Linguistically, justice is a term
which denotes mediation or moderation between two extremes for
instance: frugality and extravagance or the term: 'justice' which
stands as opposites of injustice and oppression- that is to be
fair and even between two opponents without favoring one over the
other.
Idiomatically, justice means
glorifying Allah, the Almighty from any misdeed or dysfunction.
It is a deep-rooted merit which He characterized Himself with the
meaning of: placing things in their proper time and place,
quantity and faces without extravagance nor frugality and without
speed or slackness.
Building on the foregoing,
justice, therefore means uprightness on the path of right and
forbiddance of what is religiously banned. Justice is also named
as: the balance of Allah on earth where the wronged one takes
back what the wrong doer owed him of rights.
Imam Ali (P.B.U.H.) said: "Allah
has made justice a balance which binds all to perform what they
owe of rights to others. Allah, the Almighty, has raised the
standard of justice and made it as one of His sublime qualities
which He characterized Himself with as is shown in the following
verse:
"Verily, Allah enjoins (i.e.)
justice and worshipping none but Allah alone-Islamic Monotheism)
and Al-Ihsan (i.e.to be patient in performing your duties to
Allah totally for Allah's sake and in accordance with the Sunna
(legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner and give help to
kith and kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them
e.g. wealth, visiting, looking after them or any other kind of
help) and forbid all evil deeds e.g. illegal sexual acts,
disobedience to parents, polytheism of every kind, to tell lies,
to give false witness, to kill a life without right) and
Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited by the Islamic law,
polytheism of any kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds
and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression) He admonishes you so
that you may take heed." (Al-Nahl: 90) It was narrated that the
Prophet said:
"By justice, the earth and the sky
are set up." If we contemplate a little on this saying, we can
get to the conclusion that, he by this, means wisdom because only
the wise one can put things in their proper
locations.
Equality does not mean
Justice
When we describe Allah, to Whom be
ascribed all glory and perfection as being just, it means that He
is just in both cases that is: He puts everything in its place
because He is All Wise All-Knower. A wise one doesn't put things
in other than their own appropriate locations.
Allah is just in that He gives
everything its own right. He doesn't give all equally, because
equality does not always mean justice because the individual
differences amongst the people necessitate variations in
offering. On this basis, it is unfair to consider all equal
in rights and duties.
Sun -
22 Jamadilawal 1446H -
