About those who sit for dispensation of justice among people but are not fit for it

Nahj al-Balāgha|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 17
Nahj al-Balāgha

Book 1, Chapter 17

About those who sit for dispensation of justice among people but are not fit for it

الصنف الأول: انَّ أَبْغَضَ الخَلائِقِ إِلَى اللهِ تعالى رَجُلانِ: رَجُلٌ وَكَلَهُ اللهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ فَهُوَ جَائِرٌ عَنْ قَصْدِ السَّبِيلِ مَشْغُوفٌ بِكَلاَمِ بِدْعَةٍ وَدُعَاءِ ضَلاَلَةٍ، فَهُوَ فِتْنَةٌ لَمِنِ افْتَتَنَ بِهِ، ضَالٌّ عَنْ هَدْي مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ، مُضِلُّ لِمَنِ اقْتَدَى بِهِ في حَيَاتِهِ وَبَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ، حَمَّالٌ خَطَايَا غَيْرِهِ، رَهْنٌ بِخَطِيئَتِهِ
Among [1] all the people the most detested before Allāh are two persons. One is he who is devoted to his self. So he is deviated from the true path and loves speaking about (foul) innovations and inviting towards wrong path. He is therefore a nuisance for those who are enamoured of him, is himself misled from the guidance of those preceding him, misleads those who follow him in his life or after his death, carries the weight of others’ sins and is entangled in his own misdeeds.