Why Is Justice Part of Islamic Beliefs’ Tenets?
God has all good attributes and is above every imperfection. The good attributes that God has and the bad attributes that He doesn’t have are of different kinds and they are discussed in theology.
The way to know God’s attributes is the same way through which you know God. You know about a writer, his ideas and his goal by reading what he writes, the way he uses words and his mastery over using words.
So every creature can do two things: 1- Know his Creator. 2-Recognize the attributes and purposes of his Creator.
Having faith in each of God’s attributes can play an important role in man’s behavior and words and in his personal and social life.
Having faith in the fact that “All might belongs to Allah. He is the Hearing, the Knowing,” (Surah Yunus, Verse 65), that “… the power altogether belongs to Allah,” (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 165), and that “We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return,” (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 156), will give one confidence, hope and dignity and keep him away from conceit, low self-esteem and fear of the future.
Why Is Adl One of Tenets of Islamic Beliefs?
While God has many attributes, such as mercy, wisdom, power, knowledge, etc), why only the attribute of Adl is considered a tenet of Islamic beliefs? This has both historical and political roots.
The historical root goes back to the early centuries after the advent of Islam when a small group of Muslims (the Ash’ari school) believed that it is not necessary for God to be Adil (just). They would say whatever God does is the right thing to do although it may be among the things that the intellect considers to be injustice and wrong.
Of course God is able to do everything but He does not act against Hikma (wisdom). We, for instance, have the power to do something that results in going blind but never do it because it is not wise. So using the power requires compatibility with Hikma, Adl and previous promises.
God has promised to send the righteous people to paradise and take the evil-doers to hell. If He acts differently, He has broken His promise, which would be an improper action and God never takes an improper action. When we say ‘God never does injustice’, we are not limiting God’s power but what it means is that Hikma causes the power to be used in the proper place.
As for the political root, it goes back to the time the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties were in power. In order not to face popular protests, they would spread the idea that everything that happens is what God wants to happen and no one has the right to say anything against the will of God. They would say, “If we are rulers, it is because of God’s will and no one is allowed to object to it. Jabr (compulsion) is what dominates the world and man has no free will and this is what God wants and whatever He does is Adl.”
Actually, this idea was good political support for the Umayyad and continuation of their rule.
