Allah loves the just. (Al-Qur’ān, 5:42)
Follow me, Allah will love you. (Al-Qur’ān, 3:31)
You neglect justice and the love of God. (St. Luke, 11:42)
The world is described as a global village. The phrase stands for global connectedness. Many things have happened in the world to bring about this transformation. To begin with, religions began to spread out from the lands of their origin. Trade began to connect the east and the west. The Qur’ān talks of the trade journeys that the Quraish undertook from their base – the Kabah, the Lord’s House. There was the silk route. Then empires were built through military conquests. The Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs, the Mongols, the Turks, the colonial powers of Europe built their empires in succession. At last, one empire boasted that in its global expanse the sun never set. The human adventure assisted by science and technology registered remarkable successes in the fields of transport, cuisine and hospitality and communication. The Qur’ān anticipated these. “Indeed We honoured the progeny of Adam, and bore them across land and sea and provided them with good things for their sustenance.” (17:70) The pen as a tool for communication and spread of education is the first tool that is mentioned in the very first revelation of the Qur’ān.
Satellite communication and aerial transport have taken away the elements of unfamiliarity and fantasy from phrases like ‘the parliament of man’, ‘the federation of the world’, ‘one world-order’. The ideal that Nations can meet and discuss their ethical dilemmas across the table and resolve them have been partially realised through institutions like the League of Nations and the United Nations Organisation. The former was destroyed through the invisibility of America and the latter bids fair to follow suit through the formidable and suffocating visibility of America. Europe, after initiating world wars, has begun to conceive of itself as a united continent and a Eurozone has become a reality. The so-called Dark Continent is now enlightened enough to form an organisation of African countries. It is lagging behind Europe in its efforts for unification. However, the time is ripe to think of a just world order.
In this story of human progress each civilization propagated a set of values. Hellenism talked of Truth, Beauty and Goodness. Hebraism advocated Faith, Hope and Charity. The value of justice is not explicitly stated, even though it may be there as an undercurrent in each set of values enumerated here. For example, Howard Gardner says that the concept of goodness is “about the relations among people” and it goes without saying that these relations can survive only when they are based on justice. Underhand dealings can only thwart interpersonal relationships. One can detect the feeble voice of justice in the Hebraistic concept of charity or love.
As expected, it redounds to the credit of Islam and its civilization that the concept of justice occupies a pride of place in it. In Islam Allah’s functions do not stop with creation, protection and destruction. They are more varied. In fact, in the very first chapter of the Qur’ān, Allah is portrayed as the Sole Arbitrator and Dispenser of Justice. The sole need for the hereafter is to uphold justice. “Surely it is He who brings about the creation of all and he will repeat it so that He may justly reward those who believe and do righteous deeds, and those who disbelieve may have a draught of boiling water and suffer a painful chastisement for their denial of Truth”.(10:4)
Even in this transitory and imperfect world, in spite of man’s natural disposition towards corruption, anarchy, belligerence and bloodshed, Allah has raised the value of justice sky-high so that man may taste the fruit of his hard labour under the canopy of justice. “And He has raised the firmament high, and He has set up the Balance (of justice).” (55:7) According to Maulana Maudoodi, God made justice encompass the universe. Maulana Ameen Ahsan Islahi comments, “When the Creator kept the Balance in the sky as its foundation, it indicates God’s intention that He wants man to maintain balance, equity and justice in the sphere where he exercises authority. The Qur’ān beckons man towards it.” Allama Yousuf Ali has a very interesting note on this verse.
Maulana Shabbir Ahmed Usmani says, “Early scholars of Islam were of the opinion that the phrase ‘setting up of the Balance’ meant establishing justice. That is, Allah has established everything from heaven to the earth on the basis of Truth and Justice with a very high degree of balance and proportion. If Justice and Truth are neglected, the entire system of cosmos will be at sixes and sevens and go haywire. Therefore men should remain steady on the way of Justice and Truth and the pans in the Balance of justice should go neither up nor down. No one should commit excesses on others. No one should usurp or deny others’ rights. There is a Tradition which states that it is justice that keeps the earth and heaven going.”
