What do we mean by Justice For All?

When you were a child do you remember a parent or a teacher handing around a treat and skipping you? Do you remember another child taking your toys and not giving them back? Did you feel upset and angry? Did you protest to your parents or teacher? Punch the child who took your toys?

When something like that happened, we knew instinctively it was wrong. In adult language, we would say it was unjust. How we felt and reacted could also have been right or wrong.

By these scenarios we can see that what counts as justice or injustice is multi-dimensional. In the first case, it was being treated unequally, not getting the same as others. In the second, it was having something that we owned, our property, being taken from us. How our parents, teachers and we responded is also related to justice. Were we fair in responding, or did we go overboard? Was there accountability for the one who wronged us, or did they get off scot-free?

According to Islam’s scripture, the Qur’an, one of the most important things God asks humanity to do while they are on earth is to establish justice. There are many different Arabic words in the Qur’an that convey the various shades of meaning connected to the concept of justice. Yasein Mohamed, Emeritus Professor of Arabic Studies and Islamic Philosophy, University of the Western Cape in South Africa, gives a good summary:

     The most common term for the word “justice” in Arabic is ʿadl, and related terms include qisṭ [equity],         istiqāmah [straight], wasaṭ [middle], naṣīb (share), and mīzān [balance]. The opposite meaning is                   injustice (jawr), and related terms are ẓulm (wrongdoing), ṭughyān (tyranny), and inḥirāf (deviation).

Majid Khadduri, in his comprehensive study from 1984, “The Islamic Concept of Justice,” (Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press), says that there are “two hundred admonitions against injustice," expressed in words like zulm and ithm [sin]. He concludes there are “almost a hundred” direct or indirect expressions embodying the notion of justice, such as the ones mentioned above and in verses like this:

     “ O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even if against yourselves, or your parents,          or your relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, God takes care of both. So do not follow your desires, lest you            swerve. If you  deviate, or turn away—then God is Aware of what you do.” (4:135) 

When we think about how we might have responded to the child who took our toys, we can see that being “just” towards them might also activate other virtues, like forgiveness, mercy, forbearance or compassion. Speaking up to the teacher would have needed courage. If we were the teacher or parent, we’d have needed wisdom and temperance in handling the situation. We’d have also needed fairness, evenhandedness and acting to hold ourselves or others to account.

That’s why the Greek philosopher Aristotle said that justice is “the greatest of virtues… and in it every virtue is comprehended.”

The first Muslim scholar to write a major book on philosophical ethics was the 10th century Persian, Ibn Miskawah, called the Refinement of Character (Tahdhīb al-Akhlāq). He said the four highest virtues are: wisdom, temperance, courage, and justice, and that justice is the one that embraces all virtues.

Justice includes:

• Being honest to oneself and trying to be a good person. (“Whoever acts righteously does so for him/herself; and whoever works evil does so against him/herself.” (41:46))
• Being truthful, fair, equitable and honest while dealing with others, like when selling something, or when judging between people who have a dispute. (“O you who believe! Be upright to God, witnessing with justice; and let not the hatred of a certain people prevent you from acting justly. Adhere to justice, for that is nearer to piety; and fear God. God is informed of what you do.” (5:8))
• Making sure society treats its citizens equally, guaranteeing they all have the right to life, employment, livable income, freedom, shelter, education, health and a protective family. (“God commands justice, and goodness, and generosity towards relatives. And He forbids immorality, and injustice, and oppression. He advises you, so that you may take heed.” (16:90))

The Qur’an also talks about God creating the universe with justice. In this case the word justice means the harmony, balance and orderliness of the planets and stars, and in our natural world:

        “He created the heavens and the earth with justice. He is exalted above the associations they attribute.”                   (16:3)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that God said, “O My servants! I have forbidden oppression/injustice for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress/commit injustice to one another.”

Justice For All Canada works to prevent people from oppressing others and to establish justice in ourselves and in society. It’s never easy and is always a project in progress. True justice will come on the Day of Judgment. That’s where we will pay for our wrongdoings and be compensated for the injustices done to us:

      The Day [of justice] when no soul will avail another soul anything; and the decision on that Day is God’s.”                (82:19)