The Interactive Responsibilities and Rights of Governments and Nations from the Perspective of the Imam Ali’s Political Conduct

The issue of interaction between nation and the government has always been discussed in different cultures and religions, including Islam, by scholars and intellectuals. Amir-o-lm’omenin Ali Ibn-e- Abitalib (AS), as the most significant scholar in the history of Islam after the era of the holy prophet, has emphasized on the interaction between the ruling power and people during his era. His letter to Malik Ashtar, when he was appointed as the ruler of Egypt, letter number 53 in Nahjolbalaghah, and letter number 5 addressing Ashas Ibn-e-Gheis, the ruler of Azarbijan, are the most significant examples of this kind. This qualitative research follows structural-interpretive modelling method. The primary data was derived from reliable sources such as Nahjolbalaghah. Then, concepts relating to the interactional responsibilities and rights of people and government were derived by content analysis. The most important guidelines for this research regarding internalization of Islamic teachings in governments’ grand policies and behavior institutionalization emphasized by Imam Ali (AS) in Nahjolbalaghah, is about chief managers in the supervising governmental organizations. These teachings provide suitable bases for government employees and managers to behave properly with people.