذَا الأَصْلِ أَنَّ الْعَوَامَّ كذلك كَانُوا يَسْلُكُونَ طَرِيقَ الْعَدْلِ فِي بَيْعِهِمْ وَشِرَائِهِمْ وَشَرَكَاَتِهِمْ

وَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ فِي ذَلِكَ

أعْدِلْ؛ فَإِنَّ العَادِلَ فِي إِقْلِيمِ الْقَلْبِ (وِلاَيَةِ القلب/سلطان الروح الداخلي)
يَقْرَعُ بَابَ النُّبُوَّةِ (يَقترب من باب النُّبُوَّةِ بشكل كبير)

الْمَعْنَى الْبَاطِنُ وَالرَّمْزِيَّةُ السَّاخِرَةُ لِهَذَا الْمَقْطِعِ

يَسْتَكْمِلُ الشاعر عبيد زاكاني فِي هَذَا المَقْطِعِ إِحْكَامَ البِنَاءِ المِثَالِيِّ لِأَعْظَمِ أَبْوَابِ الكِتَابِ

الْعَدْلُ كَشَرْطٍ لِوُجُودِ الدَّوْلَةِ وَالْكَوْنِ: يَصُوغُ الشاعر الْمَذْهَبَ الْمَنْسُوخَ فِي الْعَدَالَةِ صِيَاغَةً كَوْنِيَّةً وَشَرِيعَةً؛ فَالْعَدْلُ لَيْسَ مُجَرَّدَ خِيَارٍ سِيَاسِيٍّ، بَلْ هُوَ النَّوَامِيسُ الَّتِي قَامَتْ بِهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ، وَبِهِ يَسْتَقِيمُ عِمَادُ “الْمَعَاشِ وَالْمَعَادِ” مَعاً

التَّرَابُطُ بَيْنَ سُلُوكِ الْحَاكِمِ وَأَخْلاَقِ الشَّعْبِ: يُظْهِرُ الشاعر كَيْفَ أَنَّ إِشَاعَةَ الْعَدْلِ مِنْ قِبَلِ السَّلاَطِينِ وَالْوُزَرَاءِ فِي الزَّمَانِ الْحالِي يَنْعَكِسُ مَُبَاشَرَةً عَلَى الْعَوَامِّ؛ فَيَتَعَامَلُونَ بِالأَمَانَةِ فِي التِّجَارَةِ وَالشَّرَاكَةِ، لأَنَّ الْعَدْلَ يَصْبَحُ ثَقَافَةً حَاكِمَةً فِي إِقْلِيمِ الْقَلْبِ

التَّمْهِيدُ لِلْمَصْيَدَةِ الْكُبْرَى فِي «الْمَذْهَبِ الْمُخْتَارِ»: هَذَا التَّبْجِيلُ الشَّادِي لِلْعَدْلِ هُوَ التَّمْهِيدُ لِلصَّدْمَةِ السِّيَاسِيَّةِ الْكُبْرَى فِي المَقْطِعِ الْقَادِمِ؛ حَيْثُ سَيُكْشَفُ كَيْفَ يَرَى “أَشْرَافُ” وَسَلاَطِينُ عَصْرِهِ (كَالمُظَفَّرِيِّين في كِرْمَانَ وَشِيرَازَ) أَنَّ الْعَدْلَ هُوَ “أَبْغَضُ السِّيَرِ وَأَشَدُّهَا إِخْلاَلاً بِالْمُلْكِ”، وأن السُّلْطَانَ إِذَا لَمْ يَظْلِمْ وَيُصَادِرْ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ وَيَسْفِكِ الدِّمَاءَ، زَالَتْ هَيْبَتُهُ وَانْهَارَتْ دَوْلَتُهُ

الْكَلِمَاتُ للتعلم

فضایل اربعه: الفضائل الأربع الرئيسية في فلسفة الأخلاق الكلاسيكية (الحكمة، الشجاعة، العفاف، والعدالة)
اشاعت مَعدلت: إشاعة العدل وتعميم القسط بين الناس
رعایت امور رعیت و سپاهی: السهر على مصالح عامة الشعب والجيش وفق مفهوم آداب الملوك
ولایتِ دل: إقليم القلب وسلطان الروح الداخلي
درِ پیغمبری زدن: قرع باب النبوة، كناية عن بلوغ السامي والإقتراب من المقام الأخلاقي الشريف للأنبياء

Persian Text

اکابر سلف عدالت را یکی از فضایل اربعه شمرده‌اند، و بنای امور معاش و معاد بر آن نهاده‌اند

معتقد ایشان آن بوده که «بالعدل قامت السموات و الارض» و خود مامور «ان الله یامر بالعدل والاحسان»…بداشتندی

بنابراین سلاطین و امرا و اکابر و وزرا دایم همّت بر اشاعت معدلت و رعایت امور رعیت و سپاهی گماشتندی، و آن را سبب دولت و نیک‌نامی شناختندی؛ و این قسم را چنان معتقد بوده‌اند که عوام نیز در معاملات و مشارکات طریق عدالت کار فرمودندی و گفتندی

عدل کُن زآنکه در ولایت دل
در پیغمبری زند عادل