Avoiding deceit in politics

The legislators of the religion of Islam (God and the holy prophet) have demanded adherence to moral and religious principles in all Muslim’s life affairs. One who claims to be a Muslim should visibly adhere to the principles in all his actions, behavior and words, as it is taken from the holy Quran and Sunna ,and there is not only no opportunity for violating them in politics domain but the prophet and Imam Ali’s (peace be upon him) custom, especially in their government period, approves the combination of ethics and politics in practical politics domain clearly and evidently. Religious discourse indicates it in Muslim’s public and private arena utterly. One of the most important moral evils, particularly in practical politics which takes place frequently are trickery and deceit which ethics scholars consider them as great destroyers. The history of evolution of political power in the world is unfortunately mixed with these two evil and immoral traits in practical politics.
To explain the dangers of trickery and deceit, recognized as great destroyers, it’s been said that sin and offence of using trickery and fraud is more than harassing and annoying others obviously and openly since one who knows there is a noxious person who will harass and bother him, he acts cautiously and tries to keep himself from him but when someone doesn’t know if such a person exists, how could he ever be cautious?
A tricky and sly person often decorates himself in clothes of friendship, compassion and truthfulness and hides his malevolence and then he gets stuck in other men’s traps of trickery and deceit unfairly and unconsciously.
Based on what is implied of Quran, Sunna and narratives in Islam, using this unfair method is forbidden generally and particularly in politics domain and political power. It’s even forbidden to use it against enemies and pagans. In the resurrection, informed of by the holy Quran, there is no place to justify using it. God says in the holy Quran:
“And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We as Reckoners.”
1. A review on the most important teachings of Sunna on the necessity of avoiding trickery and deceit to attain a goal
Many traditions have been mentioned to necessitate avoiding trickery, deceit and betrayal in the public and private arena in the religious discourse some of which directly pertain to politics domain.

Some are mentioned here:
First tradition:

This tradition which was mentioned in Nahjolbagha is a very clear, articulate and evident one which is exactly on the attitude and environment ruling practical politics. Imam

Ali (PBUH) said delivering a sermon in Kufah :

“Oh people, if it weren’t bad and evil to break promises and betray, I would then be the cleverest but those who break promises are sinners and sinners are disobedient. Promise breaker, sinner, who has no fear to use this method to reach a goal, and traitors will be on fire.”
The following saying of Imam Ali is more relevantly stated on politics realm and using immoral instruments and methods in the political power arena.
A group says to Airalmomenin that Muavie was apparently smarter and more tactful than him in politics and advancing political goals. Imam answers:
“By God, Moavieh is not more clever than me. He breaks promises and sins (he tricks and deceives). If it weren’t evil and undesirable to break promises, I would be the most clever. But those who break promises are sinners and sinners are debauchers and disobedient.
Anyone who breaks promises will have a flag through which he will be recognized in the resurrection.”

Second narration:

Imam Sadegh (PBUH) quoted from the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him):
“Any tricky promise breaker will enter the resurrection with his leader while his lips are lop-sided until he eventually enters fire and the hell .Ironically, his bad behavior will be shown in his appearance.”

Third tradition:

Using immoral and non-human ways to fight pagans and destroy them like using poison (especially pouring it in their water or meals) is forbidden. Imam Sadegh(PBUH) quotes from Imam Ali (PBUH) and he quotes from the God’s prophet:
“The prophet prohibited it to use poison to kill pagans in their cities.” The honorable prophet even banned killing domestic animals of the companions except those animals whose flesh was used to cook food i.e. he didn’t recommend transgression of religious and moral limits let alone killing the human and even pagans.
In fact he, whose words and behavior are a paragon for all Muslims according to the Quran, behaved exactly like this guideline of Quran:
“Lest enmity towards an ethnic group should provoke you to transgress justice and equity limits and quit justice. Be just and fair which it is closer to piety.”

Forth tradition

Sheikh Sadegh ;Ebne Babuye has quoted the following tradition on the retribution of trickery and fraud.
Mohammad-ebne- Hassan has quoted from his father and he from his grand father Amiralmomenin Ali (PBUH) who frequently said: “the deceitful and tricky will be both on fire.”

Fifth tradition:

