10 Principles of Divine Justice in Islam
Measures differ and standards
vary in our world, the innocent is wronged, the guilty is honored, and the
gates of justice are
locked by the chains of desire and self-interest.
Yet there is a justice that never
falters, and a balance that never tilts; it is the justice of Allah, who Misses
nothing, not even an atom’s weight. Allay Says, {Indeed,
Allah never wrongs ˹anyone˺—even by an
atom’s weight.}
[An-Nisa 4:40]
It is a justice that addresses
hearts before bodies and establishes evidence through the very treatment a
person shows to others: “As you judge, you shall be judged.”
Quranic Principles of Divine Justice
The rules of divine justice are
clearly set forth in the Quran, through a series of profound verses that define
Allah’s balance and fairness with His creation.
1.
The Justice of Reward
Allah
Says, {Is there any reward for goodness except
goodness?} [Ar-Rahman 55:60]
That is, the one who believes,
acts righteously, fears his Lord, and restrains himself from desire, will be
recompensated beautifully, filling his heart with peace and his eyes with joy.
2.
Every Deed Counts
Allah Says, {So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it. And
whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.} [Az-Zalzalah 99: 7–8]
Meaning: whoever does even the
smallest good deed will see its fruitful result, and whoever commits even the
smallest evil will witness its consequence.
This is the most comprehensive verse affirming that reward corresponds to
action, in both good and evil.
3.
Justice in Measure
Allah Says, {A fitting
reward.} [An-Naba 78:26]
That is, their punishment in Hell
is precisely proportionate to their deeds.
Allah has not Wronged them but has Recompensed them according to the evil they
chose to do in this world.
4.
Divine Counteraction
Allah Says, {And the disbelievers made a plan ˹against Jesus˺, but Allah also planned—and Allah is
the best of planners.} [Ali `Imran 3:54]
The word plan (makr) here means
strategic planning or counteraction, and it is blameworthy when aimed at evil,
and praiseworthy when used for good.
Here, the verse refers to the Jews who
plotted to kill Jesus (peace be upon him) in secret, using every deceitful
means.
But Allah Nullified their plot and saved His Prophet from their schemes. {And Allah is the best of planners.} That is, the Strongest
in planning, the Most Effective in stratagem, and the Most Capable of
inflicting punishment.
This is also evident in: {And ˹so˺ they made a plan, but We too made a plan, while they were
unaware. See then what the consequences of their plan were: We ˹utterly˺ destroyed them and their people all
together.} [An-Naml 27:50–51] And: {Behaving
arrogantly in the land and plotting evil. But evil plotting only backfires on
those who plot.} [Fatir: 35:43] He also Says, “They
are certainly devising ˹evil˺ plans, but I too am planning.” [At-Tariq :15–16]
5.
The Law of Retaliation
Allah Says, {So, if anyone attacks you, retaliate in the same manner.}
[Al-Baqarah 2:194]
Meaning: whoever wrongs you or
attacks you, respond with justice and balance, without excess or injustice, only in proportion
to what Allah has Allowed.
6.
No Excess in Punishment
Allah Says, {If you retaliate, then let it be equivalent to what you
have suffered.} [An-Nahl 16:126]
That is: if you choose to punish
those who wronged you, let it be equal and not more, for Allah Dislikes transgression in any
form.
7.
Equal Measure of Evil
Allah Says, {The reward of an evil deed is its equivalent.} [Ash-Shura
42:40]
This means that when one seeks
justice from an oppressor, he must respond only in kind, without excess or vengeance.
This is also evident in: {As for those who commit evil, the reward of an evil deed
is its equivalent.} [Yunus 10:27] Those who commit evil in this world
will be repaid in equal measure in the Hereafter with a fitting punishment.
8. Forgetting Allah Leads to Being Forgotten
Allah Says, {They neglected Allah, so He neglected them.} [At-Tawbah 9:67]
Meaning: they abandoned
obedience, piety, and awareness of Allah,
so He Abandoned them,
Depriving them of His mercy and guidance.
He also Says, {And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made
them forget themselves.} [Al-Hashr 59:19]
That is: they neglected what
Allah commanded, so He Left them to themselves, forgetting what benefits them
and pursuing what destroys them.
9.
The Consequence of Arrogance
Allah Says, {So they tasted the evil consequences of their doings,
and the outcome of their doings was ˹total˺ loss.} [At-Talaq 65:9]
This verse was revealed
concerning the arrogance of disbelievers who defied Allah and His messengers. Thus, Allah
repaid them with a punishment fitting their pride and defiance: {˹Imagine˺ how many societies rebelled against the commandments of their
Lord and His messengers, so We called each ˹society˺ to a severe account and subjected them to a horrible
punishment. So they tasted the evil consequences of their doings, and the
outcome of their doings was ˹total˺ loss.} [At-Talaq 65:8-9]
Meaning: many communities
rebelled against their Lord and denied His messengers, so Allah recorded their
deeds precisely and repaid them with a just and severe punishment.
10.
The Full Recompense in the Day of Judgement
Allah Says, {Today every soul will be rewarded for what it has done.}
[Ghafir 40:17]
On that tremendous and fearful
Day, every soul—believer and disbeliever, righteous and sinner— will receive
the full recompense for what it did in life, good or evil, obedience or
disobedience.
Allah also Says, {Whoever chooses to be guided, it is only for their own
good. And whoever chooses to stray, it is only to their own loss. No soul
burdened with sin will bear the burden of another.} [Al-Isra’ 17:15]
The Wisdom Behind the Divine Scale of Justice
1.
To cultivate mindfulness of Allah before people.
2.
To establish a balanced society rooted
in mercy and fairness.
3.
To manifest the flawless
equity of Allah, who never Wrongs even an atom’s weight.
4.
To strengthen belief in
the Afterlife, for
every deed will return to its doer, weighed with truth and precision.
Also Read:
- When Injustice Overshadows Justice: The Cases of the Palestinians and the Rohingya
- Justice in the Households of the Prophet ﷺ
- 5 Foundations of Tolerance in Qur’an
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