Justice and Good Administration in Medieval Islam: The Book of the Pearl of the Ruler by Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih (860–940)

Abstract

What were the qualities ascribed to the good ruler in medieval2 Islam and how is he depicted? Which examples were used to illustrate the adequate behaviour of a monarch and what was the ruler’s expected relationship to his entourage – ministers, counsellors and family? The Arabic textual tradition includes a wealth of texts on political theory and good government that can serve as source basis to answer these questions. In fact, the question of who rules has been critical in Islamic history since it beginnings, and disagreement on this subject has been the cause of numerous conflicts, the first one taking place immediately after the death of the Prophet in 632 ce when the community disagreed on his succession.3 Therefore, writings dealing with the