«اِلْمَعْرُوفْ سَيِّدِ الْأَحْكَامْ»

The saying ranks kindness above every other means of exercising authority, not only court verdicts or legal rulings. Decent treatment, generosity and favors done for others earn people's willing obedience, so a person who governs this way finds others ready to follow without coercion.

More broadly, it reflects a practical view of influence: people are bound more firmly by gratitude than by fear. Goodwill works as an unspoken rule that others choose to honor, which makes generosity both a moral and a strategic choice for anyone in charge.

Use this when advising someone who leads, manages, or holds sway over others, to suggest that generous, fair treatment wins compliance more reliably than strictness. It also suits praise of a figure whose authority rests on goodwill rather than force.