He writes:
“….the prosperity or
welfare of each class of the society, individually and collectively, is so
interdependent upon the wellbeing of the other classes...one class cannot exist
peacefully, cannot live happily and cannot work without the support and good
wishes of the other...”.
In the context of the
maintenance of army, Imam Ali (A.S.) speaks of importance of tax collection:
“The upkeep and
maintenance of an army depends upon the taxes collected by the state out of
which God has fixed for them a share. With this amount they provide their
requirements, maintain themselves and their arms in fit position to fight for
religion and cause of justice”.
Collection of Taxes
from Imam Ali’s (A.S.) point
of view.
Imam Ali (A.S.) was
always extremely careful about tax collection and tax policy. In addition to
this letter, there are several passages in Nahjul Balagha wherein tax related
issues such as types of taxes, tax rates, methods of collection, etc., are
dealt with a rare mastery.
Particularly, for tax
purposes, the categorization of land according to its fertility and
classification of rich people according to their wealth deserve a serious
attention.
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