Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem
By Ummumar ©2007
Finding Allah’s Justice in the Quran
Years ago when I first began to learn about Islam, someone gave me a copy of Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall’s English translation of the Holy Quran. As I began to read it, I assumed a critical stance and prepared to pick it apart. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. There are no flaws in Allah’s book; and somewhere around halfway or two-thirds of the way through it, I knew I had found in the Quran answers to things that Christianity didn’t and couldn’t provide. By the time I finished that first reading of the Quran, I’d already taken my shahadah.
Quite simply, I had never come across any religion or philosophy that adequately addressed the question of why life is not fair. We all know that life is not fair. We can phrase the question many different ways: why, if there is a God, does He allow so much suffering in the world? Why do so many bad people do such terrible things and never get punished? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do good people suffer and the bad guys never get caught? How is it that some people seem to live “charmed lives” and others never get a break?
On the global scale, Allah tells us that He uses one people as a means to check another people. On the social scale, Allah says He uses one group of people as a means of testing another. On the personal scale, He tells us that individual justice comes in three phases: there are rewards and punishments in this life, in the grave, and on the Day of Judgment. Within these three arenas of human existence and interaction, Allah’s justice becomes clear.
One ayah in sirat-ul Baqarah stood out for me at that time, and stands out still:
By Allah’s will they routed them; and David slew Goliath; and Allah gave him power and wisdom and taught him whatever else He willed. And did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief: But Allah is full of bounty to all the worlds. (Quran 2:251)
The ayah made clear to me that Allah controlled on a global scale the rise and fall, the ebb and flow of human civilizations and their fortunes as a means of balance throughout the earth.
I read that justice is, in fact, part of Allah’s plan for us, that He establishes it, and that He expects us to establish it for ourselves.
Do they not reflect in their own minds? Not but for just ends and for a term appointed, did Allah create the heavens and the earth, and all between them: Yet are there truly many among men who deny the meeting with their Lord at the Resurrection! (Quran 30:8)
And again:
And fight them on until there is no more Tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and faith in Allah. But if they cease, Let there be no hostility except to those who practise oppression. (Quran 2: 193)
I found clarity in Sura Ya Sin as I learned that Allah sets the poor as a trial to the rich. It is, in other words, the job of the poor to be poor so that the character and justice of those with wealth and power as well as the ordinary person can be tested by their responses to the needy.
And when they are told, “Spend you of the bounties with which Allah has provided you.”, the Unbelievers say to those who believe: “Will we then feed those whom, if Allah had so willed, He would have fed, Himself? You are in nothing but manifest error.” (Quran 36:47)
Futhermore, I learned as I read the Quran that Allah expects us as human beings to behave with fairness and justice in all of our interactions.
O you who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kindred, and whether it be against rich or poor: For Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts of your hearts, lest you swerve, and if you distort justice or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do. (Quran 4: 135)
Similarly:
The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers. Blood-relations among each other have closer personal ties, in the Decree of Allah. Than the Brotherhood of Believers and Muhajirs*: Nevertheless do you what is just to your closest friends: Such is the writing in the Decree of Allah. (Quran 33: 6)
Again and again in the Quran, Allah calls on us to be just in relationships and social interactions such as in marriage:
You are never able to be fair and just as between women, even if it is your ardent desire: But turn not away from a woman altogether, so as to leave her as it were hanging in the air. If you come to a friendly understanding, and practise self-restraint, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Quran 4: 129)
In the division of property after a death:
But if at the time of division other relatives, or orphans, or poor, are present, feed them out of the property, and speak to them words of kindness and justice. (Quran 4:)
In business:
Give just measure, and cause no loss to others by fraud. (Quran 26: 181)
In spite of personal feelings:
O you who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice, be just: That is next to piety: And fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do. (Quran 5:8)
Allah’s justice means that not only favoritism between friends and family, but also racism, tribalism, nationalism, socialism or any other –ism was not the means of connecting one person with another. During my first reading of Quran, I reflected on racism in America, and I could see how Allah’s command to enjoin justice also meant that being white did not automatically make you wrong; being black did not automatically make you right. The Quran affirms that justice meant saying when the charge of racism is invalid because the African-American was the one in the wrong. The Quran affirms that justice meant saying the Muslim is at fault, because the Muslim is the one who has wronged non-Muslim. I saw this when I read in the Quran the story of Prophet Musa (Moses—peace be upon him) who was guilty of an injustice by reflexively supporting a fellow Hebrew and killing an Egyptian.
