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'Adalah (Justice): Difference between revisions
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{{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure= | {{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=4|Content=3|Language=4|References=4}}'''<nowiki/>'Adalah''' (عدالة) is the Arabic word for "justice" and is used in various forms throughout the [[Portal: Islamic Scriptures|Islamic scriptures]]. While the basic concept of justice in Islam and [[Portal: Islamic Law|Islamic law]] is not wholly distinct from modern conceptions of the word, in the definitional sense of justice being what is fair and reasonable, there are many contexts in which what is considered Islamically just is, in practice, significantly distinct from what a modern sense of justice would entail. An important example of this difference is found in the frequent and broad-ranging preferential legal and financial treatment of Muslims over and above [[non-Muslims]] and of men over and above [[Islam and Women|women]] in [[Sharia|Shariah]] courts -- while such treatment would not evoke in many modern persons the feeling that justice had been attained, it is nonetheless considered just under Islamic law. In addition to these substantive distinctions, which are themselves significant, there are also certain meaning-laden phraseologies and symbols with which the concept of justice is associated in the [[Portal: Islamic Scriptures|Islamic scriptures]] which are noteworthy for historical and literary reasons. One recurrent and still-popular image in the [[Quran]] is that of the Scales of Justice, which are supposed to be employed to determine individuals fate (be it [[Jahannam (Hell)|Hell]] or [[Jannah (Paradise)|Heaven]]) on the Day of Judgement. | ||
Distinct from the legal and literary senses of 'Adalah, or justice, in Islam is the theological nature of expectations of Justice from Allah. According to mainstream Islamic theological schools, which defined themselves directly against the Mu'tazilites of the early Islamic period, God must be more powerful than he is just. While the Mu'tazilites, or rationalists, of early Islamic history maintained that God was bound to justice and could neither favor nor disfavor anyone except by their merits and demerits, the theological schools (particularly the Ash'ari school) that emerged to denounce this view as heretical would win first political favor and finally the contest of history. What results is that, today, all major schools of Islamic theology hold that while one may expect justice from Allah on grounds of likelihood, Allah is not bound by it, and may arbitrarily decide to punish or reward whoever he wills. This is because it is believed that justice must be beholden to an all-powerful God rather than vice-versa. | Distinct from the legal and literary senses of 'Adalah, or justice, in Islam is the theological nature of expectations of Justice from Allah. According to mainstream Islamic theological schools, which defined themselves directly against the Mu'tazilites of the early Islamic period, God must be more powerful than he is just. While the Mu'tazilites, or rationalists, of early Islamic history maintained that God was bound to justice and could neither favor nor disfavor anyone except by their merits and demerits, the theological schools (particularly the Ash'ari school) that emerged to denounce this view as heretical would win first political favor and finally the contest of history. What results is that, today, all major schools of Islamic theology hold that while one may expect justice from Allah on grounds of likelihood, Allah is not bound by it, and may arbitrarily decide to punish or reward whoever he wills. This is because it is believed that justice must be beholden to an all-powerful God rather than vice-versa. | ||
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While we were sitting with the Prophet a man came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have been ruined." Allah's Apostle asked what was the matter with him. He replied "I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting." Allah's Apostle asked him, "Can you afford to manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. Allah's Apostle asked him, "Can you fast for two successive months?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him, "Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet . He asked, "Where is the questioner?" He replied, "I (am here)." The Prophet said (to him), "Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity." The man said, "Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina's) two mountains who are poorer than I." The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said, 'Feed your family with it."}} | While we were sitting with the Prophet a man came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have been ruined." Allah's Apostle asked what was the matter with him. He replied "I had sexual intercourse with my wife while I was fasting." Allah's Apostle asked him, "Can you afford to manumit a slave?" He replied in the negative. Allah's Apostle asked him, "Can you fast for two successive months?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet asked him, "Can you afford to feed sixty poor persons?" He replied in the negative. The Prophet kept silent and while we were in that state, a big basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet . He asked, "Where is the questioner?" He replied, "I (am here)." The Prophet said (to him), "Take this (basket of dates) and give it in charity." The man said, "Should I give it to a person poorer than I? By Allah; there is no family between its (i.e. Medina's) two mountains who are poorer than I." The Prophet smiled till his pre-molar teeth became visible and then said, 'Feed your family with it."}} | ||
==== The poor are rewarded less handsomely ==== | ====The poor are rewarded less handsomely==== | ||
{{Quote|{{Muslim|4|1239}}|Abu Huraira reported: The poor amongst the emigrants came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: The possessors of great wealth have obtained the highest ranks and the lasting bliss. He (the Holy Prophet) said: How is that? They said: They pray as we pray, and they observe fast as we observe fast, and they give charity but we do not give charity, and they set slaves free but we do not set slaves free. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Shall I not teach you something by which you will catch upon those who have preceded you, and get ahead of those who come after you, only those who do as you do being more excellent than you? They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Extol Allah, declare His Greatness, and Praise Him thirty-three times after every prayer. Abu Salih said: The poor amongst the emigrants returned to the Messenger of Allah (may peace upon him) saying: Our brethren, the possessors, of property have heard what we have done and they did the same. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: This is Allah's Grace which He gives to whom He wishes. Sumayy reported: I made a mention of this hadith to some members of my family (and one of them) said: You have forgotten; he (the Holy Prophet) had said (like this): "Extol Allah thirty-three time, praise Allah thirty-three times and declare His Greatness thirty-three times." Ibn `Ajlan said: I made a mention of this hadith to Raja' b. Haiwa and he narrated to me a hadith like this from Abu Salih from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the authority of Abu Huraira.}} | {{Quote|{{Muslim|4|1239}}|Abu Huraira reported: The poor amongst the emigrants came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: The possessors of great wealth have obtained the highest ranks and the lasting bliss. He (the Holy Prophet) said: How is that? They said: They pray as we pray, and they observe fast as we observe fast, and they give charity but we do not give charity, and they set slaves free but we do not set slaves free. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Shall I not teach you something by which you will catch upon those who have preceded you, and get ahead of those who come after you, only those who do as you do being more excellent than you? They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Extol Allah, declare His Greatness, and Praise Him thirty-three times after every prayer. Abu Salih said: The poor amongst the emigrants returned to the Messenger of Allah (may peace upon him) saying: Our brethren, the possessors, of property have heard what we have done and they did the same. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: This is Allah's Grace which He gives to whom He wishes. Sumayy reported: I made a mention of this hadith to some members of my family (and one of them) said: You have forgotten; he (the Holy Prophet) had said (like this): "Extol Allah thirty-three time, praise Allah thirty-three times and declare His Greatness thirty-three times." Ibn `Ajlan said: I made a mention of this hadith to Raja' b. Haiwa and he narrated to me a hadith like this from Abu Salih from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the authority of Abu Huraira.}} | ||