to those entitled to them and to judge with justice. Together, these two matters constitute the whole of just governance and righteous administration, which is the subject of this treatise.

Just governance and righteous administration therefore rest upon two pillars:

• The first pillar: rendering trusts to those entitled to them (p. 7).

Trusts are of two types:

• The first type: positions of authority, which rest upon two qualities: strength and trustworthiness (p. 7).
• Strength may pertain either to military command, in which case it comprises several matters, or to judging between people, in which case it likewise comprises several matters.
• The purpose of strength in positions of authority (p. 35).
• Trustworthiness comprises three matters.
• Positions of authority have two obligatory objectives:

The first objective: to set the people’s religious affairs aright.

The second objective: to set aright those worldly affairs without which religion cannot be sustained. This is of two kinds: distributing wealth among those entitled to it and punishing aggressors.

• The second type of trusts: wealth. It is divided into two categories: property held in kind and private debts (p. 40).
• The duty of the ruler regarding wealth (p. 45).
• State revenues are of three categories: spoils of war, alms, and fayʾ revenues.