One of the objectives of God’s guidance through His Books and Prophets is to regulate human relationships on the basis of justice. “We sent aforetime Our Messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Balance, so that people may uphold justice.”(57:25) This rule is extended to and emphasised in the Qur’ān. “It is Allah who has sent down the Book with the Truth and the Balance.” (42:17) Maulana Maudoodi says, “Meezan (Balance) here denotes God’s Shari’ah. Like a Balance, it enables one to distinguish between right and wrong, between truth and falsehood, between justice and injustice and between righteousness and wickedness.”
Maulana Keelani says: Allah has not only sent the Truth down but also the standard too by means of which Truth could be recognised and identified and this standard is known as ‘Meezan’ or the Balance. Allah has given us the material balance in which material objects are weighed, the cognitive balance or the intellect which at a cursory glance can find out where lies the Truth and where the non-Truth, and the respective proportions of Truth and Falsehood in any given item; in addition, He has given us Ethical Balance or a Balance of Justice. The greatest Balance of all is the combination of Kitab and Sunnah which gives us infallible data with regard to the rights and duties of Allah and of His creation. This Balance weighs everything holistically, neither less nor more. (Tayseerul Quran, vol. IV, p.135, Footnote 26)
That is why Allah asks the Prophet (peace and Allah’s blessings be to him) to judge human issues in the light of the Qur’ān. “O Messenger, We have revealed this Book to you with the Truth so that you may judge between people in accordance with what Allah has shown you.” (4:105) The Qur’ān records that Allah has ordered him to ensure justice. “And I am commanded to be just among you.” (42:15)
This order is not confined to the Prophet (Allah’s blessings and peace be to him) but extended to his followers, “Believers! Be upright bearers of witness for Allah and do not let the enmity of any people move you to deviate from justice. Act justly, that is nearer to fear of God (Taqwa).” (5:8) If one holds God in awe, he will be properly guided and the fruit of this guidance is that his dealings with people near him like wives, children, neighbours and with people unrelated to him will be just, above board and beyond blame.
There is absolutely no distance and no obstruction for the cry of a victim of injustice in its passage to God’s throne, seeking help and redressal of grievances. Apprehending the truth of this concept fully, Muslim leaders have founded political parties in whose nomenclature the word ‘Justice’ is highlighted. This is a phenomenon worth noting that in almost all Muslim countries across the world there are parties dedicated to the establishment of justice or adl or insaf. This phenomenon mirrors the Muslim preoccupation with the doctrine of justice.
To dream of or strive for a just world order is neither a pursuit of a mirage nor a wild goose chase. What the Prophet (unto him be peace and Allah’s blessings) did was to establish a just political order in the Arabian peninsula through a moral regeneration of the Arab nation and economic justice through zakat and fair trade policies and protection of every individual’s life, honour and property. The Shari’ah that he promulgated ensured freedom of worship and belief, personal security, strong institution of marriage, abolition of interest, theft and usurpation and a sound mind in a sound body. He integrated and unified Arabia on the basis of allegiance to Islam. He prepared a constitution in Madinah for the purpose.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs who succeeded him extended the fruits of the Prophet’s achievements to the lands brought under Islamic rule. Thus the world was made safe for Islam. What was once achieved could be achieved again.
Islam has a vision of the kingdom of God, the establishment of Deen, a just world order. M Umer Chapra has captured this vision in these words in his book Muslim civilization. “Muslims continue to be inspired by the Islamic vision – the vision of a society where the individual is morally-charged and tied to others through strong bonds of human brotherhood; where justice prevails and the needs of all are fulfilled; where the family continues to be strong and children receive the love, affection and care of both parents; where crime, tension and anomie are minimised and social harmony prevails, and where the well-being of all is ensured.”(pp.45-46)
This vision is not confined to social sphere alone but is global and all-encompassing and upholds the sovereignty and love of God to establish justice. Obedience to Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless and greet him), love of God, and the emergence of a just world order are inter related.