Classes on Theology
Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Masumeen Islamic Centre
March 13th, 2012
Week Six
Justice of God
• We have now reached the second
fundamental principle in our Theology:
– The Justice of Allah SWT – ‫عدل االهي‬
• Resources for this section:
– Divine Justice – Shahid Murtadha Mutahhari
– Theological Instructions – Ayatullah
Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi
– Muhadharat fil Ilahiyat – Ayatullah Ja’far
Subhani
Justice of God
• When we think of someone who:
–
–
Does not transgress the rights of others
Impartial in exercising his authority
• We think of this person as being ‘just’ and
consider it to be a certain type of perfection!
• On the other hand, when we think of someone
who:
–
–
Violates the rights of others
Is biased in his authority
• We think of this person as being ‘unjust’ and
consider it a defect!
Justice of God
• Therefore, when we speak of justice and injustice
– We are speaking of ownership and priority
• Can this understanding of justice be applied to the
relationship between the Creator and the Creation?
– No, because He is the Absolute Owner:
‫اْلَ ْم ُد‬
ْ ُ‫ك َو لَه‬
ُ ‫– لَهُ الْ ُم ْل‬
To Him belongs all sovereignty and to Him belongs all praise (At-Taghabun
64:1)
ِ
ِ ‫السماو‬
ِ
َّ
ِ ‫ات َو ْاْل َْر‬
‫ض َو إِلَْي ِه يُْر َج ُع ْاْل َْمُر ُكلُّ ُه‬
‫ب‬
‫ي‬
‫غ‬
‫ه‬
‫ل‬
َ
َ َ َّ ُ ْ ‫– َو ل‬
To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and earth; and to Him all matters
are returned (Hood 11:123)
•
•
Justice of God
• The Qur’an explains what is Divine Justice:
– Divine Justice in its sociological sense is the purpose and goal of
Prophethood
ِ‫ات و أَنزلْنا معهم الْ ِكتاب و الْ ِميزا َن ل‬
ِ
ِ
‫َّاس‬
‫ن‬
‫ال‬
‫وم‬
‫ق‬
‫ي‬
‫ن‬
‫ي‬
‫ب‬
‫ل‬
‫ا‬
ْ
ِّ
ُ
ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ‫• لََق ْد أ َْر َس ْلنَا ُر ُسلَنَا ب‬
‫بِالْ ِق ْس ِط‬
Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the
Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice; (al-Hadeed 57:25)
•
– Divine Justice in its philosophical sense is the purpose of the Day
of Resurrection
ِ
ِ
ِ
ِ
ِ
ِ
‫س َش ْيًا َو إِن َكا َن‬
‫ف‬
‫ن‬
‫م‬
‫ل‬
‫ظ‬
‫ت‬
‫َل‬
‫ف‬
‫ة‬
‫م‬
‫ي‬
‫ق‬
‫ل‬
‫ا‬
‫م‬
‫و‬
‫ي‬
‫ل‬
‫ط‬
‫س‬
‫ق‬
‫ل‬
‫ا‬
‫ين‬
‫ز‬
ْ
ْ
ْ
َ
َ
َ
ْ
َ
َ
ُ
َ َ‫• َو ن‬
َ
َ
ْ ْ َ ‫ض ُع الْ َم َوا‬
َ
ٌ ُ
ِ ‫ِمثْ َق َال حبَّ ٍة ِّمن خرد ٍل أَتَي نَا ِبا و َك َفى بِنَا ح‬
ِ
‫اس‬
‫ي‬
‫ب‬
َ َ
َ َ ْ ََْ ْ َ
We shall set up the scales of justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no soul will be
wronged in the least. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed We shall produce it and
We suffice as reckoners (al-Anbiya 21:47)
•
Justice of God
• The Qur’an explains what is Divine Justice:
– In many verses Allah SWT has been exonerated from
all kinds of injustice and oppression:
‫• فَ َما َكا َن اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِ َم ُه ْم َو لَ ِكن كاَنُواْ أَن ُف َس ُه ْم يَظْلِ ُمو َن‬
So it was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong
themselves (at-Taubah 9:70)
•
– In some verses it has explicitly affirmed His justice:
‫• َش ِه َد اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ ََل إََِل َه إََِّل ُه َو َو الْ َملَئ َكةُ َو أ ُْولُواْ الْعِْل ِم قَائ َما بِالْ ِق ْس ِط‬
Allah bears witness that there is no god except Him and] so do [the angels and
those who possess knowledge maintainer of justice (Ale Imran 3:18)
•
Justice of God
• Theologians have been divided in their
understanding of this Divine Justice:
– The Ash’arites reached the conclusion that justice is
derived from the Divine act
• Justice is what God does and whatever God does is just
– The Mu’taziliites and the Shi’a reached the conclusion
that ‘justice’ is an actual and concrete reality in the
phenomena of existence
• Since justice is essentially good and injustice is essentially
evil
– God can never forgo an act that the intellect
knows to be good
Justice of God
• What do we mean by Justice?
– First: Balance
• If we take a system into consideration which is
composed of various parts and elements
– Certain conditions must be fulfilled for the desired effect
to be reached
» In other words, things must have a balance
• When we look at the world we live in, we find it is
balanced and in equilibrium
‫ض َع الْ ِم َيزا َن‬
َّ ‫• َو‬
َ ‫الس َماءَ َرفَ َع َها َو َو‬
He raised the sky and set up the balance (Ar-Rahman 55:7)
•
‫• بالعدل قامت السماوات و اَلرض‬
•
The heavens and the earth are maintained with justice.
Justice of God
• Second: Equality and Non-discrimination:
– We sometimes call a person who is impartial and does
not differentiate between people as just
• Justice therefore refers to ‘Equality’
– Equality can be understood in two ways:
• First: To put aside all merits and everyone should be
looked at equally
– This is in fact injustice and oppression
– “Oppression given out equally to everyone is justice”
• Second: Application of equality in cases of equal
merit
Justice of God
• Third: Rights – Giving to each thing its right
– Every holder of rights must be given his/her rights
• Injustice then becomes transgressing, withholding or
oppressing
– “Social Justice”
– This does not apply to God as He is the Absolute
possessor of Rights
• Therefore, if God decides to dispose of something, He has total
right to do so.
Justice of God
• Fourth: Bestowal of Being on Merits
– Every existent has certain merits and rights for
itself (ontologically)
• God, the absolute bestower of grace, gives to each
thing its possible existence and perfection.
– Justice: “every existent acquiring the degree of
existence and perfection that it merits and
which is possible for it”
• If you have the capacity for it, He will give it to you
– This is how the Divine Justice is understood
Questions?