And he entered the city at a time when its people were not watching: And he found there two men fighting, one of his own religion, and the other, of his foes. Now the man of his own religion appealed to him against his foe, and Moses struck him with his fist and made an end of him. He said: “This is a work of Evil Satan: for he is an enemy that manifestly misleads!” (Quran 28: 15)
Quran taught me that in the personal arena, we are each responsible for acting in accordance to the principles of justice and fairness. Quran also taught me that a lot of the suffering and inequity that exists in the world, and which some may blame on Allah, we human beings actually bring upon ourselves through our inability to be just or to enforce justice upon each other. And underscoring the absolute justice of Allah is the fact that there is no absolution in Islam. None but Allah can forgive as each soul must earn or lose its own way:
Allah created the heavens and the earth for just ends, and in order that each soul may find the recompense of what it has earned, and none of them be wronged. (Quran 45:22)
Again, the Quran states:
Give this warning to those in whose hearts is the fear that they will be brought to judgment before their Lord: Except for Him they will have no protector nor intercessor: That they may guard against evil. (Quran 6:51)
Many such ayah that affirm Allah’s inherent justice in His actions and His demand for justice in our own interactions were only a part of the puzzle. For me, the final missing piece was supplied when I learned that, for each human being, Allah’s judgment and justice exists across three realms: this life, the life in the grave, and the life on the Day of Reckoning. Of the three, the rewards and punishments of this life are the least substantial:
Know you all, that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, in rivalry among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight the hearts of the tillers; soon it withers; you will see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe for the devotees of wrong, and Forgiveness from Allah and His Good Pleasure for the devotees of Allah. And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception? (Quran 57: 20)
The Quran explained how life of this world is only the beginning of the manifestation of Allah’s justice. The reward and punishments of the grave are greater, as is stated in the admonition of Sura Takathur:
1. The mutual rivalry for piling up the good things of this world diverts you from the more serious things,
2. Until you visit the graves.
3. But nay, you soon will know the reality.
4. Again, you soon will know! (Quran 102:1-4)
The reward and punishments assigned on the Day of Judgment are the greatest of all, for that is the time each of us will find ourselves in either Paradise or the fire. The worst fate of all, then is for any soul is to have all joy, all reward given to it in this life; because there is left only punishment in the hereafter. It is only in learning of the totality of the three planes of existence–from the rewards and punishments in this life and those waiting for us in the grave and on the Last Day, that I came to understand that there is no injustice anywhere in Allah’s plan.
We will set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there be no more than the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it to account: And enough are We to take account. (Quran 21: 47)
Quran gave me the understanding that neither Christianity, nor any ancient philosophers nor any contemporary self-help gurus could adequately address. My first reading of Quran taught me that yes, we are each accountable for establishing and invoking justice; and no, life is not fair. But this life is not all there is; the least of our joy and pain is felt in this world.
Learning about the existence of Allah’s justice, the areas of justice which are responsibility of mankind, and the realms of justice awaiting each soul during my first reading of the Quran made me understand that it was my duty to submit to the will of Allah, to seek His Mercy, and to begin to pray to be one of those who finds reward both in the grave and on the Day of Judgment.
And you will see the angels surrounding the Throne Divine on all sides, singing Glory and Praise to their Lord. The Decision between them at Judgment will be in perfect justice, and the cry on all sides will be, “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!” (Quran 39: 75)
References:
http://quran.eyesalve.org/concordance.htm
*Muhajir- migrants, one who migrates for the sake of Allah. The original Muhajirin were the Muslims who migrated from Makkah to Yathrib (Madinah)
www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/humanrelations/womeninislam/idealmuslimah/Glossary.html