Imam Ali (PBUH) said rejecting the request of a group who had asked him to first appoint someone ,who opposes Imam and wants to reach power to rule , and then dismiss him in order to make him contemptible and abject in front of people:
“The tricky, deceitful and traitor will be on fire.”
Assassinating people while they are not aware is not compatible with Islamic moral politics. It’s referred to as “fataka” in narrative texts. To define “fataka”, it’s been said:
“Assassination is to attack one with whom you have made friends and kill him. It’s the most dangerous trick and religious leaders have forbidden this immoral act.”
It’s been quoted from Imam Sadegh (PBUH):
“Islam hinders assassination.”
In Islam’s history, there are examples and instances to avoid assassinating a cruel and dangerous guy who made the Karbala event under the order of Yazid.
When Hani was sick in bed in Kufah, Obeidollahebne ziyad, who made karbala catastrophe and was yazid’s agent visited him. Moslemebne Aghil who was Imam Hossein’s representative was at Hani’s. According to Ebne Asir, Ammare ben Abdossalva was also present there. He was Shia and had fought Muavie in The Battle of Siffin. He told Muslim to hide himself and attack Obeidollah all of a sudden when he sat there and kill him. Ebneziad went over to Hani’s but Moslemebne Aghil didn’t come out of his hiding place .When he was asked why he didn’t do so, he quoted a narration from Imam Ali (PBUH) who quoted it from the prophet:
“Faith hinders assassination. A believer doesn’t assassinate a believer.”
Ebne Asir says Hani said that Ebneziyad wasn’t a believer and if you killed him you had destroyed a debaucher, pagan, deceitful and traitor. Also it’s been quoted from the honorable prophet who said:
“The one who tricks and deceives won’t be from us.”
2. The necessity to avoid falsehood and an untrue promise
Some clever ethics scholars have explained blights and destroyers (according to Imam Mohammad Ghazali) dividing body organs. Among moral corruptions of the body organs, the main part belongs to the “tongue” which includes 20 moral blights. There are important guidelines and warnings in original religious resources meaning Quran and Sunna in this regard.
One of the important moral codes mentioned in the holy Quran especially on the prophets who have been praised for possessing this important moral trait is veracity and truthfulness.
It’s been stated in the holy Quran:
1. واذکُر فی الکتاب ابراهیم انّه کان صدیقاً نبیاً.(15)
2. واذکُر فی الکتاب ادریس انه کان صدیقاً نبیاً.(16)
3. یاایهاالذین آمنوا اتقوا الله و کونوا مع الصادقین.(17)
4. یا ایهاالذین آمنوا اتقوا الله و قولوا قولاً سدیداً.(18
There is a strange narration on this from Imam Sadegh (PBUH) who said:
“Don’t’ consider the length of bowing and prostration (in prayers) since it might be done habitually so that if the person quits it, he will be worried. Rather consider his truthfulness in speech and trustworthiness.”

Also it’s been quoted from imam Sadegh who said:

“Invite people to goodness not through the tongue but rather act and behave in a way that your effort, endeavor, truthfulness and piety can be seen in your action.”

Imam Sadegh (PBUH) told some of his companions:

“Look at the position and status Imam Ali (PBUH) attained in front of the prophet and became his agent. Truly Ali (PBUH) got the status and became his agent. Truly Ali (PBUH) attained it as a result of his truthfulness and trustworthiness.”
Telling the truth leads to goodness and goodness to the heaven and verily a human tells the truth (and persists on doing it) so that his name is recorded by the truthful God.
Also telling lies leads to different kinds of evils (divulgence) and bad actions impel human to the hell and fire and truly the one who tells lies and persists on it will be called “ a great liar” by God.
Fulfilling the promise is an example of truthfulness in speech. The holy Quran praises the prophet Ismail due to fulfilling his promise and persistence in this moral trait and says:
انه کان صادق الوعد
The God’s prophet said:
There are 3 things (3 bad immoral traits) which if a person possesses them, he’ll be a hypocrite even though he does fasting and prayers and assumes that he is a Muslim:
1. He tells lies when he speaks.2. He breaks his promise when he makes it. He betrays people when they trust him as a trustworthy.

Also it’s been narrated from God’s prophet who said:

“Anyone who believes in God and the resurrection day should fulfill his promise. “

Also another narration from the prophet who said:

“The one who makes promises and doesn’t have the intention and will to fulfill them in the first place is a hypocrite.”
Since hypocrisy is, idiomatically, non-accordance of inwardness and outwardness and intention and action.
One of the over-used immoral methods in politics realm which has a long history is resorting to false speech and lies to cover up realities and justifying misleading people or special groups. It is sometimes justified by the expediency of special people.
This method and other similar immoral ones are used to justify attaining a goal which is mainly stabilizing and maintaining the power in politics which isn’t based on ethics.
In immoral politics, breaking promises, resorting to trickery, deceit and lies replace fulfilling promises, truthfulness and righteousness with the excuse of not wanting to lose power.
Machiavelli says in his book justifying immoral methods in politics opposed to religious and moral politics:
Everyone knows how good it is for Shahriar to be true to his promise and be righteous and non-tricky in life. Nonetheless all experiences of life teach us that Shahriaran who have done great works are those who don’t act righteously and have tricked people and eventually defeated those who act truthfully.
He, then, concludes that there are two ways to fight to reach power or protect it; one through law and the other through force. The former deserves human being and the latter belongs to animals and the wild. And since the former might often be inefficient, the latter is inevitably followed.

He continues:

A clever ruler can’t adhere to his promise and won’t do it when it harms him and there is no reason to adhere to it.
And finally he points out that if all people behaved well, this judgment weren’t true and worthy but since they are badly-behaved and malicious and don’t keep promises, Shahriar and ruler won’t adhere to their promise as a result and there is no Shahriar who doesn’t have a good excuse to break his promise.
He notes in his other book “Speeches” that using immoral methods especially trickery, deceit, power and force is more efficient especially for those who are placed in low and inferior levels and want to achieve greater positions.