the guiding principles of one’s conduct, dispute and discord will result. If one does not say, "dislike for the sake of God, judgement for the sake of God” and take due account of those principles, one’s attempts to do justice will result in injustice.

An event with an important lesson: Imam Ali (May God be pleased with him) once threw an unbeliever to the ground. As he drew his sword to kill him, the unbeliever spat in his face. He released him without killing him. The unbeliever said:"Why did you not kill me?” He replied:"I was going to kill you for the sake of God. But when you spat at me, I became angered and the purity of my intention was clouded by the inclinations of my soul. It is for this reason that I did not kill you," The unbeliever replied:"If your religion is so pure and disinterested, it must be the truth,"

An occurrence worthy of note: When once a judge showed signs of anger while cutting off the hand of a thief, the just ruler who chanced to observe him dismissed him from his post. For if he had cut the hand in the name of the Shari‘a, his soul would have felt pity for the victim; he would have cut it off in a manner devoid of both anger and mercy. Since the inclinations of his soul had had some share in his deed, he did not perform the act with justice.