In Islam, justice is a moral virtue and an attribute of the human personality world is full of injustices. Mass killings, theft, murder, rape, economic injustice, and cheating are constant themes on the daily news. When an injustice is committed, it does not only impact one person but often all of society. Islam’s approach to justice is comprehensive and all-embracing. Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Verily, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and He forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.” (Surat An-Nahl 16:90)
Any path that leads to justice is deemed to be in harmony with Islamic Law. All means, procedures, and methods that facilitate refining, and advancing the cause of justice, and do not violate the Islamic Law are valid. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَىٰ أَن تَعْدِلُوا وَإِن تَلْوُوا أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even if it be against yourselves, your parents, and your relatives, or whether it is against the rich or the poor…” (Surah An-Nisa 4:135)
The natural, uneducated, and uncivilized tendency is to treat the enemy as less than a human being; one who has no rights and deserves no justice or fairness. Justice does require retribution and Islam does call for, “an eye for an eye.” But it does not mean an innocent eye for an innocent eye; it means the eye of the perpetrator for the eye of the victim. It is amazing how those who call the latter barbaric, actually rally for the former when a real crisis develops. Allah says:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا
“Verily, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Verily, Allah is ever hearing and seeing.” (Surah An-Nisa 4:58)
Islam rejects certain individuals or nations being favoured because of their wealth, power, or race. God created human beings as equals who are to be distinguished from each other only based on their faith and piety. Racism is not allowed in Islam, for the Quran speaks of human equality. Allah says:
‘وَأَقِيمُوا الْوَزْنَ بِالْقِسْطِ وَلَا تُخْسِرُوا الْمِيزَانَ
“And establish the weight injustice and (do) not make deficient the balance.” (Surah Ar-Rahman 55:9)
Here is the explanation about the importance of Islam teaching justice:
- Islam teaches us to practice in our daily life
- Islam teaches one should not harm others
- Islam allows a person to truly God’s love
- Islam brings civilization and happiness
- Islam brings trust in Almighty Allah
- Islam holds a woman in high esteem
- Islamic rules being a good Muslim
- Islam will help go to Heaven
- Islam make our life better
- Islam the true way of life
- Islam bend to mutual caring
- Islam Is the future of the world
- Islam provides equal opportunity
- Islam considers to rights of others
- Islam is to develop a peaceful society
- Islam leads to a balanced way of living
- Islam gives a person a clear perspective
- Islam emphasizes both evidence and faith
- Islam teaches that God is the Most Justice
- Islam attaches the highest importance to justice
The concept of justice is one of the essential pillars in the maintenance of both the natural and social orders. Justice is close to equality in the sense that it creates a state of equilibrium in the distribution of rights and duties, but they are not identical. Thus, justice represents moral rectitude and fairness, since it means things should be where they belong. Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
“O you who believe, be persistently standing firm for Allah as witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just, for that is nearer to righteousness. Fear Allah, for verily, Allah is aware of what you do.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:8)
Islam has emphasized several principles so that relationships among members of society may be justly and fairly organized. Social justice aimed to found a society that enjoys peace, fraternity, love, and welfare. Indeed, justice in Islam is not restricted to or practised on Muslims only. Rather, it is the genuine right of all members of society regardless of anything else. Allah says:
لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
“Allah (does) not forbid you from those who (do) not fight you in the religion and (do) not drive you out of your homes that you deal kindly and deal justly with them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” (Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:8)
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, equity, and fairness. In Islam, justice stands for placing things in their rightful place. It stands also for forgiving others equal treatment with no discrimination whatsoever. Justice is the basis of human life and the cardinal principle along which human society operates. It encompasses all the aspects of human life and enables one to live in peace and harmony with other fellow beings.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
وَمِن قَوْمِ مُوسَىٰ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ
“And among (the) people (of) Musa (is) a community (which) guides with truth and by it establishes justice.” (Al-A`raf 7:159)
