1. Masumeen Islamic Centre
Classes on Theology
Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Masumeen Islamic Centre
March 13th, 2012
Week Six

2. Justice of God
We have now reached the second fundamental principle in our Theology:
The Justice of Allah SWT – عدل الاهي
Resources for this section:
Divine Justice – Shahid Murtadha Mutahhari
Theological Instructions – Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi
Muhadharat fil Ilahiyat – Ayatullah Ja’far Subhani

3. 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!

4. 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:
لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ
To Him belongs all sovereignty and to Him belongs all praise (At-Taghabun 64:1)
وَ لِلَّهِ غَيْبُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ إِلَيْهِ يُرْجَعُ الْأَمْرُ كُلُّهُ
To Allah belongs the unseen of the heavens and earth; and to Him all matters are returned (Hood 11:123)

5. Justice of God
The Qur’an explains what is Divine Justice:
Divine Justice in its sociological sense is the purpose and goal of Prophethood
لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَ أَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَ الْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ
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
وَ نَضَعُ الْمَوَازِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَمَةِ فَلَا تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيًْا وَ إِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَ كَفَى‏ بِنَا حَاسِبِينَ
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)

6. 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:
فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَ لَكِن كاَنُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
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:
شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَاهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَ الْمَلَئكَةُ وَ أُوْلُواْ الْعِلْمِ قَائمَا بِالْقِسْطِ
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)

7. 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

8. 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
وَ السَّمَاءَ رَفَعَهَا وَ وَضَعَ الْمِيزَانَ
He raised the sky and set up the balance (Ar-Rahman 55:7)
بالعدل قامت السماوات و الارض
The heavens and the earth are maintained with justice.

9. 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

10. 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.

11. 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

12. Questions?