Corresponding AuthorE-mail:Salehi_hamid1202@yahoo.com 1283 | Page Available online athttp://www.ijashss.com International Journal of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Science Volume 1, Issue 9, 2013: 1283-1292 Equality before the law from Imam Ali’s viewpoint Hamid Reza Salehi Department of law, Payam-e Noor University, Tehran, I.R of IRAN Abstract Equality, in fact, is the most fundamental issue in the Islamic worldview and one of the branches of the robust tree of Tawhid. Equality aims at eliminating discrimination and moving toward human ascendency. Therefore, this article mainly focuses on scrutinizing the basic and principal issues related to equality and God-given rights or inalienable rights from Imam Ali’s peace be upon him point of view. Despite a brief period of governance of Islamic society, Imam Ali (PBUH), compared to other periods, paid special attention to the many variations among races, languages, colors, religions and political parties. However, a legal analysis of his words and practice in this regard is of great difficulty, because he was not only a jurist and a mystical as well as ethical leader, but also a metaphysics scholar, a Qur’an exegete, an Islamic legal systems commentator and, a governor. Indeed, no historian or writer, however deft and dexterous he maybe, can draw a true picture of the Commander of the Faithful even in a thousand pages, nor can he explain the dreadful events which took place in his time. The things which this thought of, and acted upon, had not until that point been seen or heard by anyone. It is more than a historian can cover even in a very detailed treatise. Hence, whatever picture of Imam Ali is described by author will inevitably be incomplete. The present article attempts to explain equality before the law, in referring to a competent court and receiving just examination from Imam Ali’s (PBUH) viewpoint. Keywords: Equality, Law, Imam Ali (PBUH), Islamic ruler, Justice Introduction The first and most basic right emphasized by the Qur'an is the right to be regarded in a way that reflects the sanctity and absolute value of each human life. Each person has the right not only to life but also to respect, not by virtue of being a man or a woman, Muslim on unbeliever, white or black etc, but by virtue of being a human being. The Qur'an puts great emphasis on the right to seek justice and the duty to do justice. Justice encompasses both the concept that all are equal and recognition of the need to help equalize those suffering from a deficiency or loss (Ishaque, 1980).Yet justice is not absolute equality of treatment, since human beings are not equal as far as their human potential or their human situation is concerned. While each person's humanness commands respect, the Qur'an also establishes the right to recognition of individual merit. Merit depends not on gender or any other characteristic, but only on righteousness. Righteousness consists of "just belief" plus "just action," including faith, prayer, wealth- sharing, equitable and compassionate behavior, and patience in the face of hardship or difficulty. In Islamic wisdom, human beings are similar to the teeth of a comb which are all of the same height. Equality in Islam Islamic equality, in fact, has its roots in the most fundamental issue in Islamic worldview i.e. Tawhid (MakarimShirazi, 1370). From an Islamic viewpoint, all the people whether boss or subordinate, rich or poor, powerful or weak are equal and impartially subject to the laws of punishment and reward, thus nobody is given a right or any other kinds of privilege beyond the law. There is mutual