Do these deeds contradict the justice of God?

SiteTitle

صفحه کاربران ویژه - خروج
ورود کاربران ورود کاربران

LoginToSite

SecurityWord:

Username:

Password:

LoginComment LoginComment2 LoginComment3 .
SortBy
 
Why has justice been included among the base of the tenets of religion?

There are some issues in the Qura’nic verses and traditions do not seem compatible with the justice of God in the eyes of the Ulema like:

The Issue of intercession

The issue of compulsion

The fate designed by God.

The difference in the distribution of sustenance and the existence of the rich and poor in human society.

There is no question that every one of these issues needs to be discussed individually because of its composition and Inshallah we will discuss them at the proper occasion but for the present we have to discuss whether these deeds do not contradict the justice of God.

But those who believe about intercession as that when it is done by the Holy Messenger, the infallible Imams, the Arch Angels it takes a person to paradise though another person is as great a sinner as him but God sends him to Hell. They feel entitled to believe in such an intercession contradictory to the essence of justice.

But we should keep in mind that intercession is only for those who prove themselves meritorious and deserve this intercession by continuous good deeds. The promise of intercession is like a corrective school that reforms the sinners and puts them on the straight path or that it prevents them to sink in the mire of sins. This makes it clear that intercession is not against the justice of God on the other hand it establishes it.

As far as the issue of “compulsion and authority” is concerned it is evident that the freedom of mankind to decide does not contradict the justice of God but is totally compatible with it. What is discordant is the issue of compulsion. The propagators of the compulsion stand on a cross road where they can accept compulsion and forgo the idea of justice or where they can accept justice and forgo compulsion. As we have discussed earlier the believers in compulsion have been forced to deny justice and this is the greatest objection raised against them.

We repeat that our purpose here is not to present proof against the belief in compulsion; its place is somewhere else. For the present we want to discuss it under the context of the issue of justice. Now we will see whether it is possible that one person forces another into sin and then punishes him for it? The answer is clearly in the negative.

As far as the predestination of faith is concerned it will be discussed separately and it does not mean that the fate of every person, his obedience, sins, disobedience, well being and otherwise has been compulsorily predestined and so can never be changed.

 This is nothing but a frivolous assumption which some ignorant people attribute to the issue of fate and determination but do not consider the truth.

God’s determination of fate is hint towards the law of causes for God has determined that certain people who are always striving should be successful and those that are lazy should be failures. (Exceptional cases do not affect the totality of this law. Then again God’s determination of fate is that those who obey should do well and those who disobey should suffer or those who are united in solving the collective problems are successful and those who are disunited should be subdued and defeated. This is what fate means in this universe and there is no doubt that if this meaning is accepted then the matter is fully compatible with God’s justice. But if the meaning that has been construed by some ignorant people is taken then it will clash with the concept of God’s justice and there will be no way to solve this riddle. (2)

The issue of poverty and opulence and of sustenance and wealth is connected with the qualified fate destined by God. Most hardworking people are successful and wealthy and the lazy one who is disunited is poverty stricken. We find these examples in our own as well as other societies. Some exceptional cases do not affect the totally of this law.

Then there are cases where poverty is imposed on an individual or group by some material force or the power and injustice of one group becomes the cause of poverty for another. This situation too is often debated under the justice of God. It is true that God has granted man the freedom to choose his deeds; if it was not so then man could not have become dominant and developed. There is no doubt most people take undue advantage of this but God the great judge finally wrests the rights of the oppressed from the unjust. But human development would have come to a standstill if God had confiscated this freedom of deeds from men because of it being misused. This freedom of mankind does not have any adverse effect on the justice of God. Man should always strive and be active. (3)

The concluding discussion about the Justice of God

We have said earlier that the issue of belief is not separate from the issue of knowledge in Islam. The attention to the attributes of God gets us to focus completely on the perfection and glory and that he should strive to come close to Him through his overt and covert deeds. It is due to this closeness that man will become a reflection of God’s glory and the attributes will be visible in his deeds.

The closer man gets to God the stronger his attributes will be specially the idea of God’s justice. (Whether we take justice in totality which means setting something in its proper place or we take it to mean the contrast between the fulfillment of rights and discriminations) If it becomes affective in the Muslim society then they will be able to compose their deeds and raise the flag of justice not only for the Islamic countries but its effects should spread throughout the world.

The issue of justice is so important in Islamic that nothing can hinder it, friendship and animosity, closeness and family ties cannot affect it. Forgoing justice in any way will be taken as following one’s greed. Verse 26 of Surah Saad says, “We have placed you as a successor on earth so judge between men in truth and do not follow your desires.”

In verse 8 of Surah Maidah the Qura’n says, “Let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice.”

The importance of justice is so great that if an amicable settlement cannot be attained through dialogue then the oppressed should be rallied to rise against the tyrants. Permission has been given even individually to rise up against the oppressors. Verse 75 of Surah Nisaa says, “And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the cause of God for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed men and women?”

We end this discussion with certain special traditions that is beautifying the final chapter of this book:

Amirul Mumineen Imam Ali (AS) in his short speech said, “Justice and fair play is a treasure for this life.” (4)

 Imam Jafar said, “Justice is sweeter than the water to which a thirsty person rushes.” (5)

In another Hadith Imam Ali said, “God has declared justice as the means for cleansing one’s society and raising the flag of Islam.”

Amirul Mumineen has said in another Hadith, “Justice is like the head for the Islamic society, all the goodness is gathered in it and this is one of the high levels of belief.”

We then read that the Holy Messenger said, “ A moment full of justice is better than 70 years spent in worship (wherein the entire days and nights were spent in worship” One moment of injustice is worse than sixty years of life full of sins.

Lord! Enlighten our hearts with the glory of your attributes in such a manner that we love none but you and do not walk any path that is not yours.

God! Make our souls so enriched by your beauty that our deeds are full of its reflection. Verse 138 of Surah Baqarah says, “This is manner of God’s coloring and who is better than God at coloring?”

Lord! Grant us piety in lieu of the belief in your beautiful names that we do not budge from justice even as much as the eye of the needle and that we never deviate from the straight path. Ameen.

 


 

1. For further details please read Tafsir Namuna vol.1 verses 47 and 48 of Surah Baqarah
2. For further information on determination of fate by God see the book The “Conflicts created in religion” pages 17 to 41 and Tafsir Namuna vol.23 page 83.
3. This discussion in full context can be seen in vol. 2 pages 290 to 294 of Nafahatol Qura’n.
4. Ghararal Hakam and Mizanol Hikmah vol.6 page 81.
5. Behar-ol-Anwar vol.72 ;page 36
Why has justice been included among the base of the tenets of religion?
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Lotus
Mitra
Nazanin
Titr
Tahoma