With Allah's Name, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
Justice in Al-Islam
by Tavis Adibudeen
One of the unique features of al-Islam that has allowed it to persevere through the ages through difficulties and opposition and still maintain its principles is its all-encompassing nature. Every aspect of life, every deed, every action, every institution and system in an Islamic society is governed under the principles of al-Islam. It is rightfully referred to as a way of life rather than a "religion." The word "religion" conjures up the images common to the western view of religion. It is a set of beliefs and rituals. Occasionally it influences life decisions on an individual level, but on the social, economic, and political levels, it is virtually non-existent.
With the introduction of al-Islam, the world saw first hand how a firm belief in the Most High can be used as the basis for everything that a person or society does. In the Islamic system, a person or state consults the religious law (Shariah) before acting on any issue, no matter how big or small. It is, therefore, no surprise that the issue of justice is a fundamental aspect of the Deen (way of life).
To a Muslim, justice is not simply the enforcement of individual rights. Justice plays a much larger role in al-Islam. The individual and the society is to be treated justly. The value of a person is not judged by another person, no matter how righteous that person might be. Instead, the judging is left to Allah, Who is above all faults. In religious and temporal matters, human beings are often required to act as judges or representatives, but they must always judge and rule according to the Shariah, which is superior to the individual. No person is above the divine law entrusted to humanity by Almighty Allah.
"Allah commands you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; And when you judge between man and man, that you judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He gives you! For Allah is He Who hears and sees all things." ( Surah An-Nisa 4:58)
It is because of this divine wisdom in which the Islamic law was revealed that injustice is not tolerated in al-Islam. Under no circumstances can injustice be acceptable whether it be towards Muslims, non-Muslims, animals, plants, or anything else. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Allah does not wish injustice for any of His creatures." (Surah Ale Imran, 3:108)
"Every soul that hath sinned, if it possessed all that is on earth, would fain give it in ransom: They would declare (their) repentance when they see the penalty: but the judgment between them will be with justice, and no wrong will be done unto them." (Surah Yunus 10:54)
It is a promise from Allah that He will deal justly with us and that we will reap the rewards of what we sow, if not in this life, then assuredly in the hereafter. On earth, it is our own duty to ensure that justice always prevails. Allah has placed the human being on earth to be the temporal vicegerent of Allah. He must act and rule according to the rules sent down by the Most High. Allah, in the Qur'an, has commanded human beings to uphold justice:
Allah commands people to maintain justice, kindness, and proper relations with their relatives. (Surah an-Nahl, 16:90)
It is important to understand that Allah will not treat his creatures unjustly under any circumstances. It is beneath Him to do so, especially when He has commanded His servants to uphold justice. Although we might not always immediately understand the divine plan, it is an established principle in Islam that justice will ultimately prevail.
Oppression and the Islamic Remedy
Oppression is undoubtedly wrong. Whether a person is religious or not, the innate human logic insists that oppression and injustice are contrary to human development and well-being. Where people differ on this matter is in the definition of oppression and injustice. For example, a ruler of a country may decide to imprison a minority group within his country without them having committed any crime. He might then attempt to justify his actions by stating that he did it for the greater good of the society. Using his logic, he is a just ruler despite the fact that the unfortunate few suffer for the greater good of the society.
The problem with this type of thinking is that there are still people who are suffering for no other reason than who they are. They have not done anything wrong but are nonetheless being punished.
Another example is the society that hurts or shuns a group of people because their beliefs are contrary to those of the majority of people. The beliefs of this group are thus seen as a threat, lest they spread to the minds of the innocent masses. As a precaution the heretic group is often killed or exiled. The ruling majority justifies their stance by claiming that the beliefs themselves were wrong. The group was, therefore, being justly punished for their incorrect beliefs.
What separates Islamic justice from these narrow-minded ideas is that the principles of al-Islam are divinely revealed. There is not need to form legislative committees to construct complex laws and regulations. The laws of al-Islam are clearly established. The small amount of change that may occur is only due to ijtihad (logical reasoning using Islamic principles), but this ijtihad is done according to a method given to us by the Last Prophet (saaws) rather than desires and opinions of the people, as in "democratic" societies.
The clarity of Islamic justice comes natural. Oppression, of all kinds, is to be resisted. When the principles of Shariah are enforced, oppression will not continue to exist alongside it. The resistance of oppression is actually what allowed Islam to survive and flourish. When the message of the Qur'an was first made public to Prophet Muhammad's (s) tribe, the Quraysh, it was met with stern opposition. At one point they even sought to kill Muhammad (s) and end Islam once and for all.
Through this example, Allah taught us not only that justice prevails but also that patience and perseverance are necessary to achieve justice. Islam was to bring about social, religious, political, economic, and moral change in the world that would be unprecedented in any nation or any time period before or after it. It did not, however, do this overnight. Even the divine scripture, the Qur'an, was sent in stages:
(It is) a Qur'an which We have divided (into parts from time to time), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals: We have revealed it by stages. (Surah al-Isra 17:106)
Those who reject Faith say: "Why is not the Qur'an revealed to him all at once? Thus (is it revealed), that We may strengthen your heart thereby, and We have rehearsed it to you in slow, well-arranged stages, gradually. (25:32)
It is not the nature of human beings or their communities to change automatically. This is not physically, mentally, or emotionally possible for us to do. We must, therefore, change gradually in stages. This is how societies are reformed. Islam did away with many social ills such as the drinking of alcohol and slavery in gradual, well-planned stages. Neither of these problems were immediately prohibited, yet both were eventually abolished. It is interesting to note, however, that other things, such as idol worship were obviously immediately made forbidden.
This shows how Islam is designed for the natural human being. Allah knows our limits because He has given them to us. While large social problems cannot be changed immediately, it is necessary for a person of sound heart to immediately do away with associating partners with Allah. For this reason, the Prophet (saaws) did not begin his mission by marching around Makkah telling people to stop eating pork. His first priority was to tell them that there is only one G-d, and that they should stop worshipping idols.
Allah bears witness that there is no god but He, and (so do) the angels and those possessed of knowledge, maintaining His creation with justice; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise. (Surah Ale-Imran 3:18)
Unity and Justice
While, for some people, the unity of the Ummah seems like a lofty, utopian goal, it is not so for those of understanding. Studying al-Islam closely reveals that unity is actually a natural phenomenon of the Deen. Unlike religions, as was mentioned earlier, that do not incorporate all aspects of life, al-Islam touches every part of human existence in this world and the next. Implementing al-Islam into our personal lives causes us to approach inward unity. In order to continue this self-development, must then implement it into our family lives, unifying the family and providing the family with a safe and just environment.
The natural phenomenon continues into the work place and educational institutions. Eventually, the communities, societies, and nations practice and implement the justice of al-Islam. It is not something that can be forced upon people. It should, however, be taught and practiced in our daily lives.
Islam was not given to humanity simply to be a set of beliefs and rituals. Islam was sent to guide humanity away from the subjugation and worship of other human beings to the submission and worship of Allah alone, and to liberate humanity from the inequity and oppression of religions into the justice of al-Islam.
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