His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him) attended and delivered remarks at the two-day reform and training seminar organized for the officials of the Ministry of Finance, in which the Minister of Finance, deputy ministers, provincial Mustofis, as well as the General Director of the Central Dar ul-Ifta, the General Director of Jihadi Madrasas, the Head of the Directorate for the Supervision and Evaluation of Religious Publications, the Governor of Kandahar, the heads of directorates of Kandahar Province, and a number of other respected scholars and officials participated.
The seminar commenced with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an, after which His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him) delivered necessary guidance and important recommendations to the participants of the seminar.
His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him) added that their responsibility is the implementation of the Sharia law of Allah, the Glorious and Exalted, and that for every duty to which they are appointed, it is obligatory upon them to acquire the relevant religious knowledge pertaining to that duty.
His Highness stated that they should listen to the advice of the respected scholars, heed their good counsel, and accord them full respect and appreciation, for through honoring the scholars, Islam is honored. Furthermore, the responsibility of those entrusted with authority over the people is as follows:
الَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ
“Those who, if We establish them in the land, establish prayer, give zakat, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” Among all the objectives of the Mujahidin, the foremost is the establishment of prayers and the implementation of Sharia rulings. The Friday prayer shall be established by the legitimate Imam of the Muslims and with his permission and authorization, and the legitimate Imam among the Muslims exists for the implementation of Islamic rulings. The responsibility is first to implement the Sharia law of Allah the Almighty upon themselves and then among the people; therefore, they must first educate themselves in religion and then convey the commands of Allah the Almighty to the people, explain them, and ensure their understanding of the religion. All officials at every level must give due attention to religiosity.
His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him), addressing the officials, stated that the revenues collected at the customs are the property of the people and therefore constitute Bayt al-Mal. He instructed that great caution must be exercised to prevent improper expenditure of these funds. He further stated that, as officials, it is incumbent upon them to acquire knowledge of matters relating to Bayt al-Mal. The funds collected are Bayt al-Mal and must be treated as the property of an orphan, with efforts made to ensure that these funds are spent on public welfare rather than personal interests.
At the conclusion of his speech, His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him) stated:
They should consider themselves as servants, not be negligent in their duties, and not occupy themselves with matters devoid of purpose; if harm arises from negligence, then negligence is no excuse. They should pay attention to their colleagues, as they are also responsible for their shortcomings. They must strive to ensure that trustworthiness is not lost among them, for faith is tied to trustworthiness, and if trustworthiness is lost, faith is lost with it. They should focus on public welfare and not concern themselves with personal gains. They must not grant privileges to themselves, should practice humility, preserve religious rites, and not deal harshly with the people; rather, they should facilitate ease for them. They must not cause people to despair of the mercy of Allah, for Allah the Almighty is Accepting of repentance, and must not incite hatred among them. They should encourage people toward congregational prayer and must themselves perform their prayers in congregation, joining the people in prayer. If they wish to honor Islam, they should sit with the respected scholars, and those who attend their gatherings should be righteous individuals. They must not close the doors to the needs of the people and should remain accessible so that the people may approach them and observe their governance closely. They must not assign responsibility to those who lack competence. They should direct their subordinates toward their duties so that delays do not occur in the affairs of the people and should create ease in matters in order to render better service.
At the end, all the respected scholars and officials once again renewed their pledge of allegiance and commitment to His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him) and pledged that they would make full efforts in upholding their Islamic Sharia law-based government.
The gathering concluded with a supplication offered by His Highness, the Amir al-Mu’minin (may Allah the Almighty protect him).
Peace and Blessings