فَأَخَذَتْهُمُ الصَّيْحَةُ بِالْحَقِّ فَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ غُثَاءً فَبُعْدًا لِّلْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ
“So seized them the awful cry in truth, and We made them (as) rubbish of dead leaves. So away with the people – the wrongdoers.” (Al-Mu`minun 23:41)
وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا لَّا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
“And (has been) fulfilled (the) word (of) your Lord (in) truth and justice. No one can change His words, and He (is) the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” (Al-An`am 6:115)
وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولٌ فَإِذَا جَاءَ رَسُولُهُمْ قُضِيَ بَيْنَهُم بِالْقِسْطِ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
“And for every nation (is) a Messenger. So when comes their Messenger, it will be judged between them an injustice, and they (will) not be wronged.” (Yunus 10:47)
إِنَّمَا السَّبِيلُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَ النَّاسَ وَيَبْغُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
“Only the way against those who oppress the people and rebel in the earth without right. Those for them (is) a punishment painful.” (Ash-Shura 42:42)
Importance of Justice: Islam encourages and emphasizes the prevalence of justice in a society. By definition, justice is morally right and fair behaviour; it is not about equality, but equity rather. In a world where justice prevails, crimes go down and prosperity flourishes by a great measure. Allah is the just Lord and commands His creations to adopt this trait.
The Way of Prophets: Allah sent His prophets with divine messages. He created them pure and gave them a stronger innate sense of right and wrong. We have been asked to follow in the footsteps of the messengers sent to us and the orders they brought must be incorporated into our daily lives: Allah says:
وَاللَّهُ يَقْضِي بِالْحَقِّ وَالَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ لَا يَقْضُونَ بِشَيْءٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
“And Allah judges in truth, while those (whom) they invoke besides Him not they judge with anything. Indeed, Allah – He (is) the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.” (Surah Ghafir 40:20)
To render justice is a trust that God has conferred on the human being and, like all other trusts, its fulfilment must be guided by a sense of responsibility beyond mere conformity to set rules. Allah says:
قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ
“Say, “Will gather us together with our Lord, then He will judge between us in truth. And He (is) the Judge the All-Knowing.” (Surah Saba` 34:26)
Impartial decisions are ethically wrong. Since Islamic values conform to the best of ethics, there is no question about the importance of fair decisions. One of the common factors which deviate one from taking the right decisions in a dispute is the love for one of the parties or the influence of the other. Islam forbids it. Muslims must be firm and fair setting aside their attachments, fears, and benefits. Allah says:
وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ
“And of (those) whom We have created (is) a nation, who guides with the truth and thereby they establish justice.” (Surah Al-A`raf 7:181)
The Quran views itself as a scripture devoted mainly to laying down the principles of faith and justice. The Quran demands that justice is met for all and that it is an inherent right of all human beings under Islamic Law. The tireless commitment of the Quran to the basic standards of justice is found in its declaration: Allah says:
وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْئًا وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ
“And We set the scales (of) the justice for (the) Day (of) the Resurrection, so not will be wronged any soul (in) anything. And if (there) be weight (of) a seed of mustard We will bring [with] it. And sufficient (are) We (as) Reckoners.” (Surah Al-Anbiya` 21:47)
Indeed, it is not enough for a real Muslim to do justice or act righteously in a neutral atmosphere; one is required to do justice to people who have a grudge against him or to whom he has an aversion. This is what the religion of Islam dictates his followers. It is commonly said that Justice is or should be “blind”, in other words rigidly objective, but a Judge is required to possess the quality of insight in the most profound sense. Allah says:
وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًا
“We have certainly dignified the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created with definite preference.” (Surah Al-Isra 17:70)
In Islam, justice is the universal right of all human beings regardless of their race, religion, or gender. It is one of the most fundamental purposes and objectives of Islamic law. Allah the Exalted has made clear in his law (sharia) that the objective is the establishment of justice between His servants and fairness among the people, so whichever path leads to justice and fairness is part of the religion and can never oppose it.
